Oh hey, August...

There's Always Room at the Top...for a Hug!
12x12, acrylic on canvas
©the enchanted easel

not only are you one month closer to Fall and all things PUMPKIN SPICE (ridiculously happy about that, btw)....you are also MY BIRTHDAY MONTH! Shout out to all the Leos (and Virgos) out there celebrating as well! 💝🎂🍎🌟

Throughout the month of AUGUST ONLY,  I am offering a FREE 6x6 PRINT of a painting I did back in 2014 to commemorate one of my all time favorite characters from childhood (and now too)...HELLO KITTY!! She turned 40 back in 2014. Can we talk about how old that makes me feel?? I digress...back to the FREE PRINT. 

You will receive a FREE 6x6 PRINT of this painting with ANY PRINT PURCHASE in my Etsy shop....all August long. No coupon. No code. And, BONUS-I'm still offering FREE DOMESTIC SHIPPING on EVERYTHING in my shop for the remainder of the Summer. WIN WIN!! 

Happy Birthday, August babies!! 🎈🎉🎂🎊

PS-THE ORIGINAL PAINTING IS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE. CONTACT ME IF INTERESTED. 

my first mixed media *experiment*....

ophelia's nocturne
6x6 mixed media on canvas panel
©the enchanted easel 2016

this summer i wanted to try my hand at some small mixed media pieces. i decided to start with a theme of sorts as far as a color palette went....i chose just a few to start with...red, orange, teal and brown. from there two little creatures were born. ophelia here is the first.

mixed media was kind of new for me. i have so many art supplies laying around my home that instead of looking at all of them, well i wanted to try to actually USE them. my paintings/commissions are acrylic on stretched canvas so i never really get to play with my oil pastels or my inks (OMG-can we say "obsessed" now?!) or my tons of scrapbook papers and supplies, etc.

one day i sat down in between commissions and said "what the heck...let's give it a shot!" and so i did...and had a blast doing so. i used everything from paper to water soluble graphite pencils to palette knives to my fingers for this piece. even got some old sheet music from my keyboard ("ophelia" from tori amos to be exact-hence the name of this little owl) and went to town with that. a total blast this was-from start to finish.

PRINTS are available here and the ORIGINAL painting is also AVAILABLE. contact me here if interested. hope you love her as much as i do...owls just say "fall" and "halloween" to me. one of my favorite times of the year!

DECEMBER DISCOUNT DAYS....DAY 17!

a sweet baby elephant, sleeping soundly is today's FEATURED PRINT!

{perhaps he's dreaming of SNOW. God knows i sure am....}

DECEMBER DISCOUNT DAYS...DAY 10!

today's FEATURED PRINT is...30% off "moonlight mavens" (a.k.a. the *face* of the enchanted easel). 

{based on a true story....;)}

DECEMBER DISCOUNT DAYS....DAY 4!

todays' FEATURED DISCOUNT PRINT is....this icon!

30% off ALL DAY. TODAY ONLY.

{hello kitty. loved her then. love her now.}

happy birthday to this legend!!!

starry eyed mickey
12x12 acrylic on canvas

i debated whether or not to *share* this on my blog (as you won't find it on my website or my public facebook page) because it's disney and we all know how disney is with their characters/copyrights (rightfully so). however...

after some dark days recently in the world (and the fact that it is this legend's birthday today) well, i thought i would brighten up the times with some COLOR and HAPPINESS! i mean c'mon, how can you not SMILE when you see Mickey Mouse?! :)

***{i am NOT a fan of painting other people's characters, especially so spot on, for obvious reasons although i know people do it all the time. this was a special request from a friend who is a HUGE Mickey fan. my head is overflowing with ideas for my own work so therefore i am NOT taking commissions for things such as this. anything else, please don't hesitate to contact me for something special...be it a custom painting or drawing. i'd be more than happy to accommodate you.}***

this guy though...not too shabby for 87, eh? ;)

illustration friday~whimsical

moonlight mavens
11x14 acrylic on canvas
©the enchanted easel 2014

truly this week's IF theme was created just for me....and little maggie. ;) two little insomniac BFFs painting themselves a whimsical night sky. ' cause while the rest of the world sleeps, we paint. :)

