Happy Lunar New Year: Gathering the Menagerie! 🏮🐎✨

 

To celebrate the dawn of 2026, I’ve gathered the whole family for a special New Year’s portrait. At the center sits "Kindling the New Year," the Fire Horse, acting as the heart and hearth for all his companions.

Surrounded by the atmospheric clouds of "The Indigo Ignis," the sweet gaze of "Velvet & Vice Versa," and the rest of the crew, it feels like a complete little world has come to life. There is a specific magic in seeing the fiery warmth of the Horse grounded by the presence of his friends. 🔥

Can you spot them all? > From the rainbow eyes of "The Opal Ouroboros" to the lucky blush of "The Blush of Bounty," each animal represents a different energy for the journey ahead.

💬 Which energy are you carrying with you into the spring? 🐉🐍🐰🐷🐎

Wishing you a 2026 full of spirit, strength, and unbridled passion. May your red envelopes be heavy and your hearts even fuller! 🧧✨

Zodiac Crossroads: The Indigo Ignis 🐉✨

 

In my world, legends often overlap. While we prepare to gallop into the Year of the Fire Horse, I couldn’t leave out this celestial guardian.

Meet "The Indigo Ignis," a Western cousin to the Lunar Dragon. I’ve always felt he stands as a sentry in that space between worlds—a reminder that magic doesn’t have borders and exists in every culture.

Perched atop his rocky lookout and wreathed in clouds, his gaze is fixed on the horizon where the new year is beginning to glow. With his deep blue scales and purple accents, he’s the perfect companion for those who walk between the worlds of myth and reality. ☁️💜

✨ The Details ✨

Title: The Indigo Ignis

Medium: Original acrylic painting on panel.

Size: 8" x 10"

Presentation: Unframed, but painted in a standard size so you can easily choose a frame that suits your own sanctuary.

🏠 Availability: This original guardian is available for adoption! Please DM me directly for details if this indigo dragon needs to watch over your collection.

Shifting the Gaze: The Opal Ouroboros 🐍✨

 

Shifting the Gaze: The Opal Ouroboros 🐍✨

I hope your yesterday was filled with sweetness, light, and perhaps a touch of mystery. 🌸 As the Valentine’s embers settle, I’m shifting my gaze toward the horizon.

We are just two days away from the Year of the Fire Horse! To bridge the gap between these two powerful energies, I wanted to share "The Opal Ouroboros." 

This light purple snake isn’t just a study in lavender scales; it’s a portal of prismatic color. With rainbow eyes that capture the full spectrum of the light, this piece represents the infinite cycles of growth and the wisdom we carry from one year into the next. 🌈🔮

✨ The Details ✨

Title: The Opal Ouroboros

Medium: Original oil painting on a cradled wood panel.

Size: 7" x 5"

Features: The edges feature beautiful, natural unpainted wood for a clean, modern, and organic finish.

🏠 Availability: This original study is available for adoption! Please DM me directly for details if this sweet messenger needs to join your collection.

Who else is ready for the high energy and "Hearth" of the New Year? 🔥🐎

An eye for an eye... 👁️🎨

 

They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, so I’ve turned this heart-shaped panel into a portal. 🐈‍⬛🖤

Having a little "peek-a-boo" moment with Meow-mento Mori. With the crochet kitty ears, I think I’ve officially merged with my art! This piece is for the Valentines who prefer a side of mystery and a dash of the macabre with their sweetness. 🥀✨

Whether your heart beats for the cute, the creepy, or the "big-eyed" in between, I hope your day is full of love and a little bit of magic.

🏠 Adoption Update: Meow-mento Mori is still looking for a heart to call home! DM me if you’re ready to let this feline femme watch over your gallery wall.

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! 🖤🐈‍⬛🌹

The Grace of the Cycle: Velvet & Vice Versa 🐰✨

 

Continuing my countdown to the Lunar New Year! After the bounty of the Pig, we move to the elegance of the Year of the Rabbit. 

I have an endless soft spot for the "fluff and roundness" of bunnies, and this lop-eared darling is no exception. In the Zodiac, the Rabbit represents mercy, elegance, and a quiet beauty—traits I tried to capture in this soulful gaze. I especially love the "Double Dot" on the side of that tiny pink nose; a little mark of unique personality!

✨ The Details ✨

Title: Velvet & Vice Versa

Medium: Original oil painting on a cradled basswood panel.

