Meet my new buddy.

This is a little sketchy character i’ve been developing for a children’s story i wrote. She is my constant companion these days as i sketch her over and over again from every angle and across many ages. i’m making it my business to really get to know her.

How many freckles are on her nose? Does she always wear braids? Why does she love stripes so much?

Anyways, it seemed like a fun idea to start injecting her into some of my paintings by way of digitally overlaying her sketchy self onto some of my abstract acrylics.

i’ll be offering the result as prints in my etsy shop as i complete them and then….someday…..if she gets her sweet self published and onto bookstore shelves, i’ll retire the prints and all you folks who own one will have limited editions : )

Pop over to my etsy shop where you’ll find them.

Happy thursday! -xo

This painting was created especially for my dear friend, MaryJane who is adopting her 2nd little girl from China. MJ and her husband felt the tug of a child in need sooner than expected after their first adoption and lots of us are feeling blessed to help with some of the financials by donating to a silent auction.

Her sweet Talia Mei will need some medical attention once she comes home. The auction will help the family defray some costs and give a beautiful start to a beautiful girl.

This painting is 18×24 x 1.5″ deep and is ready for hanging and signed on the side.

Check out the auction from tonight at 8EST thru next week ( i think my painting debuts in its auction spot tomorrow though several items are posted already!)Info can be found here and here.

“Mermaid’s Waterfall” is a fresh, new painting i just finished. It measures 36 x 36 x 1.5″deep. It has lots of very loose brush work and sweeping strokes of metallic antique-y gold paint. It was my “reset” painting after several weeks of commissions and more “scheduled” artwork. i just gave myself permission to go a little crazy and just paint whatever i wanted. i guess my brain is overrated, because i always end up connecting with these guys a whole lot.

hmmm….i guess its because i truly relate? i don’t second guess any choices when i paint like this so it must be sorta like looking at my true self – no filter?

What about you guys? Are there projects you dashed off without a plan or end-product in mind, that you ended up really LOVING!?

oh! and if you like and want to hang this little girlie in your house….go here. : )

In 5 days, a group of women, most of whom have never met each other OR Ashley Swenson Hackshaw, (of the now officially famous – since someone asked for her autograph yesterday!!) blog, Lil Blue Boo, will be posting their best creations on an online auction website. The goal is to help sweet Ashley defray mounting medical expenses that are inevitable when one fights like heck to beat cancer. Ashley is a designer, a writer, a mother, a wife, a daughter, sister, friend. I highly encourage everyone to read her blog. You will laugh a LOT, you will cry a little, and you will come away feeling crafty, inspired and empowered.

You can read about the auction here. And keep up with general auction updates and happenings on our friend, Amy’s blog over at Evy’s Tree.

Ashley didn’t ask us to do this. She would never. She is likely hugely uncomfortable (though grateful!) at the thought of so much love, prayer and attention being funneled her way. But that’s how it often is with those people we want most to help. They are humble, and giving, and lack even an ounce of self-centeredness.

Team Ashley, as we have come to call ourselves, is a motley crew. We are scattered all across the country (and CANADA!). We are crafters, business people, moms, friends, tellers of bad jokes(ha!)  and sayers of prayers. So many prayers.

We hope that many will join us, and the 200+ generous-beyond-words-contributors to this auction which runs from February 27 thru 29th. Wait til you see the selections! Each contribution has been eliciting oohs and ahhs as photos have been coming in. Its like Christmas! You can actually SEE the love in each item, the care that has been taken in its creation. Folks have pulled out all the stops and sent us the most beautiful things. You won’t want to miss it!

For me, i wanted to create a painting that summarized my admiration for Ash, this person i have come to know as we’ve done projects together over the past year or so. Knowing how she loves to document HER experiences, i went ahead and videotaped the creation of the CHOOSE JOY painting shown above. CHOOSE JOY might be all you see in the finished piece, but the underlying meaning?….yeah…..its hidden in the paint. Its what i really feel when i think of my friend. She is outwardly so unassuming and easygoing, but its so clear her heart is full, and her compassion and generosity fuel her from within. i picked a song that seems so beautifully appropriate to her. i’m absolutely positive God pointed me to it online as i was sifting thru a sea of possible soundtracks. i’m sharing it here and hope you will enjoy….and maybe bid? i would surely appreciate it.

Choose Joy from Stephanie Corfee on Vimeo.

To all of my friends, family, followers who are reading this; the other items i’m offering in the auction are shown below. If you think any of them would appeal to you or your loved ones, i’d be so grateful if you would share the info for the auction. Or, if auctions aren’t your thing, there is a secure DONATE link in the right sidebar here. Did i mention THANK YOU? in advance?

