Jaks Jelly Bean

I finally finished up the portrait of Jaks Jelly Bean...I am pretty content with it.

I just have to clean up the scan & then I'll be seeing what Society6 products it looks good on.

Progression Of A Portrait: Missy

Here is another recent portrait

in memory of a dearly departed dog named Missy

Here is some of the progression...

I love this one...I think I captured her essence pretty perfectly.

(If your interested in portraits of your fur babies just message me Whimsy@MandySaile.com)

and keep an eye out for a YouTube video we hope to soon put together.

Progression Of A Portrait: Zoey

When it was time to do a custom portrait I was more than happy to

break out the old pastels after a long time away from them.

This is a portrait of a puppy named Zoey

want to see some of the progression?

 

I love drawing animals, probably more than anything else.

Being able to capture a precious soul and family member on paper for people is a lovely feeling.

If your interested in portraits of your fur-family just send me an email Whimsy@MandySaile.com

We are currently working on a short little video for YouTube on the making of this portrait.

This Little Face

People wonder why I am always in a hurry to rush back to our house & home...

 

 

...it's because I have this little sweetheart waiting for me...no better reason in my books!

Cabbriel

Whiles the golden sun set in my upstairs studio

and with a honeyed blueberry tea and sweet bunnies napped near my feet,

I finished up this new little painting.



Here's how he came about...

Do you want to help me name him???

Ideas anyone??? just put your suggestions in the comments section.

........

P.S.  Well just a few names were suggested...Moon Glow, Clover, Aussie, Aurora...
But I like the name my friend Aline suggested 'Cabbriel'...so I'll go with that, it suits him I think.

Prints of 'Cabbriel'  will be available in my Etsy shop soon.

Happy Birthday To My Mom

I am going to show you an old illustration of mine today...Her name is...

"Miss Penelope Posy"

(she is the character of a story I have kicking around in my noggin)

I am showing you this illustration because I know that she is

one of my moms favourites.

and today is my awesome mom's BIRTHDAY...YAYYYYY...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM...

I

LOVE

LOVE

LOVE

YOU

We all do...

XXXOOO Me & Jonathan & Ella Luna & Roo & Jinny & Jaks XXXOOO

(Psst...Only a few more days to enter your name for my original birdie giveaway)

New Painting

I just managed to complete this tiny new painting before a bad headache set in (more on that this Friday).  I've been away from my bunny imagery for far too long...I guess I've been preoccupied with birds lately (which will continue for abit longer since my upcoming solo exhibition is called 'Birds Of A Feather').  I think this little guy is really quite sweet & somehow seems like he's lite from within by starlight & moonshine.

I think I am going to be naughty & keep the original for myself.

I haven't decided on a name for him yet...any ideals?

XO Mandy & Queen Ella-Luna

(Update:  His name finally revealed itself...his name is "ELU")

Portrait

I hope everyone had a great weekend.  For us, it was the perfect weekend to just stay home, catch up on bunny snuggles, read, sketch & watch old movies.

Anyhow, time to show you something new....a portrait...

I LOVE doing portraits but hadn't done any for a long time so I thought it was high time to make one.  I decided on a portrait of the beautiful dog, Tassie, that my parents used to have.   

Most of my portraits have been in black and white (you can view them on my website if your interested)  this is only the 3rd portrait I've done in full colour...and the first one done strictly in coloured pencil.

I am quite happy with how it turned out and my folks loved it. 

I am going to make sure I do more portraiture in 2011.

Happy day to you all...XO M & Ella Luna, Roo, Jinny and Jaks.

Pond Frog

A new picture....this one is coloured pencil on a pine block...

I am loving the slightly darker tones that my coloured pencils are getting when worked on raw wood.

I think in the middle of all this snow, cold & head pain, my body is craving to relax in the embracing warmth of summer, hence this summery image in the middle of winter, ha ha...

(The next 2 shots turned out abit light...)

