Dwight

I painted this yellow lab for my brother and sister-in-law for Christmas this year.  They have an adorable lab named Dwight and are expecting a baby this spring, so I kept the design simple and playful.  

We heart dogs in my family.

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Somewhere in Thailand

My best friend Lauren lived in Singapore for three months last year and Kyle and I were fortunate enough to visit her.  We explored Singapore for a few days and then the three of us country hopped to Vietnam and Thailand.

When in Thailand, we spent the day at an elephant sanctuary near the city of Chiang Mai and helped bathe and feed elephants.  It was an amazing experience and I think the three of us will never, ever, forget it.

Because it was so memorable, I painted Lauren a picture that captures a piece of the day.  You see, while bathing elephants, Lauren lost her favorite pair of sunglasses.  Specifically, the sunglasses she bought in Bali.  How many of us can say that?  So while we were supposed to harmoniously bathe the elephants, poor Lauren stressed herself out searching for the darn shades.

I hope this illustration captures the memory..

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Small frames

We visited friends in Fredericksburg, VA back in September and I picked up these charming mini-art pieces for our nursery.  Fredericksburg is full of antique stores - perfect if you're on the hunt for unique objects.

1. An antique needlework of "animal crackers?"  Yes please.  Once I got this home I painted the frame gray to blend better with our color scheme and to enhance the 'crackas.

  2.  This gem has a wizard!  I spotted the wizard first, and THEN I read the poem.  How perfect are these words for a little baby's room?

We like how these mini-art pieces add a special touch to Abel's room.

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Baby Abel's mobile

Sorry for the long absence but we've been pretty busy preparing for the arrival of our sweet baby boy, Abel Kye.  He was born Friday, November 23rd weighing 7lbs 12 oz and stretching out to 21 3/4 inches.  (So that's why his kicks were pretty brutal in my belly).

Prior to his birthday, I crafted up a storm in order to decorate his nursery.  One thing I definitely wanted to make was his mobile.  I researched a bunch of mobiles on etsy and blogs and came across one that I knew I could make myself.  Unfortunately, I did not save the link and cannot find the shop anymore!  Ugh- I'm sorry.  I'll keep searching.

Here's how I made the mobile:

1.  I drew woodland animals onto cotton muslin using black permanent pen.  I decided on a bear, a squirrel, raccoon, fox, and wolf.  Any animal would work but I liked choosing ones that lived in similar habitats.

2.  Then I cut around the drawing and sewed them to assorted cotton fabrics.

3.  Next I attached white string to the tops and tied the strings onto a white clothes hanger.  Sorry for the lack of pictures for this step, but you get the idea.  Just bend the hanger into a circle and tie the animals.

You can see the mobile hangs in front of a vintage painting.  The artist of this painting is actually my Mom as a high school art student.  She painted her boyfriend's football picture.  Her boyfriend? - my Dad.  

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend,

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Bear Scout

Finished up a painting in the wake of hurricane Sandy.  Meet "Bear Scout."  He' a 12x9" original watercolor.  

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Mug, cup, mug

16x12" acrylic painting on pastel board

New painting in the shop!

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Pine cone mobile

Yesterday, while bracing for Hurricane Sandy, I decided to make a quick centerpiece for our Thanksgiving table.  We're hosting Thanksgiving this year and I thought we needed a little color to our decor.  I collected four pine cones from our backyard (actually - I collected the four pine cones like a month ago and they've just been sitting on our dining room table annoying Kyle -sap and all).

I chose three colors of acrylic craft paint: Coral, Turquoise, and Cream (I didn't want the stereotypical autumn palette).  I painted the pine cones halfway - leaving a bit of their natural color on the top.  I wanted that effect but you could easily paint the whole cone.  Then I shellac'd the cones to seal and cover up a bit of the sap.  

Next, I hung the cones from our chandelier.  Super simple, quick, and fun.  

 Have a great day, and stay safe if you're in the path of the storm!

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