New GALLERY ZOO ART Website

Wow! I am absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to post my entire online portfolio on one brand spankin' new website: galleryzooart.com. This site hosts my entire online collection which includes my large canvas paintings, yupo paper paintings, photography, 5" x 7" paintings on canvas board (art cards), and gemstone bead jewelry. With everything on one site, there is no need to pop all over the internet searching for GALLERY ZOO ART or Catherine Jeltes pieces. Plus purchases can be made directly from me, via PayPal--just click on the Buy Now button on the item description page. PayPal accounts are free, and you can shop confidently from a secure site.

It will take me a bit to post all of my pieces, so for the curious feel free to check back often. Galleryzooart.com also has an area for more blog postings, so I will be bouncing back and forth between here (blogger) and there. As a special treat for my collectors, my latest art pieces will be made available on galleryzooart.com FIRST, so to get the scoop before everyone else please bookmark my new site.

Blooms in Violet and Blue

Here are some more abstract acrylic florals to add to my art card "bouquet". Blooms In Violet is a mixed media piece, painted on 5" x 7" canvas board that is wrapped in fine art paper. This particular background is quite effective for these types of florals as it lends a quaint botanical charm to the image. Blooms In Violet was inspired by a wedding favors commission I am working on. Maybe that is why it seems to have somewhat of an "air of
formality" about it. Blooms In Blue explores my love of blue. Perhaps the casual feel of this piece developed from my associations between blue and relaxation...and maybe my love of blue jeans!

Burst

At long last I finished my biggest triptych thus far. Burst is a celebratory piece, a tribute to the energy and botanical explosion of pure and simple beauty that is springtime. I have to admit that it took several weeks to complete, and not just because I have been working on several pieces at once. The technique I use to form each flower allows for the creation of only several at a time--each flower must dry first before others are created nearby. This drying process takes around 24 hours, so you can imagine with a painting this size how much time was involved!

Burst is 20" x 44"--HUGE--and the thing about multiple canvas pieces is that each canvas may be hung closer together or farther apart, depending upon your spacial needs. It also makes it much more cost effective to ship, as I can send a fairly large work without having to charge freight.

Tropicana

I gravitate towards the color combo of orange and blue, particularly the shade of teal. Can you tell ;o) These shades stimulate all of my senses, probably because I have so many associations with blue and orange. Visually, they are energetic, vibrant, and lively. I can both hear and feel music when working these colors, and they create an intense craving for citrus as well. They also inspire me to create, whether it be paintings or beaded jewelry. They simply feed my soul.

My newest painting, Tropicana, is an 11" x 14" abstract acrylic painting on Yupo paper and presents with a free 16" x 20" white mat. Maybe this will be food for your soul, too.

Morning Glories

For those of you as enamoured of "blue" as I am, you will adore this little blue floral painting. I love how the blossoms are off-set by the green gold background, which I gave a bit more texture to (adding to the contrast.) My favorite aspect of these florals, however, is the wispy-white centers of the flowers that seem to evoke a lazy summer day of cloud-gazing and letting all cares drift along with them.

Morning Glories is a 5" x 7" abstract floral painting on canvas board. As with all of my 5" x 7"'s (art cards), there is blank paper on the back for personalization.

African Wildlife Series 1

Ah ha...here it is, my African Wildlife Series One. I really love these colors together, so much so, in fact, that you will be seeing them soon in my next large size triptych (20" x 36".)

This series is a quadtych, a set of four individual 5" x 7" abstract acrylic paintings on canvas board. Each one is a special selection illustrating the raw beauty and energy that we associate with Africa and its unique wildlife: a mother elephant and her inquisitive calf, racing back to her side for comfort and security; a heron in the waters at daybreak; grazing gemsbok; an abstraction of zebra stripes. I must admit I will feel a bit of a twinge when I part with these!

African Wildlife Series One, only available on Etsy.

Cottage Lanes

Wow--spring is roaring in and I've been fortunate enough to be busy, busy, busy! So much so that in fact I have been extremely remiss with regards to blogging. I actually listed this painting, Cottage Lanes, a couple of weeks ago, and I am in the midst of working on a small series of 5" x 7" 's on canvas board, entitled African Wildlife Series as well as two other larger paintings. As you can see, my AADD (Art Attention Deficit Disorder) is truly shining now.

But back to Cottage Lanes...

This is a 20" x 20" acrylic abstract floral diptych on gallery wrapped canvas. Each panel is 20" x 10", and may be displayed close together or farther apart to cover less or more wall space. This piece actually began as a triptych, but the third panel just did not mesh with the other two. (It was, however, the perfect abstract backdrop for a painting of a train for my son's bedroom. As soon as the train is completed, I will post it here.) I love the colors and patterns that emerged when painting Cottage Lanes--and blending the edges of the flowers into the background reminded me of the waves of color in fields along quiet country roads...as well as seeing flowers in the rain through a blurry wet window. I love that I can almost smell wet earth and fresh mulch when viewing this.

Clean Studio Sale

CLEAN STUDIO SALE!!