The original is 6 x 6 inches and will be for sale at the Gallery I show at here in North Bay...but if your interested in purchasing it just shoot me an email at mandysaile@bijouswhimsy.com

Prints will be available in my ArtFire Shop and my Etsy Shop...

What do you think?  is is making you long for summers warmth too....

XO Mandy & 4 Oatmeal Crisp Munching Bunnies

Owlette Owan

Hi everyone, just hopping in today to show you a new creation.  I cut out some owl shapes from kiln dried pine quite a few weeks ago, I did about 10 of them & I had a ball designing each little character to be completely different from the next...and just last week I got around to painting the first little guy...

This series is called "Owlettes" and this little guys name is "Owan"...

I did this piece in acyclic and coloured pencil on gessoed pine.

 I am not sure yet if I'll bring the originals of this series to the gallery, to the City Streets Sale or put them up for adoption in my Etsy shop but until I decide I did just put a print version of him in my Etsy shop...

Thanks sooo much to everyone for the lovely birthday wishes, I had the best day and am feeling very very loved, lucky and completely spoiled in the studio today:D

See you all Saturday with Novembers giveaway. 

Have a wonderful day.  XO M & The Messy Buns.

The Chippy Is In The Shop...

Happy Monday All...thanks for all the well weekend wishes & the oodles of recent comments & new followers, all of this so makes my creative days, thank yous.

The Garden Tour was a success...I only sold $10.00 worth & only had 1 person sign up for my mailing list!...BUT the point was just to enjoy a beautiful day in a beautiful garden amongst some lovely people & that was defiantly achieved in abundance so the day was indeed a success (except for Roo getting sick again & me sitting there worried sick & Jon constantly going back & forth between me & him.  We are now sleep deprived & not so much enjoying our very first weekend holiday but c'est la vie...and yes please do send Roo-Boo some extra good mojo...). 

Back to some art stuff...The little coloured pencil chipmunk that I did awhile back is now available in the shop as a sweet print.  We have such a cutie pie living under our pond decking & we love having him scurry around because he really isn't a nuisance like the squirrel...who was recently running rampant in my studio and actually jumped on my head & dug his pointy little nails into my scalp as he catapulted himself off me!...did I tell you guys about that?!.....

(Click here if your interested in a print.  The original is already sold.)

In other news, I celebrated last Thursday because I finished up Kelly Rae Roberts Taking Flight ecourse, it was so good and I am so glad I took the leap, splurged & got involved.  I needed a lift of inspiration & just someone to punch me on the shoulder and say "Heh, keep at it...things are gonna happen...good things will come', so I always work hard but lately I've been working even harder, I can more fully celebrate all the tiny little accomplishments, I still have oodles to do but everything is feeling pretty good even when I am swimming in those all too frequent negative days!...but as I continue on this creative journey I am reminded often to be kind to myself, especially in the moments of friction & stress, I feel good about my work & the direction it's taken, I feel confident in promoting myself more these days, and good things are happening, even if by small steps and at a slow pace, because it's at this small & slow pace that I am able to be in the position of doing this full time at the time being...I am proud to be on this creative journey, and right smack dab in the middle of all it's incredible turbulence and remarkable beauty...I am feeling grateful.

I am taking tomorrow off to spend the day with my honey but join me on Wednesday for a new post.  XO M & The Bunnies...who are very glad that the heat wave has finally broken, (we think this is why Roo got sick!)

Tiny Love Rabbit...

Hi Everyone, hope your long May 24 weekend was a great one. Ours was very good (except for a bad headache Friday and a piece of glass finding it's way deep into my foot late Friday night so I couldn't walk on it till I finally got it out late in the day Saturday, ha ha!), other than those draw backs we got loads done, relaxed lots, ate lots of yummies, spent alot of time out in the yard with the buns and I of course am always happy to have my man home for 3 days instead of just 2. So yeah on Friday my head was pretty sore, I wasn't able to move around much until 2 in the afternoon, at which point I dragged myself outside into the yard with Jinny and Jaks with my coloured pencils and supplies and conjured up this little cutie...

