A Big Shop Announcement

I've been debating over whether I want to reopen the shop, deciding how to balance all of my interests without falling prey to the need to constantly update the shop and maintain competitiveness of mainstream consumerism. (Anyone else feel like etsy no longer sets an independent pace but pushes shop keepers to stay ahead of the retail curve?) I don't have the drive to make items based on holiday themes, nor do I have the time.

All rants aside, when the shop reopens, I'm going to have a different structure and a different process: I will just offer 1 print at a time in very limited editions. The paper, the size and the time of availability will vary, but my goal is to have a new design every 2 months. If an edition doesn't sell out, I'll still pull it from the shop.

It's a way for me to keep pushing myself, stay outside that retail rush, and feel passionate about my product.

This print is nearly finished, and will be the first available in a 16 x 22" poster as an edition of 10 ($75). Smaller prints (8 x 10", edition of 20, $30) will be available through the fine retailers that carry Wolfie and the Sneak wares.

Calendar Giveaway!

I'd planned to do a post on Cursive Design and some other favorites of mine, but yesterday was an explosion of gettin' stuff done, so I have a lot of my own stuff to show. So Monday we'll drool over the colorful jewelry Sarah makes. Drooling is better suited for a Monday anyway, right?

Are you familiar with While She Naps? That was totally me yesterday: baby slung on my shoulder, deep in baby-sleep while I printed, scanned, colored and photoshopped away. For 2 solid hours I was doing the creativity hustle, and what do I have to show for it? The Winter Poster {and print, although I don't have that graphic on the site yet}!

I also begged Hi-C to get a shot of the calendar and he kindly obliged. Look at that--the 2011 calendar on a one-of-a-kind kindling shelf!

I know I'm whoring out the links left and right, but I'm pretty proud of how the shop is shaping up, so I want people to look at it!


And if you've made it past all the bragging excitement, I have a contest going! Vote for your favorite month's illustration {there are no right or wrong answers} for a chance to win one of our 2011 calendars! We're giving 3 away after the contest closes Wednesday, October 27.
Go now and Vote!

{PS--If you've had trouble opening the link, this link is the same survey.}

Oh 2011!

Here are couple more images for you! January in full white stag glory amidst a field of snow drops and pale Lenten roses. December full of nature's feasts for the critters outside, boughs of holly, slivers of silvery paper birch, and rosemary wafting room to room as dinner slowly roasts in the kitchen.

Oh 2011!

What do you see in the not-too-distant future?



{In 2 days the calendars will go up to full price. Hint, hint.}

New Sneak Peek and a New Look

Pardon the wonkiness of the blog while I tweak and snip and nudge and generally rearrange things. Ultimately the blog, home page and store will be integrated into a seamless Wolfie and the Sneak experience. Until then please be patient.

In the meantime, I present October {above} and a view of the full layout. I'd intended to have a photo of the calendar on display so you can get an idea of what yours will look like, but . . . the weather was perfect for playing outside all weekend.

Calendar Unveiling Part III

And we'll just skip on down to September. Shall we? Feathers falling in a rainbow of autumn hues, I started to wonder what the world would look like if trees had feathers and birds had leaves. What if feathers photosynthesized?
If I really thought about it long enough, I'd think it through to the point that the hypothetical me in feather-filled tree world would probably wonder what trees would look like if they had leaves and birds had feathers.

Now for the sales pitch--don't forget, the price goes up once the calendar is fully unveiled (that's 9 days away!) so get yours while the gettin's good!

And so we begin, the calendar unveiling! It's our 5th year putting out a calendar, and this years version is a return to the style of the first year: restrained palettes and pattern heavy line drawings with maximum use of negative space. It's been a nice, personal challenge and I think you're really going to like it.
What do you think? Are you even ready to think about a 2011 calendar yet?

For the first time in recent history I stayed up late making art. all. weekend. long. Finished some pieces and didn't like them, so I started over.

Ditto for Hi-C. He finished his part of the newest collaboration with Jess G--a triptych! Guys, mine is coming, I promise.

