Rapunzel and a "Bad Hair Day" - NibbleFest

Did you ever wonder if Rapunzel got heartily sick of all that climbing? Up and down, up and down, the constant tugging and pulling...Imagine all the work required to maintain that 'do...just keeping the split ends trimmed was a full-time job! To say nothing of how long it took to blow-dry...I imagine that one day, she just snapped, pulled out the scissors and snip, snip! An emancipated woman!!! Too bad about the prince, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do...

This is my entry for the monthly Nibblefest Art Contest on eBay, which is a themed contest that begins on the 20th of each month and ends on the 27th. This month's theme is "Fairy Tales." Search NFAC to see all the entries. Starting bids must be just 99 cents, so this is a great time to purchase art at a bargain price!

This is an original watercolor/mixed media painting. It was created with Winsor & Newton watercolors, Dr. Martin's Transparent watercolors, and Colerase colored pencils. It was painted on 140 lb. Arches Aquarelle Coldpress watercolor paper. The image size is 13.75 x 8.5 inches, on a sheet of paper measuring 17 x 12 inches, which leaves a generous margin for matting and framing. (The painting is offered without a mat or frame.) I hope you enjoy looking at my work!

Here is the link to the eBay auction:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=001&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&viewitem=&item=110095689927&rd=1&rd=1

Right smack in the middle of an eBay Boycott

And I list this:







This is my latest - and currently, only - auction on eBay. It is a 15 x 18 inch original oil painting, done on stretched, gallery-wrapped canvas, titled "Hydrangeas."

I took a series of photographs of the hydrangeas blooming in our yard last summer. I am fascinated by the intricate structure of the blooms, the lush, exuberant colors and the sheer size of the flowers, as well as the color contrast between the blooms and rich green leaves. I plan to do a series of paintings of this subject - this is the first.

Here is the link to the auction:


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=001&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&viewitem=&item=110085464714&rd=1&rd=1


Now, why is there an eBay Boycott?

eBay has recently instituted a new protocol for auctions. Whereas, before the id's of all bidders - and therefore their feedback and history on eBay - were visible to all, now when the bidding goes over $200, bidders will only be identified by number; as in "Bidder #1," "Bidder #2," etc. eBay says they have done this to make the auction process more "secure," and to safeguard the privacy of Bidders.

There is a spirited discussion of this issue, and information about the Boycott on the Bidding Discussion Board on eBay:

http://forums.ebay.com/db1/thread.jspa?threadID=1000426413&tstart=0&mod=1170360908192

A number of Buyers and Sellers believe that rather than making the auction process safer, this new protocol will foster "shill bidding" by making it impossible to detect. eBay relies on its users to help police the site - this will certainly make it harder to see if shill bidding is occurring.

A number of buyers and sellers are refusing to participate until this new protocol is changed. The boycott began today, Feb. 1, 2007 and will continue until Feb. 14, 2007, unless eBay relents.

Since I have an auction running - and one for which I paid enhanced listing fees - I cannot participate in the Boycott yet. I understand the viewpoints of the Boycotters, and hope that eBay will listen.