Germany Trip - The Fun Stuff First...
Current mood: happy

Hi everyone!  I'm finally back in PA (have been for weeks now, but I'll get to that in a minute) and it's time to show off pics from my vacation in Germany.  This was probably the best experience I've ever had, definitely different from what I expected (didn't expect anything really, I had no idea what Germany was like).  My grandmother used to tell me stories of her homeland when I was a child, and German fairy tales too (I don't have to wonder where my love for fantasy came from).  I was met with something entirely different than what I know in America both culturally and aesthetically.  I'll flesh that out in my next blog.  Germans are not much different from us individually, except maybe friendlier (not bad for a country known to try to take over the world in the past two world wars).  Friendlier is too small of a word, my relatives were the most generous and gracious people I ever met.  And normal too.  My grandmother was probably the most normal person in my family (except for a certain cultural tendency to want to overfeed you).  Now I know why.  The food was great too.  A typical German breakfast consists of lunch meats, various kinds of bread and pastries, various cheese, and different kinds of wursts (sausage like meat things).  German coffee is delicious and non-acidic.  Normally I can't drink coffee because it nauseates me.  But not their coffee.  There's so much to share, but I'm going to break this up over the next few weeks.  I took over 320 photos, and though I will only post a portion of those, I still have to reformat them and stuff (this is why it took me so long to get going with this blog post, and the fact that I came back with a German flu - not fun for the week and a half I was sick afterwards, plus back to my full time job, catching up around my house and garden, rebuilding websites, learning how to program, etc, etc, etc excuses)  This first batch of pics is for fun!  We had some great moments (and not so great).  To my German family, hope you don't mind some American humor.  To my American family, well, you have it coming.  To everyone else, hope you get my bad jokes!

Civilization!  There's pizza here! (That's my brother Mike, everyone say "Hello Mike").

German road signs are worse than Pennsylvania's! (Now say hi to my Dad).

My Dad is explaining to us that our relatives are the last remaining German branch of the descendents of Don Quixote.

After hearing my Dad's dramatic version of our family history, Mike and I were officially made the Jesters of Stahleck.

First German, "What's that tourist taking a picture of now?"   Second German, "Didn't she say she was Canadian?"  First German, "Well that can't be right, she's got her camera aimed at a crack in the wall."  Second German, "Definitely American."

*Huff huff* "Hey!  Wait for me!"

"I'm a Princess!  I'm a Princess!"

Yeah right, like knights in real armour would fit through this!  See, I knew elves existed!

"Hey, you didn't say cheese!"  Oh yeah, they don't say that here.  (Everyone say hi to my cousin Karl!)

Setting: The Black Forest.  My Dad, "Are you sure this is the right way?"

My cousin Karl-Heins is demonstrating a traditional medieval German monk's religious ritual.  It has never been successfully photographed.

Translation "Here barfed Geothe" (the famous literary writer of Faust).  My life will never be the same after viewing this.

My cousin Julian is happy because he thought he was being entertained by a personal appearance of Mr. Bean.

This guy's not bad looking.  Wait!  He's my cousin?  Quick, throw some holy water on my eyes!

Apparently there's a legendary siamese German elk which has one head with two bodies, as evidenced by this medieval sculpture.

Yep, I'm related to them.  (Everyone say hi to my cousin Annerose!)

"Dude, you broke my camera!"  Mike replies, "You shouldn't have photographed Karl-Heins practicing his religious rite."  I answer, "No, I'm pretty sure it was your face."

Mike gets back at me.  Turns out it was my face that broke the camera.

That's all for now folks.  More will be coming soon at a blog near you.

11:06 AM - 4 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Finally Home!
Current mood: ecstatic

Today I made a long drive for a much needed vacation to Massachusetts!  If anyone has read my Artist bio page on my website, then it's understood why this makes me so happy!  I love my hometown, the place where my dreams were born, where my art grew from and is inspired by, and where I feel like my 100% self.  Spring already came and went in PA, but here I get to experience Spring all over again!  In a few days my Dad, my brother, and I will be going to Germany where my Grandmother is from.  I will get to see where she grew up and meet relatives I've never met before.  We'll be visiting a lot of castles along the Rhine too, more inspiration for the kind of art I like to do.  When I return home in a few weeks I will have much to do to rebuild my website.  It works fine for all of you (and you can still purchase anything listed securely through Paypal), but I can't update it with new art because my master file got corrupted during a computer hardware failure.  So nothing has changed for a long time, but change will soon come (when I learn the new software package and rebuild everything).  This has been a much needed vacation, and soon I'll be refreshed and jump back into my creativity.  In the mean time, enjoy Spring wherever you are, and let the beauty of nature refresh you.

Fantasy & Fine Art of Sonya Fedotowsky

Currently listening : The Winter of Our Discontent By The Echoing Green Release date: 07 April, 2003

2:48 PM - 4 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

It seems like forever...
Current mood: distressed

It seems like forever since my last blog.  Sorry to keep everyone waiting.  The past few months have been crazy, and now I've lost my website backup files, so that means I'll be rebuilding my website, a task I do not look forward to.  But one of the books my art has been published in is finally released and can be aquired through Amazon.com at this link below: 

 Faeries Through the Seasons - fantasy art book

Fantasy & Fine Art of Sonya Fedotowsky www.forestelf.com

Currently listening : Two Lefts Don't Make a Right... But Three Do By Relient K Release date: 31 October, 2006

8:19 AM - 4 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Website is finally fixed and new ebay items

Hi everyone!

