Some more Baby Brownie / ACEOs

I had a little time the other day to bake a few new Baby Brownies while our little brownie, Noah was napping. I don't get a lot of time during the day to create but when I do I am grateful. All three of this little guys are available at the Brownieman Shoppe on Etsy.

Have a wonderful day and God Bless, ~ James

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are all doing well on this fine day. I've been flying on inspiration's wings as of late and I am truly thankful to be able to do what I do. I just posted an original at my Brownieman Shoppe on Etsy that was inspired by this beautiful Autumn weather that we are having. It is called, "Autumn Fairy" and she can be found HERE if anyone is interested. Have a wonderful day! ~ James

Some new works and some sales!!!

Hello Everyone,

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Summer and that you are all doing well. I've been pretty busy working on two books and various commissions, but in the meantime, I thought I'd share a few new pictures I did in between jobs this past week. The first is a watercolor called, "New Wings". This little original is available on Etsy, if anyone is interested.

Another illustration I did was a pencil and gesso drawing It was inspired by our little son, Noah. It is called, "To The Lake".

...and onward they marched to the lake, two piggies to be cleansed, three

ducklings to find their gift and one little boy to fill his heart with Joy.

 Lastly, I am having a SALE on my website, where you will find that ALL the HouseHold Fairy Figurines are on sale for only $10 each. These little weefolk are great for different spots around the house. They can be found HERE 

With Inspiration, ~James

Birch Couple Oil Painting

Hello Everyone!

Well, I'm still getting my feet wet when it comes to working with oil paints but I have to say I am thoroughly enjoying every moment I have with them. Here is one that I recently did of a loving Birch Couple. It measures 8x10 and the original is available at the Brownieman Shoppe on Etsy. I hope you like it. Have a wonderful day!

Oil Painting!

While I've still been in the process of working on two books and some commission work, I have found a little time to try something new and something different...something to help me loosen up a little bit and just have fun with and that something is oil painting. It is very different than painting with watercolor but I am finding a lot of joy in doing it. I thought I'd share a few paintings that I did in the past few days. Each one measures 5x7 inches and I've been painting them in one sitting of about 2 hours each. I've been posting them for sale at the Brownieman Shoppe on Etsy in case any of you are interested. I hope you like them!

An Irish Tale

Top of the morning to ya! HAPPY ST. PATTY'S DAY, EVERYONE!!!

AN IRISH TALE

Deep in the center of an enchanted glen,
...There lives Nody Eltrahy, a silly, old tale spinner.
A strange little leprechaun, not of the folk of men,
Sporting an easy smile, in his eyes the trace of a glimmer.

For ages he served as Bard to the High King.
Can't even imagine all the old soul has seen.
Ageless memories are his story's source,
Woven like a web without time's shortened course.

He comes when he wants to his favorite place
Under Old Burlybark, the willow, a dark and shady space,
Beside the Babble Brook meandering through the magical wood,
Its silvery water cool, sweet and surely good,

To his sitting stump, all shiny and worn,
The place where his tales seem to be born.
The words of his weaving encircling his head,
Bring to those who listen either smiles or dread.
Smiles to some hearts, which his light tales please,
Dread to others, their unbelief he'll tease.

To his teaching and care come the young fairies and elves,
Into their imagination he digs and he delves
Their minds to expand, to see things wee and grand,
To hear the forest's sounds as a musical band.

Now look real close and listen, listen hard.
The longer you do, the more you'll receive.
Filling your own memories, you will relieve
Life to come from the tales of this wise old Bard.

But if with hardened heart and closed mind you hear,
You'll miss on the smiles to carry you year to year.
With unbelief and no vision you'll fail,
And his words become just another Irish Tale.

Written by D. R. Hartle

The day that my life changed...

I've been wanting to share something that has been in my heart for some time now. It's something very personal to me. It is my testimony to how the loving Grace of God has changed my life. Those close to me already know my story of how I became a Christian but I felt in my heart that it was time for me to share it all with you. This is who I am...

My Testimony: Easter Sunday 2005

My Father has been more than patient with me through the years. He has not only had His eyes on me, but He has also blessed me in many ways. It was not until He broke me, that I truly looked to Him and received His gift. He saved me!

This is my story, but my journey has only just begun.

I couldn’t have ever wished for a more caring family to be born into. My upbringing was one that was completely out of love. My Father and Mother were always there for me. They raised me in all the right ways. They helped me up when I was down. They supported me in reaching for my dreams. Most importantly, they loved me unconditionally and always kept God in the center of their marriage. I was blessed with an amazing sister, Katrina. Though she is my younger sister, I have always looked up to her. She married a great man in Ralph and they both have been a wonderful example of what marriage is all about. Their two children, Andrew and Nathan, are a blessing to us all. I also was given a younger brother, Jeffrey. He has a great heart and I love him dearly.

Not only was I blessed with a loving family, but I was also given a gift to paint. This gift developed through the years and has become part of who I am. The blessings and rewards from using this gift are many and continue to overflow.