And there is a top secret (well, not so top secret: clue # 1, clue # 2) project in the works. It's rad fo shiz, so keep your eyes and ears open for more info in the near future. In the mean time I gotta get some work done. . . zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Happy Monday!

One more month to gander. . .

Poppytalk has Will Bryant guest blogging this week.
Modish Jena is starting a new series on crafty marketing.

. . .and that's all I can think of for the time being!
How's your Summer turning out? Ready for Fall?

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming. ..

A little bit about the new stuff in shop land, I hope you don't mind!

Only 13 Calendars left! Wow! I wonder if I'll sell out before December?
Well, technically I can't because I put 10 aside to sell in Boston, but I wonder how quickly the last 13 will go! I'm amazed!

I've added some gift wrap to the shop, though I did it just to do it. I like pretty packages, but think you can get the same, exciting-looking gift wrap by using magazine pages. Hm, sounds like I'm undermining myself, but just putting the ideas out there into cyberspace!
And a new painting (plus limited edition print!)
I know it's bad to say, but I love this one, especially with it all framed and matted.

Visit the shop, if you get a hankerin'!

{making monday wonderful}

Altruism in the Morning

Sia Grafica (especially loved seeing the interview with Erin Lang Norris of Yellow Canoe)

Jill Bliss and Saelee Oh have made the most beautiful calendar, available via Little Paper Planes.

Sometimes funny, sometimes brilliant shameless self promotion.

Which is a great lead in for my own shameless self promotion:
The calendars are designed and printed and I've got 40 left of the 100!

If you want to support 2 indie shops at once, you can order your calendar through both Modishoppe and the IndieFixx Shop, both places are terrific resources for buying outside the box, so at each place, you're helping the shop keeper as well as Wolfie and the Sneak. Buying from indie shops is like a terrific back rub for your ethos!

eye candy instead of door to door begging for sweets

I don't have any scary stories to share, but Happy Halloween folks!
We never really celebrated Halloween, well we did until I was about 5 or 6, after that the tradition was to go to a French bakery up the street and we each got to pick out a pastry (probably the few times in my life I've had eclairs!) instead of knocking on neighbor's doors filling a bag full of candy.

My other memory of Halloween is from several years ago, going to a party (not dressed up. . . despite any creativity I have, I never can come up with a good costume. Perhaps due to the lack of childhood Halloween reverie?) and seeing a friend and her fiance there together. She was dressed up as a suicidal bride. He didn't seem to get the hint.

I apologize for the lack of spirit (pun intended)! And, well, aside from working today, the news is quite limited. The calendars will be shipping tomorrow, though! Once they start shipping, the cost will be $30, which is still quite a bargain for 12 limited edition prints, if you don't mind me saying!

Also, 3 days until the Handmade Market. If you are within driving distance and you don't go, you should be ashamed. Not only did I have a blast at their spring show, the work was irresistibly good, and I have a feeling this time will be no different.

{misc}

Just in case you haven't heard (I'm not sure that's possible, though) the poppytalkhandmade market is live as of this morning. I'm in gallery 67 if you want to check it out! Most of you already know what my work is like, though, so I strongly urge you to check out the work there. It blew me away and simultaneously flattered me that I could be a part of such an incredible group of artists and craftpersons.

This print, by Birdie1973, is both adorable and affordable: $20!

Since one of this blogs namesakes is my full-grown puppy, Wolfgang, I feel it would be wrong not to mention Trisha Comb's new shop: Bill Pickles Dog Co.

They sound delicious enough for people to eat (yogurt and carob?!?! YUM!) and the packaging is beautiful! I say, it's about time the canine world had something that tastes good with good design taste!I have serious amounts of pics to upload, but between preparing for shows and, well, preparing for shows, my time has been limited. The house is still on hold, and the mister is being quite patient as I whirl like a creative hurricane through each room, making, making and making more, leaving markers, frayed remnants of fabric, and minuscule paper bits in my path.

I do have (insert drum roll) a sneak peak of the 2008 calendar, though! I'm very excited, so check it out! They are now available for preorder, get on the list today!!

Etsy Update

I spent a great deal of my sick time drawing, and have decided to sell some of the new ones on etsy. Also, I'm posting the original drawings for the calendar up for a pretty good price (if I do say so myself!), so check 'em out and see whatcha think!
There are month sets, which I previously mentioned I wasn't selling the calendars, but I have decided to offer this set as an alternative. They are the monthly images, signed and dated in a very small, limited edition run of 10. I imagine they would be very cute framed as a group, but come with a single 5 x 5 clip frame for changing out on a monthly basis, if desired!

More images and drawings posted to etsy very soon.

These sets are $18.00 for all 12, including $2 priority shipping within the US and Canada!
The originals are also for sale, as just the image, they are all under 8 x 10 inches (see etsy for actual dimensions) and are $30 each. They are original drawings by me on archival heavy stock paper with fade and water resistant inks.
As always, blog readers get a 30% discount, so email me before paying, I'll send you an invoice for 'em with the even better price!

June and July

Well, folks, 2 more months to post after these, and those 2 will go up tonight! What a fun process this has been for me, and now I get to do all the tedious assembly work and then the (very fun!) wrapping and giving part!

I really dislike the process of finding "suitable" yet meaningless gifts. This year I've made some things, but still feel like I need some other things to add to the homemade goodies. Part of that is my own insecurities of my work, but part of it is that I want to show how much friends and family mean to me. I still haven't reconciled the tradition of spending money and the original thoughtfulness and symbolism of the holidays.

I have been thinking about the calendar pages and I have decided to offer readers the pages as emailed JPEGs if you would like them without the small print at the bottom. Just send an email request to renee [dot] garner [at] gmail [dot] com (without, of course, the spaces and brackets and the dots and at as symbols). I'll be glad to send em, it might be just me, but I feel like the type at the bottom detracts a little bit. I just didn't want people on flickr to steal my images.

However, after the chaos of the holidays subside, HeatherJeany and I are going to collaborate on some Gocco prints! I love looking forward to artful projects, and can't wait to see what happens when we merge our styles and ideas!

January and December

After this only four more months to post, folks! I've surprised myself with the attention span I've used to get these done, in between free lance design jobs and general life, simply because I don't have much of an attention span. But it's really great to get back into drawing and art making, and it feels right, sometimes it can be a big struggle to force myself through creative blocks making awkward pieces and wondering where the good stuff is and if I'll ever tap into it again. This is all thanks in part to the amazing, creative, supportive, and inspiring great big blog world out there!
(I don't think the December drawing is too hot, but Charlie liked it. If I have time, I'll do another. January, however, is my favorite so far!)

April, May and November

A couple more months ready for ya!

And if you're out there printing these out, I'd love to hear from you!

Even if not, I'd love to hear some input! Do you want more freebies like this or should I just stick with the house stuff (which is being ignored while I finish my Chrismas preparations.)

Gifts for Everyone!!

Between the baking, crafting, art making, and minimal gift buying I am behind. Oh, and that didn't even consider the 3 consecutive nights of Holiday Parties. As my local friends know, I am not an outwardly social person, so not only does the late bedtime set me back but the events themselves are draining. Of course, that doesn't mean they're not fun, they just have their wear on me.
This morning someone could swing like Tarzan from the bags under my eyes, and that's only after the first night of said parties.
All whining aside, I'm taking the easy way out and the next couple days I'll be posting printable calendar images, though not in order. They are 8 1/2 x 11, so normal printer size, though chances are good that if we speak on a regular basis you will be receiving one for Christmas, so don't print one. Just click on the month you want to print and it will take you to the large version of the image on flickr. I'm not too sure if you can print directly from there or if you have to save it to your computer, but you Sorry to ruin the surprise. I think I need a vat of coffee.


I linked the calendar pages to the "large" size in flickr. This is adequate for printing, however if you download to print and have a fast enough computer to not take ages to download, the "original" size is a much higher quality resolution and image.