Marie de Carabas

Something new...a tattoo!

2009-03-19T09:18:00.004-05:00

Sketch I did for a friend as a tattoo.

Inked.
Kinda cool huh? No one ever had one of my drawings permanently installed before.

La Siren

2009-02-17T18:35:00.005-06:00

This bowl is a painting under glass and then embellished with glass gems and mirrors both inside and out.

The image is of the lwa La Siren from Haitian voudon tradition. She was created for the Four Elements swap at BPAL.org representing the element of water.

Creating her was a great experience. I tried to meld my personal style with inspiration from a wonderful book, The Art of Haitian Voudou.

Fairy Day Winner!

2008-06-24T07:03:00.003-05:00

The winner of the Fairy Day Drawing is Shelly!

Here is the newly completed prize magnet. She is a fairy named Lumi, which is Finnish for snow. Nearly every color on her is pearlized, metallic or glittery.

The overall design is structured like a yin-yang completed by her asymmetrical crown and broach adorned with diamond crystals.

Fairy Day Contest

2008-06-08T11:08:00.005-05:00

This year will be my 2nd annual Fairy Day Drawing to win a hand painted magnet specially made in honor of Fairy Day on June 24th.

Search through this blog to find the hidden Fairy Day question and e-mail you answer to marie.de.carabas@gmail.com. I will then enter your name in the drawing to be held on June 24th.

I will also enter the name of anyone who purchases one of the Strange Creatures magnets, places a custom order or an order from Cafe Press (if you order from cafe Press you will need to e-mail me with the details) between now and midnight June 23rd. You will receive one entry for each hand painted item. Cafe Press orders will receive one entry per order.

Just like last year I will post pictures of the magnet when it is finished. Right now it is still and idea in my head. Good luck all you fairy lovers!

Waiting for Spring

2008-05-19T07:50:00.006-05:00

This box was actually finished quite a few weeks ago. Life kept getting in my way of getting the pictures posted up here. Sorry for such along break without something new to share:)

At the time I was painting her it was the tail end of winter and I pictured her sitting on that branch waiting for the trees buds to open.

I wish I could figure out a better way to photograph metallics. The sides of this box are a rich combination of gold, bronze and copper and her hair is a molten bronze. Her wings are those of a monarch butterfly.

I also started something new with this project. Before starting on the sketch I drew one of my Faerie Oracle cards for a guiding inspiration. It gives me a new way to look at things and hopefully is fun for the recipient.

The card I drew was Ekstasis which represents Ecstasy, Joy, Rapture and Motivation. It's suggestion is go for it, you are on the right path. Great joy and accomplishment are within reach. It also represents the music that connects everything within the cosmos. I think she is poised at the moment before the ecstatic promise of Spring is fulfilled.

Wisteria Morning

2008-03-08T13:14:00.004-06:00

This tiny 4" x 6" painting was an experiment with painting on a new sort of board.

These girlfriend fairies are inspired by all the lovely ladies at Wisteria Lane on Delphi and the fun we all have comparing our makeup for the day and shooting the breeze over out morning coffee. Their wings are based on the Barred Orange Tip and Southern Dogface butterflies.

The image itself is very loosely based on the iconic cherubs at the bottom of The Sistine Madonna.

This image is available on Cafe Press.

Magic Carpet Ride

2008-02-28T09:22:00.005-06:00

This tooth fairy harkens back to my original transportation series of tooth fairies. In fact a little proto-doodle of him has been hanging around for almost a year waiting for just the right boy.

He is, of course, inspired by One Thousand and One Nights one of my favorite collections of folk tales.

I love how joyful he appears soaring through the night sky. He ended up in a complete rainbow of colors...as always not quite what I planned but it really suits his personality and compliments his bright blue eyes.

The Elf King's Bride

2008-02-05T09:52:00.000-06:00

This painting was based on a sketch I did probably 10 years ago. It was a single page left in a notebook that lives on my desk waiting for me to do something with it.

The bird she holds is another double winged bird like the one in the Strange Creatures series. He is such a character to me that I had to use him again.

This painting is currently available on Cafe Press in several forms including a tile topped box.

Knight of the Mangrove

2008-01-28T17:13:00.001-06:00

This is the first of what will hopefully be many full scale paintings.

