A surprise from Elfwood!

Hi everyone! I got an email from Thomas, saying that I made it as the member of the day at Elfwood! Thank you so much, Thomas! What a surprise! I must say I am Honored! You can check it out at: Elfwood.com This wonderful website showcases some of the most beautiful and amazing fantasy art I have seen on the net. You can see my page there at: http://sofianime.elfwood.com/ Wishing everyone a merry xmas and a happy new year! I am taking a break from painting! I will be socializing with friends for a while now! See you all soon! ~Elisa :)

New Bettie Page art!

Hi everyone! I just wanted to show you all my newest Bettie Page art. You can see it http://www.sofianime.com/bettieart.html I just found out yesterday after finishing up the illustrations that she passed away a few days ago. I have been saddened by the news. She has been an amazing inspiration in my life and my art. She will be greatly missed, but never forgotten. Her memory will always be alive in all of us who loved her. To me, she will be forever the queen of pin up. I will be taking a break for the holdays, I have been creating art nonstop for the last month. ~Elisa.

New Bellydancer Mermaid 2 prints now available!

Great news! I am thrilled to announce that at the requests of fans, my Bellydancer mermaid 2 illustration is now available as 8x10 and 11x14 inch gorgeous, colorful prints! To purchase the 8x10 inch print:

To purchase the 11x14 inch print:

She is also available as a 4x6 inch print:

Mermaid Mother and Daughter Hugs is also available as a limited edition ACEO print, 4x6, 8x10 and 11x14 inch prints:

Other available sizes

Limited Ed ACEO $10.00 4x6 inch print $7.00 8x10 inch print $20.00 11x14 inch print $30.00

The copyright notice and text will not show up on the actual print, and as always, I will be sending you a surprise gift with your order. Thank you so much for your support! Many blessings for all of you and have a great day! ~Elisa :) www.sofianime.com

Update, mermaid art sneak preview and radio shows

Hi everyone! Yes, I have been away, working on illustrations and some 3d models too. My old mouse is broken so I am using my wacom tablet and cordless mouse all the time. I love this tablet, it saves my hand from having carpal tunnel problems, plus it is so comfortable to work with! I just downloaded the newest version of winamp. I am enjoying a lot of my favorite techno and videogame and anime songs as I work. For all the fans who asked by email, I love listening to techno music while I work, mailnly of DJ Sasha, Paul Van Dyk and the Namco sound team. You guys are amazing! One of these days I will collect every album and track you create! :) I also love good videogame and anime music. When I am not listening to music, I listen to my favorite talk shows:
thedrpatshow.com which keeps me in a positive mood all day while I work on illustrations and creating art nonstop, plus I love learning new things while i work. I can multitask. :)
Newsforthesoul.com I have been listening to Nicole for over six years. I love the guests and the paranormal stuff. Very interesting shows!
Thewonders.com This show is great for all of you who always wanted to know who you really are, and try to find answers to difficult and interesting questions. To my new fans, hello! It is very nice to meet you all :). To those who like to learn to draw from my art, thank you so much for your messages! I am so proud of you! Keep on drawing! Draw the things that bring you joy! Keep practicing so you can become your best! Here is a sneak preview of what I am working on now:
New Egyptian Cobra Queen:
In the inking stages. It was inked with koh-I-noor inking pens on bristol board, 14 by 17 inches in size. It is my new work in progress.
Kimono girl:
I had an idea for a cute girl dressed in a lovely kimono, full with flowers and beautiful designs. I imagine her kimono to be filled with beautiful colors. This one is also a work in progress.
New prints!
The Belly Dancer Mermaid 2: Dance of the seven veils and Mermaid Mom Hugs are now available as 8x10 inch and 11x14 gorgeous colorful prints at: sexymermaid.etsy.com
Well, I must get back to work. And back to listening to my favorite music! I can never have enough techno music in my life. :) Have a great day, and many blessings, everyone! I will see you all soon!
~Elisa :)

New mermaid magnets on sale!

