The Hobbit Inspired Home ~ Paint Part Friday Week 5 ~ April 15th 2011

I'm submitting this Artist Conk illustration for this week's Paint Party Friday Meet ~ Week 5.

This art piece was an ideal piece to work with while sitting by the living room window pondering on the days that had unfolded. Unfortunately April 11/2011 will be one date I will always remember as a dark and dreary day that woke me in the early morning hours foreboding me something bad was to come . My mom had to admit her partner of 16 years in hospital, his cancer vengefully returned.The prognosis.....not very much time.

To continue on the the Dark Sea was out of the question; I just couldn't and so I decided to work on something I had more control over, actually any sort of art or blogging and such was quite difficult this week. Today my hubby goes in for eye surgery and then maybe we as a family might get a chance for some quite time and enjoy the Spring weather. So for now this is it....Hope you like it.

These are a few of my three dimensional natural canvas artist tree conks or shelf mushrooms I gathered in the wood some time ago for use in painting, pyrography, etching and sculpting fairy homes.

Usually when these are harvested you must give them a drying period of a minimum of two months.These have been dried for some years now. Then I applied gesso and sketched my design in pencil before using the wood burning tool.

Last week I decided I wanted to try my hand at creating a fairy's door on the natural canvas using a wood burning gun ( pyrography) .

As I was designing the door my daughter said it reminded her of Bilbo Baggin's home in the Shire

from "Lord of the Rings". After viewing some pics I realized she was right but my windows were not complete circles , the door's knob wasn't in the middle of the door and I had placed a spiral rhinestone window at the top of the door with a tiny silver heart beneath it; either way I think it could pass for both a Fae's or Hobbit's home....what do you think?

I placed a daffodil in a pot by the door; Hobbit's are partial to green and yellow and to us humans Daffodils are a symbol of Spring and Hope.

I'm not sure if I'll paint the illustration; I'll leave that decision to the end of the week and get some feed back from the Paint Party Friday participants. If I do paint it, I think I'll use pen and inks.

All I have left to do now is add a lantern to the top left of the door where there is a natural hole.Then I will seal the work with a matte varnish in front and a gloss on the back. This particular Artist Conk stays erect naturally so I don't have to support it in any way. Looks quite magical on a book shelf or mantel.

The more I ponder on weather or not to paint it the more I prefer the way it is...natural like found in a wood???

Like trees the rings on the shelf mushroom tells their age.

Just remembered as I was writing this post that I had gathered a entire box full of these mushrooms  but hubby cleaned up the garage and got tried of seeing them lying around so out to the compost they went, now I would like to gather a few more....lesson learned......should never purge art supplies and get to them in a fair amount of time....years are not acceptable....haha!!

p.s. Other visitors are also welcome to give their feed back on weather or not to paint the mushroom.

Check this article out....A really gorgeous Hobbit home:)

http://www.home-designing.com/2009/09/house-that-looks-like-hobbits-home-from-lotr

Until next time try this religion.....Kindness :)

Annabelle

Deep Dark Sea Paint Party Friday ~ Week 4

Somewhere lost in a deep dark sea......surrounded only by the glimmer of the moon's beams washing upon the peaks of the turning waves.

I would like to take this opportunity to excuse myself for not being in attendance last Paint Party Friday....sometimes the nasty beasts of life need to be confronted and cast away and all our energies are called upon to help in the battle. Even looking for some refuge from the storm with some art therapy does not always work, especially so when one such as I lack all of the required knowledge in creating a painting.

Well, I' not going to keep this a secret, I failed miserably!!!

Maybe my subject wasn't an easy one although at the time I thought it was....the sea, yes, the sea.

It tricked me into thinking I could create a beautiful seascape....no such luck!

I'm embarresed to say I must of tried painting the sea 30 some times and right after each perfect wave I would mess up and back to the sink to wash away my mistakes and try again only to waste more paint ; luckily, I used cheap brands. Yes and the color changed drastically.....talk about looking into my soul these past few weeks....eek.....very down.

Anyway..... on the bright side of things,

The good that came out of this experience is that I discovered many techniques such as using alcohol, salt and feathers on wet paint and that I must do some reading on the art form, practice some more and be more patient and maybe not be so stressed before tackling the Deep Dark Sea.....or should I say the Deep Blue Sea?

So here is where I am at the moment............hehe .....same as before kind of.....lol!

And my shimmering waves.....Seriously need help!

Until next Paint Party Friday.....Happy Painting , I'll be in the lab.

Annabelle :(

p.s. Will be checking in on all the participating painters in the morning...picking up my mom from the airport tonight.

Romancing The Stone - Eddy Grant (HQ Audio)

Romancing the Stone

Romancing the Stone 

A Treasure Chest , a Stone Heart ~ keeper of love notes, a tiny Crystal Fossil heart in hand and Iron Man's Heart surrounded by precious crystal fossil stones. 



