Noah Visits the Big Tree...

My lovely wife and our little gnome had a wonderful weekend together making lots of memories and enjoying the wonderful life God has given us. One of the highlights of this past weekend was another trip to Longwood Gardens, an absolute heavenly place. We visit there often and we can't get enough of beauty of the place. As we were walking along one of the fields that spans just behind some of the gardens, we discovered a gigantic tree. Not only was my wife and I amazed but so was little Noah. So we walked over to the tree and snapped some pictures. Noah, certainly fits right in and I hope one of these days I can paint him with this old soul of a tree.

 

And yes, there was even time for a cheerios break.

Lastly, I also posted a couple more originals up on Etsy, if anyone is interested they can go HERE

The Miser

Yesterday, I posted another original on Etsy and I woke up this Morning to see that a very talented poet wrote a wonderful tale about it. The painting is titled, "The Miser". I am always excited when one of my paintings becomes an inspiration for another one's story. We ALL have different gifts and it's a joy to see when they're being used.
The original watercolor is available HERE

The Miserly Gnome

Mr. Gnome, why can't you see
It's bad to act so miserly
Have you a pain inside, so deep
Or, is it anger that you keep?

Count the blessings you possess
Others manage with much less
Nothing good can come from greed
This forest gives you all you need

Join us in our fairy ring
We'll eat and drink! We'll dance and sing!
A better time can not be had
You'll forget why you were sad!

Come witness the ferocity
Of fairy generosity
Do not fear a healthy start
And open up your vaulted-heart

You can only truly live
When you learn to freely give
For everything comes back to you
The way you really want it to

Okay! I'll try your strange advice
A fairy party might be nice...
When he finally acquiesced
He learned that he was truly blessed

He opened up, he laughed and cried
He found the feelings once denied
He danced a reel and sang with glee
He set his lonely spirit free

He saw the beauty of the land
Was more than gold he had on hand
No silver did he wish to own
But with Nature to atone.

Once returned to home-sweet-home
He thought it nice to be a gnome
From then on he always cared
And what he owned was gladly shared.

The Fairy Poet's work can be found HERE

Thank you, Theo!

Bunny Love

Since the Spring and Easter season is just around the corner, I thought that I would offer a special price for this original watercolor called, "Bunny Love". It's full of wonderful Spring colors and has lots of details and of course, it's made with love. I've had this painting for some time now and each day I've been going through my flat files and finding paintings hidden away. I figured that they need new homes and there is no reason for me to hold onto them any longer. It measures 7x9 inches and was created using watercolors and gesso on Arches 140lb hot press paper.

So, if anyone is interested, it can be found HERE on Etsy.

I'm currently working on two childrens books, both of which I've mentioned in previous posts, so I should have more illustrations to share with you in the near future. In the meantime, have a great day today!

Original Watercolor & Figurine Packages

Hello Everyone!

I just posted some more originals up on Etsy. Two of which, come with complimentary matching figurines. I had designed these a few years ago for a figurine line called the "Household Fairies", little wee folk who are always willing to help around the house. The figurines are beautifully created and of high quality. The first one is the Coffee Fairy, available HERE

 

The second original watercolor along with matching figurines, Salt and Pepper, is available HERE

Happy 1st Birthday, Noah!!!

Today, is a very special day. It is the day that our son, Noah James, turns one year old. My wife and I are so thankful for this little guy. Being a parent has been so much more then I ever thought it would be and it's ALL good. You realize that the day your child comes into this world you stop living for yourself, the same is true in marriage, of course, but a little one is so dependable in every way. I can't help but think that this is the same way that God cares for us, just as we are His children. Yes, I am in awe of how precious life is and seeing our little boy grow from a wee one to who he is now is truly amazing and I know that I will be saying this year after year. What a gift from above he is.

I thought I would post a few pictures of him that I took, yesterday while he was eating cheerios...he loves his cheerios!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NOAH JAMES!!!

