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Monday, June 30, 2014

Another Inkling & Loving This One

Our handsome Frenwyck was the inspiration behind this newest inkling.
I gotta admit it, I absolutely love this one.
  
 
Let me ask, is anyone out there interested in the awesome little originals of these drawings?
Because I may release them for sale soon after I get the prints sorted out for the shop.

Saturday, June 28, 2014

Happy Weekend

Just hopping in quickly with a favorite photo to wish all of you lovely souls
 
 
A lovely and wonderful weekend...see you next week.

Friday, June 27, 2014

A New Rabbit Inkling

Here's a dose of cute...
this time instead of the usual rabbit photo, it's a new inkling of mine.
  
 
And nope!  I still haven't added them to the shop yet!...
I simple can't decide on the best paper for the prints, BUT I WILL SOON!

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Inspiration: Part 2

It's no secret that most of the inspiration for my artwork and different creations
comes from nature and it's fauna...
I am constantly humbled by it all.
I am constantly being completely amazed.

I am constantly falling in love with animals, like I am talking, heads over heels type of stuff.
I am one of those uber sensitive souls who can be completely crushed when I see an animal hurt,
or be very easily moved to a flood of tears by how beautiful a creature is.

I'll never get to see it all in person, all of the gorgeousness out there, that's one of my sadness's...
but just knowing that it's all out there is enough
and it's one of the biggest things that moves me to create.
It's also the reason why I try to live a kind life...
being a vegetarian, buying cruelty-free &
adopting from shelters instead of buying animals is part of it all in my mind.
 
 
For example, this little green jeweled hummingbird visits us every summer
(it's here again this season, thankfully, even though the two trees it loves most died this past winter)
This bird was the inspiration behind one of my latest favourite pieces  'Flutter Jewel'.

Sometimes it's a beauty I experience firsthand, right smack dab in front of my own eyes,
other times, it's a picture in a book or an image on the tv...it doesn't matter really,
for me, the beauty, brilliance and inspiration of these animals shines on through no matter the venue.

Sometimes I think I could very possibly toss my coloured pencils aside & roam the world to photograph animals & insects and all the amazing fauna of this world...another life perhaps!

Nature & Animals will forever be a driving force of awe inspiring inspiration for me & all that I do.

What's inspiring you today?

Monday, June 23, 2014

Tamsin, Trafalski, Tamina and Thibbs

The old adage 'Nature is red in tooth and nail' is sadly very true
and I am always acutely aware of the fact that rabbits are a prey animal...
even house rabbits, have a very strong flight reflex.
Once in a while I like to give my tender heart a break and let it roam loose in an imaginary
world where rabbits are safe and live peacefully alongside all of the animals.
 
So everyone meet one of my little forest protectors and animal wranglers,
the 4th and possibly final character in the series,
the lovely, the heart strong mademoiselle Tamsin and her motley furry feathered crew...
 
"Tamsin, Trafalski, Tamina and Thibbs"
 
 
Here's a closer look...
(I was working on this image when Jinny was sick,
so I purposely made the one rabbit in her beautiful bluish grey coloring)
 

And yep, you guessed it...
patiently waiting to be whisked off to your lovely little homes.
 
As always, thanks so much for stopping in for a visit.
All of the bunnies and I are hoping that summer is treating you and yours very well.
XO
 


Friday, June 20, 2014

Yard Construction With Rabbits

Any kind of construction with rabbits around is let's just say...interesting...
especially when that construction is happening in their yard!
 
They are going to have to inspect every single stage of the project...
 

They are going to have to jump on top of everything you pile just to make sure it's sturdy... 

 
They will act like a foreman and keep a vigilant eye on every single move you make...
 
 
They will never fail to do insanely cute things to distract you from the work at hand!
 
 
They are going to make you feel super bad and guilty about changing around their favorite spots.
 
 
They are guaranteed to get grumpy when you hammer too loudly and for too long...
 
 
They are always going to lounge around right where you need to work!
 
 
They are going to be so damn cute that you can help but bring them out with you
despite all of this stuff, ha ha!
 
Ah life with rabbits continues to be sweet.


Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Pssst

Pssst....
 
 
I just wanted to let you know about a few things...
 
1)  we're still working very hard on my new beautiful website
which will be viewable on the mobile web unlike my current site.
I don't know exactly when it'll be ready, it'll probably be another couple of months
BUT we'll get it done as soon as possible...there's quite a bit going into this new one, wow!
 
