Friday, November 20, 2009

A Bit of a Detour....

If you've been reading here or following my work since waaaaaay back (pre-blogspot) you may remember when most of the art was of the four legged variety....cats, dogs, bunnies, and so on. Of course, I still include these creatures in my Halloween and holiday work, but it's been awhile since I painted the seasonal dog and cat signs for which I was known once upon a time.

Now, before I get too carried away, I should say this is only a detour, and there's more Halloween and holiday art on the way very soon. :) But being such an animal lover, I felt the need to paint a few dogs and cats again....It's really such a blessing to paint these creatures, and there isn't anything that expresses the peace and good will of the season quite like the unconditional love and overwhelming goodness of our four legged companions....

OK, I'll stop rambling now and show you what I've been up to, hehe.

An Australian Shepherd (what else? Cadie and Cosmo insisted this one be first)...

A westie...

And a Golden retriever angel...

These are all listed on eBay, but I'm thinking of taking a few commissions as well - only pre-orders for a specific pet, painted from photos. As I remember, one of the reasons I stopped painting these for eBay was the emails saying "I really like this one, but can you paint one just like it with different spots?" A person could go crazy trying to anticipate which breed and markings people want, haha.....But there really is nothing like capturing someone's beloved companion for posterity, and if the piece is painted as a memorial, it's truly a blessing to know it offers some comfort.

So stay tuned for just a few more of these, with some new Halloween and holiday pieces thrown in too. :)

On a personal note, I'm happy to share that John is FINALLY home! Our own four legged friends went absolutely BERSERK when he came through the door, and it was quite a job keeping them from leaping up with big claws all over his still-healing incision - yikes! They've been following him around since his arrival, as if they're afraid to let him out of their sight - sooooooo sweet.

For John's part, he's just happy to be home, and happy to have good tea again, having pronounced the tea at the rehab hospital "dishwater". Leave it to a Brit to tolerate hospital cuisine (using the term "cuisine" loosely here) but to complain about the tea, hehe...

Oh - and speaking of beverages, I'm completely smitten with this machine! A gift from my sister, who purchased a newer, less noisy model, it's my new favorite kitchen appliance. (I don't care so much about the noise level as long as it makes me a cup of cappuccino.) ;) Anyway, assuming you've been very good this year, you may want to consider asking Santa for one of these. It's seriously amazing. :)

OK, that's about it for now....I'll be back soon with photos of the new cat's pantry piece I'm working on. In the meantime, have a wonderful, relaxing and creative weekend!!

♥ Carolee

10 comments:

Sadia said...

Excellent work! and very expressive!

Jorge de Rojas said...

Carolee,
Most of all congrats on having your family back together, paws and all.

Zan Asha said...

Hi Carolee! Sounds like good news all around and wonderful work from you too! Big hugs and many blessings to your family :)

Danielle Barlow said...

oh, the dogs are lovely! Glad to hear John is back with you again :)

Janine said...

How very sweet and how nice you let the dogs instead of the cats tell us the season greatings.

Susan said...

I LOVE the new plaques with the doggies! You do an AMAZING job in the detail of the dogs.
Aren't dogs just the best at welcoming?? We have a Chow Chow and if you could here his crying when we pull into the driveway... I SWEAR he tries to talk. He rarely barks, but he makes up for it with his cries!
So glad you are all one happy family again, just in time for the holidays. Keep up the quick recovery and welcome back home, John!!

black eyed susans kitchen said...

Funny that you came up with these new paintings. I recently wrote a post about my old store, with lots of photos. I mentioned that you helped stock the store earlier on, and linked you to the post. I am so very happy to hear that John is home recuperating now. I think we do our best healing in our own homes with those we love taking care of us.
♥, Susan

Unknown said...

Oh so glad John is home and can have a proper cup of tea - we brits know how to make tea, I mean if it hadn't been for certain cups of tea, who knows what might have happened, eh John?

Dianie said...

Carolee,
I had to catch my breath when I saw these wonderful paintings! Your work is always magical and I am just speechless over these dogs.
It is so nice to hear that John is home and your family is together :)

~Diane

Nikki Strenger said...

Carolee,
I am so glad to hear that John is home and that you are able to relax a bit and enjoy this wonderful but sometimes stressful time of year.
The golden retriever angel is stunning and almost brought a tear. I just love the detail in your animals you really do capture the heart of our fur children. Wishes for a happy holiday season and I hope that John's recovery continues to go smoothly. I'm here to fur-sit when you need me.