I live in an imaginary world that doesn’t really exist. It’s a world of shih-tzu tea parties, and cookies for breakfast, and heroines and heroes that never grow old, and walls full of books, and antiques that tell us their stories, and paintings that come alive when we’re not looking.
In the real world, there are vet appointments, and a house empty without my mother, and my head echoing with all the things my favorite ghosts used to say to me.
Thank heavens for the little things. There are little brown butterflies hovering over the clover in the grass outside. I’ve perfected my chocolate chip cookie recipe. My husband just got the cutest haircut. The sun is shining today in the Napa Valley.
As long as I’m painting, I’m okay. Sometimes oil, with that delicious smell and the yummy smooshiness. And sometimes watercolor, with the light, cheerful play of delicate colors. I let the paints do what they do, and I forget everything else. When it’s a lovely long, quiet morning with Agatha curled up at my feet and endless cups of tea and painting, painting, painting, and I can indulge in creating my imaginary world as much as I can....then that’s a good day.
You’ll notice a lot of Lover’s Eyes. Why? I honestly don’t entirely know, but I’ve written a bit about it in a rather bluntly titled piece, “Why Do You Paint Eyes on Plates?”, which, if you’re curious, you’re can read by commenting WHY down below. I’ll send you over a link. :)
(Oh, and in these slides is a little hint to another project I’ve been working on to help me take my mind off of things. ;)
#artistlife #artistbio #artistathome #susannahcarson #loverseye #loverseyes #loverseyepainting #loverseyeplate #loverseyeart #contemporaryart #contemporaryartist #femaleartist #dayinthelife #lifeofanartist #galleryartist #galleryart #gallerywall #gallerywallinspo #platewall #platewalls #artcollector #californiaartist #eye #eyes #shihtzulover #lovemydog #teaparty
Collecting is an addiction. I blame my mother.
She started collecting miniature portraits decades ago as an antique dealer, and then whenever we went to France we'd pick them up in marchés aux puces. It sounds quite civilized, two upper-middle ladies strolling along tree-lined streets with large straw totes, carefully considering wares laid out on temporary tables and haggling poorly with vendors — but have we had adventures!!!
The devil's head ashtray — not a miniature, but the best story — came from a gypsy in the Loire Valley. He was a nice fellow with lovely dark eyes but not enough teeth, working for a Jabba-the-hutt-like gypsy woman in a brocante (lower-end antique store), but he followed us out when we left and he sold us the ashtray and a few other small items hush-hush in the parking lot.
The next day when we went back, was there a to-do!!!! Oh my, the Jabba-gypsy had found out, accused him of poaching her customers, fired him, and threw us out of the store as co-conspirators, banning us from ever entering her rather shabby establishment again. It was very loud, and there were lots of gypsy arms waving about and making gestures of indecipherable vulgarity.
It was only over lunch in a town some miles safely away that my nephew, who was with us on this trip, remarked that the goods of the entire shop were perhaps of uncertain provenance and that it was a good thing we hadn't been robbed ourselves!
But no, we made it home safely, with devil's head ashtray tucked away in the luggage.
All this has very little to do with the Lover's Eye plate and brooch — except that I love items that seem as if they could tell stories!
#marcheauxpuces #frenchantiques #antiquejewelryaddict #antiquecollector #musthavejewelry #contemporaryart #contemporaryartist #susannahcarson #loverseye #loverseyes #miniatureportrait #miniatureportraits #miniaturepainting #miniaturepaintings #portraitminiature #victorianjewelryaddict #victorianjewelrycollector #georgianera #georgiandecor #gallerywall #gallerywalls #gallerywallart #gallerywalldecor #gallerywallhashtag #gallerywallideas #gallerywallinspo #loverseyeplate #antiquejewelryforsale #victorianjewelry #loverseyejewelry
I have done something I have not done in a very long time, and I have made the Lover's Eye prints available in the shop.