: ) : ) : ) TREASURE HUNTING : ) : ) : )

ROMANCING THE STONE........SPRING HAS ARRIVED ALTHOUGH CHILLY AND WET THE SNOW HAS ALMOST VANISHED FOR ANOTHER FEW MONTHS...HAHA! I HOPE....

IT IS A TIME FOR GROWTH AND RENEWAL, A TIME FOR VENTURING OUTDOORS ENJOYING ALL THAT MOTHER NATURE HAS TO OFFER, AND FOR DISCOVERING TREASURES!


NOT TOO LONG AGO HUBBY AND THE KIDS BOUGHT ME TWO METAL DETECTORS FOR MY BIRTHDAY , MY LITTLE ASSISTANTS IN SEARCHING FOR TREASURE.


IN THE CANADIAN WILDWOOD, IN A WORLD BEYOND THE WOOD THERE LIES QUIET AND WAITING A ZILLION EARTHLY STARS TWINKLING BENEATH A WARM SPRING SUN SOAKING IN ITS RAYS, THEIR SWIRLY CRYSTAL PATTERNED DRESS MAGICALLY GLISTENING AND SPARKLING IN THE MOSSY GROUND THEY LAY.




WHEN I HAD FIRST DISCOVERED THE MOTHER LOAD A FEW YEARS BACK WHILE HIKING IN THE WOOD I WONDERED WHAT ON EARTH I WAS GOING TO DO WITH SUCH SMALL CRYSTAL TREASURES BUT THEN IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE MY MIND FILLED WITH IDEAS.


THEN ONE DAY I DISCOVERED A PERFECT ROCK WITH A BEAUTIFUL CRYSTAL FOSSIL INSIDE BUT IT WASN'T ANY ORDINARY FOSSIL THAT I HAD GATHERED BEFORE , THIS ONE WAS IN A SHAPE OF A HEART.

I WAS THRILLED AND MAGICALLY I WAS POSSESSED TO CREATE SOMETHING VERY UNIQUE ......WHY NOT CREATE A TREE, A SYMBOL OF LIFE AND PLACE THE ROOTS OF THE TREE OVER THE CRYSTAL HEART; IT WOULD CERTAINLY BE MOST MAGICAL AND WHERE MAGIC RESIDES FARIES ARE NEAR BY......IT WOULD BE A FAIRY'S TREE!

WELL, THERE COMES A TIME WHEN ONE MUST PART WITH SOMETHING THEY LOVE BUT KNOWING THEY WILL BE LOVED BY ANOTHER IS EVEN MORE SPECIAL ; I SURELY WILL MISS THE FAIRY'S TREE .

LAST WEEK "THE FOUNTAIN" FAIRY'S TREE FOUND A NEW FRIEND, AND NOW IS ON ITS WAY TO A FAR OFF LAND . I'M SURE ITS NEW HOME WILL BE MOST MAGICAL A PLACE TO CALL IT'S VERY OWN AND IT'S NEW COMPANION WILL BE ENTRANCED BY IT'S NATURAL BEAUTY HAS I HAVE BEEN THESE PAST YEARS.....WISHING YOU MANY FAIRY DREAMS SHEILA : )


SO WHAT DOES ONE DO WHEN THEY PART WITH AN OLD FRIEND , WELL THEY FIND MORE FRIENDS, NOT TO TAKE THEIR PLACE BUT TO FILL THE VOID IN THEIR HEART, FOR THE HEART IS KNOWN TO HAVE INFINITE ROOM.

THE TREASURES I SEEK ARE NOT GOLD AND SILVER AND PRECIOUS STONES , PERHAPS BURIED IN A CHEST IN A SECRET HIDING PLACE ALTHOUGH THAT WOULD VERY LOVELY AND HELP WITH MONEY MATTERS BUT THESE TREASURES ARE SOMETHING VERY DIFFERENT, SOMETHING QUIET UNIQUE ....... PREHISTORIC FOSSILS DATING BACK 443-490 MILLION YEARS ; BRYOZOANS FROM THE ORDOVICIAN PERIOD. NO THEY'RE NOT THE GORGEOUS GREEN EMERALD STONE OF "ROMANCING THE STONE" BUT NO MATTER THEIR MONETARY VALUE THEY ARE JUST THAT, A BEAUTIFUL PRECIOUS STONE.

WHEN I SOLD "THE FOUNTAIN" TO THE NEW OWNER AND SPOKE ABOUT SOME HEARTS I HAD FOUND ALONG MY HIKES I THOUGHT ABOUT MAKING A POST ABOUT HEART SHAPED ROCKS , FOSSIL STONES AND SUCH BUT THEN LATE LAST NIGHT MY DAUGHTER M WAS LISTENING TO EDDY GRANT'S SONG TO THE MOVIE "ROMANCING THE STONE" . I THEN REALIZED I HAVE BEEN ROMANCING THE STONE ......FOREVER .....FROM THAT VERY FIRST DAY I DISCOVERED IT IN THE CANADIAN WILDWOOD , NEVER TO RECOVER FROM IT'S TRANCE INDUCING DRUG; I MUST SAY, CONTENT TO BE IN IT'S HOLD!



