Merry Christmas From Golden Illustrations!

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone out in cyberspace! I apologize for once again not updating my blog in an efficient manner. We had a huge ice storm a few weeks ago, and our town, Jaffrey, was hit especially hard. We were fortunate to have power within a few days, but a live wire lay across our driveway. The power company accidentally cut our cable when they fixed the live wire, so we went without phone and internet through the holidays. It was a bummer, but we honestly didn't have circumstances as bad as many in the area.

Now that my internet capabilities are restored, it's time to get back to business! It's time for postings of my most recent work! Yeay!

The piece above was my holiday card design for this year. The dog featured was my beloved boy, Sunny, who passed away last February. Sunny loved the snow and would spend most of his outdoor time eating it and wearing it on his whiskers afterward. He had the most kissable snow nose. I love his expression in this drawing. He looks so debonaire.

The drawing is rendered in soft pastels on smooth, white vellum. It is 8 x 10" in size.

On The Drawing Board - Holiday Card

Phew! The holidays are certainly moving along quickly. I hope that everyone had a good Thanksgiving weekend. I was in Pennsylvania, visiting my in-laws and attending my hubby's ten year high school reunion. The weekend was the calm before the storm. Now, I am up to my eyeballs in artwork and loving every minute of it!

The drawing above is my current project. There are other portraits being created simultaneously, though. I can't post their pictures, since they are holiday gifts. I can, however, show you my holiday card design. This year, I decided to create a golden retriever holiday card to send to friends and family. The golden in the drawing is my dear boy, Sunny, who passed away last February. He looked so adorable in the snow and is the perfect holiday mascot for Golden Illustrations. I'll post another photo once the portrait is complete!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my blog readers! May your travels be safe and your holiday filled with memories and yummy food!

I took the photographs above in my yard this fall. My hubby and I returned from a shopping trip to find a couple of turkeys poking around our lawn. The amazing thing was that later that evening, we were visited by four deer. It was a super day for wildlife-viewing!

Happy Holidays From The Checchi Retrievers!

The piece above is my latest drawing in pastels. My parents commissioned me to draw their two golden retrievers for the holidays and print custom holiday cards. These two fellas are Shadow (on the left) and Buddy (on the right). Both were rescued from Yankee Golden Retriever Rescue in Massachusetts. My family has raised rescue golden retrievers since I was in high school and it makes sense that these two boys are the family's holiday card mascots.

The pastel drawing is 8x10" in size and drawn in soft pastels on smooth, white vellum.

Alstead PTO Christmas Bazaar Recap

On Saturday, I had a booth at the Parent Teach Organization Holiday Bazaar. The event was held in Alstead, NH (my hometown). This was a trip down memory lane for me, since the show was held in my junior high gymnasium. A lot of my former teachers stopped by my booth to show support. It was wonderful seeing such important figures from my childhood.

All in all, the day was a success! I met a lot of new people and reconnected with familiar faces. There was even a charity raffle and an adorable young girl went home with one of my framed prints.

I've posted some pictures of my booth above. This was the first event where I tested out new packaging for my magnets and nightlights. I was pleased with the end result.

: )

Mia

Alstead Christmas Bazaar

Just wanted to let everyone know that I will have a booth at the Parent/Teacher Organization Holiday Bazaar in Alstead, NH on Saturday. The event begins at 10:00 am and will be held in the Vilas School gymnasium. This event features holiday and every day crafts, food, and a charity auction to benefit the Parent/Teacher Organization. I encourage you to stop by and consider buying handmade items for your friends & family this holiday season. I look forward to seeing you there!

: )

Mia

Mother & Child

There is a magical bond between a mother and her newborn child. It's a connection that is instinctual, primitive, and beautiful. These were the emotions that I attempted to capture in the portrait above, which is my latest commission. The drawing is completed in charcoal on smooth, white vellum. It is 11x14" in size.

The Ellis Bunch!

The picture above is my latest commission. These adorable poodles are snuggling up in a festive fall orchard. It's the perfect piece for fall. You can almost smell the leaves and apples...

The drawing is rendered in soft pastels on smooth, white vellum. It is 11x14" in size.

Where's My Dinner?

The piece above is my latest pastel. I felt that it was time to satisfy my interest in drawing a Persian cat. I took a lot of reference pictures of Persians at a cat show in Nashua this past spring. There was something about their cute, up-turned noses that gave me the giggles. Their expressions are priceless and their coats are absolutely stunning.

I decided to call this piece, "Where's My Dinner?" in honor of the high-maintenance cat. To this cat, it's owners are the "staff". Dinner will be served promptly every evening in a crystal bowl with a brocade tablecloth underneath. The high-maintenance cat lives to luxuriate. This particular cat is on the verge of a feline tantrum. Dinner is late and that is unacceptable.

This drawing is rendered in soft pastels on smooth, white vellum. It is 11x14" in size and available for sale.

Art In The Park Award

I just received the latest newsletter in the mail from the Monadnock Area Artists Association (formerly the Keene Artists Association). There was a write-up on the Art In The Park festival with a list of award winners. After browsing through the list of winners, I was surprised to see that I won an Honorable Mention in Category Three (pastel, colored pencil, charcoal, pen & ink, and original printmaking). I was standing at the main tent when the awards were announced and didn't hear my name announced. I thought that I hadn't won anything. It was a fun surprise to see that I won an honorable mention in my first year of participation. The piece that won is posted above.

Piccadilly Pooches

The piece above is my latest commission. The three pooches above were very special to the owners of Piccadilly Hutch. This drawing is in memory of three very special dogs. One of the awesome things about portraiture is that our pets and people that have passed away can come alive on the canvas. While the actual pet may not be visible to us anymore, their portrait serves as a reminder of their adorable eyes and personality.

