New Paintings Featuring Spell Cats

It's been a crazy summer year and I'm afraid that I've neglected my blog here too long. So I will be refocusing on writing and sharing here in the future. To start with I wanted to share some new paintings that I've been working on for Inktober! Inktober is a fun game for artists who do a daily drawing using ink...while I haven't been able to participate everyday, I have been able to work on some of my cat character designs.

Each of the original works are created using Holbein Acryla Gouache, India Ink, and pen on tan Rives BFK paper. I love exploring themes of autumn and see these cats as heralds of the fall season. Bring a change of weather, new seasonal foods and festivities.

I will be listing these 5 new original drawings in my Etsy shop around 1PM (PST) today. 

Visit www.nimasprout.etsy.com 

I currently have a variety of items currently in my Etsy shop like postcards, coin pouches, prints, bookmarks and more! If you like to see process photos...I post daily at instagram (under username "Nimasprout") and you can easily follow my work there too :)

Pumpkin Grove Print Set

Just a quick update on all the goodies in the "Pumpkin Grove" print set going live in less than an hour in my ETSY shop!

Pumpkin Grove Print Set: Available at www.nimasprout.etsy.com at 10AM (PST), Oct 16th

This print and sketch set includes:
1 - Pumpkin Grove print
1 - RANDOM original sketch of a pumpkin.
1 - RANDOM halloween postcard
1 - Printout of a mini ghost story accompanying the print.

Below are more details of the items included in the Pumpkin Grove Halloween set
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"Pumpkin Grove" Giclee Print
Professionally printed on archival Epson Cold Press Bright 305gsm
Image size: 10 x 10 |  Paper Size: 12 x 12 inches
Each print is signed and numbered | Print edition of 30.

"Pumpkin Themed Sketch" (Chosen at random, you can see examples in the photos above)
Hand-drawn with ink and colored pencil on handmade orange paper
5 x 5 inches

"Halloween Postcard" (Chosen at random from my Spooky Postcard illustrations)
4 x 6 inch postcard

"Mini Ghost Story" written by C.M. Galdre (Etsy shop - Galdrecraft)
Printed on cream colored paper

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Here is the full ghost story written by C.M. Galdre:

The castle came with the mists each autumn, nestled in the river-bend where the ground was bare and black. In the day it loomed within the hills, its gaunt face hiding in shadow and fog.

In the night though, when the moon rise high every window flickered to life with light and sweet music lilted from somewhere deep within. The pumpkins came shortly after, growing 

over-large on the castle grounds, bursting from the damp earth like cyclamen. They gleamed like pale waxen moons in the dark. 

No one knew from whence the castle came, who lived there, or even its name. The castle had always been, coming with the first turning leaves and leaving before the last leaf fell. The villagers knew better than to pay it mind but travelers often wandered in, drawn by the promise of

mirth its music carried. 

Some would be found in the pumpkin fields, jubilant and smelling of drink. They would speak of the great castle in the mists and hummed its cloying music as they carried on their way. 

Most, however, never left those candle lit halls once entered. At least until the castle left, and their bones were found amongst the blackened stones the castle left in its wake.  

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Thanks everyone for your interest in my annual halloween print! 

Halloween Prints and more!

Halloween and autumn are one of my favorite times of year. Changing leaves, crisp fresh air, and pumpkins galore. It's become a new annual project of mine to release a Halloween print with original sketches in a fun festive package. This year I have a few more surprises to go with the set, but for now here is a look at the new print to be released later this week.

"Pumpkin Grove"

12x12 inch print

Signed/numbered limited edition of 30

©Nicole Gustafsson

Halloween print set: $47 (+ shipping)

I plan to release this print set on Friday, October 16th at 10AM (PST)

in my Etsy shop - www.nimasprout.etsy.com

The print set also comes with a 5x5 inch original pumpkin-themed drawing on handmade orange paper. The paper is orange all the way through and has a rough tooth to add to the spooky little pumpkins. Each sketch is unique and randomly assigned to each person who purchases a print. 

A selection of some of the original pumpkin drawings!

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There are also a few other Halloween goodies already in my Etsy shop, including this open edition Shiba Halloween print, and a 5 card postcard pack featuring spooky trees, ghosts, and candy!

"Shiba Halloween 2015"

7x7 inch print

Signed - Open edition print (there is no set number that will be printed)

Currently available in my Etsy shop

This print was based on my two dogs who also love autumn and partners in crime for trick-or-treating!

