The North Bay Symphony Garden Tour

Hi everyone, I finally found the time to get some photos together about the North Bay Symphony Garden Tour I was part of a couple weeks back.

There are so many favourite shots from this beautiful day but here are a few to give you a feeling for the day, which was so wonderful. (and Jon is working on another mini site for this event so they'll be more to share there, I can't wait!).

I was in Arlington Hoffman amazing Garden & he had his fabulous watercolour work scattered in frames, on little easels throughout his garden, it was the perfect touch...

I was set up on a table underneath a tent, which I was so glad I brought because it got pretty hot that day.  I decided to work with abit of watercolour myself & started in on a coloured bird with flowers...

Here is a beautiful watercolour of Arlie's I had never seen of a tasty loaf of bread.  He has the ability to bring beauty & serenity to most quiet of objects...

I took so many photos that I think will be really lovely to work from in coloured pencil later on down the road & Jon took many great shots & lots of video as well...(thanks again babe).

There were musicians playing for a few hours in the morning & that was wonderful & added quite abit of charm to the day, especially these guys (Andrew Palangio & Erik Faucon) who played & sang more current & hipper songs...

Here is my pal Julie with my adopted grandpa Arlie & moi...Julie is one of my few local friends who I can always count on to come out in support & interest...Thanks Jules.

And Julie brought along her little sweetie-pie Poppy, who was a complete delight & really made my day extra special...

I had all of my work set up on a long table, under the tent.  I decided to display mostly watercolour work as that was what I was demonstrating for the day.  I also had a selection of art cards for sale & a book for people to sign up for my email newsletter.

It really was a great experience.  When they asked me to join in on the event, I said yes without really knowing what to expect but I am so glad I did.  The whole event & day was just lovely & completley relaxed (for a change) and I am already signed up to participate again next year. 

This 16th annual event helped to raise over $2600 for our local symphony & more than 400 hours went into volunteer time including the time of the artists, musicians, volunteers & hosts.  It was a wonderful event I am proud to have been a part of.  Thanks for having a look.

Life Is Good...Live It...A New Illustration

I am so excited about this newest illustration of mine. It is just pure good old coloured pencil on a brand new Arches paper I am trying for the first time & which I am in love with...

I had this sketched out ages ago, literally the design sat in my sketchbook for atleast 2 years, than last month I actually transferred it to the paper & when I saw that Illustration Fridays theme this week was 'double', I instantly thought of this image & that it was the perfect time to get it done & I am just so so happy with the colour & how playful yet peaceful the creatures are.  It was created slowly but surely because I had a pretty sore head whiles I worked away on this one & well I had to really make sure I was paying attention because coloured pencil is pretty unforgiving to mistakes but it was also made with the beautiful company of my sweet Ella Luna snuggled up to my feet almost the whole time I was colouring it so definatly it has extra good mojo:D....what do you think?

(Prints are available in my Etsy Shop)

We had the most fun evening at a friends party for an art exhibition opening, it was a gin & tonic party & I admit to never ever having one before...well now consider me a gin & tonic gal, ha ha.  We also had some rabbit drama today of Ella Luna & a ground hog holing up in the same burrow, that made for some serious heart palpitations & for one very super duper sonic speed bike ride home for Jonathan!  We are so looking forward to this weekend, it's going to be another great one, I can feel it:D  Be Well Lovely people, Be Well.

A New Mini Promo Site For Art On Main...

Instead of showing you a new picture this Wednesday, I couldn't wait to show you this new jem. My handsome & brilliant sweetie made another mini promo site for me. This one circles my involvement with Art On Main & our move to a new location this past June. It is of course for me & my business so therefore central to me & my work but I also think Jonathan did a nice job of highlighting the collective as a whole. I love how Jon made my decorative birdies into the buttons & he even included all the video from our opening night in cool little chaptered sections...

Jonathan put so much work & time into this...I always tell him not to but he says he enjoys doing these type of things for me & my business & well I sure do enjoy them as well...they are wonderful interactive photo albums that I can go back to when I want to remember a certain event. The first promo site that Jonathan did for me was for my solo exhibition in 2009 & it can be found here or on my sidebar.

I'd sooo appreciate you taking the time to check this new beauty out, browse around, have a look & than come back here & tell us what you think...we'd so appreciate any feedback, thanks everyone:D....and of course above all the biggest thanks to my sweets.

Art On Main's July Storefront

Good Monday everyone.  Firstly THANKS SOOO MUCH to all of you how have left comments on my last couple of posts, every single one means so much.