2)   because we are working so hard on the new site,
I've decided to forgo the archive site I planned for my last exhibition
'Stories, Dreams & In Between'...
there's only so much time in a day after all.
 
3)  My sweet little Etsy shop now accepts Direct checkout,
The usual payment through PayPal is still available and the usual status quo
BUT NOW
Buyers can now make purchases from me with their
credit cards, debit cards or Etsy gift cards.
YAY & WOHOO!

Monday, June 16, 2014

Creative Source

A few weeks ago I finally decided to get a portfolio with Creative Source.
 
I've shown with them before but it was years ago, long before I even started blogging
and long before my style and portfolio were cohesive enough.
 
 
My budgeting dollars are tiny and tight as it is with most full-time artists!
So this is one of my concentrated efforts on dipping my toes back into the illustration market
and hopefully getting some wonderful work in the field I am trained in...
in the field I went to one of the best schools out there for!
 

I am honored to be showing alongside some of Canada's and America's best illustrative talent.
I even recognize a teacher or two who taught me at The Ontario College of Art & Design!
 
 
Creative Source is basically an online promoting tool showcasing
top illustrators, photographers and image creators.
Membership is limited and screened to ensure good company with no overcrowding.
Currently there are only 66 fellow illustrators showing their portfolios.
They market in Canada and United States and with Europe soon to follow.
 
Wish me some luck with it!


Sunday, June 15, 2014

Happy Fathers Day

Happy Fathers Day to all the daddy's out there
but extra love of course goes to my honey &
most amazing bunny daddy, Jonathan...
to favorite softie, my Dad...
 

 

  

...I love you guys
so SO so much.
 Happy Fathers Day...a million hugs & kisses coming your way.

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Happy Weekend

Had to hop in with a dose of cute...
 
 
 ...and cause our little street thug really just wants to make everyone laugh...
 
 
Hope your having a greet weekend.  XO.


Thursday, June 12, 2014

The Exclusive Party

Oh boy have I ever been having a rough go with another really bad 3.5 day migraine from hell!
So it's feeling like the most perfect time to show you this new illustration of mine
because Jonathan & I pride ourselves on living our own unique lives.
We don't try to fit in...we rarely ever do.
We've learnt that together with our motley crew of long-earred loves
(& sometimes a bird or squirrel or ground hog thrown in too!)
that it's only the little group of us that needs to 'get it' because it's us who live & love this life.
 
So yes, with me being out of commission yet again,
I can't help but embrace this precious little island of sorts we've created together.
Despite the negativity of the pain and all that that entails
I still feel richly surrounded
by beauty, goodness, love, endless gentle support
and my sweet motley crew of beautiful pals...
 
I am on an island with my love of loves that I never never ever ever want to leave...it's me...it's us...
 
it's "The Exclusive Party"
 
(It's an 11 x 12 coloured pencil on paper with a metal key & acrylic paint all on a wooden panel)
 
 
(the original is NOT for sale BUT lovely 8 x 10" prints are available already).
So yup if you guessed that it was a portrait of sorts of my love & I than you would indeed be correct.
 
I think the detailing deserves a closer look...
 
 
 
 
So this image is to celebrate unity, love, support
and the beauty of a unique life.
 
It's for all of those couples &friends out there who feel like they
together create their very own private & amazing world.
 
It's for those out there who don't have the need for a million friends...only a few true blue ones.
 
It's for those who only share the secret key of their beautiful self-made kingdoms with kindred spirits.
 
It's for all of you who recognize exactly what you have...
for those who want to live as much as humanely possible on & in their own
unique beautiful shining light/island.
 
It's for those who embrace and appreciate the beauty & abundance
of their own uniqueness & their own exclusive and elusive party!
 
Prints are indeed already in the shop.
Enjoy!

Friday, June 6, 2014

Cuteness with Teeth

Just hopping in quickly to offer a dose of cute...
Our Flynn was caught having a tete-a-tete with two of my dolls, ha ha...
 
 
Actually, what he was doing was chewing the embroidered nubs off the rabbits vest!!!
Rabbits are so destructive but my goodness I can't imagine my life & home without them!

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Celebrating Jaks

Yesterday we celebrated Jaks's 5th year with us, making him atleast 7 years old...
YAY FOR JAKS.
 
He's a sweetie that's for sure
But he's not exactly what I would call 'an easy rabbit'.
 