Have a wonderful day everyone! Choose to be joyful!

xo,s

DECORATOR SET – a pillow featuring my original artwork, a print with a quotation from Ann of Green Gables, and a3.5″ diameter decoupaged trinket bowl with one of my illustrations, JOYFUL

DOODLE SET – a wood-mounted print of my artwork, “Doodle Sky”, a signed copy of my book, Creative Doodling and Beyond, and a 3.5″ diameter trinket bowl decoupaged with my artwork, “JOEY”

BLUESY – an original 12×12 acrylic painting on canvas inspired by Lil BLUE Boo

CANDY NECKLACES – a 20×24 original acrylic on canvas

A CUSTOM ILLUSTRATION OF YOUR CHILD – a “Lil Fashionista” sketch in the style shown above (the above is an actual custom i did in the past for a client). This auction listing will be completed by my own little hands, but was purchased by my dear friend and repeat customer, Kristina, for DONATION into the auction. She asked me as soon as plans were underway if she could buy a custom slot from me as her contribution to the auction. Is she the sweetest ever? or what?

This weekend i was on a mission to complete a whole lot of creative projects.

Above is a photo of a newly completed painting that goes to contest winner from my site. She won a 16×20 original painting on gallery wrapped canvas and she got to choose the main color story. i named this painting In My Heart. The names just come to me when i look at the piece and i try hard not to overthink it….whatever pops to mind first seems most organic and natural. So here you go, Jeanine! i hope you enjoy this painting. It will be on its way to you tomorrow.

i also spent a few hours packing and building boxes for some recently sold paintings on canvas. i am so paranoid when i pack canvases. i probably overdo it and i always build boxes to exactly the size i need so they aren’t rattling around in there. It takes for-EVA! But now i have 3 paintings all boxed and ready for the good old USPS tomorrow. Such a relief.

Next, i worked on a new decorative print inspired by a good friend.

That’s it to the left and on the right are some little decoupaged trinket bowls as well. The print is a thought i think many nights before i fall asleep. i thought it would be a lovely sentiment to hang in a child’s bedroom. Its a quote from Anne of Green Gables….a favorite book and something i have in common with a sweet friend. i like to make art with a loved one in mind….it motivates me to make it as special as the person who inspired it.

And here is the art, itself.

Saturday, we cleaned the house pretty thoroughly…i got to do 2 bathrooms top to tail….woohoo! Lucky me! Lovely.

But its a great feeling when its done. i always want to take the first shower : ) So i did. And after the shower, we hung 12 pieces of artwork we’ve had  sitting around the house waiting for a nail. CHECK! Topped it all off by baking some oatmeal cookies with my little guy. He picked oatmeal because, by his estimation, since oatmeal is “healthy”, he can have more of this kind of cookie than of chocolate chip. Nice try buddy. : )

16 Valentines were on the schedule for this sunday morning. C drew a few hearts and i scanned ‘em and made some labels. Daddy joined in on the assembly line. Love a guy weilding a glue gun for the greater good.

We capped off the day at an adorable theater in Philadelphia. C saw his first stage performance! Charlotte’s Web! It was so good! I even cried at the end. What? Am i made of stone? ; ) After the show. the actors were available for the kids in the lobby and C and our friends’ kids had their photo taken with the Templeton Rat character. He was a funny dude.

Thank goodness for my folks who babysat little G for us AND had dinner waiting when the show was over. Love you mom and dad!

SO that caps the crazy, crafty weekend. Doesn’t it feel good when sunday night rolls around and you feel your to-do list has a super healthy dent!? Bring on the week! i’m ready.

Here are the last few canvases for the december show i’m hanging. Paper prints are available here.

“Pink Bubbly” – 24×30 acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas

“Young Bohemian” – 48×48 acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas

“Lilo” – 24×24 acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas

“Pop Rocks” – 30×24 acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas

“Green Tea” – 24×30 acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas

“Joey” – 48″ x 48″ acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas. Closeups below ; )

Prints also available here. 11″x 11″ – $28

Creamsicle – 17×16 Acrylic & Oil on Black/Chalkboard painted wood board

Scarlet Smooch – 30×24 gallery wrapped canvas

…super fun red hues plus wobbly, meandering lines.

Secret Garden – 16×16 gallery wrapped canvas

Fresh greens and blues pop against yellow and lavender accents.

Both of these are listed in my etsy shop and in the Originals Gallery here on this site.

All finished! This is a 24×30 gallery wrapped canvas painted with acrylics and overlaid with intricate line work done in opaque paint pens. Its all listed up in my etsy shop too!

Sometimes it is hard to draw the first lines of the illustration onto the canvas. Especially after you really work at getting just the right background with your paint and brush. About halfway through, i often regret ruining it. But that’s also usually when i jnow i just need to push forward until i’ve seen it through.

i know a lot of folks would have left it abstract and pure, with just color on the canvas….

What do you all think? Are you ever tempted to stop short of your plan? but then push forward anyway?