English Lit meets Mixed Media

I can still remember reading The Secret Garden at my little desk in the fourth grade. I had fallen in love with Jane Eyre by sophomore year. Something about odd girls wandering the strange and expansive heather-covered moors with old spooky houses and ghosts and kooky characters fascinated me.

Fast-forward a dozen years or so and now I've got a married name that comes from an obscure moor in northern england. My husband's middle name actually means 'from the moor.' Is this literary fate? Surely so ;)

So when I took on the challenge of creating some paintings inspired by classic literature, how could I not choose the likes of Jane and Mary? I made these paintings on some wood blocks that I had lying around, haha. There's no better supply than 'found' supply, right? I don't do much mixed media any more but I thought it would be fun to add a little 'extra' to them.

I added some cheese cloth to each of the paintings--- I used it for Jane's white collar and again for mary's red scarf. Totally love this stuff. I also used some bits and bobs of lace and ribbon to frame the pieces and give them some added weight and detail.

And so, there are perhaps my last paintings of 2010 (pretty good chance of that since it's the evening of Dec. 30!) I hope you've enjoyed reading along with me as I've tried some new and different things and taken some turns with my art. I know I've enjoyed having you!

Also, I've decided that this coming year I'm going to do daily readings from this book-- Simple Abundance: A Day Book of Comfort and Joy. You can find it in most book stores around the country, and definitely on Amazon if anyone wants to read along.

Well, I suppose that's it for now. Hope the new year is bright and exciting for all of you! Let's see what 2011 brings....

~H

Tasha Tuesdays Post # 44

Good morning and happy Tasha Tuesday, a celebration of the art of my favorite artist, Tasha Tudor. I thought this would be a great painting to share for today:

It's called "Laura in the Snow" and I believe Tasha painted it of her grand daughter. So many of you have snow right now.....not here, of course! I will try not to be too jealous. I think this is such a sweet painting though. Tasha often said that she preferred painting snow to painting green landscapes because it was so much easier. I believe she was right!

Hope you are warm and safe this tuesday,

H

Russian Intrigue

Have you ever felt a love and kinship for a place you've never been? Or even know very well? I have a place like this. A place I've loved since I was a little girl, and I really have no idea how it sparked. The place I love from far away? It's Russia.

Photo of Moscow found here

I'm not sure how it started. I can remember the love blossoming as far back as grade school when a teacher read us a Russian fairytale. I love the art, so dark and mysterious but vibrant. It also dovetailed beautifully into other interests of mine, such as ballet and figure skating, stories and art. I had a Russian pen pal, collected Matryoshka dolls, and I even had a string of Russian named cats--- Sasha, Natasha....there was a Katerina Witt-skers, but she was named after a certain German figure skater ;)

Then as a teenager I became obsessed for a good long while with anything Romanov. They were the last ruling tsarist family of Russia. I read anything about Anastasia, truly hoping that she had escaped the family's sad fate. And I was probably more pleased than your average Okie when the whole family was declared saints by the Russian Orthodox Church.

The last Grand Duchesses of Russia from the book "Anastasia's Album"

Lately I've been thinking more and more about Russia and my love of the art and stories. At Deluxe a pair of little girls who study Russia and its culture came to my booth and said many of the paintings reminded them of Russian fairytales and folk heroes. I wondered, had it seeped in subliminally? Then a friend of mine bought me some little Russian-inspired trinkets because, she declared, I was obviously secretly Russian ;)

And so, with all this spinning in my mind along with wintery snowscapes and fairytales, Katusha was created:

"Katusha" is a small but rich painting and I really wish the camera and the scanner could truly capture her rich depth. She's a pretty little Russian child wandering a snowy country landscape in her snug fur-lined cape and beautiful cardinal red ribbons. You'll probably notice she looks a great deal like my banner girl, "The Cardinal's Carol." What can I say, I guess it's always been beneath the surface ;)

You can find Katusha for sale HERE, and she's priced not too much more than a print...so if you're in the mood for a little after-Christmas treat...or to celebrate the New Year as they do in Russia....well, be my guest! :)

And if you want to see some truly haunting and amazing photography out of Russia, please click HERE and see these gorgeous old abandoned houses that have been intriguing me as of late.

All for now,

~H

A Happy Christmas To All~

Wanted to share with you one of my most favorite postcards from my collection of vintage "things" on this dark and cold morn of Christmas Eve.....