I'm humbled by Nature's beauty...each and every creation an intricate work.

The magnificence of each unique pattern in a single rock.

The swirls always get me, surprising me every time with their eternal beauty

An Iron Angel's Wing I bought a few years back from an artist in Merrickville.....She said it brought her good karma, I suppose it has for me as well for I have since become obsessively enamoured by spiders and webs and fossil art and filled with ideas in ways of incorporating them into my work.

This is my infamous Treasure Chest I made with small tiny fossils with "I Love You" decoupaged on an inside wall and a decoupaged heart in a glass bubble within. On the outside a gold crucifix and crystals were encrusted, something I thought would spark a little thought of Pirate's Treasure.And last year while walking the railway tracks with Grace one early morning I discovered this Iron Heart, I call it "Iron Man's Heart". 'It's not often that I find hearts created by Nature, actually quite rare and this Iron Heart is manmade....by accident I believe. In a way I suppose it is created by nature for after all we are a part of it so I guess it counts. 

Iron Man's Heart.....Imagine , I found this heart on a track going nowhere( it has been shut down).....Curious and so very, very strange ....Wonder how it got there and what it belonged to......Isn't Life Strange?   This Heart if I were to sell it, which I'm not, is certainly an item that most appropriately suits my " Cabinet of Curiosities". 

The Lid to the Treasure Chest held by Fossil Swirls always stays open for Love is never left out. 

A Glass Bubble Holds a Red, Red Heart Within....Love is a Treasure!

 A Closer look at the top of the Treasure Chest with the encrusted crucifix and crystals....Look closely and you will spot some Gold Doubloons....Pirate's Treasure....actually vintage buttons.

THE MERMAID'S GROTTO

And my Heart of Stone comprised of many crystal fossils with a touch here and there of crystal, a key and clip earrings which can hold if one wishes, secret love notes instead of ears....haha.

Amber and Rust and Clear Glass Crystals rest upon the Stone Heart, though once cold is now warm especially so under the sun's hot glow.

So these are my Treasures, Treasures Belonging to God , To Earth, To Us.

The art is only an imitation of Life.

Hope you liked this post.

I will be bringing you more of my adventures in the WildWood, in the World Beyond the Wood with more discoveries to unfold. Some of these pieces , like the Treasure Chest and Heart of Stone will shortly be available for purchase in my new Etsy store "Hush Sweet Charlotte".

Until next time , many magical twinkling crystal swirling dreams to you. 

Annabelle ~^..^~

Bottles Full of Posies and Honey Bea's Seaside Cottage

There has been so much going on in my life and so many things to complete and send along to friends and customers that I have been slightly falling behind; happy to state that I'm catching up.

A Secluded Place of Her Own 

This is Honey Bea's Hive - Away Cottage by the Sea ~ her Summer Dream Rental

A little sandal hangs drying, it's tiny daisy catches the morning sun twinkling and drawing one near to see what secret treasures the watery glass keeps within.

Why it's a Honey Bee's little house and in every home there is a heart or two or three or many more. 

Beautiful glittering white sand and blue ( color of the sea) hearts find refuge inside this tiny abode. As you can see Bea has quite a large place, many rooms to call her own; a perfect place for her and family.

Dawn, 

Your lovely spider is in the mail with his little companion; please let me know when it arrives.

Blanca, 

Your little guest is also in the mail,  again would luv to know when it arrives in sunny California.

Oh, and do forgive me girls for leaving my little notes out of your parcels, a little forgetful these days.

Hope you like them when they arrive.

Sheila, 

Your Fairy Tree "The Fountain" will be going out shortly and I'm presently working on your little something special to join the Enchanted Fairy Tree on it's journey to it's new home.

Hope it brings you much love and joy to your world.

Dzintra,

 I know you've been waiting a while now and since I just finished making it this morning, I thought I would cut the suspense and show you what I made for you.

The soldered top unscrews if you wish to remove it but please DO NOT WASH THE DRAGONFLY....IT WILL DISINTEGRATE.....MADE OF CINNAMON DOUGH although it is quite solid.

I added rhinestones to the wings, tail and eyes, kinda of lost the eyes when I took the pictures ...haha...need to get better with the camera!

Magic Bubbles...luv how this occurs in the water, makes me think of the sea, I guess I kinda of mimicked them in my soldering.

So I hope you like it Dzintra and I will be sending it out to you tomorrow. Please let me know when it arrives.

