Virtual Pop Up Shop benefitting Beautiful Lives Boutique in Fayetteville

Since the roads are icy, and the drive and steps up to the Beautiful Lives Boutique are even icier, we decided to have a virtual pop up shop starting today at 3:00 and ending Tuesday at 3:00. 

Twenty percent of all proceeds made through my Etsy Shop during that time will benefit the ministries supported by BL Boutique. 

click HERE to shop

 Please go here to learn more about this great upscale used clothing shop that uses 100% of it's proceeds to benefit abused women and children locally and globally.

You can donate your gently used clothing, shoes and accessories to BL Boutique during January and receive a coupon code for 10% off your next purchase from my Etsy Shop.

Purchase for a purpose this week!!!  You will be able to pick up your items at the BL Boutique on Wednesday from 10:00-6:00. **Any out of town orders will also count toward the sale, and shipping is free--however, I cannot guarantee arrival by Christmas.

 I will also have some larger works of art on display at the shop at that time available for purchase.

Free Pumpkin Painting giveaway

Happy Fall Y'all! I hope you are as excited about fall weather as I am. I noticed while driving home from the beach on Sunday, that a few trees were already starting to change in the mountains coming back into Fayetteville. To celebrate fall, I have added some pumpkin paintings to my Etsy shop, and giving away a pumpkin painting to one lucky follower.

Pumpkin paintings in my Etsy shop will be on a pre-order basis, and will be ready for delivery by the last week in October. If you pre-order your pumpkin before October 16, use discount code FALLYALL for a 15% discount on any pumpkin order of $25 or more. Remember, in my shop shipping is always FREE.

Click HERE to order your pumpkins.

So here's how to get your name in the drawing for the give-away for the FREE pumpkin painting pictured in the "win an original painting" photo above. Share the give away photo from my social media site to yours-either Instagram or Facebook, and then add my Etsy shop to you "favorite" list.* Then comment "FALL YALL" under the above photo on one of my social media pages to let me know that you entered by sharing and favoriting my shop.

The winner of the drawing will receive an original heavy impasto style acrylic pumpkin painting on archival quality stock paper. It measures 9x12 and comes packaged in a cellophane sleeve. It retails for $45 and looks wonderful framed.

*Drawing will come from Etsy shop followers and then winner will be verified for a social media share during the contest giveaway dates of Oct.7 to Oct.13, 2016. No purchase necessary to win.

Here's a recap:

1) Go to my Facebook or Instagram Stacy Spangler Art page and share the give away photo. Comment "FALL YALL" under it on my page.

2) Go to my Etsy Shop and add me to your "Favorites" by clicking the heart on the favorite shop button near the top.

Painting Florals

If you've followed my art for long, you probably know that my favorite thing to paint is flowers. 

I will be painting live at the Bentonville square for Artists of Northwest Arkansas Art in the Park this Saturday.

I will have florals on paper that you can purchase for a special price of $25. Even though they are on paper, you can still see the thick texture,

and they look so lovely framed. Come see me this weekend from 8-3. There will be lots of local artists participating and a special area for kids to create their own masterpiece.

Scripture Cards

I love when I am struggling with a specific issue and God's provides the perfect encouragement through His word. I started many years ago, jotting down these truths onto index cards, and placing them strategically around my home, office and in my car, so I could see them throughout my day.

Then a couple of years ago, I started incorporating these verses that God had imprinted on my heart, into my art on a decorative card. I love sharing these with others, so I hope you will too. These are some of my favorite verses, and I've created one for each day of the week. You can use them to help with scripture memory, or just to have God's word sprinkled throughout your home, or if you wish, to give away for encouragement.

Each card is my own original mixed media design. I have them printed locally here in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The fabric clips are hand sewn by me and are attached to a very sturdy magnet clip. They will attach nicely to your refrigerator, file cabinet or any other metal surface.

These will be for sale in my Etsy Shop beginning Monday, and will be ready to ship in a couple weeks.  The one sided, flat cards measure approximately 3.75"x 5.75" and are blank on the back--perfect for writing a prayer request or a note. Each set of cards and clip comes packaged in a clear box and is topped off with a raffia bow.

Check my Etsy Shop next week to order!

As a special bonus, I'm sending a free 3x3 inch mini card print with each order for orders placed NEXT WEEK ONLY! And as always, shipping is free. 

Only 12 card + hand-sewn clip sets available, and three card + bird paperweight clip stands available so place your order today!!!

Gulf Coast Art

Since I mainly keep my blog and art social media sites business, I thought I'd change things up  and do a "get to know the artist" post. Since this relates to my current artwork, I wanted to share a bit about my family vacation with you.

I'm from Arkansas and have lived there my whole life, with exception of a short two month stint in Orlando working at Disney World.  I have been married for 21 years, and we have 3 amazing daughters that keep us very busy.  

