...became a beautiful refreshed blue shelf that fits in so nicely in our living room...I am so pleased and it again goes to prove that someone else's trash can indeed often be someone else's new treasure.
Until next time, Be Well and Happy Creating.
Until Tomorrow where I have a nifty new house project to share with you all...Have a wonderful day.
Finally, ha ha...Judit told me months ago that she was giving me this carpet and Jonathan will vouch that I've since then been drooling in anticipation to bring it home...alas it's here and it is simply beautiful and just perfect for our downstairs den. Thank you Thank you Thank you Judit, we love it and I am so so proud to have one of your creations in our home:D
Click here to see Judits carpets, etc...
Be Well All and Happy Creating.
Jonathan never lets me leave the city without a thorough walk about in Chapters...and of course, I found some titles to add to my even expanding library...
I also couldn't resist this adorable finger puppet book/story for my niece Karly...I hope she likes it!
...and a girls gotta get her precious and delicious art supplies whiles in the big city...oodles of coloured pencil, new gum erasers, illustration boards, Stonehenge paper, well what can I say but that they warm and inspire my creative soul...
and lastly a girls gotta have new tea....a good selection is best..Chocolate Chai, Chocolate Berry, Raspberry Earl Grey, Tropical and Peppermint Greens...Yummmm, they will be warm and sweet and well enjoyed, especially when I get to hunker down and share a cup with my handsome guy...
Yep, it was a much needed mini vacation and spirit refill and now I am back home, refreshed, happy to be back and spoiled indeed! Till next time...have a warm cup of tea and be well.
It doesn't show up in the photos unfortunately but the glass turquoise beads go so nicely with the turquoise that's in the shadows of the illustration.
I am hoping to be able to soon get a teeny weeny custom stamp to stamp my name or even logo on the back of each necklace...anyone have any ideals as to where I can get a nice stamp made without spending oodles???
To Buy It Please Click Here
Until next time...thanks for popping in...Happy Creating.
HAPPY HAPPY JOYFUL BRIGHT BIRTHDAY my munchkin...XOXO Your Auntie Mandy & Uncy Jon XOXO.
...alas, now I deem it to be time to go have a real cup of something warm and sweet and perhaps catch up on some snail mail...which I sadly don't get much of, but that I still can't resist sending!
Until the next post...Be Well, Be Inspired and Be Creative.
I hope everyone had a great weekend...ours was lovely, relaxing but busy. I got a few drawings transferred to their boards and a new little painting completed...here it is...the 2nd incarnation of 'Rainbow Swish" but this time as a 8" x 8" square painting and with a different colour scheme.
I am trying to 'wrap' up some unfinished imagery that I started long ago but never finished off, espeacially ones that were transferred onto their substrates but never coloured in, such as this one, as studio spring cleaning of sorts I think.
The original is being held at the moment but I'll let yous know when and where it will be for sale at a later date. For now though you can buy a lovely titled and signed pigment print which is printed on gorgues canson paper, the canson paper gives it a great texture and it's hard to tell the original apart from the print.
Be Well everyone and I won't be posting tomorrow but I'll try to pop in Wednesday. Take Care.
Please do keep in mind that since my necklaces are handmade they are also one of a kind usually, as I don't too often seek out the exact same beads and repeat the exact same pattern...so if your looking for something with whimsy, good energies and something that's fun and well made, this might be for you.
(this one is sold)
I think it's quite nice as well. Grab your necklaces from my shop as soon as you can because I think that in August, those that haven't sold will be pulled from the shop roster and just sold by me from my studio, or through local shops, so you might not be able to get them!
I had so much fun creating this drawing and colouring it in...I hope you love it too, despite the fact that it's abit late for Easter! The scroll will say "Happy Easter"and the scan needs to be redone, I am having such a hard time piecing my works together lately...but I was really anxious to show you all because this sweet little wee image of mine brightens my day and I hope it does so to yours as well. Happy Belated Easter all. (Prints may not be available till next Easter season, I've yet to decide).
