So long 2011 ~ hello 2012!

2011 has been a tough one and I am very happy to say adieu to it. 2012 is here and I look forward to it with hope in my heart that it will be a better one.

Irene, my mother-in-law in her younger days ~ she passed away in March at age 81

January means that I start my hunt for unique 2nd hand or handmade gifts ~ Christmas is only 12 months away. Antique malls, garage sales, flea markets, craft sales and the ReUse Centre are all potential locations to find such gems. Finding treasures for my friends and loved ones is such fun!

I am also hopeful that I will get more art done in the months ahead. I have a wing-back chair which is primed and ready to paint. Now all I need is some inspiration to get down to painting another fine art chair!

What great plans do you have in your head and in your heart for 2012?

I finally finished ~ and it only took a year!

Ridiculously slow, I know, but my life has been getting in the way of my art. 

So I am thrilled to show you my latest fine art chair. 

It is a tribute to Marc Chagall's art.

"I work in whatever medium likes me at the moment" is a quote from Chagall that I understand and embrace as an artist, so I painted the quote on one side of the chair's seat cushion.

This chair makes me happy!

"In our life there is a single colour,
as on an artist's palette,which provides the meaning of life and art.
It is the colour of love."

~ Marc Chagall

Art how I've missed you!

If you follow my blog, you've likely noticed things have been a little quiet around here lately. Since July I have been having some health issues (and a car collision ~ wasn't our fault ~ that's another story) which has hampered my day-to-day activities. Without going into all the boring details, suffice it to say that everything from washing dishes to painting my chairs has been put on the back burner. You should see how messy my back burner is!

My latest problem is an infection from a tiny cut that was on my right hand's middle finger. I'm right handed, so this is especially frustrating me because I've been trying to finish a fine art chair. I'm so close too ~ only the back panel of the chair is incomplete. The good news is that my finger, after intravenous antibiotic treatments seems to be finally clearing up. I'm just itching to get back to my art. Art how I've missed you!

Sneak Peek

I'm painting a new chair ~ yay!
It features an entirely new theme.
Here's a sneak peek ... wanna take a guess what the theme might be this time round?

New York New York

Here's the New York City themed chair that I recently completed. The owner of the chair, Thina is sitting in her chair (thanks Thina for sending me this photo ~ it's always great to see the chairs I paint in their new environment!).

Notice the cool skyline dress Thina is wearing. I think she bought it in New York City.


King Kong atop of the
Empire State Building
(in B&W, of course)


Statue of Liberty and a Deli Sandwich
(how very delicious!)


The beautiful Bethesda Fountain (Central Park)

We have a winner!

Yes, I know I said a winner would be announced yesterday, but I was otherwise occupied ...

So! this morning is the time to draw the name for the Tree Hugger Bookmark.

Thank you all for your fun art disaster and werewolf (!) stories.

Since it's my draw I can make my own rules,

so I put in all your names twice.

So without further delay,

THE WINNER IS ... (drum roll here) ...

Kim!

I'm thrilled that it was your name that I pulled out of my favourite fuchsia hat, Kim!

You need to know that it was your sweet giving spirit that was one of the reasons

I started thinking in the first place, about leaving my Tree Hugger Bookmarks

out there in the big wide world.

I hope that you and everyone else who happens to come along

and pick one of these bookmarks up, will be blessed in some small way by receiving one.

Oh, and Kim I love your Spring Walkabout Apil 13th post photos of you with your art ~

hope you don't mind that I snatched the photo here to announce your win.

It made me smile, when I saw the photo of you literally hugging a tree,

but I liked the photo here because of your beautiful smile.

One other thing ... the New York fine art chair is completed ~ yay!

It's being delivered tomorrow to its new home.

Before it leaves my house,

I will take photos and share them with all my lovely readers.