P.I.L.L.O.W. Fight!!!

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abstract art, accent pillow, accent pillows, artsy pillows, bedroom decor, budget friendly decor, buy pillows, decorating ideas, decorating made easy, decorating on a budget, decorative pillows, design, designer pillows, fun gifts, fun pillows, gifts, home decor, home decorating, house, interior design, living room decor, modern art, new home, pillow, pillows, pillows for sale, sharon cummings, sofa pillows, throw pillow, throw pillows, whimsical art

It’s On!! This Summer has been filled with pillow purchases. I had no idea that they would be this popular! They are selling on Etsy, Society 6 and Redbubble at lightning speed. People everywhere are going crazy for artsy pillows. And who can blame them? You cannot walk into Target or Walmart and find luxurious home decor like these with so much original art. And the price is right too! Bricks and mortar stores are so limited. You only get a few to choose from. But online, the possibilities are endless!

Maybe it’s the kid in me, but I picture people all over the World smacking each other with my fun pillows. 😉

GO Here To Create Your Own Pillow Fight!:  http://society6.com/sharoncummings/pillows

Over 200 to choose from!!

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S.U.C.C.U.L.E.N.T…

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art, art buyer, botanical, building, business, cacti, cactus, canvas, colorful, construction, contractor, corporate, decorating, decorative, desert, echeveria, floral, framed, garden, gardener, gardening, gift, homes, horticulture, hotel, house, houses, interior design, interior designer, jade plant, landscaping, model home, motel, office, paintings, photo, photographs, photography, plant, plants, prints, retreat, sharon cummings, southwest, southwestern art, spa, succulent, succulent garden, succulent plants, succulents, wall art, wall decor

 

The word “succulent” sounds titillating.  You can almost “feel” what it means as it rolls off of your tongue.  Say it right now.  Slowly…

O.k. maybe I just wanted to use the words “succulent and “titillating” in the same sentence. 😉  But these beauties grow all over the place in Florida.  They seem to be just as happy in our tropical swamp as they are in the dry air of the desert.  But with thousands of varieties available, they do have varying care requirements.  So if you want to grow some of these beauties inside or out, read the labels on the plants before buying.  They do love bright sunlight, but they can get sunburned.  I have seen a few wither and die myself.

I love the smooth feel they have and the variety of colors they come in.  I’ve taken artistic liberty with this one obviously.  I was intrigued by the interesting shapes and shadows in this plant.  Nature is my inspiration!

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When In Rome…

Tags

amalfi coast, art, art prints, bologna, canals of venice, canvas, colorful maps, colosseum, countries, country, europe, european, florence, genoa, interior design, italia, italian, italian food, italian restaurant, italy, italy map, leaning tower of pisa, map, map of italy, maps, milan, naples, palermo, piazza del campo, pompeii, prints, rialto bridge, rome, santa maria del fiore, sharon cummings, st. mark's square, travel, turin, vacation, venice, verona, wall art, wall decor, wall maps

Do as the Romans do.  I always thought that meant something scintillating, but all it really means is: It is polite, and possibly also advantageous, to abide by the customs of a society when one is a visitor.  Oh well.

Today’s map study is the beautiful country of Italy!  When I think of this place, my first thoughts are always about food.  Italian plays a part in my heritage so I can tell you that there is nothing like a homemade pasta sauce with fresh herbs and spices.  There is an art to perfect marinara. It cooks slowly all day long.  The smells that fill the house are insanely taunting.  Turns out that I have Celiac disease and all of that pasta I grew up with was tormenting my insides.  5 years ago I switched to Gluten Free fare and get to still enjoy those delicious tastes!

Some fun facts about Italy:

*  Italy is approximately 116,400 square miles (including Sicily and Sardinia), which is slightly larger than Arizona.

*  Italy is one of the most crowded nations in Europe.^a Its population is estimated to reach 58,126,212 by July 2009. The population of United States is estimated to reach 307,212,123 by that same date.

*  Italy is said to have more masterpieces per square mile than any other country in the world.

*  In 2007, a dog named Rocco discovered a truffle in Tuscany that weighed 3.3 pounds. It sold at auction for $333,000 (USD), a world record for a truffle.

*  When McDonald’s opened in 1986 in Rome, food purists outside the restaurant gave away free spaghetti to remind people of their culinary heritage.

*  Parmesan cheese originated in the area around Parma, Italy. Italians also created many other cheeses, including gorgonzola, mozzarella, provolone, and ricotta. No one knows when the pizza was invented, but the people of Naples made it popular.

