Beach Textures

 "Ocean Trip"

After my daily post-work swim at the beach near my house, I often like to take photos of beach textures and digitally enhance them to sell as prints and to just enjoy! The textures really lend themselves to abstract art and it allows me to see ordinary things in a new and different way. Buy prints here: http://fineartamerica.com/featured/ocean-trip-erika-swartzkopf.html

 This one above is called "Beach Collage", it's my favorite because it really becomes another entity when the colors are changes. Prints available here: http://fineartamerica.com/featured/beach-collage-erika-swartzkopf.html

This one is called "Natatorium View" and prints are available here: http://fineartamerica.com/featured/natatorium-view-erika-swartzkopf.html

A Conversation~

"It's impossible", said Pride

"It's Risky", said Experience

"It's Pointless", said Reason

"Give it a try", whispered the Heart

"Please!", cried the Soul

*And then the Heart learned (again) that Reason, Pride and Experience are quite often right. But the Heart, she never listens and is often done broke* 

"Forge Ahead", said the Spirit

"Listen to the Heart", said Intuition, "It never lies!"

"Don't Look Back", said Wisdom

"Try it, you got nothin' to lose", said Inspiration

"And always do it with the best of intentions", said Aloha

Pink Psychedelic Waterfalls in Hana, Maui

 A waterfall in Hana, Maui that we visited last year on the isle of Maui. Hana is so incredibly beautiful, it's a really windy road and you have to pull over and stop every ten minutes and check out all the many waterfalls. I recently turned this one into two digital art prints and am selling prints of it here: http://fineartamerica.com/featured/hana-waterfall-explosion-erika-swartzkopf.html  I like how many colors are in the leaves and the water and how it makes it look magical.  I think it would look really COOL as a large print, you can order as big as 22.5" x 30"~ Aloha!

Buy a print here: http://fineartamerica.com/featured/pink-hana-waterfall-trip-erika-swartzkopf.html?newartwork=true

A Recent Commission!

A recent Commission: "Solid Gold Dancing Mangos"

A friend wanted something for her recently renovated kitchen and really liked a mini-painting of mangos that I had done previously but it was too small, so I decided to make a larger version of it for her.  I did the mangos first in three different colors, then the gold background with water-based acrylic paint and the black outlines were last. The picture doesn't really show how absolutely shiny the gold background is.  I like how free-flowing the mangos are, dancing to their own music and enjoying life!  Needless to say, she loved it~ aloha!

Buy a print here: http://erika-swartzkopf.artistwebsites.com

Best Kaimana Beach Ocean Shots

I go swimming almost every day at a beach here on the island of Oahu called Kaimana Beach (also known as Sans Souci Beach). It's just a short walk from my house, and snorkeling in the ocean lets me decompress from my workday and check out what's going on underwater. This post is about what's going on above the water, and the golden light that bathes everything at sunset and creates magic:

 Here is some of my digital art (above), this one is called "Electric Blue Kaimana" ~ I love how the blues blend and the waves are tipped in light-blue. I've put this print on shoes and shirts over at my zazzle store: http://zazzle/swartzko and sell prints, gyclees and greeting cards of it here: http://erika-swartzkopf.artistwebsites.com

 The picture above is called, simply, "Kaimana Beach". To me, this is the quintessential Kaimana picture, perfect beach and ocean ~ prints available

 Love this shot with the sunset shining through the dinner cruise ship. Sunsets here can be explosive! Prints available: http://erika-swartzkopf.artistwebsites.com

 I was snorkeling one day and suddenly came across an outrigger canoe race, how lucky!  Enhanced the water purple and it became instantly magical! Prints available here: http://erika-swartzkopf.artistwebsites.com

 I love the clouds in this one (above), and the blue-green water actually IS that color, hard to believe, huh? Prints available here: http://erika-swartzkopf.artistwebsites.com

I love how the green of Diamond Head crater reflects in the water in this one (above) and how the reflection of the buildings suddenly becomes abstract in the water. prints available here: http://erika-swartzkopf.artistwebsites.com

