Watercolor and Ink Paintings

Arts and Drafts festival went really well, it was fun as always. I've painted a few small painitngs specially for this occasion and these two watercolor and ink paintings are the last two from those paintings.

I especially like the profile, it's an experiment gone right. I did enjoy doing other paintings with these lines, but lately it just wasn't cutting it. I wanted to use them for something new and so I did. I haven't even hoped that it would end up as well as it did, but alas.

While at an art show I have talked to a few people that inspired a couple of Tatyana skids, so the insanity of that character will continue.

You can enter to win prints of both the flower and the male portrait.

To enter giveaway you can:

Subscribe to this YouTube channel and comment on this video

Subscribe to my blog and comment on this post

Bonus entries (bonus entries will not count unless you have done one of the above) are:

Like me on Facebook (1 extra entry)

Follow me on Twitter (1 extra entry)

Tweet about this giveaway or post about it on Facebook (1 entry each)

Comment on this FB update

Or join my mailing and email lists by emailing me at armadavolya[at]hotmail[dot]com with your mailing and email addresses (1 entry each)

Buy Art Prints

The Flower in the Wind

Watercolor, abstract painting, The Flower in the Wind. This print is 8.5x11 and shows cool wind on a hot, sunny day.

See more information about this Watercolor Painting 

   




  8.5x11 print $20

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The Beach and the Palm Tree

Watercolor and Ink abstract Painting, The Beach and the Palm Tree. This print is 8.5x11 and shows a palm tree on the beach with the sand and waves of the ocean spiraling around in-front of a the eyes of a heat stricken person.
See more information about this Watercolor Painting





  8.5x11 print $20

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Two Lives, Two Paths 

Two Lives, Two Paths is an 11x14 abstract watercolor and ink painting. It represents two life lines that are closely connected, intertwined, but are nonetheless different.

See more information about this Watercolor Painting



   11x14 print $30

  8.5x11 print $20



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In the Middle of it all Is Love

In the Middle of it all Is Love is an 11x14 abstract watercolor and ink painting. This print is 11x14 to match the size of the original painting.

See more information about this Watercolor Painting

   11x14 print $30

  8.5x11 print $20

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Intertwined 

Intertwined is an 8.5x11 abstract watercolor and ink painting. Print is 8.5x11 to match the original painting

See more information about this Watercolor Painting 





   8.5x11 print $20

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Inner Peace 

Inner peace is drawn with color ink over watercolor on 8.5x11 paper. This is the first from the series of underwater drawings. This 8.5x11 print

See more information about this Ink Drawing






  8.5x11 print $20

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Fire of Passion

Fire of Passion is an ink drawing on 8.5x11 paper colored with watercolor paint. This print is 8.5x11

See more information about this Ink Drawing







  8.5x11 print $20

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Pure Joy
Pure Joy is done in color ink and watercolor. I first colored the background with watercolor and than inked over it. Size of the drawing is 8.5x11. This print is 8.5x11

See more information about this Ink Drawing






   8.5x11 print $20

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Hand Painted Letters

Hand painted letters done in watercolor and ink. Please check with me as to availability of each letter before ordering it as it might not be available since I don't repaint the same letters. Prints are 8.5x11

See more Ornate Letters




 8.5x11 print   $10

5 prints for $40

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Ancestor Spirit Sketch Cards

Ancestor Spirit Sketch Cards are done with watercolor and ink and is a limited edition print (100 prints of each). Please check with me as to availability of each of the cards as I will not repaint them, so if some of them are sold and I didn't remove them from the listing I will not be able to send it. There are a total of 10 cards from this collection created.

See more original Sketch Cards

             $5

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Winter Night

Watercolor and ink abstract painting showing snowflake and a pine tree. Pine tree is uneven to demonstrate that in nature nothing is perfectly symmetrical.

See more information about this watercolor painting 

  8.5x11 print  $20

Ancestors' Spirits Giveaway

Ancestors' Spirits paintings were done in ink, watercolor paint and watercolor pencil. This series was inspired by Native American art.
To enter giveaway you can:
Subscribe to this YouTube channel and comment on this video
Subscribe to my blog and comment on this blog post

Bonus entries (bonus entries will not count unless you have done one of the above) are:

Like me on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/ArtofArmadaVolya (1 extra entry)

Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/ArmadaVolya (1 extra entry)

Tweet about this giveaway or post about it on Facebook (1 entry each)

Or join my mailing and email lists by emailing me at armadavolya[at]hotmail[dot]com with your mailing and email addresses (1 entry each)

Please, please please leave separate comments for each entry.