On the back, in the sweetest almost illegible writing it reads (I think!): "Wish I could go to ride with you on your sled." I think she signs it "Caitie." She fondly calls him "Teddy.".....

As for me, I have no sled and we have yet to have our first snow. Remember last year, Okies? Oh, we had a whole blizzard on Christmas Eve! Truly a Christmas to remember as we were all snowed in. Luckily I had a turkey thawing in the fridge ;) we stayed in our pjs all day. It was absolutely quiet and fun!

This year though, it looks to be a biting cold day. A good day to snuggle up with those you love and quietly wait for Santa, and tell all those stories that are best told on this very night....
A very merry Christmas to you and yours! Thank you for coming to visit me this year, or for many years for some of you! I hope that our 2011 is Merry and Bright!

Love Always,

H

Tasha Tuesdays Post # 43

During this Christmas, may you take Joy! And also take Peace!

Happy Tasha Tuesday.......

~H

*Illustration by Tasha Tudor*

~Deluxe 2010~

So remember the other day when I was ranting and raving about people not buying handmade things and having themselves a merry little China Christmas? Lol, well, after vending at Deluxe Indie Craft Bazaar earlier this month, my faith has been restored a little bit in people :)

Audrey Eclectic booth 2010 Deluxe!

I am happy to report that it was a great show for me and pretty much everyone who showed there! People were excited and interested and willing to consider handmade goodies for themselves and for loved ones! I sold paintings of all sizes--- including the largest one I brought (Eliza and the Fox has a great new home now!) and lots of ornaments, postcards, and prints. So a big thank you to everyone who came out. It was the most successful show of the season!

Close-up of the dolls and other goodies

I was lucky to have my good friend Jenny come to stay with me for the whole show--- she even stayed when I realized I had forgotten to bring chairs, lol. I swear, it's alway something! We were right next to our good friend Beth who does Art by Bethany and our friend Tony was on the premises to help style the booths and track down maybe-shoplifters and give them the evil eye ;)

I saw old friends and met new ones and felt all warm and fuzzy and glad to be a part of this handmade event and lifestyle. And I even met some of my readers and Audrey Eclectic Facebook fans for the first time! *waves happily* it was so nice!~

This is me with my booth, I've taken to dressing like an English street urchin at these shows, surely it's not too much, right???

And as this year draws to a close I'm feeling a little better about shows. I heard on the news the other day that this was the strongest season for Christmas shopping since 2007. I hope our confidence in ourselves is coming back. And I hope a lesson we learn from all this is to support local, support American (or the local craftsmen and workers of where ever you may reside) and that more isn't always 'more' when it's cheap and poorly made. Lets choose quality over quantity!

Now it's time to burrow in and do some pleasure knitting and think of new and fun projects that don't have to be completed at a frantic pace. I'm not sure what my spring show schedule will be, if any, but I'm quite certain I'll be doing Indie Emporium and Deluxe again.

Happy Holidays!~

~h

Dark Dollies

The moment I saw her, I was entranced. Sure, some of my friends didn't know what I saw in her. Some were completely creeped out by her black lace ensemble and odd little face. You can tell this girl's been around the block and lived to tell the tale. And that's what I find so endlessly fascinating about her!

My boudoir doll. I got her at a craft show a few weeks ago. I'd never seen anything like her before, but she seems to be all original and from the 1920s or 1930s. Do any of you know much about these types of dolls? They have a fascinating and strange history.

And hey, we can't be all snowflakes and glitter this holiday season ;) gotta throw a creepy doll in every once in a while ;)

~h

Childhood delights

Our holidays delights start tonight! This evening we're taking Audrey to see "The Nutcracker" and we're all pretty excited. I admit, one of the most fun things to do with my little one (aside from dressing her up like a live doll, haha) is enjoying the things I enjoyed as a child with her, and seeing it as a child again through her excitement.

I'm excited to see what she thinks of "real live" ballerinas and if it perhaps inspires her to love dance even more. She asked me "are they going to dance on their tippy-toes?" They sure are!

I hope in this week before Christmas you get to indulge in some childhood excitement! What was your favorite part of Christmas when you were little? And do you still take part in it? If not, I think it's high time you did! (look at me, being all bossy and telling you how to spend your Christmas, but still ;).....)

