Photos and no words

This will be a photo report, since I hardly have time to write properly. So here it goes. This is our life as it is today and a few new pieces listed on Etsy.

Another week has started

Weeks fly by. They truly do. I still have 5 more weeks before the baby is due, and am trying to make the most out of it. My newly discovered passion--painting with glass paint is developing into an obsession. Last night I was baking an oven full of cups:) Good thing they have places to go, otherwise my house would be filled with painted cups rather soon.

Anna and Andrei are keeping themselves busy and happy (and I am very thankful for that). Even the cats are at peace with life and each other. Here are a few glimpses into our Monday morning .

A few little odds and splashes

Hello there! Whoever is still with me after such a long break;)
There has been a lot going on with me recently, and hopefully soon I will be ready to share my story with you, but I am not quiet there yet. So bare with me if you will.
I have only a few new paintings to share, but I try to keep them coming at least a bit at a time. Stopping completely is a disaster, so I try to paint at least a tiny bit each day.
Summer is here, we are finishing yet another year of homeschooling. Andrei will be in 3d grade next year and Anna will be in Kindergarden or in 1st grade (I have not decided yet).
Here a the few I have created recently.

My favorite flowers

I got myself some flowers yesterday, I thought I knew what they were called, but apparently I don't since google search shows something very different when I type in the name. These are my favorite flowers. I really like how they bend down,sort of like swan necks:) The cats liked them too. It seems like they do not only look good, but also taste good. Alas, the cats will have to be content with their cat food.

This will be the season of cats

I have gone through a period of foxes, rabbits, hedgehogs and now it's cats. Not sure what makes me think of these particular animals , especially not sure what makes the difference in the order in which they appear.
But..Cats are bringing spring to our home. Cats are feeling jumpy and more active, and we humans follow.A few new cats...
(PS. I will be watermarking all my images from now on, and will be also redoing the website to include the images with a watermark. I have had a few unpleasant insidents of stealing lately and that makes me finally overcome the lazyness and add watermarks to all the photos I will be posting)

Blue and Red or the Give Away results

This week promises to be a busy one. Lots of new ACEOs and a few new felted animals created over the weekend are added to my shop. Also on Monday morning I posted the results of my giveaway held on Facebook. The winner is Kathrin D. and she will be receiving the 3 Foxes (see below)

And here are a few more new critters.

A few new originals

A cozy home for a fox family with a few hand knitted scarfs, and a little girl skiing in the snow. All waiting for spring.

Keeping Busy

I am busy working on a couple of custom orders , felting here and there and homeschooling. This winter has been very productive so far, since we do not spend too much time outside (it's soooo cold there!) The kids are busy building their own little worlds for the toy animals. The Moomins with their ship are a big hit and it started a whole new cycle of games. I am happy to observe them building, cooking and sowing. The games are lasting days at a time and I feel very glad that I ordered this Moomin ship all the way from Finland.

Winter Apples and Holiday Foxes

2 new ACEOs in my Etsy shop now.(above)

Still being inspired by Chihiro Iwasaki.(below)

New Inspiration Chihiro Iwasaki

I found a wonderful book. In Japanese. Not a single word of English in it....It is some woman Artist that does the most wonderful watercolors. I have scanned in her portrait and a few images from her book (may be someone who knows Japanese can tell meher name?) To make a long story short--I loved what I saw in that book. The gentleness, the softness, the magical transparancy and the delicacy with which she paints children is amazing! Children are hard to paint without falling into one of thestereotypical cliches of "cuteness". Her work is full of life and light.Below are a few watercolors I painted afterlooking through the book. I am so inspired!

Where is our snow?

Any ideas?

I am waiting for it...

Little by little

Little pieces of Art little by little taking over my head , hands and table. While working on a big custom order I find it very helpful to create little pieces , so I do not get bored with the big one and I can let my wintery creatures out.

All listed on Etsy.

I feel winter coming

The air is getting colder, the wind is getting stronger. It is becoming harder and harder to convince to sit for hours at the playground. The benches are freezing! And I am feeling the wintery feeling coming. The feeling that makes a hot cup of tea extra desirable, and the warm pair of shoes a must. My wintery creatures are coming out of their summer hiding. These and more coming in my Etsy shop.

IF: Atmosphere Window to Paris

My yesterdays ACEO goes surprisingly well with todays IF topic Atmosphere.
It must be in the blood, almost every Russian has a longing to go to Paris. I've never been so far, but one can always dream.

Horses and Stars

The Horses where a major inspiration during our trip to Jordanville (Upstate NY). We got to take some horseback riding lessons, and the kids got to spend some time communicating with the horses. Anna especially loved talking to one horse named Lady.

As for the stars, it's inspired by my recent rereading of the Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian book.

Snug and Tight Together

As you can see my Art activity has slowed down A LOT lately. All I can show as for my latest achievements are these two hedges and a bunch of sketches, that might or might not turn into something "real"
Is anyone else going through a slow period?

Did I invent these?

Well, probably I did not, but it felt like I did. (click to see larger images)
I started using those with my daughter, and then I printed out and laminated some more and used them in my Art lessons for 3-4 year old kids. And now finally I am ready to show them to the world:)

Here they are, my traceble animals. Will put them in my Etsy shop after posting here. What I do with them is I let the kid trace the easy shape of the animals head, and then let them draw the middle, body or whatever else they feel like drawing. I find that having a countour of the head the kids have more confidence to finish the drawing, while having a freedom of their own drawing.