only a few days left

7" x 10" mixed media painting
©manon doyle

You use a glass mirror to see your face; you use works of art to see your soul.
~george bernard shaw


6" x 6" mixed media on Gessobord
©manon doyle

This is my wish for you: Comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes, rainbows to follow the clouds, laughter to kiss your lips, sunsets to warm your heart, hugs when spirits sag, beauty for your eyes to see, friendships to brighten your being, faith so that you can believe, confidence for when you doubt, courage to know yourself, patience to accept the truth, Love to complete your life.
~author unknown


9" x 12" mixed media painting still in progress
©manon doyle

Hey!! I've been working on many pieces at one time. This art challenge has forced me to pick up the pace a little and to be honest....I'm enjoying it. The girl above is still unfinished. I need to get the proper shadows in the face and fix the hair a little. The hand painting could also use more work ....lol. This is the second of the same hands I've done and I keep making the fingers look like big sausages but I kind of dig them....lol. Anyway.....3 days to go and I think I'm going to make it....lol.

fill your heart and soul with art

-manon

passion

9" x 12" mixed media painting
©manon doyle

“If there is no passion in your life, then have you really lived? Find your passion, whatever it may be. Become it, and let it become you and you will find great things happen FOR you, TO you and BECAUSE of you.”
~ t. alan armstrong

That's a great quote. I think we should all live our lives with passion and try to be happy as much as we can. I know my clock is ticking and what I want to do with those remaining ticks is live my life to the fullest, laugh, be happy and throw lots of passion in there. It's a recipe for a successful life.


6" x 6" mixed media painting
©manon doyle

I did not have three thousand pairs of shoes, I had one thousand and sixty. : ))
~imelda marcos

Ok....shoes are not my passion but I sure do appreciate a cute pair... a few cute pairs. : ))

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! I will make sure to keep being creative until the last day of this challenge and everyday after that!!

fill your heart with art and lots of passion

-manon

what's up with this?

7" x 10" mixed media journal page
©manon doyle

I am on day 21 of the art challenge. All of a sudden I'm painting random things and have ventured back into my journals. My bigger pieces need my time and thought and these....not so much....lol. These three pages you are looking at look so elementary but ...hey....i'm being creative....right? lol


7" x 10" mixed media journal page
©manon doyle

I hope my artist friends who paint beautiful flowers aren't checking in on my blog today....yikes. These almost look like frisbees!!


7" x 10" mixed media journal page
©manon doyle

Please don't ask about this one....lol. I don't know what it is and I don't exactly know what I was thinking....lol. What the heck is going on?


journals
©manon doyle

I'm all over the place in these journals. When I'm working in them it's usually three at a time and I just open the book and land where I land. There is no rhyme or reason to my madness. It's whatever works for me that day. My mom says, *Manon....you march to the beat of your own drummer*!! Ain't that the truth...: )))


my pitiful brushes
©manon doyle

WARNING!! Do not let me near your brushes. Omg.....i buy these tiny brushes for details and I ruin them in a matter of days. Same with my other brushes...lol. I am a scrubber of paint. Not really a good thing. I don't buy expensive brushes because I would do them harm.

fill your heart with art

-manon

i am still on the art challenge!!!

7" x 10" mixed media painting
©manon doyle

For those of you that think I may have dropped out of the Art Every Day Month challenge........ you're sadly mistaken....lol. I am still doing something every single day. I must admit that some days have been a little tough but all in all it's pretty much what I do each day.

I sketched yesterday and I was thinking that I'm done with sketching.....yup.... all that work and then covering it up is not for me. I actually quite like having paintings that don't resemble an actual human being......lol. These sketches are making my art head in the wrong direction so I'm saying *goodbye* to them.


9" x 10" sketch on watercolor paper
©manon doyle




So.... today I made cognac soaked chocolate cranberries......OMG!!! I'm not much of a dessert girl but these things are perfect. They are a little tart and sweet and then you throw cognac into the mix and ....mmmmmm.....heaven. This pic shows the cranberries soaking. They were in there for 3 weeks ...btw!!



Some good semi sweet chocolate in a double boiler and once it's melted it's time to dip the cranberries.



Yummy!!

fill your heart with art

-manon

if all else fails....paint hearts

mixed media painting
©manon doyle

The heart has reasons that reason does not understand
~ jacques benigne bossuel


mixed media painting
©manon doyle

Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart
~kahlil gibran.


mixed media painting
©manon doyle

Love is the enchanted dawn of every heart
~alphonse de lamartine.


mixed media painting
©manon doyle

I think I would rather possess eyes that know no sight, ears that know no sound, hands that know no touch than a heart that knows no love.
~unknown


mixed media painting
©manon doyle

Follow your mind and be smart, follow your heart and be happy
~unknown.


unfinished 9" x 12" mixed media painting
©manon doyle

You would think it was Valentine's day around here...lol. If all else fails....yup...that's right. I'm in the heart painting kind of mood and since I'm still on this art challenge I've been painting a lot of them...lol. When I'm feeling down they perk me up for some reason. Hearts = happiness in my little world.

