my little mixed media *experiment*...

so, last week i was doing some cleaning/organizing (i do that often-major OCD girl here) and i found tons of paper (which i LOVE) and all kind of little art goodies that i had laying around. i decided to stop looking at them (so perfectly organized) taking up space and actually USE them (there's a novel concept...) and now i seem to have gotten myself into a  full fledged mixed media painting.

originally intended to be an abstract...

mixed media fun...

background mix of papers and acrylic....

a tangerine haired mermaid decided she'd like
to be the featured attraction
of the *experiment*...

{'cause i can never just "experiment" (OCD+perfectionist=all or nothing). more pics to follow...in between other paintings, that is.}

***DECEMBER DISCOUNT DAYS*** ARE HERE!!!

my MOST FAVORITE month of the year!!!

each day a piece of art will be offered at a DISCOUNTED price. ORIGINALS, 40% off. PRINTS, 30% off....for ONE DAY ONLY. my shop will host the FEATURED piece of the day with the DISCOUNT already added to the listing price (NO COUPONS NEEDED).

12 days of Christmas? nah. 25 ***DECEMBER DISCOUNT DAYS***, here we come! :)

kicking it off with this little lovely....

{told ya i LOVE DECEMBER...;)}

~HaPpY HaLlOwEeN~

"moonstruck"
©the enchanted easel 2014

love, sally...and her beloved kitty companion

xxx

{PRINTS AND SUCH FOUND HERE:

www.theenchantedeasel.com}

a birthday celebration....

painting tiny dots...
©the enchanted easel 2014

almost done!

CAN NOT WAIT TO SHARE THIS... TOMORROW!!! :)

...'cause every good cat costume needs a pretty red bow.
©the enchanted easel 2014

perhaps someone has tapped into my Mally Beauty stash...;)
©the enchanted easel 2014

apples, stars...and cake

©the enchanted easel 2014

...because cake is always important! ;)

{a piece of my painting in progress...to be released on november 1st in honor of a special character who is turning the big 4-0. *hint*-she's a girl dressed in a cat costume. not quite sure i get that, but i love her anyway. ;)}

strawberry pink hair....

©the enchanted easel 2014

{and you know I'm living vicariously...;)}

custom painting, just about done.

©the enchanted easel 2014

~HaPpY WoRLd ElePhAnT DaY~

a crop of my painting "moonlight mavens"
©the enchanted easel 2014

love,

me and maggie

xxx

{almost forgot. good thing i didn't. not quite sure maggie would have ever forgiven me. :(

whew!}

PRINTS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE SHOP LINKS FOUND HERE:

www.theenchantedeasel.com

moonlight mavens...

moonlight mavens
©the enchanted easel 2014

the new *face* of the enchanted easel!

and...wait for it, wait for it....the new website is done too! I'm a girl on a mission! :)

www.theenchantedeasel.com

so, now the back story for this painting (because isn't there always one.)...

well, i knew i wanted something different...something to represent the new style i seem to have evolved into with the start of 2014. i also knew i didn't want an easel in the image, knowing of course that this would be the new front page of the website. 

so...i had to include my stuffed elephant, maggie into the design because she is my partner in creative crime, after all. couple that with the fact that i am an insomniac and do my best work after midnight (don't all of us artists?!) and the fact that i'm obsessed with chris martin and the coldplay song "yellow" ("look at the stars, look how they shine for you....i drew a line, i drew a line for you and all the things you do, and it was all yellow") well, there it is. 

a little coldplay, a little insomnia, a little nicole and a little maggie, of course...and so "moonlight mavens" was born. from my head to the sketchbook to the finished painting.

©the enchanted easel 2014

and because this song was such an inspiration to me....

it just doesn't get any better than this...or him.

a peek at some teamwork...

a peek at "moonlight mavens"
©the enchanted easel 2014

just a glimpse at the new *face* of the enchanted easel.  this business is my proverbial *baby*. I've built it all by myself and have done most of the legwork after not one, not two, but THREE cervical spine surgeries in the last four years. 'cause that's just how i roll. ;)

I've had the painting done for over a week but i'm doing my best to re-build a new website hosted by squarespace...which, by the way, i HIGHLY recommend. i didn't think such wonderful and cooperative corporations existed anymore. they are fantastic. it's just a matter of getting acquainted with the new site and how it works as well as adding watermarks and shrinking images for the web....mundane stuff like that. let's just say, i would rather be painting. but then again, what else is new?!

hoping to be done by the end of this coming week. if not sooner....*fingers crossed on that one* ;)

detail of my painting "the wistful ones"
©the enchanted easel 2014

what's that you say, mr. polar bear? you'd like to take me away with you on an ARCTIC adventure? well, yes sir. i would happily oblige you, mr. polar bear...as we seem to have a true love and appreciation for the same type of climate. :)

{it's NO secret...i loathe summer, heat and humidity. not one bone in my little august born body likes this weather...especially once the numbers hit triple digits. add in the words "oppressive" and "heat warning" and yeah, nicole is not a happy camper. so.....

