Farm Critters for the Spookytime Jingles Update tonight!

It's time for the Spookytime Jingles' Easter Holiday Hootenanny!! So exciting to think that spring is just around the corner. I am anxious to see all the yummy spring creations from my fellow STJers!

My offering is my third and final pull toy (for awhile). Here is my happy stack of farm critters all decked out in their pastel stripes and dots!

farm animal stack sculpted...

...quick peek at my third pull toy sculpted. I have completed the sculpting step on all three pull toys so now I am just waiting for everything to dry. Hopefully, I will be able to sand and prime on Monday (tedious, but oh so important!) and then the BEST part can begin...painting!!!! I am ready for COLOR!

Silly Sketches...pull toys are on the way!

I realized that it has been almost a year since I have made an animal pull toy! I love creating them, but they require lots of uninterrupted and focused sculpting time. So, I decided to dedicate the next few weeks to making 3 fun little critter carts. I have my work cut out for me, and I am excited to get rolling on them!

Here are the sketches that I will be working from. I usually do very VERY rough sketches for my dolls, but for the pull toys, I really need to plan them out and illustrate the animals in a more detailed, accurate way. And I am also trying to work on my illustration skills for a future project that is brewing in my brain.

A grinning kitty with a major sweet tooth...



A blissful bunny acrobat on a dotted ellie...



...and a stack of farm friends in fun colors.

Spring SnipPet WIPs!!

I have been sculpting non-stop for the past 2 days and still have a lot left to do, but I am definitely making progress. The rabbits are multiplying like crazy in my art room! That sounds really strange coming from the spay/neuter policewoman :).

I never used to sketch out any of my designs, but I have started to now and I really think it helps me think through my ideas and ultimately, the finished pieces are more successful. I did a few pages of very rough sketches on the plane ride to New Orleans. It was so nice to have that uninterrupted, focused time to just sit and THINK and jot down notes and draw.

You will see a few ornaments in the works....a flying pig, a "chickpea" and two rabbits. Then, there is a standing carrot bodied rabbit...he will be a lot of fun once I get some more details sculpted. I started on a juggling candlestick rabbit (still needs hands!) and hope to get a few more done in the next few weeks. And of course, i had to do a few rabbit eggs before Easter sneaks up on us. My quirkiest new project will be a custom order wedding cake topper.....a rhinoceros bride and groom!!! The groom's last name is Ryno, so that's the story behind it. I love having the challenge.

Beep! Beep!

A Sheep and a Chick are on a joy ride!!!

I FINALLY finished this piece....i kept working on it, setting it aside, staring at it, changing my mind, tweaking....and now it's done!!

Stay tuned....I also completed another sheep as well as a frog for the SpookyTime Jingles update coming up on the 13th. I'll be posting a sneak peek at those tomorrow.

HOPE YOU ALL HAD A GREAT WEEKEND!!!

Toot! Toot! The SnipPet Chick Train has arrived!

Yippee! These sweet little feathered friends are kicking off summer already!! Head over to my etsy shop for details.

Those chicks may be partying, but this chick has gotta get back to work :)!

Before....

and after....

Sneak peeks and such!

Happy sunny and bright Wednesday to all my art and animal loving peeps!

Here are some new WIPs as well as some of the ones i posted before...the chick on the sheep has been a challenge. I have never sculpted an animal on all fours!! They are always stanging upright like humans. Go figure! The piece in front is going to be the party chick train!! I think it will have a patriotic theme and the chicks will be holding mini flags. The frog holding the pumpkin will be on the next SpookyTime Jingles update.





Here is a 6 x 8 gallery wrap canvas painting of my catfish sculpture. A fun project to do while the clay dries....



I just took a break out on our back patio with Missy, one of our feral cat tenants. Well, as you can see, she's not so feral anymore....i can pet her and rub her tummy any time :). I force her to let me pick her up. She squirms and rolls that round body around, but i know she really loves it. Tee hee. Isn't she beautiful?

I made this mosaic table a few years ago at a class at the John Campbell Folk School in Brasstown NC (a fabulous place...check out their site!). We learned how to make ceramic tiles and sculpted pieces out of clay, fired them and then incorporated our handmade pieces into mosaics. I etched one of my favorite quotes into the center piece. "I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good, therefore, that i can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now." One of the cats is usually sitting smack dab in the middle of this table, so I thought i would get a photo in while i had a chance.

Tweet, Tweet :)

We had a wonderful weekend with Brian's parents. On Friday night, we had dinner at Ramsey's which is the ultimate in southern comfort food. Then we came home and watched The Wrestler in HD....shoowee, i wasn't quite prepared for the gore, but i could appreciate Mickey Rourke's performance. Note to self: Remember to warn my own mother NOT to see this movie. She would be horrified.
On Saturday, we enjoyed a leisurely morning on the patio soaking up the warm breeze and lots of coffee. After that, we headed to our favorite lunch spot and then to the Equus Run Vineyards for some wine tastings and afternoon jazz. The ride out there is absolutely beautiful and the weather was P-E-R-F-E-C-T. Here is a photo of me with a painted horse sculpture at the vineyards (would love to have that in my yard!) and a lovely shot of some guys fly fishing.



We finished up our day with a hearty dinner at an Italian Lexington classic, Joe Bologna's, and a competitive game of Scattergories.

TWEET! TWEET! The chick is complete!~~
So, now i am back to work and ready for a productive week! I finished my little party chick and should be done with my happy catfish this afternoon.
This piece is available in my etsy shop right now.



Have a wonderful week, everyone!!!
xoxo Carrie

SnipPet WIPs and Show and Tell

A Catfish, a Party Chick and two Sheep in process! These silly SnipPets are drying and should be ready to paint by the end of the weekend.




I received a fun package of goodies from my mom yesterday, so i thought i would share the quirky contents with you. She found a woman in Raleigh who recently bought a warehouse full of trims, ribbons, millinery flowers, folk art treasures, etc. from an 80 year old couple. The lady can't use it all, so she has been having big warehouse sales over the past few weekends. So cool! I have found a few spots around the house for some of these odds and ends...and the rest may end up incorporated into my artwork.






My hubby's mom and dad are on their way to Kentucky from Georgia right now! The weather is FABULOUS here, so it should be a lovely weekend visit. We will be heading to our favorite restaurants, taking a scenic drive through some horse farms and enjoying some jazz and wine tastings at a local vineyard. Oh, and I also want to go see that new Earth movie...hope we can squeeze it in!

I hope all of you have some fun plans for the weekend....what are you up to??
Hugs to all,
Carrie