This weekend we're headed back to the beloved Ozark Mountains, I cant wait to see my favorite tiny little town all decked out for the holidays! I know it will be magic! Then it will be back home to the little house to finish the last of the Christmas cookies, snuggle with our critters, and dream of sugar plums and such ;)

Happy Christmas to you, may it be merry and bright!~

H

Tis the Season

Tis the season, as they say; the season for friendship and giving, and I am so blessed to have such lovely friends and readers who have been so giving to me. I thought I would share with you some treasures, all created in a spirit of friendship....

First off, I have always always loved the little red hat that Mary Lennox wears in this rendition of The Secret Garden. I loved the film when I was little, and now as a mama watching it with her daughter (and ok, sometimes I watch it for just me!) I love it all over again. A few weeks ago I was lamenting on the Audrey Eclectic facebook page about how much I loved the hat and how I'd do a trade for it if some knitting wiz wanted to take me up on the offer...and guess what? Someone did!
My new lovely friend Shannon offered to knit me the tam o'shanter hat from a pattern that was based off this very movie (so obviously, I wasnt the only one with The Secret Garden hat envy!) and even let me pick the yarn color :) I was so excited when it came in the mail a few days ago, along with some lovely gloves that Shannon added as a surprise, how sweet is that??~

In return, I did a little winter portrait for Shannon of her daughter. She wanted something old timey, done in the wintertime and something that would high light her daughter's love of animals. She sent me a photo of her daughter holding a little baby goat, and so this is what came from that spark of inspiration:

The kindness hasn't stopped there though, and I was so thrilled to get this candle called "Christmas Past" from Michelle at The Blackberry Briar. I have so loved having this pretty candle lit in my kitchen while I make cookies. It has a gorgeous pine scent mixed in with other rich and homey spices. All these little things have made me feel so loved!
And now I am busy making little goodies for my friends and family, and am feeling so very inspired by the kindness of others. This is really what this season is all about, isn't it? Using your time and your talents to take a moment to show someone else that you've thought of them and want to give them something special.

Here's to a homespun, handmade Christmas!

Happy Holidays,

H

Tasha Tuesdays Post # 42

Happy Tasha Tuesday! Yes, I remembered this week ;) I dont know how things are at your house, but around here things have been so busy. Days rush on and there are always so many things to do--- things to bake and make and errands to run. I was surprised to find that it was December already and here it is December 14!

This time of year, if you're a Tasha Tudor fan, you're in luck. She wrote so many Christmas themed books and was famous for her Advent calendars. We are now in the season of Advent and also the season of St. Nicholas! The Tudor family, in books and life, were always happy to celebrate St. Nicholas and as we "met" St. Nicholas over the weekend (a man of few words, but he gave out chocolate!) I thought it would be fun to celebrate Tasha and St. Nick here for Tasha Tuesday.....
In the Tudor classic "Take Joy" it reads: "St. Nicholas' birthday, December 6th, is the real beginning of the Christmas season for the Tudors, as it is for many families not only in this country but also in Holland, France, and England. Tasha says, "A lot happens on this special day at tea time. The morning has been spent in setting up the old creche and decorating the winter kitchen. The old Noah's Ark and its inmates are set up on the mantle. The advent wreath is hung and it is time for tea. Now the Christmas cake is cut and the prettiest cookies are brought out...."

In this season where time seems to fly by at warp speed and we (or at least I!) never seem to get caught up on those to-do lists, its nice to take a moment to think of these small simple holiday pleasures and perhaps reevaluate what is most important during this special season.

And in an effort to thank you, my lovely readers and friends for your year-round kindness and goodwill, I'd like to make your holiday chores a little lighter and simpler! I'm offering a sale at my main shop, where you can get 15% off your ENTIRE order, including dolls, originals, prints, the whole she-bang! All while sitting at your computer in your PJs and drinking a nice cup of coffee or cocoa.

Just go to: http://audreyeclectic.bigcartel.com/ and type in this code:

stnick

and receive 15% off your whole order!

This sale will only last for the next day or so to ensure that all orders will be sent out in plenty of time to give at Christmas. So, enjoy! And may your holiday be merry and bright!~

~H

Have yourself a handmade little Christmas....

Not too very long ago, I found myself sitting in a booth full of handmade goods watching customers breeze past with bagfuls of cheap "Christmas" cheer that had been manufactured in China. Now, I don't consider myself an extremely political person, for the most part I'm pretty laissez faire....but...I found myself feeling a little indignant.

