Diane Costanza Studio

New Beginnings...

noreply@blogger.com (Diane) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:28:00 +0000

It is a new year, almost a new month and I am beginning a new venture in my artistic life.

After so many years of graphic design experience (26 to be exact! Yikes!), I have decided to begin freelancing my design skills.

I have already begun to list Etsy Shop Sets and Custom Logo Design in my Etsy Shop.

Graphic design has always come second nature to me and I really enjoy the design process and the challenges that come with each new project.

I will be offering my services for a large array of print and digital media, both custom and pre-made:

Etsy Shop graphic sets,
Blog design
Logos
Business cards
Brochures
e-Course book design
Calendars
Invitations
Save the Date
Postcards
etc.
etc.

Is there anything I am missing?

A Little Girl's Victorian Miniature Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Diane) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 16:43:00 +0000

I love the beauty of an old fashioned christmas, and what better way to celebrate Christmas than with a few vintage children's toys under the tree! In 1/12 miniature scale, that is!

Happy Holidays!

A Miniature Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Diane) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:47:00 +0000

Retro Robot!

I haven't created miniatures

in quite some time, so I

decided to have some

fun and share what I've

been working on.

1/12 Scale Miniature Christmas Bells!

Vintage Christmas Lights

Do they bring back

memories for you?

What was your

favorite Christmas

memory growing up?

If you love owls...don't miss this!

noreply@blogger.com (Diane) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 13:00:00 +0000

I love this little guy!

He reacts just like a cat to being pet.

Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy!

This came to me thru Anthologie Magazine .

Picturing Jane Austen!

noreply@blogger.com (Diane) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:32:00 +0000

I just added a new giclee print listing to my Etsy shop!

Jane Austen

This original colored pencil illustration is my likeness of the great author as I have always pictured her. I tried to capture both her intelligence and her romantic heart within her gaze.

Was I successful?

Are You a Vintage Lover?

noreply@blogger.com (Diane) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:32:00 +0000

For all the vintage lovers out there! I do and to celebrate I have added my other Etsy Shop to my FREE SHIPPING Etsy promotion.

Vintage Washboard

Everything in either of my Etsy Shops is shipped to you FREE of charge now until end of day, 11/28, Cyber Monday! The listings are all set up and ready to go so no need to convo me (unless you want to, of course!) to receive the discount.

Vintage Brooch in Brass

Stop by and check out all the lovely vintage items I will be adding daily thru the Holidays. Happy thrifting!

FREE SHIPPING in My Etsy Shop!

noreply@blogger.com (Diane) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 15:47:00 +0000

I am having a FREE SHIPPING Sale on everything in my Etsy Art Shop now through 11/28. Cyber Monday!

A great gift for your own little Princess!

No need for coupon codes or after sale alterations. All my listings are already discounted!

Giclee prints of my original art!

Stop by and take a look around or just etsy convo me for a chat if you'd like. I'd love to hear from you!

Free printie for you!

noreply@blogger.com (Diane) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 16:26:00 +0000

Portrait Series #6 ~ The Reveal!

noreply@blogger.com (Diane) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 21:01:00 +0000

I had to wait until Adrienne actually received the finished
painting before revealing it here, but here she is
in all her vibrant color!

The 36" x 48" gallery canvas will be going on the wall above

Adrienne's stairs, so knowing that it would be placed higher than

eye-level, I left the top third of the canvas open.

In theory, an optical illusion of foreshortening should occur when one

looks up and the top area of the painting would appear much more

shallow than it actually is. To compensate for this foreshortening, I

made the upper area even deeper so in the end it would appear

normal in relation to the primary subjects, Adrienne and her

spider monkey friends.

Want to see how the painting came together?

Check back on my earlier posts where I blogged about my progress.

Portrait Series Post 1

Portrait Series Post 2

Portrait Series Post 3

Great news from my studio!

noreply@blogger.com (Diane) — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 16:13:00 +0000

One of my hand painted handbags has been spotlighted in the newest issue of Haute Handbags published by Stampington & Co.!

click to read article

I am a great fan of the whole line of Stampington titles, from the original Somerset Studio for mixed media artists to Belle Armoire, Jewelry Affaire & Haute Handbags for artists, like myself, that love to create wearable art!

click photo to enlarge

If you are not familiar with these wonderful publications stop over their website or blog and get acquainted; you won’t be sorry!

Little Black Dress!

noreply@blogger.com (Diane) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:25:00 +0000

I have a cousin's wedding coming up in November and thought I would get a head start on finding the perfect cocktail dress, avoiding the usual last minute shopping frenzy I have put myself through before every other special occasion in the past.

