Cyber Monday Special!

Cyber Monday Special! 20% off any item on my website http://terpcreek.com/. Starts now and ends at midnight Monday Nov. 28th, 2011. Free postage does not apply to items bought during this sale, however I can meet you in Monmouth, IL or add postage and mail the sale items to you. Go to contact me page of my website, mention this special and I will email you an invoice with the 20% off.

Cameron 4th of July Show

 

Cameron had a great July 4th show. Maple City Antique Tractor Club had a tractor display and tractor games. There was a display or antique engines, homemade ice cream, great food at the fire station, pie and ice cream at the church, band, fireworks and lots more.

I had a barn quilt display and mailboxes with hand painted tractors on them. The weather was great!

The Bald Bluff Antique Tractor Pulling Assoc. started the tractor pull with bottom classes for the plow boys and then went to the regular Bald Bluff classes. Here are a few pictures but more can be seen at http://www.terpcreek.com/Maple-City-Tractor.html.

Precision Mechanic Tractor Show and Pull

We had a lot of fun at the Precision Mechanics Tractor Show and Pull in Roseville, IL. Here are a few pictures of the show. All these photos plus more of the pull and the show tractors are available on a CD which you can print off or view on your computer. CDs are just $5.00 each plus $2.50 shipping and handling if I am mailing them or you can pick them up in Monmouth or at a Bald Bluff Antique Tractor pull. Email me at Becky@TerpCreek.com and tell me you want the Roseville 2011 pull and show CD. Pictures of the tractor pull can be seen at TerpCreek.com web site on the Bald Bluff Tractor page.  http://www.terpcreek.com/BBATPA.html

Wooden Barn Quilt Blocks

We have been very busy building wooden barn quilt blocks. Dennis builds them out of 1/2 inch exterior plywood that is sanded smooth. He has built a frame around the back for hanging and strength.

The blocks are primed and painted front and back. I free hand the design on the front. It is also coated to resist UV rays. You will be able to enjoy the quilt blocks for many years.

The one in the picture is a 4 foot square and is on a clients backyard shed.

Barn Quilt Blocks come in several sizes: 

2 foot squares are $80 each

4 foot squares are $150 each

8 foot squares are $500 each

Larger ones are also available.

The 2 foot blocks are the perfect size for porches, garages, houses, cabins, privacy fences, or tool sheds. The 4 foot size are a good size for stores, garden sheds, shops, tractor sheds, cattle sheds, or hanging low on a barn. If you want a barn quilt up high on the barn an 8 foot square would be the best size.

I will have sample blocks on my website soon. Custom orders are also welcomed. I will have 8 of the 2 foot square blocks done by July 4.

Bald Bluff Antique Tractor Pulling Assoc.

The new 2011 Bald Bluff Antique Tractor pulling schedule and rules are on www.TerpCreek.com  Read them online or print them out by downloading the PDF file.

You can also access the schedule on you cell phone if you have Internet. For viewing on your cell enter the following URL http://www.terpcreek.com/cell.html

Have fun at the tractor pulls this summer!

How to put Gifts in Balloons

I found a great idea on the web. This link will tell you how to put gifts into balloons.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2352169_put-gifts-inside-balloons.html

Just think how great this would look for a wedding gift with lots of ribbons tied to the top or a kid’s birthday gift with confetti in with the gift. I will have to try this great idea.

I should have found this earlier because today is our anniversary. I could have put Dennis' gift in a balloon with lots of confetti. That would have been funny!

Becky's Art Studio

I had to stop drawing barns for a while to finish one of the buildings on the Detroit showcase. The client was coming to Illinois and I wanted it finished so he could pick out the next building for the backdrop. The finished piece will measure 16 inches by 15 feet. Each building will be on a separate mount board so the client can arrange and/or rearrange the finished backdrop.

 This will be a backdrop for a precision car showcase. The client has picked out several vintage buildings from photos I took. The first one they wanted done was "Becky's Art Studio".  I  was so happy with that choice.

