MOTHERS DAY IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER ...

SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR MOTHERS DAY ...

I decided to do something I don't normally do and that is to lower the price (to half!) on one of my Limited Edition Sisters prints.  I picked 'Under Loves Wing' and I'm doing this in honor of Mothers Day.  This will only be for the month of May and then the price will go back to the original. 

'UNDER LOVES WING'

For those of you that may not be familiar with my Sisters Series,  the original on this was 24 x 36" and done on a wood panel.   The background is Acrylic and the rest is all hand-painted, and hand-cut papers applied as a Collage.  The original of this was bought by a young Mother as the focal point for her baby daughters room.  She was so excited which, of course, made me feel excited too.  One of the real Blessings of what I do.  Especially when my work is bought directly from me ... I get to be part of the experience and that's worth all the most frustrating days in the Studio.  (And if you are an Artist you know exactly what I'm talking about!)

For more information on this Print, or to place an order,  Please Click HERE

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CLOUDS OF THE DAY ...

Hippo Warning!!  Hippo on the right! And, puppy down on the left ... head on floor, hiney up in the air.  A pose the smaller of our two dogs takes quite often!  :/

There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me
that wants to wallow in the mud.
~  Carl Sandburg

Charleen

TODAY YOU ARE SHOWERED WITH GOOD LUCK ...

'THEY' SAY IF YOU WALK PAST AN ELEPHANT WHILE HIS TRUNK IS UP YOU WILL BE SHOWERED WITH GOOD LUCK.'

You'll probably get tired of these Front closing Toggle Pieces but it's been fun to see how many different Pieces I can come up with using the same design base.  A point my daughter brought up was how nice they are with long hair.  Your hair doesn't get caught in the Toggle when you are trying to close it.  A point I knew from experience but hadn't thought about out loud.  (make sense?) 

BONATINIEMA  (GOOD LUCK)

Close up showing the Hand Carved Carnelian Elephant
that is part of the Focal.

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'God is really only another artist. He invented the giraffe, the elephant and the cat. He has no real style, He just goes on trying other things.'
~ Pablo Picasso

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I have a wonderful Client who has bought many of my Pieces ~ both Jewelry and Paintings.  She recently saw the Miniature Bunny painting I did and asked if I could also do a small Turtle.  She has two young granddaughters ~ one loves rabbits, the other turtles ~ and she wanted to give each one a small painting for their Birthday.  I thought it was great she was giving them each a piece of Art.  (and of course I would think that!:)  I will tell you though, for some reason I had a hard time with the Turtle.  I had Turtles when I was little and loved them.  But, it was hard (for me) to try and make a reptile fun in a painting for a child. Maybe I need more cloud practice to get my child-like imagination back where it needs to be! 

  

             TRIXIE A. TURTLE                 "WHO ATE MY JELLYBEANS?"

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CLOUDS OF THE DAY ...

I see an alligator getting ready to devour a small fish who is oblivious to the danger.  :(  But then, there is another fish swimming past the other way with a most horrified look on his face!  He knows ...  (I think I need to get past this reptile thing ...)

Charleen

NO PINK ELEPHANTS HERE ...

RED.  JUST RED ...

'THE ELEPHANTS MUSE'

Another Front closing Piece.  More information can be found HERE

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CLOUDS OF THE DAY ...

I see Geppetto... Pinocchio's kindly old Woodcarver Father.  He's up in the right hand corner and he's busily working away.  No Pinocchio, but are those Crickets down by the water ...?

To learn a little more about Pinocchio Please Click HERE to go to the April Newsletter

'IF YOUR HEART IS IN YOUR DREAM,  NO REQUEST IS TOO EXTREME'

~  Pinocchio

(it's fun going back to our childhood, isn't it!)

Charleen

ONE MORE TIME ...

I DID SAY I WASN'T GOING TO BE CREATING JEWELRY
ANYMORE BUT ...

CHOCOLATE HEAVEN

I dragged my hubby down to our storage unit to help me bring all my beads and tools back home.  I will be 'Artist of the Month' in July for Angel Gallery in Coeur d'Alene and I decided I want to have some pieces for that show.  So. here. I . am.   This is a front closing Piece.  I have a Turquoise Necklace, in this style, that was a gift to me many years ago.  I love it and always receive compliments on it.  I've since done several in this style (in different bead combinations) over the years and I decided for this show to do several more in this style.  Maybe I'll do them all in this style.  That could be a fun challenge ...  (this style really does look nice on most anyone) 

  A close-up of the Toggle/Focal

More information on this Piece can be found HERE

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CLOUDS OF THE DAY ...

I see a Turtle!  He's letting out a Turtle roar!   (Do they roar?!)

This is another of the beautiful clouds from my trip up to Entree Gallery last week.  My friend said she is glad to find someone else to be in the 'Sisterhood of Clouds'.  :)

TRY TO BE LIKE THE TURTLE ~ AT EASE IN YOUR OWN SHELL.

~ Bill Copeland

Charleen

SOMEONE TOOK GROUCHY PILLS ...

"WHO ATE HIS CRACKERS ...?"

