Woolnimals

You may have noticed a long and uncreative silence. My life has been, in a nutshell, in complete turmoil for months. Without getting into too much detail, there's been little impetus for joy, creation, inspiration, or art. I have missed Etsy, my blog, all of my favorite blogs and artists, and it feels as if I've pulled away from a world that is as much my home as any place. It's really sad to go into my art room and see projects half-finished that I haven't touched for nearly six months. It's painful to pick them up when my heart's not in it and move forward with them. Art is an expression of soul, so what do I do when my soul is sad and confused? It seems that pigs and bunnies don't quite spring from my fingertips with the ease they once used to. I miss them, too. My goal at this point is to just try to create something. Not for sale. Not for Etsy. But for the act of generating something of beauty from within my personal choas. My hope is to bring levity an...

Hello my friends... I have not fallen off the face of the earth, but have been taking a bit of a break to manage some difficult (but ultimately rewarding) things in my life. I have a lot of projects that are in various stages of completion and I'm working to finish them when I find pockets of time. I miss the Etsy community and my blog friends and will hopefully find some time & energy to revamp my creative life in the coming weeks. Please be in touch via email ( birdonwirestudio@gmail.com ) if you have any questions or want to say hello. Keep Smiling!

Hello Friends! Just a quick note to say I've updated my shop with a few new friends! My favorite of this batch is the Jelly Bean fox. I'm really loving this new shape! What do you think? More updates soon!

(My cat Cookie looking VERY handsome on the dresser in the morning sun...) Hello Friends! There are green things abounding now that Old Man Winter has finally heaved off, and I'm looking forward to more days full of open windows, cats asleep in sun spots, and general peace. I've been cleaning my house (which has been in desperate need of attention) and needle felting. I've had a very relaxing week and I'm now in Barnes and Noble, enduring the slow internet and uploading new creatures to my Etsy shop ! A brown bear with bunny ears? Yes. What would happen if you cross-bred jelly beans with pigs? And this little Sea Otter...which is my absolute favorite creation thus far. He's holding a little starfish. So cute! I can barely manage to part with this. All in all, it's been a great week. I'm starting a new venture tomorrow and my online presence will be a little less until I get situated. I'll write more about that later. In the meantime, I'm wishing you ...

Two new cuties are now available for sale in my Etsy shop ! I really love the squirrel - he's the most polished of my squirrels yet. He's irresistable and I contemplated keeping him in my art studio, but I think he'll be happier somewhere far away from my cats!

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...