This tiny knight is based on a butterfly called the Mangrove Skipper. As always it found an entirely different image than I had in mind. Originally she was going to have black hair and, although I still had the insectoid plates in mind for her armor, it too was going to be dark. As it turns out the Knight of the Mangrove is a creature of light. She also became more androgynous in each incarnation. The only thing that really stayed true to the first sketch was her face.

It is currently available for sale as a print or on several other items at Cafe Press. You can find it by clicking on the Cafe Press logo on the side bar.

Strange Creatures - 2008 LE magnets

2008-01-22T18:46:00.003-06:00

Looking for a quirky, unique gift? Or maybe just a little something for yourself...

Strange Creatures - 2008 LE Magnets

These creatures are all based on different motifs I love to draw or figure strongly in my personal mythology of stories and art I love. Some have metallics, some have glitter, many have jewels and one even glows in the dark.

*sold* Bee - A tiny queen bee perched on a blossom that reminds me of the flowering trees in my neighborhood. Her wings shimmer and her tiny crown is metallic gold. When my son saw her he said, "That's you Mom!."

Butterfly - This Orange Sulfur butterfly is not what is seems. Look closely and you see that rather than an insect it is a tiny brown sprite.

*sold* Crow - Quite possibly my favorite story book animal this clever fellow had metallic feathers and a double set of wings like a butterfly. In his mouth he carries a fine gold chain with a topaz crystal pendant.

Flamingo - Flamingos remind me of Alice and our local zoo where watching the flamingos being chased by a pelican. He and his spiny hedgehog friend are ready for a game of croquet.

*sold* Frog - This frog princess is based on a story illustration for a fairy tale I once did. I gave away the original and often try to replicate it but each frog ends up with a different expression. This princess is a haughty little thing. Her crown is metallic gold with a diamond crystal and she is surrounded by paper butterflies.

Jellyfish - A nearly transparent undersea moon the jellyfish glows in silver and pearl with just a whisper of pink. It is embellished with a diamond crystal.

Moon - The man in the moon is done in metallic silver and surrounded by star shaped jewels. He and his companion the sun are based on some Italian plates I used to have.

Mouse - This smiling mouse has a loooooong tail. The idea came to me from thinking about the Dormouse's Long, Sad Tale but this fellow is not sad at all peeking out from behind cut paper flowers.

Octopus - My favorite creature under the sea, this wise octopus holds a three dimensional pearl as a treasure.

Serpent - This sky born fellow is another ouborous based on a drawing in my high school yearbook. He has bronze metallic scales and emerald crystal eyes.

Spider - This talented spider on her star-shaped web must be related to Charlotte and the many spider's my son has had picnics with. Her web is spun from silver threads and the heart on her back will glow in the dark. Between her front legs she holds an iolite crystal.

Sun - The moon's stunning companion she is embellished with bronze and gold and two blazing topaz crystal eyes. She is based on an Italian china plate.

All magnets are hand painted one of a kind works of art. As such, the are available on a first come first served basis. E-mail me at Marie.de.Carabas@gmail.com to request a magnet or for more details. Feel free to list a second or third choice if you like. All are approx. 3" x 3" and come in a lavender organza pouch with an enclosure card. The backs have a complimentary paper (they are similar to the magnet that was the Fairy Day 2007 prize).

They are priced at $20 each. S&H will be $3 for up to 2 magnets and an additional $1 for each additional 2. Please e-mail me for payment details.

Sand Devil Jack

2007-12-21T06:51:00.001-06:00

This was an anniversary gift for my husband based on a stamp he carved for letterboxing. The top image is his drawing with my color interpretation and our wedding date added.

The outside is a contrasting combination of lacquered black and a cinnabar red brushed with bronze and gold. Inside the box is fully lined with a trompe l'oeil image of a pirates treasure. Inside the lid that is further enhanced with the addition of three dimensional pearls and jewels.

This is one of my little helpers, Angus.

Semper Fi

2007-11-30T16:25:00.000-06:00

Something a little different than my usual. This was commissioned as a gift for a retired marine.

The black lacquer finish is so shiny that you see some odd reflections from the light fixture in my office. There is a dark red shadow around the outside of the crest that barely registers unless you see it in person.

The paper inside is a patchwork of marine slogans. My husband, who is also ex-military, loved it so hopefully the recipient will too.