{throwing back to last july 2014 for this one...my website's home page image and the *face* of the enchanted easel. a bit more about this painting here....}

all you need is love....

doesn't matter what shape, size and/or color.

this piece was a commission from a friend of mine whose daughter i taught a few years back. a bot more about their story here.

it's always a cherished moment when someone calls upon me for a custom painting. it's an even bigger treasure when it's a friend. this piece was truly a pleasure to create. 

i am offering a LIMITED amount of prints which can be found here.

onto another commission...:)

always thinking about CAKE....

there's always room at the top...for a hug!
12x12 acrylic on canvas
©the enchanted easel 

with my birthday coming up in a few days, well i have CAKE on my mind (but that wouldn't really distinguish it from any other day of the week)...

anyhoo, here's a little flashback friday to this sweet treat from last November...'cause even Hello Kitty deserves to eat CAKE on her birthday! ;)

{PRINTS AND OTHER GOODIES FOUND HERE}

now...GO EAT CAKE!!! :)

{ORIGINAL PAINTING IS FOR SALE. CONTACT ME THROUGH MY WEBSITE IF INTERESTED.}

throwback...

"moonlight mavens"
11x14 acrylic on canvas

to one year ago yesterday...and this painting, "moonlight mavens".

hard to believe this piece (and the newly designed website, by me) are exactly one year old! how do i know this? it was website renewal fee day yesterday (squarespace is awesome, by the way)....and, i have a memory like an elephant. ;)

here's the story behind this painting as well as a bit more about me (in case you didn't already know)...

{and, just because it's throwback thursday, well i thought i'd share a picture of a very small Nicole with lots of dreams behind those big brown eyes of being the bestest children's artist she could be! :)}

a little Nicole...circa. 1975/76

warm winter wishes (drawing #2)....

glacia~graphite on bristol
©the enchanted easel 2015

love, glacia

xxx

ORIGNAL DRAWING FOR SALE IN MY SHOP!

also, glacia has little friend by the name of crystal who is also FOR SALE here.

2 sweet little winter girl drawings down...1 more to go. :)

my couch is now complete!

there's always room at the top...for a hug!
©the enchanted easel 2014

so loving these throw pillows courtesy of fine art america.

visit my shop here http://fineartamerica.com/products/there-is-always-room-at-the-top-for-a-hug-nicole-esposito-throw-pillow-14-14.html to pick up one for your little one....or for your not so little one! ;)

warm winter wishes...

crystal~graphite on bristol
©the enchanted easel 2015

love, crystal

xxx

ORIGINAL DRAWING FOR SALE, IN MY SHOP, NOW!

{little crystal is 2015's first drawing....and she has two friends to join her....COMING SOON! :)}

✨ sunday night superstar! ✨

©the enchanted easel 2014

just a peek at some new art for 2015!

working on a few ORIGINAL DRAWINGS that will be FOR SALE the first week of 2015...looking forward to the new year and the new opportunities it shall bring! :)

there's always room at the top...

there's always room at the top...for a hug!
©the enchanted easel 2014

for a hug!

~HAPPY 40TH BIRTHDAY TO THE ADORABLE AND ALWAYS FABULOUS, MISS KITTY WHITE....BEST KNOWN OF COURSE AS HELLO KITTY!!!~

hard to believe it's been 40 years since this sweet little character made her debut. i have been a sucker since day one. i love sanrio and their adorable characters...but she reigns supreme!

this painting features tiny chum, her cute little bear companion, as they embrace in what else? a hug, of course. one of hello kitty's favorite things...hugs. also, the 3 apples represent her weight (as she is said to weigh approximately 3 apples and be about 5 apples high and the 4 bows? well they represent 4 decades of sheer fabulousness!)

{this painting kind of reminds me of candy (must be the confection of colors i chose)....and that always makes me happy! :)}

PRINTS AND OTHER SWEET TREATS ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE SHOP LINKS FOUND HERE:

www.theenchantedeasel.com

happy birthday hello kitty...you are FABULOUS! still!

there's always room at the top...for a hug!
©the enchanted easel 2014

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. ;)}

a bevy of bows...

©the enchanted easel 2014

and a carnival of candy colors.

©the enchanted easel 2014

it's what's on the easel the next 2 weeks!

{love anything candy related....;)}

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

~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