Frida Kahlo ACEO Portraits

Flowers are a woman's best friend.

 Frida thinks that and 

her hair is the best place to 

display them.   

In this little aceo mixed media painting

Frida picks some for herself and some for you

and left some for the birds to dance on.

We are getting a good scrubbing of wind and rain

from Hurricane Sandy.  Sandy please settle down!

The good thing is we are getting family time inside!

More about painting here. 

Dreamy White Diningroom

Simplify and beautify with whites.  This buffet table usually looks like a flea market table in my diningroom, but I took everything off and only put back on the silver tea set and a tureen. I like it so much better as it looks dansk/norsk and so calming because it's uncluttered. I am trying to simplify. I have a burlap tablecloth on for now. The texture adds some rustic texture. The vintage silver tea set makes it my Downton Abby corner.

About this time an idea came to change it around every week and photograph this wall. What do you think? Am I crazy? It would be a good design challenge. Shabby chic whites!

Connecting up with Faded Charm Cottage
 French Country Cottage
 Romantic Home

 Ivy and Elephants

Paper Dolls Winter Whites

Winter Whites

brighten the room

even if they are small

I made this wee paper doll girl today holding hyacinths.

What better "doll stand" than a bird nest!

She is also keeping the new/old white deer company

I got these for 48 cents and think they are sweet for winter.

The silver plate tray might be made into a chalkboard

since it has rust spots but then again that adds a rustic

quality. Maybe I should just fill the tray with candles?

Linking with White Wednesday.

Pink Roses - White Picket Fence

Two nights of 18 degrees and I'm dreaming of spring. Isn't this photograph a dream? A dream to have and keep. Not many would mix this acid green with soft pink but it looks great with the blues and white. This repetitive planting makes the garden formal even though the picket fence is country. This is my kind of garden. Another favorite is formal lines but with lots of floppy flowers and shrubs.

I can only give photo credit to pinterest and I would love to know where this garden is and to see the rest of the planting combinations.

Surrealism & Frida Kahlo Art

A new painting/illustration of Frida Kahlo. Her self portraits were so severe sometimes that I like to paint her in a fun light showing her sense of humor and her love of animals and birds. This one is titled MY CAGE.

Westie Pet Portrait and Boy ACEO painting - Summer Woohoo

JUMP FOR SUMMER


Summer is leaping and running with your westie dog. Sir Salty needs a trim as he looks a bit like a beardie or sheepdog (okay, a miniature one). He is always a flutter of activity and runs with his nose high in the air when he is racing us.

I guess he knows he is going to win and he rarely, if ever, looks back.

But if we sit down he always races back to check on us. Like he thinks he will find a bundle of treats that have fell out of our pockets. I think it's because the only time we really sit on the grass is when we are having a picnic or playing with him.

Aceo original painting is available on etsy.

Westie Dog Valentine Clothes

We've been having fun around here. Snow seems to put everyone in a laughing, playful mood. The only thing that dampens that spirit is snow in your boots. Your ears can be cold, and your nose, but when your feet get cold it's time to go inside.

Snow is one of those challenging things to paint. I look out the window and am amazed at how the colors change from clouds zipping overhead. The other morning it was 10 degrees here and the playful mood was a bit slower waking up. Even Sir Salty had to just sit a bit and take it all in then he was off to look around. He loves it when it is snowing. I do believe he thinks it's bird feathers falling. He races around searching as if searching for a bird in the snow.

I see the trees lined along the town roads with squirrels nests high above all of the homes. They are all tucked up inside those swinging, leaf baskets warm and cozy. A squirrel must have written the lyrics to rock-a-bye-baby-on-a-tree-top.

Back to Valentine's Day...They have fun party glasses for every occasion and this westie has hers on and just needs a party to go to. This is an oil aceo that I listed on ebay.

Let the party begin!

Bunny Rabbit Doll Folk Art

Bunny has slippers that look like Easter peeps marshmallows. This new little rabbit is about as sweet as you can get without any sugar.