If you like the necklace, please visit http://SatinDollCo.etsy.com jewelry there is great, honestly, Monkey approves.

Flower in the Wind, Abstract Painting

Flower in the Wind is a watercolor and ink painting. It was inspired by music I heard. Simple line patterns I originally imagined took shape in this flower. What I wanted to show is a cool breeze on a hot summer day. Cool colors used for the flower were chosen this intent. For more information about this painting you can watch this YouTube video where I explain it a little better.

   Original $100

  8.5x11 print $20

I just finished this painting this morning. There are times in life when I have no time to paint, this week was one of these. I went crazy about having it finished today because I wanted to keep on posting a video every Tuesday, so I had to finish it. Little challenges like this make it easier to keep on painting no matter what. 

Abstract Painting of a Giant Snowflake, Giveaway and Super Duper Hair

OMG, IT'S A GIANT SNOWFLAKE PAINTING!!! I know, I know, I had a rough few New Years Eves.

The headband is from Rouge and Whimsy on etsy

To enter giveaway you can:
Subscribe to this YouTube channel and comment On this video

Subscribe to my blog and comment on this post

Bonus entries (bonus entries will not count unless you have done one of the above) are:

Like me on Facebook  (1 extra entry)

Follow me on Twitter  (1 extra entry)

Or join my mailing and email lists by emailing me at armadavolya[at]hotmail[dot]com with your mailing and email addresses (1 entry each)

You need to leave a comment for each entry on either this video or on the blog post
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Just a quick Apocalypse Update: It's been 1.5 month since the end of the world begun, don't see that many changes though, other than funky weather that is. Last year it was a lot hotter. Other than that, same old, same old. Was also wondering about the whole end of the world in 2012. How can the world end in 2012 if these 6 last month are going to run out in 2011? Hmm... too many ends of the world in too short of a time...

Winter Night, Watercolor Painting

It's finally done. The Winter Night in watercolor and ink is up for your viewing pleasure. I added another layer of blue-black paint on the background and another layer of cool green on the pine tree. From there I added dark shadows from the branches and snow resting on them. A few dozen snowflakes falling all around. I wanted it to be somewhat realistic but not exactly. To do that I decided to get imperfect shapes nature has to offer for the pine tree and abstract snowflake.


    Buy Print $20

Abstract Painting, The Beach and the Palm Tree

The Beach and the Palm Tree is a painting I did for a challenge. The challenge was to paint ocean/beach. I decided to make it cartoony looking after I remembered all those cartoons about islands in the middle of nowhere I've seen when I was little. A swirl of sand and water on the background is what I imagine someone who is stranded on such island would bee seeing after getting a heat stroke

  Original $100

  8.5x11 print $20

If you would like to hear more about this painting, feel free to watch this video where I describe it in more details

After a crazy day, I was finally able to make this video. Making this video was the real challenge. First I recorded it just to find out that the camera was breaking and was doing some crazy tricks. I went out to get a new one and on the way back almost got pooped on by a bird. Seriously, bird, have some respect. I mean, I'm vegan so that you can live and not be eaten, and what do I get in return? Anyway, when I got home with a new camera I realized that the microphone on this camera is rather bad, but I couldn't handle going out again, so I just worked with what I had. I'll have to get a new microphone some day because this is clearly not working too good. On the brighter side, my cat friend, Cuteness is performing a magic trick on this video, he magically disappears.

Snowflake, Work in Progress is Progressing

Well, This snowflake is going along nicely, even though I had no time to work on it. I'm almost done with this one, just need to add more shadows to the pine tree and fixing the shape of it, give the background another layer and add some specks of whitish blue in the background. I'm really liking where this is going and am thinking about doing another 10 of the same type for every month of the year and making a calender with them.
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Apocalypse Update: Naturally since I'm planning on making a calendar I'm planing on living that long and hoping to have other people around who would want a calendar for the next year. Which also means that next year needs to happen. I'm totally banking on it. It would really suck if it didn't happen.

Alter Ego, Art and Giveaway

Some time ago I wrote a blog post about these super-fast digital paintings I did and how I was wondering if they would sell. Well, I wanted to add some humor to my YouTube videos, so I developed an alter ego named Tatyana. She is a crazy woman with fake Russian accent and she is convinced that she is the best thing that ever happened to this world. She will be the one responsible for these digital paintings. She is so in love with herself that she sells her prints for $1000 each and thinks it's cheap. She is being generous enough to give one of the prints away though to one lucky winner. The print that will be given away is of a painting "The Healing Spirit" that is created on this video.

To enter the giveaway, you need to go to and subscribe to my YouTube channel and leave a comment on this video.

