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.

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?

Green Heart

She is Kind...

She is Nurturing...

She Protectively Flows Around Those She Loves...

She Is Strong For Those Who Need Her, bending like a willow yet strong like an oak...

She is All Who LOVE Nature above all else...

She is Mother Nature incarnate...

She could possibly be you, She could be me...

 

She is... "Green Heart"

 

 

Take a closer look...

 

Isn't she lovely and cool...

I am so proud of her.

 

Prints are already in my shop

She would suit any nature/earth lovers home, that's for sure.

 

Be Kind, Connected & Inspired



Outside With Buns

Tis the season where your likely to find me outside with the buns ALOT!

 

I love being outside with happy rabbits frolicking around me,

it's truly one of my happiest places on earth!

 

 

I don't get nearly as much work done in the summers as I do in the fall/winters...but that's okay...

 

 

...learning to embrace the ebb and flow of an artists life is part of living that life well!

and for me, taking rabbits outside to play is just as important to my soul as making pictures.

We're in the middle of the chaos of yard construction right now because we're completely re-doing

our 'main gazebo' (which you saw last year when the rabbits gave you a yard tour)
I am trying to keep my cool...

sometimes it's hard for me because I don't do chaos in my physical environment very well!



A gazebo may sound like a very indulgent thing but for me it's necessary,

I don't do summer heat & sun as well as most &

it's pretty crucial for me to stay out of the sun when the migraines strike, like today!

 

 

I get so nervous, having the house buns outside, there's so much out there that can hurt them.

But we've always let our buns outside because they've always loved it SO insanely much.

So here's wishing for a safe, happy

and uneventful summer season!

 

Hope your off to a wonderful week & are enjoying this beautiful day.

See you later in the week for another new illustration which I am SO proud of

and a post on my exhibition which recently wrapped up.



Cytherea

I have a brand new picture to show you.

She is Goddess of Beauty, she is connected to this earth & to it's precious inhabitants,

they are part of her and she a part of them, she is...

 

"Cytherea"

 

 

Here are some details...

 

Beautiful 8 x 10" prints of Cytherea are already listed in my shop

for all who are interested in added this bewitching Goddess to your walls and home.

 

Have an amazing weekend and see you next week.



New Rabbit Inkling

Another rabbity inkling...

 

 

Hopefully prints of these ink drawings of mine will be hitting the shop next week.



She Was Nourished By Honeyed Green Tea

I wanted to show you this new image of mine...

 

"She Was Nourished By Honeyed Green Tea"

 

 

A closer look at some detailing...

 

 A portrait of sorts yes I suppose, ha ha....

I do find myself feeling greatly nourished & soothed by green tea with honey.
But it's also an image for any tea lover.

 

 

And yep...you guessed it....

PRINTS ARE AVAILABLE in my Etsy shop.

 

 



Mother's Day

I love my mom...

she's one of my best friends...

she's pretty much just all around awesome.

 

 

Happy Mother's Day to all my friends who are mommies...

Happy Mother's Day to myself, cause I have 8 long-eared babes of my own...

but most of all Happy Mother's Day to my Mom.

 

Love Love Love you Mom XXOO

New Inkling With Weekend Wishes

Just hopping in quickly today to show you a new little rabbit inkling

(these will be making their way into my Etsy shop as prints of various sizes VERY soon).

 

 

I wish you all a wonderfully awesome weekend, super busy or really relaxing, however you prefer it.

Ours will be full of rabbit bonding time, BBC travel shows & some gardening if the rain lets up.

 

Teegan, Titus, Thibbs & Thyme

I finished this new image awhile ago...I've been so anxious to show you.

Aren't they such a lovely grouping...

In this dreamland, Teegan makes sure that foes become & remain friends...oh don't you wish!

 

"Teegan, Titus, Thibbs & Thyme"

 

 

Here are some close-ups...

 

 

Prints of her are already available in my Etsy shop...

along with her buddies in the same series "Maueve, Miles & Milly" and

"Beatrix, Balnora & Baynor".

 

I hope you love it as much as I loved making it.

 

See you on Friday.

 



A Firm Belief & New Hair

What do you think of my new hair cut?

I gotta say it's my most favorite yet...and now it's also bright red....yay!

I am not usually one to spend much money on my hair

I'd usually rather be buying pencil crayons!

but lately I feel the need to splurge on myself, so every 6 months I've been treating myself

to a salon visit, to cruelty-free dye jobs & to the wonderful head massages they offer.

 

I am a firm believer in being kind to oneself...

life is hard, people can be very mean...so you must be kind and nice to yourself.

Don't you think?

 

 

So when I feel the push and pull and nagging sensations of stress and muckiness,

I will often go out and treat myself to something, it doesn't have to be big,

for me it's sometimes a new eyeliner, or a pretty new bra, or nice new undies,

or a pricey super big coffee from Starbucks (cause we finally got one here in town!).

Sometimes it's an hour of rummaging through Value Village for new blouses ...

Sometimes a new yoga dvd or a new plant for the house.

 

Whatever it is, big or small, whatever makes you feel better,

whatever picks your spirits up, DO IT!

and don't feel bad about it.

Treat yourself.

Be good to yourself

cause we're worth it and much much more.



Smile, the Hard Part is Over

Ahhhh...it's good to be back.

I don't think a 'real' blogger can ever stay away from their blog space for too long, ha ha.

Whenever I am away, my brain is making blogging notes and

I think constant "oh gotta tell everyone about this and that..." ha ha!

 

Anyhow...