But, I did oh so love these two paragraphs from the book, they just really struck me...
"to go to my grave without knowing whether it was lack of talent or lack of perseverance that failed me, without feeling that I'd probed deeply, without sucking out the joy of hearty work, that would be self-inflicted pain I could never forgive myself for."
Don't all artist stop to ponder their productivity and their course and their true desire to succeed?...and to succeed at what and at what cost? Isn't every artist hardest on themselves?...I know I am my harshest critic of my own work and life. It was interesting to think of a woman, who was such a huge artistic movement all on her lonesome, was inflicted with self-doubt and self-inquiries as well. Though in her defense she didn't really start to 'succeed' in the art world until her 50's. To continue with ones artwork despite big 'successes' must be admired I think and am currently experiencing, ha ha.
I also loved this paragraph...
"...she wondered if Lawren (of the group of seven) ever yearned for compliments. Maybe it was the nature of artists to crave praise. Something had to feed the inner person for the lifetime of labor of bringing a person's work to maturity. The trick was to keep praise from hurting that work, and the keep seeking."
All artists need praise, which is one reason I always make time to 'comment' on blog posts etc, that inspire me and that I find beautiful. I found it interested that as tough as Emily Carr was, she too seeked it and needed it, it's too easy to forget that everyone needs praise, and not just once in awhile but often. Just last week, hearing myself described in a write up as "a well respected local artist..." was indeed head inflating and delicious. Think of those poor souls stuck in 9-5ish 'normal' jobs...perhaps they need even more praise?...because atleast we, 'the artists', 'the creatives', get to let our inner thoughts and inner lives spring forth for not only our own selves and satisfaction, but for the thrill of having others glimpse into our worlds...what about the souls who don't have this facet, can you imagine?...Well I think they deserve coo dos for standing upright and going forth with all things 'bottled up' and for surviving the normal, 9-5ish sludge.
Those are my randoms thoughts on this blissful Friday afternoon anyhow, ha ha...which I think has some old black and white movies are calling to me. Have a wonderful weekend all and take time to hug your honey, to praise your loved ones, to offer up honest & kind compliments, take time to curl up with a good book...to ponder...to smile...to drink a cup of something warm and sweet...take extra time to let your furries know you love em...tend to your hearts and souls and bodies and minds...Until Monday, Be Well.
To get right down to honesty...April has not been a good month for me and my notorious headaches and migraines, especially the last couple of days, so please excuse this short post and the fact that this images is not perhaps pieced together properly 100%, photo shop and my scanner seemed to be picking a fight with me today! Needless to say I am feeling abit frustrated because there is so much I want to do and I just can't fully accomplish anything right now it seems...not when I am constantly running for my ice and heat packs every hour on the hour, sigh...but it's just a bad week and I feel the need to complain abit! bear with me.
This new image is called "Black Cherry" and it's story is a very personal one, however I like to leave it up to the viewers to bring their own stories to it...if you want to share what you see in it please do. I am always interested in hearing what people think and how closely it aligns to my own ideals.
Also a quick note about the Seal Hunt...if you haven't already noticed, I put on the blogs sidebar, right at the top, the petition forms where you can all sign to support the Harb Bill.so ..please do take a couple minutes to sign if you already haven't...Jonathan and I have been in debate/discussion with a few politicians and I will share those correspondences soon, and I've also begun to collect signatures from local people since doing so by this blog just doesn't quite feel like enough. You can get your own printable signature petition forms right here if you interested.
Tomorrow's post is already done, just in case this headache does not go away...so please do join me here again tomorrow, where I discuss a recent artistic read.
I'll miss my weekly visit with my sweet mom and sweet pup today, but our beloved red beast of 13 years is in the shop and what can I say, I am not much of a bus gal if I can help it! (5 years of Toronto buses and subways will do that to you, ha ha), but that's means a full day in the studio (if the head pain is reasonable!) and that's never ever something that I complain about.
