Tiny Angels II

I don't know where to begin with this painting. I am so grateful to have done it for two wonderful, amazing people. Two people that I've never met, but have been so touched by. No one should ever have to experience what they have experienced as parents. I can only hope that through the paint that was applied and the brush that it was applied with and the love that it was done with, I was able capture a bit of joy in a far too-'short life. I did a painting about a year ago for Robyn and Keith, they had lost their premature, twin girls about 6 weeks apart. It was a devastating loss and as an artist I was challenged not only artistically, but emotionally. I was given a poem for my muse and the rest was my vision of their precious angels and their journey. I was very happy with the outcome, and on the opposite side of the spectrum, Robyn and Keith were expecting Rowyn and I was happy to do a nursery piece for their new little girl's room. Fast forward, and little Rowyn's journey into this world wasn't the smoothest and during a time when most parents are struggling with exhaustion and diaper changes, these two individuals were discussing things that no parent should ever have to discuss. Little Rowyn fought a valiant battle, and gave her parents time to snuggle and love her, but she was called to heaven to be with her sisters far too soon.

I was contacted by Robyn to do a memorial piece for precious Rowyn - I thought about it and oddly enough our visions were almost identical. I took my time with this piece, knowing I am doing something so special and meaningful for a family can be kind of stressful. Being a mom, I wanted this to be just perfect for Robyn, knowing I would expect nothing less for myself. I am so pleased with the outcome, I am so happy that Robyn loves it as much as I do. It is interesting how people come into your life and what you learn from them. I am grateful for the trust this family put into me and I am grateful that I can share it with you. (photography by Leslie Webber -thanks Les!)

Tiny Angels II

Thanks again Robyn and Keith - my love goes to you both.

Thanks for everyone stopping by - I have a few more paintings to share and some crafty fun coming up!

Auction Time - finished!

Well the auction for the painting I did has ended and I am proud to say the painting went for....

$200!  

I am so thrilled!!! The winner, Kelli, will donate all those wonderful dollars to the IJM!  I will be shipping out the painting later today and can't wait for Kelli to receive it. Thank you to all the bidders and thank you to Amy for being called to do "something" and really doing "something" about it.  As my friend Leslie would say, "God's fingerprints are all over this one!"  I couldn't agree more!  Just wanted to share this exciting news!

Thanks and have a great weekend!

If you haven't been keeping up with my posts, please scroll down, I've been busy with all sorts of paintings!  Next up - final contest piece!

Auction Time

This is one of those times as a person that when it rains, it pours.  I hate having pushed my last work down on the blog roll - so if you haven't checked out my latest paintings, please scroll down I am so proud of them!

The reason I am posting so soon after my last post is that a painting I've done is being auctioned off on another blog.  Amy, the author of Calling for Justice, is a past client of mine.  I did one of my largest pieces for her earlier this summer, you can check it out here.  In any event, Amy is a stay at home mom of three little ones almost exactly the same age as mine.  She is an extremely faithful person and is an excellent representation of how we should act when called by God.  She is a supporter of the IJM or International Justice Mission.  This group is a watchdog and protector of oppressed individuals all over the world. I was stunned by some of the stories of the individuals they have helped and liberated.  It is so easy to become complacent and put blinders on to the world outside of our own.  Sure we're having one of the crappies financial times of our history, but most of us still have homes or a roof over our head, still have the free will to have or to look for a job.  Most of us don't have to send our children out to work or worse yet sell them because we can't afford to care for them ourselves.  It is tragic.  Amy is doing her part by starting a blog that just talks a bit about these atrocities and is a simple girl trying to raise money for a purpose higher than herself.  When she did her last auction, I was moved and immediately emailed her and asked if I could do a painting for her to auction off.  I would send the painting to whomever was the highest bidder.  I have been blessed and this was something so simple that I could do, for a greater good.  So without hesitate below is the painting up for auction.  

Noah's Window

The reason I chose the title is because I think the sense of hope that the dove gave to Noah and his family is very much the same type of hope that the money generated from this auction will bring.  The hope that IJM brings to so many that are oppressed in our world.  I'd like to think that Noah, although faithful, looked out a window of the ark and saw the dove with the olive branch and exclaimed, "Amen, Praise the Lord, for He is good and He will care for us all!"

So if you are interested please go to Amy's site, Calling for Justice, check out her links and if you really interested, place a bid.  The bidding begins now and ends on Thursday at 9 pm, PST. All of the proceeds of this auction are going to IJM, not a dime will go to me or to Amy, nor will it even go to shipping, so if you want to help, you can, every little bit does.  

Thanks again to Leslie for my wonderful photographs and thanks to you for checking me out, have a great day!

Tiny Angels

I am so excited to share these paintings with you!!!!!

I was contacted a few weeks ago by a wonderful woman named Robyn.  Robyn is expecting a little girl soon and wanted me to do a nursery piece for her daughter's room.  

The nursery piece was pretty straight forward, stripes and dots, I will tell you though, it was one of my toughest paintings.  Which seems ridiculous - but when working with straight lines and perfect circles, plus trying to give it a three dimensional look - well lets just say I had a bit of a temper tantrum and started over - but am so happy with the final result!

