Just open your wings and fly!

Zoe and I have been witnessing one of natures most amazing transformations the last few weeks. 

Right before Hurricane Irene I found some caterpillars munching on rue in the garden. We brought two in to see what would happen.

You can see two different stages of caterpillar in this photo. The tiny dark brown and orange one is a baby. The more they eat the bigger they get, shed their skin and turn green and black.

After eating for a few days they made a chrysalis. 

Fast forward about 10 days and they emerged from their cocoons today as beautiful 

Eastern Black Swallowtails. 

First the wings were damp and crinkled.

Then they pumped them and let them dry out.

It was amazing how fast they went from chrysalis to beautiful butterfly!

"If we did all the things we are capable of

we would astound ourselves."

~Thomas Edison

I've started painting for Halloween and this is my first piece, a ghostly Gypsy Vanner (sold).

To save on listing fees, I will be offering ALL pieces on my Face Book page first. 

If they don't sell, I will move them to Etsy or Ebay.

Custom Ponies

As an official Painted Pony artist I am permitted to take one of my figurines, like this one of Emergence, and repaint or embellish the Pony. I had an order this week for a black Pony with a crimson phoenix. I'm really happy with how he turned out.

If you would like to order an embellished figurine, they are $175 plus shipping.

Last week I had an order for a portrait Painted Pony of an Appaloosa mare named Honey.

Lucky for me Honey's owner took 50+ photos for me to work from so I could get her just right.

She reminds me a lot of Rosie, the mare I lease.

 I think Appaloosas have very unique personalities.

I  grew up riding my Aunt's large pony, also named Honey.

I'm the little girl in the photo. Don't we look grumpy!

The Unicorn and the Phoenix

Sounds sort of like a medieval poem or something out of Harry Potter doesn't it?
Well, I'm happy to say that they are the subjects of my two newest figurines that will be produced by The Trail of Painted Ponies as part of their spring 2011 herd! How exciting!
The news was announced yesterday and you know I was just bursting at the seams to tell everyone.

I think they did an excellent job reproducing my designs. These are the figurines that will be available next month. I will have a few to sign and sell myself.

This is the original Phoenix Pony.



And the original Unicorn Pony.

I am so in love with the Unicorn Tapestries.

 Some day I will get to The Cloisters in NYC to see them!

Three mythical creatures, all look so nice together.

Now I just need to convince them that they need a dragon...

When I googled 'Unicorn and Phoenix, this painting by Thomas A. Launy came up.

 Isn't it beautiful?