Of Critters, Colds and Commissions :)

It's only been a couple of days, but I have much to tell, so this will be one of those posts that's just all over the place (kind of like my addled brain lately, hehe) As some of you know, John makes good natured fun of me, describing my thought process as "X plus Y equals.....Oh look - a butterfly!"

Where was I?

Oh yes, Critters. I've been having so much fun painting cats and mice lately, I'm afraid I've neglected Halloween for Valentine's Day...I'll be back with a few spooky, witchy, wicked pieces very soon, but in the meantime, I want to share what I've been up to....

I had soooo much fun with this one, especially the outfits on the little mice - kind of like when I was a kid and would sit for hours drawing costumes for paper dolls. (Anyone remember paper dolls? Do kids still play with those? I hope so)...

And this one, similar to the trinket box you see in the previous post, which sold on the PFATT Marketplace. There was so much interest in the little teacup mouse, I painted one more on my very last box and listed it on eBay so everyone would have a fair chance to grab it...

It's titled "Sweet Dreams". :)

Which brings me to my not-so-sweet dreams of late, due to a nasty headcold I seem to have picked up from John, who's had a bad case of bronchitis for the last week or two. Ugh - I hate headcolds, and consider the most effective treatment to be a combination of Airborne, echinacea tea, zinc and DENIAL. And with a wicked cool Victorian Steampunk party at my friend Hugh's house this weekend, I'm determined to get over this. I want to party like it's 1899. ;)

Moving along, I want to add a few words about commissions. You may have noticed the little blurb on the upper right about the special order process, the beginning of a more in depth cautionary policy I need to write for new customers...You see, much as I love creating a piece with someone specific in mind, I've made a resolution of sorts this year to steer clear of repeating old designs. The fact is (and any artist will tell you this) the best work happens with fresh inspiration and the least amount of direction. It begins with the spark of an idea, a general theme, and from there it's a leap of faith on the part of the artist and the commissioner. So basically, if you're the trusting sort, and are OK with letting the magic unfold, I'll accept your order. If you want to manage the process and details, I'm probably not the artist you want. X plus Y equals "Oh look - a butterfly!" and all of that. ;)

Finally, I've had a few collectors send me photos recently, showing my work in it's new home!! I ♥ LOVE ♥ this!! It's such a blessing to know something I created is part of someone's holiday display or everyday world, but to actually SEE it makes me grin from ear to ear. It also gives me butterflies to see my work displayed with that of other artists I admire. :)

So next week I'll begin a series of posts sharing how some of you display your King of Mice goodies. To that end, if you'd like to join in the fun, please feel free to contact me at carolee@kingfmice.com for info on where to send photos (the kingofmice email address has limited space, so I'll shoot you another one).

Fun, yes?

That's about it for now, except to express my thanks for your support and encouragement and comments. I was so pleased that five of the six pieces on the PFATT Marketplace sold yesterday, and have received many kind comments about the article as well. The cupcake box is still up for grabs, and I hope it will find a home soon. :)

I'm off to have a very late supper of homemade chicken soup (I'm a very bad vegetarian when I'm sick) and watch the snowflakes fall.

Until next time,
♥ Carolee