I finally got all the bugs fixed out of my website (I think), and have most of my new art posted.  I haven't added the 11 x 14 Limited Editions back in yet, but I will do that soon because I have something special I'm working on for that! 

Now to the auctions - I have an original aceo and a print at a reduced price from my website on ebay.  Check them out, then click on the ebay links!



Peackock Fairy Child ACEO



Luna Fairy print

For more art visit my website at:
Fantasy & Fine Art of Sonya Fedotowsky www.forestelf.com

11:50 AM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

CRASH!
Current mood: aggravated

That's the word most computer users don't like to hear, but that's exactly what happened to my home website builder.  As I was puting new art on my website to upload, the program created an irreversible glich, and poof, bye-bye website.  Fortunately I did have an earlier version saved, like from November, so I have a lot of work ahead of me to put things back aright.  The online website works just fine, so go ahead and explore.  But it's getting old, and it's been time for me to add new art, and when I upload the changes it will not be exactly what is there now.  All products listed are available, but not my patience with computers.  Until then, here's a sneak peek at one of the new items I was trying to list.  It's an ACEO called "Amethyst Elf".  She has been painted with Winsor & Newton watercolors on 300lb arches 100% cotton watercolor paper.



Fantasy & Fine Art of Sonya Fedotowsky www.forestelf.com

3:47 PM - 3 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Merry Christmas!
Current mood: grateful

It's that day again!  Once you get past the long lines, mad drivers, last minute gift wrapping, and rushing to clean up and prepare that holiday meal, you finally relax with your loved ones and gaze into your lighted and sparkling tree, or your ten year old Nativity, and realize how truly amazing this holiday is and how much you are blessed.  Merry Christmas everyone!



Fantasy & Fine Art of Sonya Fedotowsky www.forestelf.com
 

Currently listening : The Winter of Our Discontent By The Echoing Green Release date: 07 April, 2003

8:02 AM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Ideas are rolling
Current mood: artistic

Hi everyone

Well, my two prints are up on ebay again, so if ya want 'em, here's your second chance to grab 'em before they're gone.  Just type "fairy art fedofairy" in ebay's search, and they will come up.  I also just created my second doll, a holiday angel  She will be sold from my website.



Now that Christmas shopping and wrapping is mostly out of the way, I will soon settle down to paint again.  I have so many ideas and I have to pick which ones to put my time into.  Let's see, you might be seeing my first anime/manga piece, my first angel painting (coming real soon), definitely more elf, fairy, and dryad ACEOs, perhaps even a dryad painting, or another elf painting, very likely another unicorn, or a star princess who lives in the heavens, or a playful fairy child (a boy this time).  At some point I should make a dragon too.  Too many ideas, so little time.  Perhaps you can leave me with ideas of things you'd like to see me paint.

Fantasy & Fine Art of Sonya Fedotowsky www.forestelf.com

10:10 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Get that one last sale!
Current mood: artistic

I couldn't resist.  I had to post another print on ebay, hoping to get that one last sale for extra Christmas dollars.  I've actually enjoyed using ebay as a marketing tool, and a couple of my artist friends use it too.  I'm even trying to bid on their ACEO's so that I can have something original of theirs.  Okay, thats probably not using my money the way I should, selling art to buy art, but as an artist I also love to collect art, and especially from friends (who are also extremely talented).  Here's my other ebay print auction.  Hope you love her!  Oh yeah, she also comes with a free ACEO.


"Something Beautiful" print ebay auction - click here

Fantasy & Fine Art of Sonya Fedotowsky www.forestelf.com

6:35 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Christmas crunch
Current mood: crazy

Hello world!  I haven't been here as often as I'd like because of the Christmas Crunch, that time of year where you have to pull together gifts for a very large family (I have a total of 5 brothers and 3 sisters), and get them wrapped and packaged on time to mail before it's too late.  Every year. 
That hasn't helped me to get a lot done with art or internet upkeep.  But soon it will be over, and my bad hair days will turn good again, and I'll be ready to roll for my next set of paintings.

On a better note I have an 8 1/2 x 11 fairy print up for auction on ebay, and it will come with a free Christmas ACEO print hand signed by me for the winner.  I'll post the print here, but you can view the free ACEO at my website, as I'm throwing it in with all my orders for December.

Sonya's Ebay Auction - click here!

Fantasy & Fine Art of Sonya Fedotowsky www.forestelf.com

7:01 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Now I'm on Ebay too
Current mood: hopeful

Hi everyone!  Well I have finally caught on to the power of the auction, and placed one of my beloved ACEO original paintings on Ebay.  The gamble with Ebay is like voting, it's the people who decide what your art is going to sell for.  Since it's my first Ebay sell, I made my starting bid so low that I could be practically giving away something that took me hours to paint.  If you want a crack at it yourself, here's the pic and the link:

  Go to Fedofairy's Ebay Auction 

Fantasy & Fine Art of Sonya Fedotowsky www.forestelf.com

5:49 AM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment