Arden Ellen Nixon posts
Posts: 0
Files: 0
A New Year = A "New" Studio Closet!
It all began with a lost Christmas present. It's tradition that all presents (that aren't for me, obviously) are kept in my studio, specifically my studio storage closet. However, this past crazy year it became a pile of "This sort of fits here, and I don't have time/brain power to think of a better place." Cue me wrapping our families' presents for shipping and being unable to find one because I hadn't put it in the clearly marked "PRESENTS" tote like I normally do. Add in a lost/rediscovered birthday p...
2025 = Weird (Updated)
UPDATE: Autocorrect did me dirty regarding the spelling of artist Graye Muir-Lewis' name. My sincerest apologies for not catching it before publishing, but it's corrected now!It wasn't a bad year, per say; nor was it a good year. More than anything, it was a year of, "Oh, this, too? Okay, here's trying" and muddling through to the best of my ability. Said ability was surprisingly effective more often than not, but I certainly hope to require my Responsible Adult Hat (TM) far less in 2026!2025 saw so much giving. I se...
On the other side, at last!
Whew! What a week. First there was Nerdmas with its crazy schedule--6 AM set up, 10 AM - 6 pm hours, then tear down--then the holidays! I say holidays, plural, because my husband's birthday was also this weekend. Given his medical history and the fact he's still here, we tend to make it a big to-do!Nerdmas in a nutshell: Exhausting, but amazing. I beat last year's total by a substantial margin and had the joy of trading with my fellow vendors as we admired each other's wares. New vendor friends were made; old vendor frien...
2026?!
It's hard to believe it's new calendar time again, but here we somehow are!I've spent the month juggling commissions, my hands, and finalizing the designs and month order for my 2026 calendars. This/next year's theme is "Arden Nouveau." This calendar includes many pieces that seldom see the light of day because their unusual dimensions make them a bear to print and present for shows (I try to avoid custom cutting mats), as well as many of my extremely rare watercolors. I worked in watercolors regularly for several yea...
Art = Bathroom?
Just because my hands couldn't do detail work this summer doesn't mean I wasn't busy! The culmination of several side projects will take place this coming weekend, when the tub/shower area of our bathroom is redone. Our household doesn't want anything fancy, just a tub that actually fits an adult. ;PWhen it hurt too much to hold a detail brush, I could still work a paint roller and /or a foam brush. This means I've:Been drawing up plans for our contractor....Painting baseboards and wood panels to be installed...And painting ...
KZUM 2025 Official Reveal!
It's that time of year again! Lincoln's own independent radio station KZUM is offering shirts in exchange for donations--contact Deb Andersen https://www.facebook.com/dandersen16 if interested!This year's design is a doozy, if I do say so myself. ;PI try to switch things up every year, and I felt I've done headphones and boomboxes enough in this series. A gramophone proved just the thing to make my fox jump!2026's design is already stewing thanks to a fantastic suggestion from my husband. Here's hoping for patience, thou...
PAINTING!!!!
Guess what?! MY HANDS WORKED YESTERDAY!!! ALL THE CAPS!!!!I still need to let it dry overnight so I can safely erase the last of the pencil marks and scan it. That said, you've all been so patient and supportive that I couldn't wait to share this with you! A proper promotional post featuring all the KZUM designs and this in its final, scanned form will be forthcoming.I PAINTED!!!
What A Month!
I had SO MUCH painting time blocked off in my planner. My hands felt better, and I was desperate to catch up on, well, everything!Then came August 9th.A severe thunderstorm with 86 mph winds ripped through our town. Cue nearly two days without power, an intense initial clean up, and nearly two weeks of related efforts. Our castle thankfully survived unscathed, for which I am forever grateful; our yard and trees, however, were trashed. The two trees in front of the house broke in half VERTICALLY (!), with the fallen sections just one foot shy of...
My Hands
My hands won't work. For weeks now, it's felt like I've had glass shards in my joints. Making a full fist has been right out. Pain patches, compression gloves, over the counter medications and balms, all my regular tricks, are barely touching the pain. House projects have been knocked out--I can at least hold a paint roller or an electric drill--but that's not what I'm meant to do, need to do, am here to do. I've been trying to paint, but the pain. I've been trying to distract myself with being productive in o...
Waste Not!
Friends and family visited consecutive weeks; my husband's car went out on the side of the road with a plume of smoke from the engine (he's fine!!! Just understandably sad about his ride); related, we're car shopping; and I'm waiting to hear back from a client re: their approval of my sketch for their commission. In short, life happens with a vengeance! Painting updates will resume next week. Meanwhile, please enjoy this glimpse into the ways of my studio!Frugality is a tool just like a paint brush or a favorite pencil. I've...
A Frame for Frenchie
Er, I mean, "Carpe Diem." I'm allowed to refer to my own paintings by their first names where applicable, right? :P$2 Goodwill frame, ahoy!I've had this beauty in my stash for a few years now. The wide, wooden frame begged to be painted to match its destined contents, once I knew what they were.First comes a wipe down with a no-brand Clorox wipe and my first attempt at removing the price sticker. It's a good thing this frame required sanding, anyway, as that sticker was determined!I use a fine grit for frame sanding, followe...
Painting Reveal, At Last!
Apologies for being such a ghost, friends, but someone (ahem) did something deeply dumb regarding her hands...... namely trying a new brand of pain patch,* which did not go well. Note to self: Tiger Balm brand is too strong for my sensitive skin!!!** This is the best my hands have looked in a week. I didn't take photos of them at their grossest and most swollen and scaly, as that was just upsetting. TL;DR, I've not been able to do much comfortably, including catching up online!*When my hands are stiff, a menthol pain patch across the ba...
The Story of Frenchie
During the pandemic, I essentially lived at the largest cemetery nearby, enjoying long daily hikes. It was honestly a magical time. The animal residents rejoiced in the lack of people and were at their most playful and fearless--the foxes grew outright dismissive of the rare human presence!So peaceful was it in that, in 2021, a pregnant doe decided the cemetery was the perfect place to birth and raise her fawn. The doe, alas, fell victim to one of the busy streets on either side of the cemetery, but her fawn grew to adulthood within its shelter...
Paintings, Ahoy!
Believe it or not, I actually PAINTED something that wasn't/isn't a secret!Last time, I shared with you the start of a 5 x 7"-ish papyrus painting meant to fit an unusual frame size. I realized I had never painted a fox skull, so I figured why not?The black tiger lilies are thanks to my anticipation for our black tiger lilies, which are roughly a month away from blooming. The frame in question is a gorgeous, heavy beast picked up at Goodwill for $1.99. Shipping is out of the question for this brick house, but I'm happy to delive...
Secrecy!
SECRETI recently took part in a project involving a community building. Since said project will be completed with the assistance of highschool art students, I don't feel comfortable sharing the piece in question. I don't want to doxx minors, and this was always a volunteer, community "giving back" project, not a "LOOK AT ME!!!" affair. I even instructed the persons in charge to not tag me in posts or credit me in anyway in print. However, it did account for 24 hours/four days of painting time--to say nothing of recovery ...
Forever Home Catch Up!
I've a looooong post written for tomorrow, but I'm short on a few images for it. While I take the necessary photos, enjoy this belated piece in the meanwhile!Goodness me, life has been so everywhere that I'm behind on posting/celebrating paintings that have found their forever homes! This list comprises half a year's worth of art--yes, I'm that far behind!--in no particular order. I'm probably forgetting someone, in point of fact! "Persephone"12 x 24"Acrylic on canvas"Kitsune Coffee Co."9 x 12"...
Book Cover Reveal!
The bad news: The cover was not accepted. Ah, well, I got paid for my time.The good news: At least I can still share it with you fine folks!The cover was to be for a book of poetry from an Indian author and thus features Nepalese bees, a Himalayan horse, and rhododendrons. One of the poems combined all of the above, and so I attempted to do the same.I had a tight deadline to meet, so I kept the color scheme minimal to speed things up.The finished piece. There were actually several more requested changes after this, but this is my preferred vers...
Emergency Mystery Commission!
Two weeks ago, I was contacted by an old classmate who has become a professional writer. They were in a bind (ha!) for the cover of their new book--could I help? Cue multiple sketches back and forth and a monster painting marathon where I did unspeakable things to my hand to meet the tight deadline. The irony is, I still don't know if the publisher approved my cover, either! :P The author paid me for my time, so it's a question of waiting to see if I'm paid for the rights, too.That also means I'm not at liberty to show or say mu...
Con Rituals
(Drafted last week, FYI!)I started doing conventions over a decade (!!!!!) ago. In that time, I've constantly tweaked and refined my routine; made and corrected mistakes; and am dead-set on certain pre-con rituals. An exhaustive list of my habits would be nigh impossible, but these are the "greatest hits" that leap first to mind.Washing and vacuuming my vehicleBe the con five minutes or five hours away from home, this rite never changes. My cars, in order: Darwin the Magnificent $700 minivan (6 years), Karl the red Ford Escort wagon...
Post Snafu and Con Recovery
The previous post was supposed to be schedule for AFTERall my cons, in April, when I'd actually have a chance to work on the painting project discussed therein. Apparently my con-addled brain confused May for March when scheduling it! Since I was busy with ConStellation, I only just checked in to realize my error. Again, my apologies now and in the future, when I detail that project for real/as intended!As for ConStellation, it was amazing. In memoriam Artist Guest of Honor Graye Muir-Lewis had an amazing turn out and sold allof their show ...
If at first you don't find what you want...
... make it!I present to you: Our future medicine cabinet!I know it lookslike a humble shadow box from Michael's, but soon it will attain its true form!Part of my distracting myself from the world includes working on bits and pieces of our fall bathroom mini renovation. We'll be replacing the current comically small medicine cabinet with just a mirror ($5 from Goodwill, baby!), which means we'll need a proper cabinet on the adjacent wall. I couldn't find an official medicine cabinet shallow, small, or light enough until I starte...
Return of the Thumb
TA DAAAAAAAAA!!!!Those of you who have been following along since the first of the year will know that I accidentally tore my thumbnail off halfway down in a freak snow shovel accident. Nearly two months later, my thumb is finally ready to face the world again! The edge of the nail bed remains surprisingly sensitive, which is why the white part of the nail had to grow out before unveiling. The surrounding skin is still a bit chapped after two months bandaged but, still, THUMB!!!Ah, memories... not.Studio-wise, I broke my "I'm done no...
Framing For Others
I've assembled a few charity shows through the years. Some required little to no framing for other people; some cleaned out my secondhand stash; and still others fell in between. The frames and my time comprise my donation (along with a print or two), all in the name of throwing some good back into the world.The main wall of 2019's The Art of Pride show. Hello, you beauty!Enter ConStellation 14. It is, in fact, two shows in one to prepare! In addition to my own art, I'm in charge of that for Artist Guest of Honor, Graye Muir-Lewis, ...
A Shirt 15 Years in the Making
As mentioned in a previous post, I'm helping ConStellation 14 with Artist Guest of Honor Graye Muir-Lewis' show. Graye passed away from cancer on December 1st, so it's with the help of their family and friends that this is possible.Graye was with Constellation from the start, designing the VERY first shirt.Graye passed before starting on this year's shirt, so I was asked to step in. I still wanted Graye's work to be the centerpiece, and I felt it only fitting to include their first shirt for the con. "The Year of the Cat...
New Painting Alert: "Serenity"
This painting's last two hours took two weeks thanks to my maimed thumb, but the moment is finally here!"Serenity"10 x 8"Acrylic on canvas boardThe title isn't meant to be ironic with the world at large, I swear. The friend I'm trading with loves the sci-fi series "Serenity" and asked if it could be included somehow, indirectly or otherwise. Since stars didn't fit this lion--the yellow "sparkles" are actually pollen from the flowers--I thought I'd go for the feeling of serenity instead. She loves ...
I mean this sincerely...
Friends, if ever you need to downgrade or suspend your membership, know that you have my complete support and understanding. You never need to apologize to anyone, let alone me, for taking care of yourself. The world is *random, confused gestures* and the sense of "WTF?!" and uncertainty is strong. I know well how much a spare dollar here and there can mean, so if you need it, take it with my full support. Do what you need to take care of you and yours; my art and I will still be here. I have a new painting to share with you, but t...
Of Thumbs and Thumbnails
I'm a bit behind in the studio, thanks to a slight mishap....... in which I tore my right thumbnail off.* Funny how that keeps me from holding a brush for a few days! I'm right-handed, so of course those days have been full of adventure, realizing just how crucial that opposable thumb is.*While taking out the trash, I noticed my husband forgot to put his frost cover on his windshield, so I reached into his car's backseat to get it. Expecting only the cloth window cover, my innocent thumb/nail was jammed into the metal travel snow s...
When A Tub = A Lion
The unofficial studio theme for 2025 may well be "Abandoned Backgrounds Reborn." My first piece for the year, "Found Family," was painted over an abandoned background wash; my second and current piece is being painted on the same; and I've at least one more canvas in background purgatory that I plan on rescuing in the near-ish future.The current piece is a commissioned trade with a con family member who 1) gifted me with over fifty day lilies from her own garden and 2) will also give me the cast iron tub* that came with her ...
New Painting Alert! "Found Family"
2025 is starting off well in the studio, at least!"Found Family"12 x 9"Acrylic on canvasRESERVEDI love this piece so much. Everything materialized even better than I saw it in my mind's eye, and it has exactlythe feeling I wanted: That indescribable mix of relief and amazement when one finds one's people.
The first painting of 2025!
Or at least a teaser, anyway. ;)I had the need to paint something both beautiful and meaningful. I also had a canvas with a background wash already complete from a previous painting idea that I decided against. Let their forces combine!If a picture isn't crooked, did I even take it?The light gray sketching is difficult to see, so you'll have to trust me that a fox and three cardinals are outlined in addition to the shrubbery. Since the shrubbery and snow are in the background, they of course need to come first. Time to channel my inner ...
