"The Witching Hour"

It's that time again - the EHAG Emporium update, and I have a very special piece up for grabs...


This large, wooden carriage clock, painted in very fine detail, features a beautiful witch, on a windswept hill, playing a haunting tune to her black cat familiar...


Gnarled trees, bats, mice, jack-o-lanterns and more compete the piece. I've marked the four quarter hours with amber colored Swarovski crystals, and added several more to the embellishment at the top of the clock.


Glass door front with magnetic closure. Hand painted in acrylics with a clear, acrylic varnish. Quite large - measures 16" x 11 x 5 3/4. Runs on one AA battery.


$345 now including shipping in the US. Offered on a first-come basis. To purchase, email me at carolee@kingofmice.com

Thanks for looking, and I'll be back with new work very soon!

♥ Carolee

Hedgehogs, Halloween and Housework...

How's that for alliteration? ;)

I'm not OCD about much (and certainly not housework, hehe) but very once in a while an idea grabs hold and won't let go. This week it was hedgehogs. :)

There was a chair...

A clock...

And a springtime welcome sign...

The first two sold before I had a chance to list then anywhere, but the sign is up for grabs on eBay.

Next up is Halloween - more precisely, a Halloween carriage clock, which I hope to have finished in time for the March 31st EHAG Emporium update. If you scroll down the right sidebar of my blog here, you'll see a similar piece. These clocks were discontinued by the manufacturer several years ago and have been nearly impossible to find ever since - but I stumbled on a few more last summer, and was lucky enough to acquire them (after doing a little happy dance!)...Stay tuned for "The Witching Hour". ;)

Which brings us to housework. That little thing I'm NOT so OCD about...

The thing is, between John's radiation treatment (see previous posts) and my need to paint every hour God sends (don't even get me started on gas, co-pays and prescriptions) little things like dusting and sweeping have necessarily fallen by the wayside. Enter three very special young women - our daughter Courtney, her BFF (and our newly adopted, honorary, second daughter) SarahGrace, and our wonderful niece Sarah, who've all very kindly volunteered their time to give us a hand with things around here as I work, and John recuperates.

Courtney and SarahGrace were out today in fact - dusted and swept, brought and prepared a wonderful meal in celebration of John's 54th birthday, and cheered us both greatly...

Sooooooo...blessings from three more angels! There have been others throughout this ordeal as well (you know who you are!) and I can't tell you how heartening it is to know we're not alone in this. What a gift we have in family and friends!

And finally, in the family and friends department, we lost someone very dear to us recently, and attended the memorial just a few days ago. She was a very private person, so I won't post details here, except to say it was an honor and a blessing to know her, and she'll be missed terribly by so many people.

So hold those you love close, give them a hug, and tell them how special they are right now.

I'll be back very soon, and in the meantime, thanks for reading my ramblings, and thanks for your comments. I do read each and every one, even if I don't always have time to post or respond.

Artful Blessings,
♥ Carolee

Winner!

The winner of the little star box giveaway is Cordelia! Thanks so much to everyone for playing, and do keep checking back - I hope to offer another giveaway super soon. :)

♥ Carolee

Old Work, New Work, and a Giveaway!

I suppose I should begin with the "old" work...well, last week's anyway, hehe...

It's very seldom I set a reserve on a piece I place up for auction, but this little milking stool/footstool, rescued from the basement corner of an architectural salvage shop, was pretty labor intensive - it took literally DAYS to complete. I know reserves often scare off eBay buyers, but I just couldn't bear to see this go for a song. Alas, it didn't make the reserve, so here it sits...

I did however break down and drop the reserve price (from $250 to $195) in re-listing....soooooo, we'll see what happens. It's truly one of my favorites, and I wish I could have taken this as a sign and KEPT it, hehe - but with John out on disability (regular readers may remember he's in the middle of his first round of radiation) I must sell every piece I paint.

I've also removed this sweet, primitive, not-so-little (almost 2 ft long) garden sign from PFATT Marketplace and placed it up for auction as well...

Another one I would dearly love to keep, to set amongst all the bee-friendly blooms this summer, but again...must sell. ;)

Moving on to new work, here's one in progress (and quite possibly spoken for) but I just have to share it...

A child's chair, hand made by an Amish toymaker, which when finished, will be adorned with mice, rabbits and a hedgehog. Those leaves climbing the legs are the beginnings of blackberry brambles. I'm sooooo pleased with this one, and very much wishing I had several more of these chairs, but alas, said toymaker has discontinued this pattern, so I have just one more left.

I'll share a photo here when it's finished. :)

And last but certainly not least - a giveaway!!