Gilded Autumn

2007-11-25T14:28:00.001-06:00

This little American beauty is based on Charles Dana Gibson's illustrations. Her auburn hair has metallic copper highlights swirled into her Gibson style pompadour. Her wings are bases on the Queen butterfly and are glazed in the same metallic copper. A tiny rhinestone glitters from the band around her neck.

Her companion is based on a cat belonging to the recipient but I have to admit that his facial expression reminds me more of my furry little helper, Angus, who is a brown tabby instead of a golden Bengal. In the foreground of their resting place are cut paper leaves that echoes the autumnal paper inside.

The box's sides are sponged with layers of copper and several metallic golds then wrapped with real black lace accented with more rhinestones.

In other news - This is the first batch of pictures from my new camera. I can already see some improvement in detail and I'm sure as I figure out the ins and outs of how it works I'll be able to offer better images of my work for your viewing.

The Sailing Moon

2007-11-12T15:09:00.000-06:00

This indigo haired mermaid has come up to the surface to get a better view of what appears to be the silvery crescent moon in her world, only to find a shimmering fairy sailboat with metallic silver sides and a mast made of a giant black narwhale horn.

Much of this box is pearlized when you see it in person. The sandy sides are layered with pearl and both the tiny boat and the mermaid's flesh and scales are accented in pearl. Her hair and the inside of the box are a deep indigo created with layers of midnight blue and royal purple. In her hair it is swirled with a metallic black.

My inspirations for this were my favorite fairy tale, The Little Mermaid (the old sad version), a print of John William Waterhouse's Miranda that hangs in my bedroom and the eventual recipient's love of sailing. She was originally intended to be a redhead like Miranda but at the last second she changed my mind.

Keep your eyes peeled for a very different companion piece to this one:)

Fairy Faces

2007-10-09T20:18:00.001-05:00

As a little update I went through and added detail pictures of the faces of most of the fairies. A few were not crisp enough to see but most turned out better than I expected. It was a fun walk down memory lane for me to see some of those tiny faces in detail. I also got to get a real appreciation for how much more sophisticated the more recent faces are.

Be sure to look back and get a fresh view of some of your favorites!

Also of note - Mermaid's Treasure, Tiny Sailor and Winged Serpent were pieces I was inspired to do that do not have owners. If you are interested in purchasing one of them please send me an e-mail.

Damsel Fairy

2007-10-09T14:16:00.000-05:00

This little lady is going to house a long treasured collection of baby teeth for giving back to a grown daughter. I think that is such a special idea. At some point I need to make a second tooth fairy box for my son to hold the teeth after his fairy takes them away.

The day I did her sketch I saw a bunch of electric blue damselflies darting around my garden. They were my inspiration for this windblown little fairy with her transparent wings.

Here face turned out particularly lovely IMO. I'm not sure why I haven't tried to include a detail of the faces before but here she is up close.

Harvest Fairy

2007-09-12T08:56:00.003-05:00

This fairy was a gift from mother to daughter. It started with the idea that its future owner liked retro colors. My original plan was to mix the harvest golds, oranges and avocado greens with a neoclassical design with the fairy in the center encircled by butterflies.

I'm sure in part because I was watching HBO's ROME at the time I was working on her she started to take on the form or a tiny Roman harvest goddess with her headdress of grain and draped gown embellished with drops of gold. Some stronger reds found there way into her color palette as well.

Her wings are patterned after the Field Crescent butterfly.

Fairy Day Question - What is the name of your favorite fairy queen (from stories, legends, google...wherever)? Tell me her name and something about her.

White Octopus

2007-09-12T08:42:00.000-05:00

This little box was made for a gift exchange I did with a group of friends in August. The box has a small glass fronted shadow box on top that contains a shell from Sanibel Island and crystal glass sand.

The octopus is one my favorite creatures. I did this one in white so he would really stand out from the tropical summer colors. One of my favorite images from a book called Archipelago is of a white octopus. Whenever I look at that picture I'm put in mind of a fairy creature of the sea.

It doesn't come through in the picture but the octopus' skin has an overlay of pearlescent glimmers.

Oracle Box

2007-07-30T12:14:00.000-05:00

This is a new item I came across. The top image is under glass. It can hold either a painting by me or a photograph. I made mine to hold a deck of Brian Fround's The Faeries' Oracle cards. The box would be perfect for any sort of fairy/angel/tarot/inspiration/motivation cards or for holding precious photographs.

