just a couple things...

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

crazy week. multiple projects....

and, i've been under the weather (hence my lack of blogging). with that being said, let's play catch up, shall we? ;)

ok...first things first. with some commissions going on, there is still beautiful little lily who i have been working on for what seems like forever (no complaints though because i have fallen in love with her) and i am happy to say...she is just about DONE! another day or two and she'll be ready to be scanned and ready to SELL! :) here'a peek at the lovely flowers that gave her her name....

©the enchanted easel 2015

next up, we have some thumbnails of a couple of commissions i am currently in the process of taking on. one being a very personal and sweet portrait of an adopted mom and her daughter (and ex student of mine, actually) and her birth mother. looking forward to this one as it is chinese and we all know how much i LOVE asian art...from kokeshis to the anime influence. love it all.

©the enchanted easel 2015

commission number 2? baby jungle animals. right. up. my. alley. cute? baby? animals? yeah, i got this ...especially when it involves and ELEPHANT...my other favorite thing! :)

©the enchanted easel 2015

{and the thumbnail below? just some doodling because i am the eternal snow bunny and in my world, well it snows everyday and it's always pink! ;)}

©the enchanted easel 2015

so, now that we are all caught up, i'm going back to my easel with the help of some kleenex and the cough drops i have been sucking on like candy all week. :(

thursday morning thumbnails....

©the enchanted easel 2014

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

happy thursday, friends! 

new series....

©the enchanted easel 2014

in the making.

i am crazy in love with all things japanese...from the culture to the food to the super cute art such as the company sanrio (hello kitty) and anime. oh, and let's not forget my obsession with cherry blossoms and the absolutely breathtakingly beautiful sakura trees. i mean even my fragrance is japanese cherry blossoms. as i said, obsessed. really need to go to japan once day...

anyhoo, i've been wanting to do a little series of kokeshi dolls for quite a while and i had these thumbnails drawn up since this past november. how tight do i work?! gosh, i could probably save myself the drawing step in between and just sketch these right onto the canvas, using these thumbnails as my guide. but....i'm too OCD for that (and love drawing just as much as painting) so i'm going to whip out 4 8x8 sketches and then transfer them to the canvas.

can not wait to paint these! :)

©the enchanted easel 2014

a peek at little sakura {big surprise with the name}...

sketching the day away...

you know when i first started brainstorming for a series of these 12 mermaid paintings back in january, i had no idea it would take me almost 12 months to complete them. i also had no idea i had neck surgery #3 waiting around the corner this past april. people of ten ask me what does that have to do with my right hand. well, they are clearly ignorant as it has EVERYTHING to do with my hand. EVERYTHING. the cervical spine controls more than we think/know.

it is today that i will finish the last 2 sketches and use the next few months of 2013 to finish the series of paintings (amongst some other things). pain free? not quite. but that never stopped me before and it sure as hell won't stop me now! :)

a whole sea full of mermaids....

 one for every month of the year!

that's what's up next!

i thought it would be fun to do a series of paintings of beautiful little mermaids, based on the gemstone of the month.

i always think it's interesting (and inspiring) to see how other artists work...their creative process, if you will. here's a peek at mine...

from tiny little thumbnails to the sketch outline to a little bit of *coloring* (because i like my sketch books to look pretty) :)

from there i will trace my sketch directly from my sketchbook and then transfer it to my canvas, so that the painting remains as close to the original sketch as possible.

can not wait to start paintings these beauties! :)