This feels weird (but in a good way).

I knew it was coming but I wasn't sure exactly how I would feel when it happened. When I signed the contract to have my Pegasus design put on a Trail of the Painted Ponies figurine, I knew I would be excited but today my ponies finally arrived and excited would be an understatement. I feel giddy, a bit nervous, butterflies are going mad in my stomach! When I left a "real job" 10 years and 6 months ago to pursue art, I never thought I would get to this place. Let's just say I count my lucky stars every day and am very thankful to all the great customers and friends I have made along the way.
It's has been a fantastic journey so far... onward and upward!

Original design for Celestial was on a running pony form.

TOPP designers translate the art to a rearing form.

So exciting to see my name printed on the bottom of this figurine.

Where have I been?

It's not like me to go a week without writing a blog post but I've just been so busy lately!

So what have I been doing...

Watching sunsets and harvest moons.

...and fireworks.

Taking my niece and nephew with us to the Delaware Art Museum

...and marvelling over their Pre-Raphaelite collection.

Painting the a Sleepy Hollow scene for

Rock Ford Plantation's Headless Horseman Ball!

...and an apple bobbing Appaloosa to go on Ebay soon.

Besides that, walking the kiddo to pre-school in the morning, getting out the Halloween decorations, sculpting some pumpkins and painting pendants for a local gallery's Halloween show, nursing a bad cold and wishing the rain would stop because my paints won't dry!

Happy Day to all!

Sedum and Sunflowers

The plants with the most activity in my garen this time of year would definately be the sedum and maximilian sunflower. So many bees and butterflies, just had to share!

Teeny tiny skipper butterfly.

Great Spangle Fritillary

I even made a friend while tearing down some tomato plants.

Curious Equines

Last night we went over to my mom's house for dinner. She always makes a wonderful meal and after homemade mac and cheese, pizzas from scratch, choco chip cookies & ice cream and sticky toffee pudding (to DIE for) I felt we could use a walk. Here are two of the cutest equines we found on our 4.2 mile adventure through the countryside.

My mom's Amish neighbor's horse.

I buttered him up with a juicy red apple.

I love this guy, he's such a black beauty!

Down the road we met this sweet mule.

He didn't want us to leave!

I've been a busy bee this week. Painted a Sleepy Hollow Pony that is now on Ebay and am working on a Day of the Dead horse painting. Still may tweak a thing or two. Might have to get prints made of this one or at the least, postcards!

Weekend

My weekends, this time of year especially, are divided between work and play. On Saturday we went to Peddler's Village to check out the annual scarecrow competition and see what Halloween goodies we could find in the shops. If you've never been there, it's a gorgeous little shopping village in Bucks County, PA, near New Hope. This time of year the grounds are decorated with handmade scarecrows and gorgeous flowers. It's one of my favorite places to go shopping (even if I can rarely afford the things I want there).

One of my favorite scarecrows, the Headless Horseman, of course!

Another favorite, created by Pumpkin Rot.

I LOVE their website and blog! 

The Grand Carousel is not to be missed! Fully restored in 1998, this 1922 Philadelphia Toboggan Company carousel has forty six hand-carved wood figures, by Master Carver Ed Roth from Long Beach, CA.

This dapple grey with  celtic saddlery was by far my favorite. I want a real horse just like this one!

I love the ear placement and expression..

I managed to come home with one awesome raven on a pumpkin repro sculpture.

He'll make a nice addition to my halloween decorations.

And on Sunday I worked. One giraffe halloween painting on a long board.

I love giraffes and have been wanting to paint one for ages.

I also painted this paper mache mask with a Day of the Dead sugar skull design. Zoe likes it so much she's decided I cannot sell it. Guess who's going to have the kid with the weirdest costume in preschool?

Also started a Day of the Dead horse painting on canvas, a Sleepy Hollow Painted Pony, a pumpkin sculpture on a gourd and several Halloween pendants for a local gallery's October show. I love this time of year, never a shortage of fun ideas. Now to find the time to accomplish them all!

Art of the Pumpkin

With autumn fast approaching my mind has been turning to pumpkins. I've even found two misfits growing in the garden to put on the front porch. The pumpkin is a piece of art without me ever having to touch it. These fall beauties come in so many colors and shapes now it's enough to make a Halloween lover like myself giddy with anticipation of their harvest.

“I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.”

~Henry David Thoreau

Scenes from a nearby Amish farm that specializes in unusual pumpkins.

Jack Be Little pumpkin visits a local cemetery.

Zoe and I at the Chadds Ford Pumpkin Carve last year.

My new site showing all the pumpkins I've carved for competitions.

The Art of the Pumpkin