Happy Fall everyone! In this newsletter, I share my latest paintings with you inspired by the changing season, tell you all about the holiday sale on my website, and leave you with some pictures of the Land of Stones that may inspire you to pick up a paintbrush and paint from your heart. We better hurry, winter is coming.
Fall has Arrived in the Land of Stones!
The weather has been mixed since my last newsletter. October was cool and rainy, but the first half of November has been sunny and warm. Leaves are changing colors and falling to the ground with a sense of urgency, as if they know winter is around the corner. October is called "Listopad" in Croatian, meaning "falling leaves." November is "Studeni" meaning "cold." I think the months got it backwards this year.
I love the colors and feel of fall. The air is clear and crisp. It is perfect for walks along the beach right before sunset to catch that wonderful autumnal glow. The weather can be dramatic in Croatia and it often inspires me to paint. The painting above is based on a photograph my friend Mike took looking up through an aspen grove in the Colorado mountains. I know I said Croatian autumns inspire me to paint, but I have been waiting for the perfect mood to paint this scene. I love painting aspens and this painting is the pure essence of fall to me: white, black, blue, and yellow.
This painting of a gathering storm on the island Krk illustrates a different type of fall scene from the peace and tranquility of the aspens. There is darkness and foreboding all around, but nonetheless sunlight lights up the water and the water is calm. We have spectacular clouds and violent storms in Croatia, together with the clearest water imaginable. It is a truly magical place. I love the composition of this painting! Thanks to cousin Darko who took the photo upon which I based my painting.
This Hoopoe is the final painting I completed in the past few weeks. Hoopoes are spread out across the European, Asian, and African continents, but it is not common to see one where we live. My husband and I have only seen a hoopoe five or six times in the last 15 years. They have a feathered crown on their head, which they raise and lower at will. They are extremely skittish and seem to know when I am looking at them, for they always disappear the moment I find my camera. A few years ago the stars aligned: a hoopoe landed in our yard at the same time that my camera was fully charged and within reach. I took several photos of this elegant bird as it used its long, pointy beak to poke around the yard looking for some tasty bugs to eat. Unfortunately, it never raised its crown for me, so I ended up painting an image I found online. I will eventually paint the little guy who visited us, pictured below. If you would like to see how I painted him, I have posted numerous videos on Facebook and Instagram showing my process on this painting and several others.
Ebby is having a Magnificent Holiday Sale.
From November 22 to December 31, 2024, get all of your holiday gift ideas in one place for 25% off the regular price:
all hard and soft cover First Editions of Ebby the Magnificent
art greeting cards (including preset 4-card sets or individual cards)
Giclee prints, 11 x 14" prints and all custom orders
Additionally, all hand embellished canvas prints in stock are on sale for 50% off while they last!
These special holiday prices are only available through contacting me directly at jessica@jwjulian.com or ordering through my website, www.jwjulian.com.
Ebby the Magnificent is the perfect gift for everyone on your list who loves reading, beautiful art, adventure, and tails of joy, regardless of their age. All books will be autographed and all purchases can be wrapped for free upon request. The greeting cards and prints are ideal for art lover in your life.
Don't see your favorite paintings (including my most recent ones) in a card or print on the website or you would like to create your own card set? No problem! Just contact me and tell me what you want and I will make it especially for you at no extra cost, and for 25% off the regular price.
Further, if you want to purchase multiple items to send to different addresses, you can either order each item separately, or contact me to discuss the details. But don't delay in ordering if you want to beat the holiday deadlines.
You don't need a special coupon or secret code to get these prices. Now is the perfect time to stock up in Elusive Baby Bunny merch for every Bunny on your list!
Let the Colors of Fall Inspire you to Create your own Masterpiece!
I taught myself how to paint after a long career as an attorney. Sure, I doodled on my notebooks in school, but I did not take classes. All of this is to say I am not a professionally trained artist and half the time I feel like I am in over my head when I start a new project. Teaching yourself how to create art may not be your thing, but I bet creating art will lift your spirits. Every town has at least one artist who is willing to share their experiences and offer guidance, but it may be enough to do as my good friend and mentor Zoto told me and just "pick up a paintbrush and paint from your heart."
The first painting I ever did was of a photograph my husband found in a hotel magazine. I did not know the finer points of painting. I just painted what I saw, the best way I could. Years later, I painted the same picture again, with much different results. My husband claims he likes the first one the most, because it is the "truest" version. I am not so convinced, but that is what art is all about. The latter version is one of the most images I sell. Which one do you like more?
What image would you like to create? Here are a couple of photos I took when visiting Plitvice Lakes recently. I'd love to see what you come up with.
Archival Quality Prints of my Paintings are available and on sale for 25% off through December 31!
Giclée prints of my paintings are on sale from November 22 to December 31, 2024! Giclée is the term used for fine art prints using a specialized high resolution inkjet printer. These Fine Art Giclée masterpieces are printed on heavy weight museum grade, archival fine art watercolor paper and will last for generations if properly handled and displayed. The barred owl painting (below) turned out so great you would be hard pressed to pick the print from the original! The prints captures every detail, every brushstroke, and the colors are vibrant. These Giclée prints will be available for purchase at my in-person events, or by contacting me directly. An 11" x 14" unframed print is only normally $125.00 in the United States, but will be on sale from November 22 to December 31 for only $93.75. Prices may vary if purchased outside the United States. Larger custom sizes can be ordered as well and will be available for 25% off if purchased before the sale ends. They will be added to my website soon, but in the meantime, if you would like to order a Giclée print of any of one of these paintings, or any other painting I have done, please reach out to me at jessica@jwjulian.com. Each print is numbered and signed. This is an example of the prints that are available to dress up your walls.
We LOVE our readers and LOVE getting reviews!
Reviews are a great way for you to tell other people about the book and are extremely important for independent self-published authors. If you enjoyed Ebby, please consider sharing your thoughts with your friends, your book club, your colleagues, on Amazon, Goodreads, with me, or wherever you write reviews. As an independent, self-published author, word of mouth is my BEST advertisement. This is a review I received last year.
Happy reading and hoppy adventures!
J. W. Julian
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