Have you seen my fun little Halloween designs? They are not exactly spooky but they do bring the smile factor. I love the saying with the Bewitched Garden Angel… trick or tree?

and last but not least, this year’s design…

All of the designs shown below are available on greeting cards, linen guest towels, linen cocktail napkins, lavender sachets and 5 x 7 giclee prints. Click here to order! Which one is your favorite?

But, of course! I have just completed an order of notecards, linen guest towels, sachets and beautiful pillows for the Newport Restoration Foundation featuring what else but three topiary camels.  I am very fortunate to be able to work with some wonderful organizations like the Restoration Foundation.

I was approached to do a design featuring the topiary camels (shown at top) on Doris Duke’s estate Rough Point in Newport, Rhode Island. The topiaries appear to be iron frames planted with soil, moss and various succulents.  They are replanted annually and “dressed” according to the theme of the awards presentation at Rough Point. They have even been known to wear pearls!

Shown above is a completed pillow and the coordinating notecards available for purchase through the Restoration Foundation. The accompanying information provided by the organization reads: The purchase of the items mentioned above will support preservation efforts organized by grants through the Newport Restoration Foundation in Newport, R.I. Along with funds raised at the annual Doris Duke Historic Preservation Awards celebration, this income assists community renewal projects such as brick and mortar restorations, garden revitalizations and planning seminars. Ms Duke’s adored camels, which lived at Rough Point, her home in Newport, have been reproduced in topiary form on the property. Each year they are appropriately accessorized for the awards presentation at Rough Point.

For more information on the Newport Restoration Foundation founded by Doris Duke please visit their website newportrestoration.org

I do love dogs… and furniture! Can you tell? I could be getting a teensy bit carried away. My latest cutie-pie model is Stella a Boston Terrier. Doesn’t she look perfectly at home on this French style topiary chaise? She is the little Darling of my lovely and talented friend- artist/designer Shelly Kennedy of Drooz Studio. Have you seen Shelly’s work? Shown below is one of her canvas wall hangings. Delightful, Whimsical, Painterly… Love It! Be sure to check out her website- you too will adore her artwork!

The Boston Terrier design will soon be available at michellemasters.com in limited edition giclee prints, pillows, linen guest towels, lavender sachets, cocktail napkins and notecards. What a nice little gift for someone you know who has one! Justsayin… ; )

Ooo, la, la! Here’s tiny sneak peak into some other things that have been going on around here! The theme for the Philadelphia Flower Show 2011 is “Springtime in Paris” and I am having so much fun getting ideas, patterns and fabrics pulled together for some new pillows and products to share!

Here are a couple new pillow designs featuring the Country French Animals, Fleur de Lis and a vintage photo of the Eiffel Tower. Love those contrasting textures and patterns! They are even reverseable.

And wine bottle bags… which is your preference? Burlap or silk? Seriously… I’m dying to know!

I love the Clothesline Festival. I remember walking the show years ago when I was in college at RIT and being so impressed with the work that I saw. This will be my 13th year of doing the show. The first year I was thrilled to be one of the Merit Award winners- it was just the encouragement that I needed at that time to continue with my painting.

The show is on the grounds of the Memorial Art Gallery in downtown Rochester. The gallery is open to the public during the show upon paying the entrance fee. One of the perks of winning the Merit Award is that you can choose to move to a different (more visible) location in the festival. For the past 12 years I have loved my location, my neighbors, my shade tree and knowing that my customers know where to find me. This year there is a proposed sculpture park that has caused all of the vendors in my section to be relocated to the back of the gallery. I’m kinda bummed to say the least.

#127-  is my new booth number. It’s in the nose bleed section. Please take the time to find me if you are attending the show.  I have lots of new work this year. Shown above is a painting that I just finished last night. I love the abstract quality of it. I took many photos this year at the Walnut Hill Carriage Competition in Pittsford- this is the first of many paintings in a series.

Of course there will also be new topiary designs! See you there!

Bound by Steel & Water

Miraculous Miss

Composition of Blown Glass

River Basin  at Taughannock Falls, Ithaca, NY

The above matted paintings will soon be available on my website under the Fine Art heading. Each painting is double matted with 1/2 in. reveal in 100% rag archival matting with archival foamcore backing. The pricing will go up once the pieces are framed for the upcoming Clothesline Festival Sept 11th & 12th. For more information please call 888.313.0239.

I was so happy with my first tomato this summer that I had to document it!  Isn’t it a beauty? I must say that it was delicious and I’ve eaten a tomato and basil sandwich EVERY day since they’ve ripened. Yum.

I am very inexperienced with fruit trees and have no desire to spray them. To my surprise one of the two apple trees that I planted last year was ladened with apples! Some of them have some scab (I’ll save those for the horses) but many of them are lovely. A friend whose father has had fruit orchards for many years has stopped spraying his trees and I am very encouraged that perhaps I will be able to forgo treating them chemically. My theory in the garden is to plant more than I need knowing that some veggies/fruits will succumb to pest. In the end there is plenty for our family, friends and extended family – no chemical treatments necessary. I have finally gotten used to knocking off bugs/slugs into soapy water… I suppose there are worse ways to go! Still gives me the major Willies. What are some of your favorite garden treatments?

Oops! This post went from artwork to gardening in no time flat! It often happens around here. More art and less gardening coming soon! : )

Finally. A break in activities and in orders going out. I’ve been so anxious to paint again… not just topiaries. Now I realize there is a huge backlog of images that I want to work on. I’m completely overwhelmed. I want to start 6 paintings all at once and work for 3 days straight. Probably not so practical considering dinner has to be cooked and there is a lacrosse game tonight and I have other custom work to do. Its challenging finding a balance- as many of you know! But, today I am rejoicing. Honestly because I’ve been a little scared. Writer’s block only with paints. There is always fear that the talent won’t be there anymore when you have been away too long from your craft. Luckily my illustration keeps me in it to some degree. I’ve been nervous about starting again. I have a show in September wherein I need many new paintings- August used to be my painting month to prepare. Its been ages since I’ve painted for painting’s sake.

I paint to discover and to research my subject. I find beauty in the most mundane of objects. I photograph many scenes, landscapes, items that I want to study further with the hopes of returning to my studio and becoming of student of learning and seeing again. I have years of photos built up, years of experiences that I haven’t been able to process thru painting. Thankfully my topiary designs whether of whales or realistic dogs on topiary furniture keep me squirting paint from tubes but I always long to paint on a larger scale in a more expressive way. The topiary designs make he happy and brighten my day. I KNOW that sounds corny but I’m captivated by their simplicity. If you have ever enjoyed one of them, I have a million times more and I’m so thankful.

This little study… it’s not the best. It’s not the worst. It’s the only thing I didn’t tear up and discard. In it I see promise. That I haven’t lost everything. Perhaps that I can step aside and just enjoy painting without illustrating. That is a whole other topic I know. Anyway… stay tuned. I’m inspired and I feel like its going to be a very productive August in so many ways. I can’t wait to be a student again!

Splish, splash and they are finally done. I hope the folks at the whale museum in Bar Harbor, ME will like the designs. Notecards and gift items with these designs should be a hit with their whale loving customers. Which one do you prefer? I love the flowers in the spout of the first design and I am crazy about the lead planter of the other one. I may have to do a ship/boat in that planter too. On paper the possibilities are endless. : )