She wished to swing on a rainbow into a sky painted blue, where the stars slept at night and angels flew. And when the sky turned black from day to night, she would dangle from a star like the string on a kite.
What would it be like if her wish did come true, what would it be like, if only she knew.
Ann Clemmons
I'm working on my final draft of a children's manuscript, so I thought I would just write a short post today.
Thank you for stopping by A Nice Place In The Sun and have a spectacular Saturday!
nothing says "retro" like the 80s!
my piece entitled "the rainbow connection"...paying homage to one of my favorite dolls from the 80s...little miss rainbow brite and her beloved pony, starlight.
PRINTS AVAILABLE HERE:
there is nothing sweeter than seeing my work in a nursery. it literally moves me to tears.
and what makes it even more amazing is that moment you really connect with a client and they are kind enough to send you pictures such as these.
truly, nothing sweeter.
PRINTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR BOTH PIECES HERE:
couldn't help but share...like a proud momma, as my painting are my *babies*. :)
finally got around to scanning this little beauty....my homage to my FAVORITE childhood doll, Rainbow Brite. along with her BFF, Starlight, of course. ;)
PRINTS AVAILABLE HERE:
Papa Cardinal tells his chicks a story of how birds gave the world the rainbow in a story that has been passed down through generations.
A Rainbow of Birds by Janet Halfmann is a vibrant story of color that celebrates the tradition of storytelling. In this imaginative idea that capitalizes on legends and the ancient art of storytelling, children find a fanciful and fun story of how birds came together–sometimes after a squabble–to create the world’s first rainbow. In her trademark habit of educating and entertaining, Halfmann has included fun facts about rainbows, the magic of leprechauns, and rainbow activities and crafts.
Artist Jack Foster has truly outdone himself with the vibrant and occasionally zany characters depicted in this story. I always enjoy Foster’s work, but this book is so stunning it warrants special mention. Coupled with Halfmann’s delightful text, I could imagine and almost hear the story taking place through my office window.
Nature lovers, lovers of legends, and those who enjoy books where storytelling plays a role will want to snatch this one up right away.
Highly recommended!
Rating: :) :) :) :) :)
Paperback: 20 pages
Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc; large type edition edition (February 15, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1616334622
ISBN-13: 978-1616334628
I received a free digital copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.
and it was all YELLOW."
...to quote my favorite Coldplay song. oh how i love me some Chris Martin. ok, that's a whole other post for another day....;) although i will say, hey Gwyneth, you never really deserved him anyway. ok, moving on....
painting lots of YELLOW this weekend....from blonde tresses to stars. lots and lots of YELLOW!
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| ©the enchanted easel 2014 |
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| ©the enchanted easel 2014 |
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| ©the enchanted easel 2014 |
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| ©the enchanted easel 2014 |
should have rainbow colored manes. or so i think anyway....;)
snippets from my piece entitled "the rainbow connection"... my tribute to my favorite childhood doll, rainbow brite and her sweet horse, starlight.
oh i loved that doll!
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"the rainbow connection"
©the enchanted easel 2014 |
Happy Saint Patrick's Day friends!
I love holiday celebrations, also because it's an opportunity
for me bake in spirit. With some Rolo™,
Airheads Xtreme Bites™, and green sugar sprinkles,
these rainbow leprechaun cupcakes are fun and festive!
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| ©the enchanted easel 2014 |
at what's on the easel next.
hint-she loves rainbows and her BFF is a sweet horse decked out with a lavishly colored rainbow mane. AND...she was my FAVORITE doll as a little girl. :)
full sketch posted SOON!
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| ©the enchanted easel 2014 |
I seem to have taken up a new tradition of writing a reflective post just after back-to-school. Last year's post was:
My Summer of Laughter and Forgetting. It was about my first fragile attempt at putting the pieces back together after losing my mom. It was apt, and it was honest. Reading it now, I wade in the emotions of that time and emerge on the other side, feeling stronger than I did then; just a little bit more at peace with what happened.
Sadly, the summer of 2013 came on the heels of another loss for our family. A heartbreakingly similar one. My aunt, my mom's sister--whom I loved dearly--passed away in June, after a long illness. I know I'm not alone in my big, close-knit extended family when I say, we are all feeling a measure of shock that this could happen again, and so soon. But it did.
My aunt's services were different than my mom's. Ever the nonconformist, my mother had requested a party, not a memorial. (There was a band.) My aunt's took place at my childhood church. They were more traditional, but no less beautiful.
The evening of the wake was gray and drizzling. The weather seemed to reflect our heavy hearts. And then, when calling hours were over, we stepped outside. The rain had stopped. The pavement was slick and glistening. I turned my face to the sky. And there it was--a rainbow--stretched wide across the sky just above us.
Days earlier, only hours after my aunt had passed, a friend emailed me a picture of a huge rainbow over the lake where she'd lived. And here it was again.