Rowyn's Nursery Piece

In addition to that, she wanted me to create a tribute piece to also hang in the nursery in honor of her twin daughters.  You see these two precious souls were born very premature, Robyn and her husband Keith lost Abigail after 6 weeks and Ameilia three weeks later.  I was so touched to be asked to do such an important piece for them.  One of Robyn's friends had written a beautiful poem for them referring to the girls as Tiny Angels.  Robyn wanted me to use this poem as a muse for my painting so that she could hang them up side by side.  I had to digest the poem and the idea of doing this painting for a few days, but was struck with the vision of a antique pram with two tiny angels helping guide to this bright white light, which represents heaven.  In the poem it talks about how these angels are so small there couldn't possibly be wings tiny enough to fit them, so they use balloons to help.  Robyn had asked if I would experiment with a bit of sparkle to add a bit of glow to the balloons, angel wings and heaven. Here is how it all turned out:

Tiny Angels

The Pram

Angel

Here is what Robyn had to say about her paintings:

Annie,
 
I just got the paintings, and they are absolutely perfect. You did such a fabulous job, I can't thank you enough. 
 
The "R" painting matched the bedding perfectly. I don't really think you know how exact the colors match, my husband and I were amazed. We are going to hang the R today, after we run to Home Depot for hanging materials. I will take a picture and send to you once we get it situated. It was exactly what I wanted.
 
The Tiny Angels is beautiful, it made me cry. This week has been a rough week for us, Wednesday was the anniversary of Ameilia's passing, so the painting came at a perfect time. This painting will get hung a little later, I am now going to get the poem printed on a different piece of paper that matches the painting a little better. The spot has already been picked out for this piece. The Angels have so much detail in the hair and wings, and I love the pram. I absolutely can't wait to show this to my family and especially my friend who wrote the poem. Everyone will love it. 
 
Thank you so much for these precious paintings, I will keep them forever! You clearly put your heart into every piece you do, and it's obvious. These two pieces are so special to me already, and I just know Rowyn is going to love them in her room. God has blessed you with a wonderful talent, and I appreciate it!
 
                                                                   Thank you,
                                                                    Robyn and Keith 

Robyn and Keith, I am touched beyond words to have been asked to do this painting for you.  I thank you for this opportunity and have been so moved by your experience.  I pray for a safe delivery of a very healthy baby and know that she will have extra "angels" looking out for her throughout life.  Thank you again!!!

Thanks for checking in and enjoy this weekend!

Finished and Facebook

I did it, I did it!  I finished six pieces, sealed, framed, all done!  I am so very excited. I finished my nursery art and the tribute piece - those will ship out later today.  I also finished a surprise for a friend, and the painting that will be auctioned off (more details to follow).  I also completed my first contest give away, which the winner, Lori, also purchased an additional one for her other son - so I have both of those that I will deliver tomorrow afternoon!  It was a busy night of getting things just so, now all I have to do is wrap, package and ship - which I can't do until I photograph.  

Thank goodness Leslie is back and I will be invading her home this morning with paintings o'plenty.  I will admit that it is so nice to have someone else take the pictures - first because she does an amazing job, second because in my infancy in painting for people it is so nice to get a vote of confidence from someone other than my husband and kids.  I mean they HAVE to like what I do, don't they?  Leslie of course is so gracious and kind -so I don't know if she'd be honest if she hated something -but the fact that she nearly cried with my latest piece makes me pretty sure it turned out well.  I am excited to share these paintings with you over the course of this next week.  

If your name is Steph and you are wondering, "Where is my contest piece?" Do not worry - yours is sketched out and I will be starting it tonight.  I only have one other one that I am currently working on and it is a Christmas present, so it will sit on the shelf until yours is completed.  I am so excited to start this contest piece because I think it is going to be quite adorable! - At least my sketch is - so it has to get better from there!

On to Facebook.  So I am a bit of a 70 year old when it comes to these new fangled online communities.  I was reluctant to join a cloth diapering forum last year when I began to cloth diaper Penny (which I still do btw- go me!), but that turned out fine and I actually met a couple of really great friends as a result of that online forum.  So I am slowly a believer.  I have been dodging the Facebook train for a while - mostly because I am more of a person to person type of gal - I have a friend that is amazed that I have met up with so many of the people I have met online.  That's just me.  In any event - I thought I'll take a look - and I joined, now I sound like an E-Harmony commercial! Well it has been pretty neat to be connected with my old high school friends, to see them, their pictures, their families. I will say that I have been reluctant to invite friends - do they want to be my friend? do they like me?  All of my insecurities resurfacing and it isn't helping that a handful of people, mostly college, have not replied.  Either they aren't as "active" on Facebook, or I do in fact suck.  I had a friend from college excitedly contact me early in the summer. I responded and never heard from her again - I guess a stay at home mom of three, who paints isn't so exciting.  Maybe when Oprah highlights me (I wish) - I will finally have value to some.....  ;o)

So I have been sucked in, as has Ryan. See I have a modicum of control, whereas Ryan does not. He was up until too late last night uploading pictures and looking for old friends.  Now don't get me wrong, I get kind of involved, and check my email, my blog comments and my traffic on my website more than I should, but I can turn it off and move on.  Mostly because I have to and have three little chickens distracting me so.  With that, I am glad for having joined, I am connecting with some great people and surprise, surprise, planning coffee with an old friend for this weekend!  

Okay, I'm off to check on any new friends - check back each day this week - I will be posting all the new paintings I've done and what's up for Penny Pickles.  Thanks!