Winners of my 1st Blog ART Giveaway! :o)...and a Surprise!

A super warm thank-you to all who participated in my 1st Blog ART Giveaway! I had my husband do the honors of choosing the 2 WINNERS!!, and they are....

PS~Erin
&
Rhoda @ Southern Hospitality

AND due to the wonderful response from this giveaway I thought why not extend it a bit by choosing 1 winner each week from July 17 till the end of the summer! :o) for a MINIATURE Custom Painting (approx. 3"x 4") of a Simple Object You Treasure(no portraits please)...the winners will be chosen from those who originally entered my Blog Giveaway, so no need to re-enter! It's my way of spreading a little bit of summer sunshine, so be sure to stay tuned! :o)

There is Some Beauty in Death...

My Grandpa finally passed last night after 3 days of struggling to breathe....my sister had just readjusted him, and had told him if he saw 'the light' that it was ok to go into it...she then left the room for just a moment when my cousin's little girl, Kalista who was standing in the doorway, said 'Oh he just opened his eyes!' not realizing she had just witnessed his passing. She is 11, so it was a bit upsetting for her once she realized he was gone, but my Grandma told her she had actually been given a blessing as she saw 'Bupa' enter into Heaven. I have a feeling he had waited for Kalista to come see him before he left as she was his little angel...I am so thankful to God that he has taken my Grandpa up to Heaven, no more pain, no more struggle, and what an incredible gift to allow him to come home to die, surrounded by so many people who loved him...it's how any one of us would want to pass I'm sure...he will be so greatly missed. (my Grandparents were married 63 years...he was 87.)

Thank you for all the warm messages, they are a true comfort. God bless!~Lara

Thank You for Your Prayers...

My Grandpa is still struggling and I will be leaving shortly to be back at his side, but I wanted to say thank you to everyone for your beautiful messages left on my last post!Death is not an easy thing to deal with, it surely is not as 'beautiful' as they portray it in the movies...and it is absolutely heartwrenching to see my Grandma, who after 63 years of marriage, is torn between letting my Grandpa go to be with Jesus and wanting him to hold on...what a true testament to us all, their love for one another has never wavered...and nor has their faith in God.

(*Please forgive me if the winners of my blog art giveaway are announced a bit late, I will try my best to announce them this Tuesday, but it will of course depend on what happens with my Grandpa...thank you so much!)

Saying Goodbye...

Although I find painting to be one of the greatest escapes for , I may not pick up the brushes until later today, if at all...my Grandpa is dying. It was so strange yesterday to hear that Farrah Fawcett had died (I grew up playing 'Charlie's Angels' as a young girl) as well as Michael Jackson (my first crush), and then there was my 'Bupa' as we used to call him, lying in his bed, fighting for every breath, family members whispering their goodbyes... Time just really seems to be so fleeting...I will be 37 this July, and yet I don't feel 'that old', but when I see those around me pass away it is a very real reminder of just how fragile life truly is...and how we need to be grateful for each and everyday that we are able to rise up, greet the day, whatever it may bring, and make the very most of this life while we have it!

Strawberries on Red Spode Plate, Still Life Painting in Oil

Strawberries on Red Spode Plate, 3"x4", oil on stretched canvas

$35(plus s/h) (SOLD,thank you!)

Hopefully this is a better photo of the painting above as the sun made an amazing appearance here in Michigan this afternoon! However, a bit of the plate and brown table underneath has been cropped a bit...I will include the 2 photos of this piece on etsy so you can see what I'm talking about....I think this piece would look delightfully sweet in someone's kitchen ;o)

Vintage Russian Nesting Doll, Still Life Painting in Oil by LARA

Vintage Russian Nesting Doll, 4"x6", oil on stretched canvas

$39(plus s/h) (SOLD,thank you!:o)

With all the talk about Russian dolls I of course felt the need to paint one....this is one of the more traditonal dolls that most people have seen at one time or another...this piece is a bit brighter and richer in color than my inadequate camera is able to show. Paintings always look better in person! :o) (*and be sure to look below as I am having my 1st ever Blog ART Giveaway!!Who-hoo!)

Blog ART Giveaway!...Custom Oil Painting by Lara Harris

(MY BLOG BUTTON at Right Sidebar :o)

Here ye!Here ye! I have decided to do a

BLOG ART GIVEAWAY (June 14-28)

**THE GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED**

to celebrate the opening of my New Store on Etsy!
**To See the 2 WINNERS click HERE!

Up for grabs is a **CUSTOM OIL PAINTING of something you TREASURE**...maybe that is a special teacup , a favorite pair of heels, a beloved family pet, or any other little knick-knack that holds special significance to you!

The winners will get to choose either a 5"x7" or 6"x6" on stretched canvas.

They will need to send me a few photos of their treasured object,

I will then do a painting of it in oil, and even ship the piece free of charge! :o)

(*no people portraits for this giveaway please)

Below you will find the ENTRY RULES:

1) For 1 ENTRY, simply become a FOLLOWER of my BLOG.

(at the right...if you already are a follower, simply leave a comment on THIS post )

2) For 2 ENTRIES, become a FOLLOWER and BLOG about this GIVEAWAY on YOUR BLOG with a LINK back to THIS BLOG POST.