I have been coming to the Gulf Coast on vacation since I was a little girl, mainly staying in the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach area. We also love Destin and the 30A area, but most trips we are too impatient to drive the extra 3 hours, especially now that we have relocated to Northwest Arkansas and our drive is already 11+ hours. 

I love to stay in a place on the beach that is less crowded and void of the high rise commotion. We mostly just chill and spend time on the beach and eat in at our condo. I love cooking when I'm not in a rush, so on vacation it's more of a pleasure than a chore, plus I don't like to have to "get ready" when we've been on the beach all day.  

For me, it's such a treat to have no agenda or a place to be. I savor the moments of being able to sit and think, enjoy the views, people watch, pray, journal and snuggle on the couch with my family after a long day of sun, walking on the beach, playing in the waves, and hunting crabs and seashells. Some of my other family members have a different definition of a fun vacation, so we do have to throw in some outings.

This year, my vacation was partially a working one, but when you are not on a deadline, and you've got great inspiration, it doesn't feel like work at all.  And I can't think of a better way to help pay for a trip to the beach :)

As far my art journey goes, I took art in the summer as a child and have always loved the creative process, working for many years pre-mom days in the advertising and marketing field. I started painting about 18 years ago when I was inspired by Arkansas artist Arden Boyce and decided to sign up for oil painting lessons at Hobby Lobby-how funny is that!! When I became pregnant with my first child, I put away my oils and started painting things in acrylic with a whimsical nature, mostly for my girls rooms, and then by word of mouth for others. When my middle daughter started kindergarten, I put up my brushes again and started teaching art to kids, which grew into pretty much a full time gig for the next 8 years. 

So I would say that I'm pretty much a self taught artist, I love the experimentation process and feel my style is constantly evolving. I'm always inspired by God's word, something beautiful I've seen in nature, or eye catching color combinations coming from God's amazing color palette. I love to paint not only because it is a natural way for me to express myself, but because it offers a visual record of things God has impressed upon my heart and mind, as well as helping me communicate those truths to others. 

I'm deeply grateful and humbled to be able use my creative gifts for His glory. I am so thankful for the people and opportunities He has placed in my path to encourage me to continue in my artistic endeavors, and for those of you who choose to give my art a special place in your lives and homes. 

Here's a few of the painting studies I completed while I was at Perdido Key. I will be putting these up for sale to the public soon, but have a special for all my Facebook, Instagram. newsletter and Blogger followers, so read on. These paintings are in acrylic on an 8" x 8" x 3/4" stretched canvas with finished edges. 

I will be putting finishing touches on them when I get back to Arkansas,  and selling them for $65 each. As a special thank you to all my followers, I am offering these for $45 each until August 9. I'm hoping I can get them all sold before I have time to list on Etsy :))))) I will offer a flat shipping fee of $5, but if you purchase two or more (they look great paired), I will ship for free. 

If you spend time at the gulf, add these to your home decor to remind you all year long of your favorite beach destination.

So lets try this!

Email me at spanglerstacy@yahoo.com and let me know which paintings you want along (by number reference above) with your email address, and I will send you a pay pal invoice. I will reserved paintings in the order that I receive emails. These will be ready to ship out in about 2 weeks and will come ready to hand with hanging hardware.

I'm not a photographer, but I'll share a few inspiration shots that I hope to paint when I get home as reminders of our time here at the gulf. Enjoy!

Gift items with scripture

I've just added some new items to my Etsy Shop that make perfect gifts. All are under $25 and include FREE shipping. 

I don't know about you, but I love having scripture sprinkled though out my home, and I love to give gifts that encourage with scripture. These fun little hanging clip frames are hand painted and assembled by moi, and include a professionally printed scripture card from one of my original works on paper.

These fun little canvas magnets are made with the same texture and quality as my large originals on canvas. They have a heavy duty magnet on the back making them perfect for your file cabinet or refrigerator.

I have incorporated vintage papers and text into each of these to add more interest, texture and history. All my products come package in a cellophane bag with ribbon so they are ready to give.

I also have a limited supply of hand-stitched clips, great for a book mark, your Bible or planner. These also come with a printed scripture card.

Or great to pair with one of my spiral note books professionally printed with my original artwork. I have pocket size or a larger size available.

If you receive my newsletter, be sure and grab your special discount code-good two days only! 

Let's make lemonade-A creative spin on judging others.

As a self taught artist, I love the experimentation process and feel my style is constantly evolving. While I use mainly acrylics, you will always catch glimpses of a variety of other elements in my artwork. I enjoy the use of bright color, contrasting values, heavy texture and collage. I use my hands, brushes and a palette knife to build up multiple layers of paint, papers and acrylic medium, resulting in a heavy distressed texture.

I love to paint not only because it is a natural way for me to express myself, but because it offers a visual record of things God has impressed upon my heart and mind, as well as helping me communicate those truths to others.

I recently painted this Mixed Media on Canvas for a scripture/art challenge at my church. My scripture passage was Matthew 7:1-7. I focused on the part of the scripture that says, “for in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured”, I was immediately convicted of my own struggle in this area. It is much easier for me to focus on where others aren’t measuring up, instead on focusing on my own growth. 

