did someone say shoes?

try walking in my shoes
6" x 6" mixed media painting
© manon doyle


lovin' my heels
6" x 6" mixed media painting
@ manon doyle

All I want are high heels, high heels. If I was a girl, I'd wear a lot of high heels. High, stiletto heels.
-isaac mizrahi

I've been fooling around with color combos this week and I wasn't sure what to paint on these little canvases. I've done lots of hearts and girls with them so I asked myself what are the other things that I like. Yup.... I am a shoe lover. Most of you know this from my comments on my Facebook page. I don't own a ton of them but I have a huge affection for high heels....lol! I think they make any girl's legs look great except for the ones I painted above.... omg..... they are such skinny looking things.
Anyway.... it's really not about functionality it's about getting in touch with your inner goddess....lol!!! Every once in a while it's good to put a pair on and feel like your six inches taller than you really are!!

Btw.... I can't really believe that I'm posting this!! I'm laughing at myself today...lol!

Oh.... and please check out Ces's series on tears! She has done an incredible job with these posts and illustrations!! I could use some advice from her on subject matter!! : )

fill your heart with art and a pair of red strappy stiletto heels!!

-manon

Follow my paintings in progress on my Facebook page!

giving to you

6" x 6" mixed media on Gessobord
© manon doyle

Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.
~Lao Tzu

Giving means can mean so many different things. It can be giving money to charity, helping someone move, donating time to a good cause or even listening to a friend. My mom has always told me that the more you give the more you get back in return. She's absolutely right. I know it's been said millions of times but I would much rather give than receive. The simple acts of smiling, lending a helping hand and making people laugh fill my heart with more love than anything else in my life. Just a little act of kindness can bring happiness each day!

I'm sending smiles to all of you!! : ))))))

fill your heart with art and kindness

-manon

happy sunday

6"x6" mixed media on Claybord
© manon doyle

I think that many of my women look doe eyed but this one especially..... lol! I will say that she has *bedroom eyes* because it sounds a little better. This is another quick little painting. It's hard to get too much detail in the face but I still like working on them.



The rain has finally cleared and the sun is back!! Early morning walks are so peaceful. I love the light at this time and in the early evening.



Those of you who read my blog last Spring know I'm obsessed with cherries. The first ones of the season came in last week and I'm officially in hog heaven.I can't get enough!! My daughter, Alex, doesn't seem to like them as well as I do. I asked her last week if she liked them and her question to me was..... "do you mean maraschino cherries, Mom?" Omg!! LOL

Have a great Sunday everyone!!

fill your heart with art and cherries!! Lots of them!

-manon

small paintings

6" x 6' on board
© manon doyle

Since love grows within you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul.
-Saint Augustine

I'm back to the small paintings for a few days. I'm finding that I can never stick to one size. I seem to be all over the place. Must be the Gemini in me coming out!! LOL. So.... these are really fun and quick to do. I usually start by getting these little 6" x 6" Gessobords. I buy them at Dick's and they come in a 4 pack for about six dollars. I then cover them all with molding paste and let it dry. When it's nice and dry I put a coat of gesso over it before I paint. You really don't have to do it but I love gesso so I gesso everything including myself.... lol! Your good to go after that. The picture below is my sketch on the painted surface. Before I painted her face, I gave her a quick coat of gesso letting some of the blue show through and then finished her off with acrylics. Fun, fun!!


@ manon doyle

fill your heart with art and gesso

-manon

smelling the roses

7" x 10" on watercolor paper
© manon doyle

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.
-Helen Keller

I would say that 90 percent of the time I have no idea what I'm going to paint. Today was no different. I sat down in my studio at 12:30 and this is what came to me. I think the rest of the world is outside in their gardens and I'm still in my sweats covered in paint...... LOL!! I need to get outside and smell the fresh air and at least see what the temperature is like...lol! OMG... I need a life!



