This Octopus Has 12 Legs!

Lily Conquers Seamus

"Giant Cat Attacks Sealing Ship"

We opened the gallery early  this year because we've had so many visit requests. It has been wonderful to meet so many new people! Thank you to Krista and her sister who visited last Thursday and drove all the way out in the freezing rain! You are superstars!! SHE is having a difficult time remembering that we now have to keep the gallery door closed and this morning I found all 6 hairy monsters having a party on the sculptures. I couldn't find Lily until I heard a banging sound, noticed the octopus knocking against the wall and saw Wee Lilly having a hoot-a-nanny, swinging from the chandelier.

(SHE just asked me who the 6th hairy monster was......we only have 5 cats....um........ahhh....hmmmmm?)

The New Founde Chocolate Lande Mural is UP !!!!!!

Yesterday, we went to St. John's for the unvieling of my mural! I was so excited and it was FABULOUS to see it all put together for the first time! Hooray!!

Thank you to all of the darlings who came out to celebrate despite the wicked weather and freezing wind. You are shining stars! Brent and Christina from the Newfoundland Chocolate Company are the BEST and you MUST pop into the store if ever you are strolling by for the most delicious, creative, chocolate goodies since time began! NomNomNom!!!

So, now ends the saga of Muriel the Mural...on to the next project!!

Images: New Founde Chocolate Lande Mural by Cara Kansala

20 feet x 16 feet

SENIOR SQUISSAGE SAVES THE DAY !!!!!!

I have never blogged twice in one day but today has been exceptionally odd! I am not allowed to have my own set of keys as I always lose them. Because of this, I often lock myself out of the house. Because of this, we don't have screens on our windows anymore. Today, I had to go to the animal hospital while SHE was in town. I accidentally locked myself out, and my Darling Senior Squissage had to save the day by crawling in the window, on top of the fruit bowl, across the cutting board, over the dish tray, around the set of Chinese knives, over the counter and unlocking the door. HE was not impressed when I asked him to hold this pose while I snapped my picture. I think he was concerned that he was not wearing his good shoes for the photograph. I will not judge....all super heroes have their quirks.
Thank you, my darling for saving the day!!!!
Wait 'til SHE gets home....She won't even care about the octopus on the bathroom door when She hears that I locked myself out again! Hooray!!!!!

Because a Door is not a Wall..........

Farewell Muriel!

"Because a door is not a wall...."

"New Garden on the GREEN wall"... um...SHE said white walls, so technically, I should not be in any trouble!

This morning, a big, white delivery van came and picked up Muriel, "The Mural". Such a huge part of my winter work and now it is gone. After that, SHE poodled off to St. John's to make deliveries and run errands. I was feeling kinda blue and  missing Muriel, so I painted a new octopus on the back of the bathroom door (Since She renovated the kitchen, She said that I am not allowed to paint any more pictures on the walls and that all white walls, must stay white. In my opinion, I should not get into any trouble when She gets home because a door is not a wall. A door is a door. I will keep you posted on whether or not She thinks a door is a wall and I may be requesting back-up support.
Now, I am back to my Runic alphabet and Viking costumes, enjoying the sunny day and drinking a very strong cup of coffee(which I am not allowed to have after 11am, but again, SHE is not here!) NomNomNom! All in a days quirk!

Feed a Fever, Feed a Cold?

Gretel Guarding Her Tribe of "Forest Turtles" During Our Walk

Vikings and Anvils and Puffins, oh my! I am currently working on a project for the Parks Canada, L'Anse aux Meadow site and am having a great time learning all about Vikings. My contract is to  create the illustrations for an activity/colouring book and I am loving it. It is VERY weird not using my paints and every colour in the rainbow, but I found my best pencils and markers and am plodding along quite happily. SHE is busy carving stacks of work for me to paint when I am done and is nursing the bed ridden friends.


"Bowl...no thanks...the tin is a built-in bowl.NomNomNom"

The Wee Italian is still having trouble with the language and misunderstood the phrase "Feed a fever, Starve a cold" as "Feed a fever, Feed a Cold" . He has been eating us out of house and home...we don't even have time to get the food out of the tins. Mio Dio! Lily and BooBoo will hopefully be coming home from the hospital tomorrow. SHE is busy blowing up balloons and making signs for their homecoming. You think I am kidding. Nope.

