Yard Sale Season Commences!

My family and I love to spend the weekends in the summer scouring neighborhoods for incredible yard sale finds. Last year the piece that made it all worthwhile was a 1777 copy of Robinson Crusoe in french that I purchased for just $5...I was over the moon to discover it!
Here is part of today's haul; some great antique doilies, a Victorian fashion plate, and 4 books of music ('The art of finger dexterity for the piano forte') from the 1890's...so far 2010 is a great year for yard sale finds!:

3 more for your viewing pleasure...

I've been so very inspired by this poor little book that I'm tearing to pieces!
Here are 3 more little paintings that will be making their way to my shoppe:

Two more...

Two more little acrylic paintings on vintage paper.
The first is another sweet Regency miss, already in the shoppe:


The second has a short 1920's era hairdo with a large blue flower, very romantic and in love:


And now off to my little painting table, where I have 3 more paintings on vintage paper in the works and 6 brand new pendants!

'Crossed in Love' Original Acrylic Painting

Another little painting done on a page from a vintage copy of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice. These are so very fun to do! I added this one to my shoppe as well.

Pride and Prejudice Painting

A new little painting I've added to the shoppe...my first attempt at painting directly onto a page from a vintage copy of Pride & Prejudice. I had a ton of fun doing this one!
***EDIT - This item has SOLD!***

The Healing - Completed Acrylic Painting

She's complete!


In the aftermath of a great sorrow, she is allowing her heart to finally heal. Two small goldcrests meticulously stitch up her broken heart, making sure the strings are pulled tight. She wears the colors of half-mourning and her hair is loose and free as she emerges from her pain.
I've decided to offer this piece up for sale in my Etsy shop! I'm also planning to offer her up as affordable high quality fine art giclee prints. Please contact me at hoydendesigns@gmail.com if you're interested.
Thank you so very much for following along my process as I painted this piece; I am so very proud of it. I'm hoping to start up a new piece soon, and that you'll follow along on another work in progress of mine!

I won!

I was so blessed to win this gorgeous necklace from Sissy Sparrows!:


It came all the way from beautiful Australia to me, and is an amazing piece of art! The quality is incredible; I am tickled pink to have won such a wonderful pendant! Please make sure to check out the Sissy Sparrows blog and give them your support!

The Healing - WIP part 6

I finally got up the nerve to add my little goldcrests. Next up: final shadings and shadows. Then I'll finally be done!

The Healing - WIP part 5

A sneak peek at my little surprise...
I roughed in two small goldcrest birds in the process of stitching up the broken heart. With lighter backgrounds and not quite so detailed pieces I typically sketch in the subject of the painting in pencil. But now that I'm using such dark backgrounds and much more detail I find that roughing in the subject with watered down white paint is really helpful.

Birdies everywhere...

I've been working on this little mobile here and there, in between painting. I'm an avid crafter, and love to try my hand at most things at least once. It's been a good bit of color and fun in between the darker mood of my latest painting. Do you find you need that balance, too?