I am proud to announce that some of my prints are in the August PikaPackage!

Can you find me on here? I am #5..

For those that are not familiar with PikaLand and the PikaPackages… A PikaPackage is a monthly collection of goodies from illustrators and artists who sell their wares online, resulting in ONE or TWO free monthly PikaPackage giveaway to readers and the rest to be sold as a lucky dip package to spread the word about their fantastic art.

So this month there is a giveaway for a free Pika Package and you can purchase one in the Pikashop

Horay!

has been added to the shop.

I was completely overwhelmed and so incredibly happy when I took a look at how many entered the giveaway! 60 sweet people! Well, my plan to use a little vintage vase to draw the names from was busted, so I used an old suitcase instead. Perfect!

I cut up the names (along with their summer highlight) folded each one and put them in the case, swirled them around a bit and pulled out a winner…

Michaela is the winner! And just listen to her summer plans… I think the highlight of my summer so far was being accepted on the Illustration course at Falmouth university in Cornwall. I cannot wait to move to live by the sea, in a little marine town full of subtropical fauna and flora, and old pretty boats. I have found a house to share with two girls, and my room has a lovely view of the sea…I am so excited to move there in september!

Congrats Michaela for winning my little watch here, and big, HUGE congrats on your college plans, they sound like a dream (and I am quite envious of the little marine town!)

Thank you everyone for sharing your summer bliss! I enjoyed reading them all so much.

I have been spending most of my time on this, here’s a peek:

Theres a lot more going on in it than shown ( I don’t want to spoil anything!) but the birds (they will be red winged blackbirds) are carrying little somethings tied in bright blue ribbons. There’s also a sister. I think it needs to be put away for a day or two while some layers dry. Paint does build up and it gooey.

Last reminder, don’t forget about the giveaway! There’s still time until tomorrow to submit names for the drawing!

Spent the morning outside in the moss with books and a ship taking pictures of lockets up for sale in my shop.

Here’s a sneak peek at the silvery delicate one featuring Fluttering Away:

All come tied with a vintage snippet of calico and wrapped in old fabrics and laces.

There will be some vintage-inspired lockets up for grabs in my shop at noon eastern time. Wonderful BIG golden lockets tied with vintage ribbons, laces and bows. And a few dainty silver ones too. Please do stop by!

Became completely, totally absorbed in my painting today, listening to the soft raindrops outside the window. What a feeling and a terrific, productive Sunday! When I was finished with the long painting session I had paint all over my hands, arms, legs, and a glob between my toes! Afterwards was flipping though a neat old book of poetry called the Windflower Home Companion which I am smitten over (it was a dusty thrift shop find) and decided to scan some of the faded pages and made a few raindrop-inspired memory pages. And now the rain has stopped and I can hear Katydids, which are twice as nice. And the air is a chilly, cardigan-wearing kind of cool and damp which makes me daydream about being in Maine or anywhere New England for that matter. We didn’t make it up there this year and I am feeling a little bit of a loss.

Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway! There’s still PLENTY of time to enter, as I am doing the drawing at 5:00 Eastern time this Friday!

It’s a vintage pocket watch (clock hands removed) with a mini print of Seafaring Heart inside! And this watch has a story (a creepy but magical one of sorts). I bought it from an antique dealer at an outdoor market, I found it as I was digging through a box of rusty things and for some reason I felt compelled to make it mine. It was broken, but for some odd reason it would start ticking here and there, without winding (the winder knob was broken.) I was honesty sick of hearing it go off at random times so I decided to dissect it and use the watch body as a frame for my print (little gears are still inside though). I want to pass it on to you, bewitched as it is. I think the ticking might have forever stopped but the winner MUST let me know if it starts up again!

Hang it on the wall OR wear it around your neck. It comes with a pretty vintage lace tie and some bits of calico!

Do you want it mailed to your doorstep wrapped in pretty antique fabric?

To win it all you have to do is describe to me the highlight of your summer thus far! I will randomly choose a winner Friday, August 15 at 5:00 PM! Please don’t be shy!

Always looking forward to the cooling down of the fall this time of the year (and it’s a couple of months away but its fun to imagine!). It’s sweltering hot here but I have been dreaming of wool hats for the cool weather and crunchy leaves! In preparation I bought this cozy red wool hat from Little Houses and oh, how I am oogling over this coat too! The Sawdust Coat and the Quito Coat are beauties as well.

ok now, back to summer.

A peek at a painting in progress, Honeybee Sisters

Yesterday I decided to put this painting aside and paint the pair into more of a setting with bee imagery (recently I have had a craving to paint more detailed settings as opposed to portraits). I’ve been researching bees and hives and they hold a vast amount of symbolism and meaning which is interesting. Interpret it as you will honeybees are pretty too and I love to see them buzzing around the flowers. Wasps and hornets are interesting as well but I was stung a few weeks ago and I’m still bitter!

While I was roaming around the other day I noticed that they fungi in the moss carries similarities to certain sea treasures, white coral and sea urchin:

How I would love to dangle these forest sea treasures from my ears.