Meet the new girls...

*sold*
*sold*
*sold*
*sold*

Hello Monday! A very busy weekend here at the non-studio! Most exciting, and definetly worth mentioning, my very good friend gave birth to baby #4, a little boy, Jackson Henry. I had the pleasure of meeting him Friday night. Very sweet indeed. And completely outnumbered by his three sisters. Ahhh...newborns, tiny fingers and toes, that new baby smell...just delicious!

On the artful side of things... I completed three little dolls, each with their own charming personality. Meet June, Lily, and Eva. (They'll all be in my Etsy Shop Monday morning.) What fun it was to bring each one to life... A challenge at first, working with the new dimensions. Each one stands about 3 1/4 inches tall, and 1 1/2 inches thick. I put together a little tool made of an old wooden handle and some electrical tape, which I could slide each doll onto. (they have a small hollow bit in the bottom) This made my work much easier. Then on with their sparkling eyes, rosy cheeks, and pink lips. Saturday the girls enjoyed a visit with Grandma and Grandpa, and I worked on a new painting, Lost and Found. I do wish I could float beneath those cherry blossoms, just the sounds of my boat parting the water, and a slight breeze on my face....(I'm just a bit envious of her!)

Wishing you a very lovely Monday...

***Update: The girls were featured here today on Cuteable!

teensy weensy lil' dolls...

Hmmm...what have we here? I've long wanted to do some sort of painted doll. I considered sewing a soft form, as I enjoy sewing, but I'm no pro at it, and I don't have a sewing machine. SO, as you know, I've been painting on wood lately, and that gave me another idea... a couple of days ago I ordered these lovelies and I spent tonight prepping them for pretty little faces. I love their simplistic shape and their fit in the palm of your hand size. I can't wait to get to work on them!

It's my bedtime...

"Delicate" and ("Floating"-sold) now taking up residence in the SHOP !

I finally made time to finish these tonight. Do you love the messy cropped hair on Delicate? She has a sweet face, so she can definetly pull it off...And I'm totally digging the watery translucent colors in the second one. I have new project I'm working on and can't wait to share the results... for now, I'm off to bed pronto! I need sleep :)

Petite art in the shop!

Hooray for MINI PRINTS, now available in the shop! They measure approx. 5x7 inches, which makes them super easy to matte and frame on the cheap. (And they're a fraction of the price of my regular prints.) A great way to start collecting art with a minimum impact on your wallet. I've also added a few MENAGERIE PRINT SETS if you want to hang your art in sweet little groups. I hope everyone's week is off to a lovely start!

Polka dots, rosey cheeks, and tiny scarves

Aren't they the cutest pair? These will pop up in the Easter baskets tomorrow. I made them using this adorable pattern by Emily. I used an old pillowcase for the bodies, leftover Ikea bedding and Rylee's old pants for the dresses, & craft felt for the hair and bows. Then I accented them with ribbon scarves, buttons, handpainted faces and leggings. Last, I cut open a less-than-loved stuffed animal and used it's polyfill. Total cost $0! A highly recommended project. A little slow without a sewing machine, but I managed just fine with a needle and thread. I'll be back Monday with new stuff for the shop!

Hippity Hoppity...

One hour, 30 dirty fingers, and a handful of jelly beans later, this is a sampling of what we've accomplished. This was the first year the girls decorated eggs. Rylee was just excited to be able to use tongs to dip the eggs. She was a wonderful dipper. Ava just wanted to eat the eggs and the crayons. Overall, a success in my opinion. Now I'm off to make goodies for the baskets. I think we will forgo the chocolate bunnies, replacing them with potted daffodils for their rooms. A first pet plant if you will. Enough with the sugar already!!!

Like a moth to a flame...

"Drawn To The Light" 12x20 on wood-* sold NO PRINTS WILL BE MADE OF THIS PIECE!!

Hooray! I finally have something finished to show you. (It's been a month to the day since I completed an original!) This is the largest painting I've ever done. It measures 12 x 20 at it's widest points. It's done on a slab primed pine with bevelled edges, to which I've added a two tone treatment. I love it's curvy shape, very feminine and very whimsical. The luna moth was my inspiration for colors. I tried to mimic the moth while sketching her dainty little dress. She's very fond of the winged creatures and comes here often to sit under the moonlight and draw them out with her lantern! I'll include more close-ups in the listing.

I'm going to be putting this in the shop momentarily. My internet has been in and out all week, so I figured I should list it while I can. (They're working on our cable lines for the next week! Argh!) I hope to finish a few more pieces by the weekend, so stay tuned...

Hatching...

Another unfinished piece I'm working on for the shop update. I had hoped to get new stuff in the shop by Friday, but my printer can't fulfill my order until next week, so I may have to postpone it. I spent a bit of last night sanding a few more wood plaques. Tomorrow they will be ready for sketches. Thus far I'm leaving collage out of this series. I'm just in the mood to do more painting this time. Then I saw a new line of paper at Michaels last night. I resisted buying it, because I know it would have sent me into a paper cutting frenzy, & I don't really have time for that at the moment. And one more little announcement...the man I have long called my husband is now, actually my husband. Smiling...

painting on wood

Here's a sneak peak of an painting-in-progress that will be in my shop update, (date to be announced.) This piece is on a 11x14 slab of maple with bevelled edges. It's been a long time since I used wood as a media support. It's quite lovely. Very sturdy, obviously, and much easier to sketch on than paper. After sanding this slab forever, it's super smooth too. The paint glides on effortlessly. I chose to let the wood grain show through slightly, which really lends itself to my nature inspired themes anyway. I think I will be doing a whole new batch of goodies on wood. Yippee!

A new record for blog neglect....

I know, I know....I never update my blog as often as I'd like. However, I hope to be back into the swing of things soon. I haven't touched a paint brush in weeks. (I have excuses, but there's no need to get into them.) The good thing about taking a long break is that it allows you to seperate from all the art you've been so busy creating for months. It leaves you renewed and able to create something fresh, with a new point of view. I'm working on a sketch at the moment...