One new detail on this box is that in addition to the cut paper I added fabric trim. The thin borders of red and gold are nicely dimensional. All the paper images are deconstructed from an illustrated fairytale page. The text lines the box while the border adorns the sides of the box. The top image is a painted fairy laid over a portion of the illustration.

The fairy herself comes from an earlier sketch for a lily fairy in the shape of a fleur-de-lys. She has been bugging me to paint her ever since. Oddly enough, in the original sketch I thought she was quite stately but her finished painting makes me think of her more as an acrobat or jester.

Happy Customer!

2007-07-30T12:08:00.000-05:00

I just had to share a great picture I received of one of my fairy box recipients enjoying her treasure box. A big thank you to Nancy for letting me share it.

If anyone else would like to share pictures of boxes with their owners I'd love to post them:)

And the Winner is...

2007-06-24T08:20:00.000-05:00

The winner of the Fairy Day Contest is Michelle.

Thank you so much to everyone who entered.

Happy Fairy Day to all.

Meeting the Queen

2007-06-22T12:05:00.001-05:00

This box is larger than the others I've posted so far, about recipe box size. I believe it is going to house perfumes in its new home.

On the top there are a few tiny details that don't come out in the photo. There are tiny crystals on the Butterfly Queen's crown and at the Fairy's waist. The Butterfly's eye is made of green glass beads.

The Butterfly Queen is a variety called Sara Orangetip. The Fairy's wings are based on the Gulf Fritillary.

The quote: "What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly." Is by author Richard Bach, a favorite of both mine and the owner.

The outside decorations are made of cut paper.

I wish we had some sunnier weather going on right now. The combination of my antique digital camera and cloudy days really robs the colors of vibrancy.

Fairy Day Contest

2007-06-19T17:17:00.000-05:00

In honor of Fairy Day on June 24th (and to build a mailing list:) I'm going to have a drawing to win a fairy magnet hand painted by me.

To enter just e-mail me through my profile with your name and e-mail address.

Here she is! Her wings are based on a butterfly called the Mourning Cloak.

Entries will be accepted until Midnight CST on the 23rd of June. I will draw and post a winner sometime on the 24th. Good luck

Garden of Stars

2007-06-12T13:00:00.001-05:00

I really love this box for a number of reasons.

It was fun to work with such a bright summer color palate. Most of the other tooth fairies have featured darker more nighttime color schemes.

I got to work with a new level of realism. The beagle required a little research on my part since Snoopy was the only beagle that I could picture. Then after having already painted the dog, my son and I were reading Insect World and I was inspired by a photo of a monarch butterfly. With the orange and yellow I knew this fairy needed those wings. I'm quite pleased with how they turned out. They are my favorite wings so far. (I want to find a book on butterflies now just for fairy wings.) Her face and hair turned out really beautifully too.

Because we see her relaxing during the day the star motif is turned into a garden of flowers. I loved the whimsy of her sitting in a summer garden of stars.

Another Comet Rider

2007-06-12T12:48:00.001-05:00

Here is a new version of the comet rider (I suspect comets are a popular method of transportation for busy tooth fairies). Actually I think the tooth fairy himself may be related to the owl rider I made for my son. Something in their expressions reminds me of each other.

Like the other, this comet glows in the dark. The rider is has a much different personality though. Obviously he is a daredevil to clamber around so casually on that speeding comet.

Tiny Orcas

2007-05-28T18:10:00.001-05:00

This orca ring box was done for Whitney at Northwest Orca Soaps. (Be sure to check her out. Her soaps, emu oil and skincare can't be beat.) She wanted the orca in it's natural colors but otherwise let me have fun with it.

On top the whale is framed in metallic gold with a background of blue glass marbles. The sides are done as sky on the lid and ocean on the base with the sunset in the left end fading to a night sky on the right. A small pod of whales is visible with the one on the night time side looking up at an evening star made of a tiny rhinestone.

My original plan was for the box to have a solid colored sides with some sort of ocean themed decoupage. The night I started working on it I had a dream about doing the seascape on the side and couldn't wait to paint it.

Football Fairy

2007-05-28T18:02:00.000-05:00

This little fairy flies in on a football to join his two brothers with the soccer ball and baseball (see Sports Fairies). I have to say I really love orange. It's such a fun color.

Miniature Portrait

2007-05-24T12:10:00.000-05:00

I was talking with a few ladies last night who expressed interest in seeing a miniature portrait I did. This is painted in gouache. The size is 1 5/8" x 2". It was painted from a sketch of my husband 6-8 years ago.