The Original Snowflake

For the lats few days I've been going through my studio and coming across original works that I still have in my keeping. We are in the process of building a new addition to the studio to create more room for framing, larger painting and storage. It's coming along beautifully, so it's been a great excuse for me to go through my flat files for older artwork. Yesterday, it was the lovely "Snowflake" that surfaced, a painting that I did two Winters ago as a Christmas card. I've decided that I would offer it up at a very reasonable price. It's a beautiful painting with great movement and texture and a neat color scheme of warm browns and cool blues. The original was created using watercolors and gesso on Arches 140lb hot press paper. It measures 8x11 inches. If anyone is interested in it, it's available HERE.

I've also posted a little "Crescent Moon" original on Etsy...that can be seen HERE.

Little Panda ACEO and Hearts

Just a quick little post today about a little panda aceo/baby brownie that I did yesterday during one of Noah's naps. Our little Noah is almost one year old and I am just amazed how each day is full of surprises and growth in our munchkin. He is such a blessing to us and I am very thankful to being an artist working at home, soaking in the youth.

Anyway, here is "Little Panda"! I created him using pencil and gesso on mat board and the original is available HERE at my Etsy Shoppe.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Ps. I almost forgot! I also posted the original watercolor, "Hearts" at my Etsy Shoppe. It was a painting I did for a greeting card a few years back. It is for sale HERE

Another Sneak-Peak and more ACEOs

I have been having a blast so far this year! I've been trying to find ways onworking quicker and on a more daily basis. As I mentioned in my previous posts, I've been working on two children's books along with some other commission work. In this post I thought I would share with you another spot illustration from the tale of "Rootfoot" (Part of a book of tales). This one is of Rootfoot's faithful friend, Willowcrest.

I've also managed to squeeze a little time in for making some more original ACEOs/ Baby Brownies. Here are a couple more of them that I did today. They can be purchased at my Etsy Shoppe if anyone is interested.

Have a great day everyone...stay warm!

A'Mour...the original watercolor

I feel the love in the air as we approach Valentine's Day. Pretty much every year I feel this way at this time. Valentine's Day to me, is like the first sign of Spring. Even though it is still considered Winter, I can't help but feel the warmth of Love. I've been truly blessed to have my lovely Valentine by my side for 14 years and our love continues to grow.

I was going through my flat files this morning and I came across an original watercolor that I painting almost 9 years ago. It is called, "A'Mour". I've decided to put it up for sale at my Etsy Shoppe. I've priced at very reasonable price in case any of you are interested in it. It's a very beautiful original depicting the gift of Love. It can be purchased... HERE. This original watercolor measures 8 1/2 x 11 1/2 inches and was painted on Arches 140lb cold press paper.

That's all for today...Have a great day!

Some Valentine's ACEOs

I spent part of my day, yesterday, working on some new Valentine's Baby Brownies/ACEOs. These little originals are a lot of fun to do especially when my son is taking a nap. Anyway, I posted them on my
Etsy shoppe
Here's a sneak peak at a couple of them, one being a watercolor and the other being sepia ink.

Rootfoot

 As I had mentioned in yesterday's post, I am currently work on another book based on some of my past works accompanied by the beautiful writings of D.R. Hartle, a talented writer and a dear friend. This book will be a book of short stories that will be lavishly illustrated with full color and black and white imagery. Each tale has a moral to it and I'm hoping that it will bring a lot of smiles to those who read it. I've always been a big fan of the old  illustrated books of the true classics, those illustrated by N.C. Wyeth, Rackham and others. My hope is to create a book of new tales in the old way.

Above is the painting of "Rootfoot", a painting I did a few years back that inspired a beautiful tale written by D.R. Hartle. Below are some spot illustrations that I did this past week. The tale is about an old tree that tends to the forest saplings and grows weary ....but the tale doesn't end there! I will keep that a surprise.

A book of Lullabies...

I've been currently working on a wonderful project, a book of Lullabies. I've always enjoyed portraying the wonder of childhood in my work and how the imagination thrives in the heartspace of a child. 

This book is no exception. The author is a very special person with a gift of capturing childhood innocence and wonder. It's a real honor for me to be working with her. It's truly a journey. Anyway, below you will find that I've posted a couple of illustrations from this book of wonder.

I've also been working on another project, one that I'm really excited about. I'll share a little bit about it on my next post.