Penguin Rock and Roll band is the result of a sock design challenge I started a few years ago. (For those of you who don’t know, when I was in a design rut, I decided to take pictures of my socks for the month of February. The idea was I would do a daily design based on the socks I wore that day. Only things didn’t work out that way and here I am a few years later trying to finish it. Oops.)

I wore these socks on Valentine’s Day. As much as I like the penguin hugging a heart idea, I didn’t want to just copy the design. I was working on something and caught a glimpse of Kitty Cat Kawaii Band file and thought to myself, “I have a cat band, a sloth band, a unicorn band and a cthulhu band, so why not a penguin band?”

Thus, Penguin Rock and Roll Band was born. Of course in order to have a penguin band, I had to create Penguin Playing Guitar, Penguin Playing Bass and Penguin Drummer.

The other bands also have art pieces of their individual members for sale.

Musical Penguins
by ValeriesGallery

Penguin Rock and Roll Band, Kitty Cat Kawaii Band, Sloth Rock Band, Unicorn Kawaii Punk Band and Cthulhu Kawai Music Band are available on Zazzle, Red Bubble and Imagekind.

Which band is your favorite? Penguins? Cat? Unicorn? Sloth? Cthulhu? Let us know in the comments!

Surfer Penguin is a continuation of The Sock Project I decided to do in 2013. For those of you who don’t know, in 2013 I found myself in an artistic rut. I decided one way to combat the rut would be to take a picture of the socks I wore everyday during the month of February and then do a design based on the pair of socks I wore that day.

Originally, I had planned to do a design a day. Oops!

Anyway, here is the sock that the design is based on:

For some reason, a penguin and the word chillen made me think of a penguin relaxing on a beach with a surfboard while watching the sunset.

Surfer Penguin on the Beach

by ValeriesGallery

Even though I’m not much of a beach person, I’ve always found it relaxing walking on the beach during a sunrise.

This design was originally done in marker. It can be found in my Zazzle shop, Redbubble and Imagekind.

What do you think of Surfer Penguin on the Beach?

Happy Holiday and Merry Christmas from all of us at Valerie’s Gallery and Beautiful Cuteness!

Animation by: Valerie Waters

Music by: “Jingle Bells” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

A photograph of the Meerkat Airstream at the Brevard Zoo

Fortunately, an interesting shooting location that lets you get pictures that you normally wouldn’t get is closer than you think! Have you tried your local zoo?

Zoos are not only great for snapping pics of animals, but also of plant life, architecture, elements for composite photography and many other things!

Just some words of warning though. Not all zoos allow any photographs that you take there to be used for commercial purposes, so be sure to check first. (The Atlanta Zoo is just one example.) You can always look for a sign that states the zoo’s photograph policy, check their website or ask a zoo worker if you’re unsure.

So maybe instead of dreaming about far off locales, we just need to explore more locations in our own backyards!

Is there a zoo you like to take pictures at? (If you’re ever in Central Florida, I definitely recommend checking out the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne.) What’s the most interesting shooting location you’ve found in your own backyard?

I’d like to say a huge thanks to the following:

• Abundance Love Trip for all the promotion she’s been doing for me and others!  Check out her shop Abundance Love Trip for abstracts and super cute artwork!
• And thanks to TNM Graphics for featuring my posters Cat Eyes Black and White, Foo Kitty and Sleeping Cat Olivia on the website Super Cute Critters.  You can check out my prints on the poster page.
• Also, a huge thanks to the Glitter, Sparkle and Shine Group on Red Bubble for featuring my photograph, Daytona Beach Sun.

Octopus Garden Bag by ValeriesGallery

One of the songs on The Beatles Rock Band is Octopus’s Garden. I think it is such a cute song and began to wonder what an Octopus’s Garden would look like. I didn’t put a lot of plant life in it for some reason, so maybe octopi like low maintenance gardens?

Some fun facts:

• I was introduced to the Beatles at young age because my mom would listen the oldies station in the car.
• I made the octopus pink, purple and blue because:
  • blue is currently my favorite color
  • purple use to be my favorite color growing up
  • pink is my sister’s favorite color
• When I was younger, I use to watch reruns of the Beatles Cartoon
• Currently, Octopus Garden is only available on Zazzle
• The first Beatles movie I saw was Yellow Submarine
• When my mom was younger, she had Beatles trading cards until my grandfather threw them out. Oops!

Have you ever been inspired by a musician or song? Tell us in the comments!

