What do yous think? Should I list all 8 in this series as prints in my Etsy shop?
I had a crazy successful weekend of drawing out new pieces for my upcoming exhibition and I am so so excited about all of them. I am hoping to have 6 new pieces, but even I know that's ambition when working with coloured pencil so we'll see...wish me luck!
I had to share these...so thanks for popping in and sharing them with me...I remain authentic with my posting and honest to my heart so if Hazel is what I am thinking about today that Hazel is what I will post about...Miss you Haz XXOO. 
I love the fact that this bunny illustration of mine does remind me our beloved Hazel...when she'd sit up real straight and serious like...so it's nice to have this hommage to bunnies pay respect to the dear soul who just left us and of course at the same time I hope its inspiring people and filling them with joy and abundance...
Thanks so much Jess, you've made my day...head over to Pecannoot to read the post . It's so cool that someone all the way over in Atlanta, U.S. has seen my work and liked it enough to share it on her own fabulous blog...it's so wonderful and soul filling for sure, thanks again Jess.
p.s. I just realized how similar the colour schemes are on our two blogs...we share the same good taste I see, ha ha!
Today whiles at the store, I am working on the final papercut. The series of 8 will be shown in the storefront window in October so those must be prepared and finished up. I am also happily working on sketches for new pieces for my quickly upcoming exhibition...which I've finally decided will be entitled "Woman's Work".
As I sit here I am watching a small group of people looking at my coloured pencils and Nubbins in the window and pointing at this and that...oh..and they just came in the store...it's a good feeling to know that my work is bringing people into the store...and I am not just assuming that, I say so because I've been told it was so, ha ha....My heads not getting big or anything no worries!
I don't know...as I ramble on I must confess that I somehow feel like Hazel is still with us and then there's strange things like Jinny never being a big eater before suddenly eating voraciously...like Hazel used to do. Or, Jaks suddenly digging and ripping up his boxes with happy abandon which never used to do but Hazel loved doing... maybe parts of her precious soul went into the remaining lovelies still gracing our warren...can that happen? I don't know but that's how I've been feeling.
So it is almost lunchtime...I need to get this papercut done soon so that I can have atleast half my shift for sketching so I should get going. Thanks for those very few of you have expressed sorrow on our behalf...Jenn over at Kanna Glass in particular...Jenn your note made me teary and I know you understand my current state...thank you for taking time to reach out. Everyone else thanks for giving me space...because at times like these those who know me well know that I can't help but pull away and become very introverted...my best friend Judit for gently checking up on me every couple of days..and mostly thanks to my honey, your forever my rock and always helping to pull me out of the overwhelming tides. We've had 6 furry hearts leave us now, 5 of whom have died in my arms...it's not getting easier, I guess I shouldn't assume it would but boy oh boy it hits me hard and takes alot to get back to myself...and those that respect and love me most are the ones who accept my greiving process...because the rabbits are not 'like' our babies...they ARE our babies and I love the fact that as I get to know myself, as I get stronger, as I grow...I can see that the people who can't accept this part of me aren't people I need to closely associate with and that epiphany is worth its weight in gold...
I leave you with my favourite Patricia Barber song "Snow"..enjoy...I am...Be Well and extra kind to your own tender hearts...
Hazel leaves behind her sister Jinny...and Jaks who was just getting to know her...I am still in shock that she is suddenly gone, I am angry and feel empty but at the same time I still feel her wonderful joyful spirit around me...there is no question that we were beyond lucky to have found her and have her part of our warren. She will be missed every single day.
I will not be posting for awhile. I don't know how long...but today, this week, I just feel like I have nothing to give...I am spending every second I can with Jin, she's never been alone, she always always had Haz by her side...now we're all very lost without her.
...Go to Beanie, Gimmley, Thodan, Hobbs, and Noodle sweet girl...they will keep you good company intil we see you again someday.
...my tent is ready...pretty much everything is ready...these sales are much more fun when your not running around like mad! I promised myself that I'll start getting products ready starting after xmas so the I can participate in more of the local summer sales without the stress! I am going to drive out Friday to pick out my spot and set up my tent...and apparently there's a family of wild rabbits out there too...so hmmm I'll try to set up my tent close to them perhaps, ha ha...wish me luck. I won't be posting again till the 18th or 19th.
Last night I was up till the wee hours...till about 3am watching the meteor shower 'Swift Tutle', don't you just love that name, its seems the perfect name for a cosmic event, ha ha. The peak hours for us were from 9pm till about 2am and it was fantastic, I was so excited about each streak racing across the sky, wow...little bits of another world being sucked in my our earths gravity and travelling over 100,000 km an hour...well that is just impressive and weird. I counted to see on average how many we were seeing and between the two of us laid back on the loungers on the back deck in a span of 15 minutes there were 56. I hope everyone with a good view took it in too. Be Well and Happy Blogging all.
So with two pieces new to AOM and a few pieces from the top of my space in the gallery and I filled up the wall space...