I hope your weekend was a good one...ours was amazing.  Jon & I finally went up to Toronto so I could see my best friend Judit & her cutie-pie 6 month old, that was such a huge huge treat.  I also got to stock back up on art supplies & despite the cost of it, that was nice.  Than on Sunday Jon and I went to one of the best concerts ever...a post on that coming soon, I can't wait to show you.

I am participating in Illustration Friday's theme of 'Double' this week, one of the images I had just conjured up is perfect for it...I should also have a sweet little mixed media bird to show you as well...so far that is what will be up for this week.

For today I'd like to share with you the lovely window displays at the artists collective I am a member of...these are July's windows and I am always so glad when my work is selected for the grouping...

That's 2 of my little funky fish originals swimming merrily amid the sand and other treasures....

Are any of you members of artists collectives??? if so do share a comment & give a link to your store/gallery.

Breakfast...

This week's theme/topic for Illustration Friday was 'Breakfast'...I am abit late but this is what my brain conjured up for that topic, ha ha...



When I showed Jonathan the final results this evening his first words were "Ohhh she's cool & kinda creepy..." which is exactly what I was going for, ha ha.

I don't know if this concept comes from my dislike of breakfast!...I've never been big on breakfast-y foods or eating early in the morning...my tummy is usually not ready for food till oh 12-2pm!!!

Or perhaps it was sparked from my sitting outside last night, after the war in my poor noggin subsided, I was sitting in my favourite rocker enjoying the cool evening breeze, wrapped up in a blanket with sketchbook on my lap as I watched all at the same time; Roo stretched out eating raspberry leaves, a chipmunk sniffing Ella's tummy whiles Ella munched on yarrow, a grey squirrel hanging upside down to get birdseed out of the feeder & 2 chickadees sitting side by side on a branch up above all this furry sweet action...all of this was happening without a span of a meter...wonderful, ha ha...so this illustration could also be stemming from my connection with nature & earth...hmmm one never knows what my whimsy filled brain will come up with.

(If Your Interested In Prints of This Illustration They Are Available In My Shop)

Hope you find her quirky & enjoy...have a wonderful weekend, see yous next week. XO M & the Buns.

Love and Support and Everything...Everything....

I am feeling very full and buoyed and I have to share...bear with me for some heartfelt gushing coming out of nowhere perhaps to you all but definitely from somewhere for me...

I know I am a handful...this creative biz and artistic journey that I am in is one that I've been heavily involved with for well almost my whole life, but definitely the past 20 years...it's incredible and I am beyond lucky to be on this path, I know this everyday but that being said, it's not easy by any stretch of the imagination...The ups and downs I experience as a very sensitive and very creative person take their toll, in bad ways such as much stress & migraines but also in beautiful delicious good ways...

Today I have to express how so so grateful I am because I have a partner who lifts me up when I spin and spin my rusty wheels into what I fear is a hole I'll never find my way out of! He picks me up, dusts me off...polishes my wheels till there shiny and inflated and than puts me down again to watch me and love me as I go either in the same direction, often back into that same hole, ha ha or in a totally new direction...

I am working so hard on growing my creative biz, I think I am burning myself out on some levels a bit but at the same time, that is my routine, it's how I work best quite often and I think I know I can work this way safely and come out on the other side even better because I have the unflinching support that I do.

I am feeling so overwhelmed, so fully fully supported in my creative struggles and successes...so utterly full of love and strength because of one person, and that amazes me...

It's almost unfair that one person could be everything...that one person can believe in us even more than we do in ourselves some days...there is no doubt in my mind that most of us creative types are incredibly strong, we have to be, to keep putting our hearts and souls into work that quite often is not wanted or used or sought after, etc, and we usually don't give ourselves enough credit...but today I send out thanks to one person...I am giving credit where credit is so incredibly due....

I feel like I am in constant warmth and care, that my obsessive tender little heart has the best home that it could ever possibly have outside of my body...I feel that my hand is always held and my worries & dreams always supported...

I am feeling so lucky...unbelievably lucky that all the craziness and creative uniqueness that is me, that all my insecurities and ego, that all my blissfullness and all my tears, and that all my demands and needs make me quite the hand full to deal with and shoulder...but you know, all of this, all of it is just turned back around to me to be seen as part of the magic that is me.  That the 'crazy' is loved just as much as the 'sane' lends to such a security...one that nutures even more creativity & dreams...

...'Wow'...I must shout out a big big 'WOW' and many many heartfelt happy heart sighs and the biggest ever and constant 'Thank Yous' to one unique artists dream, who knows who he is....XXXOOO

This Emmy Rossum song often hits close to home for me & never fails to strum on my heart & always reminds me of the unflinching support I have.

Fauna & FLora 2...a new illustration & print

On this lovely Monday I have a new illustration to show you all..."Fauna & Flora 2"...a coloured pencil on canson paper...the print looks fabulous & identical to the original, I love the print quality...

