Happy New Year!!!

Wishing you smiles, sunshine, heath, and happiness in the New Year!

-Nichole

Finding Sweet Moments in Historical Alexandria, Virginia

This week my "spare-ent", Jan, is visiting me from California.  From the minute she landed to the moment we open our eyes in the morning we are constantly on the go.  Living in Alexandria, Virginia, just 15 minutes outside of D.C., there's lots to do and see.


Today we ventured out to Old Town Alexandria.  The heart of downtown and a hub of activity and history preceding the American Revolution and the Civil War.  The architecture here is very sweet and filled with whisperings of times I'll only ever read about.  But still, just to be in the midst of buildings that have seen so many changes and historical marks of U.S. history makes me sigh.


Here are a few pictures of today's outing...

Tibetan Folk Art

I was in a local coffee shop this morning before my regular jaunt to the grocery store.  Yep.  I'm that exciting.  Anyway, while I was waiting in line, I saw the headlines to the New York Times (see article here: Tibetan Culture Serves Chinese Political Goals).  It is a sad situation over there and I can't help but feel disheartened by the current state of affairs for those in Tibet.  After I read the article (and ordered my coffee), I began studying the brightly colored costumes the dancers were wearing in the photograph.  The colors were so vibrant that it inspired me to start researching Tibetan folk art when I got home.

Here are some of the images and magnificent works of art I found.

All of the visual treasures I found inspired me to begin a series of animals from the Tibetan region with motifs and colors found in the artwork of Tibet.

Here is the beginnings of my first painting which starts off with a series of rough sketches

and tons of erasing and adjusting until I feel like it's ready for the next phase.

Take a look and let me know what you think.  I would love to hear your ideas and thoughts.

I'm thinking that if the series is successful, perhaps funds raised from their purchase can go to

a "Friends of Tibet" organization to help promote awareness and public outreach.

Make Way For Art...

After spending seven years in an apartment in Washington, D.C. with my husband, I developed a keen awareness of space, or lack of space, to create my artwork.

If my desk was full of papers from work, I would travel to the dining room table.  If my husband was working there, I would try his desk. If his desk was piled high with his books, then I would work at the coffee table.

In any of these scenarios, space to place my artwork to try was a constant issue.  Where do you place twenty-five to fifty cards that are drying anyway?

In comes BOON!  Yes, I said BOON.

A funny name for a funny tool I know.  

Here is what it looks like: 

But do you see what it's doing here?  Amazing isn't it?  Oh the simple things in life and what pleasure they can bring!!!  I found this little guy online, but I've seen them in places like the Container Store and even Crate and Barrel.  They're meant for drying baby bottles and all the little odds and ends that go with it.  The prongs (those bright green things) are fairly stiff with a little give for standing bottles straight up in.  As you can see from my photos, I have other ideas in mind.

I have the medium sized Boon Lawn Drying Rack, but they come in smaller and larger sizes. The great thing about these things is that they take up little space when you are not using it.  When you are in the mood to make, they can hold all sorts of odd objects.  I've used this to hold up to seventy-five printed cards I needed to dry.  

In these photos, it is holding up some wooden ovals I put gesso onto.

When you're done with it, simply store it away.  You can lay it flat or stand it sideways like a book.

If it is dirty, you can take the "grass" out and place it along with the white tray into the dishwasher.

It's a no-mess, easy way to dry any artwork you are working on.  

Here is the link if you are interested:

http://www.amazon.com/Boon-Grass-Countertop-Drying-Green

I promise, I'm not getting paid for this rant.  

If you do decide to try it out, let me know how you like it.  I'd love to hear your ideas for how you might use it for your creations.

Easy Christmas Decor

So... about those candy forms I created waaaaayyyy back in October?  

Yes these ones.

Well truth be told, I didn't get around to making them into candy decorations for Halloween.  

BUT! I did make them into festive holiday candies (minus the calories) for Christmas.  

