Feeling Alittle Blue...

I don't feel like working this week so please kindly excuse to lack of new work! I've been catching up emails, organizing computer files and sketching but mostly I've mostly been huddled up with a)my honey b)my bunnies c)The 1st and 2nd Twilight books which I can't put down! and d)some BigFish computer games which tells you my brain needs a break because I hardly ever play video games, ha ha! But I think I just needed a bit of a break after a good 2 solid very busy months on the exhibition work and I think my blue mood started late last week when we had to go pick up Hazel's ashes...picking up ashes for any lost loved one would throw anyone for a loop I think...it's just hard to even lift that box and think that it's some form of our beautiful Puddy-Pie in there...oh it's hard on my already soft heart...and than today I came across the very last photo I took of Hazel, by accident, I was photographing some necklaces on the window bench and suddenly as I clicked Hazel stuck her gorgues little face in the shot, ha ha...she was always doing things like that...oh how I miss her...and I just had to share this precious last shot because I am starting to learn that my blogging community appreciates my tender heart and my life and journey with our beautiful bunnies... I don't think it helped either that my fancy tail goldfish 'Bali' who graced me with his orangy sparkly loveliness for over 9 years passed away slowly and finally last week...RIP Bali, you were an awesome little fish....see I even get attatched to my goldfish! Now I only have 1, Tigger...who I feel bad for and wonder now if he's lonely in there all by himself!

I know the answer to get out of this mood and its to dive into work so I am off onto a new series...this one is a series of birds, I am excited to see how they turn out, they'll be mixed medias on floating boards, there going to be 8 'normal' ones and 4 or 5 birdies with hats. The originals will hopefully be ready in time for me to hang in my AOM space for the fast approaching holiday season!...I think abunch of evenings working on these near a roaring fire with the beloved remaining babies is called for right now indeed....

Hugs to all of my fellow tender hearted bloggers...Have a cozy fall day...it's freezing here! and if I stay in my studio too long I can't move my fingers!!!

Featured On Judit Gueth's Blog

I guess it's not a big surprise to being featured on Judit's blog since we're best friends, ha ha. But I appreciate it very much nonetheless. We had a wonderful visit in September, she only makes it up to North Bay once a year but our time is always very precise and anyways, I gave her some goodies from my studio and she sweetly put them on her blog in September...check it out here or click the image below.... Thanks again Judit...I told everyone I was way behind in my posts, ha ha. Check out Judits wonderful wares at http://www.juditgueth.com/ .

Happy 16th To My Love and Light...

I can't let today go by without one speacil shout out, for it is 16 years ago on this day that Jonathan and I went on our first date and 16 years from this date that we've officially and happily and blissfully been tied at the hip:D Happy Anniversary to my Jonathan, my bunny daddy, my love and my light...Happy Anniversary my love, XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX Your Bijou & Bella.

New Illustration "A Most Accomodating Hostess"

I am so excited to finally share the last of the new images created for "A Woman's Work"...this one has been floating around in my head for ages and I am so happy with how it turned out, plus I've never drawn mice before and they were alot of fun. I think the story is fairly clear in this one but I'll leave it up to yous to find the story:D

A print is available here. The bunnies are all cozy, Ottmar Liebert is blasting from my stereo, it's a chilly fall day outside and extra cozy in our little warren...happiness is flowing today and so is the creativity, so back to my work I go:D...Have a great weekend everyone...I think we'll be spending some time outside cleaning up before the snow hits! Be Cozy, Be Warm and Be Well All. P.S. Someone sent me this video on sand artist Kseniya Simonova, it's quite different and the music makes it very dramtic...I am not a big fan of youtube thus far but sometimes it's good to find interesting new things like this...enjoy!

New Illustration "The Lock and The Key" & More...

