Congrats to my Winner!

   Well, I have ended my giveaway and have already conversed with the winner. I allowed her to pick a painting of her choice which I mailed off today. And yes even though I would love to be shouting "I sold a painting" I am just as happy because my horse painting is now off to her new home. And trust me when I say today didn't go anywhere near as planned, thus is why I am writing today.

 

It's quite the story . . . in my opinion.

 

    Alright so the night before I had talked to my husband, the plan was to both get up and take him to work so I would have the car to run around and do all the things I had to do. I didn't have Zumba class this morning which I was sad about, but made things easier time wise. All was set, now just to go to bed and put the plan into action. Anyone who has made plans before knows sometimes they just don't go your way.

 

Life is grand like that.

 

   So anyways, I wake up with Richard and we are both getting ready for the day. When I suddenly didn't feel to well. I will not go into details because its not needed. Regardless Richard was going to be late for work if he didn't leave, so I told him to go and I would get everything done on Monday or Tuesday. Not preferred but it wasn't going to hurt anyone. So needless to say we said our 'I love you's' and he went to work. About 30 minutes later I am suddenly fine. Absolutely nothing wrong with me. I made the choice to walk into town and get everything done like I had planned, just without the car.

 

Walking is good for you anyways . . . Or so I told myself for motivation.

 

    Luckily for me it turned out to be a beautiful day. It was supposed to rain and at one point in the beginning of my walk I really thought it would. I packed everything in my husbands backpack. My wallet, the painting, bubble wrap, packaging tape, my scissors, keys, and water, all the items needed for my outing. First stop was to the electric company to pay them. Easy enough, although it did get quite hot after that, adding my jacket to the mix of things on my back. Off to my bank, and then off to Mallards, which is where I get my boxes. Here is where the fun started. I arrived picked out my box and asked if I was allowed to package my painting there. They didn't care so I got to be out of the sun thankfully. All was well, but I forgot my ruler. Sure you really don't need one, but it helps me out a lot. So I had to eyeball it. What I do is cut the corners so the box doesn't leave much wiggle room, making it less likely for the painting to get damaged. I began cutting the corners and on the last one my scissors actually broke! I have had this pair for quite some time but I did not expect them to die on me. The corners were not even and I had started cutting some of the top off so there is less cardboard, and when I say started I mean I cut one side.

 

This was the worst box I have ever packaged anything in.

 

   Normally I would have bought a second box and started over, but I didn't have anything to cut with and it would have been pointless. So I taped . . . and taped . . . and TAPED . . . and taped some more. Finally it was held together, looking normal - for the most part. So I okay-ed it and began my walk to the post office. And yes even though it was the ugliest box I have ever put together, I still felt pretty proud. I was sending off my work to someone who likes it. There are few feelings that compare.

 

   I get to the post office and wait my turn to hand over the package. I get to the counter and the lady on the other side looked at me then to the box, and then back to me. I made a comment about how I normally package better but today this will have to do, and she laughed but took my money and said she will have it sent off. To my surprise she said it should arrive Monday. So again, another positive to my interesting day. Now off to my husbands bank and then finally home.

 

   I finally make it back to my road and at this point the heat is crazy hot. Normally I am not one to complain about the heat, but today I was not feeling it. I choose to stop by the mail box before walking down my long drive way, which I am happy I did because I got a surprise. I had received a post card from a fellow artist.

 

 

   So thank you Robin! If you would like to check her work out you can do so here. She creates hand torn paper pet portraits and they are very cool. I mean just look at this kitty! I love it!

 

You can check me out on facebook , Etsy, DeviantArt, or Instagram.

 

Congrats again to Deana. I hope you enjoy the horse painting. I know I loved creating her! She is a one of a kind and I hope she brings you joy like she has me.



Painting Giveaway!!!

Do you like things that are FREE???

 

    Silly question right? Of course you do, and hey there is nothing wrong with that. I am proud to announce that I will be having another painting giveaway. Sadly the last time I held one the winner did not get back in touch with me, so if you win please get in touch with me because you will only have a week to get in touch with me. Now, to the exciting stuff. . .

 

What do you have to do???

 

    Well for starters you have to go to my Facebook Page and Like it. Simple enough right? Well watch my page because I will post a status or picture, not sure which one just yet. But all you will have to do is like that post. Yes it is that easy. I will be using the Rafflecopter App to keep things fair. It will select someone at random and from there I will try and get in contact with the winner to find out where I am to send the painting.

 

    I will be picking a few of my paintings to choose from, but just keep in mind you can only choose one. You can look on my facebook page or go to my Etsy Shop to see paintings I have currently made or am working on.

 

So, what makes me want to do a giveaway?

 

    Honestly, I just love knowing my art is making someone else happy. Plus there is no better way to thank my fans. There is no way for me to meet all of them and personally say thank you so this seems like the next best thing. I currently have 160 Facebook fans which is absolutely crazy!!! Crazy Amazing of course but still . . . That is 160 people that actually enjoy my work. I love my art but to know others do to. . . WOW.

