A Busy May!!

May proved to be a very busy month and happily so. 😊

Started working on a new series of cute little Chinese girls when another commission came my way a couple of weeks ago. That along with packing some pendants to ship out to a few customers was also another highlight. Thanks so much to Jewelry Affaire magazine for featuring my pendant necklaces in their Spring 2018 issue. Still so grateful for the exposure.

Here are some highlights from the month...

🌸One in a trio of cute Chinese girls WIP🌸

🎀Pendant necklaces available here🎀

🌻Softball and sunflowers commission WIP🌻

Okay, June...let's do this!!

multitasking kind of two weeks....

{been working on a few things at once...hence my lack of blogging in almost 14 days}

beginnings of a new painting....

new things coming to my etsy shop soon....

busy day in the studio, multitasking like a boss...

nursery art commission beginnings....

quick little brainstorming session....

the making of "silence of the snowdrops"...step by step!

i thought it would be interetsing and fun to take a look into the creative process of my paintings...from thumbnail to sketch to paint palette(s) to the finsihed piece. i know i absolutely geek out looking at other artists WIPs so i thought i'd create a new album after each painting of the step by step process i use (and have used for YEARS) and share it with everyone. i work traditonally...pencil, paper, paint, canvas. i have much respect for the digital artists of the world yet for me, the passion and love will ALWAYS be in the traditonal tube of paint. old school...and proud. 

for a look at the full album and step by step instructions, please click on over to my Facebook page...and perhaps give it a "like", if you would be so kind! :)

PRINTS of this beauty here. ORIGINAL PAINTING is AVAILABLE. contact me, if interested. 

SNOW, multitasking...and SUPER BOWL BOUND!!!

crazy couple of weeks (hence the lack of blogging-*hangs head in shame*) but i've been busy and that's a very good thing!

another good thing? i FINALLY got my SNOW!!! over 30"....not too shabby! 

and what's the greatest thing that's happened to me in the last 2 weeks? wait for it, wait for it....PEYTON MANNING IS SUPER BOWL BOUND!!! (should have just done a whole separate post for this one....LOVE THIS MAN) i cried like a baby. EVERYONE who knows me personally knows how much respect and love i have for this man...and have (loyally) for almost TWO DECADES. never wavered once. knowing this may be his last rodeo, well i want him to go out BIG! no one is more deserving. prayers and fingers crossed for a SB WIN on 2/7/16....although this man will ALWAYS be a WINNER to me! love you, Peyton Manning.

those who know me personally....

know that this little sketch needs NO explanation! 

{and for those who don't, well i think it's pretty self explanatory.}

football is BACK....but more importantly than that, PEYTON IS BACK...and that makes for a very happy girl, right here!!!

i have followed this man from his rookie days with the Colts (their loss) to his days with the Broncos (thank you, John Elway for the most wonderful addition your team). classy. humble. respectable. incredibly talented and just an all around awesome guy...and quarterback.

ironically we turned out to to have some unfortunate circumstances in common....like multiple neck surgeries/fusions which if you know anything about the cervical spine, well it certainly affects the use of your arm(s)/hand(s). to still be able to grasp a football and play as eloquently as he does, well that is nothing short of miraculous to me. i feel his pain everyday (literally) as holding a pencil/paintbrush has become somewhat of a challenge on some days...but as peyton says, "these nerves have a mind of their own." they surely do. however, i use that pain to fuel my passion even more. so...take THAT nerve pain! ;)

wishing peyton (and the broncos) a great season and may today be the first day on the journey to the Super Bowl...WIN! 

peyton, you are my hero!

so....

i don't usually post full sketches until after my paintings are done, especially commissions....but because this was a request from the wonderful woman/mother who commissioned me in the first place, well i couldn't say no. :)

7/8 years ago i taught a really sweet little girl who was adopted into the arms of a really great lady. she reached out to me wanting a painting based on the illustrations in the beautiful book entitled, Motherbridge of Love...a custom painting (in my style) to represent the merging of cultures, ethnicities and, of course, the unconditional love that will forever envelop that very special little girl (who is not quite so little anymore-6th grade already?!) for a lifetime to come.

it's always a pleasure to take on any commission as i am always humbled and appreciative for the opportunity to have someone trust in my creative visions. to me, there is no greater compliment.

a bit of a little fire starter....

©the enchanted easel 2015

©the enchanted easel 2015

on the easel this week and most likely next week as well!

{kind of loving this little beauty....:)}

©the enchanted easel 2015

©the enchanted easel 2015

this week....

mixing up a little bit of *magic*....

spending afternoons with this sly little guy...

working on a self portrait, of sorts...

and...

sketching cute little snowmen, just for the fun of it (and because i'm WINTER OBSESSED!!!).