"Piccadilly Pooches" is rendered in soft pastels on smooth, white vellum. The dimensions are 11x14".

Piccadilly Hutch

The kind owners at Piccadilly Hutch Antiques & Art Gallery in Woodford, Vermont have taken an interest in my original artwork. They are now selling my originals in the art gallery, which is absolutely gorgeous. I couldn't have found a more perfect place to sell my work. The gallery is filled with beautiful antiques, jewelry, art, and country giftware. It's location is on Route 9, just before Bennington (the main route between Vermont and New York). I hope that if you're driving through the area, that you stop by and take a look at this unique gallery. I promise you that it's friendly and comfortable and not at all stuffy. Items are reasonably priced as well, which is a breath of fresh air in the current economy.

Art In The Park Pictures/Recap

Art In The Park was a success! This past weekend, I participated in the Art In The Park event in Keene, NH. I had a sizable booth to display both my original drawings and giftware. I also advertised fine art classes, which I will be holding in my studio on an ongoing basis.

Saturday and Sunday were both very busy, with a constant flow of people visiting the various booths at the event. Throughout the day, I worked on a study of a duck in pastels at an art table in my booth. I think that it was a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate my pastel techniques.

All in all, it was a fun event. It was an excellent opportunity to introduce myself to the area as a professional artist and meet other artists. I was able to show my giftware to a large amount of people who may not have come across it in area gift shops. I sold some cards and magnets, which is always a good thing : )

Above, I posted some pictures of the event : )

Deep Meditation

The piece above is my latest pastel drawing of my own dog, Sasha. I've drawn Sasha several times, but I wanted to draw her in a peaceful, spiritual way. She often naps in the sunlight and I love how the light plays upon her coat. She's a girly girl, so I captured her napping on iridescent tulle. I snapped several photos of her sleeping and then drew this portrait using my favorite photo as reference.

"Deep Meditation" is 11x14" in size. It is drawn in pastels on smooth, white vellum paper.

Art In The Park

Hello! The latest news is that I'll be at Art In The Park in Keene, NH this coming weekend! Art In The Park is an exhibition of New England artists and also a juried competition. It's the perfect place to find a new painting if your walls could use some sprucing up. I will have a booth at the event with framed original pastels, as well as magnets and greeting cards. If you're in New Hampshire, please stop by!

Art In The Park
Saturday, August 30 & Sunday, August 31
10 am - 4 pm

Ashuelot River Park,
West St.
Keene, NH

Chicken With Attitude

Here is my latest pastel, called "Chicken With Attitude". I met this particularly grumpy hen at the Cheshire County Fair in Swanzey, NH. I was snapping reference photos in the agricultural area and put the lens of my camera through the chicken wire to snap some pics of the chickens. Most of the chickens were happily pecking at their food. This chicken, however, moved closer and closer to my camera with its head cocked to the side. She wanted to attack and I wanted to move my camera as fast as possible. The photo that I snapped during this moment was the inspiration and reference for the drawing above.

"Chicken With Attitude" is 8x10" in size. It is drawn with soft pastels on smooth, white vellum.

Froggy

The piece above is my latest pastel, titled "Froggy". The inspiration for this drawing came from Fireside Gardens in Langdon, NH. I was exploring Nancy's garden about a month ago, and zoomed in on a bullfrog in her pond. He didn't move while I snapped several photos of him from different angles. I think it's amazing how frogs are so patient with me when I photograph them. I'm able to get some great reference shots.

The piece is drawn in soft pastels on smooth, white vellum. "Froggy" is 8 x 10" in size.

Jaffrey Riverfest!

Saturday was an amazing day! I was a vendor at Jaffrey Riverfest in Jaffrey, NH. Riverfest is a town celebration, featuring artisans, historical town tours, an art rescue, hot air balloon rides, good food, and musical performances. Above, I've included some pictures of my booth at the event.

All in all, it was a successful day! I sold many of my giftware products, which was fantastic. Given the state of the economy, I was unsure if it would be a lucrative day. It was interesting to see which images were popular and to get feedback in person from my fellow townsfolk.

I also brought Sasha and my family along for the day. Sasha proved to be the perfect mascot. Many people stopped by just to get a look at her up close. She's blowing her coat right now, so she really is quite a sight. She has these cotton ball wisps of hair that fall off of her like dust bunnies.

I want to thank Tom and my family members for keeping me company in the booth. Also, thank you to everyone who stopped by the booth to view my work. You made the day a success!

Cheshire Medical Center Art Exhibit

I just hung my work at the Cheshire Medical Center in Keene, NH for a solo exhibition. My pastels are on display on the 5th floor of the hospital (the Farnum Rehabilitation Floor) until September 11th. I'm really proud of this exhibit, since it will be viewed not only by visitors, but patients who are in the healing process. I included pieces that I created during my own period of healing to spread some positive, hopeful energy.

If you're in the area, feel free to stop by and view the artwork in person!

Lakeside Buddy

The portrait above is of a special golden named Buddy. I call him Bud and sometimes "Big Guy". He's also known as Buddha Bud, because he has gigantic ears like the Buddha. I swear that if you rub his ears, he'll warm your soul and your face with a series of kisses.

Mr. Bud is reclining next to Dublin Lake in this picture. He wasn't actually there, but I wanted to draw a summery golden retriever portrait. I combined reference from my own landscape photos and some reference photos of Buddy. Then, I tried to create a serene rendition in pastels. The result is the portrait above.

"Lakeside Buddy" is 8x10" in size. It is drawn in soft pastels on smooth, white vellum.