"Seasons of the Witch"

Must share the latest original, listed on Etsy just moments ago....

 The Wheel of the year, the cycle of nature, one season merging gently into the next. Such a blessing to paint, especially after a week of such loss. A reminder of  the cycle of life, the turn of the wheel, the seasons of the year and the seasons of our lives. I hope it brings many blessings and a touch of *magic* to its new home. :)

UPDATE ~ SOLD

I'll be enjoying Mother Nature's blessings quite soon myself, as I spend the long weekend with a group of dear women friends, at a cabin in one of Pennsylvania's beautiful state parks. Soooooooo looking forward to the break, and to returning refreshed and renewed.

So I'll be back again next week with more new work. Until then, thanks for visiting, and wishing all my friends here in the US a happy and restful Memorial Day weekend!

♥ Carolee

Saying Goodbye

It's never easy. No matter how many times we experience the loss of a beloved companion, it still hurts like hell. We know the day will eventually come, we try to steel ourselves, we think we're prepared...but when the time arrives, it just tears us apart.

As it did this past week with our sweet, sweet Aussie girl, Cadie. Also known as Cadie-Bear. Or sometimes just Bear-Bear...

Isn't she beautiful? The happiest, most blissful dog I've ever known, and I've known many. The world was Cadie's best friend, and she couldn't conceive of even the smallest unhappiness. On the rare occasions we raised our voices to her (usually for sneaking cat food) she would just wiggle her backside off, wagging her stubby little tail, and giving us that big Aussie smile, as if to say "Yeah, I know, but aren't I cute? Don't you just LOVE me?!"

And we did. So very much.

We adopted her at age 4 and she was with us for 9 wonderful years. It was a blessing that the passage of time between the first symptoms of illness, through two vet visits, one ultrasound and her gently assisted passing, was a total of only five days. So we take comfort in believing her suffering was minimal, and that we did the right thing in helping her cross the Bridge.

Her crazy little brother Cosmo is still with us. A bit confused, and overprotective as always, but we'll get through this together...

And whether dogs or cats, we know we'll walk this path again and again. Because despite the pain and loss, we can't imagine life without these companions. Because we know the love they give us, and the love they inspire, makes the eventual loss more bearable.

♥ Carolee
(Photos 2 and 3 by Jennifer MacNeill)

Owls and Ravens and Cats, Oh My!

I've been busily painting trinket boxes this week, and since I was able to do multiple boxes in one go, I decided to pass a little of the savings on, and make these a wee bit more accessible....

As of posting this (not long after listing), the ravens and cat have sold, but the barn owls are still available in the Etsy shop, and at about $20 less than the usual price for these boxes. :)

I do hope they find good homes, and in the meantime, there's a new recipe box in the works!

Until next time,
♥ Carolee

"There's No Place Like Home"

Acrylic on a wood tray, with touches of sparkle...

Now available in the Etsy shop. :)

♥ Carolee

EHAG Emporium Peek, and a Wee Mouse....

Didn't think I'd be back so soon, did you? ;)

Just thought I'd pop in to share tomorrow night's EHAG Emporium offering, a fireplace (or kitty privacy) screen, titled "Trick or Treat!"...

Inspired by childhood Halloweens where we'd set out at twilight, treat buckets in hand, this original, one of a kind piece measures a full 44" from one end to the other, and is 22" tall. We have one of these screens around our cat's food dishes, and the dogs are afraid it will fall, so they stay away, hehe. It would also make a pretty cool backdrop for a display of Halloween figures or houses and such. ;)

As always, it will be available on a first-come basis once the Emporium updates at 9PM eastern, on the last day of the month (tomorrow as I write this), by emailing me at carolee@kingofmice.com. It will be $285, with shipping which will vary by location.

There's also still one original in the Etsy shop looking for a home too, a wee mousie box, in acrylic on bentwood. I think it would be adorable filled with Halloween candy...

Off to work on more goodies now....Thanks as always for taking a peek, and I'll be back very soon!!

♥ Carolee

A Bit of *Magic* and Halloween Whimsy!

I've been completely immersed in Halloween the last few days, and have finally managed to add a few pieces to the Etsy shop. (UPDATE ~ Just one left now). Such a joy to paint these, and I can't wait to see where they'll be traveling! They're available as always on a first-come basis

There's an owl....

And some crows, with an old, English divination rhyme  for counting crows or magpies lettered around the edge...

.And an adorable little mouse witch, sharing her Halloween candy...

And a witch conversing with the Woman in the Moon....

There are a few more as well, but they'll be traveling with me to the Ghoultide Gathering in September (maybe you can see them in person!?) I do hope so. The show is just about five months away now, and I'm giddy with excitement - not only about showing my work and seeing old friends, but about meeting new friends and collectors. My absolute, favorite weekend of the year - truly *magical*! :)

That's about it for now. I'll be back very soon with a new "Oz" inspired piece, titled "There's No Place Like Home"...

Oh, and I've been having great fun sharing photos on Facebook of some of these pieces as they progress, so if you're there, please do find and "like" my page (under "King of Mice Studios") for updates.

Thanks as always for visiting, and please do leave a comment if you're so inclined. Makes me feel like there's someone out there, hehe...

♥ Carolee

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"Malice in Wonderland"

Two weeks since I last posted here....

And if you thought I'd fallen down the rabbit hole, you'd be right. ;)

Between commission work (which I'm soooooo behind on, but finally beginning to see a little light at the end of the tunnel), household obligations, and this newest piece, I've barely had time to come up for air! I did finally finish this one last night, but was so pleased with the entire process, I actually began work on one more with the same "Malice" theme. Sort of an Alice in Wonderland meets Halloween thing...

Fun, yes? (More pics among the "sold" items in the Etsy shop.)

This particular piece has already been claimed, but as I mentioned, there's another in the works, which will travel with me to the Ghoultide Gathering. ;)

In other news, the love of my life and self appointed Mice President continues to improve after last month's hospital stay, and the results of last weeks CAT scan show nothing amiss in the lungs other than a little residual inflammation. Big relief.

And work continues in the studio for both Ghoultide and Etsy, with four new, oval, bentwood boxes available in the next couple of days, and a "Oz" inspired tea tray coming soon. No definite direction for the boxes yet, but I'm thinking a mouse, a crow, an owl, and who knows what else, hehe...

That's about it for now. I'll be back with more very soon.

As always, thanks for visiting, and thanks for taking a peek at my work!

♥ Carolee