Hi everyone, thanks soooo much for all of the wonderful comments on my recent posts, especially for your feedback about my opening. Comments really make my day and I appreciate every single one. Finally! I feel like I am starting to find my own community in the big blogosphere and that is really exciting. I wanted to pop in and share a few things...first being a new illustration, well it was for my exhibition so you probably saw it in the show photos but I really wanted to post a full version here today. I am really happy with this one and I am honestly glad that it hasn't sold so far at the exhibition, but than again I was to keep all my rabbit-y images! ha ha. It is called "The Lock and The Key"...it's about a woman and her beloved bunnies and the knowledge they pass back and forth between each other and the beauty they hold for one another and that together in those things, they will find their way to better understanding and place of being...make sense? ha ha. The banner reads "...They are the Key...through the door...together... we will go...and I am the Lock..."

A print is available here.

I think after the opening my body said 'Ah Ha...Now you have time to be sick...' so I've been abit under the weather fighting some flu-ish symptoms, headaches, rainy aches, a really bad neck crink and just really needed to recharge my physical battery...goodness knows the creative battery is still running very strong:D...so I've been working some yes indeed but mostly taking it easy, reading and just snoozing with my heating pad and of course the best medicine around...snuggling with a bunny:D

I must again mention the amazing web promo Jonathan made for me to promote my show. Well he surprised me yet again but adding a few new things. If you go to the reception section, you'll see that he included abit of video from the night...where he inset the video in a poplar frame to match my work than he found a lovely little song to add than turned it to black and white which he knows I love....AND THAN!....I did a radio interview and he took that interview and included it as well and as you listen to the interview a montage of lovely photos flick by...wow, I am so blown away. He has created this amazing and complete and touching little package for me and years from now I can go back to this link and relive the evening. I knew that he was working on a secret project the past couple of nights, ha ha but all of this just blew me away. Do check out the wonderful additions here...and tell me what you think of my radio interview:D

I have so much to share and I am behind on posting but I think that's about all for today...Have a wonderful day everyone and thanks so much for your support and taking the time to pop in. XOXO.

A Woman's Work Opening Reception Was A Great Success...

My solo exhibition "A Woman's Work" opened this past Saturday night and I am so so pleased with how it went. Oodles of people couldn't be there to help me celebrate but oodles of people were there with bells on and I was so so so filled with love and happiness and felt so so so supported by all who came, thank you thank you thank you...and this will be somewhat of an indulgent post but here we go... I do wish someone had told me my top buttons were popping open, ha ha...they were just fine before I spent the night hugging everyone honest:D!....

Here is me with my sweetie-pie niece Karly (on the right!:D) I am so glad she got to see her auntie in action...

My lovely friends Becca and Darren promised to be there and they were...

Here's my mom taking a look at my work...

I was so so happy to have my friend and inspiration and mentor and high school art teacher Dave Carlin there...he's a big reason why I became an artist, he was my original inspiration on this artistic journey of mine and one of my original nurturer's, he brought me a bouquet of flowers too, wow:D.....the night wouldn't have been quite the same without my dear old Dave there...

I was happy that my brother, Steph was able to make it out, he misses alot of my art stuff cause he's just so busy with his own stuff but this was a biggie for me and I was honoured to have my talented big brother there in support.

Here's moi with Dave being silly as always, that's my dad in the back and my brother on the right.

I made my brother lift his pant legs to show off his tattoo work.

The Gallery AOMer's put out a nice spread for me, thank you Pat, Edna, Rosemary and Michelle...and Jonathan and my mom for added in some goodies as well...

I love this shot of our dear friends Kirk and Jessie, their enthusiasm is always contagious.

Here's me and pal Leslie, and I was so grateful that she took time to come out and drive abit of ways too before she had to leave to here her dad play a gig that night...

And I was so so touched that some dear friends like Judith here zoomed all the way down from Toronto just in time to be able to support and celebrate with me, wow:D thanks guys...

Here's me and my mom in front of my members display (which I am so anxious to completely change very soon).

This is mousy little me, ha ha with my beautiful friend Jana, I blogged about Jana before, she's a jeweler and fellow AOMer and also made a long trek in for my show which was touching.

Hugs, Hugs and more hugs, ha ha....here's me with my dear Shelley, she was out for my last solo exhibition years ago and I was so happy to have her with me again...

Jonathan's aunt Lynn completely lifted my heart but showing up and being a lovely support....

Here is my dear friend Michelle and also fellow AOMer, we've spent alot of time together in the past weeks, she helped me alot and I was so happy to have her there to share the night and to be my date for the after party.

