Woolnimals

These are my Dream Whales in progress. They are gouache on watercolor paper, about 4 x6, and I adore them. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them. I think I'm still feeling out how to paint what I feel/see in my imagination. These are coming very close to the aesthetic I'm hoping for. I'm still trying to decide if I like the all-black background. This is a whale painting I did last night. It's a test for a larger one (this is 4x6). I'm thrilled with how it turned out. I love the dots and the movement and the breaching whale. I was inspired to paint this by a customer of mine who is decorating her room in the theme of whales in a bay under starry skies. Gorgeous idea. I need to work on my patience with lines and geometry...I've never been a stickler for perfection (especially in art), but this piece would lend itself to straight, evenly spaced lines. I'm going to be doing a lot of art this weekend (hopefully) and will have a lovely shop update...

Since painting those Dream Whales a few weeks ago, I have been positively BITTEN by the painting bug. I can't get enough of painting whales. I've been sick and my hands hurt so badly from being dry and cracked that I've welcomed the change from needle felting. I will definitely be doing some needle felting too in the coming weeks, but lately I've just been enjoying the smooth, hushed sounds of the paintbrush on watercolor paper. In my spare time I collect antiques and animal-related vintage things. My father was an antiques dealer for much of his life and I've inherited the bug for that too. I get such a rush when I find a truly remarkable find at a flea market or thrift store. The problem is, I have a limited amount of space. So instead of opening a bunch of different shops for my Felting, Painting, and Vintage items, I'm going to be selling all three in my current Etsy shop. I hope that the aesthetic remains the same - colorful, adorable, beautiful, and unique...

A couple of weeks ago I bought this interesting vintage wood animal puzzle from another Etsian. When I saw it, I didn't just see wood animals that may or may not fit together in unusual ways, I saw beautiful and richly painted animals. Dream animals. Whales! And so as the weather outside was frightful, I spent last night in my art studio with my imagination, some acrylic paint, and this puzzle. Whales were abundant: Beautiful, dreaming whales with spots and dots and swirls... Sad looking whales... I love them all... They are now available for purchase in my shop! And of course, you see all of those other puzzle pieces. More animals to come! I miss painting!

On March 1, 2010 I revisited my dusty Etsy shop. Back in 2006 I opened it to sell Bird on Wire paintings (hence the name) and after two sales, didn't really think about Etsy or pursue my art with any real intent. Then, in January of 2010, I began needle felting in earnest. I'd dabbled in it, but realized that I could make cute creatures that made ME smile. I had always done art for the sake of beauty and capturing a moment, but I had never made anything that I really had my heart set on keeping. Until I made my first Plumpie. He's sitting on my desk still and smiles up at me. I will take a picture of him someday. He makes me smile every time I see him. After I'd gathered a bunch of creatures, I listed them all on March 1st. My mom was my first sale (thanks Mom!) In a magical turn of events, Etsy featured my sitting fox in their Cute and Cuddly Etsy Finds blog, and since then I've had a fairly steady stream of interest and sales. I am so, so grateful for Etsy and my ...

Happy Groundhog Day! In celebration of my favorite day of the year, I'm offering FREE SHIPPING on all items in my shop! (Domestic AND International!) Also? The pendants now include necklaces at no extra charge! Stop by for a look!