Sinus Up...Hula Lessons for 6!

"He Lost Her Then He Found-er" by Cara Kansala*Acrylic on Canvas

"Lily at the hospital"

It seems that the stress of the kitchen renovations caused the 5 friends to get the cat flu. Any changes at all in their daily routines tosses them right over the edge. They must take after me. I can't cope with the gorgeous, new kitchen either and have a cold of my own. I have hit my head on the new light 200 times and have walked into the island that didn't used to be there more times than I can count. Poor SHE. She says that She is going to ship the 6 of us off to Hawaii when She starts working on the bedroom. The 6 of us think that is great and are packing up our bikinis as I type. (Booboo wears a one-piece as she is self-consious about her "fluffiness".

Senior Squissage and Pinky Darling are coming tonight for the lamb dinner and a card tournament. I hope THEY don't hit their heads on the new light, get stressed out and start sneezing.....there is only so much a girl can take!

P.S. Everyone at the Baccalieu Trail Animal Hospital is absolutely fabulous! Shining stars!

And the "Follower" of the Month IS.........

"Night Visitors" by Cara Kansala 2011 Acrylic on Canvas

"Urve Manuel"

Urve, if you would like to send us your mailing address, we'd love to send you one of our T-shirts and an artcard pack!!!

So many iceberg projects this spring! I hope, I hope, I HOPE, we will get some this year. Giant, snowy monsters!! Three years ago, we had a huge one (I named him Harold) parked right in front of our house for a week. I wanted to climb aboard but SHE said it was very dangerous and I was forbidden. Too bad, because who knows where I'd be by now? I could have floated south or ended up stranded on a quirky island somewhere......OH, I forgot, I AM!

Our Tuscan Miracle

Above: Just Before the Tuscan Dinner....hammers and saws and paint put away with seconds to spare...a Tuscan miracle!
The kitchen was plumbed and everything was done in the nick of time. SHE did a super job with the kitchen renovation and everthing was sparkly and lovely, ready for our guests to arrive!

Above: Just After the Tuscan Dinner (note the 20 million dirty plates and the gazillion empty bottles of vino!)

Above: A few of the culprits (3 of my Darlings)

Above: The only one who offered to help with the dishes. (I had to bribe him with treats and leftover anitpasta and  it worked, though he broke 3 wine glasses and poured a bowl of capers down the drain.)

That Sinking Feeling......

"The Outer Battery" 2011 by Cara Kansala * painted canvas

Another crazy week! The mural is done and all wrapped up, ready for installation and the gallery is back to "normal". Now the kitchen is in slings because SHE decided to give me a complete kitchen renovation for my birthday. All new cupboards, a new stove, a new island....and best of all, a new sink from Ikea! She had it shipped to our tiny house all the way from Toronto. Shining stars indeed!

It is all installed, but we have no water. YET. She promises the good stuff will be flowing from the nifty Ikea taps by bedtime. I sure hope so. We are hosting a Tuscan dinner tomorrow night for 10 of our darlings. If the sink isn't plumbed, I will have to wash the dishes in the bathroom sink or send them over to the The Squissage. If we don't have water, we'll have to drink wine, but somehow, we'll endure.....we're a tough lot!

Seeing Stars!

Every morning, the Wee Italian leads the morning sunrise ceremony, they do their yoga, have their porridge and take to their beds. Incredibly independent.



If I had to bet a million dollars, I would safely say that I am the only person in North America, if not the Free World, to have smashed their noggin on a giant octopus yesterday. SHE thought it would be a good idea to hang it in front of the wood stove. I am still seeing stars. STARS!

On Friday, the sun shone and it felt like spring! We had our first studio visit of the season (we are now open!) and  heard our first ever soprano rendition of  "I's The B'y". Visitors who sing are the tops!

Last night, in a frantic painting frenzy, I squeezed out a palette-full of paint onto my Best-Ever-Palette-From-Italy-Since-Time-Began palette, without covering it Saran Wrap. SHE said not to worry, we would go and get a new one. Sometimes, She can be a star.

SOMETIMES.

The other night, we pulled into the driveway from grocery shopping and I said "Don't forget to take the turkey out of the car" and SHE said "Well, I don't see why you can't get out by yourself."