A New Image To Say "Goodbye 2009"....

(Coloured Pencil and White Acrylic Paint On Painted Black Illustration Board)

Goodbye 2009...

you were a great year.

I thought you were rather quiet and uneventful at first but on retrospect you were full of excitement,

lessons, warmth, love, wonderful times and filling quietness, thank you.

It was another year of being lucky enough to stay at home with my artwork and the bunnies and

with lots of time for me and my honey. For this I am always grateful....

A summary of my 2009:

It was a difficult year for head pain, the worst year yet actually BUT I survived...

perhaps a few more wrinkles due to constant cringing in pain but I am only stronger for it and I am determined to have 2010 better in that department somehow...somehow!

In 2009....I met my hero Jane Goodall, she was as beautiful and wonderful a human being as I always suspected she was and I took in every word she breathed and walked away knowing

I can never become apathetic like many around me.

We took in another great concert by Canadian Crooner Matt Dusk and I also got to meet him.

I celebrated my 16th year anniversary with my amazing man....and also celebrated my 32nd birthday!

We lost part of our heart when our precious Hazel suddenly passed away and we miss her everyday still.

We gained a new family member and welcomed little Jaks into our little warm rabbity

warren and what a lovely addition the sweetheart makes.

We saw our first Cirque Du Soleil show "Ovo" which was so amazing.

We went for our very first helicopter ride over our sweet little city.

I finally introduced my brand new website to the world.

I had my 2nd solo exhibition.

Created alot of new work and found my style even more and I started some series work.

I took up paper cutting.

Started my own line of stuffies called "Lagamorph Lovelies".

Further introduced my beloved 'Nubbins' to the world.

Joined a beautiful and wonderful arts collective, Art On Main.

I took part in 2 group exhibitions aside from my solo and participated in 3 different art sales.

Went the whole year with only 1 back spasm and no knee locking whatsoever, hooray:D.

Dived into my photography abit more.

Refinished a few pieces of old furniture making them into lovely new things.

Composed over 173 blog posts!!! and was featured on a few blogs such as Pecannoot.

Joined Twitter than left it soon after.

Got to Toronto and visited with my best friend more than in 2008 which is good.

Knitted myself 3 hats.....

For the first time since I started my business...treated myself to 'real' business cards:D

I am sure there's more I am missing ha ha but that's off the top of my head....

Over all it was a successful and full and lovely year and I am grateful....

I am so grateful for all the I have, for all that I've been through,

and I am grateful for all the excitement and hope I feel for 2010.

I hope you can look back on your year with much pride and happiness

and I hope 2010 ushers in beautifully....

Happy New Years everyone.

Happy Holidays...and a new Beautiful Bird

I thought this new little emerald green 'Beautiful Bird' of mine was a good way to say "Happy Holidays".... (The first batch of 'Beautiful Birds', including this emerald green lovely will be available very soon in the New Year, so if your interested keep your eyes open as the first batch of mounted ones will be small...until summer comes and the garage unfreezes atleast!)

Have a wonderful wonderful Christmas Everyone...wishing you all extra warmth, happy hearts, full tummies, much kindess and extra love for any and all of your furry hearts...Take Care and see you soon, 'Bijou' of Bijou's Whimsy.

The Last Toronto Photographs...

It seems odd to be posting photos of Toronto from this past summer when we're currently covered in so much snow, coldness & with Xmas just in a few days! But I didn't want to leave them out and I also didn't want to post them in January so here we are...the last batch of my favourite Toronto photographs, from one of our favourite harbour front parks...

And today I am sending out a big hug and special 'shout out' to Dogwood at Pink Dogwood Blossoms...your continual comments on this blog of mine really do mean alot. And the lovely Michelle over at Tales of The Raspberry Rabbits for her beautiful gesture of friendship which completely cheered my pain-riddled week, your special star will be in the mail soon:D

Join me Thursday for another "Beautiful Bird". Wishing you all extra warmth at this time....it's freezing cold here!

Another "Beautiful Bird"...

I think it's pretty transparent that I am having a ball with these little birds of mine. I am really quite happy with this one. It's the most delicious sensation to sit down to sketch them out and suddenly it's like they take a hold of my pencil and tell me exactly how they want to be designed, how fluffy they want their plumage to be, how serious they want their expressions...it's feeling like a very natural series so far and I am really loving that and so happy I decided to make myself do some series work in 2009...now I can see the complete joy in it and the opposite of what I originally felt...I originally felt like a series would box me in and be dull and a cop out but now I see the freedom and fun and challenge instead. I am already working on a new series all with sweet little woman, I think I'll call them "The Harmony Hostesses" and I can't wait to start showing them to you all as well...they will probably start popping up in January of 2010....wow 2010, that sounds weird somehow doesn't it! What do yous think of this one?

