The Heart of the Matter

It's been a very long week here.

I've refrained from posting details, after reading a few scary online stories about people who share too much on facebook, but John is finally home again after yet another heart surgery, and nine day hospital stay.

The procedure was an "ablation" - essentially the mapping out and cauterizing of places in the heart where the electrical impulse/heartbeat is jumping the tracks. The finer details still boggle my mind, but my understanding is that this cauterizing results in scar tissue, which somehow provides a clearer path...Make sense? Yeah, I know...crazy - but hopefully it will work, and his heart will remain in normal rhythm now.

All the while I've been back and forth to the hospital, and also - of necessity - still working, still painting. There's been such a wonderful response to the Easter platters, I just had to paint one more...


Like the others, this one was claimed before completion, which just gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling. :) I do wish there was enough time before Easter to paint a few more of these to keep up with the demand, but there's always next year - and the Halloween work must begin, hehe...

This week's EHAG and PFATT "Screampunk" creative challenge had my head spinning with all sorts of imagery - witches and skellies, cogs and gears...But John's situation just didn't allow time for participation, so all those ideas remain in a sketchbook, where they're likely to make an appearance at the Ghoultide Gathering later this year.

In the meantime, there's a recovering husband and fur-kids to care for, several commissions in the works, and an "epic" road trip about to begin.

Thanks as always for reading my ramblings, and for leaving a comment if you're so inclined. I'll be back soon with new work and new adventures....

Until then, I wish you a happy and *creative* weekend!
♥ Carolee

Welcome, Spring!

Has it really been over a week since I've popped in here? Blame it on spring fever - or as the Mice President likes to call it, "shiny object syndrome". ...

What can I say, I'm easily distracted. ;)

Spring is sprouting all over here; super early daffodils and crocuses, and hyacinths too. But strangest of all are the lilac blooms! Unheard of in March...

Can you see them?

Our neighbor's forsythia is spilling over into our yard, and I just love it. Must plant one myself, I think...

The Old Lincoln roses by the front porch are already filling out nicely, and we should have blooms before too long...

Still no takers for the little bird roosts we hung, but they all love the feeder (especially the greedy little squirrels, hehe)...Of course, everyone scatters the minute I open the door to take a photograph, but you get the idea. And oh my, look at all the blossoms sprouting on the dogwood...

The kitties just LOVE watching all the activity from their perch by the front window. Must try to capture a shot of that. :)

Here's one of our cheery daffodils, out by the front fence...

They're such happy flowers, don't you think?

And I just love the early spring moss covering the bricks around the koi pond, and the ground cover beginning to spread (some sort of succulent, but I don't know the name)...

Even the fish - normally still dormant this time of year - are active! We've already begun feeding them their "transition" food, and soon it will be time to fill in the pond with a few annual water plants...

In the studio, I've been immersed in painting a spring pieces too - in progress at the moment is another St. Gertrude piece, a tri-fold wooden screen. She's coming along nicely, and should be finished later today...

I just love that there's a patron saint of cats and gardeners. There's also a patron saint of dogs, st Rocco - must paint him some time too. :)

Also in the works are two more Easter platters - one already claimed, and one up for grabs very soon. I'll be posting peeks on facebook as they progress, so do drop by (the link an be found on the right sidebar). And I'm so hoping to complete a piece for the EHAG Art Guild and PFATT Group's "Screampunk" challenge, but between the full studio schedule, and more health issues for John, I'm just not sure - wish me luck!

How about you? Is it spring in your neck of the woods? Are you distracted by flowers and birdsong? Or are you in the other hemisphere and anticipating autumn now? Wherever you are, I do hope you're finding time to enjoy Mother Nature's blessings.

Well, I'd best get back to the studio now - so many ideas and sketches, so little time to complete them all! But I had to take a few minutes to "visit" this morning. Like I said, shiny object syndrome, hehe...

I'll try to be back much sooner next time. :)

Until then,
♥ Carolee

Button, Button....