First I tried him in this sweet little green frame...but this is one of my favourite frames that I didn't really want to sell...

Than I tried him in this other frame and I think he looks great in it...it's at the gallery right now...but I am honestly perfectly fine if no one wants to buy him cause I'd love to bring him home again, ha ha...

Do you guys think I should add this one to the prints in my Etsy Shop????

It's super hot here lately and with any super hot days the house is darkened with blinds and curtains pulled and doors and windows shut, in an attempt to keep things cooler for the buns...it's always so lovely in the evening to open things up wide again, to romp around the yard with the rabbits in the dusk of a cool evening whiles we cook our dinners outside instead of in...ahhh the simple blissful routines of summer:D

New Picture

I finished this cutie pie in coloured pencil last week and I really enjoyed stepping away from 'my style' for a few hours and working on something more realistic from one of my old photographs. This was a little chipmunk that frequented our yard for a couple years and he was blind in one eye, he was so sweet...but I guess all chipmunks are! The original is already sold but a print will be available shortly in my shop and in card format at Art On Main in the next couple of weeks. ..as you can see it was created in sunlight and bliss one sunny bunny filled Saturday afternoon...

...here's a shot not quite at the half way point....

That's about all I have to share for today....Have a great day everyone.

My 100th Post

Today is my 100th post and I am celebrating it with a giveaway. So here is the deal; anyone who leaves a comment on this specific posting over the next two weeks will be entered into a draw to win this signed and titled print by moi...

I will have a trusted friend draw the lucky name on Sept 9th 2008. Then I will ask for your mailing address and promptly get the print into the mail and on it's way to the winner. Good Luck.

In other news today...I purchased some Main Showcase spots on Etsy this past week and it always tickles me pink to see my work among other talented artists. (My 'Pink Jinny' was the main image for this showcase spot).

and for those non-Etsy browsers out there, here is a look at what it looks like when you click on my square...

I have already noticed a jump in viewership over at the shop so that makes me happy. Tune in on September 4th where I'll be in the showcase again...this time most likely featuring the felt stars.

Time to get on with things...I need to recuperate from just having spent almost 200 bucks on framing materials, yikes! I know the old adage of 'you need to spend money to make money' but it doesn't make it any less painful to know that that adage is indeed true! Be Well everyone, Happy Creating and hopefully we'll 'see' you all here again tomorrow.

Friday's Here With An Older Illustration

Good Friday Everyone. We've had a few lovely days full of sunshine and thankfully not-intolerable heat but today is gloomy and looks like it will rain any minute which I am actually happy about because I have too much to get done to worry about the outdoors beckoning me to 'come hither' ha ha.

Since I've been busy with some other secretive things:D which I can't share with you this week...let me show you another old favourite of mine "Home" which is the coloured pencil study for one of my most favourite paintings that I've done so far...here's the painted version...which my friend Maria will attest to that it's defiantly not one for sale, I just can't seem to part with it.

This version was done years later in acrylic on canvas and it's about 2 x 3 feet. It was one of my very first paintings that I didn't show to many people and aside from it's subject which hits home for me (at the time all Jon and I wanted was a little house near the water that we could live in peacefully and blissfully and fill with rabbits:D....we got our wish years later:D) whenever I look at this painting I am reminded of the joy I had in making it, the excitement that came with working with paints...well I just think that it's important to keep reminders around like that so I refuse to part with this piece and it happily lives in my main studio.

I welcome all of you to hyperlink images to your most favourite and not-for-sale inspirations in the comments section following this post.

Well, I really must get going...my studio needs attention....serious attention actually and some added twinkle lights and pink paint I am thinking, I promise to share photos of my studio someday soon. Also, today my dad is getting back home, yay...so we'll go meet him at the airport.

With that I bid you all a fantastic fantastic Friday...don't forget I'll be doing a Saturday post this week for the "Mad Tea Party".