So here is the group photo.....Bottles Full of Posies and Honey Bea's Hive ~Away Cottage by the Sea

Thank you all you lovely gals so very much for hearting my art. 

Cabinet of Curiosities ~ A Different Locket

Sea Captain's Keeper ~ External Memory Open Locket 

with Visible Windows to the World

M designed this Open Locket recently and I tried to take a decent picture of it but failed miserably. 

She graciously took some photos for me so I could post it on my Etsy shop to sell for her...personal gain...haha.

Aside fro my joking she really had a great time creating this little masterpiece and I really like how it turned out. ... very impressed by her lovely design and work. 

What is especially intriguing with this sort of locket is that it stays open but the way Emma has placed the soldered rings with the suede cording threaded through creates a natural enclosure and surprisingly enough keeps whatever you place within the two glass heart panes stays enclosed. I also love the idea that whatever is within the heart is no secret but visible to everyone.....both sides of the heart the glass is see through,so this is for the world to see....an open book of your thoughts sort to speak.

The necklace has a lovely circle and bar for clasp and wire wrapping two sections of the black suede cording. 

She sculpted some ocean waves along side the heart in keeping with the theme of the sea. 

One  side of the heart has a clear water glass with texture and if you look closely it has tear shaped water drops melted within the glass. 

On the other side of the heart she has used a sea blue glass. 

Approximately length of necklace is 50 cm.The depth of the heart is 1cm and measures 3.5 cm across.

If interested in purchasing click this link.....


http://www.etsy.com/listing/70925312/cabinet-of-curiosities-a-different

So this to me goes into my cabinet of curiosities for it is a curious piece and one of novelty and uniqueness.

Well done M!

Hope you like what she has done.

Oh and a big thank you to my lovely models Karson and Grace...very patient indeed....much appreciated.

Until next time happy :) creating Annabelle  >^..^<

Cabinet of Curiosities~ Our Delectable Assortment of Unusual Arts and Crafts

Welcome to the Cabinet Of Curiosities; A Delectable Assortment of Unusual Arts and Crafts that my daughter and myself have created in the past week. Some finished and some in the middle of completion and others just at the beginning of their creation.

First off,  I will grace this post page with my most recent painting in progress ( just at the beginning )for my submission for "Paint Party Friday".The image I had visualized early in the week was of a complete and so perfect in every detail winter scene but it takes time for someone like me who isn't a painter to transform a blank canvas into a visual retreat and I have done very little of  this medium to feel comfortable and knowledgeable in applying the little tricks to recreating the picture I had vividly seen  in my mind so unfortunately it has taken me a week to get this far. But like the song playing...."I  have no fear " in trying to recreate my dream in a foreign medium.... eventually I'll climatize to it....I hope, I guess.....definitely will !!

...So Sorry for the delay, I have every intention to finish the landscape of my dreams , so here it is.

Recently I read a quote that I must keep forever in my heart ; it pretty much tells you the secret ingredients in achieving one's goal.

"If your mind can perceive it,

And your heart can believe it,

Then your hands can achieve it."

Thank you Victorian Rose Palette for those lovely words of wisdom.

Now with those powerful words in mind I'm sure I will reach my goal; may not be a Michelangelo but a whimsical naive  painting by little old me I can most definitely guarantee will transpire in the coming weeks...haha! These things take time.....

 And now for the other arts......

Sea Captain's Keeper ~ Eternal Memory a locket to keep notes, reminders of the day or week , pet pics or lover's pics whatever you like

My daughter M designed this heart when inspired by some roughly cut hearts she had seen in my stained glass stash. It is quite unique in that it is a locket which always stays open (on one side) with the suede black cording of the pendant keeping whatever note or photograph snugly enclosed within the two glasses.

You'll have to excuse my pictures and writing, I have been detained on some important matters today so running behind on stuff. I will post better photographs and more art work tomorrow.

Quite impressed by M's soldering and design abilities she has demonstrated in the past week. It was too late to take  proper photographs of her locket (External Memory...haha ) Sea Captain's Keeper and her beautiful fairy creature she created in stained glass ; will post tomorrow, better in the natural light.

And let me introduce you to Her Royal Highness Princess Maxine Payne..A Black Widow Spider..MAXIMUM PAIN!!!.....literally...HAHA! Beware of Maxine she doesn't keep her suitors very long:(

When I was sculpting her just about everything went wrong , ultimately breaking one of her lovely Victorian glass eyes; luckily I had more. She was a Royal Pain to construct...Thanks M for giving me her name, next time think of a nicer name ...haha!

This is going to be Maxine's new home...I will be sculpting her a lovely web which I will adhere to the back of this Hand Painted Victorian Matt with romantic violets.

Not sure where Maxine wants to sit but once her spidery bed is made I'm sure she'll know.




Until next Paint Party Friday......Have no fear    :) Annabelle