I will be back drawing "100 barns" next week.

Art in Bishop Hill

I have delivered new art to Bishop Hill Gallery. If you find yourself in Bishop Hill, Illinois be sure to stop by the Bishop Hill Gallery and look at all the new art they have on display.

I have wall art, desk art and coasters for sale at Bishop Hill Gallery.

I am currently drawing some of Bishop Hill historical buildings and they should be done and at the gallery by May 13.

Bishop Hill, IL has lots of special events and really interesting historical buildings. It is really worth the time to take a weekend trip to Bishop Hill. If you are going to be there overnight I highly recommend the Bishop Hill Gallery Inn.

Duct Tape Contest

TerpCreek is having a contest. 

Two easy steps to enter the contest:
1. Become a follower of this blog
2. Click comments and answer this question. What do you use duct tape for?

This will be a lot of fun because there are so many uses for duct tape!

To get the ball rolling here is 1 way I use duct tape. I use it to remove lint or pet hair. Just rip it off 8 to 10 inches and roll it inside out and press on your sweater to remove link or pet hair. Works great!

Once you are a follower you can enter as may times as you want but each time has to be a new idea or use of duct tape.

Each entry will be numbered then a number will be picked randomly. There will be 1 winner for every 100 ideas in the comments. Remember only one idea per comment.

The prize will be one free 5" x 7" pencil sketched portrait of one pet or one child. This may turn into a surprise box as I am going to try to get other sponsors to also contribute a prize. If you would like to contribute a prize just email me for details at Becky@TerpCreek.com

Good Luck

100 Barns in 100 Days is going great.

100 Barns in 100 Days is going great. I am keeping up very well with all the drawings. Hope you are checking out eBay every day for the new barn drawing. Just go to eBay and type TerpCreek in the eBay search box.

I got the OK from the Detroit client to proceed with the large 15-foot backdrop for a car showcase. So I am back to work on that. I have committed to draw 2 pen and ink for the Freeport Museum and 3 for the Buchanan Art Center.

Email me or leave a comment if you want to be a member of the Barn Lovers. It is free to join. You will receive a free gift and first chance on barn items.

Have a great day.

Barn #3 and Pet Portrait Special

The third barn is listed on ebay! Go to ebay and type TerpCreek in the ebay search box. This 100 original barn drawings in 100 days is starting a buzz. It is generating lots of interest. I am getting more custom orders for larger drawings of barns. I am getting so excited!

I am also running a Pet Portrait Promotion. If you have a cute pet that you dearly love then this is the perfect time to take advantage of a half price drawing. The pets I draw for this promotion will be entered into a calendar drawing. 12 of the drawings will appear on a 2012 calendar. Deadline for the Pet Portraits Calendar is July 15, 2011. The Pet Portrait Promotion is for a matted 5"x7" pencil drawing of your loving pet for only $75 which is half price ($150 Value). Hurry offer ends August 31, 2011.

Barn #2

Barn #2 is listed on eBay. Just go the eBay search box and type in TerpCreek and that should take you right to the barns.

Not all the barns have titles but this one is titled "Going Home".

It is not to late to join the Barn Lovers and it is free. Just email at Becky@TerpCreek.com and put Barn Lovers in the subject line. Hurry and join because the first Barn Lovers free gift comes out next week.

Well I better go draw more barns. Only 98 more left to draw.

100 Barns in 100 Days - Barn #1

The first barn of 100 barns in 100 days is listed on ebay. Just go to ebay and type TerpCreek in the search box.

There is still time to join the Barn Lovers and get in on the free gifts. First gift is next week so join today. It is free to join the Barn Lovers email me at Becky@TerpCreek.com with Barn Lovers in the subject line. That is all there is to it and I will not sell your email address. You will receiving free gifts and once a week you will get first chance to buy a barn from the 100 barns in 100 days before it goes to ebay auction.