12 X 12" Mixed Media Collage on Wood Panel

For more information on this Piece Please Click HERE

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CLOUDS OF THE DAY . . .

photo  ~ Indy Behrendt

I had to take my work up to Entrée Gallery in Nordman last Friday.  They will be opening for the Season on Mothers Day weekend.  It was an absolutely beautiful day for a drive (good thing, as the drive from my home to the Gallery is a 3 hour drive each way! :)  The sky was a beautiful blue and the clouds put on a spectacular show.  A friend came along for the ride and she and I had a great time stopping, photographing and laughing about 'what we saw' in the clouds.  Indy is a photographer (and Silversmith) in real life so she had a good eye for all the sky action.  She took the above photo.   Can you see it?!  The Terrier ... running.  :)  She saw it immediately.  I have to admit I didn't see it until she told me, but of course now I can't see anything else!

“A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before lying down.”  ~  Robert Benchley

Charleen

'TODAYS PICK' MAY BE TOMORROWS MEMORIES ...

I think most of the time when we do something different, or a little bit special, we are not really thinking that it will be tomorrows memory but that so often happens, doesn't it.  We pick a few flowers, put them in a jar, and bring them to a neighbor.  She's having a bad day and that small gesture changed the whole day for her.  It totally changed her memory of that day. I 'imagined' that these flowers had a story like that.  :)

'TODAYS PICK'

6 x 8"  Acrylic on Wood Panel

For more information on this Piece Please Click HERE

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CLOUDS OF THE DAY ...

Well, let's see.  I see a Doxie's head.  My Aunt and Uncle had several Dachshunds. When one would pass they'd get another.  They were all named 'Doc'.  And, they all got to eat Pepper steak (made for them) off a Fine China dish.  :)

I also see waves crashing against the shore (Actually reminds me of the Devils Punch Bowl on the coast in Oregon), stormy skies and the sun trying to fight its way through.

“When everything is at risk, good judgment, not haste,
makes the difference between life and death. Panic is the enemy.” 

                                                                                   ~ Greg Iles, The Devil's Punchbowl

Charleen

FLOWERS, FLOWERS EVERYWHERE ...

"MOM SAYS DAFFODILS GROW UP THERE TOO."

6 x 6 Mixed Media Collage

For more information on this Piece Please Click HERE

'Daffodowndilly'

She wore her yellow sun-bonnet,
She wore her greenest gown;
She turned to the south wind
And curtsied up and down.
She turned to the sunlight
And shook her yellow head,
And whispered to her neighbor:
"Winter is dead.” 

~ A.A. Milne, When We Were Very Young

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CLOUDS OF THE DAY  ...

Yes, I know it's upside down!  But ... I couldn't see anything right side up! :(  And there definitely is someone there this way!  I don't know what he's doing, getting ready to throw a spear, or create a Wind storm, but whatever it is, I see him and I know he's up to no good!

Charleen

FLOWERS AND A MOVIE ...

I love the name Sophie.  I had an Aunt by the name of Sophie.  She was one of the sweetest people I've ever known.  She could remember dates, numbers and happenings from years before like she had just read about them.  In an instant. Lickety split.  Today, I would imagine she would be diagnosed with a form of Autism, Asperger's, or similar, but back then she was 'just different'.  She had a nervous breakdown when her younger brother (my father) passed away at the age of 26.  She was 31.  Because of that breakdown she spent 13 years in a State Mental hospital.   (I'm sure things would be handled very differently today. A subject for another day.)   The day she was released my Aunt (her sister) and I went to meet her at the Bus Stop.  I was 13 and it was the first time I was meeting her.  Her Smile and Sweetness just enveloped me.  She lived with two of her sisters until she passed at the age of 76. 

'SOPHIES CHOICE'

9 x 12 Acrylic on Wood Panel

For more information on this Piece Please Click HERE

“Let your love flow out on all living things.” 

                                                                                       ~  William Styron,  Sophie's Choice

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CLOUDS OF THE DAY ...

I see an old man, resting in the midst of the Clouds.  At Peace.

Charleen

BUT, NOW WE KNOW BETTER ...

Little Sisters:  "Do you think there are flowers on the moon?"

6x 6 x 1.5" Mixed Media collage on Canvas

For more information on this Piece Please Click HERE

The moon looks upon many night flowers;

                                    the night flowers see but one moon.

                                               ~  Jean Ingelow

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CLOUDS OF THE DAY ...

I just see a neck pillow.  That's boring.  :/

Charleen

FISH TALES TODAY ...

LITERALLY!

"AND THEN AGAIN ..."

'FASHION IS EVERYWHERE'

Both of these are 6 x 6" Mixed Media Collages on Canvas

For more information on these Please Click HERE

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CLOUDS OF THE DAY ...

I see a hand ... saying "Follow  me..." (well, if it could talk it would be saying that I'm sure.)  As you can probably tell, I took this one through the Windshield. :/

Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors

where there were only walls.

~  Joseph Campbell

Charleen

WE ARE FOOLS WHETHER WE DANCE OR NOT ...

SO WE MIGHT AS WELL DANCE.
                           ~  Japanese Proverb


It's April Fools Day everyone! 
“It is the ability to take a joke, not make one, that proves you have a sense of humor.”
                                                                             — Max Eastman

A couple of Miniatures ...

JUST ONE A DAY

    

PLUMP FICTION

For more information on either of these Pieces Please Click HERE

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CLOUDS OF THE DAY ...

You'd think with all that activity up there I would see 'something' but when I first chose this photo to put in here today, I just saw 'the Heavens opening' and now I can't get past that!  :/  Maybe that's just how it is suppose to be.  :)

Charleen