Art on sale! Black Friday - Cyber Monday

It's officially the holiday season, and I'm celebrating with a special sale today thru Monday 12/2.

20% off all art, patterns and gifts in the RPS shop! Use code holiday20 during checkout :)

Original Paintings and Prints, many themes: nature, inspirational, whimsical, mythological.
Read about the inspiration behind each piece in the shop.
(Browse all paintings , Browse all art prints)

Art Jewelry (Prints from my paintings with sterling silver wires. Browse all jewelry)

Angels and Dolls  (Each doll is one of a kind. Browse all Angels and Dolls)

Quilt and Sewing Patterns (Make your own special holiday gift. Follow RPS on Twitter or Facebook for all holiday pattern latest releases, more are coming!
Browse Quilt, Embroidery and Sewing Patterns)

Ornaments  Hand painted Oregon ornaments and 2x2-inch inspirational art prints, perfect for the tree. (Browse all ornaments)

P.S. This will be my only holiday season shop sale, so now is the time to grab your favorite item!  I am also still accepting custom art orders through 12/5 for the holidays, contact me for details.  And stay tuned for an update on my Japanese Garden painting series which is almost finished and new holiday pattern releases! These items will be available in the shop in about a week.

30 Days of Painting- Birds, Japanese Gardens and beyond

Lately I've been painting a lot, preparing for local holiday shows including the Big 500 and Wild Arts Fair! In the next month, I will be posting new pieces as I finish them, with behind the scenes/progress photos exclusively here on the RPS blog. If you're in Portland, follow RPS on Facebook or Twitter, for the latest holiday show/sale news.

BIRD ART/PRINTS!

Family Tree © Robin Phillips Studio for Audubon Wild Arts Fair

My original painting, Family Tree, will be available in the 6x6 Art Sale at the Wild Arts Fair November 22-23 as a benefit for the Portland Audubon Society. 100% of the painting sales go to Audubon. Come early, the paintings sell fast!   

Family Tree prints are also now available in the RPS gift shop, and I will also donate 20% of each print sale to Audubon. This is a show I've participated in for five years now, and the previous years  prints are also available in the shop. Each print is 6x6, and these make a nice gift for a bird/animal lover.  Browse all bird art prints!

In the studio, making Family Tree...

The theme of the Wild Arts 6x6 show this year is yard birds, which prompted me to think of home and family. I chose the concept 'family tree' to symbolize how birds often flock together and tend to their nests. Much like a traditional family tree chart, this piece illustrates three generations of various Jay family members including the Stellar Jay, Blue Jay and Scrub Jay. Blue Jays are one of my parent's favorites, and I often see the male or female when I'm about to hear from them! So, this piece has a personal meaning for me as well. :)

I start each canvas by sketching an outline that I have drawn out on paper. Next, I add in washes of the background colors. Finally, I begin layering on the shadows, highlights and details.

JAPANESE GARDENS/PONDS:

Here's a sneak peak at a series of 10 paintings I have started for the Big 500 show opening December 13! Each piece is 8x8, and the originals will be available exclusively at the show. Prints will also be available in the RPS shop, stay tuned for updates!

The initial inspiration for this series came from my love for Japanese gardening and Sashiko patterns. Drawing on my background as a fiber artist as well as a painter, these pieces combine the symbolism of the patterns along with the Japanese landscape. This series also celebrates the circle of life and oneness.

Backgrounds finished for (left to right) Koi Pond 1,  Japanese Garden: Summer, and Koi Pond 2.  Next I will start the main imagery in the center....

I will be posting the complete series here on the blog as I finish each of the pieces along with the latest pictures of our Japanese garden and koi pond!

As always, I welcome you to contact me re: a small custom work of art (6x6 - 9x12) for the holidays. I love making personalized gifts for someone special to you. Place an order by Dec 1 to allow enough time for painting and delivery. :)

Bright New Year

Happy New Year! 

I love the energy at the start of a new year.  In the stillness, there's a new beginning where everything seems possible. I hope that 2014 brings you bright blessings and everything you wish for.

Fall Harvest Time

Fall Tree ©2005

I love the air in the fall. Leaves flutter, squirrels scurry across the yard. Fresh apples and pears from the local farms are so delicious. Now it's time to harvest the final veggies from the garden. We've pulled the last of the tomatoes, peppers, beans and cucumbers. We'll have oregano and thyme to dry and save for the winter.

 
 And the change of seasons inspires me to create... Here are some new items I've made recently for fall! The felt I used is made from 100% recycled plastic bottles! How cool is that.

Eco-felt Embroidered Wall Hangings

New Baby Gift Basket

 The teddy bear is also made from eco-felt. I designed the pumpkin bear cross stitch and crochet hat for especially for fall babies. Cross stitch patterns based on my art are coming soon, stay tuned!

Fall Harvest Basket

Columbia River Tile & Stone makes these gorgeous re-salvaged granite candleholders and Mt Hood mosaics from re-salvaged white marble. I love how the marble looks like the texture of the mountain. Also in this basket is a print of my Crow Spirit painting.
              

Marble Mt Hood mosaic art by Columbia River Tile & Stone

See more Fall Harvest Gift Baskets on Etsy

And I made these country-style pumpkins for fun, to decorate the house. These are really easy and fun to make:

First cut an 8" square of your favorite orange calico fabric. A dark gold or light brown would work too. It's fun to make a collection of different ones!  Collect a few twigs from your yard or neighborhood, for the stems. Cut off a 3" piece. Then, fold under the raw edge, fold in each corner to make a hexagon shape, and sew around the edges to gather the fabric with a needle and thread.

When you have gathered the circle, add stuffing to fill out the pumpkin.  Loosen the gathering to add and adjust the stuffing, then tighten the gathering around the center hole, so it is 1/2" or less. Next, center the twig through the center hole, placing it into the stuffing inside. Tightly stitch the hole shut, and use a dab of glue to secure the twig at the opening. To finish off, tie a small 1" x 7" strip of brown or green fabric around the twig to make the leaves/vines.

Happy fall! What are you working on this time of year?

The Garden Has Sprung!

It's so exciting to see things grow :) It's a beautiful sunny day today, summer is here at last. We planted many seeds and starts in the garden this year, this will be my biggest garden yet. There are lettuces/greens, carrots, beans, cucumbers, okra, artichokes, squashes, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, soon to be tomatoes too. We planted an herb garden in boxes too, with lots of basil, oregano, dill, cilantro, thyme, italian parsley, chives and green onions.

Here are the first lettuces!

A week later, growing fast!

With planting and nurturing, all things grow... :)

Butterfly and Blossom ©2007

Cabin and Coyotes

I've been working on a lot of crafts lately, inspired by cabins, nature and the simple life. I'm almost finished with this cabin cross stitch- I altered a pattern I found based on an old sampler.  Then, I've started a crochet sunburst square blanket in earth tones and forest colors. 55 squares total will make the blanket, only 46 left to go! It will be so warm and cozy, I can't wait until it's done.

These same inspirations are behind my recent painting, Coyotes Under the Moon. Here in Portland, coyotes live in the forested areas, by creeks and they often wander out at night. The evergreens majestically surround the city and there are lots of trails and wildlife. We enjoy going on a lot of hikes in the woods and in parks with our dogs. One time I was on a wooded trail near dusk, a coyote came running up the path and stopped about 6 feet away, wagging his tail. My dog wanted to play with him, then it was time to turn back the other way. My painting is about this spirit of playfulness in the woods and the mist :)

Coyotes Under the Moon © 2011