The Funky Fairy Shoppe Logo

This is my newest graphic design job. It's a logo I created for The Funky Fairy Shoppe.

First Friday: December 5th

I stopped by The Artist's Tree yesterday & now I'm going to be a part of First Friday on December 5th. There will be a lot of other local artists there as well. First Friday is an event where all the galleries in downtown Spokane are open in the evening...there's usually food & beverages & folks wonder from gallery to gallery. This will kick off the holiday shopping season so come by, say hi & buy local this year!

The Artist's Tree Gallery is located at 828 W. Sprague Avenue, Downtown Spokane, WA, across the street from the Davenport Hotel.

Featured In Newsletter!

The wonderful folks at Reaching Out thought that my story would be inspirational for others so they did a feature article on me & my art & put it on their front page! Their newsletter gets placed in doctors offices & emailed all over the world, so I'm pretty thrilled & honored that they would do this!

From the Reaching Out Newsletter:

"Karmen Naccarato, one of our awesome Outties, just had an amazing thing happen. I want to share her words so you can understand what a great thing this is for her & her fight with FM/CFS/ME:

The series is titled, "New Beginnings". The images are based on my own personal experience of being diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) & Fibromyalgia (FM)...finding the courage to live with it.... and after 8 years, regaining enough wellness to finally feel alive again. Rather than focusing on the difficult times and dealing with the challenges of living with CFS & FM, I chose to focus on courage, hope and the power of positive thinking. The creative act of painting this series was also very helpful in my healing process.”

Karmen's show has been a smash hit! In fact, it's been so successful, Michelle Mokrey, innovative owner of, "The Artist's Tree", has extended the show & placed Karmen's work in a more prominent place. We also want to thank Karmen from the bottom of our hearts because she is donating a percentage of her sales to Reaching Out! What an amazing artist AND person! So help us pay tribute to this courageous & talented lady by checking out her work which we've spread out through this issue. You can also see her complete collection of works &/or purchase it at: www.moonwillowstudio.blogspot.com. Congrats, mon ami, we love you!"

What an amazing group of people they are! Their support has made a big difference in how I've lived with CFS & FM. Their kind words touched my heart & reaffirms just how far I've come. Thank you Reaching Out! {{{HUGS}}}

To learn more about Reaching Out or CFS/FM/ME visit their webstie: http://www.reaching-out.info

Art Show Update

The show is now officially over BUT the gallery owner decided to keep my paintings longer & we moved my paintings to the window display. Soooooo....if you missed the show you can still catch a peek of my paintings in the window.

As for opening night, It went really well! Several friends came to cheer me on, which is always a really great thing. I met & talked to a lot of people I didn't know...got some really good feedback...and sold a painting. How cool is that? AND I've decided to give 10% of the proceeds of this series to Reaching Out, an organization that helps those living with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & Fibromyalgia. I feel that is neccessary to pay it forward...that the blessings I recieve should carry on to someone else. So I have to say that it's been a very exciting experience in many many ways!

Now for the thank you's! A BIG thank you to Michele for believing in my work enough to give me a show & making a dream of mine come true! Also I have to thank my husband, Tony, for his love, support, & pacients. Tony helped with every little thing & put up with me! LOL Thank you to my daughter who cheered me on all along the way & to see her so proud of me meant the world to me. I can't forget my parents, my family & my friends...their encouragement & support has kept me going & has been so touching. They were just so excited...made me feel like a rockstar! LOL They make me feel like I can do anything! And of course, thank you to everyone who took the time to go check out my work! I feel so blessed! So thank you, thank you, thank you!

And here's a picture of me :)

New Beginnings: July 2008

This series is titled, "New Beginnings". The images are based on my own personal experience of being diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) & Fibromyalgia (FM)...finding the courage to live with it...& after 8 years, regaining enough wellness to finally feel alive again. Rather than focusing on the difficult times & dealing with the challenges of living with CFS & FM I chose to focus on courage, hope, & the power of positive thinking. The creative act of painting this series was also very helpful in my healing process.

Showing July 9-26, 2008 at The Artist's Tree Gallery, 828 W. Sprague Avenue, Downtown Spokane, WA, across the street from the Davenport Hotel.

(It is estimated that between 1 and 4 million Americans suffer from CFS & 6 to 8 million people in the United States suffer from FM. More information & resources for CFS & FM can be found at www.reaching-out.info)

Now What Do I Do?

24 x 30 Oil on canvas. Here you are...stuck....nothing moving...nothing flowing...trapped...ridgid. At first the situation may seem impossilbe. A feeling of fear may creep in causing panic. Pause for a moment...take a deep breath...and look again. This is just the beggining...the beggining of something amazing...even if you don't know what that is, right now in this moment. Take heart, have faith, and trust that things are working out for your highest good. Your future is an adventure just waiting for you to discover it!

Showing July 9-26, 2008 at The Artist's Tree Gallery, 828 W. Sprague Avenue, Spokane, WA.

Copyright 2008 Karmen Naccarato. All rights reserved. Any use or reproduction of the items in part or in whole, in any form or by any means, including photographic, electronic, digital, or mechanical, is forbidden without the prior written permission of the Artist.

Beauty & Magick Are Born In Secret Places

12 x 12 oil on canvas. Beauty & magick are born in secret places...discover them...they are within you. Take time for prayer & solitude...look within...be still...breathe...listen to that quiet voice within you...search for your inner personal magick & then follow your heart. You are stronger than you may think. There's a new life waiting for you. It is filled with many possibilities, adventures, & suprises!