(Leave a Comment with a Link to your Blog on THIS post.)

3) For 3 ENTRIES, become a FOLLOWER, BLOG about this GIVEAWAY on YOUR BLOG, and POST my BLOG BUTTON(right sidebar) on YOUR BLOG with a LINK to this blog (http://www.avintagetouch.blogspot.com/)

(Special thanks to Kate Coveny Hood and its so very cheri for helping me with my BLOG BUTTON!!:o)

4) For 5 ENTRIES!!, do all of the above plus add me as a friend on FACEBOOK AND POST about this GIVEAWAY on YOUR FACEBOOK WALL!

OR FOLLOW me on TWITTER and TWEET about this GIVEAWAY!

(you get a BONUS ENTRY for doing so!:o)
**PLEASE SEND ME A MESSAGE on TWITTER
or FACEBOOK so I can count your entries!

**WINNERS will be announced the week of July 3.

~Good luck & thank you for supporting self-representing artists!

Westie & Vintage Leather Chair Portrait Painting in Oil

Westie & Vintage Leather Chair, 8"x10"(SOLD,Private Commission)

As usual it is a beautiful cloudy day here in Michigan so I have not been able to get a good photo of this Westie portrait for the director of Westie Rescue of OC & Beyond...I know I should embrace the grey skies and somehow be thankful for them, but doggone it, it's supposed to be summer already!@#! Anyway, check back in the next day or two and hopefully the sun will cooperate and allow me to take a better photo. If you would like your precious pup's portrait painted feel free to drop me an email...I think it is a great way to celebrate your pup and for those who have lost their beloved furry friend, it is a great way to keep their memory alive! :o)**Update: Sun appeared, so I was able to get a better photo!Who-hoo!

Hooked on...Russian Matrioshka (Nesting) Dolls

I've never really done one of these blog party things, but I thought I might try and add to the mix with one of the many things I am 'hooked on' being Russian Matrioshka dolls! I used to help a friend who sold them to help fund his missionary trips to Russia, and of course being an artist and art lover I was blown away by the amazing talent these artists have!Some of the dolls would start out rather large and go down to literally the size of a grain of rice! They use a magnifying glass to paint on the smallest doll....I also learned that they actually start by carving the smallest doll first. I will have to add to my collection when I get a hutch to put them into :o) To visit the blog party visit Hooked on Houses and join the fun!

Blueberries and Tea, Still Life Painting in Oil

Blueberries & Tea, 6"x6", oil on stretched canvas

$59(plus s/h)(available)

It is always a bummer when you complete a painting and the weather does not allow you to get a good photograph of your work...such is life here in Michigan. Anyway, I will be replacing the photo tomorrow as long as the sun makes an appearance. Now back to the Westie I've been working on...well one of four actually. Stay tuned! :o)

UPDATE: So I've replaced the photo but I am still not sure if it shows the colors the best...paintings always look better in person! ;o)

(*note...the blueberries & flowers are still a deeper blue ...)

Westie Portrait in Oil...Back at the Easel

(Westie Commissioned Portrait in Oil...In Progress)

Today was a good day, I'm starting to feel a bit better after my recent dental work and was able to get some more work done on this Westie commissioned portrait I started a few weeks ago. I actually have four Westie portraits that I'm working on...I'm thinking pretty soon I may just start to get type-cast as the 'Westie artist', not that I would mind, I really enjoy painting Westies :o) I don't actually own a Westie, my Godmother does, and I have done charity work for a number of Westie rescue groups, but my 2 dogs are not too fond of the smaller pups. I actually have a New Zealand Huntaway/Kelpie (Taffy) and a Yellow Lab/Stumpy-Tailed Red Heeler (Jedha). Both were rescued off the streets of Cairns in Australia by my Aussie husband. We had them flown to Michigan last July all the way from Sydney as we would never have dreamed of leaving them behind!Their blog is Aussie Dogs Up & Over~Jedha & Taffy's Adventures in America :o)

I've been blogged! (x2) :o)...Feelin a bit Better

First of all, I just wanted to say thank you so much to all the warm wishes I have received this week not only in regards to our recent move, but especially with my rather painful trip to the dentist. I am finally feeling a bit better today, although still very sore...I'm steering clear of the vicodin though as it really made me feel awful, whereas the ibuprofen seems to be keeping the swelling down...anyway, what a wonderful surprise to have Maya at Completely Coastal include me in her post about Vintage Swimsuits!Thank you so much Maya!I will be sure to include a link on my blog to your wonderful site! Claudia at the Paris Apartment also did a nice write up about me on her wonderful blog as well!Thanks so much!:o) I am hoping to get out the paints today as I have several commissions that need to be finished and of course I would like to get some fresh paintings done for my Etsy store. Stay tuned and have a wonderful Friday!:o)

In Transition...and a bit of Pain :o(

Our move went well, although we are presently surrounded by boxes...the 'boys' are estatic about their new, humungo backyard that opens up to the woods...I'll have to post some photos soon...but on top of all the chaos of moving I had to go to the dentist and have a tooth pulled, so I am in quite a bit of pain at the moment...hoping to get into the studio later this week! I know I will be itching to get back to painting in the next couple of days...it's kind of like going thru withdrawal...if I don't paint every couple of days I feel as though I am going to burst!So do check back! :o)