Now, I understand rainbows are naturally occurring (and not all that uncommon) weather phenomena. But you simply
can't look up at the sky, feeling as bereft as we all did, to glimpse the most exquisite rainbow you've ever seen, and not wonder if there's a message in it.
Divine--or not, I chose to see it as an affirmation of the belief my aunt held until the end--that she was blessed, that we are all blessed, and that we should feel grateful for all the the good and the love that surrounds us.
This summer I saw more rainbows than I can count. It seemed after each rain, there one was. Friends saw them, too. Many a morning I'd wake up with a picture waiting in my inbox of a rainbow they'd seen the evening before, or on their morning walk.
I feel like a
My Little Pony character when I say: it was a rainbow-filled summer.
So much so, that I began to ask, "Where's the rainbow?" after each storm. And not just the literal storms, but the metaphorical ones, too. Late in the summer, my husband faced some professional challenges that kept him up more than a few nights.
Amidst the worry and weight of it all, I asked, "Where's the rainbow?" A few days later, there it was. In the form of a newer better solution that has made him happier and more successful.
Now, when darker moments happen, I wait for the splash of color in the sky. I remember that the truest gift is having the mind, body and spirit to weather the storm--and move forward.
[G Love playing at the Beachcomber in Wellfleet, MA this summer. I turned to my friend and said, "I hope he does Rainbow." A moment later I heard the chords to the lead-in for the song. ]
well, the first day of March has officially arrived, which means spring is not too far off. happy for most people right? not so much for me, as winter is my favorite season and we seem to have gotten shafted of yet another really snowy winter (which makes the arrival of spring even harder for me to digest) :(
anyhoo...my beautiful aquamarine hued mermaid, Beryl, has been featured in a treasury over at etsy welcoming in the new month. take a peek at some of the other interesting pieces she has featured in shades of the calming and peacefully beautiful aquamarine.
below are some crops of March themed illustrations and their links, where you can purchase prints of them.
oh, and Easter is early this year (March 24th) so i believe there may be a CUTE little bunny FOR SALE in my shop as well, an ORIGINAL PENCIL DRAWING. check him out, if you will....:)
Elmer is sad when he discovers that the rainbow has lost its colors. He wants to help, but what will happen if he gives the rainbow his own colors? Will he lose them forever?
Also try:Rainbow Fish
A rainbow of my own
I must have Bobo
Mouse paint
Little blue and little yellow
Rainbow fish
Lmno peas
Color zoo
So you thought you used to play 2D games. If you had taken a look behind the screen, then you'd have seen this. The featured game is Rainbow Islands from Taito, a classic 8-bit video game for the arcades, released in 1987.
You're invited to Sevensheaven.nl for more imagery.
Kicking away my new year funk, the wonderful folk over at
Parsec Ink have just accepted
The Meaning of Yellow for their
Triangulation: End of the Rainbow anthology.
I be stoked.
As a side note, you'll find a story by Aaron Polson in last year's
Triangulation: Dark Glass anthology, and to celebrate I just ordered a copy.
I'm excited about this new picture book. This was my first "really" child's bedtime book. I worked to create illustrations to compliment the magical verses by Sally Harris. After studying several bedtime books from illustrators such as Jan Brett and others, I hoped to capture a sleepy time feel while using flowing rainbows on each page.
I'm always amazed at the beauty of nature. This rainbow appeared on Sunday in a perfect arch, with a full spectrum of colours :)
I didn't take many photos of Santa Fe this time around. However, I did document my first clay fairy house:Only my 2 inch child-sized dolls fit in the houseThe roof comes offOn the way home from a potluck, we saw a double-rainbow break forth from the clouds. Photographing rainbows is rarely satisfying, but I couldn't help trying nonetheless:Can you see the second rainbow? It's outside of the main
THE END. THE END. THE END. THE END. THE END. THE END. THE END. THE END. THE END. THE END. THE END. THE END. THE END. THE END. THE END. THE END. THE END. THE END. THE END. THE END. THE END. THE END. THE END. THE END. THE END. THE END. THE END. THE END. THE END... Okay, you get my drift.
Without seeming too like Jack Torrance in The Shining, ie 'All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy', I've typed those immortal words... Yep, you guessed it. THE END. The Poisoned Apple is finished. Or Lily Sunday & The Dead Feet is done. It all depends on which title I go with. Though there is another similar title out there 'The Poison Apples', and I am considering and unconsidering etc etc etc changing my title, I decided one day on the bus travelling to work that I wanted to write a book called 'The Poisoned Apple' and now that I have, well I'm loathe to let the title go.
Now I am off to fight evil more frightening than a hungry mob of zombies - that darn synopsis.
Thanks so much for the lovely review. I especially liked your comment about being able to imagine the story taking place right outside your window. Happy Reading to All!
Sounds like a wonderful book for kids.
This looks lovely, perfect for the child in us all! Good luck with it, Janet!
You’re welcome, Janet. It’s a wonderful book. Thanks for stopping by ladies.