I began looking online and after surfing umpteen sites for plus size evening wear, I finally found the perfect little black dress at Igigi, and it was on sale at that! I ordered it this evening.

I love that the shape is simple with only a bit of black lace to dress it up. It leaves plenty of opportunity for accessorizing and a great pair of shoes!

I'll post again another day as I go through the shoe and jewelry shopping that will complete the outfit.

Do you love it?

Portrait Series Post #5

noreply@blogger.com (Diane) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 21:03:00 +0000

There have been many more days working on this painting than posts. It is the most ambitious project I've undertaken so far, but I am happy with my progress thus far.

Below are a few peaks into what I am up to now... I don't want to show too much and spoil the surprise for Adrienne, my most patient recipient!

One beautiful eye.

And Adrienne's beautiful eye!

A monkey, blocked in and ready for details!

More next time!

An Afternoon With Our Founding Father

noreply@blogger.com (Diane) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 00:43:00 +0000

Authors Note: I had prepared the below post about our trip

to Virginia this past weekend when we felt the Richmond, VA.

earthquake tremor all the way up here in NY this afternoon!

Sitting at my desk at work at 1:50 pm this afternoon I thought for

a moment that my vertigo had returned, but it turns out that it

was the earth shaking, not my inner ear!

As soon as I got over my naive, northeasterner's shock,

I immediately tried to contact my friend in VA, whom

we had just left only 48 hours earlier, to make sure she and

her family were okay. No answer at her office.

It took my other friend to intercept the text message

that confirmed that all were well in spite of the scare.

They are fine, just shaken up and wondering how the heck

the California earthquakes they had left behind over a year

ago had followed them back here to the east coast!

¨¨¨°º♥º°¨¨¨¨°º♥º°¨¨¨¨°º♥º°¨¨¨¨°º♥º°¨¨¨¨°º♥º°¨¨¨¨¨°º♥º°¨¨¨¨°º♥º°¨¨¨¨°º♥º°¨¨¨¨°º♥º°¨¨¨¨

In my last post I mentioned that my son and I would be joining

his godmother and her daughter on a road trip to Virginia to stay

with our childhood friend and her family.

It was great seeing them for an extended period of time because

they had lived in CA for eight years and we did not see them often

at all. Now that they are back on the east coast (where all NYers

belong,) we had the opportunity to catch up and reminisce over

our girlhood memories.

When we three actually manage to get together it always feels

like we were never separated, picking up where we last left off.

That is how it should be between life-long friends.

View of Washington's Home on the Potomac

I was quite happy that we were able to make a day trip to Mount

Vernon, home of George and Martha Washington. The three of

us have always loved history and wanted to bring the kids

somewhere educational, as well as fun.

Mount Vernon

I must say that it was extremely hot, though. We were only too

glad that there were several air-conditioned buildings to

escape from the heat when necessary.

Mt. Vernon's Kitchen

The Washington’s mansion was smaller than I had expected,

but beautiful. I took many photos of the outbuildings (no photos

of the mansion’s interior was permitted.) I loved learning how

they cooked, cleaned and entertained themselves.

The views from the back veranda were breathtaking.

Back Veranda of Mt. Vernon Overlooking the Potomac

George and Martha had a wonderful marriage, enduring so

much to make this country what it is today.

All Americans owe these two the greatest amount of gratitude

for what they sacrificed. George could have been a king, but

chose to step aside. Not many men in power would have

done that.

George and Martha Washington

I am now inspired to paint a portrait of George and Martha in

their early years, when their life together was filled with endless

possibility, before they were separated by war and duty.

What are YOU doing this weekend?

noreply@blogger.com (Diane) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 16:48:00 +0000

I am taking a road trip with my son Ignazio's padrina (godmother) to visit our third partner in crime and her family.

We are leaving the husbands home and taking just the kids. It should be an "interesting" 6 hour drive from NY to VA.

It has been some time since I had an opportunity to just get away and I am really looking forward to it, especially our Girl's Night Out tomorrow night when we leave the kids to their Wii games and head out by ourselves. Freedom!

Is your health affecting your business?

noreply@blogger.com (Diane) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 20:52:00 +0000

I’ve been extremely unmotivated lately, and even after a full week off from my 9 to 5 job I managed to not do a single creative thing the entire time, including working on the portrait commission I should have completed months ago! (So sorry Adrienne!)

My business has slumped along with my energy.

I think I am just so burnt out that I cannot find my muse anywhere. In addition to the portrait, I have a million other started projects piling up in my studio (the studio re-vamp unfinished, as well) waiting for me to get to them and share them with the world.