Showing July 9-26, 2008 at The Artist's Tree Gallery, 828 W. Sprague Avenue, Spokane, WA.

Copyright 2008 Karmen Naccarato. All rights reserved. Any use or reproduction of the items in part or in whole, in any form or by any means, including photographic, electronic, digital, or mechanical, is forbidden without the prior written permission of the Artist.

Divine The First Time...Divine Every Time: Sold

12 x 12 Oil on canvas. Remember your original self...You were spirit & spirit lives in a state of perfection. You were Divine. Now that spirit is within your body & it is still perfect & still Divine. Go within to the core of your being...feel the perfection of the Divine within you...really feel that within your body & remember. You are perfect & Divine right now, just as you are. The Divine is working in your life for your highest good. You are blessed by the stars above. You are magick!

Showing July 9-26, 2008 at The Artist's Tree Gallery, 828 W. Sprague Avenue, Spokane, WA.

Copyright 2007 Karmen Naccarato. All rights reserved. Any use or reproduction of the items in part or in whole, in any form or by any means, including photographic, electronic, digital, or mechanical, is forbidden without the prior written permission of the Artist.

Sparkle & Shine Under The Moonlight

12 x 12 Oil on canvas. Dance & twirl in the moonlight...with eyes wide open looking into the future. The Moon watches from above as she sprinkles star blessings down upon you. Sparkle! Shine! Be amazing! Live fully everyday. Dreams & Wishes do come true!

Showing July 9-26, 2008 at The Artist's Tree Gallery, 828 W. Sprague Avenue, Spokane, WA.

Copyright 2008 Karmen Naccarato. All rights reserved. Copyright 2008 Karmen Naccarato. All rights reserved. Any use or reproduction of the items in part or in whole, in any form or by any means, including photographic, electronic, digital, or mechanical, is forbidden without the prior written permission of the Artist.

The Magick Of Tomorrow Is In The Air

16 x 20 Oil on canvas, framed. Today is a new day...this day is full of potential, possibilities, & new begginings. Be Inspired! Come alive! Be open to new opportunities. Peace. Tranquility. Wholeness. Wellness. Calm. The Sun shining bright, blessing you with it's warmth. Bloom. Grow. Become all that you are meant to be & more. Believe in the magick of you. The future is bright!

Showing July 9-26, 2008 at The Artist's Tree Gallery, 828 W. Sprague Avenue, Spokane, WA.

Copyright 2008 Karmen Naccarato. All rights reserved.

Under A Blue Moon...Wishes Do Come True

16 x 20 Oil on canvas, black wood frame. Blue Moon's only happen once in a while...it is a magickal time to dream big dreams & make wishes...wishes that come from your heart...from deep within the peaceful center of yourself. Under the light of a Blue Moon...your dreams & wishes will come true.

Showing July 9-26, 2008 at The Artist's Tree Gallery, 828 W. Sprague Avenue, Spokane, WA.

Copyright 2008 Karmen Naccarato. All rights reserved. Any use or reproduction of the items in part or in whole, in any form or by any means, including photographic, electronic, digital, or mechanical, is forbidden without the prior written permission of the Artist.

This Is The Beginning

24 x 30, oil on canvas. As one journey ends, another begins. Embracing the beauty & magick of YOU...moving forward to the next chapter of your life. Is that excitment you feel? Or are you nervous? Maybe it's a little bit of both...Take a deep breath...Go Within...Listen... Let your heart be your guide...Let go...& Trust...This is the beggining of something amazing...You have no idea what's in store for you...but one thing is certain...Many wonderful adventures & suprises are in store! It's a whole new world! Embrace it! Live with Passion!

Showing July 9-26, 2008 at The Artist's Tree Gallery, 828 W. Sprague Avenue, Spokane, WA.

Copyright 2008 Karmen Naccarato. All rights reserved. Any use or reproduction of the items in part or in whole, in any form or by any means, including photographic, electronic, digital, or mechanical, is forbidden without the prior written permission of the Artist.

Geisha Magick: NFS

Geisha Collage Charm with wine colored fresh water pearls, faceted garnet beads, vintage pink beads (from one of my grandmothers necklaces), glass beads, & metal charms.

Studio Remodel

Currently my husband & I are remodeling the studio. How did this come about? Well, we were sitting out in the studio on Christmas night...talking about what we wanted for the studio in 2008...One thing led to another (like it always does)...We decided to put in a wall to make a small office space separate from the studio. (This means that the room our office is in now will become a 'guest' bedroom...which actually means I get my own bedroom...Now this is due to the little known fact that my wonderful hubby SNORES very very LOUD...so there are times I end up on the couch with a kink in my neck. I'm tired of the kink in my neck, thus the 'guest' bedroom was born.) My husband is out there painting the office right now. Once all the painting is done, we're moving on to a new floor & then replacing the windows & doors. Even though the studio is in complete chaos, new art IS being created! I can't wait to show you the studio & all the lovely things I've been up to! Until then, here's a sneak peek at the work going on. OH! I should also mention at this point, that my husband is a really great guy & is SOOOOO supportive. I couldn't do any of this without him...Well I guess I could, but I'd have to hire someone. So a BIG thank you to him! Here he is hard at work. Stay tuned to see the finished project!