Winner for Summer Giveaway!

I would like to announce the winner of this summer's sweepstakes giveaway! The winner is (drumroll please)........ LINDA W. of Winfield, IL! The photo she selected is of a Chameleon lizard! Another giveaway will be coming soon. Congratulations Linda!

Fine Art Giveaway Sweepstakes for Summer 2010!

Ok guys, I realize that it's been about a YEAR since my last sweepstakes, but I'm starting another one up RIGHT NOW! I will be having a giveaway of one high quality color photograph or print of a drawing to be selected from my online store at http://krystalswallaccents.etsy.com !

Deadline: All entries must be received by 11:59 ET on July 31, 2010

Official Rules: A winner will be selected on August 1, 2010 from the entries received. One entry allowed per person. Entries must be emailed to kgarini87@yahoo.com, where you will need to provide your name, mailing address, email address, and specific choice of prize. To select your prize, please visit my store website, at http://www.krystalswallaccents.etsy.com, and look through my 40+ items available. Just copy and paste the title of item you wish to receive with your entry. All entries received without a specific prize selection will be disqualified. Comments left below with only a link to the item from my store, will also be disqualified. I was sad to have to disqualify over 10 applicants last time for this reason. A blog entry will be posted on August 1st, with the winner's name and prize selection. The winner will also be notified by email.

Special Twist! This time around, if I receive more than 5 purchases originating from customers entering into my sweepstakes, I will give away 2 prizes instead of 1! That's right, for every 5 purchases, I will give away one more to you guys! So if you find something you love, you're chances of a freebie would be upped if you buy it!

I wish you all the best of luck!

NEW Additions to my MACRO Flower Collection!

I've added four new beautiful macro flower pictures to my collection! These close ups are of some exotic flowers, and some traditional ones like roses and hibiscus. The red spiky one is called a Powderpuff flower, I love it! I got most of these pictures a the Magic Wings Butterfly conservatory and Gardens mentioned a post or two below this. If you don't enjoy going for the butterflies, you can go for the flowers for sure! I particularly love the Rainbow Hibiscus, the colors are so incredibly vivid! Now, why can't I grow some of these in my back yard....I might just have to go suit up with some gardening gloves and a trowel :P

Audubon Society's Canoe Meadows in Pittsfield, MA

So I've found a new favorite place to walk around and take pictures, Canoe Meadows wildlife sanctuary in Pittsfield, MA! I recently discovered this Audubon refuge, and have been going for walks at dusk to run into all sorts of animals, from usual ones like bunnies, geese, and ducks to muskrats, beavers, and even wild turkeys! (is it bad that my tummy is growling after that last one?). I never knew Pittsfield was hiding this gem, even after driving by it a couple of times! Here are some photos from my past few trips.

Another Trip To Magic Wings to see some EXOTIC butterflies!

Bored on a Friday I decided to take another trip to Magic Wings in South Deerfield, MA to check out their exotic butterflies and get some more, and better pictures. If you live in the area and haven't stopped in yet, I would highly recommend it! I was pleasantly surprised to see not only tons of butterflies and beautiful koi fish, but a HUGE Atlas Moth (with the biggest wing area of any butterfly or moth in the world!). I also got to check out some cool frogs they had there. Here are some of my best pics from the excursion, for the rest you can click on one to lead you to my etsy shop :)

Challenged myself again...and it paid off!

Yesterday I finished my latest work, a pencil drawing from the Vanity Fair Photo Shoot of Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson from the HUGE hit Twilight Saga as Bella Swan and Edward Cullen!!! The Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer has become a huge craze, as have the starring actors. This is the first drawing I've tried that had a portrait of a MAN in it, and I was very, very nervous to try this newest challenge! From the short hair to the stubble, I was very afraid I would kill the drawing, but am very pleased with the result! Leave me some comments, let me know what you guys think of it!

Broadening my Horizons

I finally finished some new drawings, that for the first time, aren't portraits of women!!! I'm proud to say I stepped outside my comfort zone when asked to draw a photograph of some horses as a gift for a coworker. I also drew a 1926 Colt Gun - a Single Action .45 as a Christmas gift for my father. Not a one-trick-pony anymore!

A New Drawing...Finally!

Its been about a year since my last one, so I finally motivated myself to do another drawing. I was wracked with worry that I wouldn't be able to pick drawing back up, that it had been way too long since my last try, but I was pleased with the result! I think this is probably my best portrait yet, and it is of the beautiful and charming Zooey Deschanel. She is a young actress who has been in recent films such as (500) Days of Summer, Yes Man, the Happening, Failure to Launch, and Elf. She even sings a little and has a great voice! Hope you enjoy the new addition to my e-collection!