 

    If there are other artist reading this, just an idea to maybe keep in mind. If you want your page to get more likes, then it is a good idea to do a giveaway. People like free, and last time I did a giveaway, I told them I would pick someone at random once I reached 150 likes. They jumped there fast. All you have to do is ask your fans to please like share and comment. It takes times but it works. Plus if your fans are as awesome as mine, they will help you out. :)

 

Want more ways to keep up to date on my work?

 

Instagram

 

DeviantART

 

 

   Thank you all for the support. It means so much! Good luck in the giveaway, and if you would please Comment, Like, and Share some stuff from my facebook page, that would be awesome! You all Rock :) Talk to you next time!

Just a reminder to never change!



Go out and Appreciate Someone!

    I know it is not Thanksgiving, but I want to talk about being thankful and letting others know that they are appreciated. I was going to try and keep this blog about my art, but I like to let my art do the talking. It can speak for itself, I on the other hand need to work on my voice. This being one topic that drives me nuts. Why? Because people don't appreciate anything anymore and I think it is sad. There is so much to be thankful for, even if it is just that you are still breathing.

Who decided it was okay not to say thank you?

 

    I mean really? Did the word get lost or has someone locked it away? I try everyday to let my husband know how much he means to me. I try to say thank you to just about everything because I am thankful for the things he does. Better yeah rather than saying thank you sometimes I will tell him, " I appreciate you. " I highly recommend using this sentence. It is nice to say and feels amazing to hear. Children today (for the most part) go crazy till they get what they want. They will cry, kick, scream, and well, just about anything to get what they want. They think things should just be handed to them and if it breaks oh well, another one will fall out of the sky.

 

    I cannot make you do anything, but know this, the more you appreciate something, the better things will be. Think of it like the saying 'treat others the way you would like to be treated'. Sounds silly, but how far off is it? Lets take an everyday item that most people have nowadays, like a cellphone. I know I have one and everyone in my family has one. If you appreciate it, you will be sure to take care of it and the less likely it is to get broken. More than likely your friends will see how well you take care of it and if they ever needed it, they would be sure to be careful with it. If you treat it like it is something that could just appear out of no where for no reason then don't be surprised if the return your phone broken and telling you 'looks like you have to buy a new one'

 

    Now I know some of you are probably like, it's just a cellphone. But it was just an example that I am sure everyone could put into perspective. Now people, it is the same thing. The more you appreciate someone the more likely they will be thankful to have you. You will receive what you give. It is one of the first lessons of respect. I remember one time before Richard and I got married, we lived in a small 1 bedroom apartment and there were times that I would just stress myself out. It could be school, work, or bills . . . sometimes all the above. I went to work that day and came back to a spotless home. I asked why he did so much that I would have been more than willing to help him clean everything and to my surprise he said, "Well you have been stressing out and I figured this would help you out." It did. I felt loved and appreciated. He busted his butt all day to make me smile.

 

Have you told anyone lately that you are glad they are a part of your life?

 

    I hope the answer is yes, but if no, it is okay. We are all human and forget. It is the attempt to get better that makes the difference. Make a list of things you are thankful for and don't hide it away till thanksgiving, only to go crazy on black Friday. Keep it out and share it with everyone. If you are thankful to have someone in your life let them know. Try out my phrase "I appreciate you." Watch the smile on their face, and feel the joy it brings you. I challenge you to find ten or more people you feel you should say this to and go say it to them. I would love to hear their responses so please comment below!

Finally, I Have an Art Room of my Own

I finally have my own art room!

 

    Oh yes, it is exciting, but HOLY COW is it work! Moving things trying to organize and fight the desire to just jump into painting right away. Well I had the wonderful experience  of moving everything not once but twice! Let me tell you, it was work.

 

    It started with the small space between the kitchen and living room. Then my art supplies would be out of the way and I would be able to leave things out. Normally we have our glass table there, but with Christmas just passing we had to move it for our tree. I thought it would make a better art space than table space . . . make sense to me at least.

 

So the process began . . .

 

    I moved most of my items into the small space, luckily I have a lot of  storage cabinets. It looked good, I was able to paint a painting and enjoy the wonders of having my own little space. When I was younger I would play in my grandmas craft room, so I knew this feeling, but it was nice to remember. After learning my Sister-in-law would not be moving in with us, the second bedroom in the house was up for grabs. Now in all honesty the thought of an art room wasn't the first thing on my mind. My husband on the other hand jumped right on the idea. Not prepared to move everything after moving it originally I was a little slow. Mind you this was all with in a 48 hour time period lol so I was doing a lot of walking back and forth. Below are photo's of my art space, before moving into my new room.

 

 

Process begins AGAIN. . .

 

    Once I got everything into my room I was needless to say relieved. I have a bunch of my paintings surrounding me. A picture of my husband and I in a frame my great grandma made for me (only suiting for a craft to be in the art room). The hardest part was now everything was organized. It doesn't sound bad but normally I had an organized mess and can tell you where everything is right away, now I was searching for my stuff. A future project I intend to do is create my own little signs to help me out. Call it a crafty cheat sheet :)

 

    Last night I finally sat down in my craft room deciding I was going to paint. I was dying to paint all while moving everything, but clearly needed to get my room ready before I started painting in it. I was sitting there enjoying my room. I had started a painting but wasn't really doing anything to it. Just sitting there smiling at everything around me, when I heard a knock. It was my husband. "Permission to enter your fortress of solitude." Got to love him. But I loved the sound of it. Mostly because it was mine and I have a door xD - is that too silly of a thought?