Hi everyone! Check out my new cute mermaid magnets and merman art on tshirts, and new cool mousepads at: Sofianime on Zazzle!
create & buy custom products at Zazzle
I am also having a Christmas in July Sale at my official etsy store: http://sexymermaid.etsy.com Don't miss it! It is very hot over here this summer, so I am inspired to paint more mermaids. :) Wishing to be near the beach, enjoying the cooling sea breeze. Good thing I am having some frosty coffee chiller drinks right now. Life is good! Have a great day, everyone! I must get back to the drawing board! And I will talk to you all soon!
~Elisa :)

Are you getting enough sleep?

After working on tight deadlines I like to take the time to catch up on my sleep. Make sure you are getting eight to ten hours of sleep a day, to make sure your brain is functioning right. Too much stress and worries are robbing people of sleep. So many people end up with a sleep debt, which is not healthy. When the body is too stressed out, it can get ill easily. Get enough sleep, so you can live long and enjoy all your achievements! Lack of sleep can create a lot of stress and illness in your body. And it can shorten your life span. By getting enough sleep, you can recharge your energies, nourish your brain and feel energized to start a brand new and exciting day! Before you go to sleep, an hour before, take a delicious shower or bubble bath, with your favorite shower gels, music and candles! Get a bath gift basket, filled with all those goodies! It is a great way to relax! Take half an hour to one hour just for yourself! Spoil yourself after a busy and stressful day! You deserve it! Do this every day or at least once a month! Remember to spoil yourself, treat yourself with love, after working hard to take care of others! Remember to spend as much time taking care of others, and also, taking care of yourself! It is very important to love yourself and treat yourself well too, so you don't end up drained! You deserve to spoil yourself once in a while too! Put your favorite music on! Buy some relaxing music cds...instrumental music, jazz or waltzes, relaxing music. After the bath, spoil yourself! Massage the body! Put your favorite lotion on, all over your body. Try vainilla or rose scented lotions. They are my favorite! make sure you moisturize every inch of your body! Notice how you feel when you wake up! Your skin will feel oh so silky smooth! And you will smell great too! Feeling this good will help you start a brand new day more happy! Smiling and stress free! Make sure you turn appliances, radios, tv off, before you go to sleep. Or better yet, unplug them so you don't get the EMF waves going all over your bedroom. They can disrrupt your sleep. Keep the cell phone turned off or out of your bedroom. Radiation is not healthy for the human body. Make sure you don't have any distractions so you can get 8 to 10 hours of good sleep. Let go of all worries, anger, stress that you accumulated during the day, erase them from your mind, before you go to sleep. Try sleeping on satin sheets or velvet covers. They feel great on silky smooth skin! And keep a dream journal and a pen by your bed. You might get some amazing dreams while you are getting some good sleep! You can have lucid dreams, or some vivid and amazing dreams. Make sure you write the dreams down as soon as you wake up, so you don't forget them. You can always try to interpret them later. Lately I been dreaming in vivid color. And some of my beautiful dreams turned out to be some of my new wonderful paintings! And some ideas for wild characters, I get them from dreams as well. You will be amazed at the symbolism you get in dreans. I love looking at dream dictionaries to help me find the meanings of the dreams I had. Try getting some good sleep for thirty days, journal it in a diary, write down how you feel, are you improving your life? Are you feeling more relaxed? Some people swear that they can get solutions to their problems by getting good sleep. Sometimes the solutions will appear in the dream itself. So why not try it? Wake up refreshed, energized and have a good breakfast. And some freshly made fruit juice. And start your day refreshed and energized! You deserve it! :) Wishing you health, blessings and prosperity!

Why Sofi loves juicing!