I desperately want a clean studio. Here is a great opportunity to help me out with my attempts at spring cleaning :o)

For the month of March, I will be hosting a CLEAN STUDIO SALE at Boundless Gallery. Click on the tab marked S*A*L*E to browse select inventory up to 50% off! This is a remarkable opportunity to purchase a GALLERY ZOO ART original at a fraction of my regular online prices.

For those of you who live in the St. Louis area, if you contact me prior to your purchase you can get free shipping as well.

Boundless Gallery Best Seller

January 2009 has been an absolutely amazing month so far. Not only have I had 3 sales in 5 days, but as of today I am officially a best-selling artist on Boundless Gallery!

Why is this so significant for me? It was only in January of last year (January 23rd, in fact) that I posted my first artwork online. You see, I left the "day" job I had in September of 2007 to pursue this dream of being a professional artist. Not only was the prospect of changing careers a bit daunting, but it was also incredibly liberating. However, aside from creating, I knew absolutely nothing about selling online, being in business for myself, or how to market myself. So I read everything I could find, via online searches, business magazines for artists such as Art Calendar, artist sites such as Empty Easel, and reading and participating in social networking on sites such as Art Scuttlebutt and Boundless Gallery. I also invested in a personalized art coaching session, which helped me maximize my portfolio as well as provide me with several handy online marketing tips.

And oh yeah, through it all I was raising a toddler...! What was I thinking????

But the things in life you work for, the things you earn through blood, sweat, and tears...those are the things that have meaning, and at times help define the person you are or can be.

And I am a professional artist!

http://www.catherinejeltes.com/

Crane--GALLERY ZOO ART by Catherine Jeltes. This piece was one of my first sales, and named Piece Of The Day on Boundless Gallery in 2008.

Mandarin Duck Abstract

At what seems like long last here is my lastest piece, Mandarin Duck Abstract. It has a contemporary feel to it--a bit of modernism mixed with a bit of impressionism and expressionism. Ducks are just fun birds; who can't get into a good mood when watching a duck? And Mandarin ducks are so exquisitely colorful that I felt compelled to go wild and play with the pallette a bit.

http://www.gallery-zoo-art.boundlessgallery.com/

Blue Kid, Green Mommy

My two and a half year old son is currently in the habit of identifying people on the playground as if they were crayons. "Where did the Blue Kid go?" or "Where is Green Mommy?" is what I often hear as he refers to his new playmates of the day. Asking him to call them by their name usually results in him screaming as loudly as only an uninhibited toddler can "BLUE KID COME BACK!"

Sometimes I find myself thinking of my art in the same way (ie. "where's the blue painting with the dancer?" instead of "where is Flux?") I think that is my way of beginning the break-up phase. When I paint, I begin a very intimate relationship with my creation, as most artists do. The art becomes a part of me, and the process of creating it envelops darn near everything I do until it is finished. Then comes the Honeymoon Phase, when I display the painting for a period of time, satisfied with my efforts and admiring each brush stroke, the gradation of color, and the rhythm of line and movement. (If I am not "in love" with my art, I do not put it up for sale--it is that simple.) It is only by associating each piece in a more abstract way--by color, by number, etc.--rather than by title that I am able to emotionally disentangle myself from it enough to market it.

Does my son call me Running Mommy or my husband Biking Daddy? No. We are simply Mommy and Daddy, the labels through which all else falls neatly into place.

And it is perfect.

http://www.gallery-zoo-art.boundlessgallery.com/

Art Cards

Not long ago I was out shopping and needed to pick up some greeting cards. I am always in awe of the prices for mass produced paper cards. Seriously? Five dollars for a card? Don't get me wrong--I love the sentiment and thoughtfulness that cards express. And because of that, I save almost every one since I can't bring myself to toss them. Needless to say, I have a lot of storage space that will make nice fuel when I can no longer afford to heat my home.

Honestly, I would rather put the money I would normally spend on a card towards the gift. That way, the recipient gets a nice gift, the landfills have one less card to digest, and most importantly, I don't feel as if I am out five more dollars. (Even if I am, I don't notice it as much, and somehow I have more money for Starbucks.)

Then I got inspired. What if I created an art card? It would be an original painting--not a reproduction--the size of a standard greeting card with room for personalized messages on the back that (and this is the best part) would be both a card AND a gift? What could be more fun to create as an artist that would not only be a GALLERY ZOO ART original but also affordable?

So GALLERY ZOO ART Art Cards were born. I decided to create them in series of threes, so they can be gifted individually or as a set. They are painted on canvas board, so they are flat and easily frameable, and they are a standard 5" x 7" size. Every material used is completely archival (acid free) to stand the test of time, from the canvas to the paper to the glue.

Now I know some smartee out there (yes, you know who you are) will say that these Art Cards cost more than five dollars. And they do. But you have to remember the key phrase...the Card is the Gift. And then twelve dollars for an original painting seems like a steal (and believe me, it is.) So take the money you save by not buying a paper card and buy something for yourself. You undoubtably deserve it.

Find GALLERY ZOO ART Art Cards only at www.galleryzooart.etsy.com