Celestial Gargoyle

2007-05-22T17:24:00.001-05:00

This gargoyle was a commission for a long time friend. We share a liking for darker images so this was very fun to do for her. I especially like the combination of the beastie with the more traditionally "pretty" celestial themes.

The gargoyle grasps a glowing moon of metallic gold. The gold also reflects from the gargoyle's stony flesh. Its eye is an amethyst rhinestone reflecting the iolite inspired shade of the box's sides which are a lilac base with a transparent cobalt glaze over top. The gargoyle itself is recessed into a crystal star field of glass.

Inside the top and bottom contain star charts of the constellations Perseus and Aquila. I've been waiting for a chance to use them as a more grown-up variation on the star papers I usually use.

Books give you wings...

2007-05-16T14:17:00.000-05:00

I love imagining all the different ways those tiny tooth fairies get around. In fact when I start a new one my son always has to check it out to see how the new fairy is going to travel. This little fellow will be collecting teeth for a book lover. He uses his favorite book as a magic carpet to travel the night sky.

You can fly...

2007-05-06T11:44:00.000-05:00

This jewelry box is for a little girl who loves Peter Pan. Just like the lack of fairies for boys Peter is hard to come by in a girly design.

Little Tinkerbell is surrounded by a cloud of pixie dust and when the lights go out she will glow in the dark. The sides of the box are covered in pixie dust as well.

Mermaid's Treasure

2007-05-03T07:40:00.000-05:00

My husband says this mermaid reminds him of Cate Blanchett. I think it is the nose, and the fact that he just watched Lord of the Rings.

The green inside glows with iridescent sparkles. The top and bottom are lined with a trompe l'oeil bed of seashells and crystal sand. In the center of the bottom sits one real shell waiting to cradle a precious tooth.

Tiny Sailor

2007-05-02T10:12:00.000-05:00

Once I get relocated and settled I want to try and find a boutique interested in carrying my work. To that end I'm trying to make up different designs the come to me. Eventually, I see a child's name added as the name of the fairy's ship.

Winged Serpent

2007-05-02T09:59:00.000-05:00

A departure from the tooth fairy, I had storing sample vials of perfume in mind when I designed this one. It could be used for any sort of trinket though.

The ouroborus, or serpent swallowing it's own tail, has been used in many cultures as a symbol of the cyclical nature of the universe. It is more typically depicted as a circle. Because of the shape of the box I was working with mine has twisted itself into a symbol for infinity.

The box is actually a very dark green outside and black inside. The snake is surrounded by a bed of bronze and copper glass marbles. I'd like to revisit this design in red and gold.

Somewhere my high school year book contains a picture of "pega-snake" drawn by a friend of mine.

Swan Princess

2007-05-02T08:42:00.000-05:00

The image of a chained & crowned swan usually denotes an enchanted princesses in stories.

There are quite a few little details the pictures cannot show. The swan one has a tiny tooth as a pendant on her chain and a minuscule diamond (rhinestone) on her crown. Her feathers and her fairy rider's wings also have an iridescent paint called liquid jewels. The stars are metallic on a very dimensional paper.

Sports Fairies

2007-05-02T08:17:00.000-05:00

These little guys are so fun! My husband was wishing he was still expecting a visit from the tooth fairy.

They are also my first commission. Sixteen years after getting my B.F.A. I'm going to try actually making a career out of my art. Humorously enough doing the sort of thing that the university thought wasn't worthwhile. (Not enough social relevance in fairies.)

A big thank you to my friend Leila for the pictures she took. It was a big help and I learned a few things about howto go about it so I may be able to get decent pictures with my own camera.

Comet Rider

2007-05-02T08:03:00.000-05:00

I loved the sketch for this little comet rider. She didn't turn out quite like I imagined her though. I think her hair should have been lighter, almost white and her shoes a different color. Maybe some day I'll do another version of her.

She was donated to a silent auction to raise money for my son's school. I'm not sure who has her but I hope she is loved. Her new owner has a surprise in store. When the lights are off the star and the comet's tail glow in the dark.

Where is all began...

2007-05-02T04:37:00.000-05:00

After a futile search for a tooth fairy box for my son (very little around with fairy art for boys) I decided to just make what I had envisioned. Here is that first result. When he saw it he was literally speechless.