I came upon this sign after climbing a steep set of hills,

you know the kind that makes you breathless, feel old, outta shape

and question what the hell your on this hill for, ha ha!

and

I loved it...

I thought 'ah why can't life give us more signs like this'....

just kind little reminders that we're over the hurdles...

that we're re-entering some calm space...

that we're tough nuts and can handle a lot all at once

& that all is well!

 

It's felt like a rough past few month to be honest.

I mean life is always tricky, there's always some kind of hurdle or another, daily most likely.

This isn't me complaining...it's just me sighing a big breathe of release and relief!

It's me recognizing that I've had a rough go.

Sometimes it's extra hard when you know you have some healing & mending to do but

you just don't have the energy or space or time to do so...things start feeling even more muddled.

 

 

Jinny getting super sick than dying and passing away in my arms

(was, as always so hard on us, body & soul).

I've been telling myself 'DO BETTER'...

when one of the rabbits is sick, just be better, deal with it better!

SO, I tried to keep my business up and in her final week, I had a big magazine article due &

well, it felt very tricky for me to navigate that with a dying animal at the exact same time.

Than on top of sore hearts, we worried over Jaks, he missed his girl, he was lonely,

his eating dropped, his poops got really small (which is not a good sign in bunnies).

Than I had a solo exhibition I was preparing for...which is easy for some but never for me.

Headaches have been in high gear, the new meds that I thought were helping seemed

to stop working and the insistent pain has just been leaving me feeling very depleted...

and even somewhat weary for spring & summer...seasons that typically take a lot of energy!

Than we had 3 new bunnies to settle in...which we are still doing...they are still very new.

Emmett doesn't feel like he's settling...

he wants a buddy but none of our little monsters are accepting him yet which has been well...rotten!

 

But today is feeling better.

Taxes are done and my April newsletter was sent out on time...(it's the little things after all, ha ha!).

I've been invited to showcase my portfolio with a very impressive (& intimidating)

collection of artists online, so that's being set up right now.

I was delightfully surprised with a phone call from CBC this morning wanting to interview me and get the dish on my show, yay (thanks again so much Jenifer, it was lovely chatting with you).

I've reconnected with some souls that were and are very dear to me so that's feeling good.

I am SO excited and happy with the work I am putting forth right now.

 

So yes...things are feeling better...

and the jazz is on & I have rabbits surrounding me & an afternoon for art ahead of me,

so it's a good good day.

 

How are you doing???

 

Happy Easter & A Tiny Break

Happy Easter Everyone.

I hope your all having a wonderfully cozy spring weekend.

 

Here's a new little inkling I got done whiles outside in the sunshine with a frolicking rabbit.

 

 

Well it's the last few chaotic days before I hang my exhibition & than taxes are due!

So to help myself out with the stress load I am going to take a break from blogging...

So I'll see you at the beginning of May with oodles of new images & goodies for my shop.

 

Have an amazing day and if you can give a bunny a hug XO

Rough & Tough

The days have been feeling long & tiring...

Bringing 3 new rabbits home in the same month has turned everything

topsy turvy for everyone in the house...not that we regret it...

it's just been the stormy part before we re-enter the calm part!

 

 

All 8 bunnies have spring fever & they've all been really naughty...

I've lost 3 favorite pillows in the span of 1 quick week, wall chewing is at a high,

 

 

Teela & Yuuji are waking us up at 5 or 6 in the morning,

which is a problem since we're both night owls & usually hit the hay around 2 or 3 in the morning!

 

 

6 of the buns are shedding like mad & vacuuming the whole house twice a day isn't even enough!

 

 

Bonding has been going terribly and well all at the same time...it's such a roller-coaster

and a real test of patience...luckily my honey has way more than I!

 

 

2 of the rabbits have allergies & need eye drops administered twice daily.

 

 

Headaches have been constant and

some personal disappointments in life have been had and are being worked through!

 

 

And there's only a few days left until I hang my 4th solo exhibition, so things are feeling stressful!

Will anyone come out to see my show? Will it be well received? Will I have enough work? etc..

 

 

It's been a couple of weeks that's been feeling rough & tough...you know those weeks!

Soon it'll all be good and smoothed out again...soon!

 

How are you doing these days???

NOT an Easter Present 2

Make yours chocolate...

 

 

Spread the word...



Stories, Dreams & In Between

Here's the poster and write up for my upcoming solo exhibition 

 

Spring is on its way finally!

We’ve been in this deep white freeze for much too long now

and Mandy Saile’s upcoming exhibition “Stories, Dreams & In Between” is the perfect way

to usher in spring with lots of fresh bright colours and an abundance of joyful whimsy.

 

With this collection of coloured pencil and mixed media works

Mandy will show mostly newer pieces but also a few of her older favorites as well. 

The theme is just as the title suggests, pictures about dreams; ones dreamt of and ones longed for, fantastical stories for a motley crew of quirky characters and a few images where the viewer

can decipher if the story is based in myth or truth or somewhere in between. 

This exhibition opens to the public in Gallery 1 of the W.K.P Kennedy Gallery

on April 26th with a closing reception on May 16^th

in conjunction with the Downtown Gallery Hop.

The artist will be present at the closing reception and loves to chat about her work.

Mandy encourages adults to bring their kids, for her images are for adults and children alike. 

 

Snow Play

How are things warming up in your part of the world?
 

The buns are enjoying the last of the white stuff though there's still enough of it I suppose!
 

 

Some days we can't get these fast and sneaky rabbits out of the snow fort, ha ha!
 

Have an excellent and happy weekend.