Art-Devine-Slasher

Step by step painting demonstrations, FREE painting tips and tutorials.

Posts Tagged art

My best work of art

Jul 18

Posted by Nkolika in Personal, Spiritual | 6 Comments

I would like to formally introduce my best work of art. Not that I am the creator, I was merely the vessel used by the master artist: Our Heavenly Father. Her name is Emmanuella Chinyelu. Chinyelu means “God gave”. She is the sole reason why I was absent for some time.

She’s 2 months old now and I must admit that motherhood is a mystery that I never knew was so deep and fulfilling.  Anytime I look at her tiny frame and features I’m filled with the same emotions I get from every piece of art I create: joy, happiness, sadness and fulfillment

  • Joy because she is MINE.
  • Happiness because the union between  my husband and I is now complete.
  • Sadness because I know the world is cruel and I cannot completely protect her from the cruelty of life itself.
  • Fulfillment because I desired to be used by God to create a new being

Yesterday she received her triple vaccination and she wept the whole day. Never did I imagine that one day I would stand by and watch the one being I would like to protect so much go through so much pain. But it was necessary and is definitely necessary to allow our loved ones to go through life on their own and become who they’re made to be. Sometimes it’s a great show of love and kindness to let them suffer because you know it’s for the best.

One thing I know for sure is that my art would be different from now on. Because I now fully appreciate what life is all about and how much of it is way beyond our control. Now I know the value of enjoying every minute and being thankful for every second that passes by. Now I know………..

Grant, O Lord, that my heart may neither desire nor seek anything but what is necessary for the fulfillment of Your Holy Will. May health or sickness, riches or poverty, honors or contempt, humiliations, leave my soul in that state of perfect detachment to which I desire to attain for Your greater honor and Your greater glory. Amen

— St. Ignatius Loyola

ART-DEVINE-SLASHER

Tags: ,

ACEO

Jan 11

Posted by Nkolika in ACEO | 4 Comments

Original ACEO acrylic painting of a basket of tomatoes

Basket of Tomatoes

2.5″ x 3.5″ (64mm x 89mm)

copyright Nkolika Anyabolu (MD)

Click here to buy

You can’t imagine how confused I was when on getting more and more into internet marketing and publicity for my works I kept coming across the word “ACEO“. I first saw the term on Ebay and I had no idea what it was. Then as I began to make my rounds to other artist blogs the term became all the more apparent as I noticed many artists were producing these ACEOs.

As someone always open to new challenges, I decided to find out more about ACEOs. I found out that the term stands for “Art Cards Editions and Originals” and are collectible little pieces of art. The striking thing about ACEOs is that they can be made with any medium (eg oil, acrylic, ink, pencils, charcoal) and material (eg wood, paper,metal). But they have one rule: it must be two and one-half inches by three and one-half inches (2.5″ x 3.5″). Thus ACEOs have one constant and many variables.

They are very small and extremely lovable pieces of art that can be collected in a picture album or framed and hung on a wall. For more tips on how to display these miniature art pieces check out the related link below.

With regards to how and when they started, Artcad.org has this to say:

Art cards or miniatures where the rage in the 16th century. They were mostly portraits and they were sold, not traded or given away. They were the first wallet “photos”. Men would have nudes painted of their Mistresses on art cards (without their wives knowing)–usually by the same Artist that would do the big family portraits of their wives. Miniature Portraits would be used for exchange when rich people arranged marriages. In fact, this caused a big problem for poor Henry the Eighth, when the artist who painted his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, took a little too much “artistic license”. Poor Anne was not up to standard and Henry divorced her.

Original ACEO acrylic painting of a donkey

On my way home

2.5″ x 3.5″ (64mm x 89mm)

copyright Nkolika Anyabolu (MD)

Click here to buy

I finally decided to see what it would feel like to paint something so small. Starting was difficult but when I finally started I thoroughly enjoyed the process. I have made several since then and I look forward to making more. The best part of it is that it affords me the opportunity to make art that is affordable to a lot more people.

