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?

The Unicorn Tapestries

Some of my favorite medieval art images come from the famous Unicorn Tapestries.
It is thought that they were created in the southern area of The Netherlands between 1495 and 1505. They were owned by the La Rochefoucauld family of France for several centuries until they were purchased by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. in 1922 for around a million dollars (what a bargain). For a few years now I have wanted to visit The Cloisters in Manhattan, the branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art that houses their medieval art collection. The Unicorn Tapestries hang in The Cloisters so I really do need to get myself up there one of these day soon!

If you're a fan of the Harry Potter movies series, you've probably recognized several unicorn tapestries hanging in the Gryffindor common room. I felt inspired to create a welcome sign this week for anyone like me who enjoys things a bit magical and medieval! If you're interested, my original, hand painted plaque is currently for sale on Ebay.

Winter

With my husband off from school I've been able to get some work done. Just completed two winter welcome signs. One is of a gorgeous grey Arabian. The other is a magical winter unicorn (I think he looks so handsome and regal). Hope to have them on ebay tonight so please check back!
I also received in the mail something very special to paint. It is small and will be affordable and you can wear it (not a pendant). I have 3 of them started and will be listing some of them on Etsy by the weekend. I can't wait!!! I think they will be a lot of fun. May have to keep one for myself:)

Also wanted to add that you can follow me on Twitter now. I will be adding updates frequently.

The Last Unicorn

The Last Unicorn was a pretty neat movie back in the 80's when I was a kid. I decided to put the dvd in and show my 3 year old daughter the other day and she quickly lost interest. I guess it can't compete with today's computer animated movies like Toy Story and Wall-E.

What this post is really about is my last holiday sign of 2008. I was asked by a few people to paint another "Believe" unicorn sign and since I was without the child today and the snow was falling and I was listening to my newly created, super cool Christmas playlist (look to the right and hit the play button), I decided to comply with their wishes.
I also finished a winter welcome Dutch bunny sign. Since I was in such a good mood, I started that one out on ebay with no reserve. Yes, that's right, the bidding starts at one cent!

Both of these signs end on Friday so if the high bidder pays promptly I will get them in the mail on Saturday. Plenty of time to have them hanging for Christmas or wrapped up and under the tree for someone special.

Winter Magic

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful."
~ Norman Vincent Peale


Just wanted to start off by thanking everyone who has signed up for my blog giveaway! I have never had such a great response to a giveaway. It will be so much picking the winner on Friday.

So, I have a few new pieces painted to share. Yesterday was miserable outside with wind gusts up to 50 mph. We decided to stay home and keep warm which gave me lots of time to create this magical winter unicorn "Believe" sign. It's on ebay for just 3 days so make sure you check it out soon if you're interested.



Also painted a few more pendants for my Etsy shop. For a change I did something other than horses, a polar bear and a raven. I thought they turned out beautifully.





Thanks for stopping by. Keep warm!
Jen

The Four Seasons

As I work out in the yard today I am reminded of the four seasons even though it's autumn. I'm planting bulbs to enjoy in the spring. The leaves on the ground are a glorious fall yellow. A few flowers in my garden are clinging to the last vestiges of summer. And finally, I'm thinking about winter and what to paint next.








Here is my first winter piece of the season. I thought it was a very fitting message. It's on Ebay if anyone's interested.
I am currently working on 3 other wintery signs including one with a snowy owl!

Snow Day

It has been snowing all day and I am almost finished my latest Winter Unicorn piece. It is turning out so nice I had to share. Here is a pic I just took in my studio. Remember, it's not quite finished. Plus, you're not even seeing the whole thing. It's a sign board with a little shelf on top. Perfect for displaying small fairy or unicorn sculptures! Here he is:


I also took a pretty photo today of the snow laying on my last fairy tale pumpkin (it's a new breed of pumpkin, really pretty). I love snow in December. It really gets you into the Christmas spirit and feels so magical. Despite the weather I was able to varnish the two signs I mentioned in my last post. I photographed them under my porch so they may be a little dark. Please check my auctions to see them. I should have the unicorn piece finished and on ebay tomorrow afternoon.
Thanks for reading!
Jen