Gift Of Amnesia

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Anniversary gift for my bear. #crushingit #lenaloshonkohl #womeninart #pitbull #watercolor #gouache #illustration #pghart #pittsburgh

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Detail of goodbye bear. #artstagram #drawing #ink #bunny #imagination #lenaloshonkohl #illustration #watercolor #detail #pghart

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Goodbye bear. Watercolor and ink on watercolor paper. More than two thirds of my book completed. This is the last sad bunny one for a while I think, although I did have dreams that Fleur was alive and back to his old self last night. If any of you remember my other books other worlds project from last year, you will remember that I started a book that was way too complicated for me to finish. One year later, I'm ready to tackle it, with a simpler narrative that addresses PTSD and the imagination. I suppose I can thank my PTSD for turning me into an artist and conversation starter around challenging topics. So what is my purpose? To remind you, if you're out there, that you're not alone. But I am rambling. I will also create another book of bears addressing the stages of grief, for children and adults. So one watercolor book, one oil painting book, followed by another watercolor book. Keep on following for details. #lenaloshonkohl #womeninart #illustration #bears #watercolor #pghart #pittsburgh #painting #imagination #bunny #ink #drawing #artstagram

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Sky rabbit. Detail. #lenaloshonkohl #animalillustration #sky #rabbit #pghart #painting #detail #oipainting

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Just about finished. Sorry about the crappy photo quality. Inspired by Watership down, Fleur, grief, PTSD, and a number of other things. Oil on wood. Human beings say, "It never rains but it pours." This is not very apt, for it frequently does rain without pouring. The rabbits' proverb is better expressed. They say, "One cloud feels lonely": and indeed it is true that the sky will soon be overcast. #watershipdown #carriefurnace #lenaloshonkohl #womeninart #paintwhennobodycares #illustration #rabbit #dreams #oipainting #painting #pgh #pghart

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Under painting. Oil on wood. Work in progress. Fuzzy, or a bunny floating in the sky, a cloud, an apparition, and carrie furnace, my go to Pittsburgh landscape when I'm processing some sort of loss. And for sure, inspired by Watership down. I think I'll lay off the works in progress and let the next photo be the finished painting. Human beings say, "It never rains but it pours." This is not very apt, for it frequently does rain without pouring. The rabbits' proverb is better expressed. They say, "One cloud feels lonely": and indeed it is true that the sky will soon be overcast. #watershipdown #rabbits #carriefurnace #pittsburghlandscape #pghart #oilpainting #illustration #womeninart #lenaloshonkohl

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Fuzzy. Inspired by one of the drawings made by one of the kids at children's museum when I was guest arting there. Also inspired by Carrie furnace, but at this early of a stage it's hard to tell. Hope to turn this into a larger oil painting once I've worked through the idea more. Thumbnail color study, from my imagination and other paintings I've done. Watercolor. #pittsburgh #lenaloshonkohl #pghart #painting #womeninart #thumbnail #ideas #whoknows #watercolor #surreal #fuzzy

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I finished this today. Matting it and framing it for Peppers room. Watercolor and ink on watercolor paper. Thank you to my sweet, nervous little bunny bear for teaching me so many things and inspiring so much of my illustration work. #lenaloshonkohl #bunnies #watershipdown #nofilter #illustration #womeninart #friendship #rabbit #painting #drawing #grief #pghart #pittsburgh

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For my house rabbit, Peppers room. To commemorate their bond. This is the way they would look at me, especially if I had food. Pepper always had an ear around Fleur like an arm. "I cannot play with you," the fox said. "I am not tamed." "Ah! Please excuse me," said the little prince. But, after some thought, he added: "What does that mean--'tame'?" "You do not live here," said the fox. "What is it that you are looking for?" "I am looking for men," said the little prince. "What does that mean--'tame'?" "Men," said the fox. "They have guns, and they hunt. It is very disturbing. They also raise chickens. These are their only interests. Are you looking for chickens?" "No," said the little prince. "I am looking for friends. What does that mean--'tame'?" "It is an act too often neglected," said the fox. It means to establish ties." ... "Please--tame me!" he said. "I want to, very much," the little prince replied. "But I have not much time. I have friends to discover, and a great many things to understand." "One only understands the things that one tames," said the fox. "Men have no more time to understand anything. They buy things all ready made at the shops. But there is no shop anywhere where one can buy friendship, and so men have no friends any more. If you want a friend, tame me . . ." "What must I do, to tame you?" asked the little prince. "You must be very patient," replied the fox. "First you will sit down at a little distance from me--like that--in the grass. I shall look at you out of the corner of my eye, and you will say nothing. Words are the source of misunderstandings. But you will sit a little closer to me, every day . . ." The next day the little prince came back. "It would have been better to come back at the same hour," said the fox. "If, for example, you come at four o'clock in the afternoon, then at three o'clock I shall begin to be happy. I shall feel happier and happier as the hour advances. At four o'clock, I shall already be worrying and jumping about. I shall show you how happy I am! But if you come at just any time, I shall never know at what hour my heart is to be ready to greet you . . . One must observe the proper rites .

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You risk tears if you let yourself be tamed - the little prince And My heart has joined the Thousand, for my friend has stopped running today - Watership down And Thank you, thank you, thank you.

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Meditation doesn't work so grouchy bear tries to talk to a friend. #life #lenaloshonkohl #womeninart #imagination #illustration #pghart #bear #artstagram #artist #emotion #loneliness #makingfriendsinyour30s

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My favorite part of painting commissions for other people is listening to the stories they tell. It's an honor to collaborate with someone to make these paintings. 2 down, one more to go! Watercolor and ink on watercolor paper. Doggie commission. #commission #lenaloshonkohl #dogsofinstagram #watercolor #love #cute #painteveryday #womeninart #pittsburgh #animal #pghart #illustration #collaboration

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Doggie commission painting number two. Work in progress. Watercolor. #dogsofinstagram #artstagram #lenaloshonkohl #illustration #pghart #pittsburgh #animal #commission #womeninart

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Meditation doesn't work so grouchy bear tries to talk to a friend instead. #life #emotions #watercolor #lenaloshonkohl #wip #bears #pghart #illustration #imagination #duck #women #womeninart #pittsburgh

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Work in progress of a peach puppy commission, 1 of 3. Watercolor. More to come! #painteveryday #watercolor #lenaloshonkohl #dog #illustration #commission #womeninart #pghart #artstagram #watercolor #animal

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Grouchy bear takes on mediation to calm his nerves. Watercolor and ink on watercolor paper. Finished. Bears doing things. I will be finished with my paintings for this project soon, then I will start to put together my very first children's book! #meditation #lenaloshonkohl #illustration #imagination #bears #artstagram #pghart #life #emotion #watercolor #painting #fineart

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Grouchy bear tries to meditate as an alternative to grouchiness. #life #lenaloshonkohl #artstagram #watercolor #bears #painting #illustration #pghart #pittsburgh #drawing #womeninart #bearsdoingthings #meditation