Boots

I haven't posted any artwork in awhile, so I thought I'd start off again with a portrait of Boots, our Shetland Collie, or Sheltie. He's been with us now for about 3 1/2 of his almost 7 years, and he has quite the personality. Before he was part of the family, he was involved in a little "dust-up" with our Australian Shepherd mix, Henri. We found out that his previous owner was soon to enter an assisted-living facility which did not allow pets. So our plan was to take him to the vet to make sure he was okay, and then try to find a good home for him. Well, after about 2 days, we decided he wasn't going anywhere. Henri "made-up" with him and they are now best buddies, and Sheba is so mellow that she was agreeable to the new arrangement as well. As I state on my website page for Boots, he's quite the clown prince, although we have learned that a Sheltie trademark is their barking. He barks at everything, doorbells (even on the TV), cars, birds, people going down the river on kayaks, planes flying overhead at 20,000 feet, you name it! Another of his unusual traits is his "clacking". He clacks his teeth together when he is playing or excited, almost like barking without the noise. Quite funny, and I've never seen it before, so I can't say if it's a Sheltie trait or strictly a Boots trait. This portrait was done in graphite, and is available as notecards and prints on my website, and on a wide range of products on my CafePress storefront, which you can access through the link on this page (under the "Links" heading).

KachingKaching.com

Here it is! KachingKaching officially launched October 16, and the savings are incredible! The link here will take you to my web store, where you can check out the discounts for yourself. Be sure to browse through the "Deal of the Day", which quite naturally, will change each day! Other great featured sections include "Made in the USA", "As Seen on TV", and "Green, Eco-Friendly Products". In addition, there are categories featuring everything from Books, Cameras, Electronics, to Computers, Sporting Goods and more. And if you like what you see, and would like to have a web store of your own to share with family & friends, there are links to show you the opportunity available, as well as the compensation plan. It's a great way to take advantage of the discounts available, as well as getting commissions for everything purchased through your web store. And you can even enroll right through my web store. Let me know if you have any additional questions on how to get started. Otherwise, have fun shopping and enjoy the savings, especially now that the Holidays are right around the corner.

LocalAdLink

No images in this posting. I'm just getting back to this blogging stuff after a long layoff (longer than I anticipated). Anyway, I've got a number of new things that I'm working on, some related to my Art from the Inkwell website and business, and some going off in other directions. LocalAdLink is one of the latter. The link posted here will take you to the main page of my marketing website posted at LocalAdLink. There is a 6 minute video there (step 1) to introduce you the the program. I urge anyone who is interested in enrolling as an independent sales representative with LocalAdLink, or any business interested in the online advertising we can provide to check out this video, and get back to me.

Coming soon - information about another new web opportunity, slated to launch Oct. 16: KachingKaching.com.

Pt. Robinson Lighthouse, Washington

Located on the northeast corner of Maury Island in Puget Sound, the lighthouse marks the halfway point between Seattle and Tacoma. Often shrouded in fog, Point Robinson began as a fog signal station on July 1, 1885. A light was added to the station in 1887. Before 1925, Maury Island was only accessible by boat or bridge at high tide. Now, however, the island is easily reached from the larger Vashon Island, via a paved road on a narrow strip of land. This rendering is the third in my series of Washington lighthouses. I still have about 24 to go to complete the series, so I'd better get back to the drawing board soon. In the meantime, I'll continue to post the rest of my Oregon Coast Lighthouses, as well as Horse, Pet, Western and Wildlife portraits. For a complete tour of my "Gallery", please visit my website, and since it's never too early to think about Christmas gifts, check out the products on my website as well as my CafePress storefront.

North Head Lighthouse, Washington

Here is the rendering of the North Head Lighthouse mentioned in last entry. It is located just two miles north of Cape Disappointment Lighthouse because mariners approaching the Columbia River from the north could not see the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse until they had nearly reached the river. So, North Head Lighthouse was built to act as an "early warning" of the mouth of the Columbia, and was lit for the first time on May 16, 1898. North Head shone a fixed white light while Cape Disappointment alternated red and white flashes to differentiate between the two. This rendering is the second in my series of Washington State lighthouses. Next up will be Pt. Robinson, and then I have to get back to the drawing board to continue the series.

What's new!

Just a little information today. I'll post my next image over the next day or so. For now, I just wanted to post an update on what's been going on in the past year. As I've mentioned in my profile, I added a wholesale outlet for those who may be shop-owners to check out. This can be found at WholesaleCrafts.com, and I've provided a link in my "Links" section. Just look for me at Art from the Inkwell (catchy name). Of course, anyone interested in wholesale can always contact me through my website as well. I've also joined a viral network geared to women, (since they do most of the shopping) called HerOrbit.com, and a link is provided for this site also.

I've incorporated a PayPal shopping cart on my website, for safe, easy and secure shopping, and I've just added a Gift Certificate option. This will be updated shortly, as PayPal now offers this option as well, so I just need to get the html for my site. I've also added to my CafePress.com storefront, so for those who like to get a head start on Christmas shopping, I now have quite a few options available to check out. Everything from notecards, to T-Shirts, to calendars, to laser-engraved gift items can now be found on my website or other storefronts.

Over the coming months, I'd like to use this blog to not only feature my artwork, but that of all my artistic friends. I'm not sure how I'll do it yet, maybe Artist of the Month or something like that, so check back often for more details. And hopefully, I'll be able to start participating in other forums (sports, politics, movies, etc.), and the blog will be used to expand and expound whatever topics are being discussed.

So, I guess that's about it for now, but hey, I actually made two posts on consecutive days. That's something of a record for me. More later.

Let's try this again!! Cape Disappointment Lighthouse

Whew! It's been awhile. The last time, I took a 3 month break. This time it's been over a year. Time flies when you're having fun (or not - it just flies, especially the older you get!) Anyway, I have some new artwork to post, so I thought I'd get going again. I'll start off with a couple of lighthouses, since that is where I left off last go-round. Cape Disappointment is the first in my series of Washington State lighthouses. The lighthouse is owned by the Coast Guard, and the grounds are open to the public, although the tower is closed. The lighthouse has continued to watch over the entrance of the Columbia River since it was first lit on October 15, 1856. It stands 53 feet tall with a focal plane 220 feet above sea. Its black horizontal stripe was added later to distinguish it from North Head Lighthouse located just two miles north. (North Head Lighthouse will be my next posting). The cape, located on the north side of the mouth to the Columbia River, was originally named "Kah'eese by the local Indians. On July 6, 1788, Captain John Meares sought shelter here from a particularly turbulent sea, but to no avail, and he named the cape "Cape Disappointment". You'll notice the name Meares from a previous posting, Cape Meares Lighthouse, located near Tillamook, Oregon. Something new: I now have a listing on WholesaleCrafts.com, as well as HerOrbit.com, and will add these links to the panel on the right. The eBay storefront has been closed for the time being, and that link will be removed. Finally, I now have gift certificates available on my website as well, and hope to be adding more artwork and more products there in the near future. Appreciate any feedback from this or previous posts. Thanks.