Saturday, January 31, 2015

"Inspire Your Heart with Art" Day!

Hello there!

Can you believe it's almost February??

High time for a post!

A few days ago I was contacted by the daughter of one of my

favorite artists, Patience Brewster...

(Notice that little tea-towel back in the December post?

LOVE Patience's whimsy!)

Would I care to participate, along with other bloggers,

 in a day of telling what inspires me?

In particular, the Art that Inspires my Heart?

Why, absolutely...I would be delighted!

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Since writing about my own"arty-stuff" is the norm for me,

I wanted to celebrate some amazing artists who

continually inspire me...

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Leo says, "Excuse me...

You mean this isn't going to be a post about

Cats??"

(Leo manages to position himself between me and whatever I am

painting quite often...)

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I'll begin with my dear friend Wendy Mullen,

who has just finished her fourth book ~

this time a wonderful novel...

No spoilers, but if you love Anne of Green Gables,

you will LOVE Wendy's book...

It is a Kindle Edition  ~ (I  thought I was temporarily out of luck... 

then I found out that you can download the Kindle app, free!) 

...I know, I'm behind the times!

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You can check out Wendy's wonderful website  ~ www.VictorianChocolateMolds.com

and get the link to her book(s) on Amazon there as well.

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In Wendy's book, "Back to Green Gables", one of the characters

has a wonderful shortbread recipe...

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Now, this isn't my recipe to share,

but I can post a little "teaser" here!

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I had such fun making this shortbread...

and, if I do say so myself,

it was divine...!

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(Wendy, check out this "Mermaid" spoon from 1904...(engraved on the back)...

it could have been used at Green Gables!)

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Next, my other friend, Wendy...(aka Golders) ~

Tell me, now, how many can say they call TWO lovely "Wendys"

their talented friends? ~ Quite fortunate, I am!

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This is the fourth time that one of our "critters" (sorry, Leo, I know you are

really a little man in a cat-suit) ~ has been honored to have been included in

Golders' Animal Art Calendar...

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Okay, I know that Front Porch Toad wasn't technically OUR critter,

but we did enjoy "claiming" him for the summer...

Here he is, all dapper in his shamrock-sprigged bowler, as Mr. March ~ ;)

Golders' fine calendar ~ and much more animal art ~ can be found here ~

  http://www.zazzle.com/goldersbug 

and here ~ http://www.zazzle.com/goldersfora4c

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I asked Golders specifically for some examples of her fabulous

CROW art...("Sparkly Crow" that I am myself...) ~

aren't they wonderful?

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And her latest work... soon to be available in her Spoonflower shop,

these handsome watercolor Puffins..."Ahoy there, Matey!"

Check out Golders' delightful fabric designs here...

 http://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/golders


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Leo says..."Hey, I knew this would end up being a cat post!! 
...and just look what's coming up! I knew it..."

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From the Pencilvania studio of my friend Karen Vesk,

her "fine art/fun art"... here, featuring the lovely Heather!

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Karen's art absolutely delights and inspires me! 

Heather and her Mousie friends are sublime...the expressions, the details!

My favorites here...the goldfish-lollipops, and the contemplative look

on the face of Heather's sous-chef as he surveys the pan of chocolate mice... ;)

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Too, too cute...(and Heather is obviously taking this "self-help"

 volume to heart...) 

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Oh, Heather...the shoes...the jewels...♥

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Love, love, LOVE!

Heather has single-pawedly inspired my own kitties to model for me...

they've learned from the best!

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Multi-talented Karen also creates amazing jewelry from the

beach-glass she collects near her home...

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All of Karen's artworks and links to her shops can be found at her

site ~  http://www.sunshinesketches.com/

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And last but not least, my dear friend Elaine...

she is so wonderfully talented in so many ways!

Here are two of her more recent creations, a fanciful little

Witch, and a sweet, swaying, "Mele Kalikimaka" girl... both gifted to me.

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Elaine also does beautiful crochet-work, makes jewelry, 

and HOOKS RUGS. 

(I want to hook rugs!!)

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Finally, a couple more of my fanciful, Faerie-tale inspired

Art Gourds...commissioned by my kind Tennessee friend who encourages me

to think "out of the box"...

Here we have Alice; this time she is visiting in Africa ~ ♥

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And a work still-in-progress, Cinderella.

These always end up being so much fun!

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So, Patience, Marietta...this is the Art that Inspires my Heart!

♥ ♥ ♥ 

     Thank you so much for asking!...

(Patience's wonderful, whimsical ornaments can be found here...



Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Love,

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