But the biggest blessing of them all was when Nadine came into my life. A beautiful young woman from Germany entered my life and filled my heart with love. My love for her can not be described in just words. All I can say is that I get lost in her when she is around and I daydream about her when I am alone. I am not complete without her.

So you can see, that I was blessed and these were just a few of the blessings. However, I never looked to the One who had given me all these things. Instead, I became obsessed with myself. I was blind to my own sin. Though, I was a so-called Christian, the word was meaningless. I would say, “I’m a believer. My belief is a more personal belief.” Boy, I was blind. The irony in this is that a “more personal belief” is one who believes in him self. That was me to a T! I was living behind this false front. I was living a lie and my Faith was in question. Everything that I saw was through my own eyes and everything that I thought was with my own sinful mind. In other words, I was successful in my career on my own merits. The blessings and gifts were earned. The love was deserved. The good deeds that I would perform and the gifts that I would give only made me more self-righteous. Everything I did was of MYSELF!

I always thought of myself as a thinker, a dreamer and one who prefers to be in solitude. I lived in my own world and I was my own ruler. In ruling my world, there were times that felt good and there times when I felt guilty. I was high on my pedestal and down hiding behind my pedestal, almost on a daily basis. I would sin and justify my sin. I would overdose on confidence and have spells of depression in my loneliness. I was obsessed with myself inwardly and outwardly I couldn’t see clearly. I couldn’t see over the walls that I had built. I became blind at times to the needs of those close to me. I fought with the ones who loved me. I was critical of those who were around me. I was jaded, angry and lonely. In all this, I would continue to look into myself for the answers and I would continue to walk within my walls and linger in the dark shadows of my castle. I was truly lost in my world, The World of James Browne. I was alone and bound by my own Sin.

Just over a year ago, I was in the middle of illustrating two books. I was coming off my most successful year to date and I was set up for an even greater year in 2004. My ego was through the roof, I was the furthest away from who God was and I was completely and utterly uninspired. My walls were cracking! My pedestal could no longer hold the weight of my boastful self. My body had grown weak from carrying my burdens, and yet my mind was a river of thoughts that continued to flow, racing at times, stained by Sin. My heart was empty. That is when the physical pain set in.

I was diagnosed with a syndrome called Prostatitis, which is a very discomforting and sometimes chronic syndrome. It is often called “The Headache of the Pelvis” and it’s forecast for the “quality of living” is very dismal. After three unsuccessful treatments of antibiotics I was completely spent. I was in so much pain. I couldn’t sit down to paint. I couldn’t make love to my Nadine. I was scared and the pain worsened when I worried. My mind kept racing. My sleepless nights were spent on our bathroom floor. Week after week I would lay there in fear and even though my Sunshine would lay there beside me, I was still afraid. Afraid of my own SELF! I laid there completely crippled in the dark shadow of my pedestal. I was completely broken. My life as I new it was at an end. My reign was over!

As I laid there one night, a week before Easter Sunday, completely alone and in tears, …… He touched me. For the first time in my life I received Him, my personal Savior. I became my Father’s child. It was He who sought me out! It was He who broke down the walls around my world! It was He who knocked me off my pedestal and crippled me! It was He who took my Sin and washed it away so that I was not bound by it any longer! It was He who brought the light into my darkness! It was He who filled me with His Spirit to work me over and brake me! It was He who said, “My sweet child, it is now time.” HE SAVED ME! He filled my heart with His love, cleansed my mind clean, and gave me my new eyes to see reality!

My life in Him is now my reality. I am no longer blind and bound by my Sin. I believe in the Way, the Truth and the Life. I am now under His rule, under His Grace. My purpose here is no longer my purpose, but His Purpose. I no longer dream to be known for my paintings but rather to be known for who used me. I pray to Him to use me for His Glory, for His Will. With my new eyes I see the needs of those around me. I give because I feel the Joy of His Spirit in my heart. I am often overcome with tears of joy. I no longer want TIME for myself but I’d rather give it away to others. I am no longer comfortable being in solitude, rather I have the urge to be with people instead. In fact, I am not comfortable in any of my old ways. I no longer have fear. When the physical pain sets in, it is only a reminder to focus on Him. His Spirit enlightens me. I now hunger for His Word and yearn to know my Father better. I thank Him, not only for my blessings but also for my struggles. When temptation sneaks up on me, I focus outwardly on Him and when I do sin, I ask for his forgiveness and I seek His help to learn through my weaknesses. I pray for His direction and that He will continue to use me.

In reality, I see a dirt path that I am to walk on. This path is the Way and it is surrounded by a fallen world. This path may be hard to stay on at times especially when it becomes very narrow with ditches on either side. There may be boulders or fallen trees that may block the way. But the Truth is that Faith will guide me even if the Way is dark. It is by Faith that I will take this path, focusing on His awesome power, His Love for me and the promises that He has given me, which is Life. In all this, is a knowing that I will see my Father face to face at the end of this journey and in beginning of the Everlasting journey. However, it is very important to add that this is not only my journey to be with Him, but also, along this path is my purpose. My purpose is not only to mature in Him and be prepared for what awaits me down the path, but to help those in the dark onto the path, so they too may see the Truth, that Jesus paid with His Life for this Way so that ALL may travel on it.

