You can contact me here:
https://www.mselaineyartist.com/contact 

 The cards are here, and available on the website!  I'm delighted and excited to offer them to you. 

check them out on the website. @ www.mselaineyArtist.com

or go directly to the cards:

I  had so much fun painting this. I had my music up loud and was dancing in front of my paint table.  As a child of the '60s and never having really grown up, "Magic Carpet Ride" and "Sunshine of my Love" inspired this work. This is now available on my website, and I am considering adding it to my upcoming greeting card offering. 

 

New Website Giveaway!

 

To celebrate the launch of my brand new website, I’m giving away a 22”x 15” print on matte photo paper of “Deep Shade” (retail value $75)!

ENTER HERE

https://www.mselaineyartist.com/new-website-giveaway

The winner will be announced on April 4th, 2021

I will also be providing EVERYONE who enters (even if you don't win!) a one-time discount to buy anything on my site at 20% off.

Good luck!

BTW – I’d love if you would let me know what you think about my new site in the comments below!

 "Do Cats Dream In Color?"

This is part of a series I'm working on ... Whimsey.  Dreams and humor, life, and things that happen.  I'm drawn to lightness of heart, which we all seem to need right now.  This year has been... (insert descriptive here) for everyone I know, but a new wind is whistling through the trees, and I'm visualizing some calmness and kindness coming our way.  Blessings

During these times of uncertainty and stress, it is Hope, Courage, and our Dreams that keep us going. This country has made it through tough times before and we will do so again. I have personally been gifted by "the kindness of strangers" and will do my best to pass that along where needed. Sending out my love and my faith in the hearts of people to do the right thing.  

March 2021: I am working on turning this series into a book, with other contributors adding writing and poetry.  If you are a writer or are inspired by your own journey, contact me at MselaineyArtist@gmail.com to talk about it. 

The Adventure Continues

-Pale Moon Rising-

The energy is sparking, my ears are perky and copious yellow sticky-notes adorn my desk.  The whole process of getting an on-line presence is more complicated than I imagined, and there are so many details that come into play. The only down-side is that while I am concentrating on websites, FaceBook and Instagram, PayPal and all the other pieces, I'm not doing artwork. 

Marsh

I "know" this will all balance out, and I will be back at the worktable again soon, but that's the downside of coming into this new decade.

If you want to take a look at what I've been doing, here is the website. Take it for a spin, and if you want to be notified when new work is posted, subscribe.  Most likely, you won't hear from me more than once a month, if I am very productive, or have a show coming up. 

- Bessie  15"x22" watercolor -

 I am thrilled.  Recently I discovered a company that scans artist's work and makes it possible to turn them into prints. (CaliColor Fine Art Printing) When I received the results, they were beautiful. 

These are the first of the scanned works, and now I am exploring the idea of putting together a website to make the work available to the public as giclee prints.  

Bright Bouquet and Vase 15"x22" watercolor

I feel a renewed energy, a spring in my step and more laughter in my life.  I love the freedom of watercolor, and have again started taking supplies with me when I travel. 

When I can share the joy and fun I have with others, it adds so much to my life. 

Madden Creek, Tahoe 15"x22" watercolor

Queen of All She Surveys  15"x22" watercolor

These paintings are not only records of my travels, but things that I love, things that catch my imagination, and subjects that feed the fire in my soul.  I'm happy to share them with you, and soon, if you want some of them for your selves, will be making them available. 

Backwards and Forwards - Thoughts on the last few years

I am revisiting this blog after a gap of several years. For long time, I just couldn't write. Losing Jim was more than I could handle, and it's been 4 years now.  I've done some healing, lots of changing and I'm still standing.  Re-reading what I'd written, about the hope, about trying to maintain, it still hits me like a sledge hammer.  One thing though, I'm doing what Jim wanted me to do. ... Paint.
       
I'm neck deep in watercolors, and loving it. Started working with a teacher/mentor and it's given me the boost to expand into a whole new direction. The work I'm doing is bolder, brighter, more lively than it's been for years.  Feel like I'm getting my "sassy" back, and I haven't had that since the early 90's. Artwork is fun again. 

I'm also expanding out into the world again, reconnecting with people from my past, making new friends and being "social".   I'm very thankful for the people in my life, and their acceptance and affection for me.  My glass is more than half full. 

I still feel like Jim is on the edges of my life, and sometimes it feels like he is messing with stuff; I can almost hear his laughter. Things happen, little funny things, and I ask "Really Jim?".  No lottery numbers... drat. and anyway, people are never really gone as long as they are in our hearts, right? 

Don't know how much I will be putting into this, but it feels like it's time to write again. At least there will be plenty of artwork to post.  
Taa taa for now.