One might be surprised at how long each clay doll takes to make. I make them without molds and I shape them with my hands over a wood and foam base that I have assembled first. This makes for a good, sturdy clay rabbit. It takes a day or more to dry. Then I gesso it, paint it, antique it and varnish it. By that time Bunny and I have shared many conversations about life and know alot about each other! Thus the big ears. They are good listeners and all the while Bunny is as pleased as punch about the pink slippers and is not moved by any of my stories.

Life is good. Especially when cute shoes are involved.

Frida Kahlo Snowman Sculpture Snow Art Painting

Frida Kahlo loved animals and birds like we do. A little girl made a Frida Kahlo Snowman or Snow Girl. She used shiny river rocks for her eyes and sticks for eyebrows and liner, a cranberry mouth (so cute) and she used some cranberry juice for her cheeks and a carrot for her nose. An apple for a red flower and she made Frida as a Tree! (You would remember I had started Frida as Tree series of paintings and I wanted to add some new ones.) The little girl is in my head and
is me as I haven't completely grown up.

Frida Snow Sculpture is also a great bird feeder and the wee girl has put apples on her "branches" for food and places for weary birds to rest. The blue birds love it.

We've only had spits of snow flurries every day. I can't wait for snow to try some snow sculptures!

Painting is 4 by 4-inches and for sale on etsy.

Scandinavian Mixed Media Westie Scottie Paintings

These colors are so soft and sweet like new fallen snow. I lightened up in my colors in these two mixed media originals and I feel like I am in Europe with the brightest lights and soft pastels. But I'm really here in Maryland at 44 degrees and no snow on the ground...yet! See the westie racing down the hill. That is exactly what our westie does when our son sleds. They have energy and then some. Both little boys and westies.




I put westie's cousin, Scottie, in this painting. A sweetheart. Karina is ice skating in Sweden! We are going around the globe here. Both of these will be on ebay for sale. 5 by 7 inches each and on stretched canvas with collage papers and acrylic paint. Pink colors are so restful and calm.

Frida Kahlo Black Boot Club Art

Frida always wore black boots and found some other friends who did too. These red foxes became friends and started the Black Boot Dance Club. Look around you for your friends. When you were little didn't you and your brothers and sisters or some neighbor kids have a few clubs going? The Make it Yourself Club, the Stitching Club, and I forget some of the other ones. It didn't matter if it was 4 members or 2 members it was still fun!

I painted this one with the fall colors around me. I've noticed that even on cloudy days the fields are still radiant color like they are glowing from within!

Black Boots Club is up on ebay for sale with free shipping in the us. Details here.

Original Frida Kahlo Painting by Candylei

Making Room

Frida Kahlo's two cats are very creative. One empties out the clothespins to make room for the two of them. Cozy cats. The cozier the better. Here all of this time Frida Kahlo thought it was the birds emptying them out. (Birds would probably fill it up with their 'junking' treasures, I believe. We have birds that are trying to fill up all of our chimneys one stick at a time.) Cats are curious and cats are clever.


Original painting for sale on ebay.

Frida Kahlo Birthday Dolls-Portraits

I am offering one of a kind Frida Kahlo Birthday Dolls this week to honor Frida's birthday today, July 6th!

Each one is handcrafted, handpainted and signed by myself. Frida stands upright by herself. Like most artists we craft what we like so it's hard to part with these dolls, but I know they will go to other art lovers.

To think, on this date today, her mother held her in her arms for the first time 103 years ago.

Cupcakes Toadstools Alice in Wonderland Painting

Painting titled: UNDERCOVER

Posing as toadstools

these two cupcake kids

are hiding from

the Queen of Hearts.

Do you think she will spy them?

They are crafty and have

used their cupcake wrappers

as toadstool hats.

Yes, there is no end to the creativity

of these cupcake people.

They are very good

at artistically recycling

cupcake wrappers.

I used to dream

of opening a

gourmet cupcake shop,

but for now

I will be happy painting

and not getting up

at 4am to bake cupcakes!

Please check back

for the rest

of the cupcake gang!

For sale on ebay.

Flower Frida Kahlo Candylei Art Painting

Blooming Frida painting

Frida starting to arise out of the bud.