There are two other people I wanted to mention that God used as witnesses to help guide me to becoming a true believer. The first is Sharon. Her words of comfort and direction were so special to me in my time of need. I love her for what she did for me. The other is Don, who has been a dear friend of ours for years. He not only is my closest Brother but he is also my mentor in helping me mature in Him. I love Don for who he is and what he is.

I wanted to also thank all of you, my Brothers and Sisters, for your love and prayers. For your fellowship and your open arms. Both Nadine and I have been so blessed, not only for each other and our new found Faith in Him, but also for the joy that we see in your faces. It is an honor for me to be here in front of you, in front of Our Father, on the day that Jesus Christ became Our Savior. He died for us! He loves us all and He only wants us to receive His gift.

In closing, I wanted to share a special painting with you that I had painted five years ago. It is called, “Comic Relief”. Every time I used to look at it I used to see myself in the painting, almost as though I was looking into a mirror. I liked what I saw. It wasn’t until Brother Don wrote a poem about it that I realized that it wasn’t me in the painting anymore. I would like to read this poem to you.

“COMIC RELIEF”

In a courtyard, on a pillar of stone,
sits a young jester, all alone.
All is kept out by walls all around;
Solitude unbroken, not a lonely sound.
Of the outside world all he sees,
mountains, cloud filled skies and tall green trees.
At his right is a thorny red rose;
its alluring smell permeates his foolish clothes.
On the cold stone he sits and reads,
the Book of Life with truth that frees.
The shadowless dial down by the wall,
reminds him, there is no time, answer the call.
The Book says, "Take the path that leads to the gate.
Get off that pedestal before it's too late.
Leave the walls that imprison your soul,
Flee before time and solitude take their toll."
His Gilded Book says, "run now to the gate,
run to the gate that few will take.
One gate to freedom, one gate to a cell,
through the one gate a desert, the other a well."
To the one gate, he sees a dirt path well trod,
to the other gate a path of untracked sod.
He asks his Book, "which gate do I take?
It's to the well and freedom my journey I'll make. "

"To the gate rarely used," his Book says to go.

The allure and the thorns of the rose hold him back;
to start he must cross the well trodden track.
A call he hears from the well beyond,
temptation aside, he decides to respond.
Off the stone and across the dirt, on the path unseen he flees,
to the far gate he runs, and beyond he sees,
A land celestial, with emerald trees,
In the center, a pool, with strange light did glow,
He paused at the gate, but his Book said, "go!"

So to the glowing pool he did run,
all around him was light, but there was no sun.
At the pool he kneeled, the water invited, he drank deeply,
his spirit now excited! As his eyes lifted, a Shining Man on a bench he did see.

And a voice of pure beauty said, " Come sit with me."

As their eyes met, tears of love and joy blended in the pool beneath,
the Shining Man said, "Oh fool of men, you've finally come to the place of Comic Relief. 

I love my Father for saving a wretch like me. Praise Him!

Breast Cancer Awareness Moon and More ACEOs

After posting a Pink Moon that I had created last week, I had a wonderful suggestion by someone to create a Pink Moon with a Pink Ribbon to honor Breast Cancer Awareness. I was truly touched by this suggestion and I decided to make one. I created it as an ACEO and it's available at the BROWNIEMAN SHOPPE on Etsy.

Along with this one, I also created a couple more ACEOs and made them available on ETSY if anyone is interested. I'll have more to post in the near future. In the meantime, have a wonderful day everyone!

Free Print Giveaway !

FREE PRINT "The Gift", with any purchase on Etsy starting today and throughout this weekend. Since St. Patty's Day is just around the corner I thought it's got to be a Leprechaun Giveaway! 

 

 

Visit the Brownieman Shoppe if you are interested! 

 

More Etsy stuff!

Well, the last couple of days I've been adding more and more items to the Brownieman Shoppe on Etsy. Such as, original watercolors, original ACEOS/Baby Brownies and something new...Doodley Doodles! I thought it would be nice to offer up some of my doodles for very reasonable prices. If any of you are interested, feel free to visit the BROWNIEMAN SHOPPE.

Here are a few examples of Doodley Doodles

Also, I was able to create a couple more ACEOs today.

Lastly, I've decided to sell the very first ACEO that I ever created. Funny thing is, I did it long before I even knew what an ACEO was.

Little Butterfly

Hello Everyone! I hope this day is finding you well and that the sun is shining in your life. I thought I would share another illustration I did for the Lullaby book that I am currently working on. It's such a sweet and magical book of poetry and song and it is full of the child's imagination. Goodness through and through. The author of this book is a wonderful person and a joy to work with. I think that this is going to be a very special book for those who read it. The illustration below is for the lullaby, "Little Butterfly". I've decided to also post a close up of the detail along with the original sketch. It's amazing how the pencil has a different feel verses the watercolor.

For the rest of this week I'll be back to work on the spot illustrations for "Rootfoot". I will share those in a future post. Be well, my friends.

~James

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!