Kelly's Artbox at the PWC Kid's Expo

Kelly's Artbox teamed up with Lisa Julia Photography to participate in the Kid's Expo at the Prince William County fairgrounds. Overall it was a great turnout and alot of hard work premoting! I was used to my craft fair approach and had a hard time adjusting to an expo enviornment, but it will hopefully pay off.

Congratulations to Holly Solenberger for winning the raffle for the free name mural! And thank you to everyone who entered.

Custom Breyer- Meet Ike

Ike is a thoroughbred the belongs to Tiffany in Pasadena, California!

I had so much fun airbrushing this fella. I also added metal horseshoes, and he's got a bit of gold sheen to his coat.

Please check out my previous blog about what goes into my model customs HERE

Train Children's Mural- The Process

As a muralist here in Northern Virginia, one of the most frequent things I hear (Besides, "Oh, you're an artist? I can't even draw a stick figure!") is "Oh, it must be easy doing your job! All you do is paint all day..."
An artist's job only looks easy. We do more work than you think. :-) In this post I will discuss the process of a mural I did today for a little boys train themed room.

1. Meeting with the client to view the space, and discuss exactly what they had in mind for the mural. In this case, I had to work on a dark blue wall and the client wanted a "fun, bubbly" mural that wasn't too cartoony, and not too realistic. She had some prints already hung up that she wanted the mural to match with (below). Sometimes, in order to save the client money and me a trip, the client will email me a photo of the room and tell me the desired length for the mural.


2. Preliminary and final sketches. After talking with the client, I make 3-5 sketches of different ideas for the mural. The client then decides which one they like best, and I draw the final sketch. Most times the final is turned into a transparency and used for the actual mural.
3. The mural is turned into a reality! I used colors found in the decor. The paints I use are high quality, fast drying acrylics. I don't varnish the mural unless the client asks, but acylic itself is a sturdy, color-true paint. I also use paint markers for fine lines and details.

Do you have a child's room or nursery you'd like to spruce up? Or an empty space in your home that you just don't know what to do with? Fill it with a mural! I produce high quality murals for affordable rates. Contact me for more info: http://www.kellycampbellartist.com

I serve: Northern Virginia, some parts of Washington DC and Maryland, ashburn, leesburg, manassas, woodbridge, haymarket, clinton, bristow, fairfax, alexandria, arlington, and more.

Most murals can be done in 4-8 hrs. This one was done in 2 hours.
Don't think that just because it goes quickly that it's "easy"! Preparation and travel take time and money too. :-)

This mural is my own copyrighted original design and work and should not be replicated by any other artist.

Airbrushed Breyer Model

I got a new toy....an airbrush gun.

It took a few trys before I finally got the hang of it, but it was well worth the money and time! Take a look at my work in progress. Ike was a dun, but is now sporting a dark bay coat.

I can't tell you how smooth and multifaceted the color is on him! I used a combo of red oxide, black, and burnt umber. I also mixed in a splash of gold paint with the red oxide and umber which really gives him a nice sheen. Not to mention airbrushing has saved me hours of work.

I will paint the little white facial and leg details by hand with acrylic and post final photos soon!

Custom Breyer Model- Spark

Meet Spark!

She is a Quarter Horse who's home is in Weatherford, Texas! I've done a previous model for her owners which won "World Champion" in the PtHA model horse show.
I hope she does just as well.

What goes into my customs?

Minor resculpting, carved hooves ears and nostrils, sanding, logo removal, seam removal, airbrushing, painting details with acrylics, glossing hooves, nostrils, and eyes, and varnishing.
This little gal even has realistic metal horseshoes!
Lots of love and work goes into each model, but I love doing it! To see more of my customs, please visit my website at: http://www.kellycampbellartist.com/custombreyer.html

Get your own custom model horse for $65-100!

Beach Window Sash

Remember that work in progress? Well here is the finished piece.

You can purchase this gorgeous oil and acrylic painting at my studio, Kelly's Artbox, on Mill St. in Occoquan for $98

it's painted on an antique window sash from Albany, NY.

Don't you just love the Adirondack chair?

Want a custom window sash to match your home decor? No problem! Just contact me for info and pricing :-)

Work in Progress

Here's a window sash I got from Albany salvage that I decided to start painting a beach scene on.

It's acrylic with oil accents.

Some challenges I am facing is the acylic comes off the glass easily when wet!