Happy Autumn--enjoy this painting!

[Ginny Nightingale]

The fall colors are really getting pretty in my neck of the woods and I thought I would share this painting with all of you--the back story is that an old friend of mine, Bonnie White, is a folk artist who has recently done very well and a lot of her paintings are now being made into puzzles and notecards by a big company. She even painted  an ornament for the White House tree and has won numerous awards. When she was first starting out though, she would paint your house in the folk art style for a very reasonable price.

 My husband commissioned her to paint our house, built in 1790, and she put our family members and even the dog into the painting in period costumes. My older daughter (now a vet) was running a sheep farm at the time, so she has the sheep. My son is riding the bike and DH is splitting wood, something he actually likes to do! The other daughter was a photography major in college, so is pictured with an old-fashioned camera. I make teddy bears, so I have one in my hands. The dog is our now deceased Wheaten terrier, Louie. This image of painting was sold to a puzzle company with our permission, so i got the scan of it to share with everyone and I also made my own cards with the image.

If you look closely at the background, you will see my hubby's observatory--he has a teloscope and he made a small building for it with a roll-off roof--putting it in the painting was his idea, of course!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

This is really neat. Love it! You are very lucky and I love artwork that is unique and means something special.

[Deanna & Desi & Cori]

This is so cool!!  What a treasure to be able to pass on to future generations.

[Ginny Nightingale]

Finally got a chance to take a picture of the house as it is now--not too much change, but the trim is the same color as the house and everyone says it makes it look more authentically antique! The roof is new too---the work never ends!

 

 

[Rose Ann and Amante]

How Awesome!! What  treasure!

[susan kaput]

Absolutely love it.  I live in a very old house also (@ 1750), and you're right - endless upkeep.  I really like the way she incorporated all your family's interests, especially the dog, in the painting.  What an heirloom.  I'd love to get the puzzle of it - what puzzle company makes it?

[Ginny Nightingale]

Not sure if they still carry it, but the puzzle was part of a three puzzle set by Bits and Pieces--they have a website and the puzzle would be listed under the artist's name Bonnie White. She now sells Calendars thru a  company called Lagacy and another company carries her puzzles, but I am not sure what that company is called.I have a link to her website in one of my replies in this discussion and that should tell you.

Here is a link to a company that has SOME of her puzzles--but if you google it, lots of her puzzles come up!

hhttp://www.masterpiecesinc.com/Departments/Puzzles/500pc--plus--Pu...

[Pam and Ginger Snap]

Is that really your view? and do you have a creek?  What a WONDERFUL place to raise puppies!!  That picture might be on Antique Roadshow one day.  You should take a pic of the artist and attach an explanation on the back.  Way cool!!!

 

 

[Ginny Nightingale]

Ha! Good idea, Pam! That WAS the view back in the late 1800's when they raised sheep on the hill, but I doubt it was that pretty--probably just grass and mud--artistic license is what I think you would call it...Now it is all trees. And we do live on a creek--the same creek that went over it's banks two months ago and took out our driveway during Tropical Storm Irene. Luckily, the house is about 30 feet higher then the stream so water gets into the basement, but not the house--at least, not yet. Lots of houses as old as ours and as far above the water were totally flooded in Vermont and the Catskill Mts of NY just 50 -100 miles from us, so i am grateful!

It is picturesque, though and I think that the new puppy owners get a kick out of the setting when they come to meet the puppies--kind of like the old song "Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house we go...." 

[Megann Eichner]

Wow!  this is gorgeous!

[Ellen, Brûlée, and Tira]

You are so fortunate to live in such a beautiful home...with such an interesting family surrounding you. Folk art reaches right into my heart, and your friend is similar in style and subject matter to a favorite of mine, Kevin Dodds. Did Bonnie add the "modern " bike as a signature of her paintings? Could you possibly post a picture of your home, taken from a similar angle? It would be interesting, as the season matches that in the painting.

What an unusual treasure you have in your family. Thanks for sharing with us Doodlers!

[Ellen, Brûlée, and Tira]

Oops! Sorry, I missed your photo! Your home is charming, Ginny!