Size: 4" x 4" square (7/8" depth).

Features: The edges feature the beautiful, natural unpainted wood of the panel for a clean, modern look.

🏠 Availability: This original study in fluff is available for adoption! Please DM me directly for details if this Rabbit needs to hop home to you.

Peony & Pudge Take the Lead: The Blush of Bounty 🌸🐷

 

In the lead-up to the Lunar New Year, I’m sharing a few of my favorite Zodiac animal studies. First up is "The Blush of Bounty," my blue-eyed pig of good fortune.

In many traditions, the Pig represents abundance and a kind heart. I wanted to capture that sweetness with soft pink textures and a gaze that feels both curious and lucky.

🎨 The Details:

Medium: Original acrylic painting on panel.

Size: 7" x 5" (Standard size).

The Frame: Comes with a complimentary frame, but because it’s a standard size, you can easily swap it out to suit your own decor!

🏠 Availability: This little piggie is currently looking for a home! Please DM me directly for adoption details if you need a touch of bounty on your walls.

Sketching out a little bit of magic... 🍀✨

 

I’m currently in the graphite phase for "Emerald & Ember," my St. Patrick’s Day "girl next door." I wanted to capture a look that is sweet, soulful, and just a little bit lucky.

Even in this rough pencil stage, those signature big eyes are already starting to tell a story. It’s a lot of lines and erasures right now, but the soul of the piece is there. She’ll be getting a few shamrocks of her own before I move her to the easel.

I can’t wait to bring her to life with those deep emerald eyes and fiery red tones! Stay tuned to see her transition from lead to oil. 🎨🧡💚

A Tiny Tide of Love 🌊💙

 

January was for the birds, but February is for the heart. My #Birbfest inspired piece, "Waddle You Be Mine?", is a beautiful bit of both! 🐧❤️

These two Little Blue Penguins (also known as Fairy Penguins, Eudyptula minor) are linked wing-in-wing on this heart-shaped panel. She seems to be saying, "Look at this, my love," while he replies, "I only have eyes for you." Though they are the smallest penguins in the world, these two clearly have enough love to fill the ocean. 🐧✨

💖 The Canvas: This oil painting is brought to life on a "Candy Heart" shaped wood panel (8" x 8.5" with an inner dimension of 6" x 6.5"). Crafted from 1/2" thick Baltic Birch, it features a keyhole in the back for easy hanging—no additional frame needed! I’ve left the edges as beautiful, unpainted natural wood.

🏠 Availability: This original piece is available for adoption! Please DM me directly for details if you’d like the tide to bring these two home to you in time for Valentine's Day. 🌊

Day 31 of #Birbfest2026: The Grand Finale 🦚✨

 

To close out a month of feathers, fluff, and fire, I’m bringing out a personal favorite for the final gallery guest.

Meet "A Fanfare of Feathers." Whether you know them as the Indian Peafowl or the Peacock (Pavo cristatus), they are the ultimate showstoppers of the avian world. After a month spent capturing "Cerulean Spite" and "Tiny Despots," it felt only right to end with this celebration of intricate beauty, color, and pride.

This is a subject I hope to visit again in the future—there is just so much magic in those "eyes" of the train. 🎨

Thank you for joining me on this January #Birbfest journey! From tiny mountain bluebirds to this sprawling fanfare, it’s been a wild, winged ride.

💬 I’d love to know: Which bird was your favorite guest in the gallery this month? 🦅👇

Hosted by @monkeymintaka @birbfest.challenge

Day 28 of #Birbfest2026: Bringing a Tiny Tide of Love 🌊💙

 

Meet "Waddle You Be Mine?"—my final new concept for the January Birbfest challenge.

These two Little Blue Penguins (also known as Fairy Penguins, Eudyptula minor) are still finding their way onto this heart-shaped panel, wing-in-wing. The Little Penguin is the smallest penguin in the world, proving that sometimes the smallest birds carry the biggest hearts. 🐧✨

🎨 The Process: I’m taking my time with this piece to ensure every indigo feather and every bit of their connection feels just right. Currently, the lineart has been transferred and the outer edge is painted.

💖 The Canvas: This work-in-progress is being brought to life on a "Candy Heart" shaped wood panel (8" x 8.5"). Crafted from 1/2" thick Baltic Birch, it features a keyhole in the back for easy hanging once the tide finally brings them home!

Hosted by @monkeymintaka @birbfest.challenge