I always love to make and drink my own fresh fruit juices everyday, because they are refreshing, tasty, nutritious and so good for you! I cannot start my day without a great glass of freshly made juice! Why do I love fresh fruit juices? 1)They are so tasty! refreshing! Every different type of fruit has a different and delightful taste! You must try tasting these juices! They are way better than any type of canned or bottled juice out there, even better than sodas! Plus you don't get the high fructose corn syrup, preservatives or artificial colorants that you get from processed bottled juices. Fresh juices are great for your children and the entire family. 2)Freshly made fruit juices are very nutritious and good for you! Full of enzymes and vitamins and nutrients that help strengthen your immune system and stay healthy. They make your skin and hair look good and the body feel great! Watch how energized you will feel after drinking a glass of freshly made fruit juices. Do something great for yourself, and start juicing! What I mean by freshly made fruit juices is that you blend it or extract the juice out of the fruit when you want to drink it. This way you get all the fresh vitamins and nutrients from the fruits, and absorbing them into your body. 3)They are very quick to make! Faster than cooking a meal! You can use a blender to blend fresh fruit chunks with milk and ice for a quick smoothie, or extract the juice out of fruits and vegetables with a juicer, like the Jack Lalanne one. I have been using one of them for a few years, and I love it! You won't believe how delicious the juices taste! I mix fruits and vegetables. One glass keeps me energized the whole day! It takes me about five minutes or so to make a batch of juice. Quicker than cooking a meal! Make sure you pick the freshest fruits for juicing. Even better if you can pick them off the tree in your backyard. If not, get the fruits at the supermarket. 4) juices are easier and faster to absorb by the body than solid foods. It is a quick way to nourish the body! There are so many different fruits and so many different tastes! Go out there and try them all! I recently found out that Goya carries frozen tropical fruit pulp, in the freezer section of your ethnic grocery stores. I love buying them because they have no sugar added, and you can make delicious juices, slushies and smoothies with them! My favorite are the pink guava and passion fruit pulp. You can even use them to make some delicious cocktails too! Try making a pink guava smoothie: mix a bag of the pink guava pulp with 1 cup milk, add sugar or honey or stevia to taste, ice cubes and blend it in a blender until smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy! If you can find fresh guavas, use them, cut into pieces, instead of the frozen pulp, but remember to strain the seeds out after blending, before drinking it. The taste is unbelievably delicious! Try to get into the habit of drinking at least a glass of fresh juice (not bottled or processed) everyday. And watch how your body feels after thirty days! Start nourishing your body with good fruit juices. So you can live long, prosper and enjoy all the great successes in your life! Cheers to your good health! :) ~Elisa :)

New Rose Garden Belly Dancer Mermaid T-shirts!

Hi everyone! I just wanted to let you know, new Rose Garden Belly Dancing Mermaid T-shirts, mousepads and magnets are now available at: My cafepress store!

Have a great weekend!
~Sofi! :)

New Egyptian Queen Mermaid T-shirts and mousepads!

Hi everyone! Brand new Egyptian Queen mermaid T-shirts, mousepads, magnets and more are now available at: My cafepress store Check out the gorgeous t-shirts and more! Have a great day! ~Elisa :)

New Belly dancer mermaid t-shirts and mousepads!

That's right, fans and friends! New I love belly dancing mermaid t-shirt, mouse pads and magnets are now available at: http://www.cafepress.com/sofianime1 This illustration was inspired by my passion for belly dancing and my love for painting fun and sexy mermaids. It reflects my philosophy on celebrating life, and expressing it in my illustrations and art! Don't miss my new art at www.sofianime.com Enjoy the art! I am off to catch up on some sleep. I been working on many illustrations lately. Have a great day and I will see you all soon! With love and joy, ~Elisa :)

The law of attraction according to Sofi!

(This is my newest illustration, guardian Angel Alexxia holding a peace rose. It was created as a special original painting, a thank you card for Kerrie O'connor, a wonderful soul I am blessed to have met. The painting is 8.5 by 11 inches in size, inks and watercolors on Bristol board)

The law of attraction according to Sofi :)

After listening to newsforthesoul.com (they were talking about the law of attraction for many years before it became wildly popular) I learned so much more about it, and I love this philosophy! I have been doing more research about this subject, and metaphysics lately. When my brain gets tired of drawing, I do research. I find it to be very interesting! This is what I understand and learned from it so far:

1) what you think of, you attract into your life.you ask of the universe for what you want, and the universe gives it to you. The universe listens to our emotions, the feelings attached to our wants. So when we ask for what we want, we must really feel it and ask for it with intention! And the universe gives us what we want. You must be specific though, about what you want, don't be vague, so the universe can get it for you.

2) Be aware of your emotions, positive or negative. Pay attention to what you think about. If you think negative thoughts, you will attract to you negative people and experiences into your life. But if you think positive thoughts, you will attract positive people and positive experiences into your life. It really is as simple as: like attracts like.

3) You are always creating and recreating your reality every minute of your life with your choices. Know that you have free will and free choice. You have the power to change your life by the choices you make. It is very important to take action, to achieve what you want. You must choose it.