From the get-go he's had tummy issues, a form of ICS like Flynn,
which means a yucky messy tush most days,
requiring lots of butt baths and loads of floor cleaning!
He's done his fair share of racking up huge vet bills & giving us huge amounts of stress!
And he's never liked to be picked up or touched really...
he can be a biter and he has the rabbit kung-fu karate chop down pat, that's for sure, ha ha!
All this for good reason though, so we ignore it all & concentrate on the sweet side of him.
(read some of his story here)
 

BUT once he is in your arms he loves to snuggle
and gives tons of sweet neck & finger kisses like no other bun
(well I get tons, Jonathan's gotten like 2 licks in the last 5 years, ha ha!)
He has this cute little gityup to his hop that always makes us smile.
He has an endearingly hard time going down stairs.
He can rip a box apart like no one else and he zooms around the yard with such joyfulness.
He is doing just fine without his Jinny, which we're so proud of but than again,
he is one of the founding members of our tough-nut clan.
He's our Jaky-Boo...we wouldn't trade him for anything.
 
He's a sweet little guy who just came from a very rotten and difficult beginning.
 He's helped to teach us, as rabbit parents, that we must embrace the uniqueness of every rabbit.
He's taught us to be loving & gentle and to accept each bun as they are.
 
So yes....Happy 5th year homecoming sweet Jaky.  We love you.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Inspiration: Part 1

I've been stepping away from my studio and desks abit more than normal the last couple of weeks.
I think I needed a break after my exhibition was hung.
And migraines have been absolutely horrible
I've had some degree of a sore head pretty much every single day for the past 2 months now
and the last 4 days, as a summer storm mounted, I spent mostly in a darkened bedroom.
I even had to leave my mom's b-day party early because I just got too dizzy & had to lie down.
It's been truthfully feeling really hard.
But it finally stormed last night and the pain started to ebb away
and today the pain has broke almost completely!
So I spent the day toggling happily between house cleaning and just roaming our beloved yard,
basking in the wind, letting it blow away the negative of these pain-ridden days...
(even as the pressure is once again building again in the back of my head!)
 
 
The whole time I could barely open my eyes I was found myself concentrating on 3 main things.
1) how insanely much I love my partner and how insanely lucky I am to have him
2) how much I love all of our 8 bunnies and how much they bring to my life
and 3) what pictures & projects I couldn't wait to tackle as soon as I was able to get back to work!
 
 
So than naturally, I got to thinking about inspiration...
what drives us to push past all of the hardships and crap?
 
 
Yesterday, we were watching a CF-18 roar across the sky above our little city.
It was just so very cool.
I couldn't help but think of the pilot in that plane...so amazingly impressive.
(Today is Canada's Armed Forces Appreciation Day...
so he was out practicing for this afternoon's performance).
 
 
I couldn't help but wonder what drives these impressive pilots to do what they do.
It can't be all that different from what drives me to want to create even in the midst of horrible pain.
It's such a beautiful thing isn't it?
Inspiration....
It takes so many different forms.
 

(the photos are of the Canadian Snowbirds. whom we saw a couple summers ago)

Inspiration...
it pushes a deeply passionate person to go up against all odds...
it let's us follow our hearts on a winding path...
it blindly leads us to a life of living our bliss.

it's SO grand, SO complex, SO Simple and such a Beautiful Thing.
and as elusive as inspiration can sometimes seem to be...I firmly believe it's always present.

What is Inspiring you today???


Monday, June 2, 2014

Stories, Dreams & In Between Exhibition

My 4th solo exhibition 'Stories, Dreams & In Between'
was pulled down a couple weeks ago.
I am so very very happy with how it all went.
 
The show was well attended during it's run and
the closing reception was wonderful and very busy with over 200 people coming through.
 
I wish I could have bottled up the energy and good vibes I was receiving.
I wish I could have recorded all of the amazing comments and
lovely conversations & connections made...
it was humbling and exciting and had me buzzing for quite some time after.
 

It was an awesome realization that I really really needed at this point in time...
that people love my work and
that it's striking chords with young and old and male and female.
 
It was also a great chance for me to let people read the quirky little stories I come up
with for some of my characters...I admit, I was REALLY nervous to do so
but they got such great response.  I saw people reading every single story I put up, laughing and smiling and turning around to grab someone to share it with...I LOVED THAT. It felt priceless.
 
All my thanks to the W.K.P Kennedy Gallery, to Alex Campbell the director,
to Sheila the indispensable gallery docent/volunteer.  To all my family & friends who came out
and to everyone else, known & new who came by, your encouragement means the world...
it was truly wonderful, my favorite showing yet.