cherish

cherish, originally uploaded by manondoyle.

Today a new sun rises for me; everything lives, everything is animated, everything seems to speak to me of passion, everything invites me to cherish it.
-ninon de lenclos

I spent the day at home again today trying to get better. I was able to get the undercoat done on Chelsie and work on a journal page. I find myself trying to welcome and cherish each day no matter what life brings.

fill your heart with art

-manon

housebound

winter 1, originally uploaded by manondoyle.

Ohio had quite the snowstorm today. Actually, it started yesterday with a couple of inches then turned to sleet overnight. It ended with another 7 inches of snow! Yikes!!
I thought I could work through all this but I was struck down with the flu....ugh! All I could do today was watch movies and sleep. I hope I can rebound tomorrow because I hate feeling like a Mac truck just hit me...lol!

fill your heart with art

-manon

chelsie the super girl

For the last couple of days I've been working on a new dog. Chelsie is her name and her proud mama, Krista, wanted to have a portrait done of this beautiful girl!



Today I burnt in the outline and the poem that I wrote. She's wearing a cape because her mom calls Chelsie her super girl. I get to start painting tomorrow!



A big shout out to Melissa Langer of Pug Notes for sending me the lovely note cards!!



fill your heart with art

-manon

journal, panini press and otis

Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.
-henry ward beecher


I'm so excited about my new Breville Panini Press. I've been thinking about this for a while and after research online and a recommendation from a friend..... I bought it. OMG! It's awesome! Last night I made flatbread pizzas and for lunch today I grilled some chicken. The chicken took 5 minutes and was very juicy when I cut into it. The possibilities are endless!


Otis has cabin fever! He is so hyper and because it's been so cold walks are out! We keep throwing the ball to try and give him as much exercise as possible! He's like a kid and takes all his toys out of his box in the morning so we can play ..... I sure wish I could get him to put them away...LOL!

fill your heart with art

-manon

some fun stuff

Another blog of some of my new favorite things!


This is a little 6"x 6" ringed naked board book. A great little thing for mixed media journaling. I bought it from this cool site!


I use all kinds of gesso.... I love gesso. Golden is awesome but when I need something super thick I turn to this.


Dick's has been having it's canvas sale all month long. I usually get a bunch of them but this time I decided on their 1-1/2 inch gallery panel artists boards! I'm pretty rough on canvas so this will let me get crazy!


While at the art store I couldn't resist some pins!

fill your heart with art

-manon

happiness

Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude.
-denis waitley

I really believe in this quote. I've recently started keeping a gratitude journal again and I'm committed to writing in it each night. There are so many things in my life that I am thankful for. Just a simple smile or even kind words from another makes me feel so good! I cannot purchase happiness but I can feel it everyday, every moment if I choose to!

fill your heart with art

-manon

kicking back

Today was a pretty laid back day. I watched a little football and worked in my journal. I love these lazy days because it's good to do nothing every once in awhile....lol!


For every beauty there is an eye somewhere to see it. For every truth there is an ear somewhere to hear it. For every love there is a heart somewhere to receive it.
-ivan panin


Yesterday I attended the Carefree Fine Arts and Wine Festival in Arizona! What a great day it was! There were so many talented artists in attendance. It was fun to walk around with a glass a wine and take in all the wonderful artwork!


I bought this piece and I feel so bad because I misplaced the business card and I can't remember his name or even read it on the back of the work! Ugh! All I know is that it's a fun piece and I love Tabasco sauce!!

fill your heart with art

-manon

otis draws bad duty

Otis is not a happy boy! The temperature in Ohio right now is way below freezing and he hates having to go outside. I feel a little bad because I'm in Arizona until Tuesday enjoying the beautiful weather! It's hard to believe that you can board a plane and be in awesome weather just a few hours later!


I see so much wonderful scenery out here! I need to carry my camera around a little more!

On Saturday we'll be attending the Carefree Art Show.... Yay! You can walk around with a glass of wine while looking at all the beautiful art! Perfect!

fill your heart with art

-manon

victory over myself

Many times in my life I've been afraid! I envy those who stare fear in the eye and move right through it. At a young age I was very shy and fortunately came out of my shell in my teens but fear still remained. I think my biggest fear was rejection. I didn't want to feel the pain of being turned down or turned away. As life had it, rejection came in many different forms and thankfully I made it through stronger each time. As the saying goes, when a broken bone mends it is even stronger!

You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.
- eleanor roosevelt


fill your heart with art

-manon

vision board

I'm taking an online class from Alyson B. Stanfield of artbizcoach.com. One of the suggestions was to make a vision board so I decided to spend part of my Saturday on this.


I decided that I would use both collage and paint. I first took a 16" x 20" canvas and pasted a photo of my head to it. I then figured out where some pictures of the girls from my journals would go on the dress. The girls represent a vision for me that I'll get into at a later date.


I then found words that captured the dreams I have. They were all cut out and adhered with gel medium.


When I was sufficiently satisfied, I added paint to the canvas.


The final step was to bring out the text and myself with black pastel which I rubbed into the canvas.



I'm pleased with my vision board because it'll remind me on a daily basis what my goals and dreams are. It's been great to share it and I hope you'll try one!

fill your heart with art

-manon

winter page

In keeping with my blogs on the weather recently, I decided to do a winter page in my journal.

In the depth of the winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.
-albert camus


I got these great three tiered pieces for my studio! Yay! There's lots of room for storage in both of them I just need to start filling them! It should be no problem.... lol!


fill your heart with art

-manon

embracing the weather

Today we had sleet! We've actually had many days of freezing rain which can be quite annoying. I grew up in Canada and know a thing or two about cold weather. I just sometimes have a bad attitude to these cold grey days that we experience all winter. I'm really trying to embrace these days and the cycles of nature. If it's cold....... add more layers. If it's freezing rain......don't drive. If it's grey out day after day............ just smile and make more art......lol!

to forget to dig and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves
-ghandhi

fill your heart with art

-manon

feeling refreshed

What a difference a day makes! Saturday was so sunny and beautiful in Ohio but it was short lived. Today we returned to the dreary rainy day that is so common here in the winter. I"ll hold on to the sun in my mind until it returns again.



I had a lot of time to relax this past week and it felt good. Many days I worked in my journal and just hung out. I feel refreshed and ready to get back to work!


I don't remember forms or faces now, but I know the girl was beautiful. I know she was; for in the bright moonlight nights, when I start from my sleep, and all is quiet about me, I see, standing still and motionless in one corner of this cell, a slight and wasted figure with long black hair, which streaming down her back, stirs with no earthly wind, and eyes that fix their gaze on me, and never wink or close. - charles dickens



fill your heart with art

-manon