I breezed right by my 500th blog post recently, so in honor of that, and by way of saying a heartfelt thank you to my wonderful collectors, friends and blog readers, here's a little trinket box...

Just leave a comment here, and you'll be entered to win it. Re-post on your blog, tweet, or share on facebook and you'll be entered again! I'll draw a name via random generator next Friday, the 25th.

Oh, and there's another giveaway happening over the EHAG Emporium blog! Check it out here. :)

That's about it for today...I'm off to finish that chair now. Wishing you all a wonderful weekend, filled with magic and joy...

Give a big hug to those you love. :)

♥ Carolee

Enchantment, Metamorphosis, and Gratitude

Ever have one of those weeks where things seem a bit surreal, as if you were outside your body, watching events unfold from a distance? It's been a bit like that around here this week...

I've painted two pieces I'm super pleased with, the first depicting the trio of witches from Shakespeare's "Macbeth", dancing around a bubbling cauldron. I wanted to give it an enchanted sort of feeling, and hope I succeeded...

There's a reserve on this one ($250), owing to the many hours (days, actually) of work involved. I'm hoping it finds a good home. :)

The second piece is a box, which began with a black cat design, but morphed into something a little lighter, with a tuxedo cat and magical butterfly...

"Metamorphosis" - the profound change an organism goes through as it passes from one state of being into the next - has been on my mind a lot this week, as we, along with family and friends, come to terms with the prospect of losing someone very dear, far too young and far too soon.

Sometimes life's events make their way into the work, completing it in a way I couldn't have planned.

Life has also thrown us a few curve balls as John begins the second half of his first round of radiation treatments. He's tolerating the treatment well, but is now experiencing some rather painful burns. They're working to deal with it, but in the meantime, he's having a bit of discomfort.

Still, we remain grateful for the availability of treatment, for the optimistic prognosis (about 80% chance at remission) and for the support and encouragement of family and friends. It never ceases to amaze me, in any kind of crisis or challenge, when my assumptions about who genuinely cares, or who offers some sort of kindness, are completely turned upside down.

With that in mind, I'd like to express our heartfelt thanks to all those who've been there for us during this latest health challenge. We love you all, and could not get through this without you. ♥

On that note, I'll say goodnight. It's been a very long day, and I'll wake again in about 4 1/2 hours...

I'll be back again with more new work and ramblings very soon. In the meantime, hold those you love a little closer this week. As the events in Japan (and sometimes in our own backyard) remind us, life is incredibly fragile, and can change in an instant...

Much love,
~ Carolee

Gearing Up for a *Magical* Time Again....

....And this year, it's TWO day event!

Work has begun in earnest for the fifth annual Ghoultide Gathering, and I must tell you I'm still pinching myself at the thought of being included - I know I've said it before, but it's like the cool kids have invited me have lunch at their table, hehe. There are Halloween shows and there are Halloween shows, and there are folk art shows and there are folk art shows, but this one is simply the best of the best.

Seriously, every year after set-up, we all walk around with our jaws on the floor, and I know this year (with some fabulous new exhibitors!) will be no exception. Click here to check out the details and lineup of artists. Pretty amazing, yes?!

Oh, and if you haven't already seen this, check out the video from the 2009 show (things were so crazy busy last year I don't think a video was made)...


See? Pure *magic*! ;)

Aaaaaannnnnd, if you're within striking, or even traveling distance, you can mention you're attending the show and get a heckuva reduced rate at the Hampton Inn. (Book soon, though - I'm told last year we filled the hotel, hehe!)

Like some of the other artists, we'll be arriving a day early so as to get our bearings, touch base with friends, and be well rested before the big event. One of my favorite things about the show is running into other artists and collectors in the hotel lobby or local coffee places. So if you see me (I'll be the roundish, middle aged lady, dressed in black with a cross between a big grin, and a deer-in-headlights expression), please do introduce yourself. :)

Really, I know I sound like a broken record, but you do not want to miss this show. Grab your hubby or wife or significant other, grab some friends, get a caravan together, share a room or two (I mean, with room sharing we're talking like $35 or less a night - where else can you get a vacation for that!?)

OK, taking a deep breath and stepping down now, hehe...

And back to the studio, where all kinds of wicked and whimsical pieces are waiting to make their way to Michigan this fall...

Hope to see you there!

♥ Carolee

PFATT Marketplace: A New Time!

Here I was all set to remind everyone about the PFATT Marketplace update tonight, and I was reminded myself (via another artist on facebook) that the update time has changed. Instead of updating at midnight eastern, it will happen at 10AM Pacific time (1PM eastern) on the 10th. Isn't that great? No more staying up until midnight to catch the latest goodies, hehe...