Winner from Feb/Mar. Giveaway

Hey guys, sorry I am posting a winner a day late! The winner I have selected is Karen T. from Salt Lake City, UT. She chose the Rainbow Hibiscus photograph. Thank you to everyone who entered! I will probably be waiting a few months before running another giveaway, but don't worry, it will come soon enough! :)

Fine Art Giveaway for February/March 2009!

Due to the overwhelming response from my past giveaways, I am running ANOTHER sweepstakes to give away one high quality color photograph or print of a drawing to be selected from my online store!

Deadline: All entries must be received by 11:59 ET on March 31, 2009

Official Rules: A winner will be selected on April 1, 2009 from the entries received. One entry allowed per person. Entries must be emailed to kgarini87@yahoo.com, where you will need to provide your name, mailing address, email address, and specific choice of prize. To select your prize, please visit my store website, at http://www.krystalswallaccents.etsy.com, and look through my 70+ items available. Just copy and paste the title of item you wish to receive with your entry. All entries received without a specific prize selection will be disqualified. Comments left with only a link to the item from my store, will also be disqualified. I was sad to have to disqualify over 10 applicants last month for this reason. A blog entry will be posted on April fools day (the 1st), with the winner's name and prize selection. The winner will also be notified by email.

I wish you all the best of luck!

We Have a Winner! January '09 Giveaway!

I have randomly selected Andrea R. from Arlington, TX as the winner of this giveaway! The photograph shown above is the prize she had selected. Congratulations Andrea, and I would like to thank every one else who entered!

New Digitally Enhanced Black and White/Colorized Photos!

I have some new photographs I have added to my store, digitally enhanced with my Adobe Photoshop software! I have taken colorized photos I have taken with my Nikon D40 camera (the originals can also be found in my store), and while leaving one main focal point fully colored, I made the rest black and white to fully accentuate that item. I am also offering customization for this process, you can find a listing in my store to submit a photo to me, and I can leave an item of your choice colored for this effect! Let me know what you think! CLICK HERE to visit the link to the customization listing in my store!

Fine Art Giveaway Sweepstakes - January '09!

I am running a sweepstakes to give away one high quality color photograph or print of a drawing to be selected from my online store!

Deadline: All entries must be received by 11:59 ET on January 31, 2009

Official Rules: Same as February/March '09 Sweepstakes

Thank you to everyone who entered!

We Have a Winner! Sweepstakes '08

I have randomly selected Judith M. from Milford, OH as the winner of this giveaway! The photograph shown above is the prize she had selected. Congratulations Judith, and I would like to thank every one else who entered!

Fine Art Giveaway Sweepstakes!!!

I am running a sweepstakes to give away one high quality color photograph or print of a drawing to be selected from my online store!

Deadline: All entries must be received by 11:59 ET on December 31, 2008

Official Rules: Same as January '09 Sweepstakes

Thank you to everyone who entered!

My Latest Work

I just finished up a brand new drawing of Amy Adams, as pictured on the front cover of the November 2008 Vanity Fair Magazine. This magazine is great for finding great pictures from photo shoots of actors and actress, as well as displaying numerous stylish new trends. Instead of purchasing their magazines, you can even check them out at www.vanityfair.com. Amy Adams is a wonderful actress, seen in recent films such as "Enchanted" for Disney, "The Wedding Date", and "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day", which were all terrific! She is also soon to be starring in "Doubt" with Meryl Streep, "The Sunshine Cleaning" with Emily Blunt, and "Julie & Julia", again with Meryl Streep. I hope you enjoy my drawing!

Publish Post

Butterflies - The most beautiful insects!

As winter draws nearer, and leaves begin to turn colors and fall from their trees, I find myself longing for spring again; for beautiful, bright flowers and butterflies dancing from one to another. I absolutely love butterflies, as well as the chance to go check out a new conservatory now and then. Recently, I went to Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory & Gardens in South Deerfield, Massachusetts and was impressed by the variety of beautiful butterflies flying about their indoor sanctuary! Going there certainly fed my craving for seeing these beautiful creatures! If you have a butterfly conservatory near you, it is definately worth checking out! To see the site for Magic Wings, feel free to visit http://www.magicwings.com. The pictures shown have clickable links.

Just a few drawings

Although I haven't been drawing for a very long time, it is something I very much love to do. Sometimes it takes me a while to get inspired by a portrait I wish to draw, but it always feels incredible when I am able to complete a new work of art. At this time, I am only doing drawings of women, mainly celebrities. Over time I hope to branch out a little, but those are what I am most comfortable with for now. These are two drawings I did this past summer, the first of Katherine Heigl, and the second of Jessica Biel. The pictures shown have clickable links.