"5 Card - Spooky Postcard Set"

Currently available in my Etsy shop

Happy Halloween

Hope everyone has a grand time trick or treating this Halloween. Toshi our Shiba couldn't decide which costume he wanted to wear. Pumpkin or Space Pup....it's a hard decision but I think he's more partial to being crew-member for NASA.

Cat's really don't do the costume thing (no matter how hard we try!), but they do love investigating pumpkins.

Our pumpkins after we carved them up. I went with a witch cat silhouette while Matt made a grinning pumpkin. Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

How do you celebrate Halloween? At our place it involves carving pumpkins, making some Orange Guinness Cupcakes, and playing some board games.

Happy Halloween!

Branched Oak Camping Trip

Camping over the Halloween weekend is a tradition for Matt and I but after freezing weather last year we decided to move our annual trip a few weeks early. We headed over to Branched Oak State Park , close to home and has lots of camping grounds to pick from.

A few years ago I painted an artwork featuring a camping adventure with a bright yellow tent. At the time my inspiration for the tent in the painting was an old army tent that my dad had mixed with a Coleman tent Matt and I had. Really weird that fast forward to the present day, and we end up buying a bright yellow tent almost exactly like my painting.
 

One of my favorite features of the new tent is the skylight in the rain fly. That and the tent just glows when your inside it. I took a short nap and think I got a tan.

Tent also comes with an optional vestibule for storing your items and making a nifty little porch area.

It was still a bit chilly but with hat, gloves, hoodie and a warm fire, it was perfect to hangout and enjoy a good read. (The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan is pretty amazing continuation of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series)

Got some classic orange pumpkins to carve our jack-o-lanterns. I love camping in autumn because everyone decks out their campsite with Halloween and autumn cheer.

Toshi enjoys chilling by the campsite. Digging, napping, and crunching a few leaves are a few of his camping favorites.

What started as driving to get more firewood for the campsite ended up being a search for a gas station, which expanded to driving a little farther for food at a place called Toast. Ever since my friend Lindsey introduced me to the yummy fare at Toast, I've been pretty hooked. Here's a delicious club sandwich with potato salad and mandatory pickle.

My pumpkin turned out a little derpy (the one on the left), but I love the grin on Matt's Jack-o-lantern. 

It's pretty rare to get both of us in a shot together because one of us is usually behind the camera...thanks to a nifty timer this is one of my favorite photos.

Beautiful night sky. There was a while where the sky was a really deep purple.

Spooky Card Sets are here!

It's that wonderfully "Spooky" time of year again!

Complete "Spooky" Card set - Contains 4 cards:
1 "Pumpkin Spice" Card
1 "Haunted Isle" Card
1 "Specter Tree" Card
1 "By Witches Light" Card

Available for purchase in 4 card set or individually at my Etsy Shop!

PS. Hmmm what's this...perhaps another "Haunted Giveaway" coming this Monday?

Haunted Giveaway! Win Art + Greeting Cards

"Spooky" Card set with four different designs     +     "Trick or Treat", 5 x 7, Gouache & Ink painting

Update: Giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to Carol McKown, winner of the Haunted Giveaway!
(picked at random via random.org)

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It's autumn and my favorite time of year...so I thought I would have a Haunted Giveaway and share my new greeting cards that just came out. Win a "Spooky" Card set and original 5" x 7" gouache painting "Trick or Treat".

There are THREE ways to enter the giveaway!

Post a comment on this blog post.

Tweet about the giveaway on twitter (@nimasprout)

Become a fan of "nimasprout" on Facebook and comment on the giveaway post.

Enter using all three ways and have triple the chance to win! I will pick the winner using a random selector Monday, October 11th, 9:00am. 

If you don't want to try your luck and just want to buy the cards or other items available head on over to my online store.

Happy Autumn!

Autumn

Pumpkin Spice, 5x7, Gouache & Ink, 2010                              By Witches Light, 5x7, Gouache & Ink, 2010

Autumn is my favorite time of year. Fresh apple cider, going to the local pumpkin patch, watching the leaves turn, and camping are events that I look forward to every year. I've already been out to the Kimmel orchard for a caramel apple and creamed honey (yum!). Just have to wait a few more weeks until the pumpkin patch opens up. Here are two pieces inspired by this wonderful season.

Both paintings are available for sale in my Etsy store.