4) Always thank the universe for everything you have and all the exciting and amazing experiences you are having. Give thanks and ask for more. And more will be given to you. Count all of your blessings and ask for more! Be thankful for everything you have, your friends, your life, your health, the exciting things that happen in your life everyday, and be thankful to the universe for what it keeps giving you!I also love writing in a gratitude journal. I give thanks for every exciting experience I have everyday. Sometimes the universe likes to send you a surprise or two. Learn to see them! They can bring a smile to your face and make your day!

5) besides being thankful, give back to your community. Pass it on. Share a little of your good luck with those who need it. It doesn't always have to be giving money, but things that you don't need or have too much of, your time, share your knowledge, share a smile, being a friend, being supportive of others, etc. It feels so good to give and share, and at the same time, you are creating more abundance and joy in your life and in the live of others. :) Know that you are helping make the world a little better for everyone each time you share.

6) Stay positive. Think positive thoughts. Try not to think of negative thoughts, change them into positive affirmations! This will help attract more prosperity into your life!Start loving yourself more! Increase your self esteem! Feel blessed and thankful for every blessing that has come your way! Stay positive, ask for what you want, and watch it manifest in your life. Keep your energy positive, for the positive vibrations are sent to the universe, and the universe goes and gets you what you want. What you think about yourself, that is how others perceive you as. If you think you are confident, others will see you as confident. If you see yourself as not good enough, people will see you as that too! but you first must let go of all your emotional baggage! Clear all the negative emotions you have from your past. And take action towards your goals and keep focused on what you truly want. Focus on more positive stuff! Try some emotional healing, and watch how fast you can manifest great things into your life.

Feel the joy. Feel the prosperity around you. Keep this wonderful cycle going. Observe that you start attracting more positive people and great situations into your life. Try to stay positive as much as you can. Change any negative thought into a positive affirmation. Start noticing how you start attracting more friends, people, and circumstances into your life that are like you, and think the same way you are thinking! It started happening for me already. I hope it starts happening for you too! Enjoy it! :)

~Elisa :)

Egyptian Queen mermaid preview 2

Hi everyone!

Just showing you another sneak preview of my Egyptian Queen mermaid, finally inked and with hieroglyphs added. Inking took me over five hours, this was a bigger piece, 11 by 17 inches in size. I used a sakura micron pen to ink this painting. Lately I have been doing a lot of research on Ancient Egypt, which has inspired me to create this piece. I always had a fascination with the mysteries of Ancient Egypt, pyramids and hieroglyphs. The more information I find, the more I am interested in this culture. Enjoy the preview, as I must get back to the drawing board, to finish other illustrations.

Have a great day!

~Elisa :)

Wishing you a happy earth day!

Hi everyone! Just wishing everyone a happy earth day. Sofi is going green today! :) I am also doing my part, by saving energy and recycling and reusing paper. I don't like to waste paper, so I am very careful at reusing and saving paper for my drawing projects, so I don't throw away good paper. I like recycling paper that I used for sketches. I was also doing some research on green auras today, since I have been very attracted to the color green lately. I have been wearing green clothes too. Apple green looks great on me. :) From what I researched, the color green symbolizes balance, harmony and peace. That is how I am feeling at the moment. The color green shows us that if we let our feelings and emotions out, we can achieve balance and harmony. If we bottle our feelings inside, we will just create problems in our life. Bottled emotional energy will be stuck in our bodies, turn negative and deplete us of our life energy. I love seeing all the greens in my garden and the beautiful blooming flowers. It always brings me a lot of peace and relaxation. It also helps bring out my creativity and gives me ideas for my next projects. I always love to draw flowers in many of the paintings I create. I love painting flowers, and also, I love drawing roses the most. My creative side is having fun today. To add to the going green theme, besides wearing green today, I am having green tea and cooking green foods, such as salads and stir frys. I am also going to do a painting in soothing greens later. My green drink recipe of the day: Iced green milk tea Mix freshly brewed green tea with sugar or honey to taste. Pour into a tall glass with ice cubes, filling it half ways. Top with half and half or milk. Stir and enjoy. :) I have been painting by candlelight lately. It saves on energy and also adds a distinctive touch to my watercolored paintings. This is going to be fun. An idea to draw a green tailed mermaid has just popped into my head. Off to the drawing board I go! I will see you all later! ~Elisa :)

