| | | | Shop + Studio Reopen after Unexpected Hiatus(I've had an adventure!!) | | | | Dear friends, family, colleagues and art-lovers:
I hope that everyone had a great end to their 2023 and that 2024 holds great promise in store.
If you follow me on social media or in real life, you may know that my year did NOT end as planned! Ordinarily, the months of November and December are designated as “Holiday Commission Season,” where I get my largest volume of custom orders (the absolute busiest time of year in my Studio!). This year, however, I was offered an unexpected job opportunity: to work with a friend to painting and installing a playground and scenery aboard the Icon of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship. I lived and worked on board the ship for two weeks while it was dry-docked in Cadiz, Spain. While this project was nowhere near as glamorous as it sounds (and I’m not generally a proponent of the cruise ship industry), it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I couldn’t pass up, even though it meant shutting down my business during peak season and disappointing many current and potential clients.
In the weeks since my return, I’ve been catching up on belated holiday orders, year-end business taxes, a back re-injury, a studio flood, and other holiday aftermath, so I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE everyone’s patience with my delayed reopening!! Thank you!! I am happy to announce though I that I am- FINALLY- accepting new commission requests and that my Etsy shop is back open for business as usual. Keep an eye out for new Spain-inspired watercolors coming later this winter/spring!
During the months of January and February I am particularly interested in custom order requests that depict homes/businesses that have been decorated for Valentine’s Day or Mardi Gras: I may even offer a small discount in the form of a partial refund on all eligible orders, but I haven’t worked out the details yet. Let’s talk! Of course, I am always happy to create a custom painting for you at any time of year for any occasion: including but not limited to homes, businesses, interiors, landscapes, wedding venues, engagement spots, backyards, vacation photos, pets, vehicles, etc.
Please scroll down to see some images of past and recent projects, more information about my time in Spain, and all sorts of other news and updates! Thank you so much for your continued interest in and support of my wild and crazy art life :)
Erica
If you're interested in more behind-the-scenes images and insights into my practice, please follow me on Instagram (@erica_harney_artist) or Facebook (Erica Harney, Artist). You can also follow my cat @rufus_theodore_barleysheath (yes, for real! ;) )
Featured image: A bathroom selfie from the job site aboard the Icon of the Seas in Cadiz, Spain. December 2023 | | | | | | | | BACK OPEN FOR BUSINESS! When I'm not out painting scenery on cruise ships (or for an opera, or on a mural, etc)., I accept custom requests for paintings of homes, businesses, landscapes, even the occasional pet or vehicle. This time of year I love getting special requests for custom Valentine's, Galentine's and Palentine's gifts: depictions of favorite bars and sites of first dates, wedding venues and sorority houses, beloved pets and special vacation spots. Order now to ensure on-time completion and delivery for February 14th!
You can either order directly from my website (recommended if you're local to Greater Philadelphia and want to pick up your painting from my studio) or from my Etsy shop (recommended if you require shipping).
Click any image for more examples of past work!
| | | | | | SPECIAL CALL FOR ALL VALENTINES DAY AND MARDI GRAS HOMES AND BUSINESSES! While I'm open for all sorts of custom painting requests for any occasion, during the months of January and February I am PARTICULARLY interested in custom order requests that depict homes/businesses that have been decorated for Valentine’s Day or Mardi Gras! I may even offer a small discount in the form of a partial refund on all eligible orders...just as a bit of added incentive......If this sounds interesting to you, contact me today!
Images: two past watercolor paintings depicting homes "dressed up" for Valentine's Day and Mardi Gras, respectively
| | | | | | MY TIME ON THE ICON:
My career as a scenic artist is always full of surprises- I never know what kind of crazy or strange project might be around the corner at any given time. Right after Thanksgiving I received a call from a friend out of the blue asking if my passport was valid and if I was available to work in Spain with them for a few weeks. It was a huge decision to make- to disrupt my business during my busiest season- but my family and I ultimately decided that it was an offer I couldn't refuse!
I then spent two weeks living and working aboard the Icon of the Seas- the world's largest cruise ship- which was temporarily dry-docked at the Navantia Shipyard in Cadiz, Spain. The ship was still undergoing construction and preparing for its first trans-Atlantic voyage later in the month. My team and I- an incredible group of seven artists and engineers hand-picked from around the country- worked to paint, assemble, and install a playground and surrounding scenic elements in the ship's Surfside neighborhood. We were among THOUSANDS of contractors from all over the world, however, as the ship was still very much an active construction zone (and not at all a vacation!!!).
I am not yet permitted to post my own photos but you can read ALL about the ship (the good, the bad, and the ugly) on Cruise Critic. When asked if I plan to (or would even want to) return to the Icon as a passenger, my response is usually "no, please," but if cruises are your thing and you ever make it on board, please send me a detailed report! ;)
Click here to see more of my past scenic, mural, and other large-scale projects!
Image courtesy of cnn.com | | | | | | Meanwhile in Cadiz..... I'm fortunate to have had a tiny bit of time in Spain to be a tourist! Rest assured that there will be at least a FEW watercolors (and maybe some larger paintings) inspired by my experiences of this beautiful little port city.
A great deal of my personal work is inspired by my domestic and international travels- browse all available work on my Etsy shop.
| | | | | | CLOSING RECEPTION: Home Exhibition at Madam Miter Custom Framing in Springfield, PA
A few of my coziest, most wintery watercolor paintings from my Houses of Lansdowne watercolor series have been on display at Madam Miter Custom Framing in the West Philadelphia suburb of Springfield PA, and the exhibition is ending soon! Stop by the closing reception and say hi to me on Friday, January 19th between 5:30-8:30 (weather-permitting!) | | | | | | My Book, Houses of Lansdowne: An Artist's Pandemic Project is available to borrow at the Lansdowne Public Library!
At the end of 2023 I donated a copy of my self-published book to the Lansdowne Public Library, which you can now view and borrow for free. Apparently it has been popular so far!!! If you would like to own or gift a copy:
*$30/copy when purchased from my website:
*$35/copy when purchased on Etsy.
*If you own and are enjoying a copy already, please send me a photo, post a review on Etsy, or just shoot me a message! :) I will eventually be adding a section of reviews on my website.
Image courtesy of Caroline Lancaster. | | | | | | PREPARING FOR SPRING 2024 MURAL SEASON It just snowed in Philadelphia for the first time in two years, but I'm already thinking about spring! I'm currently working on a handful of potential mural projects that are in various stages of discussion and planning, all throughout the Greater Philadelphia region. My outdoor projects will begin as soon as the temperatures are consistently in the 50s and dry (so. hopefully around mid-late March!) I just hope that the weather cooperates when I need it to....
Click here to see more of my past scenic, mural, and other large-scale projects! Potentially interested in a mural for your home, yard or business? Here's what you need to know to get started! | | | | | | | | | | THANK YOU!
Thank you for taking the time to read all the way to the end of this newsletter! Check out this picture of the Rock of Gibraltar while traveling through Spain. It may find its way into a painting someday.....Meanwhile, please accept this coupon for 15% off your next purchase from my Etsy shop :)
Thanks again and here's to an awesome 2024!!!
Erica | | | | | | | | | | Our mailing address is: Erica Harney Studios Lansdowne, PA 19050
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