My brain is buzzing with ideas and my heart is excited about new projects and drawings I've been working on...mmmm maybe that's why my brain is sore! it can't handle all the creativity...ha ha just kidding, I know that's not it...I am pretty sure it's the barometric pressure doing it's fancy jig and bouncing up and down constantly!
Enough about headaches...Wishing you all well, with pain free bodies and happy creativity.
...the small and cozy audience of about 30 people decided it would be nicer to 'romanticize' the room abit as the girls played, so Sue, Kerri and Caroline played their lovely music by the golden glow of one single table lamp and a crackling fire...
....and because it was dark, I couldn't get a decent shot!...but here's the witty and dusky voiced Kerri (Left) and the beautiful Caroline with a voice like an angel (right), unfortunately I didn't get the quiet and sweet Sue in the shot, but all 3 girls were delightful, hilarious and enchanting...
...and of course because the ladies are oh so lovely, each and every one of them so sweetly signed the inside for us...
How could I not! Since Dennis Geden and I were the creators and conjurer's of the very first and hugely successful Paddle Project, during my time as Gallery Coordinator at the WKP Kennedy Gallery. It just felt odd to not be part of something that I helped nurture and create and I just honestly didn't like the ideal of this 2nd incarnation coming and going without my involvement in some way! plus, I was pleased to be asked to be an artist...last time my paddle was one of the first ones picked and that's always abit of a high for any artist involved in an auction style exhibition.
Here is a little montage of the last paddle project, (which I believe was in either 2001 or 2002)...being coordinator had it's advantages of course and I was able to involve my talented brother (pictured below with moi) and my own creative honey (not pictured here, but whose paddle I ended up purchasing, and which now hangs in our living room). My paddle was done in coloured pencil with securely attached flower beads working their way through the mermaids hair and up the whole paddle shaft (I wish I had taken better documentation of my creation however, these were the best photos I could find!) Creating the paddle was fun and exciting, though time-consuming and I am happy to be part of it again.
I plan to pick up my blank paddle from the Gallery sometime this week and I'll share with you my 2nd paddle creation once I've completed it, already my brain is whirling with ideals, yet I think a 2nd mermaid of some form is calling the strongest at the moment.
My mind is just buzzing with new illustrations and ideas that want to come out...time seems so short...early mornings are a must...but oh I am soooo not a morning person! These early mornings are something I ultimately love but which I have a real struggle with in making routine! Until tomorrow where I share a special evening with you all....thanks for taking the time to join me here today....now I am off to tend to my sore little head.
(My silly attempt at copying the grouchy man in St. John)
...trying to pink out the perfect pink to paint some studio furniture, hmmm which pink, which pink, which pink...Oh such a troubled day!!!
All these pinks for some reason are reminding me of one of my favourite animated shorts ever, check it out, it'll have you swinging and smiling. From one wet and rainy spot to wherever you are in the world, have a great weekend, be well and Happy Creating.
And with the expertise and help of my lovely honey & graphic/computer support, ha ha, the cards even got a graphic refresh on the backs making them much sleeker and just more '2009-ish' so I am extra happy with them (Thanks Babe). I promise to give a heads up of where and when they will be available to purchase as soon as I get that figured out...I am considering trying other venues since Etsy isn't working so well for me (I can't believe I've been on there for over a year now!) and well my new website will be ready soon, so they will defiantly be available for order there atleast! Now, back to the tending of my little pounding head...Be Well everyone and see you tommororw.
...now I am usually good with not painting the stuff my dad makes me, but in this case I didn't think he'd mind, or atleast I hope he doesn't!...shhhhh...but I couldn't help myself....I just had to breathe abit of freshness into it with these delicious colours....
Now for some reason, it's one of the first things my eyes go to in my colour-filled studio...but still, shhhhh don't tell....
From one naughty artist to the rest, be well, be joyful and be inspired (even it's by painting over old treasures!). Mandy.