These are the Lover's Eye prints from oil paintings, which are of course totally different from the Lover's Eye prints from the watercolor paintings. ;) These are realistic eyes, whereas the others are slightly more illustrative and done of entire antique Lover's Eye brooches. Totally different. I have range. 🙄
If you comment down below EYE PRINTS, then I have a very modern automation that will send you a DM with the link. It's much easier than clicking to the profile, then finding the website, then searching on the website, etc., etc. If you just want to check out the eye prints, then you have no need to somehow find yourself in the middle of the Victorian Era learning about Staffordshire dogs, which is the bit of the website I'm working on at the moment. I was also working on it yesterday, which shows you how immersive and distracting Staffordshire dogs can be.
So to 🏹straight to the prints, EYE PRINTS will take you. :)
#loverseye #loverseyes #susannahcarson #eyeminiatures #eyeart
I've been tidying up, and I came across a little stash of proof prints (which just means that I was trying out various sizes, papers, and color calibrations). If they were not good at all, they went straight into the bin. But if they were *almost* there, then I've popped them up in the shop. 6 prints to choose from, including portraits, lover's eyes, and even a baroque pearl camel.
Comment PROOF below and I'll DM you a link that will take you straight there!
#artprint #portraitofalady #susannahcarson #baroqueart #giclee #gicleeartprint
Medals of Love & Honor! Now live in the shop. Comment MEDALS down below and I’ll send you a link that will 🏹 you straight to the collection. :)
I love celebrating personal holidays (like shih-tzu birthdays!), and I love celebrating life’s little and big achievements (I finally gave her a bath last night even though it utterly exhausted us both (little), and she seems to have conquered her very scary blood condition (BIG!!!)).
What are you celebrating today? Any unexpected victories? Any delightful little wins? I’d love to hear about them! It would cheer my day up immensely. ☺️
#militarystyle #militaryfashion #militarymedals #ceramicjewelry #susannahcarson
Preview ready! These “Medals of Love & Honor” will go live tomorrow morning (Saturday, May 2), and I’ll send a text and newsletter out right when they’re ready. If you’d like to pick your favorite right now, comment MEDALS down below and I’ll shoot you over a link to the collection!
These are hand-built porcelain ceramic in the style of antique military ribbon badges and medals (with pin backs to wear as brooches) - to help celebrate all the victories in life.
🎖️🏅🎖️🏅🎖️
#militaryfashion #ceramicjewelry #susannahcarson #badgeofhonor #militarystyle
The theme of this collection is that there is no theme. ;) Dragons and flowers, landscapes and geishas, lusters and transferware - a little bit of everything!
Check out the entire collection by commenting SHOP below. 🤍
#loverseye #loverseyes #gallerywallart #antiquechina #susannahcarson
Shop restock! Lots of new pieces to choose from, from rich gold luster to antique gilt pressed-tin photo cases. Enjoy a browse in the shop to see what’s new!
Comment SHOP below and I’ll DM you a link that will 🏹 you straight there. :)
#loverseye #eyepainting #loverseyes #susannahcaeson #eyes
Shimmery iridescent lusterware Lover’s Eyes! New in the shop today. Comment SHOP to go straight there. :)
It’s a bit overcast where I am, but as the light filters down through the mist in the valley, it gives it a subtle shimmer too.
(That said, however pretty it is, it’s also chilly out - and time for another cup of tea!)
#loverseye #eyepainting #lusterware #susannahcarson #eyeminiature
Comment PREVIEW to pick your favorite from the new collection! These will go live tomorrow morning, 9:00 am West Coast, (Saturday, April 25). And be sure to sign up for text messages to receive a text reminder the moment these go live!
This collection has a good selection of lusterware - iridescent, rose luster, copper luster. Also, Japabese dragonware, English landscapes, French botanicals, geometric Art Deco, and Neoclassical pieces. If you’ve beth waiting for a good selection to choose from, here’s your big shop update!!
#loverseye #loverseyes #eyeart #eyepainting #susannahcarson