Peach blossoms and my kitty cat

Hi everyone! I just wanted to share pics of my peach tree in full blossom! Seeing the pink blooms all over the tree always brings a smile to my face, as I know spring has arrived! :) I can't wait to paint them and paint faeries hiding in the peach lossoms with my watercolors! :) The flowers are so delicate and pink, they are making my garden look so beautiful with all of the blooming flowers! My roses are starting to bloom as well. And here are photos of my kitty cat, Somyu walking among the green foliage... She is having too much fun walking in the garden! I am taking a quick break from painting, to enjoy viewing the flowers in my garden as well as thinking up of some new and delicious recipes for my site. Have a great day and see you all soon! ~Elisa :)

My favorite art supplies!

Hi everyone! Many fans have asked me in emails what type of art supplies I use. Here is my answer: 1) Disposable mechanical pencils, 0.05mm in size. I love sketching and making thumbnails of my paintings with these. They work great on many types of paper, I specially like bristol board. 2) Koh-I-Noor ink pens. I love inking my art with these pens, I can ink the smallest details in my art with them. I love using the waterproof inks by Koh-I- Noor as well, because they are acid free, waterproof on paper and film and archival safe. Plus they are very economical compared to disposable ink pens. These are my favorite pens to ink with, I have been using them for over ten years. 3) Sakura Koi Watercolors. I love how bright and colorful these watercolors are. They are my favorite brand of watercolors to use, for my mermaid paintings. The paint is also very smooth, and goes nicely on bristol board. 4) Bristol board. I love using this type of paper for my original paintings and illustrations. Coming from a comic book artist background, I always loved drawing and painting on bristol board. It is very smooth and bright, and the best part, it is acid free. 5) Glittery gel paints. I love to use these to enhance the look of my original paintings. The glittery fine dust adds an extra layer of magic to every painting. The paints I use are also acid free and archival safe. 6) Kneaded eraser. I prefer them instead of other eraser, because they don't leave eraser dust all over the painting. I sketch lightly on the bristol board, so it is easy to erase later. 7) Sakura Micron Ink Pens. I love using these when I am painting while travelling. I found out the Koh-I-Noor pens will leak ink if you drive around with them, with ink still in the pens. (I always keep them now in a ziploc bag just to be safe!) But when I travel, I take the micron pens with me. I love the very fine tip, which is great for inking aceos. 8) Sketchbooks. I never leave home without them! You never know when a good idea can strike! That is why I always carry a sketchbook with me, wherever I go. Sometimes a quick sketch or idea can become one of my newest paintings! And I am always full of great new ideas for my paintings. 9) Prismacolor color pencils. I have been drawing since I was a very young child, and these are my most favorite brand of color pencils. I love how soft they are, and hot colorful they are. I love blending colors together, to create a glowing look to my characters. 10) Prismacolor Markers. I love using them for marker rendering in my illustrations. The colors are very bright and the finish is so smooth! And I like the double tips. From my background as a comic book artist, and collector and illustrator, I always make sure I am using art supplies that are acid free and won't harm the finished paintings in the years to come. I keep the original artworks protected in special sturdy acid free plastic sleeves and special clear plastic bags. If you have any questions, please do let me know! I gotta get back to the drawing board and work on more new paintings. See you all later! ~Elisa :)

Update!

Hi everyone! Just wanted to wish you all a happy Easter. I have been busy working on many illustrations, and finishing up a few new paintings. The belly dancer mermaid in the rose garden has been finished, after a small delay, due to my busy life but she has been fully painted! and I will be posting her soon. Here is a quick preview of another large painting, 11 by 14 inches in size, of an Egyptian Queen Mermaid! I am still in the process of inking her, using sakura micron inking pens, and I will be adding hieroglyphs to this painting as well. I have always been inspired by the mystery of ancient Egyptian culture. I am fascinated with the secrets of the pyramids and hieroglyphs. I am also taking some time off from painting this month to experiment with international cooking recipes. Cooking is one of my other passions besides painting with watercolors. I hope everyone enjoys some good chocolate! I will talk to you all soon! ~Sofi! :D