Well I have alot more to show you so come back again soon. Hope your days up to Xmas are happy, bright and stress-free....our season is shaping up nicely with all the shopping already done and really just looking forward to time with each other, loved ones and the furry hearts. It does (on most days) really take very little to make a day beautiful and complete.

Favourite Toronto Photos....3 of 4

Hi there. Even though these photos are from this past June or July when we visited Toronto, I still wanted to share them with you all. These are some of my favourite 'city' shots that I took, all taken from the truck window, some whiles at a red light, others whiles in motion.

I think I'll be slowing down post-wise over the Xmas holidays...I'll have my honey home with me for about 2 weeks (can't wait!) and I plan to spend as little time on my computer as possible! But we'll see...for now, atleast until the 18th I still have lots to share so do keep popping in...I do love your visits and kind comments.

As for today...well the past week actually, it's not been great for head pain so I am moving abit slowly today, doing half hour installments of yoga here and there and just reading, colouring and snuggling with the bunnies....oh yeah and making a garbanzo bean zucchini bake later on tonight...with perhaps more chocolate chip cookies:D Wishing you all coziness and warmth as well.

AOM Members Show...

It's been a busy time for events for the arts collective Art On Main, that I've been a member of since this past June. Another event happening this month which I am involved in and you may have heard me mention before is our members show. The great thing about this show is that everything in it is only $100.00 so it's a great opportunity to buy a piece of art for a pretty great price!

There are a bevy of beautiful things such as wooden bowls...

Framed original artworks and prints...

...there are textiles, pottery....

and even unique wall hangings...

or adorable handmade Santas....

I have my eye on this beauty!....I naturally have the exact place picked out that I would put it!

...And for myself...I have four of my original handcut papercuts in the show....

So for anyone local...come on in, have a browse...buy a paper cut or two by yours truly:D and give the gift of a beautiful piece of artwork to yourself or a loved one. The show runs till the end of December and new pieces will continually be arriving.

Join me tomorrow for more of my Toronto photos and on Friday for another 'Beautiful Bird" creation.

I apologize if I've been abit absent on your blogs the past few days but I've really been having a hard time with constant and bad migraines and it keeps me from my usual enjoyments, such as surfing my fellow bloggers blogs...but I'll be back at it soon hopefully!

A New "Beautiful Bird"...one of my favs so far...

This is one of my favourite "Beautiful Birds" so far I think...the contrast between the bird and background, to me anyways, compliment each other perfectly. It took me awhile to figure out the backgrounds for these guys...I did a few and kept hemming and hawing and not showing them to people because they just weren't right and than one day just before I gave up on the whole series! I painted over everything I had done before, relaxed...breathed...and enjoyed the colour instead of trying to control it quite so much and than suddenly the solution to how to create complimentary backs to the coloured pencils birds happened upon me...don't you love it when that happens, ha ha. I've no ideal what kind of bird this might be but if it were a real species I think I'd sit in awe of it, ha ha and would certainly hope it'd find a safe haven in this messy world of ours.

p.s. Tis the season to give extra to all the animals shelters and causes out there...for us it is anyways...like our annual Christmas donation to the Toronto Humane Society which houses so many homeless unwanted rabbits and I just crave to bring every single one home!...This season the little tree tag that they hang on the shelter tree will have our sweet Hazel's name on it. If you can...any little bit...please do donate to your own local shelters.

Have a wonderful warm weekend.

AOM "Release Your Inner Artist" Evening...

This post is mostly for my fellow AOMer's and anyone who is interested in seeing some of the photographs I took on the night of the "Release Your Inner Artist" auction, which was last Friday evening...it was a good night, deemed a success and involved and invited many local leaders the chance to be artists and to create unique one of a kind pieces. The dignitaries involved were; Nipissing MP Monique Smith, Mayor Vic Fedeli, Deputy Mayor Peter Chirico, Coun. Judy Koziol, CTS Canadian Career College President and CEO Carlos Carvalho, MP Anthony Rota, Canadore College President Barbara Taylor and Nipissing University President Lesley Lovette-Doust and even some of their family members.

I think a good time was had by all....

It was a great chance for Art On Main and it's artists to reach out to the community and not only give them a taste of our world and a glimpse into our creative process...

...but it was a great opportunity to open up the art world and show that it really can be an inviting and friendly place to dwell or visit from time to time!

I hope all are pleased with my photos from the evening and thanks to everyone from Art On Main Downtown Collective, you all worked so diligently and hard on this project for the rest of us who couldn't be involved. Thanks to the guest artists who had the courage to try something different. And Thanks to everyone else, including supportive spouses, etc who came on out in support. Be Well Everyone and thanks for popping by.