So get excited and go to ebay and start bidding.
Have a great day!
Becky

Rustic Barn Lover

I just love barns! I have drawn a lot of barns over the years but I never get tried of seeing or drawing old barns. It seems like they are fast disappearing from the family farm. A pen and ink drawing will lock our favorite barn forever in our memory. It is really great how God uses our talents to bring great joy to others. Every drawing that I do this year will have a fish symbol hidden in it. 2010 drawings also had a hidden fish symbol.

I have a lot of great childhood barn memories. It was always fun hunting eggs or finding new kittens hiding in the hay. My brother and I would spend hours in our barn swing on the hay rope, build secret rooms and making hay forts.

After a brainstorming session it was decided that, since I am always up for a challenge, the newest and hardest self-imposed challenge yet would starting March 1, 2011. I will draw 100 barns in 100 days! That is the easy part. The hard part is the drawings will be 5"x7". As most of you know I never draw buildings smaller than 8"x10" and usually must custom drawings are at least 16"x20" and often 20"x24". The reason for the smaller drawings is to make them more affordable so anyone who has been wanting a TerpCreek original drawing could afford one. Most original TerpCreek Art is owned by high income collectors, CEOs and business owners.

I am really excited about starting this project and people are starting to send me barn photos just incase I run short of ideas. I will have to schedule my drawing time very well as I will be doing a Pet Portrait Promotion and custom artwork at the same time.  I have also promised to deliver two original drawing to the Freeport Museum in April for their Masterpiece Art Show which is in May.

The barn drawings will be for sale on eBay (type TerpCreek in the search box to find the drawings). This will be a great way to get an original TerpCreek drawing at a bargain price. All drawings will come in a black mat with gold trim, signed, dated and with a Certificate of Authenticity.

Join the "Barn Lover" group and get a chance once a week to buy one of these original barn drawings without having to bid on it. Once a week I will email you a picture of the barn that is available for purchase to those in the Barn Lover's group. The first person to email me that they want to buy it will get it.

It is free to become a "Barn Lover" just email me at Becky@TerpCreek.com put barn lover in the subject line. That is all there is to become a "Barn Lover. In the future there will be barn items that only Barn Lovers can buy. Barn Lovers will also get specials offers. I will not sell or share your email address with others. So get excited and join the Barn Lovers!

Art as the focal point of a room.

The first drawing for the car showcase is now in Detroit for approval. After they OK the drawing I will finish it up and start on drawing number 2. The finished showcase will measure 15 feet long, which will take a total of 9 drawings. Each drawing is an old storefront. This is really a neat project!


Today’s topic is art as the focal point of a room.

Artwork as the focal point of the entire room can be one large drawing or a collection of smaller drawings. If only one drawing is used it should be large enough to catch your visitor’s attention but small enough that it does not over power or distracts from the balance of the room. If you have a large wall space or a shelf in the room then a collections of complementary drawings along with some figurines, greenery or other suitable decorations will look great. The main idea is to not overwhelm the room and keep it within the relationship scale to other items. The room should reflect your personality as well as your home décor.

Another factor that is very important is framing the art. Framing and matting plays a big role in the final outcome of the room. The frame should be evenly balanced with the picture and the room. You do not want a heavy frame on a small piece of art in a little girl’s room or a thin pink frame accented with a football trophy in a boy’s room. Nice thick frames are good on large drawings and in rooms that can balance the focal impact. The mat color needs to complement the room and art at the same time. Sometimes this is a challenge.

My clients are becoming more aware of the way the art works with the rest of the room or maybe I just have got a high class of clients. Either way I am doing more that just drawing. I am getting into more of a decorating business to complement my drawing business. Often I go to the client’s home and we figure where the drawing will hang, how many drawings are going into a display and if we need accent pieces. The final drawings are then assembled on the wall with added accent pieces so the clients can just set back and enjoy the outcome.

So next time you buy art think about where you are going to hang it, if you need accent pieces, if it reflects your personality and if it will go with the whole balance of your room.

Have a great day.

Becky