Distelfink

I am honored to be chosen as a top ten finalist in the American Country category of the 

Trail of Painted Ponies Design Contest.

They are letting the public vote on their favorites in each category.

I entered my design called Distelfink as an homage to the place I call home, Lancaster County, PA.

Based on Pennsylvania Dutch folk art, the distelfink, or thistle finch, is a common motif representing luck and happiness. The tulips are for faith and the hearts are for love.

If you would like to vote, click on this link.

You can only vote for one Pony design per category.

Voting ends tomorrow.

Please share :)

What's Blooming & Sleepy Hollow

Hyacinths - yippee!

An early, wild looking tulip.

Looks nice with my bunny statue.

Voila! My newest original Sleepy Hollow folk art sign. Painted especially for the

EHAG Emporium which opens tonight at 9 PM EST. This one is BIG - 24" x 16".

Now on EBAY - Click for auction.

Click on the image for a larger photo.

We have CROCUS!

I saw my first crocus of the year this afternoon, hiding out with the winter aconite. The smell was heavenly. I didn't realize how fragrant they are. Love the orange color too.

Here's our kitty, Pumpkin, doing his best meercat impression while watching birds from my art table.



Lastly a small cabinet door that I am painting in my folk art style for the PFATT Marketplace. It's going to have all sorts of spring colors and patterns around the frame when I'm finished!

Dash

As promised in my previous post I have finished my whimsical cat sculpture.

Meet "Dash"!

I had an absolute ball creating this guy. Even though he isn't a ginger cat, he's inspired by our new kitten. I started making him the day after I tried to photograph Pumpkin (aka Toots) running around the yard. All I got were these crazy pictures of flying back legs. So we have Dash, short for Dashing Through the Snow. He's created in a whimsical folk art style out of paper clay. His base and support are wood and he's got loads of diamond dust glitter on his snowflake blanket and base. The entire piece measures 14.5" tall x 12" wide. I haven't decided what venue I will sell him on. Right now he's making me quite happy. If you are interested in purchasing him, please let me know.

I also finished 6 Holiday horse pendants! I'm going to offer them for 2 days on my blog before I put them in my Etsy store. Price is $29 each and that includes first class postage in the US ($2 more for postage abroad). I'll accept check, money order or paypal. Each pendant is signed, hand painted, comes with a toggle clasp, an approx. 20" black satin cord, glass accent beads and comes in a velvety drawstring bag. Email me if you want one! jmacneill@hotmail.com First come, first served!


Click on photo for larger view.

Grim & Thank You!

I finally finished Mr. Grim. I'm so happy with how he turned out! Not sure what to do with him, he looks so nice with the Headless Horseman. I would love to have prints made of the two but I'm not sure how saleable they are. We'll see, right now they like living with their creator:)





I also wanted to give a big old blog hug to Tracey of Wild Horse Moon and Black Feather Farm. I was lucky enough to win her latest blog giveaway, a gorgeous multimedia necklace with a cool vintage photo of a cowgirl. As soon as I unwrapped it I had to put it on, it's lovely! For now I'll hang it on my bedroom mirror so I can look at it every day.





If you're feeling lucky this month, head over to the PFATT Blog
and enter their fabulous fall giveaway. There are a bunch of wonderful prizes!

More cool giveaways...
Life, Craftiness & Everything Else.

Cart Before the Horse

Rue and Hyssop

Doodle

Sometimes it all starts with a doodle. I was talking to a friend on the phone and drawing on a sketchpad when I came up this this Headless Horseman painting.





Ta da!

Martha My Dear,

Your Halloween issue ROCKS! When I heard that this special issue was out on the shelves I rushed to my local bookstore in hopes of securing a copy (like I do every year - it is the best Halloween magazine out there). Little did I know what a tremendous surprise was in store for me when I got there.
I nearly had to be taken out on a stretcher when I saw that on the cover was the most magnificent, spooktacular photograph of you as a ghostly equestrienne with your gorgeous black Friesian Rutger! Oh how I am still swooning over that breathtaking horse! I knew you would eventually see how utterly magical Halloween horses are!
Thank you for showing the rest of the world!
~Jennifer Gypsy Mare Studios



I am also very excited to share a sneak peek of my newest Headless Horseman folk art painting. I will have him up on Ebay tomorrow night although I will have a very hard time parting ways with this piece!



I'm not usually a person that posts a lot of blog awards but Linda at Pyewacketts gave me this cool, witchy award that I think Martha herself would approve of!

Sleepy Hollow Box

I found this cool book shaped box ages ago at the art/craft store and have been wanting to paint a Headless Horseman on it. I have to say it took more time than one of my signs! On the inside I've decoupaged a really pretty scrapbook paper with a black and grey bird pattern. I think it would make a superb gift for the Sleepy Hollow fan.
Thanks for looking!

Goat Flower Farm

We made a great new friend this week, Carol Ellis of Goat Flower Farm. I took an oil painting class with her daughter, Kayley, and she invited us to come and see her beautiful critters which included several mini horses, a Paint horse, a lop eared bunny, two cats and many, many goats. Here are some pictures I took today. We look forward to returning - she only lives 2 minutes down the road!









I also managed to complete a Appy Halloween sign today. I should have it on ebay sometime tonight!




And one more photo of a folk art black cat box currently on Ebay...

Scenes from the Garden

A male ear of corn perhaps? I didn't grow this but bought it today at Roots Market down the road from me. The variety is called "White Out" and was the best corn I've had so far this year. Unfortunately I had to geld this strange ear.



Some gorgeous sunflowers!

Lovely zinnia.

I have cherry tomatoes galore. This year I planted Sungold, Sweet 100 and Sunsugar varieties.

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Coming soon, a new sheep sign! Just in time for Halloween. I think I will add it to ebay tomorrow. Check the link to the right.

Mirabelle Ravensong

My newest witch painting is finished!
Meet Mirabelle Ravensong and her familiar, Adelmar.
Adelmar is an ancient Germanic name meaning "noble" and was given to Mirabelle on her 13th birthday. As their name suggests, the Ravensong family has always had ravens as familiars. They are excellent at communicating with all members of the corvid family and Mirabelle is no exception. Wherever Mirabelle goes, Adelmar is not far behind.
When Ravens are kept in captivity, they can live for many years. One such bird lived until the age of 80! They are also one of the smartest animals on the planet capable of learning solutions to complex problems they encounter.

Witchy Folk

I found a really nice book at a yard sale over the weekend on early American folk art and it has inspired my two most recent paintings. While I was flipping though the pages of said book, I thought that a lot of the women looked very witchy (especially the old ones - working on that). While I was creating these girls I was thinking about what lives they could have led and what their names would be. I added crackle finish so that the pieces would look old. I really don't paint many people so I was pretty nervous about how they would turn out but I kept telling myself, "It's folk art, it doesn't have to be perfect.". In the end I am very happy with them. Beatrix looks so nice sitting on my antique easel, I'm afraid it will be a little difficult parting with her!
Without further ado, meet my new friends...

Beatrix Nightshade

Bella Blackrose



I have a few more of these paintings in my brain so please check back in a few days!
~Jen


Ooo, ooo, ooo... I forgot to add that I just made a utube video of past and present Halloween artwork. Check it out:
Gypsy Mare Halloween Art

Witchy

I was feeling a little witchy this week so I painted this cool, one of a kind, Halloween treat box. I think it would also make a nice catch-all by your front door. A great place to throw your keys, mail and odds & ends.

Auction Link

More Sleepy Hollow

I just can't get off my Sleepy Hollow kick! Here's another one of a kind box...

Auction Link