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

One New Piece, Another Progressing, a Caffeine Dilemma and Some New Tunes...

...not necessarily in that order. ;)

I should start by saying I don't "do" caffeine - haven't for years. Having hypertension, and a job that requires the steadiest of hands, it's just not a good idea. But mornings such as this, I'm soooooooo tempted to re-think!

Meet Cheetah.

Cheetah (also known as Cheetie, Cheetie-Sweetie, and Buttons) is our sixteen year old former feral rescue baby. She's very frail, weighs less than five pounds and has a heart condition. She also has the loudest wail you've ever heard. Seriously. When it comes to yowling, Cheetah could put the biggest, baddest Siamese to shame. Which was fine when she limited her vocalization to the waking hours. But lately she's taken to wailing whenever she wants to be picked up and petted, which usually occurs somewhere between 2 and 4 AM.

I'm remembering all too well what it was like to waken to the sound of an infant crying every night. The thing is, at 22 I had the energy for it. At 49, not so much. ;)

So.....caffeine? earplugs? (Can't lock her out - don't have the heart, and she's loud enough to waken the dead anyway, even through a closed door)...If anyone has any suggestions, please do share - we're turning into zombies here! :)

Okay, onto new work. I was feeling in a bit of a gypsy mood the other day, so painted this fortune telling sign on a vintage cabinet door. Varnish seemed too glossy a look, so I finished it with a beeswax cabinet maker's polish.

I think it gives it a nice finish without taking away from the distressed, antique look. It's listed now on eBay.

Next up is this HUGE platter (it's something like 18" in diameter). This is about halfway through the process, so stay tuned. I think something this large would look amazing on a wall or mantle, to be taken down occasionally for serving up a big batch of Halloween cupcakes!

Lots of other pieces waiting in the wings, including a few commissions and a truly wonderful storage bench, hand made from birch, with a hinged lid.

Oh! and I'm down to just three commissions now, which should be finished in the next couple of weeks, so if there's a special piece you have in mind, shoot me an email. I can't promise I'll have it in stock, or even that I can order it (have to place most orders in quantity) but I can let you know. Tavern/Innpeeper's signs and certain boxes are usually in stock, and I have a couple of large box type tables coming later this month (see the checkers game on my banner above)....I don't like to get to the point where I feel overwhelmed, so I'll accept about three more commissions, then the window will close again until later in the year.

I'm off to paint now, but before I go, I have to share this fabulous giveaway Johanna Parker is hosting on her blog! Not only is Johanna an incredible artist, but she's truly just the nicest person, and her blog is soooooo whimsical and fun! Here's what she's giving away - isn't it amazing?!

So run right over there and check it out (then cross your fingers along with the rest of us, hehe!)

Finally, there are some new tunes on the playlist (scroll down on the right)....I'm showing my age with some of these, but I like to think they're timeless. ;)

Back again soon!
♥ Carolee

Magic in the Air, and Bit of a Scattered Post....

Remember the movie Chocolat, where the clever north wind blows magic into the little French village?

We awoke this morning to just such a wind - dark, bluish-grey clouds moving very quickly, interspersed with sunlight, and the loudest wooooosh through the trees.....

Merlin and Arthur were behaving the way cats do when something is afoot - running from window to window, wide eyed, and a little agitated.

Taking it as a sign, I descended the stairs, put the Chocolat soundtrack in the CD player, lit some candles, filled the tea kettle and set right to work sketching a new piece with a gypsy theme. More on that later...

First I have to show you yesterday's project - a wine bottle holder and two hand painted glasses. I've listed it on eBay with an offer to personalize the glasses. How fun would this set be for an October wedding or anniversary!?