How do flowers unfurl so perfectly from a small bud? Talk about vaccum sealed. They are packaged by nature in a way I wish I could pack my suitcase...and to take things out wrinkle-free like the flower petals. Tell me how to do it; please? The answer I believe is life..it is the flow and energy that enables flowers to overcome obstacles and be spectacular in their place. Life causes each petal to work together.

Is there life in my paintings?... the ebb and flow of a story to be told...an understanding feeling or emotion...a wish or a dream...We all keep dreams alive.

For sale here.

Frida Kahlo Burning Heart Folk Art

"Love Leads the Way"

Love is like a flaming light that shows us the way when we are uncertain. Frida is always beautiful with her flowers and cat. How does she manage to always look great? This is the second large painting I'm offering of Frida Kahlo. It's an inspirational one that would look great in your office or home. Kitty with paws curled in front looks like he/she is praying. I think that every time I see our cats with their paws folded just so. The painting measures a large 16 x 20 inches and makes a colorful statement.

I looked at lots of sedum plants (Autumn Joy and others) today and if you are familiar with them they are a beautiful blue and green depending on the lighting. They are about the same colors as agave plants. This is the color I carried around today even into this painting.
Up for sale on ebay with a low start price for a large painting.

Island Surf Hula Girl Cat Original Cupcake Art

Another great cupcake cutie on the island shores. This hula girl wears her cupcake wrapper so appropriately as a hula skirt. Now we all know what to do with the green cupcake wrappers. If only they fit!

Do you see the cat lounging there so comfortably? That is how our siamese cat spends most of her day on the chair...half sitting half lying down and that is not a half truth. That is exactly her.

Also can you see the tradewinds in the sky on the left? They keep everyone cool and comfortable and bring the wonderful scent of the flowers around the islands in a circle of fragrance. Mmmm.

I ventured out into a few background colors on this one because it's the weekend. Who can stay calm and cool and collected on the weekends?

For sale on ebay.

Boy Meets Girl and they Fall in Love

I think you could find many different verbs to describe all the emotions of falling in love. And they are all opposites of each other! Worried-Happy, etc. etc. etc......Think roller coaster. That describes this sweet painting titled "Lovesick". They give each other Valentines cards and here they got each other the very same card! She's amused and he hasn't even noticed yet as he's worried if she'll like the card. He is from New York City...dressed in all black.

Little chihuahua wears his heart sweater looking for love.

As for colors....you can see I went back to my light mossy green. I think it makes a soft background color. I look at out walls and they are all the same colors, but the shadows fall and with the lightshades make about 10 different colors in the room...except they all come from the same color. I try to remember when I paint that nothing is going to be the same flat color! Light affects all areas.

I am trying to make some small paintings that have a hint of valentines in them. Up for sale on ebay now.

ACEO Folk Art Mexican Chihuahua Dog

Aceo's are a wonderful size to play with designs, doodles and the serious stuff. They are small little treasures that like company. Aceo's can be put on a mat board and then framed by itself or in groups. They are usually less expensive than larger paintings. Usually...is the key word here. I have seen some go for over $100. on ebay auctions.

This terracotta color really appeals to me lately. Old Mexico colors. Frida's spanish coloring looks great against it. How can you paint Frida without some of her animal or bird friends in it? In fact two chihuahua's. This is my very first Frida ACEO up for sale!

The artist cards are very heavy and linen textured...the best. Can you see some of the texture in the photograph...just like a canvas painting. Yay!

Mixed Media collage Folk Art

Second day of daily painting assignment. Nearing midnight on this Christmas Day but I did not want to fail and here is my painting. I do love collages and cutting up papers and recycling into ART. The cutest kids are in this one. Write about love...and the boy makes a hat out of his paper while the girls hold theirs proudly in front like banners...(or are they shielding their hearts?) This I did with valentine's day in mind. I used the colors of the heart candies that kids give away in elementary school. Green, pink, orange, and white.

We had a wonderful Christmas Day and I hope yours was enjoyed as well. We are full, warm, happy, and now tired. Merry Christmas.