Here are some other artists’ works you may enjoy:

Happy Whale Baby Pacifiers by ingasi	Octopus Star Fish and More iPod Touch Case by Butterflysarebloomin	Flora the Pink Seahorse iPhone Cover Cases For iPhone 5 by beecute
Starfish Beach Wallet by lsarmentoart	Ringed Seal Tshirt by Bluestar48	Loch Ness Mousepad by FractalFire
Funny Mermaid Tile by FayeKilday	Vintage Ocean Animals and Seashells Pillows by VintageArtBazaar	Fun Water Theme Birthday Party Invitation by DizzyDebbie
2014 Calendar (Framed) Daring Scuba Diver Poster by TheArtOfPamela	Cartoon Dolphin and Mermaid Wristwatch by pogfrond	River Otter and Fish Coffee Mugs by funnaturephotography
Colorful Octopus Tshirts by Shirtsprint	Fish Pattern. Blue Fish Ghost Fish. Pillow by Animal_Art_By_Ali	reading octopus iPhone 5C cover by greendeer
TEE Better Mermaid by teepossible	Notepad – Seal silhouette with Name by bkmuir	Under Sea Life Submarines Blue Lamp by sharecolors
Crawfish Laptop Bags by Brandless	mermaid and octopus iPhone 5C covers by thatcrazyredhead	Happy Killer Whales Commuter Bag by fstasu58 .
Adorable Squishy Fish Tshirts by LittleDragonDesigns	Seahorse Beach Return Address Label by lsarmentoart	Sea Horses Swimming in Blue Water Custom Invitations by Flissitations

Well, I began to wonder, what would a dancing pig look like? For some reason, a pig doing ballet stuck in my mind. And that’s how the ballerina pig of When Pigs Dance was born! Isn’t she cute?

When Pigs Dance Magnet by ValeriesGallery

Did You Know:

• The title came about because for one reason or another I had a mind blurp and temporarily thought the saying was When Pigs Dance instead of When Pigs Fly. I liked the title, so I kept it.

• Ballerina Pig is also the basis for Christmas Ballet Pig

• When Pigs Dance is available on Valerie’s Gallery at Zazzle, Red Bubble, and Skreened

• Christmas Ballet Pig is also available on Valerie’s Gallery at Zazzle, Red Bubble, and Skreened

• A Christmas Ballet Pig Christmas Card is also available at Valerie’s Gallery at Greeting Card Universe

• I’m not sure why I put sunglasses on her. It just seemed like the thing to do. Maybe because she thinks she’s a star!

Has a book, television show or interview ever inspired your artwork? Tell us about it in the comments!

If ballet pigs aren’t your thing, here are some artwork by other talented artist:

amazing grace mousepad by greendeer	Thanks Mom of Groom card by Sandra Rose Designs	Mens breakdance T Shirt by Evart_production
Funny Pig Annual Family BBQ Cookout Party Custom Tee Shirt by alleyshirts	Miss you, Hogs & Kisses, Cute Pig Cardby Kerri Joseph	Cute Funny Grumpy Pink Pig Character Small Bottle Water Bottle by tashatzazzle
Keep Calm Ballet Dancer’s T-Shirt by Hannahscloset	Ballet, Dancing Bears card by Lori DeLeonardis-Aman	TOP Dance Tshirt by teepossible
Little Pink Pigs Pattern Wall Clock by Clockette Browse Cute Wall Clocks	Funny Birthday Animals – Rudy Pig & Moody Cow – Dalai Llama card by Catherine Roberts	Cute Pig – Blue & Pink Swirls Cover For iPhone 5/5S by SweetnSourGrits

Now, my brain tends to lean more towards the creative side rather than the scientific. However, I feel very lucky to have the Kennedy Space Center near by. Not only is it a fun place to visit and truly has a little something for everyone, I’ve been able to see shuttles and rockets go off while sitting on my own front lawn!

Final flight of Discovery February 2011
Photo Credits: ©Valerie Waters

In addition, I was lucky enough to be selected for the GRAIL tweetup at KSC. (If you ever have a chance to attend a NASA tweetup, do it!) At the tweetup I got a behind the scenes tour, to see a shuttle up close, to see old friends and meet new people and got to hear talks by people like Nichelle Nichols and Neil deGrasse Tyson! Plus, I also got to see the Grail launch.

Sign welcoming fellow tweetupers to the Grail Tweet Up
Photo credit: ©Valerie Waters

Also, for those of you that don’t know, I have two cats. One is a black and white one named Oreo and the other is a gray tabby named Olivia. For one reason or another, they tend to inspire a lot of my art work.

Astronaut Kitty Cat Jelly Belly Tins by ValeriesGallery

• Astronaut Kitty is available at Valerie’s Gallery on Zazzle, Skreened, Red Bubble and Cafe Press

• I wore my Astronaut Kitty shirt to the Grail Tweetup

• The cat part of Astronaut Cat is based on my gray tabby cat, Olivia

Olivia the tabby peers down from her perch
Photo Credits: ©Valerie Waters

Have you ever been inspired by space, animals or current events? Let us know in the comments!