Since I tend to naturally bring a light-hearted and whimsical spin to my artwork, the old saying of making lemonade out of lemons, came to mind. The message I tried to relay in this painting is that as Christian’s we can love the world around us, recognize the good in others, and offer refreshment instead of judgement, showing God’s grace in a tangible way. 

This painting will be on display at Fellowship Bible Church in Rogers and also in Fayetteville in the upcoming months. If you are an artist in Northwest Arkansas, and would like to learn more about using your art for praise, worship, fellowship prayer and service, see Spectra's information HERE.

Art Show at Red Kite Coffee Company in Fayetteville

Just wanted to give you a quick look at some of my art that is showing during the month of July at the Red Kite Coffee Company in Fayetteville. I hope if you are local, you can stop by and see it in person. There are 30 pieces ranging in price from $42 to $475.

Trends in handmade markets.

I've been an artist for about 10 ten years now, painting and selling mostly as a hobby until this year. I've been a fan of handmade gifts and craft fairs as long as I can remember, but in the past few years most of the craft/gifts shows I've been to have left me disappointed. It seems that most booths have a lot of the same items, and they are ones that have a "mass produced" feel, instead of a one-of-a-kind feel. Anyone with me here? 

I live in the craft show mecca, with one of the largest, War Eagle, right here in my own backyard. I always have a wonderful time, and will continue to go every time I can, but the last time I went, I saw a lot of the same things over and over again. Some were the same items I see in the local stores. Of course, I go for the whole experience, but also to seek out those crafters who have put their heart and soul into their pieces-it's the reason I fell in love with craft shows to begin with.

I've even noticed on that on Etsy, a lot of the editors picks or featured items are not pieces that have been truly hand-crafted. Don't get me wrong, I carry prints of my original artwork so that I have a variety of options and price ranges for my customers, but most of my pieces are truly hand made by my hands.

Fortunately, I'm blessed to have wonderful customers who still love to purchase a one-of-a-kind, hand painted work of art. I'm very thankful they continue to make it possible to keep doing what I love to do! 

Every day this week I am adding new art to my shop. All purchases through tomorrow will receive a free gift, and if you sign up for my newsletter you can receive a discount code. My shipping is always on the house! 

Click HERE to shop. Share with a friend!

Bicycling in Northwest Arkansas

 I have to say that one of my favorite things to do here in Northwest Arkansas is explore the bike trails. We have had beautiful weather this year and I've about conquered all the trails in the Fayetteville area. From my biking adventures, I have some colorful stories of slithering snakes, flat tires and even one where an interesting character was passed out in the middle of the trail and I was required to call 911.

Tales aside, the scenery is always beautiful and there are so many fun places to stop along the way. One of my favorite destinations is taking the Skull Creek Trail to the Frisco Trail down to Dickson Street. There are a ton a great restaurants to refuel and the ride is simple enough for kids to join in.

My frequent bike rides this year have inspired a new collection of art that will be on display during the month of July at The Red Kite Coffee Company in East Fayetteville. The exhibit is call Bikes, Red White & Blues and Bar-B-Q.  There will be a large selection, and a variety of sizes of mixed media on canvas,  plus a small collection of framed prints. I hope you can bike on over and see my new collection of artwork and enjoy one of their tasty ice cold coffee drinks!

I will be restocking my Etsy Shop soon. To find out how to get a discount code PLUS a FREE gift, sign up for my newsletter at this link.

I promise I don't spam my customers or bombard them with senseless emails. I only send out a newsletter when I offer special discounts, restock my Etsy shop, have upcoming events involving my art or hold workshops or art classes. I would love for you to join my VIP list!

How to start an oil, acrylic or mixed media painting on canvas

Over the years, I've painted in acrylics, oils, collage and mixed media, but I usually always start all my paintings basically the same, regardless of the medium. First, I do a rough sketch in my journal. If I'm struggling, I may draw it small a few times.

If it's a very detailed piece and I'm going really large, I may project my drawing, but most of the time I will just redraw it on to the canvas. Since I've been moving more toward an abstract style for my work, I don't worry as much about everything being "perfect". After all, it's my interpretation of the subject, and if it needed to be perfect, I'd just take a picture instead of painting it :)

Next, I sketch my design onto my canvas and go over my pencil drawing with black paint. After that dries, I cover the canvas with a transparent wash of color, usually orange or bright pink. My next step is to block in the darker colors and show where the main contrast areas will be. Then I start the layering process, saving my gel medium and collage for the top layers.

From this point, I will start to add papers and other types of texture. I use brushes in the beginning, and then when I get to the upper layers, I use a palette knife.

Hope you enjoyed getting a sneak peak of my process :) I'm working on a new series of paintings and can't wait to show them to you later in the spring. 

I do have prints of this cute little pig in my ETSY SHOP, 

plus some new prints perfect for Mother's day.