There will be more of this crazy Tatyana every Friday, so stay tuned and catch some artistic craziness. For those who wonder:she is based on the overwhelming ego of some of the artists I've met in my life.

Youtube and Fire of Life

Here is one more youtube video, I haven't shown this drawing anywhere on line yet, so this is the first time it sees the light of the internet. It's about the difference in how people react to illness and how important it is not to give up. I drew this a couple of few month ago and recently I almost lost someone very dear to me because she gave up on herself. She was going blind, almost lost her sight completely a was just waiting to die. Luckily my mom got there in time and was able to intervene in time. Thanks to a surgery one eye was saved, the other might be fixed after the second surgery that will be a little harder. Ability to see with at least one eye however gave her the desire to life again.

This drawing was inspired by someone who is the exact opposite, he fights for his life and happiness no matter how hard it might be.

Snowflake, Work in Progress

I'm getting ready for the busy season. Summer is the best time to do that. I'm about half way done with this painting, just have to finish the pine tree and do the background color. In order to draw the snowflake, I first cut it out of paper, which is very easy and then I traced in onto the watercolor paper. After that, it's all history. Hm... I just thought about doing a tutorial on drawing snowflakes like this...

Apocalypse Update: It just stopped raining. My little garden is growing really fast with all this rain fall. With all the fresh veggies I don't think this world is doing all that bad and I'm sure those leafy greens agree with me.

Namesake Set

Have I mentioned I started selling sets of prints of letters? They are sets of 5 letters. I figured it would be a good gift, so there you go. If only I had enough space on my walls, I would hang my own name there. As of right now though it's covered with artwork of countless artists.

When I first decided to do these sets, I had a little problem. I realized that the background color on some of the letters was a little different from others. Lets be honest, it's impossible to mix exactly the same color. In sets it would've looked bad to have mismatched colored prints, so I had to fix the problem. What I did, was a little GIMP magic. I basically painted a blank bage with a color on the background I wanted and then replaced backgrounds of all the letters with this one. This way all the prints now look like they belong together. It took me a lot of time to do it for each and every letter, but it was worht it.

One of the mane reasons I love GIMP so darn much...
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Apocalypse Update:
It cooled down again... figures, weekends are approaching... It looks like there wouldn't be and beach time for me this week, although... you can never trust forecast. So nothing new really.

In the Middle of it all is Love, Abstract Watercolor Painting and Crazy Kitteh

 

Here comes my second video, In the Middle of it all is Love, plus a little bonus kitty love.

I wanted to poke fun at putting cute adorable animals in the videos and using sex just to get more views. In order to make fun of it, I went ahead and filmed my little kitty friend. He tried to eat me in the process, but it ended well. I ended up getting a lot more views in the first day then I did with the first video. Somehow I think it's because it had "cute kitten" as one of the tags. Surely after Monkey was done trying to kill me, I went ahead and talked about my art, to be more specific, about one painting about love. 

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Apocalypse update: Oh, yes the Jews never had those who enslaved them as slaves and there are people living on the land that used to be Babylon. Since the bible predicts these things and they haven't happened yet, there can't be the end of the world just yet. Interesting, I totally forgot about all the predictions the bible made that haven't come true yet. Well, we have a little over 5 month for it all to happen. If it all does happen and the end of the world will come, well... I guess I'll have to accept my defeat. If all these predictions don't happen and the end of the world comes, then God is a liar and I would still have to accept my defeat because I really don't like the end of the world idea. And if the end of the world never happens at all, then I'll go ahead and scream into the faces of everyone who believed in it "I TOLD YOU SO!!!"

Abstract Beach and the Palm Tree Pianting. Finally Done

This abstract watercolor and ink Beach and the Palm Tree painting is finally finished. I literally just finished it. The paint is drying, so I can't scan it in, but I took this photo. Tomorrow if all goes well, I'll post it on etsy and perhaps make prints of it as well. I learned a lot from this challenge. Every painting slowly but surely improves my skills, but I think this one improved them much more then any other work I did. It's mainly because I did something I wasn't used to. I experimented, tried new things and as a result learned much. Something I was dreading to do turned into something I really enjoyed painting and seeing it come to fruition.Well, now I'm going to make some prints and see about selling them :)
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Apocalypse Update: There was hail today. So much for me wanting to go to the beach... oh well, at least it's not scorching hot and I don't need to water the plants since all the hail melted right in the pots.

Fire Butterfly Jewels and a Giveaway

Wanted to leave a quick note about another giveaway I have going on. This one is for one of my letters. It's on Fire Butterfly Jewels where all of it will be nicely taken care of for me, so I'll just quickly retire and get back to my painting... the procrastination will kill me one day...