*Vatican City is the only nation in the world that can lock its own gates at night. It has its own phone company, radio, T.V. stations, money, and stamps. It even has its own army, the historic Swiss Guard.

*Over 50 million tourists a year visit Italy. Tourism is vital to Italy’s economy and provides nearly 63% of Italy’s national income.

Going Places?

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abstract art, abstract maps, art, blue, blue art, colorful maps, colorful wall art, interior design, map, map wall art, maps, maps as art, Massachusetts, Massachusetts map, Michigan, Michigan State Map, new york, new york map, new york state map, red, red art, snowbirds, state maps, State of Massachusetts, state of Michigan, states, travel, United States, wall art, wall decor

I am one of those people who gets focused on one thing and I cannot let go.  “A dog with a bone” as one of my friends likes to say. Even though I am preoccupied with Society 6 at the moment, my work is still going places. Namely to Michigan, New York and Massachusetts. 🙂  I have been to two of these states so far and plan to pick up New York on my way to Canada soon.

Where are YOU going?

More maps are on their way including some fun country pieces.  I love creating these as they combine my love of color and my attraction to interesting shapes. 🙂

Stay tuned for the next adventure!

All My Exes Live In Texas…

Tags

amarillo, armadillo, art, art prints, austin, big, canvas, counties, counties of texas, county, dallas, dallas cowboys, dallas texas, decorative maps, Football, houston, houston astros, houston texans, houston texas, interior design, lone star state, longhorn, longhorns, map of texas, mavericks, mocking bird, paintings, prints, red river, rio grande, rockets, sharon cummings, spurs, state, states, symbol, texan, texas, texas by county, texas map, texas rangers, university of texas, wall maps

Actually they live in Florida, but that doesn’t rhyme. 😉  I have been to Texas a few times during the Winter months.  I thought I might find love there, but It was just cold and brown.  While I am working on some maps, I decided that this one should definitely be colorful!  I’ve been seeing a lot of map wall art lately.  People love them because they are traditional and add a touch of sophistication to any room.  Abstract art on the other hand can be a bit scary for a lot of people.  I’ve combined the traditional with the modern to create a map that anyone can hang and enjoy. 🙂

Here are some interesting facts about this big state:

1. Texas is popularly known as The Lone Star State.
2. The Alamo is located in San Antonio. It is where Texas defenders fell to Mexican General Santa Anna and the phrase Remember the Alamo originated. The Alamo is considered the cradle of Texas liberty and the state’s most popular historic site.
3. The lightning whelk is the official state shell.
4. Texas is the only state to have the flags of 6 different nations fly over it. They are: Spain, France, Mexico, Republic of Texas, Confederate States, and the United States.
5. Although six flags have flown over Texas, there have been eight changes of government: Spanish 1519-1685, French 1685-1690, Spanish 1690-1821, Mexican 1821-1836, Republic of Texas 1836-1845, United States 1845-1861, Confederate States 1861-1865, United States 1865-present
6. The King Ranch in Texas is bigger than the state of Rhode Island.
7. During the period of July 24-26, 1979, the Tropical Storm Claudette brought 45 inches of rain to an area near Alvin, Texas, contributing to more than $600 million in damages. Claudette produced the United States 24 hour rainfall record of 43 inches.
8. More wool comes from the state of Texas than any other state in the United States.
9. Edwards Plateau in west central Texas is the top sheep growing area in the country.
10. Texas is the only state to enter the United States by treaty instead of territorial annexation.
11. The state was an independent nation from 1836 to 1845.
12. Texas boasts the nation’s largest herd of whitetail deer.
13. A coastal live oak located near Fulton is the oldest tree in the state. The tree has an estimated age of more than 1,500 years.
14. Sam Houston, arguably the most famous Texan, was actually born in Virginia. Houston served as governor of Tennessee before coming to Texas.
15. Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.

My Cup Runneth Over…

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abstract, abstract art, abstract painting, abundance, art, bible, bible verse, bright, color, colorful, colorful abstract, Colorful Art, colors, contemporary, cup, gratitude, green, interior design, modern, my cup runneth over, painting, primary, primary colors, psalm, psalms, sharon cummings, vibrant, wall art, wall decor

“My Cup Runneth Over” is a quotation from the Hebrew Bible^[1] (Psalm 23:5) and means “I have more than enough for my needs”.  As I spent a good part of this week painting a bathroom instead of canvas, this sentiment could not have been more true.  My husband and I worked the remodel project ourselves and it gave us a lot of time to talk.  William spent a few year living in Southeast Asia on a small island in Indonesia.  Modern plumbing was scarce and the average American potty would seem like opulent luxury to those poor people.  I am thankful for all that I have including indoor plumbing.  We have two rest rooms…..more than enough for our needs…..indeed.  My cup runneth over…..