The last painting is obviously in progress but she's got a heart so I thought I'd post her. I will work on all my paintings that are in progress in the next few days. Check back to see how I'm doing.

fill your heart with art and fill your art with hearts!!

~manon

art every day month challenge......what day am i on?

mixed media journal page
©manon doyle

A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.
~john lennon

I worked in my small journal yesterday. I didn't want to do anything that required too much detail ...just fast and fun.


mixed media journal page in progress
©manon doyle

I started this piece in another journal. I haven't been in my journals for a bit and I miss them when I'm away for too long. They're always quick little paintings but I really enjoy doing them.


mixed media 9" x 12" on watercolor paper in progress
©manon doyle

This is the initial background color for this painting. I'm really drawn to this color combo and seem to be using it often.

I've been creative every day on this art challenge....omg!! I don't even know what day I'm at....lol. I do know that I haven't taken a day off yet....lol. The hardest part is all this blogging...lol.

fill your heart with art

-manon

Day 8

9" x 12" mixed media painting on watercolor paper
©manon doyle


©manon doyle

Day 8 of the Art Every Day Month Challenge

How do you know if your art is heading in the right direction? My answer is to ask your mother...lol. Mine has been telling me lately how *da gurls are sooo beautiful*....yup.....I'm definitely heading in the wrong direction...lol. I used to like it when she saw them, called me and said in her French accent...*I don't know, Manon. Dey worry me. Are you sure you're ok?*. Ya.... I feel better when they don't look like prom queens and my mom really doesn't like them. Don't get me wrong because I love my mom with all my heart but I also know the kind of music she likes and the kind of art she likes and OMG......I better change this up pretty darn soon!!!

fill your heart with art

-manon

life has unforgettable moments

©manon doyle


©manon doyle

“Dance as if no one were watching, Sing as if no one were listening, And live every day as if it were your last”


part of a 9" x 12" sketch
©manon doyle


journal page
©manon doyle

The last few days of this challenge has been filled with a little of this and that. Worked on a sketch for a few days and I'm only showing a portion of it. Thought I'd change things up a bit and show the rest when she's painted. I also played around in my journal and I haven't done that in a while so it was fun to get back into it.

Last night I spent the evening with some girlfriends and we had a great night having dinner, wine, chatting and dancing. It was nice to catch up and reconnect. I took some pictures to remember our time.

I will be painting again tomorrow because I'm over sketching for now. I need to get some color back in my life....lol.

fill your heart with art

manon

day 4 of the art challenge

9" x 12" unfinished sketch
© manon doyle

day 4 of the Art Every Day Month challenge

I have worked on this sketch for a good part of my day. She's unfinished and I'm choosing to leave her as is because I've decided to put it right on top of the *to be painted for sure* pile...lol. I didn't put enough gesso on the watercolor paper and the paper is showing right through....ahhhhhhh! I've decided to not post until Sunday or Monday again but I will show you what I did each day..... no cheatin'!!!!

fill your heart with art
-manon

day 3

9" x 12" sketch
© manon doyle

“The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.” ~audrey hepburn

It's Day 3 in the Art Every Day Month challenge. I spent a ton of time on this one..... I think I may need to go back to the little ones....lol. I have also been gessoing canvases today but unfortunately I don't think that counts for anything. I should of taken a picture anyway. : ) So... I'm still in good shape....for now....LOL. My guess is that the real challenge will start next week.

fill your heart with art

manon

is it only day 2?

6" x 6" mixed media on Gessobord
© manon doyle

Day 2
OMG!!! It's only day two of the Art Every Day Month challenge.....yikes!! I do happen to paint most days of the week but now I'm forced to show something for myself. I often spend lots of time on my bigger paintings so I've decided that I'm going to need to do some other things to make my quota....lol. Today I've been working on a larger piece so I thought I'd take a break and whip this little one up. Nothing fancy and I noticed that she has so much molding paste under the paint that it's creating interesting textures on her face. At this point I'm going to pretend I don't see it....lol. This is my piece for Day #2....yay!!

fill you heart with art and lots of creativity!!

manon

Art Every Day Month

© manon doyle


© manon doyle


© manon doyle

Native American Prayer

I give you this one thought to keep -
I am with you still - I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am sunlight on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awake in the morning's hush
I am the swift, uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not think of me as gone -
I am with you still - in each new dawn.


© manon doyle


© manon doyle


© manon doyle

I've never done an art challenge so with the encouragement of my friend and fellow artist Miz Katie, I signed up for Leah Piken Kolidas's Art Every Day Month Challenge which Leah hosts every November! Omg.... what the heck was I thinking...lol. I'm going to attempt this. I usually do something creative most days but there are days that I may take it a little easy...lol. I probably won't post everyday but I will try my best to do something each day and post a few times a week letting you know where I'm at.

This is my kickoff. A friend of mine gave me a ride the other day and we drove through Beechwood Cemetery which is the National Cemetery of Canada. I have to say that it is breathtakingly beautiful and so peaceful. It is the site for those who served in the Canadian Forces. There was a certain feeling of calm that washed over me as we drove through. Tomorrow is All Souls' Day and Day of the Dead so please take a moment and remember friends and family that have passed before us.

fill your heart with art and creativity

-manon