Why would a muralist paint a bumble bee in nearly all her murals? The story behind this question began over fifteen years ago. While I was busy getting word out that I had a passion for painting murals I also needed an income. My graphic design background came in handy.

One day while meeting with a desktop publishing client who was also a friend I took a phone call from a woman inquiring about my murals. Normally I would not take a call while with a client but we had pretty much finished and he insisted. During the course of that conversation the woman asked if I had formal training for what I do. My response was, “No, I’m self-taught” and she didn’t have a problem with that. After finishing the conversation I hung up the phone and commented to my friend, “Wow, at one time in my life I would have been embarrassed to say I had no formal training for painting murals.”

My friend responded with this question, “Oh, kind of like a bumble bee, huh?” I said, “What do you mean?” He answered, “Well, aerodynamically a bumble bee should not be able to fly but somehow he does.” Since that moment I began painting a bumble bee in nearly all my murals as a reminder to follow my dreams no matter what.

Quite often a client will ask if I will paint a bee in their mural. On the few occasions when I have forgotten I usually get a phone call saying they can’t find the bee. I always go back to add the bee.

When I began designing greeting cards I decided to do a series of Happy Bumble Bees. Tennis is one of my favorite sports so I painted this frisky little tennis bee. This Tennis Bumble Bee print makes a great gift. He comes in a bright yellow mat measuring 8″ x 8″ to the outside of the mat. Inside dimensions are 4″ x 4″. Custom framing is available.

Tennis bumble bee, 4" x 4" matted. Fits an 8" x 8" frame.

Well thought out gifts are nearly always appreciated. A great stocking stuffer for a tennis fan might be a box of eight Tennis note cards. You never know when you might need to send a card to a fellow team mate or just someone you know enjoys tennis. Little things like a hand written note can make a person feel very special especially if you can tie it in to something they enjoy.

"Bee Courageous" Tennis Note Card, 5" x 4.25" Box of Eight $15

We are happy to drop ship your orders to those on your gift buying list. And for those really “difficult to buy for people” on your Christmas list, consider a Gift Certificate.

Hope you are enjoying the Holiday Season!

Painting birds has always brought me joy and cardinals are certainly one of my favorite birds. Adding them to murals has always been fun, especially in Colorado since they don’t live here. I find people from the midwest usually miss seeing them and they have actually asked me to add them to their murals.

Two little things I miss living in Colorado,  besides family and friends, are cardinals and lightning bugs (fireflies). Not having investigated it, I’m wondering if it is the altitude that keeps them away. I must admit creating this painting made me a bit homesick for family – well, it is that time of year.

The cardinal is the state bird of Indiana, where I grew up. It also is the state bird of Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina. Let me know if that’s way more information than you needed.

When deciding on a setting for the cardinals I immediately envisioned snow and then the pine trees to add more color and textual interest. You seldom miss seeing the beautiful red of the male cardinal in the snow covered trees in the midwest during the winter.

This is the original painting which measures 8.5″ x 6.5″.

Snow Covered Cardinals in Watercolor

My new Christmas card for 2009 is from this painting. Some cropping was done so the birds could be as large as possible, hope you enjoy it. The cards come in boxes of ten with a bright red loop around it. The price is $15 for a box of ten cards. Christmas cards are available from my website, the Snow Covered Cardinals should be up soon.

Snow Covered Cardinals, New 2009 Christmas Card

Testimonial:

Hi Mickey,

I’m very pleased with the cards.  The ones for Tanya were for my daughter and I was able to get them to her by her birthday on the 11th .  She loves them.
Thank you and I will definitely keep your information for future orders for myself and gifts.  They make such nice gifts.

Jan H

Have you ever had guests so incredible that you were sad to see them go? Well, I have. Here is an idea for a few words to put into your thank you note to them.

Dear  . . .

It was such a treat having you here. Having someone take over the kitchen and do the cooking and the clean-up was divine. It felt as though I were the one on vacation. Great friends and delicious food . . .  who could ask for more. Thank you so much for staying with us while you were in Colorado. We so look forward to your return, soon.

Love to you both,

My guests happen to love Colorado so this fine art note card would be a good choice for them.

#140 Secluded Aspens Box of ten $15

Does receiving a hand written note make you feel special? Are you impressed by someone who would take the time to physically write you note? Well I’ve heard from different sources that hand written cards are making a come back!

Recently I had a coach tell me how she encourages here clients to send hand written cards. Although it is always nice to receive any card in the mail it makes me feel very special if someone actually takes a few minutes to write me a note.

Here is an article on hand written thank you notes by Fast Company, they actually use them in-house to boost moral. If they can boost the moral or fellow employees, imagine how a close friends and business associates will feel.

Below is one of my Colorado greeting cards appropriate for a man or a woman. It fits a business size envelope, convenient for enclosing a contract or check. This card may be purchased from my website for $4.95 each or you can order a box of eight for $15 by emailing me at mickey@artisticvoyage.com.

The original painting was a commissioned piece and measures 40″ tall and 30″ wide. Upon completion of the original artwork my client asked if I could add his Jack Russel Terrier to his painting. That is one of the fun things about what I do. A painting can be made very personal to each client. Giclees of this painting are available for purchase from my website.

This is an idea for writing a thank you note to someone who has just given a presentation to your organization.

“Dear . . .

Thank you for your recent presentation to our networking group. Your views on business and outsourcing were timely and informative. The audience was totally engaged. We look forward to having you back in the future. “

#250 Secluded Aspen Grove greeting card. Beautiful Colorado Scene