New Work and Some Thoughts About the Season

Well, it's that time of year again - just a few weeks left to paint all the Yuletide goodies (OK, SOME of the goodies) I'd hoped for eBay and Etsy sales, several pressing commissions to finish, cookies to bake, halls to deck, presents to make, cards to write, and friends to visit.

Each year I make a vow that things will be different NEXT year; I'll be better organized, won't have to work so much, will get an earlier start, will have more funds...but around comes December, and well, some things never change. ;)

I'm managing to paint a few things in between commissions, and have had great fun returning to my roots - if just for a few weeks - as a dog and cat artist. I sooooo love painting our four legged friends, but I'm also remembering why I moved away from it - the requests for different breeds, different colors, different markings can be overwhelming, and while I MUST, I don't like telling people "no, there just isn't time". If you'd like to take a peek, here's one listed on eBay now, a little French bulldog...

In a beret no less...

(John says he should also be smoking a cigarette, but that's just WRONG, haha!)

I also painted a little La Befana box, but she sold right away. She's very folk-artsy, and a prelude to a "Buon Natale" sign I have in the sketching stage...

I love the concept of a Christmas crone, don't you? If you haven't heard of La Befana, click here - she's truly a fascinating character!

I'm also hoping to complete a small chair in the next week or two, and a large, wooden ornament chest. And more trinket boxes and signs, of course. ;)

On a personal, and more serious note, I'd like to update friends and family on John's situation. It seems the interferon is not bringing about the improvement we'd hoped, and it looks as though (with decent Christmas sales and all the planets in alignment with pet-care) John will be starting radiation treatments in the New Year. Your prayers and positive energy are much appreciated as he faces this challenge, and I thank you in advance. :)

He's had a rough road these past couple of years, but the support we've received has been incredible. And while I may as above, lightheartedly bemoan the craziness of the season, I know for certain it's not about the trappings. It's not about the mall, or how much we spend, or the latest electronic gadget. It's not about family feuds and frustration and short tempers. It's not about tinsel and cookies and stockings.

It's about LOVE.

So hug your significant other, hug your kids, hug your pets, and say a prayer to God or Goddess or the Universe or whatever power or energy you believe is out there, in gratitude for every moment you get to spend with them.

And thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting my work. Despite the ongoing challenges I feel as though I'm truly blessed.

♥ Carolee

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

Off to a Good Start...

Call me crazy, but I am soooooooo not one of those people who's happy just vegging on the weekends. Not at ALL.

I need to be doing something, feeling productive, making headway...and especially love it if something creative is involved!

Most of the morning was spent running - UPS, the grocery store, the art store, with a quick stop for a nonfat blackberry latte (yum!)...But then I settled in to paint my latest favorite piece - this huge Halloween platter. Read it all the way around - words to live by, yes?!

Soooooo much fun, this one, and I toyed with the idea of keeping it here for a few weeks to submit it to a national magazine (determined to do that this year!)....But I really should sell it, so it's listed on eBay with a "buy it now" option. I was also thinking maybe I'd reduce the "buy it now", or offer a partial refund if the buyer was willing to wait for shipment so I could still do the magazine thing. Is that a crazy idea? I'm thinking when people buy a piece they usually want it right away, but maybe if someone wasn't displaying it until Halloween anyway....something to think about.

After I finished painting we took Cadie and Cosmo out for a game of fetch in the backyard. Aren't they adorable?!

Their outdoor time has to be closely supervised, because we have a koi pond, and a three foot fence on one side, with a yard full of cats on the other side. Just a wee bit tempting for herding dogs! One of these days we'll extend the six foot fence all the way around the yard and they can go crazy without Mom and Dad watching their every move.

Well, that's about it for now....I'm off to have a VERY late supper. John is grilling, and then we're going to watch "Grey Gardens" - I've never seen it, but hear it's wonderful.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend, all!! I'll be back tomorrow with a photo of whatever is in progress. :)

♥ Carolee

The Rescued Menagerie (and studio assistants)

Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened. ~ Anatole France

As I work on a couple of commissions and a new piece for eBay, I thought I'd share a few photos of the other loves of my life (aside from the obvious human ones, that is)...

Queen of the household (and she thinks the universe), Cheetah is our very tiny, 16 year old former feral. She has the same heart condition for which John recently underwent surgery, and weighs just over 5 lbs. She gets a bit confused sometimes, waking us at 2 or 3 AM, howling loudly (sounds just like a siamese!) and won't rest until we give her attention no matter what the hour. Is that a sweet face or what?!


Next we have the brothers, Merlin and Arthur. Adopted from CatWorks adoption in Reading PA, they were born on or very near Halloween, and abandoned at a local shelter with their brothers and sisters at five weeks old.


They're big, beautiful boys now, although no more impressed with having their picture taken than they are with strangers visiting. Some of our friends actually question their existance because they hide under the bed the minute strange voices are heard.


This beautiful girl is Cadie. We adopted her from Aussie Rescue four years ago, driving to Ohio to pick her up. Everyone in the world is Cadie's best friend. She's happy, happy, happy all the time, and just LOVES to give kisses.


And this is Cosmo, also adopted from Aussie Rescue. Cosmo is a sweetie but has issues....thunder, trash trucks, airplanes and helicopters, fireworks....even cicadas in the trees make him think the sky is falling. He's very protective of me, and very skittish around strangers. But he has a heart of gold for his people, and that's good enough for us. :)


How about you?! Is there a special rescue in your life? If so, please do share....and if there's not, please consider opening your heart and home to a rescue animal! The kennels are bursting at the seams now, and so many need loving homes...

I'l leave you with that thought, and with this piece, forwarded to me by a collector friend and fellow animal lover (you may need a kleenex):

I Rescued a Human Today

Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her. I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid.

As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn't want her to know that I hadn't been walked today. Sometimes the shelter keepers get too busy and I didn't want her to think poorly of them.

As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn't feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone's life.

She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship.

A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well. Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms. I would promise to keep her safe. I would promise to always be by her side. I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes. I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven't walked the corridors. So many more to be saved. At least I could save one.

I rescued a human today.

Until next time,
~ Carolee