What happened to all my motivation? I believe that I took on so much at once that I have become overwhelmed and it makes me tired to just think about everything I should be doing. So, I have stopped producing anything at all.

Right now, mindless television and my family are my only interests.

You know the saying, “a body at rest stays at rest”?

That is so true.

I took a break after burnout and can’t seem to get back on track. It began with a break from the treadmill back in the winter that has pulled me into a downhill spiral ever since.

At the back of my mind I know that if I just got back on that damned treadmill every morning like I used to, I would feel much better, have energy to spare and have a much more invigorated attitude.

So why don’t I just do that? Why do I find myself hitting the snooze button on my alarm clock? Why can’t I get myself back into a healthy routine when I know perfectly well that it is the answer to everything that is wrong right now?

How do you do to pull yourself out of a slump?

I'll Be Painting Today!

noreply@blogger.com (Diane) — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 15:17:00 +0000

Double Portrait Hand Painted Handbag

I will be spending most of my day painting today (just as soon as I quite obsessively clicking away here online...)

I plan to work on finishing up the portrait from my Portrait Series (check back later this week for the next installment of this series) and I will also be working on some new hand painted handbags.

I had taken some time off from painting as I was burning out and losing my inspiration. I am ready to tackle the paint brush once again.

My Etsy Shop is in need of a few new handbags, and I will be introducing a hand painted tote bag line as well. Those new pieces will be in my Etsy Shop next week.

New Sleeping Beauty Artwork!

noreply@blogger.com (Diane) — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 17:38:00 +0000

I just adore the classic fairy tales!
This is my version of Sleeping Beauty.

The Prince is just about to awaken Beauty with a gentle kiss...

Christmas In July SALE!

noreply@blogger.com (Diane) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:39:00 +0000

I am taking part in the Etsy Community Christmas In July SALE now thru July 24th!

Check out both of my Etsy Shops for great 25% OFF deals

on either unique vintage items or my original artwork!

Just use Coupon Code CIJ07011 at checkout!

Vintage Monet Brooch & Earring Set

Vintage 50s Scarab Brooch

Young Elizabeth Portrait Necklace

Graffitti Upcycled Platforms

On the Cover of a Romance Novel!

noreply@blogger.com (Diane) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 20:54:00 +0000

I was going thru some old back-up cd's and found this

romance novel cover I had made of my husband and I!

What a riot!

I scanned a romance novel cover I had, then superimposed

our faces from a picture in our wedding album, below.

We've been married 21 years and the romance is

still going strong!

Now Offering Custom Pastel Portraits!

noreply@blogger.com (Diane) — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 14:06:00 +0000

New in my Etsy Shop!

Custom pastel portraits

A one-of-a-kind, custom portrait is the perfect gift

for a loved one and will immediately become

a cherished family heirloom.

Peek into the Vintage Shop of VMTEAM Member

noreply@blogger.com (Diane) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:24:00 +0000

My Vintage Etsy Shop has been featured on the Vintage Market Team blog!

Vintage Market Team on Etsy: Let's Peek into the Shops of VMTEAM Members... Cos...: "Looking for vintage supplies and well curated accessories? Look no further than Diane's shop, CostanzaVintageCraft . This Victorian era al..."

Melanie...Just because...

noreply@blogger.com (Diane) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 22:33:00 +0000

The other day, this young lady came from the tip of my pencil

for no other reason than "just because".

Have a happy day!

Portrait Series ~ Days 2 & 3

noreply@blogger.com (Diane) — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 23:42:00 +0000

Continuing in my quest to immortalize Adrienne on
canvas, I blocked in the colors of both the background and
my subject, Adrienne.

I used flat washes of color to indicate the main shapes of the layout.

Don't let the scary eyes worry you, they are temporary as

I was just laying in the shape and whites of the eyes.

The warm brown irises of Adrienne's eyes will follow soon enough.

I worked the face to get the shape and planes of the features as

close to my subject's as possible. I know it will take quite a bit more to

capture a true likeness, but that will be best achieved with the eyes.

The eyes must look correct and will probably take the most of my time.

At this point the background, specifically the farthest foliage back,

needs to be detailed. I will be painting from back to front in

order of distance, layer over layer.

I am not happy with the color of the foliage and will be

experimenting with different shades of greens and yellows to

get the leaves where I want them to be.

Stop in next weekend to how I begin to detail the background.

New Art

noreply@blogger.com (Diane) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 01:36:00 +0000

My Ode to The Pre-Raphaelites

noreply@blogger.com (Diane) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 22:55:00 +0000

As you may know, I love the art of the Pre-raphaelite Brotherhood.

Here is a piece I did in homage to their genius, particularly Rossetti.