Etsy Finds - Marine Edition!

I love things that have to do with the sea. I love the sounds and smells of the ocean and visiting all sorts of shores and beaches. One of my favorite activities is snorkeling - in my opinion the best way to experience the wonders of marine life. So, this week I am featuring some of my favorite Etsy listings from under (or close to!) the sea.

Starfish and Pearl Necklace

I love this delicate little necklace in blustarfruit's shop featuring a starfish and two little pearls.



Tide Pool

Isn't this print fun?! I swear I can just hear the bubbles well, bubbling on up when I look at this adorable painting by HollyvisionArt. Definitely go check out the shop - there are tons of adorable, fun, whimsical paintings!



Lifeguard Tower

This photo from AlisonTravels really caught my eye. I think the colors are extraordinary and I remember seeing those beat up Long Beach lifeguard towers.



Suzy the Blue Octopus

This makes me smile! She's called Suzy and was knit by AracneForKids. What a darling little toy for a baby!



I hope you enjoyed this week's features!

New Section of Tiny Paintings!

After lots of positive feedback from this post and asking around on the Etsy forums, I decided to list the little tiny paintings in a Brand New Etsy Section on BrazilianCanvas.

So far I have listed 3 little guys.

Here is "Mountain Path."



Next is "Cottage Reflection." I love the detail in this one!



Finally, one of my favorites, "Wheatfield."



I hope you enjoy these little Mini Originals as much as I've been!

Left Behind

This poor painting is getting left behind in Etsy views, so I want to give it a little love!




This piece is titled "Neuvas da Manha" in Portuguese, or Morning Fog. Reg kept explaining to me his "perspecTIVE" while we looked over this painting. He showed me where the light would be coming from and how he made it realistic with the light and shadows.

While I photographed, he pointed out how he carefully painted the light so it danced on the trees and rocks, and created shadows to portray the morning sun just rising up over the mountains.

I love the waterfall as a focal point - I can almost feel the cool mountain water running over the rocks, not quite in the sunlight just yet. It's still cold and un-tame this time of day, before the sunlight warms and brightens it up. Gives me a little chill, I must admit.



The fog is lifting and soon it will be a bright and beautiful day, but this is a special moment. This is the moment where the shadows have not yet retreated, and the eerie fog has not quite risen. I think the painting captures that special moment where the morning light is sacred, almost not of this world.

I hope you enjoy this work as much as I do!

Real Life Etsy!

I got out of the cold for a few days and spent this past weekend in Laguna Beach, California. This adorable little seaside town just south of Los Angeles is full of quaint little art shops, galleries, decor stores, vintage shops, and cute restaurants. I had a great time wandering around the streets, thinking Laguna Beach was like a real life Etsy! There were arts and crafts of all shapes, sizes, and designs. It's a beautiful setting for some very inspiring pieces!

This window display was in a store full of little hand-painted Russian nesting dolls. There were dolls of all designs and sizes, including this owl display.



This was the studio gallery of artist Wyland, who is famous for his marine life art and whale walls. His work is quite beautiful!



This gallery had a nice variety of paintings.



I especially enjoyed this artist's work. Argentine painter Fabian Perez. I found his art to be very passionate.



This adorable little restaurant courtyard caught my eye. This kind of outdoor space is very popular in the area. Many patios and courtyards also have nooks with chairs surrounding pretty little fire pits.



This little home decor shop had so many whimsical pieces for your place! I especially enjoyed the garden inspired items.



Laguna Beach is a lovely place to visit, and is especially nice for those that appreciate arts, boutique shops, and creative stores and restaurants. As a bonus, you can't beat the scenery, with the beautiful blue Pacific crashing in the background.