Magnetewan River

A beautiful day out kayking on the Magnetewan River down South from us (a few weeks back).

 

It was one of those paddles where your the only paddlers out on the water, ahhhhh so peaceful.

Two Inklings

I am just about done these two guys...I just have to scan them in and clean them up abit.

I can't wait to show you, especially since I think they will make gorgeous wall art XO.

A Part Of Lake Nipissing

This lake near our home and my studio has been a part of our lives for as long as we can remember.

We can't venture far because of the bunnies but with this at our doorstep one doesn't really need to!

Love Shines Through

So if you order art prints from me your package will look something like this...

This particular one is on it's way to St.Louis MI,

to a women who feels that my love for rabbits shines through my artwork loud & clear

...I love that so so much.

All of my art prints are made to order and super duper easy to frame because they are 8 x10"

which is one of the 3 most common frame/matt sizes you'll find in stores.

They are printed with care on archival paper with archival inks & packaged in archival sleeves.

Visit my shop today and have a browse around, I am sure something will strike your fancy XO.

Beautiful and Awful

Spring, you were beautiful and awful.
Summer you were beautiful and awful!

Fall you've been beautiful and awful too...
Winter I hope your kinder because your coming very soon and I honestly can't wait you!

 My sore heart and sore body are craving some cozy hibernation time with my family,
time that I hope will heal some of our bumps and bruises (before more hit!!).
I hope it's going to do the same for you if your needed it too, all my fellow tender hearted ones
XOXO

Howell Nature Center

The Howell Nature Center in Michigan, who does such wonderful work with animals,

asked me to donate some of my art prints for a big fundraiser they have coming up in November.

I am always happy when my artwork can help raise money for animals, it's good for me heart & soul.

The Center is going to get the prints all matted up and wrapped for the auction.

I can't wait to see photos from the event and I wish them oodles of luck raising tons of funds.

If you're in the Howell, Michigan area, I hope you'll stop by the event & donate to the animals.

P.S.  I am so pleased to let you all know that the event was a great success raising over $71,000
for all of the beautiful animals at the Howell Nature Center.
I am so happy my artwork created a bit of a bidding frenzy & could help out a bit...Yayyyyy.

Marten Lake

We got out in our boats a lot before Min passed...after Min passed we just didn't feel like it.

This was a perfect day out on beautiful Marten lake, North of us, earlier on this summer...

It was one of those lovely meandering kind of paddles, one of those 'hey what's that over there" days.

I bobbed for a long while with binoculars (getting quite wave-sick!) watching a loon & her baby. 

Taking Care of Studio Stresses

Dealing with printers in my studio is always stressful for me,

because they and I typically don't get along, but another part of the studio days

that I find kinda hairy is the part of cutting images to size for their cradled canvases,

laying them down hoping they stay flat & not bubble up

& sealing them hoping I don't get any (or too much!) rabbit fur mixed in!

I wait until I can tackle several pieces at a time....it usually goes just fine.

These are a couple pieces on my desk this week that I am getting finished up.

After I mount them, I let them sit for a couple days before

I apply several coats of a non-yellowing UV protective polyurethane,

than they dry again for a couple weeks before I apply hangers etc

and after that I am ready to photograph them and than start listing

them and offering them to the world (that's a fun part).

So Cozy

Routines are shifting.  This time of year we bring flowers from outside in to survive our cold nights...

We picked the last of the garden veg & we're spending more time inside with the buns...it's so cozy!

Colouring Feathers

Another new bird is in progress...

you can see my golden monkey pushed off to the side...

that is just for now, I haven't forgotten him

it's just that coloured pencil is so unforgiving with mistakes,

so if I am very unsure of how to move forward like on the background of the monkey...

than I put the piece aside & start a new one till the answer comes to me...

sure sometimes you have to push on and work it out but I listen to my gut
and if it says to me 'nope, not right now Mandy, give this one a small breather'.

I am usually glad that I did listen to my gut.

BUT I can't WAIT to finish him...I am thinking the background will be very dark & stormy.

Summer Singing

The early part of summer before Elsie got sick and we stayed home was full of time spent like this...

Hanging with my niece and her guitar, enjoying summer days, listening to her sing.  I will treasure it.

Golden

I made this carving for my honey over 15 years ago.

He loves Egyptian history etc so I remember researching symbols

and I put into my design symbols that mean love or luck or long life etc.

It's been looking worse for wear with bunny teeth getting to it etc

so with our 24th Anniversary this past week, it felt like a good time to bring it back to life

with a sanding and a fresh coat of brilliant gold paint this time around...doesn't it look so cool.

A Loved Garden & Life Cycle

I love how our little garden grows bigger and greener and prettier every year,

we've put in so much love and effort into this little house of ours...it sooo feels like ours, like us.

I don't know if we'll live here forever, maybe not, but I believe in blooming where your planted,

in rooting just right where you currently are.  Everyday I am grateful for my little home.

Every single bun-babe we've ever had has lived here with us, that is so special to me
and I love seeing everything spring to life and unfold with beauty every season

and than it all like slow-motion magic gets ready slumber for a spell,

usually just about when we're tuckered out from a season of hard work,

when we're ready to hibernate, it tucks in for a rest too.