(Prints Are Available In The Shop)

I hope your week is looking good & bright & I hope this newest illustation of mine adds abit of loveliness to your day as well...see you all on Wednesday...Be Well.

Jinny & Jaks & Their Bivouwack...

I just wanted to hop in quickly today with a speacil hello from Jinny & Jaks...they said that they really wanted to show off one of their favourite things; their super cool fort & bed ala fresco...ha ha.  When Jon and/or I don't feel like we can keep a close enough eye on them out in the yard, we don't let them down but instead allow them to play on the deck, which is just off the kitchen...(Ella Luna & Roo have their own deck off the dining room, spoiled bunnies, yes we know:D) They love going out on the deck because one of us will build them a fort out of old bedsheets...or as Jon has always called them rabbit "Bivouwacks", ha ha...

...and some people think you can only have fun and build forts for human children;D...

Owl 2...a New Picture & Print

I don't have the post about the garden show ready quite yet so I am hopping in today to show you a new picture I just finished up. Another sweet owl...of the kindly vegetarian variety...it's a 5.5 x 5.5 inch coloured pencil with abit of paint added.

(Prints of this little guy (as well as the first little guy) are now available in my Etsy Shop)

You may have noticed that my posts are abit different...I am loving the bigger photo sizes but bare with me as I play around with the new blogger post template & try to get something fancier going on on my sidebars.  Some link back buttons are coming soon as well, for anyone who loves this beloved blog of mine & who wants to support and share with some link loveage.

We have officially started our summer holidays, I am so excited.  Jon takes his summer vacations off as 4 days weekends...and we have 2 months of them to enjoy & enjoy them we will indeed...I don't plan to take time off from my studio/work but if I do find I'll be absent for a few days I promise to give a heads up.

Hope you are all enjoying your summer as well.  Be well lovely people...see you in another couple days:D

Roo Boo is All Better...

It was either a milder case of g.i. stasus, a tummy ache...or the long days of intense heat in a house with no A/C that got Roo feeling not so great & not wanting to eat...But he was back to being his handsome bright eyed & bushy tailed lovely self (if not a wee bit fussy!) in the early hours of Monday morn...

...Just thought I'd pop in & tell everyone that all is A-Okay & now we're just catching up on much lost sleep, trying to rid our bodies of all the stress & tension and really looking forward to our next long weekend holiday...

...I am off to a movie date with my sweet mama, to see the 3rd installment of the Twilight series, ha ha I admit I can't wait, I love this series & devoured all 4 books in less than 2 weeks!...see you all very soon for a post about the garden show this past weekend...

p.s.  I just have to share the link for this beautiful Artist's Mantra reading...if your at all feeling pulled away from your art & wondering what it's purpose could possibly be in the grand scheme of things...listen to this, it's so beautiful & uplifting...and true.  Enjoy.

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!)

Wishing You A Happy Weekend...

...Just hopping in to send you all a "Happy Weekend" shout out from Ella Luna and Me...

...I am doing the Symphony garden show/fundraiser all day today, well from 10-4pm. I'll take lots of pictures so I can show you all what the event looked like...Wish me luck, I am not used to demonstrating my 'watercolour' skills in front of people, especially next to the master himself, Arlie Hoffman (if you click here you'll see Arlie's amazing work & 1 of the Carousel Projects we did together)...kinda nervous about that, ha ha but looking forward to the day. Be Well everyone, see you Monday....

A New Picture...Screech Owl

Hopping in today to show you my newest image, a serious little owl done in coloured pencil on paper with abit of white paint added, measuring at only 5 " x 5". I finished this little guy over the weekend and though part of me thinks I shouldn't draw owls because well in real life their diet does consists largely of rabbits, I still can't help but find owls fascinating and incredibly beautiful, hence this one...maybe we can dream up that this one perhaps is of the vegetarian sort or perhaps allergic to rabbits! ha ha...

Prints of this guy are now in the shop in your interested.

A bad migraine set in late Monday night and so I've been having a rough couple days because it just won't go away and in the middle of this heat wave, well let's just say it's starting to wear on me now, so this post will be short. If it gets better I'll post again tomorrow, if not you'll know why I am absent...I just hope it goes away in time for this Saturday for the Symphony Garden Tour where I'll be demonstrating my skills for 6 hours in the sun!

p.s. I just won a beautiful & generous giveaway over at my dear friend Michelle May's Blog "Tales of The Raspberry Rabbits"...I am so surprised and so excited, ha ha. Thanks sooo much lovely Shell. Shell & I might have a very exciting project cooking up together and well today I am just feeling so grateful to all the kindred spirits & beautiful souls I've met through my blog & blogland...hugs hugs hugs. Shell has a wonderful blog with many amazing giveaways, she is a fellow rabbit lover & makes the most beautiful stitchery patterns/kits, so do make sure to hop on over to her spot in blogland...

p.p.s. I am included in a great giveaway over at the fantastic RikRak blog, check it out here.