Related links:

What is an ACEO?
How to display ACEOs

Tags: , , , , , ,

Acrylic on canvas painting: Expectations

Jan 1

Posted by Nkolika in Acrylic paintings, Inspirational | No Comments

Expectations-acrylic on canvas painting

Expectations

Acrylic on canvas

19″ x 36″

Date painted: 2005

copyright Nkolika Anyabolu (MD)

Finally 2009 is here…..and it’s here to stay. 2008 was a year that many found extremely difficult and many more found very good. 2008 was not what I hoped it would be (was it for you?). As I sat patiently waiting for 2009 to make its entrance, I contemplated on a lot of things.

  • Am I where I would have wanted to be? No.
  • Have I done all I would have wanted to do before the year ended? No.
  • Did I have a list of things I wanted done before the year ended? No.
  • Am I grateful for the way things turned out? Yes.
  • Do I feel sad that somehow the year brought a lot of pain? Yes (and No)
  • If given the same choice of choosing between the benefit of a presidential job at the cost of separation from my husband and the benefit of building a happy home; would I choose family? Yes
  • When I kneel to pray, do I ask God a string of whys or do I say thank you for everything? Yes.
  • Do I have any regrets? No

There are lots of questions that usually go through our minds whenever the year comes to an end and we find ourselves staring a new year in the face. No matter how hard you try not to reflect on the passing year…………..somehow nature always makes sure the year flashes through your mind. Many of us decide to make resolutions (which I gave up on after several failed attempts at keeping to them. Sometimes I even forgot what my resolutions were!!!). Many, like me, choose to sit in a quiet corner and reflect on the journey so far.
As I waited for the right moment to call family and friends to wish them a happy New Year; my hubby opted to go to bed. Hard as I tried to get him to stay awake with me, he saw no reason to stay awake making a statement that got me thinking all over again. He said “It’s just another day”. Is it really? I wonder…..

There’s a song I learnt 15 years ago while in high school when we were preparing for a send-forth party for the graduating class. Somehow the depth and wisdom of the song sunk in and has been my prayer since then. The song goes thus:

O I oft sit and ponder

When the sun is sinking low

Where shall yonder future find me?

Does but God in Heaven know.

Shall I be among the living?

Shall I mingle with the free?

Wheresoever my path be leading, Saviour keep my heart with thee.

(The Chorus…………my best part)
Oh the future lies before me and I know not where I’ll be
Wheresoever my path be leading, Saviour keep my heart with thee.

As I hummed it again last night close to 12am I was sure of one thing and one thing only as I was faced with a new year…….and that was I was filled with a lot of expectation. Yeah Expectations!!!! Lots of it!! I expect the best and I believe I will get the best.
It is a well known fact that we are what we think about every day. Our thoughts go a very long way to shaping who we are. As you entered this New Year did you have any expectations? Were they expectations that things will go well and better or that they will get worse? As you read this, what do you expect this year to be like? For you, your plans, your family, your dreams, and life in general. Unfortunately you alone can answer.

As for me, I expect the best in all my endeavours. I expect to finally get a grip on what “blogging” is all about. I expect to derive more joy and happiness from painting. I expect to spread joy and an appreciation of God’s creative power through my paintings and artworks. I expect to smile always, no matter the circumstance or situation. I expect to face more challenges and to overcome them. I expect to broaden my knowledge and learn more about art. I expect to walk more closely with God and to abandon myself without reservations at His feet. I expect to reach closer to my dreams.

Happy New Year!!!! 2009

Tags: , , , , , ,

Welcome to my Art blog

Dec 19

Posted by Nkolika in Introduction | 2 Comments

Hi, welcome to my blog. I dunno if I’m excited or a bit anxious as I make this my very first post. Why; you may ask,…………..I guess it’s all because I’ve thought about starting a blog for so long now that I feel a lot of water has gone under the bridge. But yet again, it’s always better late than never.

With this blog I’ll be keeping you abreast with the happenings in my world as an artist and as a lady who loves using her talent to push herself and those around her.

From time to time I’ll show how I go about creating my art from the very first sketch to the last brush stroke. Other times I’ll simply simply write about the one thing I have a lot of passion for……painting.

Please be sure to check out my website: art-devine-slasher.com and check back often in order not to miss out on the interesting journey we’ll soon be undertaking in full swing.

ART-DEVINE-SLASHER

Tags: , , , , , ,