Update.... I just went outside to smell the roses. There's nothing like the colors in nature for inspiration. I think I'll change and get out there!! : )

fill your heart with art

-manon

breathing you in

7" x 10" mixed media journal page
@manon doyle

Learning to breathe
I'm learning to crawl
I'm finding that You and You alone can break my fall
I'm living again, awake and alive
I'm dying to breathe in these abundant skies
-Learning to Breathe by Switchfoot



Milo has come to the end of the line with me. Yup.... packing his bags and sending him on his merry way. It's been a blast...... not!! LOL! I thought I'd give him another tattoo so he can remember his loving time with me. Farewell my little Milo!! I hope you don't have to go back to Texas!! : )

fill your heart with art

-manon

mom's day!!

consumed with love
18" x 18" mixed media on canvas
© manon doyle


consumed with love - close up
© manon doyle


My mom is a neverending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being. I may sometimes forget the words but I always remember the tune. ~Graycie Harmon

I posted this pic two years ago but no one read my blog then so I'm reposting it....lol! I am pictured above at six months old with my mom and my brother, Daniel, a year before he passed.
Anyway... I love my mom. I can't thank her enough for raising my sister and I. She is an amazing woman and a lot of fun to be around. I'd write a list of her qualities but I'd be here all day. I will say that I couldn't of picked a better woman to care for me and love me. My sister, Claudine, would agree!! Big hugs and kisses to you Carmy!!
Btw.... I look at this pic and notice our hair is the same......omg..... I am my mother..... yikes...lol!


I couldn't find a decent pic of the three of us so here's Claudine and I as children. I would give my mum a medal for raising this kid. She was a handful!! : )

fill your heart with art and love

-manon

Milo.... the journey continues

"I'll show her. Making me workout!! I'm the boss of me. She'll be so mad when she can't find that dioxazine purple paint....hee, hee! "


"Don't know what she's doing tonight but this is what I'm doing!! That babe in Texas showed me what a good time was. Let the good times roll!"


"Man.....things are looking pretty weird from here!! Where is that Manon chick? Could you give a bug a hand? Oooh.... I think i may need a restroom.......whaaaaaaaa!"


"Omg.... what the heck is this!! He looks so mean!! Hey.... chickie face..... get over here!! Get this terror away from me! "


"Ahhhhhhh..... DUDE..... THIS IS NOT COOL!!"


"Whew!! The chick finally rescued me.... thanks, babe! She put me out in the sun, gave me some of her chips and I'm just chillin'. Got myself two new pins and one is in honor of the Texas witch!! I'm a new man....yup.... givin' up my old ways. Hold on a minute...... *hey sweetheart will you grab me a cold one while I relax out here?*..... ya.... maybe not all my ways!"

fill your heart with art

-manon

the bug has arrived

My friend, Deborah started a beautiful journey for Milo. He has traveled many miles to get to Ohio. His last stop was Texas...yikes. My girl, Ces, ruined this little bug. He partied, got a tattoo and did many things that a little guy shouldn't do. He even arrived in a dress....lol. So what's a girl to do with all this? Well.... time to put Milo on a workout plan....ya! Get the guy in shape.



"Who is this chick? What the hey? Cardio? What's up with that? I wanna go back to that Ces woman where I can party all night, hang with the babes and get myself another tat!"



"Squats? Geez. I'm gonna break my back! Get me out of here! I don't like this place and this Manon is a drag! I'm gonna hurl this weight right at her.....show her who's top bug!"



"OMG!!! Deb, baby..... please rescue me!! I'm hanging for dear life here. I've had such a blast in my other travels and now you send me to this? I want out.... i need a drink!! "



"Isn't this fun fabulous....ugh! Now she's got me sitting on some ball. Who sits on a ball anyway? What a nut job? How long is this trip going to last. Can't she paint or something? Someone help me.... PLEASE!"

fill your heart with art and Milo

-manon

gotta get back into my groove

Alex and I
A daughter is a day brightener and a heart warmer.
~author unknown

I've had a busy couple of weeks. I just got back from Mom's Weekend at Ohio University. I had an awesome time with my classmates last weekend and this past Friday I hightailed it up to Athens, Ohio to see how the college students do it. OMG.... I'm so thankful I'm not 19 again....lol. I'm now sick....yup.... all this craziness had caught up with me. My friend, Laura, just told me that she doesn't remember me ever being sick. Yup.... she's right. I guess I can't soar with the eagles if I'm going to hoot with the owls...lol!


18" x 18" sketch on canvas
© manon doyle

This is the only thing I have to show for myself today. I will hopefully start painting her tomorrow. It's hard to see but I spackled the canvas before I sketched her. The spackle gives it a really nice texture. She's a version of a girl I did a while back but I'm going to change it up and add bolder colors. I need to get back into a painting groove. : )

fill your heart with art

-manon