I have this adorable Rudolph planter from the 50's that I picked up last year at the Dulles Expo Center  Antique Fair.   I didn't have a poinsettia plant to put into it and had the thought of putting some candy inside.  The only dilemma is that I am trying sooooo hard to be good and cut back on the sweets.  

This is when I realized I had those candy forms from October still waiting to be turned into something cool.

I pulled out my gesso, acrylic paint, super fine glitter, glitter-glue, and metallic ink and got to work.

Here they are and I'm smitten.  They are a perfect "filler" for Rudolph's sleigh and I don't have to worry about the temptation of the added holiday treats sitting around.

Cute Circus Owl Ready for the Fall Festivities

This is Toot the Owl.  No more wooded forest for him.  He ran off to the circus and saw his first elephant and a rather small mongoose.  He also had his first taste of cotton candy.  Quite delectable on the palate he thought.  Upon meeting the ring master, he was hired immediately for his unexpected talent for playing the pipe organ.  Now this cute little circus owl enjoys late evenings with bewildering sites played to the tune of familiar melodies you heard when you were a child off to the big tent.

You can find him in my shop, waiting to visit you at: www.etsy.com/shop/wildhearthistories

Halloween at Play!

With the new house, I get to think of all the new decorations I can create and put up! This year I am using model magic, wood putty, gesso, and acrylic paint to create some whimsical friends and maybe a candy streamer or two! The candies I'm making are all shaped and formed- I'm just waiting for the Clay to dry so that I can begin painting. Once that is done then I can go ahead and seal all of my creations with clear-coat sealant and then assembly begins.

Fall is Calling

The Dust Has Settled... For Now..

Hi Friends! I am happy to share that my Summer-long hiatus has come to a close and Steve and I are officially moved in and unpacked.  Well... maybe mostly unpacked would be a better way to put it.
As a new home owner I am quickly learning that nothing is ever completely done.

As queen bee of my new abode I am deciding to be done for awhile.  I'm burnt out on scrubbing tubs, disinfecting countertops, and breaking down multitudes of boxes.  It's time to get back to my art where I find my solace and peace on a daily basis.

Fall and Winter are my busiest times of year for the Wild Heart Histories business as friends begin to place orders for personalized paintings they'd like to gift.  This particular project, a painting of a childhood home, is for a friend of mine who will be celebrating her brother's birthday.  I'm touched that she asked me to create this painting and I'm even more moved by the fact that this house holds a lot of great memories of her and her brother when they were young.

I have a few details I have to iron out, but this is what I have so far!

Where the Heck Have You Been?

Where have I been?  I know!  I've totally fallen off the blog band-wagon.  But truth be told - I have been a very busy bee.  You see - my husband and I have been house hunting (something that has been in the works for years) and how found "THE HOUSE".  So we thought we would put in an offer and to our stunned bliss it is now ours!

It's a sweet 60's rambler nestled in Alexandria, VA.  We bought it from a sweet couple in their 90's who had already retired to Rhode Island and were ready to see the house go to new owners.  It has a wonderfully large kitchen, sun room off of the dining room, a finished basement complete with a large storage room and work room.  Best of all it sits on a nice 1/2 acre parcel which is awesome!  Now I can exercise my green thumb which I'm not even sure I have but what the heck.

I am excited for this new chapter of life to begin and have mentally exhausted myself just thinking of all of the possibilities and to-do's.  I am also my own house stalker.  Yep- I drive by the place all the time just to glimpse it and feel all giddy inside.  I can't wait to move in!!!  More to come and thanks for staying tuned.

Latest Work - All Things Spring

I am currently working on a body of work inspired by Spring.  Here is my latest project.  I've got just a few more details to work out and then I'm done... So excited to share!

Detail 1

Detail 2

Detail 3

Detail 4

Look to the Sky

Just some shots of the sky I've taken over the past few months in my neck of the woods... :)