Almost forgot, the apocalypse... I think pastafarians are starting to loose, because it was way too hot today. and yes, I actually had to water my plants today since the rain never came. It's so humid out, I really wish we had some rain, but alas, Yahweh decided I should suffer for my sins and bake alive. Must be because I worship animal idols. 

Joy, Abstract Painting.

Just finished this abstract painting today. This is a small one, 5x7 inches done in watercolor and ink. I wanted to do a few small paintings for giveaways and post cards, so I did this one. Thought it would be a quick painting I can do in a couple of hours, turned out I forgot how long those lines take. Well, no matter. I got one done so far and will make it into a post card. I would normally sell the original of this size for $30, but I'll be giving it away for free. Haven't figured out the time and what people need to do to enter into this giveaway yet, but I'll be posting it soon, so stay tuned.

I'm thinking about starting a youtube channel where I'll be talking about my art as well as about other artists, so I was thinking about giving away this painting to celebrate. What do you think? Anyone who subscribes to my future channel can enter and once the first video gets 100 views this painting goes to the winner? Should I throw in a few more gifts for say 2nd and 3rd places?

Two Lives, Two Paths, Abstract Painting/Drawing

Two Lives, Two Paths is finally up on line. It's done in watercolor and ink, which are becoming my favorite mediums. This painting was has led to me painting intertwined and has the same theme. It represents how different our lives are regardless of how close we are to one another. It shows how although interconnected our lives turn and twist into different direction. We go through the same difficulties, and yet we view them in different lights, we learn different lessons. A few years ago I heard someone say that if I were you I'd do the same exact thing that you did because I'd be you genetically, psychologically, I'd go through the same in life, I'd be raised the same way and I'd feel the same things. In reality however, this is impossible, because non of us can truly see things from another person's perspective because we aren't that person, because although we might know about this person's life, we will never truly know how it effected him or her.
This painting goes with this idea, we are all different and we all have different experiences in life.

Oh yes, and I have a youtube video where I explain more about this painting. This painting does have another meaning btw, I explain it in my video and give an example of how it worked it my own life.

Buy Original Painting $150

   11x17 print $30




   8.5x11 print $20

Love, Ink and Watercolor Abstract Painting

On the days when I want to draw or paint but can't figure out what to paint, I do things like this, I draw and paint Love. I'm planing to have a whole collection of words done in abstract lines like this. It's simple and appealing to anyone who... oh I don't know anymore. It's a little frustrating, but here is the whole story. I really love my abstract pieces with deep meaning. Whenever I post it on art sites, I get tons of complements and people tell me how much they love the meaning and how it's represented. When it comes to sales though, the once with the least meaning seem to be selling while those I put so much thought and effort into are not. I'm not saying I don't like this painting or any other simpler abstracts I did, but if I was given a choice between two paintings by the same artist, at the same price done with in similar style, I'd choose the one that has more meaning in it.

Since I like both creating and selling art however, I guess I'll just be doing simple words every now and then when I don't have any better ideas. Well, at least I enjoy painting and drawing abstract whether or not is has a meaning behind it. So, there you go, I vented out my frustration, now I'll go set everything up for the next big project.

This painting is now for sale. You can get ether original or print. There is also a free frame and free shipping for the original if you sign up for the mailing list. I hope this one will sell, because there is that set of color ink pens I had my eyes on... my other set is starting to run out and that brand (Le Pen) isn't easy to find, especially in all the colors I'd like, so as much as I liked those I will have to get a different one this time.

In the Middle of It all is Love, Abstract Drawing/Painting

In the Middle of It all is Loveis an abstract piece showing relationships and how distracting all the little aspects of it can be. We constantly argue about things that don’t really matter, we have all the problems of paying bills and raising kids, cooking and cleaning. All these things distract us from the only thing that truly matters, and that’s love. On this piece I have one line twisting and turning and somewhere in the middle of it all forms into heart, which represents love. The rest of the line represents all the problems in life. When first looking at the piece many don’t see the heart, everything else is too distracting, same was as in relationships we often forget that love is the reason the two are together.

Done in pen and ink and watercolor.

This is the first piece of this style I did since I started selling my artwork. I've done it in high school during all those boring classes, but since then haven’t even thought about it. Last year I was trying to figure out what else I can draw or paint and remembered the good old days of doodling in the notebook. In the Middle of It all is Love was the result of these memories. I really enjoyed doing this piece, so I ended up doing a few more in the same style.


Original Painting $150




   11x14 print $30

  8.5x11 print $20