AC is pumped up, Christmas music is on (after all it is Christmas in july) and i'll be dreaming of snowflakes and Christmas lights while painting at the easel. speaking of "Christmas lights"...(sorry, couldn't resist attaching the video below) which leads me to some wishful thinking...perhaps a little Chris Martin under my preverbal Christmas tree. hmmm..;)}

***ps and btw, here's a link to the painting above...FOR SALE as a PRINT***

https://www.etsy.com/listing/180804870/the-wistful-ones-reproduction

building layers on brunette tresses...

©the enchanted easel 2014

{because browns can be beautiful too}

good thing i don't like chocolate because after working with this palette of delectable browns...well let's just say i prefer my reeses pieces...and black licorice. ;)

the fourth (and final) kokeshi....

Aoi Kokeshi
©the enchanted easel 2014

DONE!

meet little Aoi, all decked out in brilliant blues! accompanied by some lanterns and plum blossoms, she is the final kokeshi in a series of four.

she is FOR SALE as a PRINT here:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/192843967/aoi-kokeshi-reproduction

also, all four PRINTS are FOR SALE as a set found here:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/192846995/set-of-4-kokeshis-reproductions

four kokeshi series
©the enchanted easel 2014

lots and lots of BLUE....

i LOVE paint!

laying down a background of brilliant blues and various violets
©the enchanted easel 2014

a little blue eyeshadow never hurt anyone...
©the enchanted easel 2014

finishing up the fourth (and final) kokeshi this week...little Aoi.

aoi kokeshi
©the enchanted easel 2014

meet Kiiro....

kiiro kokeshi
©the enchanted easel 2014

ok, so guess what color Kiiro is in japanese...? (hint-it's the name of a very popular Coldplay song...and my favorite Coldplay song).

if you guessed YELLOW you are correct! ;)

Kiiro is the third kokeshi in my series of four. 

PRINTS AVAILABLE HERE:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/191257660/kiiro-kokeshi-reproduction

Midori and Akai are also available in my etsy shop, found here:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/theenchantedeasel

up next, Aoi...

"look at the stars, look how they shine for you. and everything you do, yeah, they were all yellow."~chris martin

{best thing about this video...it's only him! :)}

...and she was all YELLOW!

©the enchanted easel 2014

©the enchanted easel 2014

kirro kokeshi
©the enchanted easel 2014

(my favorite Coldplay song)

ok, getting back to what's on the easel this week....this lovely little YELLOW kokeshi, named Kiiro {japanese for YELLOW-just in case you didn't know...;)}

wrapping her up in the next day or two! 

{...because perfection always has a place in my life! ;)}

the rainbow connection

finally got around to scanning this little beauty....my homage to my FAVORITE childhood doll, Rainbow Brite. along with her BFF, Starlight, of course. ;)

PRINTS AVAILABLE HERE:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/185021942/the-rainbow-connection-reproduction

all horses...

©the enchanted easel 2014

©the enchanted easel 2014

should have rainbow colored manes. or so i think anyway....;)

snippets from my piece entitled "the rainbow connection"... my tribute to my favorite childhood doll, rainbow brite and her sweet horse, starlight.

oh how i loved that doll! 

"the rainbow connection"
©the enchanted easel 2014

the wistful ones

my latest painting, entitled "the wistful ones" is now FOR SALE as a REPRODUCTION in my shop.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/180804870/the-wistful-ones-reproduction

the second painting in my *new* style. had planned on having this done a couple of weeks ago, in time for valentine's day, but mother nature and some winter storms had other plans (power outages and no heat mean no painting). but, better late than never. 

besides, who could turn down a sweet little baby polar bear with such a "wistful" look of love in his eyes...? ;)

winter fashion...

©the enchanted easel 2014

©the enchanted easel 2014

is everything! 

nothing like a pretty hat (complete with a pink bow, of course), a beautiful dress, a warm cozy cape, boots, mittens....oh and some lovely peacock shadow to grace the eyelid as well.

never let a little winter chill discourage the fashionista in us all. ;)

a sneak peek....

(well, a few of them actually) of the first official painting of mine for the new year! yay me...'cause she's all DONE! nothing left to do but scan...at a very large 16x20. lots of *stitching* in PS going on tonight. but that's ok, she's worth it! :)

©the enchanted easel 2014

©the enchanted easel 2014

©the enchanted easel 2014

check back tomorrow for the FINISHED PAINTING (PRINTS WILL BE FOR SALE)......and a very bittersweet story that goes along with it.