These past many months, now going on years, we've all felt the weight of this economy in some way. Our local businesses are, frequently, limping along and trying to get by. People are losing investments, homes, and dreams for the future are being pared down or put off. We find ourselves wondering how we can get ourselves out of this scrape and rebuild our country into a thriving and prosperous place. And then we go load up our shopping carts with items made in China.

Does anyone else see a problem with this?

And so, proselytizing aside, I would like to encourage everyone to give a little handmade something this year. If anything good can come out of this current economic situation, I hope it is that people begin to once again see what is truly important.

What is your Christmas about? And how can you better show your love and appreciation of family than by giving them something made with your own two hands? And of course, if you're not crafty, there are always other options. Such as....

After dabbling with 'the other side' on more than one occasion (I used to work for a company that manufactured their items--- including items I designed-- in overseas factories) I can't encourage you enough to support your local handmade and handcrafted ventures. Sure, more often than not, you can find other items in stores that are cheaper to buy than items at a local craft fair. But when you're weighing whether you want to spend that extra few dollars think of this:

1) Ultimately, people who make handmade goods do it because they are passionate about it. I guarantee you, no one is getting rich off their craft booths. They make these items because it is something they truly love to do, and they're willing to share it with you. I bet that 12 year old girl who's breathing in toxic epoxy fumes for 12 hours in a Chinese factory doesn't feel quite the same way about what she's making.

2) When you buy something from the real live person who made it, you have an opportunity to ask questions about it, and therefore have more of an emotional or intellectual relationship with the item. Questions you can ask can be anything about what sort of materials (yarn, paint, metal, etc) it is made from, how long the process of creating it takes, or the proper way to care for it. Having this information will show whoever you're buying it for that you put a lot of thought into the purchase. And it can also give you (or the gift receiver) more of an appreciation for an item.

3) You are putting 100 % of your purchase into your local economy. And isn't this a big deal?

Deluxe Indie Craft Bazaar 2008, the first year! My booth is the one with the quilt ;)

Now, believe me, I know many times that it is hard to not buy things that are foreignly made. They are certainly in my home (although I do guiltily cringe when I see a "Made in China" logo on something). To be completely honest we'd all have to be harvesting and spinning our own linens, carving our own cookware and riding in a horse and buggy to be 100% handmade in our daily lives. But that doesn't necessarily mean we have to be 100% manufactured either. All we can do is consider one choice at a time, and if you find that you're given a local option, or feel like yes, you could definitely make that yourself, than try it. Perhaps do handmade stockings this year. Bake cookies instead of giving mindless tiny trinkets. Attend a local craft fair and buy a few odds and ends. Or try shopping on handmade shops like etsy (although unfortunately, these days, you might have to do a little double checking to make sure the etsy shop you're perusing is actually handmade)

Ultimately, this Chistmas time, I'd like to just encourage you to be mindful of how you would like to give. It's not always about where the gift is going, but also, where has it been? And in what sort of spirit was it made? Because you know, as they say, it's the thought that counts :)

Christmas at the Little House

A few days ago when my little gal wasn't feeling well, she decided what she really wanted to do was decorate for Christmas. And so....we did! Our tree is up, the greens are strung, and the paperwhites planted. And so here is a tour of our very Christmasy little house, beginning with the tree....

I have a lot of the old world style glass ornaments that I've collected since I was little. And I'm a sucker for anything with figure skates. My collection of skating ornaments may be my very favorites....
This is just a little corner of our living room that I think is very sweet. I had some left over garland from our mantle, so I just nailed a bit over this mirror, and voila! I love the look (and smell) of live greens. Some day I'd love to be able to cut my own greens on my own property. However, the only trees I own are pitiful little twigs at the moment ;) and so....my greens come from Whole Foods ;)

Its a new tradition for me to plant paperwhites (Narcissus) for the holiday. I plant them in a little copper pot I found at Good Will. They have a strange earthy smell, sorta reminds me of a manger ;)
This year's mantle! The live garland is perhaps my favorite part. I will keep it up as long as possible! I decorated with various family photos and some Nicol Sayre winter dolls that I've collected over the past few years. After taking these photos, I've come to see that my winter colors tend to be silver and gold with touches of red and green.