For The Birds…

Tags

animals, aquariums, art, bird, bird watcher, bird watching, birds, blue heron, egret, egrets, florida, great blue heron, heron, herons, interior design, licensing, licensing art, museums, natural, nature, pelican, pelicans, pop art bird, sharon cummings, tropical birds, tropical decor, tropical painting, tropical print, wall art, wild life, wildlife, zoos

 

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/big-bill-pelican-art-by-sharon-cummings-sharon-cummings.html

I got a call on Friday while my husband and I were on a photo shoot in St. Petersburg, Florida.  We were capturing images of the beautiful birds that call our state home.  Pelicans and blue herons mostly.  The call was timely as it came from one of my licensing agents who had just completed a trade show in Atlanta, Georgia.  Her voice was hoarse and weak from all of the talking she had to endure, but she couldn’t wait to give me the news.  They had taken a handful of my animal pieces for display and got a tremendous response from buying agents for zoos, aquariums and museums from around the country.  I was specifically excited to hear that the San Diego Zoo was interested in my work!  More animals she says…….and that is exactly what I was working on! Serendipity is definitely “for the birds”. 🙂

 

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/the-great-one-blue-heron-by-sharon-cummings-sharon-cummings.html

Getting WET…

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art, boutique, building, business, buy, buyer, cafe, canvas, cattleya, cattleya orchid, construction, contractor, corporate, corsage, corsage orchid, decor, decorative, floral, flower, flowers, flowery, framed, garden, gift, greenhouse, home, homes, horticulture, hotel, house, interior design, interior designer, macro, macro photography botanical, office, orchid, orchids, paintings, photo, photograph, photography, prints, purple, rain, rainy, resort, selby gardens, sharon cummings, spa, vanda, wall art, wall hangings

 

As a painter, I am no stranger to getting wet.  For years I’ve had acrylic splattered, dripped, sprayed and poured onto me.  And sometimes I just stick my hands right into it.  I am finding that photography is also keeping me damp.  I live in Florida where it is humid and hot most of the year.  Right now it is quite chilly at 35 degrees, but last week at Selby Gardens there was one place that was warm and quite drippy.  They have a huge greenhouse there with the most beautiful and exotic plants you can image.  My group of friends were awestruck as we walked around the lush interior.  While we separated ourselves I found this small glassed off area that was all green inside except for one lone orchid.  The condensation formed on the glass in front of it and it reminded me of a rainy day in the tropics….

Pillow Fight!!

Tags

abstract art, animals, art, Artist, ASID, butterflies, butterfly, buy art, buy pillows, cants, colorful, contemporary art, decor, decorating, decorative pillows, design, designers, Fine Art, home decor, home decorating, interior design, interior designers, modern art, mosaic, mosaics, pillow, pillows, pillows for sale, sharon cummings, throw pillows

 

Ok maybe it’s not a fight, but I do have an awful lot of pillows. 🙂  I’ve been working really hard to make my artwork available in more ways.  I am working with an art agency who is marketing my work to major stores and restaurants right now.  You can find me in Spencer’s and College Bookstores.  But you can also get my work on pillows, cell phone cases, etc.  These are pieces of art in themselves and can be a focal point in your bedroom, living room or how bout your house boat?  The possibilities are endless.  

 

See MORE pillows here:

http://society6.com/SharonCummings/pillows

My Houzz is Your Houzz

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abstract art, art, Artist, ASID, decor, decorating, designers, faabest, home, home decor, homes, houzz, houzz.com, interior decorating, interior design, interior designers, interiors, professionals, sharon cummings, upscale, wall art

Sharon Cummings Featured on Houzz

Today I am focusing on getting my Houzz profile all finished.  I discovered this amazing site a week ago.  My art looks fantastic here and I have found designers that I have worked with in the past.  I can add their photos that feature my art into one of my idea books.  This is really cool!  It is exciting for me to find one of my paintings in a beautifully designed room.  It’s how I picture them in my head when I ship them out.  Right now I am asking collectors to send me crisp clear images of my art in their decor for inclusion on Houzz.  I have also asked a few to leave reviews. Another new adventure for me and my art!