Lennart Helje Art w/ Elf, Cat, Bird

Lennart Helje is a painter and illustrator who born in 1940 in Lima, Sweden. He paints gnomes wearing red hats and animals in snowy landscapes. He has also illustrated books, stamps, and postal Christmas seals, with Nordic, nature, and plant motifs. The photo above was found on Google Images. Isn't his artwork delightful? I also found an article about him on a blog with a slideshow of some of his wonderful paintings. Read more here. You're welcome. xo

Snow Art

Snow Angel in Empty Swimming Pool

Punk Snowman with Mohawk Haircut via

Cat Nap in a Window

“Cat in a cottage window” by Ralph Hedley (1848-1913) via He was a realist painter, woodcarver and illustrator, best known for his paintings portraying scenes of everyday life in the North East of England. I love this painting!

Beatrix Potter Rabbits Gathering Wood

Here is yet another Beatrix Potter image I haven't seen before. After gathering twigs for the fire, the rabbits are preparing to put the big log on the sled to drag it home in the snow. I wish I could see more artwork about this story. via Click photo to enlarge.

Kep the Dog by Beatrix Potter 1909

This study of ‘Kep’, one of Beatrix Potter’s sheepdogs, dates from a visit to Near Sawrey in March 1909, when Potter made a number of studies of the Lakeland landscape in snow. Potter gave this drawing to Stephanie Hyde Parker, the daughter of her cousin Ethel, who stuck it in an album: remnants of the album can be seen in the floral motif adhered to the lower left of the design, and in a drawing by Amy Hyde Parker attached to the back of the study.

Beatrix Potter (1866-1943) is one of the world's best-loved children's authors and illustrators. She wrote the majority of the twenty-three Original Peter Rabbit Books between 1901 and 1913. The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Frederick Warne, 1902) is her most famous and best-loved tale.

Beatrix Potter purchased Hill Top in Near Sawrey, her first Lake District farm, in 1905. After this date she visited Hill Top regularly for holidays, eventually settling permanently in nearby Castle Cottage following her marriage in 1913.

In the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum. Click on photo to enlarge.

Winter Garden by Lucy Goldsmith

I love this charming "Winter Garden" illustration by Lucy Grossmith, a Suffolk UK based artist and illustrator. The outdoor activity comes alive when the lights go on inside our cottages. 

December by Walter Crane

The Procession of the Months, collection in the Houghton Library at Harvard. Illustration by Walter Crane. Verse by his daughter Beatrice Crane. See their November calendar page here. See his woodcut engraving called The Angels here. More information on Walter Crane's life and career here.

Appley Dappley: Beatrix Potter 18890

Appley Dapply - Beatrix Potter 1890 via

APPLEY DAPPLY, a little brown mouse,

Goes to the cupboard in somebody's house.

IN somebody's cupboard

⁠There's everything nice,

⁠Cake, cheese, jam, biscuits,

⁠—All charming for mice!

Click HERE to read all of APPLEY DAPPLY'S NURSERY RHYMES, all with Beatrix Potter illustrations.

'The Angels' by Walter Crane

I am somewhat obsessed with the artwork of Walter Crane. He was friends with William Morris and I love the Pre-Raphaelites of the Arts and Crafts Movement. I found this image on Pinterest.

I voted today in the midterm election but it's way too early to get a feel for who won. The polls don't close in NJ until 8PM. I went this morning in the pouring rain.

Halloween Love Story, Illustrated

I love this charming story and the illustrations are wonderful.

Original artwork by Bree Paulsen. View them full-size here.

Over The Bed Artwork for My Cottage

It only took 14 years to find the perfect artwork to hang over the antique bed in my guest room used as my dressing room. I found it yesterday at a thrift shop and within 30 minutes of getting it in the front door, it was happily hanging on the wall. I was standing in the doorway to get this photo and you can also see an antique tile, a hogscraper candlestick with a brass "wedding band" and a miniature chest on the table next to my bookcase.

It was very hard to photograph too. The bedspread is not pink, it's white. You can see the blue and white curtains in my bedroom through the window in this photo. This lithograph was made from an original 1987 painting by a deceased local artist. I always thought her work was very much like a Wyeth. 

I found a photo of the print entitled: "Wild Rose Berries" circa 1987 by Pauline Eble Campanelli online by searching Google Images. Don't you think it's perfect for my room? It was worth the wait and I don't mind that it's a reproduction because everything else in the room is antique. The basket and cupboard that were the subjects of the painting were antiques and I bought the framed print for a song. The frame is stained a dark green and the matting is beautiful. Score!!