A little vignette from the mantle. All in one shot we've got Mary, Jesus, a snow man, santa and an angel ;) Guess I've got all my Christmas figures covered!
Santa and some of my favorite family photographs. My great-grandparents as a young couple, and a photo of my grandpa as a little boy. And santa, of course.

And now for my room! Since I painted this room green over the summer, Christmas really pops in here. I love red and green all year round.....And I'm super in love with my new bedspread ;)

My little silhouette tree. I love silhouettes so much! I think they're perfect for Christmas too. All together, they look like a little family gathering, don't they?
And so....there is Christmas at the little house! Mind you, I didn't show you the piles of laundry or dishes to be done. Lol, God bless photo editing ;) if only I could edit them out of real life! And speaking of real life, back to it.....

Hope you're having a lovely and beautiful Christmas season!~

Oh, and, uh....back to Tasha Tuesdays next week ;)

Lovely ladies and tragic tales

What a roller coaster ride the last few days have been. From highest highs with the book being published, to unfortunate lowest lows at my tiny backyard homestead.

Poor little Lizzie rabbit had her first litter during the night Thursday when it was particularly bitterly cold out. And the poor babes unfortunately didn't make it. I won't go into all the sad details here, because I don't want to leave you feeling blue after visiting with me, but I am happy to report that Lizzie seems to be doing fine. She handled the event much better than I did, I can assure you! And Mr. Darcy is as always a doting partner to her and, er, always at the ready to try again ;)

We've had a busy weekend rearranging things though, and are making arrangements to bring the whole rabbit operation indoors. And if she has herself a second litter in the next few weeks, we'll have ourselves baby bunnies for easter! You'll be wanting one, right? ;)

And now, on to pretty things:

This girl I made as a partner to "Georgiana" and her name is Carlotta. I wanted to try something fun with the audacious hairdos that they made in the 18th century. I am not dreaming up a woman with a ship in her hair--- they really did it back then! As well as birds nests and other wild arrangements. I did a little research on 18th century hairstyles and wigs when doing this painting and let me tell you, they were nasty business! This is one look I wont be trying out ;) but they were fun to paint!

And so. Here's to new beginnings and trying again. At this time of year I always get to thinking of changes I want to make for the next year, and trying to refocus. This coming year I want to be more organized and more devoted to creating better meals for my family. I think my biggest problem is not being prepared in that department and so I'm going to try and become one of those meal planning people who have new fangled ideas like, uh, grocery lists!

In the last few months I have also lost 15 pounds and I'm ready to keep at it. I want to keep up my exercises and develop a healthier way of living that I can keep up for the longterm. The weight I have lost was just the result of being a little more conscious of what I was eating and finding more time to exercise. Nothing really drastic. Because I can't do drastic!

And so with that....I am on my way to the grocery store! And I need to prepare a new indoor home for the rabbits. Things finally feel like they're on the upswing again. And I'm very glad of it!~

Til next time...

H

Really truly published!

I'm not even positive about when this project started. Was it two years ago? However long its been, its made the anticipation just that much sweeter. I am now really truly published--- in a book! Available now, you can some of my art as well as art by other fabulous and talented artists such as Danita, Noodle and Lou, Ruth Rae and Sandy Mastroni. I am so happy to finally be able to share this with you:

My main project in the book was part of a quilt square making project. The whole premise of the book is fun art projects that you sew and swap with friends. I was asked to make a quilt square and incorporate a rusting technique in my creation. I found out that rusting things can be a fun and gritty project and was pleased with how my rusty little square turned out! I named my piece "Rusted Remembrance" and it features one of my favorite paintings, Celestine.
In the book, you're given step-by-step instruction on how to make your own piece. Honestly, you wouldnt even need to do this in a swap format. Many of these projects, while suggested as a swap, would be equally fun to do just on your own. There's a section about fabric jewelry which I love to bits--- and I really want to try them myself! The photography in this book is stunning and every thing is so crisp and well formatted and written. I really couldn't be happier to be part of this! How many times as a little girl did I dream of having my art in a book? And now its real and true :)

Another piece I did was a fabric painting swap that was created around the phrase "she said..." each artist incorporated text that began with these two words. My painting, on the far right, declares: "she said her heart was in the garden."

You can purchase the book now on Amazon, and so far its got great reviews! A big thanks too to Chrissie for thinking of me and including me in this book with so many artists that I myself admire.

Now what will I make first? hmmm......