The wine shown here (not included) is a bottle of "Witch's Brew" a wonderful collector turned me onto last year when we were up in Michigan for the Ghoultide Gathering. I loved the bottle so much I had to grab a case on the way out of town, hehe....A wine connoisseur I'm definitely not, my method for choosing wine entirely based on the cool label and limited budget factors. ;)

Moving right along, the Fairy Tale Princess chest is listed again, with the reserve dropped to $300. A commission on this chest would run almost three times that, but I'm trying to think about the economy, and do need to sell it. I'm also offering personalization on this one, at the base of the chest. Soooooooo, if you know any real life fairy princesses...

Let's see....what else? Oh! My workspace is completely organized now! Thanks to Courtney, who was home for a weekend visit, and decided to brave years worth of accumulated art supplies (some purchased twice because I'd lost the first ones!), scraps of paper, paint, old hardware, glitter, wood, gourds, glue, material, ribbon, wire, varnish, brushes, canvas....well, you get the idea. I knew it was bad last summer when a friend visited and declared "It looks like Michaels threw up in here!". I knew she was right, but lacked the time to actually DO anything about it. Enter my darling daughter, who has amazing organizational skills (no CLUE where she gets that from) and presto-chango - CLEAN workspace!

YAY for great kids.

That's about it for today....I'm off to pour another cup of tea and work on that gypsy piece now - which I hope to share later. In the meantime, have a magical, creative day, all!

♥ Carolee

Ups and Downs

I'll start with the "ups". :)

When children grow up and move away, it's easy to forget what it was like to have them around....They leave for college, you settle into a new routine, and very quickly get used to this new found freedom, and a more relaxed schedule. At least that what it was like here. I have friends who went through the "empty nest" thing, fretting and worrying, and generally feeling a bit lost...But I have to be honest in saying I just never felt that.

Here's the thing. We raise them to be independent, to make thoughtful decisions, to be caring, compassionate people, to go out and make their way in the world, to spread their wings...to fly. If we've done our job in preparing them for these things, there's nothing at all to feel uneasy about. Sure, we miss them. But their leaving is as it should be.

And what a joy it is when they come back for a visit displaying all those qualities you tried to hard to impart...

I'm reflecting as I write this - and as Courtney is in the kitchen making a wonderful dinner for the three of us - having also (are you ready for this?!) spent the day organizing my studio space! Yep - she put together a large bookcase, went through endless boxes of supplies, reference materials, receipts, etc., and generally made my life a LOT easier. I've even promised to keep it that way - no small task for someone who's admittedly organizationally impaired.

But beyond the studio help, it was just good to see her, and spend some time together. She's absolutely my best creation. ;)

Another "up" was completing a new piece - this set of Halloween coasters, listed now on eBay...


Sooooooo much fun - like lots of little paintings! I'd hoped to get to a wine glass set too, but tomorrow is another day.

There was also much playing in the backyard with Cadie and Cosmo, who have been absolutely wilting in the heat, but are always up for a game of fetch. :)

So all in all, a good weekend.

Just one "down" really - one of the best pieces I've ever done, and one of the closest to my heart (the fairy tale chest shown a few posts down) failed to sell. I'm torn between re-listing it, listing it on Etsy, or just hanging on to it for a while. I know I'll end up selling it because I must...but it's upsetting to think about letting something so special go for not much more than the price of materials. It also makes the coming week absolutely crazy, as I scramble to make up for five days work with nothing to show for it. Some VERY long nights ahead....

Speaking of which, I should be off to bed now...the dogs wake us at 6AM like clockwork, and I can't go back to sleep once I've seen daylight. ;)

Wishing everyone in the U.S. a relaxing Memorial Day! I'll be painting like mad, and will hopefully have a few new creations to show you very soon. :)

♥ Carolee

It's Never Too Early For a Little Halloween Magic!

Okay, sing along with me now...

"It's the most wonderful time of the year!" tra-la-la...

Okay, now that I've successfully planted that song in your head for the day, hehe, I'll start with yesterday's project - a wicked cool treasure chest called "Fly by Night":

I was in a vintage kind of mood, so added some of these fun papers, giving all the ladies inside the box witches' hats. If you click these pictures they'll enlarge, showing the detail.

