DECEMBER DISCOUNT DAYS...DAY 11!

and it's a big one! not one, not two, not even three...but FOUR tiny little treasures are the FEATURED PRINTS on this eleventh day of December.

(Akai-red, Midori-green, Aoi-blue and Kiiro-yellow)

{NOTE-ORIGINAL PAINTINGS ARE FOR SALE HERE. AKAI HAS ALREADY BEEN SOLD.}

illustration friday ~ "small"

aoi kokeshi
FOR SALE

a perfect submission for this week's IF theme....tiny little treasures known as kokeshi dolls.

painted a series of four of these beauties last year. three remain FOR SALE. one already SOLD. 

midori kokeshi
FOR SALE

kiiro kokeshi
FOR SALE

akai kokeshi
SOLD

proof that good things do indeed come in small packages....;)

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

meet Midori....

Midori Kokeshi
©the enchanted easel 2014

one of four kokeshis I am currently in the midst of painting. those who know me, know i am japanese obsessed. from sakura trees to teriyaki chicken to the language....obsessed. i love kokeshi dolls. love everything about them from the size to the intricacy of them. the japanese are master crafters and i have nothing but the utmost respect for them and their dedication and discipline in everything they do. should have been japanese....;)

midori is FOR SALE as a PRINT here:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/188201770/midori-kokeshi-reproduction

she would make a lovely addition to any girl's room. can't wait to get working on the other three!

in between painting the final mermaid...

a custom order came my way. name panels for a baby girl named Mia. and oh how i LOVE doing custom work. especially for babies :)

below are the sketches and color palette i will be using. the theme-butterflies and gingham....in purple. the letters will be much thicker on the finished panels, but you get the point...

can't wait to get started on these! :)

do you think pantone would be proud...? ;)

introducing Esmerelda, May's emerald haired mermaid. emerald being the Pantone color of the year!

she is FOR SALE AS AN ORIGINAL HERE:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/167512053/esmerelda-mermaid-original-painting

and as a PERSONALIZED PRINT HERE:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/164664474/birthstone-mermaid-print-with-optional

only one more little beauty left...Crystal, April's diamond studded mermaid.

sketch coming soon...:)

from the easel....

to the scanning bed.

a peek at an emerald haired mermaid named esmerelda.

full painting to be posted SOON and will be available FOR SALE as the ORIGINAL as well PRINTS! 

jewel toned tresses of....

EMERALD!

that's what's on the easel this week(end)...may's lush emerald haired mermaid, esmerelda.

GOD I LOVE PAINT!!! :)

on the easel this week...

the pantone color of the year, emerald.

this is may's mermaid, little esmerelda. 

10 mermaids down. 1 1/2 more to go. yay! :)

i almost forgot....

~HaPpY AuGuSt~

love,
Olivne (the mermaid for the month...with her beautiful peridot colored hair)

she is FOR SALE as an ORIGINAL here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/124149335/olivine-mermaid-original-painting

on another august note...9 MORE DAYS TIL MY BIRTHDAY!!! :)

little olivine...

featured in this lovely mermaid treasury found here:

https://www.etsy.com/treasury/NjYwMDk4M3wyNzI0MjQxNDQ0/for-the-love-of-mermaids

i love how humbling it is to be recognized by other artists and i love the opportunity etsy provides by allowing artists of all types to share their gift with the world. 

as for little olivine here, i am so emotionally attached to this little mermaid. i mean art for me is always an emotional attachment. i sometimes wonder if you have to be another one of *us* to really understand that. that feeling of if you can't paint/draw/create, that you can't survive. that is how i feel every single day of my life and i live and breathe to do it and i do it to live and breathe. without it there is nothing. not for me anyway. no amount of money or anything/anyone could take it's place. it's not only a part of me...it is ALL of me. 

with that being said, when little olivine sells, i will shed some tears for sure. bittersweet ones, knowing that she will be making some little girl very happy. besides, she can't live in my studio forever...and she's always in my heart because that's where she came from to begin with :)

such a sap, i know...

speaking of mermaids, i'm still working on the whole series, just having some neck and arm pain right now so trying to take it easy a bit. which is something that does not come easy for me.

painting the final layers...

of little Olivine, the mermaid for August. based on the birthstone peridot, Olivine is painted in bright and lush shades of yellows and greens.

nothing left to do but her little tail, the shell in her hair and some bubbles, of course...;)

on the table this week...

sweet little Olivine mermaid, for the month of august....MY month and MY birthstone...the peridot. LOVE these gorgeous yellow-green gemstones. 

i've been terrible at blogging for the last week because i have like three projects going on at once and i really want to do all twelve mermaids within the next couple of months.

and i will...;)

MeRry ChRisTmAs....

love peppermint...the little candy cane striped Christmas zebra:)

due to my crazy love of candy canes and all things peppermint, i just couldn't resist when the idea popped into my head;)

xxx

nothing like a little "teamwork"...

especially with some really cute animals:)

this piece is to be featured in the back to school issue of stories for children magazine www.storiesforchildrenmagazine.com the august/september 2011 i believe.

if you can't guess what the story is about based on the illustration...here's a small summary...

a cute little cow (whom i named charlie) and a cute little goat (whom i named grayling) are all psyched to enter this art show. so charlie, with his yellow paint and grayling, with his blue paint go on to create a circle sun, some lakes and flowers and are pretty happy with their creation. until...henry (my cute little pony) comes along and wants to paint as well. unfortuneately, charlie and grayling tell little henry that there is no brush for him:(

so....

henry excitedly suggests that they drop a bit of each of their 2 colors on a rock and watch henry work his magic with his little tail. well, as we all know, blue and yellow make...GREEN!!!

so charlie, grayling and sweet little henry work together as a "team" to create a wonderful painting for the art show!!!:)

so cute...:)