...but I really wanted my decorative dolls, my precise 'Nubbins' to be the main focus, so I laid down big pieces of felt from my studio and I think that all of the great colours in my dolls against the black really makes them pop.
...and voila...my window display which will out for all to view for the whole month of August. I still have a few tweaks to make, I'll fill a couple spaces with a couple newer paintings and I'll make some signage, something like "Come on in and see the fabulous work of Mandy Saile..." ha ha just kidding but something along those lines just not so cheeky:D!
...so if you happen to be local or if you happen to be coming from out of town...please do enjoy our cute little main street, which is only getting better with time...
...and when you walk past Art On Main, have a look at my stuff in the window and than come on in and say...
..."Please may I purchase that pretty little doggie..I mean dollie...in the window..." Ha ha.
...now I am off to take toothpaste and toothbrush to it to shine it up and get it looking it's best again. Orange juice seems to taste particularly good from it, ha ha...just like to me coke tastes better in plastic glasses! Cheers to our oddities...Cheers...
Today I have to share this link a friend sent me...get ready to pee your pants...well maybe it's only pant-peeing material for those of us who have a love/hate relationship with our printers...and a soft spot for silly animal antics...check the youtube video out here...enjoy!
...the drive out to the berry fields is enjoyable and relaxing, often we see moose or deer along the way...and once out at the fields...well you can see for yourself that it's literally a breathe of relaxing and fresh country air...ahhhhh.....
...I have a 'thing' for hay rolls!...
...and here comes the little red truck to drive us out into the fields as its much to far to walk...
...of course I am ready with the baskets...3 for us and 1 for my parents will be picked...
...time to board the truck and get picking, wahoo!....I admit to loving the truck ride out into the fields and its one reason we come to this picking patch...
...after berry picking we decided the day was young and why not journey farther up the road to see what there is too see...happily for me there were beautiful fields of more hay rolls and I just had to get Jon to stop the car so I could snap a few shots...
...and than gloomy skies turned ominous and very moody...but we decided to keep driving...
....through torrential rains!....
....and flooded roads!....
...and the rain cleared up just as we hit Port Loring...where we stopped at a general store to buy a map because we wanted to find a different way back home instead of the way we had just come.
We made sure to stop and enjoy the views from Port Loring...
...and with highway 64 picked out we proceeded on a 5-6 hours road trip back home! ha ha...We ended up in the French River area so we stopped here and there to explore abit.
...too bad we didn't have our canoe! But we'll be back to the area we're quite sure.
There was a nice little restaurant in one place we stopped...but we refused to enter the shop/store for we glimpsed fur pelts through the window and we refused to give our patronage!
...but I think stopping for this cool totem shot was well worth it indeed...
...we saw many pretty views along the way...lots of beautiful horses like this guy enduring the ceaseless downpour...we drove through many 'blink-and-you'll-miss-it' towns...alot of those!...
...and at the end of the day, we and our freshly picked berries had a unplanned and relaxing road trip...
Don't you just love those unexpected type of adventures...I do:D Thanks for stopping by.
...sweetie-pie Jaks a.k.a. Nibbler whom will most likely be happily dozing under his chair in the sunlight...
...and this gourgeus new tea set...ohhhh so pretty:D....
...may you be able to sit comfortably in your own bliss today whatever that may be?...
I will be offering these prints in the shop soon, I will list all prints of all 8 in the series at the same time and you'll be able to choose what colour of background you like the print to be on, such as black, green, purple, brown or blue...than the originals will be mounted on painted wood blocks, sealed and hung in my space at Art On Main once they are juried in.
Also today I wanted to mention a new blog...my pal Julie B. is on this amazing adventure through Scotland and the Highlands...long story short she befriended the actress Tilda Swinton in London at a sushi bar and a few months later Tilda has sent my friend a plane ticket to visit her and has planned this incredible adventure for Julie along the way...which will also include kayaking with dolphins, deep fried mars bars, and running in a kilt in the highland games! ha ha...so if your interested follow the blog here...I know I will be tuning in whiles being ever so slightly jealous at the same time! kayaking with dolphins..omg! ha ha...I wish her health, fun and safety along her journey.
Hmmm.....what are the odds that I could get all 4 read by the end of summer!...ha ha.
I will have 3 more of these paper cuts to share, there are 8 in the original series and whether I build onto the series or branch off into a new subject/theme I don't now yet but I do know that paper cuts is not something I will stop doing anytime soon, though they are hard on the wrist so after these 8 are finished I might take a break for a couple weeks to rest my hand. It feels so good to find a new medium...soooo good.
Right now it's late Monday evening, on our civic holiday, its been raining all day and has been super gloomy making our rabbit warren even cozier...we've had movies playing, did some rabbit bonding between Haz, Jaks and Jin, made some strawberry jam...and now my pencil crayons and another movie in the bedroom are calling to me...ahhh cheers to the versatility and mobility of beloved prismacolours. Have a great night everyone.
