Love Is In The Air

Here's my first new card design for 2024. I'm calling it 'Love is in the Air'. This bear has the sweetest face and he was a lot of fun to paint. I do realize that he is holding the violin.... not correctly, but perhaps this is how bears hold violins? My apologies to any violin players out there.

It was 'Eggpiphany' here the other day! Our chickens started to lay! We got 2 beautiful blue-green eggs. The grandkids are coming up for the weekend. I can't wait to let them collect the eggs. It's the simple things.

 

A view of January in Maine from across the river.

Welcome 2024

 

Two years in a row we have missed being together for Christmas due to covid. (I will not make that a capital "c" even though my computer wants me to.) With grandchildren under the age of 5, it's tough not being together. We did Facetime. We will get together soon. I'm actually thinking of exchanging a gift before we do. I think a little pullover I got one of the kids is too small. I could just buy this little guy a box of crackers and he'd be content, he's the happiest little soul.

This 'new beginning' time of year is always one of reflection for me. I lost a painting I was working on (stay with me, there's a connection here). I can't stand to lose things, and I'm the 'family finder' when things get lost. Well, I searched my studio from 'top to bottom' and could not find this painting. To be clear, a visual: the painting was a 5" square birch wood panel, 3/4" deep. Not big. But when something is lost in my life, well it was like losing a billboard. This loss inspired a 'deep clean' of my studio, and THAT was the perfect 'new start' to my new year. I think I may start every new year this way. Sighting 'When In Doubt, Throw It Out' as I went, I worked my way through draws, files, boxes, under the couch, etc. Of course I did find the painting. The little booger slipped down behind a stand of drawers. It landed on the wall/floor molding, and so in not reaching the actual floor I didn't see it when I looked under the drawers. Sneaky, very sneaky. (This whole episode has changed my relationship with this painting and I find that fascinating, but now I am truly off topic). I'm happy and my studio is clean. Let this New Year begin!!

Holiday Gifts

Here's a photo blast of my Holiday Gifts. All of these, except the mittens, are available in my Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/GenevieveKeller

I have fun and heartfelt holiday cards, beautiful puzzles, Giclee prints, and a Monarch Butterfly mug. The Monarch Mug shows the metamorphosis of a Monarch Butterfly. 

In my Etsy shop you can also find a Giclee print of this painting.

I have 3 paper cut-out cards now. You can make these yourself, or send them to a special someone and they get to make them.

This is my third, and latest paper cut-out card. A Snow Family!

 

I will have my mittens for sale at the Whitefield Elementary School Craft Fair tomorrow December 2, 2023. 9 - 3.

Camping in Newfoundland

For 3 weeks we went camping and hiking in Newfoundland. It was a fantastic trip! About a third of the time was spent at Gros Morne National Park, a truly remarkable place. Camping out of our Four Wheel Camper (Fleet model) was fun and cozy.  We had very good weather for this trip. The one day it rained hard was also the day we were driving across the province. We did lots of hiking which was great for the dog. We saw puffins, moose, all kinds of birds, and bananas... and more bananas! Someone told me recently that the Irving gas company owns a banana plantation. I have no idea if this is true or not. I can verify that there are bananas for sale everywhere in Newfoundland, and there are a lot of Irving gas stations, thankfully! (the best bathrooms!) Here are some photos.  Note: that dilly hummus was the bomb!

    

Announcement: My Cards are at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens!

I'm super excited to share this news: 6 of my Greeting Card designs are now available at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens! This is such an honor. The gardens are gorgeous and quite comprehensive. It's worth going several times a year just to see what is in bloom. At year end, Gardens Aglow is a 'must see' with thousand of colored lights illuminating the gardens and trees. The Gift Store is a wonder in itself. I did a bit of shopping last week when I dropped off my cards. I got a sunhat with a neck flap for gardening and some very sweet little wooden replicas of the 'Guardians of the Seeds' sculptures.

These are the 6 designs I dropped off. I can't quite figure out how to set these pics side by side on this blog, unless I make them super small.  

I went camping in Michigan in late May and early June. I had never been to Michigan before. It was a fun trip, almost 3,000 miles in our pop-up pick-up camper. Michigan is a beautiful state. Upon my return I jumped into a month long painting project... and... ignored (almost) my gardens. The painting now complete,  I've been a weeding warrior woman trying to get my 3 gardens back into shape. Summer is such a busy time on a small farm. Tomorrow we're getting 4 baby chicks in the mail. 2 Bard Rock and 2 Buff Orpington. These will grow into laying hens. We raised 20 organic meat birds this spring and for the first time we processed them ourselves. Our freezers are full!

Lots of maps are out on the dining room table. If you look closely you will see that they are of Newfoundland. We're planning a trip there in August-September. We'll be in the camper and we'll be taking the dog. Tune back in here in late September to see those pictures! Happy July!