...Who's got the button?

Sorry, couldn't resist, and yes, I know I'm dating myself here. Do kids even play that game anymore?

I hope so. :)

Anyway, I just thought I'd share these little button pieces before listing them on Etsy tomorrow. If you'd like to purchase one or more, just shoot me an email at carolee@kingofmice.com. I'll take the first email I receive for each piece, and try to mark them sold asap...

Four little button paintings, measuring 5" x 5" with red polka dotted edges (no need for a frame). $45 each + shipping, which will vary by location...

Sleepy little mushroom mouse (UPDATE ~ SOLD)...

Bookworm mushroom mouse...(UPDATE ~ SOLD)

Beach Bunny (UPDATE ~ SOLD)...

Black Cat (UPDATE - SOLD)

Tiny tuxedo cat painting and easel (2" x 3" with 5" easel), $35 + shipping...

Tiny sleepy mouse trinket box (3" x 2"), $35 + shipping...

Tiny sleepy hedgehog trinket box (3" x 2"), $35 + shipping...

Thanks for taking a peek, and again, please email with questions, or to purchase. :)

♥ Carolee

Dancing Rabbit Dreams

Sometimes the best ideas and inspiration come when we've fallen deep into the arms of Morpheus.

I'm one of those lucky people with a very active dream life, and I tend to remember most of them. And sometimes they stay in my consciousness even after I've awakened, the lines between fantasy and reality blurring ever so slightly, so that although I'm physically awake, my head is still in the dream....Do you ever do that? Please tell me you do, or I might get worried! ;)

Sooooo, yes. These dreams are often surreal, and often include animals with very human-like qualities. Last week, it was dancing rabbits. I'm sure that means something to someone who interprets dreams, although what I couldn't tell you. To me, it just means I must paint them, hehe. And to that end, I decided to follow last week's platter with a ballerina-bunny treasure box...

She was so fun to paint, dancing on those clouds. And the eggs around the base of the box - Oh my, it was like being a kid again, decorating them all. I just love painting eggs - two and three dimensional. One day I must try my hand at painting pysanky - those intricate Ukranian eggs - sooooo beautiful!

And have you seen these?

So delicate! You can find them here.

Eggs and rabbits abound this time of year, and inspiration also comes from some of my favorite children's books. This piece was inspired by Margery Williams' "The Velveteen Rabbit", with a beautiful quote from the book hand lettered around the edge...

"Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

So true, and always brings a tear to my eye (but in a good way). ♥

The platter and the box will both be up for grabs on Saturday's PFATT Marketplace (10AM pacific/1PM eastern) ...Oh, and I forgot to mention - I painted an egg on the interior of the treasure box, just so it could be personalized for a special someone. :)

One or two more Easter/Ostara pieces are in the works too, and possibly another St Gertrude - this one a tri-fold table top piece. Then it's on to Halloween and Ghoultide Gathering pieces.

On the home front, I'm off to the podiatrist tomorrow, where I'll find out if another temporary brace is in order, or something more permanent. I'd really like to resolve the painful walking/blown ankle issue before the big road trip (just a few week now!) I'm still pinching myself that this lifelong dream is coming true! If you haven't already, please do drop by the Road Dust and Wanderlust blog, where we'll be posting updates from the road beginning in mid-May.

In the meantime, it's back to the arms of Morpheus for me, and more crazy dreams, hehe...

I'll be back very soon though, with new work, and a little giveaway!

Until then,
♥ Carolee

St. Gertrude of Nivelles

Just popping in to share the latest painting, St Gertrude of Nivelles - patron saint of cats, gardeners and travelers...

I had so much fun painting her in this sort of folk art/iconic fashion, and do hope she finds a good home for her feast day (March 17th). She's listed on Etsy now.

Thanks for taking a peek, and I'll be back soon with a few new Easter/Ostara pieces!

Until then,
♥ Carolee