(birthday) gift for danny!!!

©the enchanted easel 2014

so, every now and then i come across a story that really moves me on a ton of levels. and, when it has to do it with a child (albeit, a sick one too) well, let's just say my heart strings never recover.

i came across this story http://6abc.com/201528/ late last night while resting my painting arm (inflamed the area a bit working my little tail off) and i knew i had to do something for this sweet little boy. (i mean really? look at that FACE!) so, i rose from the couch and opened up photoshop to personalize a print of a custom painting i had done two years ago for my dear friend's little boy, shane. i had painted shane's name on the actual blocks at that time but was smart enough to scan it beforehand without the name...just in case i ever needed to personalize it for some reason.

and little danny nickerson was that "reason". i mean how perfect was it right? the blonde hair, the exact number of blocks that were vacant...just waiting for danny's name to appear on them. and there it is....more than the birthday card(s) he's so anxiously awaiting in his P.O. box. i printed it out at a nice size and even matted it. all little danny has to do is frame it and hang it in his room. 

it's times like this that i realize just how amazing it is to have been given the gift that is in my right hand. after three c-spine surgeries, painting with constant nerve pain in that painting hand is not easy, that's for darn sure. but hey, the word "pain" is in "painting" right? so who am i to shy away from that? ;) i mean, yes, i always have a soft spot for young kids (16 years as a preschool teacher surely would back that up) but it's more than that. being able to create (art) work that makes a child smile and a parent even happier, well that's more than enough for me. no amount of money could put a price tag on something as priceless as that.

*if you read the above article, i encourage you to make a little boy's day and mail him out a birthday card....and just know that you've contributed to innocence and God's grace in it's purest form.*

off to get him a birthday card to widen the future smile that will surely come across his beautiful little face....:)

on his way to cali....

my custom painting for baby shane is done and on his way to shane himself...in california!
can't wait for the family to get it...and for shane to enjoy it for years to come:)

i am selling PRINTS of this here in my etsy shop WITHOUT the name on the blocks-because i was smart and scanned it before i painted his name ;)

https://www.etsy.com/listing/106314684/t-is-for-toys-and-truck

love this little guy!

slow week.....

did you ever just have one of those weeks where NOTHING goes right and EVERYTHING goes wrong?! well, needles to say, this was mine....(and i hope it doesn't get repeated anytime soon)...

i am working on shane's painting (below) as well as a custom painting for a little boy named grady (whose obviously going to grow up a Phillies fan...*as i cringe being the Braves fan i am...)

progress on shane's painting was much slower than i was hoping due to a week filled with....life i suppose. hoping to be able to get back on track this weekend...*fingers crossed*....

ok...so....

i've been terrible at updating this blog in the last couple of weeks....lots of custom work (and that's a GREAT thing!)

i am currently working on some custom pieces....2 boys and 1 for a little girl....who LOVES herself some ladybugs. and don't we all....;)

one of the little boy piece's i am working on his for a baby named shane who loves trucks. i decided to incorporate some airplanes and toys and blocks. that way i could place his name on the blocks....not like he would ever forget it or anything....

the other boy piece i am working on is for my a newborn named grady. his nursery is all about the great american game of baseball. still in the process of finishing that sketch...almost done.

and last, but certainly not least, i am working on a piece for a little girl named lauren. she has this *thing* for ladybugs. so, her mom sent me over some pics of her bedding and i incorporated the flowers into the sketch.

shane and lauren's sketches are below. almost done grady's....

whew! lots to do!