See you later. xo

Wonderful Painting: Halloween Perfection

Cat in the Moonlight, (Chat au Clair de Lune) c. 1900, Theophile-Alexandre Steinlen via

I love this painting. It's perfect for this time of year with a big yellow moon in the sky casting shadows every night. The artist had a great fascination with cats. See more of his works here and keep scrolling, the page of cats is positively endless!

A Scarlet Ibis in a Powder Room

There is so much to study in this marvelous powder room. Which came first, the statement painting of a flamingo Scarlet Ibis (thank you Brenda) and her egg or the room? I adore the floor and the marble sink as well as the shutters on the window. Every detail is perfect including the raised commode.

Thank you so much for all of your comments from yesterday's post. I truly appreciate all of your kind words and your support. xo

Halloween Cats Escaping Ink Bottle

This is a very clever drawing. Black cats and kittens are in high demand with Halloween approaching. via

A Painting in My Collection

Lillian Cotton (1892–1962) was an American artist known for her portraits, especially of high-society figures and well-known actors, writers, and artists of her day.

She was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. Her father was Nathaniel Hugh Cotton, a West Indies shipping merchant born in Barbados, and her mother was Harriet Emma Clapp. Cotton developed an interest in art as a young child, drawing detailed portraits in sketchbooks as early as age ten, and attended the Boston Museum School. Between 1915 and 1917, Cotton studied at the Art Students League of New York under Robert Henri and George Bellows. In 1924, Cotton moved to Paris and studied at the André Lhote Academy. While in Paris, she met Arthur Elia Impey, a British army officer, and married him in 1926. The couple lived between Paris and New York.

Artist Information found here.

I have always wondered who this adorable child is, ever since I bought this painting with a left bid at an auction. It is signed lower left: L.Cotton 1913 when she was still at the Art Students League studying under the famous artists mentioned above.

I just discovered the magnifying glass on my iPhone and decided to use it on the horse embroidered on my baby painting's smocked outfit. You can see the texture of the canvas and the brush strokes of the oil paint.

I adore babies in smocked garments, a trend that is long out of style here where today's babies are dressed as miniature adults. Why rush it? They have their whole lives to wear khaki pants and button-down shirts! England's Royalty dress their children in age-appropriate styles from an age gone by. I love the way Prince William and Duchess Catherine are dressing Prince George, Princess Charlotte and I can't wait to see more of baby Prince Louis' attire. xo

Two Portrait Paintings

I collect miniature portraits and posted this one on Instagram recently.

There is a lock of hair on the reverse side of the locket.

Portrait of a young boy by Lillian Cotton 1913

I adore smocked children's clothing.

I acquired this painting years ago on a "left bid" at a local auction house that isn't around any more and I really miss it. You have to to to New York City to see and touch auction items in person these days. Selling or buying on-line is another option. I went to an antique show sponsored by a country fire house this week and it was a fun day. I saw some lovely things there too.

Enjoy the weekend. It finally stopped raining last night and the entire weekend looks grand for the last weekend in July. xo

Amazing Artwork by Ellen Hooverkamp

I could spend the day looking at all of Ellen Hooverkamp's artwork. She arranges flowers and vegetables on a SCANNER and digitizes them for printing. Click here for more in this series called Edibles 1. "The subjects for these photos were sustainably grown and raised by local growers. Special thanks to the good folks at the Dudley Farm Market and to Trout Lily Farm, both in Guilford, CT."

Meet the artist and see other categories of her art and her book, pictured below, HERE. You're welcome. xo

This is the photo I found online somewhere that led me to Ellen.

Some of My iPhone Photos This Week

A beautiful sunset from my balcony two days ago. The full moon was shining brightly in my bedroom last night.

Storm clouds gathering five days ago.

I adore this phrenology head. I printed it last week and put it on a portfolio to cover the company name of the firm that gave it to me. I put a piece of heavy clear plastic on top and now I love it because it always makes me laugh. Click on the photo to enlarge for easier reading.

Those feet! They were the first thing I saw six days ago when I visited a Realtor Open House. The house was very contemporary and had a lot of modern art.

Here is back view of the feet sculptures from another wing of the house. I put these pics on Instagram and one lady was worried they would be left behind after the house was sold and how were the new owners going to get rid of them?😂

Jessie Willcox Smith 1930s Covers

A very sweet Good Housekeeping Magazine cover dated June 1930 by Jessie Willcox Smith, one of my all-time favorite illustrators.

Here we have Picking Strawberries dated June 1931

Both covers found on Google images.

Duchess Peony Painting

Duchess Peony ~ Mia Tarney via