A huge thanks to Abundance Love Trip for giving my Five Orange Birds in a Tree Poster an awesome art award! Check out her blog Val Creates!

Another huge thanks to Bebops for featuring my Better in the Morning Tote Bag on the blog, The Daily Rainbow.

Astronaut Kitty Cat not your thing? That’s okay! Here’s some other space and cat art to inspire you:

Unexpected Visitors Canvas Prints by FractalFire	Astronaut 5th Birthday card by Lori DeLeonardis-Aman	Colorful Planets Custom iPad Sleeve by DizzyDebbie
Sarcasm Cat Button by WestCreek	We’ve Adopted, Photo Card, Announcement, Pet, Cat card by Sharon Fernleaf	Scruffy Cats Quadrille Gift Wrap Paper by IconDoIt
TEE The Wayfarer Poster by teepossible	Take Me To Your Birthday Cake Alien Spaceship card by Tamara Dawn Adams	Dog & Cat Rocket Ship Pillow by DoloresDesigns
Kitten on top of the world mug by samupress	It’s your birthday, cute Persian kitten illustration with red balloon. card by Micklyn Le Feuvre	Alien Kitty Wallet by geo_barr
Zombie Cheerleaders From Space T Shirts by AbundanceLoveTrip	Birthday Party Invitation with alien and rocket for boys custom text card by © Cheryl M Hall	Dreaming of Space Cat iPad Mini Cover by ValeriesGallery

Unfortunately that means I haven’t been updating about The Sock Challenge as much as I would have liked to. However, I’ve finally gotten around to doing a design based on the socks I wore on February 2, 2013! Here’s a picture of the socks I wore:

Photo Credits: Valerie Waters 2013

I know, white socks. Not overly exciting. (I was traveling at the time and when I travel, I usually bring white or black socks to keep things simple.  This way, no matter what I wear, I know I’ll have a pair of socks that goes with it without having to bring a lot of extra things.)

However, I did come up with what I think is a cute design:

Polar Bear Eating Ice Cream Napkin by ValeriesGallery

Chocolate Ice Cream Cone T Shirt by LittleThingsDesigns	Parfait Perfection Happy Sweetest Day Card by Olivia A. Kneibler	Cute Kawaii Ice Cream Postage Stamp by Supercutekawaii
Guilty Penguin and Crying Polar Bear Greeting Cards by curiosityshop	Happy Holidays- polar bear photo card with lights and tinsel card by Maria Dryfhout	polar bear mug by greendeer
Pink Ice Cream Cone Children Play Date Card Business Card by DizzyDebbie	ice cream social invitation card by asyrum	Strawberry Ice Cream + Sprinkles + Your Text iPad Mini Cases by TrastoFino
Ice Edge Polar Bear iPhone 5 Case by Bluestar48	Polar Bear Christmas Card by makiko kimura	Polar Bear Leap Note Card by FalconsEye
summer joy pins by almawad	Cats Eating Ice Cream Birthday (Bud & Tony) card by Betty Matsumoto-Schuch	Cute Ice Cream with Pink Daisies Tees by Amethyst_Mouse
TEE Polar Bears Custom Jewelry by teepossible	Big Bear Hugs For Granddaughter On Valentine’s Day Greeting Cards by Tammy Moody	Polar Bear Electronics iPhone 5 Covers by AnimalParade
Kitten Socks Tee Shirts by fstasu51	Missing Sock Funny Father’s Day Card by NobleWorks Funny Cards	Make Socks Not War Knitting Design T Shirts by Sideview
Neutrino Flavors Physics Fun Shirt by Pastimedesigns	good luck card by brenden howard	So Sweet Ice Cream Shirt by RoseFleurDesigns
Ice Cream Pattern Pillow by JenHoneyDesigns	Polar Bear Cubs T Shirts by fstasu	Save Me Polar Bear Shirt by ValeriesGallery

I’m not sure why music seems to be a big theme in my work.  I am a music fan and have been involved in marching bands, jazz bands, concert bands, choirs, etc from elementary school through college.  I’ve learned to play many instruments like the flute, saxophone and trombone. I also enjoy making music for my videos. Maybe music is just ingrained into my subconscience.