Just Some Life...

Jonathan and I love living in a beach town...sure it has lots of negatives like lots of kill-bambi type of losers, a serious lack of vegetarian restaurants and being a solid 4 hours drive from any major hub BUT it has lots of benefits too like lots of deep green forests & numerous fresh water lakes all around...oh and being able to drive not even 20 minutes away to pick over 20 litres of strawberries...

...and getting to take a fun tractor ride out to the fields...

...here's my honey on the wagon with me:D I was abit worried because he's still recovering from a major back pull, but he did great.....

...I got such a kick out of this giant straw man, I just had to have Jon take my pic with him...too cool:D...ha ha...

...and of course Jon is forever teasing me about my draw/pull to water...what can I say, I am happiest & most calm when I am near it...it's like my skin can sense when water is near by..seriously!...

...we had lunch by this view one afternoon this weekend....

...and many other lunches at one of our favourite new spots called "The Narrows"...we plan to bring our kayaks here as soon as we get em:D....

...and what could be better but to close an awesome weekend with a double rainbow....ahhhh a good omen for further goodness to come I am hoping....

This was abit of our last weekend & the perfect soundtrack from it still echoes in my head....how was yours??? what did yous do? See you soon with another new illustration...

New Illustration "Fauna & Flora 1"

I am so excited to show you all one of my newest illustrations. This little sweetie is suppose to be our beautiful Jin. When she was sick a few months back, I was doing some sketching to keep myself from going crazy with worry and the drawing has been sitting there in my sketchbook calling to me and whispering 'come on, colour me already, I bet I'll be something extra sweet...' and well I think it turned out to be just that...I love the simple message, I love the soft colour, I love the serenity in it and that sweet delicate little birdie, & of course the subject matter, ha ha...What do you all think? I think more of these little beauties are to be conjured up...

(Prints are now available in the shop. The original however has been adopted, by me! ha ha.)

I hope you all had a great weekend...we sure did, (I'll share some photos soon), despite the heat we still managed to jump in the car for a few hours of adventuring, we spent lots of time by the water, had some great meals, picked over 20 litres of strawberries which included a super fun tractor ride, ha ha and we also fit in lots of gardening, yard work and most importantly of course, the buns got oodles of time outside, so needless to say we're all somewhat pooped but ready to head into this Monday & what will be a very busy week with happy hearts. Thanks for hopping in...come again soon, I've got lots of new stuff to show you all. XO Bijou & The Buns.

My First Ad Spot...

I am soooo very excited to have purchased my first ad spot ever...I feel good things coming creative biz wise, I really do because here is my theory; to buy any kind of ad space at all you must have confidence & believe in your own work...if you believe in your own work you most likely envision & plan wonderful things for your creative biz...and if you really truly believe & positively envision all kinds of goodness than the universe will/must respond kindly & positively and send more great things/opportunities and abundance your way...that's my current positive thought process/hope anyhow, ha ha... As soon as I popped into Krista's awesome RikRak Blog I was hooked. I just instantly liked the feel and find it to be hip but calm, creative yet clean and abunch of other great things...I think it's just the place for my first little ad spot, yayyyy, ha ha...

what do you think? I wanted it to be very simple but catchy, do you think it is?

Just wanted to pop in and share this bit of goodness with you today. See you Monday, where I'll show you that rabbit illustration I was mentioning earlier, oh I love it so...Have a great weekend everyone XO Mandy a.k.a. Bijou of Bijou's Whimsy...oh and of course XO from the Bunnies too!

A New Mixed Media In My 'Celebration' Series

This little series of mine was started from something as simple as having a craving to paint with acrylic paint on illustration board. Than it seemed natural that the designs were well suited for birthday cards etc but I didn't want to pigeon hole these birdies of mine, they seemed more life lesson-y/life celebratory to me...hence the name "Celebration" series...

....You can see the first in the series if you click here... ...These two cuties share a message which I think is a good one and that is "You Can Learn More With Two Different Perspectives Than With Just One..."

...Now, don't you think that wording is nicer and more interesting than just a 'Happy Birthday'...I do...

( ...Prints of this new illustration o' mine are in the shop now...)

...I've drawn and just finished colouring in the sweetest little bunny with birdie...I can't wait to show you. Be Well all and thanks so so much for popping in and extra thanks to all of your sweeties who take time to leave me a message/comment, I can't tell you how much they make my day.