{that's what's going on}

just a couple things...

in the works....always sketching out new ideas. :)

easel endeavors...

these two cuties!

©the enchanted easel 2015

sweet little Lily, inspired by a recent trip to Longwood gardens and the breathtaking floral displays they have there. just gorgeous.

©the enchanted easel 2015

this little guy....a commission for a friend...and a returning customer (and we know how much i LOVE those!!). a boy, his frog...and perhaps a cookie can be found in there somewhere as well. his nickname was 'cookie' while laying so sweetly in his mama's belly. so, a cookie in the drawing/painting shall appear. i aim to please. :)

Sunday afternoon sketching....

working on a little custom drawing for a very special girlfriend from school...she's going through some tough times and needs a little "pick me up".

sweetness to the rescue! :)

woodless graphite....

is a beautiful thing!

this is how EVERY painting begins....for me, anyway. well, except for my abstracts. (yes, i do fine arts as well.)

i draw/sketch out my idea in my sketchbook (sized at the same size the painting will be). in this step, i am extremely detailed and precise, making sure i have everything drawn/sketched out EXACTLY the way it will appear on the canvas. the more exact and precise i am in the drawing/sketching stage, the easier it is for me to execute the finished painting.

once the drawing/sketch is perfected, i then re trace over my own drawing/sketch with tracing paper....every line, every detail, everything...completely re traced. once that is done, i will take a piece of woodless graphite OR, if i don't have a piece laying around, i will use a VERY soft lead pencil (usually an 8B...6B at the very least). with that, i *scribble* very methodically on the back of my tracing....being sure to cover every line i have just traced so that i can transfer the drawing/sketch exactly as it appears in my sketchbook.

then, i lay the tracing (paper) with the graphite on the back over the canvas and press down with a 4H lead pencil to transfer the drawing to the canvas ever so perfectly.

and that, my friends, is how Nicole rolls...old school. that's how i worked in college...and that's how i work today. keeping it real and true to myself. 

i am a traditional painter. ALWAYS a (traditional) painter. :)

a method to my madness...

i always love seeing how other artists come up with their masterpieces...from the moment of conception to the finished product. 

so, i thought i'd share my 3 step process...from the tiny, super tight little thumbnail to the full size sketch (same size as the canvas) to the completed painting.

{such royal treatment for a princess...;)}

step 1
super tight little thumbnail

step 2
full size sketch

step 3
finished painting

so....

i'm thinking a penguin would make the perfect pet for me...considering we both LOVE arctic weather! :)

sweet little alaska...a very stylish and fashion savvy penguin, if i do say so myself. 

{probably taking a page from my book, she is...;)}

she will be available FOR SALE very soon (as a PRINT)...and for the first time all year, i will be offering the ORIGINAL PAINTING-FOR SALE as well.

arctic cuteness~coming soon! :)

thursday morning thumbnails....

©the enchanted easel 2014

some arctic adorableness is on the way....:)

happy thursday, friends! 

lots of bows. lots of stars.

©the enchanted easel 2014

{new painting in the works AND it contains one of my favorite characters ever!:)}

oh, and the nightmare before christmas painting is done and waiting to be posted. trying to wait til at least the last week in september to post it, as it's more of a halloween piece. can't wait to share it!

until then, here's a peek at the full sketch, entitled "moonstruck"...featuring sally and her beloved black cat. (yes, i drew AND painted a cat. those who really know me what a feat that was..."feat" being the understatement of the year. let's just say i'm more of a dog person...)

"moonstruck"
©the enchanted easel 2014

sweetness....

©the enchanted easel 2014

sewn together at the seams.

a peek at what's up next on the easel. can you guess who she is?

{hint-she's a red head (yay!). super shy. super sweet. stuffed with fall leaves...and is the female love interest of a certain skeleton by the name of jack.}

video below...just in case you couldn't figure it out. one of my favorite movies of all time! :)

this beauty....

©the enchanted easel 2014

on the easel this week.

a custom mermaid....and a very cute, very enamored little sea turtle.

{so, take that mr. hare. slow and steady definitely wins this race...or at least the heart of a very beautiful little mermaid. :)}

sketching swirly strands...

©the enchanted easel 2014

of mermaid hair!

custom painting in the works the next week or so. and guess what it is? *hint-i have painted lots of them in the last year...and they have great hair days every day, despite the fact they live in the water...or so the myth goes.* give up? i am painting yet another MERMAID. no complaints though...i LOVE painting hair. and this little beauty in the works? she will have PINK hair. not just any pink, but my signature strawberry pink. and hey, let's face it...don't we all dream of having super awesome, super strawberry pink hair? it's ok, you don't have to answer that...;)

bring on another mermaid! the easel is awaiting!

{a peek at the thumbnail process below. that's how it all begins folks...with a pink ink joy pen. :)}

©the enchanted easel 2014