"Marlie" our Carousel Horse is Complete

Our journey to bring Marlie to life began quite a few weeks ago....just a blank horse, beautifully carved but awaiting it's colour, life and character...

Diligently working alongside a handful of other talented and local carousel painters who were a complete delight to spend time with every week...our carousel horses, one by one came to life...

After a month and a half, the carousel horse that Arlie and I have been working on is pretty much complete. With a suggestion from my friend Maria, we have called it 'Marlie'.

We met at the gallery for pretty much 2 days every week, sometimes 3 to get it done during the carousel art exhibition.

Our time at the Alex Dufresne Gallery and Museum has been a great one. I want to send out a big grateful thanks to Carol and Christine, who welcomed us in warmly every time, fed us and warmed us up with coffee's and hot chocalate, and who forgave us when we destroyed their light grey carpet with a big pool of dark blue oil paint! Thank you so much for giving us a cozy and relaxing place to work on Marlie for the past month and a half. I will miss seeing everyone there every week, I truly will.

The horses are now on their way back to the carvers, to have the manes and tails attached. Then they will go into storage until sprin. In the spring they will receive any necessary touch ups, they will be 'antiqued' and than receive their final coat of varathane.

It has been a spectacular project to be involved with (again) and I am proud to have this 2nd carousel creation done along side my dear friend, mentor and adopted grandpa, Arlington Hoffman. We put much thought, love and good creative energies into these carousel creatures we help bring to life and we are proud that it's part of our legacy to our beloved city, North Bay.

Until we see you again in the spring Marlie, rest peacefully and happily in the creative enjoyment you were made with. And my thanks to Arlie for asking me to be his partner again.

To the beautiful and enchanting art and world of the carousel...may your live on and enchant the world forever...

Until tommorow....Be Well and May you find inspiration in everyday...such as in a carousel:D

Hidden Gem Back Home & A Scroll Saw

My coloured pencil painting "The Hidden Gem" is finally back home to us and we are so happy to have it back. This past weekend Jonathan helped me hang it in our entryway hall and we just both adore it's new home and agree that this one...after 60+ hours and me going cross-eyed twice, ha ha...is indeed not for sale.

(And no...the apples aren't just to look beautiful, ha ha, the rabbits and I just eat alot of apples.)

I am also so excited this week to have been given this awesome 18" Dremel Scroll Saw from Jonathan as an early birthday present (yep I'll be 31 on Sunday...yikes and yeah at the same time!) I have some new ideals for pieces and shop items and I really want to keep my business as independent as I can so the fact that I'll be able to cut my own things etc now on my beautiful new Dremel is so exciting.

Jonathan was so funny in his excitement to buy this for me...he said "How many guys get to buy tools for their wives..how cool is that..." ha ha. Thanks babe, I LOVE it and was happy to find a place for it in my studio even though I know you'd share your garage. I'll make you something extra special with it...and I am even going to learn how to change my own blades:D

So wish me a relaxing and fun Birthday weekend, I am looking forward to it, especially to the decadent cake I am quite sure my honey will be getting for me....I am sharing it with you all in spirit...Have a great weekend and see you here next week for the reveal of what I've been slaving on all week! Till then, Happy Creating. XXOO Mandy.

Monday's Monster Migraine & Carousel Gallery Photos

I planned to post yesterday but I was stuck in bed from morning till night with a monster of a migraine...it was not a good day to say the least. And still today, I have remnants of the pain, so I am moving slowly with no sudden motion and hoping that the pain will be gone totally after I do some yoga (after I am finished with this post).

This past Saturday was the opening of the Carousel Exhibition at the Alex Dufresne Gallery in Calander and it was a big success. It started at 3 and went till 5 and I don't think we could have fit many more people in, it was quite packed. I send a special thanks to my parents and friends who did take out the time to come and show your support, it meant alot to me.

So let me show you a few photos....

This is the horse Arlie and I are working on...

And here are the other 3 horses which Pat Stamp, Edna Scott, Beth Jackson and Pam Adams are working on...though we were suppose to be working on the horses during the opening, as predicted we didn't get much done.

This was one of my favourite pieces in the show, a painting by the talented Beth Jackson. I love this little miniature...the eyes are nicely done. And here is my piece..."The Hidden Gem" done in coloured pencil, the biggest one I've done yet.

It was hung to the right of two of Arlie's pieces and let me just say it's an honour to be on the same wall as this beloved talent. And with that I give you a glimpse into 'The Art of the Carousel" exhibition. Where Arlie and I will be working on the horse over the next month and where I hope too see some of you. The show really is a wonderful cross-section of our city's talents and worth the visit...many of the pieces are very reasonably priced also, for those of you looking for a new treasure for your homes.

Nugget Article & A Snippet

Hi again everyone. Good Thursday to you all. I really wanted to show you all the most excellent newspaper article my lovely and talented friend Maria Calabrese wrote.

It was in our local newspaper 'The Nugget' (for which Maria is a reporter) and in Saturday's issue. I love the photo she took of all of us working (here is a better version just in case your interested)...

In the photo from left to right is; Arlington Hoffman, Mandy Saile a.k.a. me a.k.a. Bijou, Joanne Comerford and her twin sister Janet Comerford.

It was so exciting to see the article taking up the whole page like that and I am honoured that she choose one of my photographs to use as the feature image...and I am tickled pink (yes again) by being given photo credit and at also being quoted in the article itself, the whole thing just really made my day. You did a beautiful job Maria, thanks a million times.

To read the full article please click here.

And now I just have to show you the adorable little glass critters that Maria surprised me with last week....

Maria, they will forever live happily on our fridge (the magnetic side that is....tee-hee!), thanks. Today, I also thought I'd show you a small snippet of a new image...I can't show you the whole thing yet as I am not quite sure yet if it'll be done in time for the exhibition but just to add some whimsy and colour into your day...

Sorry the quality isn't too great, the photo was taken in a dark room and I am feeling too lazy to turn on my full spectrum lights etc. but I am too anxious to share it to wait till tomorrow for a sunny time to snap another photo. Now, I am off to another busy studio day, but oh how lovely it is that I can indeed spend my whole day in my studio...I am truly blessed. See you all next week and don't forget to enter a comment and your name for the giveaway draw (see yesterday's posting for details). Caio and Happy Creating.