 

    But I am finally settled in and will be painting, creating, and dreaming. I found lots of random objects that I am dying to put into a mixed media piece. I don't have pictures of my new room just yet, but will hopefully be posting some soon.

 

    If you want to know the latest with my art check me out on the following sites, and let me know how I am doing with this whole social media thing :)

 

 Facebook

Check out my new paintings, drawings, pictures, coupon codes for my etsy shop, and giveaways.

 Instagram

 Check out my newest W.I.P (work in progress) pieces, and some of the wonderful moments I have with my little family.

Etsy

See what is for sale. Be the first to see what is for sale because I never remake a painting!

DeviantArt

 Check out my art and some of the art of my favorite artist.



Goodbye Elephant

   In attempts to continue with my New Years resolution I have been sharing my art work like never before. Posting constant updates of my newest work in progress on Facebook and Instagram - Sharing these posts all over my own facebook page. I have been trying very hard to stay "active" in social media. I have started a routine. It involves posting on my art's page. Taking that post and sharing it with myself and an art group I am in then posting to instagram. It takes just a few minutes but it helps. My posts are receiving a lot more views and frankly my attempts are paying off.

I sold my first painting!

 

   It was a new feeling of pride that I had never felt before. Wrapping up the painting and packaging it safely, I couldn't stop smiling. Seriously the grin on my face wouldn't go away. Yesterday (Jan. 17th, 2014) I mailed it off to its new home. I walked in carrying that over taped box as if I had just won the lotto or something. Lemme put it to you this way - I had to go into work right after (on my day off) and still felt like a queen :)

 

   My art has always made me happy. It has helped me through the rough times and has kept me going through the good. But my art has never made me feel this wonderful. Sure I sold a painting - that's exciting - but now my art is bringing someone else happiness. Knowing that makes me swell with pride. My home is covered in my paintings. I love seeing them all over my walls. I hang the good and the one's that aren't really my favorites - But they are still there. Now I get to walk inside my home and see one missing. I walked into my house after mailing the package and my eyes searched for the painting I had sold. Just to be sure it wasn't a dream or something. It wasn't there. Happiness filled me because I know soon someone will walk into their home and see my work. It is making their day brighter.

 

   When I was younger I would always joke with my friends by writing "Save this for when I become famous" on a drawing or doodle I had done for them. I'm pretty sure I wrote that in a few year books as well. But I never thought I would sell my work. Back then I didn't want to. I felt it was to much of myself. I felt I would be giving away to much of my soul to others, which in a way I still feel is true . . . but I see it in different light now. I am giving away my soul but to help put a smile on the face of others.  I don't fear it anymore. I welcome it. It makes sense to me to make others smile if you can.

 

   I don't have many friends anymore and that is probably my (more than likely) fault. I am friends with my husband (Which I highly recommend) and my dog. I have others but you get what I am saying. So I look at my art facebook page as my art's friends. My art has more friends than I do and I am more than okay with that. When my art gains a new friend, I know it is because my art is making someone happy and call it selfish but I feel it is because I helped. Nothing wrong with helping. I would rather my art speak because I am truly odd . . . I am socially awkward . . . I will stick with helping.

 

So with all that said, I say goodbye to my Elephant painting.

I hope you make new friends and don't forget that I helped.



Welcome 2014 - Here's to the New Year

   I suppose it is a little late to say Happy New Year considering I am writing this on the 11th . . . But screw it Happy New Year Everyone. This year I have decided to get serious about my life as an artist. This blog being one of the many steps I am trying to accomplish. Things are different in today's world. You have to be connected and frankly. . . I'm not.

 

   Last year I began painting like I have never painted before in my life. It seems to have opened a door for me and this year I am going to stop being nervous or scared of where that door goes.

 

 Heck I am going to be painting anyways so I might as well right?

 

 

   So... Since this is my first blog I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Kimberly Plympton. I am currently 21 years old and married to the best husband in the world. I share my life with him and our dog, Bear. We are all characters in our own way.

 

 

 So yeah, that's me . . .

 

   Now, about my art . . . I am a painter as I was saying earlier, but try to be a well rounded artist. If you check out my facebook page Plympton Creations, you can check out my paintings, drawings, and photography. When I paint I only use the primary colors. I don't really have a reason other than I like them and if I need a different color I can just mix it myself. I let the paint do what it wants to do and I try to find the creation within. In other words . . .

 

I like to make a mess.

 

   I am looking forward to what 2014 has in store. I am trying to be positive. I started an Etsy Store a few months back and hopefully that will get better as I learn how to work my way around the whole social media thing. In attempts to help my new years resolution I am also becoming more active with instagram. You can follow me kplymp730.

 

 

   So . . . Here is to the New Year

 

(1st painting of the year)

(Second painting of the year)