Rapper Cat in Bell Hat Bag by ValeriesGallery

My game system is set up in my living room.  One of my cats, Oreo, likes to hang out  in the living room sometimes while I play.  (And sometimes she decides that I’ve played enough by plopping down right in the area I would be dancing. )

• Rapper Cat in Bell Hat is part of a trio.  Rapper Cat in Track Suit is part of the posse. (For a sneak peek at the third member of the group, scroll down.)
• Two of the three rapping cats are inspired by 80’s rap fashion trends
• Other of my works that include music and cats are: Cat Piper,  Kitty Cat Kawaii Band,and Lounge Singer Cat to name just a few
• Rapper Cat in Bell Hat is available at Valerie’s Gallery at Zazzle, Red Bubble, Imagekind and Skreened

Rapper Cat in Bell Hat and Rapper Cat in Track Suit pose with the third member of their posse

Are you a fan of rap? What’s your favorite genre of music?

Speaking of music, a huge thanks to Cheryl of Cheryl’s Art for featuring my music notes bag on her Squidoo lens, Sheet Music Bags.

Here’s some music and cat inspired art from other artist you may like:

Cat and Mice Game Party Plate by heizfrosch	Adopt Shelter Cat, Love a cat card by Sharon Fernleaf	Pet Memorial Photo Necklace by elizdesigns
acoustic guitar urban collage posters by hutsul	DJ Wedding Reception Thank You Stick Figures card by Sandra Rose Designs	Singer Business Card Templates by AbundanceLoveTrip
Mt lion wallet by Artnmore	Cat Popping Out Of Cake Birthday (Bud & Tony) card by Betty Matsumoto-Schuch	Loving Cats Wedding Stamp by DizzyDebbie
Bag – Musician’s Music by bkmuir	Merry Christmas from Music Teacher, Joyful Song Guitar card by Lisa Crisafi	cat serenade – customizable post cards by greendeer
Caspian and Kimber Birthday Card by ZorroCreations	Funny Black Cat – Dear Santa It was the Dog Christmas Card by Charlyn Woodruff / CWDesigns	Wicked Black Cat T Shirt by JenHoneyDesigns
TEE Cat Nip iPhone 5C Cover by teepossible	Grumpy Cat Mug by thegrumpycat See other Grumpy Mugs	A female African cheetah and her three cubs Postcards by NationalGeographic

In Florida, it seems that for whatever reason, it’s easier to see wildlife. I’ve seen alligators, manatees and wild hogs to name a few. Even when I went hiking or camping in New York, for better or for worse, I didn’t really see wild animals like bears or moose roaming around.
Animals, nature and wildlife are some of my favorite subjects to photograph.

It’s no secret that  Florida has alligators. I photographed this guy on a recent trip to the Merritt Island Wildlife refuge, which you can read about here.

Alligator in the Sun Posters by ValeriesGallery

My husband and I were just about done with the wild life drive when we spotted this guy sunning himself. My husband pulled over so that I could snap a few pics. (Luckily I have a great lens that allows me to shoot wild life without getting really close and disturbing them.) I was amazed by the size of this reptile!

He appeared not to have a care in the world and didn’t seem to notice I was there. A few other people also stopped to get some photographs of him.

Did you know?

• On Merritt Island (not near the Wildlife refuge), there is an alligator that lives under a car dealership.  If you go car shopping there, they will proudly tell you about him and you can see him through a sewer grate if he’s around.  (Don’t worry, he’s not in any danger or anything.)
• The gator is the mascot for the University of Florida.  His name is Albert.
• I am not a Gator, but a Cane having received my masters from the University of Miami.
• In Orlando, there is an attraction called Gatorland and it has an entrance shaped like an alligator’s head! (Unfortunately, I’ve never been there, but hopefully this will be corrected at some point in the future.)
• Alligator in the Sun is available at Valerie’s Gallery at Zazzle, Red Bubble, Skreened and Imagekind

What’s your favorite subject to photograph?  Let us know in the comments!

A huge thanks to Imagekind for promoting my piece, Maneki Neko Kitty Pop Art in a promotional email. Also, a huge thanks to Online Gift Ideas for promoting some of  my Boss’s Day dinosaur items.

Here’s some more alligator and Florida artwork by talented artist for you to enjoy:

Florida Gator Head – Color Mug by UniversityofFlorida	Alligators. Mousepad by Animal_Art_By_Ali	Crocodile iPhone 5 Covers by TheBooth
Florida Lighthouse T-Shirt by FalconsEye	TEE Miami by teepossible	Florida Sunset Laptop Speakers by Florida_Living
Alligator Mouse Pad by idesigncafe	Outline drawing of young alligator tshirts by Cherylsart	A happy crocodile courier bags by greendeer
Funky pink Florida flamingo travel postcard by myworldtravels	Vintage Florida Postcard by vintage_gift_shop at Zazzle	Alligator in the Water Award by ValeriesGallery