Whimsy is the Spice...

Home from a bucket list cruise to Alaska, I sat down and finished the decoration on a quintet of ceramic fish. They'll be a gift to a friend, and I wanted them to be playful and fun.  

Interesting discovery: nail enamels have bright, tough colors and adhere well to glazed ceramics. I'm liking this for non-functional works. 

Each one has a title, and from the top:
"Damnit Harvey, you promised..."

"Does this color make my fins look fat?"

"Look, Dorothy has ruby flippers!"









"Look kid, it's like this..."

Lastly, "What did you call that drink?"

I enjoy humor in my work, puns, both visual and verbal, and can amuse myself for hours in art-play.

Post "Artum" Blues

The paintings are finished, packed in a box to be delivered today. Inventory list has been updated, photographs taken.  So, why am I feeling so strange?  Is this like the depression that occurs after giving birth?  The pressure is off, I should be able to relax, but I find myself restless and out of sorts. 

I'll take a few days to clean up the house and the art mess (well maybe more than a few - I've been just avoiding things for almost two months).  The opening is next week, and then... I'll have to find another mountain to climb. 

The work continues...

It's been a wild trip; painting for this show. I'm almost at the "20" point, and can see that light at the end of the tunnel. Of course, these are in the "resting" stage, that is, the content and overall composition are set, but there are going to be some changes. Colors, lines, & shapes may change, especially when they are all up. The overall impact of the whole group may influence what happens.  I can't say what that will be yet.  




It's interesting, because each of these pieces has invoked the emotion they portray while I'm painting, or it triggers memories that I'd forgotten.  I can honestly say that there have been copious tears. And smiles. 







Each day brings me closer. Part of me can't believe that I'm managing to come up with the ideas, the images... and then translate them to paint. I am grateful for the opportunity, and for the incredible support I've had along this path.  The whole process is healing. I've gone whole days without tears, and I am looking forward more than looking back. Not always, but I can feel the tide is turning for me.  I believe that this is the gift that Jim has given me, the chance to bloom again. He is somewhere out there, with a big grin on his face, watching out for me. 

Working on a Show!

Well, I've done it now... entered a piece into a juried show, and it was accepted.  the show consists of 20 artists (more or less) who will put together 20-25 pieces on a theme of their choice. I have to say, small pieces, they're 8"x8", so not as bad as one might think. However, they have to be delivered in just over a month. Whoopsie.  So, I'm painting like a mad woman.  this came about because I was talking to my therapist (a bereavement counselor) about not being able to paint. 

It's been a long time... from before Jim died. I've cleaned the studio, bought art supplies, but just couldn't bring myself to get working. The therapist reminded me that grief was really hard work, and that it can eat all those creative juices. She also told me that the most famous artists painted their grief, rage, and other emotions... and those paintings are now hanging in museums and galleries all over the world.  Listening to her, something clicked, and the next morning, I dragged my sketch pad to bed, moved the cats over, and mapped out my grief. 

So, I'm painting my grief. It's different from anything I've ever done before, and I'm living the emotions that I'm painting, but this might be the most powerful group of works I've ever done. At the least, it's therapy, and at best, something that will reach out and connect with others.  So, here are a few of them, with the caveat that they might go through some changes before the show.  Just sayin'.

Growing My Life - Moving Forward

Growing my life: Older, slightly wiser, I've come to realize that what I want in my life is not youthfulness but usefulness.  Now that I am alone again, without my beloved partner, I must rediscover my path.

I am an artist, a gardener and love to cook. Somehow, I would blend the three things into a place that allows me to create and nurture art to share, in a garden setting. I visualize art that can be touched, climbed on, used to make noises or music. Gardens should be accessible to everyone, to pick, touch, roll around in and whenever possible, to taste and eat as well. Can we grow vegetables and herbs in the middle of playgrounds and parks?  What about hills of low growing herbs to roll down and run over?  Pole bean forts and sunflowers amidst wind harps: that’s what I’d like to grow.  A project for artists: older and retired and youngsters with nimble hearts and hands. 

I could live in an urban area, if I had access to a community garden. 

Stupid Stupid Things

Written as part of a journaling challenge, thought I'd share with my friends as well. 

Stupid Stupid Things

If I had not done those stupid, stupid things,
Would I be here now?
Would I be the same person, striving for my peace, for my center?
Would I love the same, or care as much?
Would I see differently, desire more, dislike less?
If I could go back and erase certain events,
avoid specific people, or make another choice,
would I have you to love?
Who would disappear from my life that I love now?
Who would still be here that are gone?
Would I change those stupid, stupid things?

October 9, 2014