Coupon Code for Custom Kid, Pet or House Portrait! Unique Wedding Gift!

Colored Pencil Portrait by me, Artist Robin Zebley

It's that time of year, the mid-winter doldrums!  If you've been thinking about purchasing a portrait of your child, home or pet, I have a coupon code for you.  Use the code "WINTER" in my Etsy shop, CustomPortraitArt.etsy.com for 10% off any size, any subject. Use as often as you wish til the end of February, 2015.  Or order directly here or from my portrait website for an addition 5% off (total 15%).  Contact me HERE

This little guy's portrait was a Christmas gift from mom to dad.

Since it's positively arctic here now, those fall leaves actually look warm and cozy to me!

Custom House Portrait by me, Artist Robin Zebley

But here you go, a winter scene!  You have to admit, snow is gorgeous!  I added the little dog portrait in the front yard.  You can't really see it but there are tracks in the snow leading from the house, you know he'll be back there quick!

More of my portraits can be seen at my etsy shop: CustomPortraitArt.etsy.com.
I love to talk art, so please feel free to contact me! Robin

Great Big House Portrait! Or Wedding Venue Painting.

Recently finished this great big house portrait and immediately got inquiries on Etsy about whether I would be willing to paint wedding venues?  One was an upscale hotel, one the home of a relative, the other an ancient church.  So I added that in my listings.

Custom House Portrait, or Wedding Venue, Church by me, Artist Robin Zebley

It's funny how often things I never think of are brought to my attention by potential customers!  This was huge and it was hard to get a good photo, you know photo taking of my art is my bugaboo.  My only solace is that when my customers get their art, they are pleasantly surprised that it's nicer than they even hoped!

This would make such a neat anniversary or wedding gift!

Custom Watercolor Portrait of a beach house in Galveston, TX

Galveston TX Beach House Portrait

I want to share with you my watercolor and ink painting of a beach house in Galveston, TX!  It's one of the 28 portraits of homes and pets I painted in the 5 weeks before Christmas.

So now you know why I haven't been sharing my art lately!

The challenge for this one was isolating the actual house from the houses surrounding it.  There were neighbors sort of behind and to the side, I either had to include tiny slices of other houses or not.  And we decided not.

I worked with my customer to get it exactly how she wanted, to work in the dunes, and I have to say, I LOVED painting the palm trees!

 If you're interested in having me paint your home or a gift for your loved one, just contact me to get started.  You can see a lot more of my portraits here: http://CustomPortraitArt.etsy.com.

New Site for my Custom House Portraits

My custom house portrait paintings have really taken off!  So I have decided to give them their own home so I can market them to real estate agents as a realtor closing gift without all the dog and cat portrait art intermingled.  

 

I really am not into formal, cold architectural renderings of houses and wanted something more fun, more warm, and more artsy.  And more "me".  I'm still learning and developing my style.  One thing I learned is that I don't have to be a slave to the features.  I don't have to include uninteresting, functional fencing, or drainpipes.  I can move things around a bit.  For instance, I did one recently with a tree hiding the front door.  Just moved the tree a tad.  :)

 

Anyway, my house portrait site is http://customhouseportraits.blogspot.com.  Come on over and take a look at my portfolio of finished paintings!  Robin

Custom House Portrait, with dogs!

House Portrait Painting, Philadelphia Area Artist Robin Zebley

Can you see the dogs waiting at the door in this house portrait I just did?  They are almost a cartoon since the portrait itself is only 8 x 10 (and I cut part of it off to show you the dogs better!).  Even though I live between Philadelphia and Wilmington, this house is in Alabama.  I could never do this if it weren't for the internet and the USPS!

I inked this to mimic my woodblock printing style a bit, then hand colored it with watercolors.

I think houses have personality, too, and I love architecture.  But I hadn't offered house portraits because all of the samples I saw were so...cold, clinical, precise, engineering-ish.  So I needed to think about doing things in my own style.  I am not now and never will be a precise painter!

So I did a sample and put it up on Etsy, then I got one request, that led to more, I still have only done a handful, but have several in my queue!  And guess what, almost all of them want a pet in the window.

Now I need to figure out how to really market these.  I do them in oils, too, but I kind of like this style best.  I think I'm really going to pump up the black "woodcut" effect on the next one. 

Any ideas of marketing them, I would really appreciate!   I've had people tell me to hit up realtors, and my most recent is a wedding present.  So I have to think about that, but meanwhile, I'm enjoying mixing it up, doing the pets one day, a house the next!  Hope you enjoy!  Robin