Leap Day Giveaway!

Happy Leap Day to you!
I'm announcing a new giveaway to make your February 29 even more special.

9x12" watercolor on paper, mounted

{ Purchase the original painting here. }

You've been watching me paint this pretty little shepherdess and woolly ram for a while now...

(click each image to read the corresponding post)

I was so excited to have a bit of time between other projects this past weekend to finish it!

These Rough Fell Rams are so beautiful with their soft thick coats and dark, almost invisible eyes.  I knew when I first cracked the spine of this book and laid eyes on them that they'd make for a beautiful watercolor painting.  The Rough Fell are tough British sheep (with lovely accents, I'm sure) and are bred mainly for meat, but are also cross-bred due to their ability to endure harsh environments and terrain.  I like to think their shepherdess carries an equal measure of beauty and toughness.

Typically, her attachments to the sheep were kept strictly at bay.  After all, raising them for meat in the foothills of northern England was her family business.  But she could restrain her affection no longer for one sheep in particular who, even in his lamb-hood, insisted on being by her side every waking (and sometimes sleeping) hour.  Instead of lounging in the tall grass with the others of his kind, he'd follow her through the hills and lay by her side as she'd find a spot to read by the gentle sea.  She finally caved to his loyalty and, as a symbol of their friendship, tore a portion of her favorite red sash to tie around his neck in a bow (which pleased him very much).

{ story and painting inspired by the Biblical story of David, which you can read more about here or here. }

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Have you noticed I haven't named the painting yet?

As a way to express my appreciation to you, my loyal readers, I'm wanting to give a 9x12" print of this painting away for free to one lucky winner.

Here's how to enter:

- in the comments section below, write as many titles for this painting as you can come up with
{ You can leave multiple titles at a time.  Each title will be counted! }

- one title will get you in the running

- the more titles you can think of, the better your chances are of winning

- include your name and email address

- and visit here again in ONE WEEK to see what title I've chosen
{ You can now enter on Facebook!  Click here! }

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Here's how to leave a comment if you don't have a blogger account:
-Click the "comment" button below today's post
-Type your comment in the box.
-Include the title you've come up with, your name, and your email address
-click the "Anonymous" button below the box
-click "Publish Your Comment"

{ Winning title will be chosen by me, Michelle Schneider, and announced on March 8, 2012.

The giveaway will officially end March 7 at 12:00 am CST.

Any comments posted after that time will not be counted toward the prize. }

Good luck!