Now that we have that out of the way, here's a peek at my offerings this month; a pair of garden signs painted on vintage cabinet doors - all crackled, peeling and sanded for a timeworn look...One for a nocturnal garden (think moonflowers and night blooming jasmine)...

And another for a bee friendly garden...

It's SOOOOO important to plant for the bees. :)

There are two more in the works as well, but they'll likely be listed on eBay. Next up: a chair, a footstool, and a clock - unless something else calls, you never know...

Until then, thanks as always for taking a peek ;)
♥ Carolee

♥ Kindred Spirits ♥

When Courtney was little, one of her favorite books was Lucy Maud Montgomery's "Anne of Green Gables" (and others in the series as well). It was one of my favorites too, and I remember many nights curled up in the big living room chair, reading a chapter before bedtime.

Those who've read it may remember Anne's description of her best friend, Diane Barry, as a "kindred spirit". I've always loved that phrase, as I think it describes the ideal friendship; someone whose spirit is connected to ours; someone on the same plane, someone who "gets" us.

If we're lucky, we have one or two of those friends in real life (I do), and if we're luckier still, we've met even more through the web; through social media, through groups and forums, through simply selling and collecting art.

And may I take a moment right here to say what a blessing it is to connect with like minded individuals all over the world. For those of us who work at home, and spend most of our days in solitude, that connection can be like finding water in the desert - and never more than when we're facing challenges or feeling a bit disconnected.

I have about 4400 facebook "friends". Now, I know - most of these people are not in fact "friends", but rather internet acquaintances.

But there are a few who've crossed that bridge, those I truly consider friends. We may never have met in person, but we know we are kindred spirits. Like Anne and Diane, we're there for each other, laughing at the same jokes, cheering each other on, offering support and encouragement, and know we'll always remain friends. Sometimes we get to meet in person (always fun!) and sometimes not...but the friendship remains.

So to my friends, internet and otherwise, I love you. And I thank you for the smiles and support, the kind words, and the inspiration to keep pursuing this artful life. :)

How about you?
Have you found "kindred spirits" here on the web?

♥ Carolee

Moon Gazing Hares and a Tiny Surprise!

"A Young Hare" by Albrecht Durer (1471-1528)

There times when researching a piece can be almost as fun as the painting process, when one story or tale leads you to another and another and another, until you fall down the proverbial Rabbit Hole - pun intended in this case, as the research this week has been about moon gazing hares, their presence in both eastern and western myth and legend, connection to the Goddess Eostre, and evolution into what we know today as the Easter Bunny. ;)

It's that time of year, when inspiration is found in all things Celtic and magical, and all things symbolizing rebirth and fertility...Then of course, there's the whole "Mad as a March Hare" thing...It's all just too rich and vivid not to paint! Soooooo, long story short, if you're tiring of seeing Hares and Rabbits here, I'll ask you to indulge me just a weeeeeee bit longer - and I promise I'll throw a bit of Halloween into the mix as well. :)

Speaking of which, there's a little black cat piece I call "Surprise!" up for grabs on eBay at the moment...

If you click here and check out the listing, you'll see the little surprise inside the drawer. ;)

That's about it for today, and I have much painting to do, so I'll close here. I promise to share the finished moon gazing hare piece both here and on facebook before listing it.

In the meantime, I wish you all a magical and creative rest-of-the-weekend...

Back very soon!

♥ Carolee

"Seek Enchantment"

Just popping in to share the latest, a hand made, oval, bent wood box....


Acrylic with an acrylic varnish, and listed now on eBay. Back very soon with more new work!

♥ Carolee

EHAG Emporium!

Here I am, here I am! (She says, running breathlessly in)....

I know, the EHAG Emporium updated last night, which makes me a whole day late, but I'm hoping the old cliche is true, and late is indeed better than never. ;)

"Harvest moon, Witch's flight, Magic reigns All Hallows Night"

My offering this month - as always on a first come basis - is a wicked cool Halloween tea or treat box (or trinket or treasure or key or anything-you-want box). It's painted in acrylics on birch wood, hand made here in rural Pennsylvania, and has four round feet added.

I've lettered my own original verse around the top, and added a shooting star on the interior.


$185 plus shipping (which will depend on location) To purchase, just shoot me an email at carolee@kingofmice.com.

UPDATE - SOLD

Thanks for taking a peek, and I'll be back very soon with more goodies for eBay, Etsy and the PFATT Marketplace. :)

♥ Carolee