I love the curved top on this piece, and I'm thinking it could be used for so many things: as a sewing box, a jewelry box, a treasure or keepsake box, a stationery box....the possibilities are endless. I hope to list this one tomorrow (Saturday) night around 9PM eastern. :) *UPDATE* - SOLD

More Halloween goodies are in the works for eBay and Etsy this week, but that's not all....

Coming up VERY soon is Jack-o-lantern June at the PFATT Marketplace! Sooooo many wonderful folk artists there, and I'm excited just to be in their company....No idea what I'll be offering this month, but it will most definitely be HALLOWEEN, and may even be a little sparkly.

I'll be working all weekend again, and want to let everyone know I'll be adding a "buy it now" option to my auctions just for the next few days. I usually prefer to let the auctions play out, but unexpected car repairs and dental work this month have inspired me to cut to the chase on at least a couple of pieces. ;)

I'm also hoping to paint a few friends for the little tortoiseshell cat in my Etsy store...he's still lonely over there.

That's about it for today. I'm taking a quick dog-walking and fish-feeding break, then it's back to the drawing board (or painting table, actually)....

Wishing everyone in the US a Happy and safe Memorial Day weekend!

♥ Carolee

Enchantment...

There's sooooooo much magic afoot, I hardy know where to begin.....

First, it's SUCH a perfect day here in southwestern Pennsylvania - the sky is the most incredible shade of blue, the birdsongs sound like a symphony, the yellow water irises in the pond are in full bloom and the neighborhood children are still in school, which means no skateboards or minibikes - yet, haha. I'm enjoying it while I can. ;)

Magic is afoot in the studio too - have to share the latest piece with you (although it sold almost instantly)...I LOVE these ornament chests, but only have a couple left now, and I'm hoarding them, hehe....



Excitement is also beginning to build for the wicked cool Ghoultide Gathering Show, up in Northville, Michigan. If you're on my mailing list and within a day's drive, look for a postcard this summer! I can't tell you how incredible this show is...basically it's Halloween eye candy everywhere you look...SUCH a good time, and of course, the best part is meeting collectors in person!

There's web magic afoot as well, with the fabulous Vanessa Valencia's Mad Tea Party approaching! I just may have to paint a super whimsical tea pot or tea box for this one...

And finally, there's the Enchanted Revelry of Tristan Robin Blakeman - quilt artist and blogger extraordinaire, whose kind words about my work on his blog this week absolutely made my day!! If you haven't seen Tristan's blog and his incredible work, DO run over there - You'll instantly get why it's called "Enchanted Revelry" - truly, truly magical!

And now I'm off to put some tunes in the CD player, open the skylight over my work table, and see what further magic the day brings....a set of Halloween coasters? A raven totem piece? Some sculpting? We'll see....

In the meantime, however you spend it, I hope your day is filled with enchantment!

(¯`v´¯)
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(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`• ~ Carolee

Once Upon a Time....

There lived an artist.

She grew up in a world of her own, and while other children spent their time playing and watching television, she could be found drawing and daydreaming, or reading fantastical tales about mythical lands.

"You're like a blankety-blank butterfly!" her father, the king would shout in exasperation.

She took it as a compliment. ;)

For she was the only butterfly in a family of worker bees. She was different. She was colorful. She could make magic happen with her pencils and paintbrushes.

The worker bees went on to achieve great things in a land called Business. They lived comfortable lives, in beautiful homes, filled with expensive things, and shook their heads at the artist-butterfly, not understanding at all how she could live such a precarious life, flitting from one place to the next, one creation to the next, her spirit free but her future uncertain.

And to tell you a little secret, sometimes the artist would wonder herself about the path she'd taken. Times when she struggled. Times when she wished things were easier.

Then, she would pick up her pencils and paintbrushes. And it was like magic. It was the closest thing to Sacred she'd ever felt, almost like a prayer.

And she wished everyone could feel like this. :)

~ The End ~