I was blown away to have Keith Campbell there, he's a dear, a friend, and I really wish I had a tape recorder to record his incredible comments and insight into my work, wow, ha ha...he made my night special as well.

Here's me with Kirk and Jessie again....they were patient and good enough to stick around the whole evening.

I was happy to have another fellow AOMer there and insanely talented wood carver Michael Mathieu there with his beautiful partner, thanks for coming guys:D...

And I love this shot of me with Terri Campbell and my new lovely kindred spirit Tracey Walsh, ohhhh you two added so much to the evening, thank you thank you thank you..

Here is Tracey and her partner whom I hope to meet again soon, signing my guestbook, I can't wait to see what everyone wrote, yay!....

The kids of course gorged on the sweet treats:D

I love this shot of my mom laughing with Jessie and Shell, my mom never misses one of my art openings, never....

and of course the evening wouldn't have been complete without having my dear adopted grandpa Arlie there as well.

My buddy John Weiss was a sweetheart to come out and he got some emotional, it made me emotional, ha ha, he was so proud of me and thinks of me as one of his babies having been my kick-ass junior high school arts teacher. I was touched by John's words, reaction and presence.

An artist often wonders if they've made certain people proud and with John I have no doubts, thank you for that John.

My pal, the lovely Kelley Allen came of course, I was hoping she would:D

Here's moi with my extended family, Shelley and Dean. Dean is Jonathan's best friend and 'brother from another mother' ha ha and they amazingly but not surprisingly:D stayed right to the very very end and even helped clean up, thanks guys.

That's me! giddy to finally be able to have a cup of sangria towards the end of the night!

The only thing missing is the most important person, the amazing guy who was behind the camera all night long, my Jonathan....the opening photos are not complete without of shot of me with him:C we were just so busy and pooped by the end we just forgot to get a shot of us. But Jonathan knows he is the biggest, most important, most amazing and complete support this little artist could possibly ask for....so thanks baby....thanks everyone, I know I am missing photos of alot of people, but I was fully aware of who was there and I am just so very very touched and feeling very full and blissful in the good company I am surrounded by in this little city of ours. Thanks again everyone.

A Brillant Surprise & Support From The OAC

I am so pleased to receive an exhibition assistance grant from The Ontario Arts Council. The OAC is an agency of the Government of Ontario and has been supporting the Arts in Ontario for many years. The grant will help cover some of my costs towards the framing of all 14 pieces in this exhibition of mine. Thanks OAC, I really appreciate it. Also, on top of working tirelessly and doing an amazing job on my frames, Jonathan completely surprised me the other day with this fantastic promo ad web thingy he put together for my exhibition. I am almost as excited, if not more so about this new visual treat than my whole exhibition, ha ha for I love it when he conjures up this stuff, it seems a perfect marriage between his talents and mine. He's such a wonderful, amazing and insanely supportive partner and I thank him a million times over...Click here to view the ad or click on the image below.

After this evening, we'll stick some of the reception photos in the 'reception' spot on this fantastic little web thingy, so you can check back for those. Afterwards it will find a permanent spot somewhere on my new website...which we've both been working very hard on (though of course mostly on Jonathan's part being the computer/design guru/genius that he is). The new website will be launching VERY SOON, I am SOOO excited:D Tonight is my opening wish me luck. P.S. Don't you think the promo ad is brillant:D????

Mandy Saile A Woman's Work Solo Exhibition is now up

It was a very successful day at the Art On Main gallery with the hanging of my exhibition.

(Just ignore the ugly brown and grey folding wall! I tried draping it with fabric but that seemed to make it stand out even more...it's the only thing I had no choice about unfortunately.)

What do yous think?

So after two months of hard work I am breathing my first sigh of relief now that it's all hung and looking great. I'll sigh another breathe of relief if my opening is full and busy and I'll sigh a third breathe of relief when my work is back home safe and sound (hopefully minus a few due to sales, ha ha!) for it feels very odd to suddenly have a good chunk of my favourite work out of the house and either in my AOM Member space or in this solo show.

P.S. I created a little Press Release here.