Buildings appear wavy and abstract when reflected in the ocean (above)

 This is the wind sock that I swim to, it's a daily constitution and expecially nice in the winter and spring, when Diamond Head is really green~ Prints available here: http://erika-swartzkopf.artistwebsites.com

The natatorium is an ocean-front salt water swimming pool built as a memorial to World War I. It closed in the late 1970s due to safety concerns but remains today next to Kaimana Beach. The city doesn't have the money to either demolish or fix it up. My husband remembers swimming there in the 70s~

The golden light in the ocean bounces off and bathes everything in a fabulous glow! Lucky I live Hawaii ;)Prints available here through Fine Art America: http://erika-swartzkopf.artistwebsites.com

Spring Jewelry from Psychedelic Waterfall on Etsy!

"Green Queen Beach Glass Necklace" is made with predominantly green glass and stone beads, shells and a light green beach glass pendant and is strung on clear, plastic cord, a scene stealer of a fabulous necklace $30 plus shipping~ available here in my etsy store. http://www.etsy.com/listing/72666290/green-queen-beachglass-necklace?ref=pr_shop
SOLD!

 "Pink Elegance Beaded Necklace" A, elegant, dream of a long necklace: Jobes Tears, faux pearls, stone and glass beads and shells strung on a clear, plastic cord with a crystal, triangular pendant in the middle in predominantly pink tones, a statement piece $30 plus shipping in my Etsy Store called "Psychedelic Waterfall".
http://www.etsy.com/listing/72668750/pink-elegance-beaded-necklace?ref=pr_shop

"Swirly, White Seaglass Pendant" is in my Etsy store, too: http://www.etsy.com/people/PsychedelicWaterfall?ref=si_pr
I used copper-core, silver wire and the blue, silk necklace to showcase this large piece of seaglass: http://www.etsy.com/listing/72667623/swirly-white-seaglass-pendant?ref=pr_shop

"

 "Fabulous, Green Seaglass Pendant" is light-green and one of the smaller pieces in the collection, securely wrapped with copper-core silver wire and comes with a blue, silk cord. $22  
http://www.etsy.com/listing/72667052/fabulous-green-seaglass-pendant?ref=pr_shop

"Beach Dreaming" small white pendant, wrapped in silver wire on a blue, silk cord $22 available on Etsy:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/72666034/beach-dreaming-small-white-pendant?ref=pr_shop 

The 7 Lost paintings: "Psychedelic Underwater Make-Believe Mini-Garden " series

 So, I was cleaning out my closets last week and SURPRISE! I stumbled upon 7 forgotten paintings from three years ago - a much bolder period in my art. I got to work and added little touches and underwater backgrounds to them and now they look better than ever!  I have them listed as prints in my Fine Art America store: http://erika-swartzkopf.artistwebsites.com/ and they are also available as originals. Email me here if you are interested in buying an original: swartzkopf@yahoo.com  Sometimes it pays to clean out your closets, yo never know when a treasure is lurking there!

The one one the left is called "Feather Spacebird"

The painting on the left is called "Hawaiian Warrior Mask", to me it evokes the feeling and strength of a Hawaiian Warrior mask, both bold and powerful and noble.

The painting above is called "Psychedelic Angel" - an angel form in repose, underwater, bold and beautiful, floating or swimming through the ocean~ Again, the original is available for purchase.

 The painting above is called "Psychedelic Ocean" ~ To me it captures the movement and motion of the Pacific ocean. forms suggesting seaweed and sea creatures, float and swim peacefully. The original is available for purchase, contact me at swartzkopf@yahoo.com

The one above is titled: "Underwater Octopus" ~ an octopus form swims in a psychedelic sea of movement. Original available.

 The painting above is titled: "Underwater Psychedelic Bird" ~ A bird form swims in a sea of motion. The original is available currently.



The painting above is called: "Underwater Space Creature" ~ a space creature form inhabits the bottom of the ocean and incorporates the motion of the ocean! This original is also available, contact me if interested. Aloha!