Meet the Frenzied Fox Artist on a Black Flashback Friday! Reigndogs! Shopping! GIVEAWAY! It's All Here!

It's #Flashback Friday here at the FiveSibes and since today basically kicks off the Christmas season, what better time to revisit on Memory Lane than that of a Christmas past?! Here's our "originals" - reindogs Gibson and his gal Harley looking all festive in front of the tree circa 2007 when they were both just pups of one and two! Gibson seems to be really enjoying his reindog ways, but Harley, as you can tell by her expression, thought it was all just a bit too silly for a Sibe to endure! She was a good girl and endured she did for this great moment frozen in time!

What better day to offer a giveaway than Black Friday? And we have a really cool one! Love Huskies? Love sending holiday cards? Check out these beautiful cards created by artist Maria Montreuil, a/k/a "Mrs. Fox," of The Frenzied Fox Artwork. 

 GIVEAWAY~Husky Art Greeting Cards!

These are beautiful 5x7 full color cards with plain envelopes...and the best part? She has given us a set of 12 to raffle off to one lucky winner! So, if you did not win the set she so kindly donated to our recent FiveSibes #LiveGibStrong K-9 Epilepsy Awareness online benefit auction, you have another chance to get these (p)awesome cards! Just be sure to enter the drawing via the Rafflecopter below at the end of this post for a chance to win these adorable holiday Husky greeting cards!

But first, the part I always enjoy the most, meeting the very talented and personable artist behind all the fantastic artwork, Maria "Mrs. Fox" Montreuil of The Frenzied Fox Artwork!

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FiveSibesMom (FSM): How did you know you wanted to be an artist?  

The Frenzied Fox (TFF): Art has been a passion of mine ever since I was very small. I believe my mom told me when I could first hold a pencil--maybe 2 or 3, I started drawing and at that age I was so much I critic of my work I quit for a year! Can't say I remember that, but my mom does!

FSM: Your business name is The Frenzied Fox – is there a meaning behind the name?  

TFF: Yes, my husband and I are fond of foxes so I designed cartoon "characters" of us as foxes. I knew I wanted my business name to have fox in it somehow and when I look at my life and how crazy it is, Frenzied sounded like the PERFECT word. It definitely fits--I often have several art projects going on all at once on top of everything else!

 Frenzied Fox Husky Fabric Tree Topper

FSM:What types of mediums do you work in?

TFF: This might sound crazy but I like to dabble in it ALL!  For drawing I usually work digitally with Photoshop and my tablet, but I LOVE real media too--acrylic, sometimes oil paints, watercolor, pen and ink, pencils, pastels... and I've also done works in clay, needle felting, needle punching, and cloth! I use different medias based on what feel I am looking for or the style, having the freedom to use different things keeps art interesting and fun!

FSM: Among your beautiful works, you have Siberian Husky Christmas cards (pictured above) and you also designed a Husky Birthday card, a fabric Husky tree topper, and  a sweet logo design for a Husky rescue. What is it that you enjoy best about a Husky project?  

TFF: Well, Dorothy, I don't have any Huskies YET, but I would like to add one to our crazy family sometime in the future! I have always loved this breed--I believe I still have a drawing I did of one back in 5th grade, ha-ha! I love them because they are so good with all people, kids included, have a wild spirit to them, and they are such a beautiful breed. I know they can be a challenge, which is why I am doing all I can to thoroughly research them now!  As for what I enjoy best about a Husky project, I think it's trying to capture their spirit and personality in my art. Art is the most fun when you can put your heART into it!

 

Frenzied Fox Husky Birthday Greeting Card

FSM: You have furbabies – tell us a little about them. 

TFF: Yes, I have five currently. I have a four-year-old Golden Retriever, who I adopted from someone when he was about two--he is a goof ball and is a certified therapy dog. We visit the local nursing home usually twice a month. I am also going to try to work with my library to start a Paws For Reading program in the spring where elementary school kids can brush up their reading skills with him! I also have two shelter cats, Nova and Tinuviel (you can tell we are Lord of the Rings fans), and two rabbits--Pipkin and Tribble. Pipkin I adopted shortly after I graduated from high school and he is almost nine now! Tribble I rescued from a busy road a year ago. I'm aware that having these small animals means when I adopt a Siberian Husky of my own (would like to take in a rescue someday) I will need to find one that is cat friendly!  

FSM: You live in New York with your husband and son, is that correct?  

TFF: Yes I do- not in the city though, but rather the country side. I have to admit, when I first moved out here  it seemed a bit of a hick town compared to where I am from (big suburb off of St. Paul, Minnesota) but I absolutely LOVE it!  I actually have two sons now--my youngest was born in September! :)

FSM: What inspires your art? 

TFF: Primarily animals. I know sometimes people want me to move out my "comfort zone" and try new things, which I do, but animals are, and probably always will be my main subjects. It's always been the most natural for me to draw.

FSM: How long to create a commissioned work?  

TFF: Wow, that can vary a lot.  Usually the minimum is two to

three hours, but that depends on style and complexity. A very realistic painting could be probably 10 to 20 hours possibly, but since I don't do it in one sitting (or even two or three most of the time), I am not sure.

FSM: Do you do custom artwork?  

TFF: I do! I love taking commissions! Since it's the holiday season, I've been working on several tree toppers and hand appliqué wool Husky pillows, but I also do a lot of pet portraits--some realistic, some almost "Disney" style in a way.

FSM: What do you need to create a custom piece – photos?  

TFF: Yes, photos are a must, the clearer the better! If someone doesn't want me to do a direct-like-the-photo drawing, I need several shots and possibly several angles. Another REALLY important thing for me is to hear about the dog's personality. I don't like my art to look lifeless, and knowing something about them helps me to feel their heart as it were, making it easier for me to capture their spirit!

FSM: Tell us something about yourself that may surprise us! 

TFF: I guess unless you know me personally, a lot of people don't know I'm the oldest of eight kids! When I first moved out of my family's house the silence was so loud, I always had to keep music playing in the background!

FSM: What project(s) are you working on now?  

TFF: A LOT. We call unfinished projects UFO's around here--UnFinished Objects--and I always have some of those. Some of my current projects are two realistic dog oil portraits, a dog tree topper, three Husky wool pillows, a Christmas chicken card design for my mother-in-law, and a huge Santa riding a crow decoration. Once in a while, I have to really pace myself and tell people no, but I hate to do that.

FSM: What would be your dream project?  

TFF: Ever since I was a kid I wanted to illustrate children's books. It is VERY hard to get into that field though. I'm in the process of doing some character design of two dogs, a Golden and Husky, so that my husband can write stories for our kids and I will illustrate them. Though not official, it's still fun.

FSM: How can someone contact you? 

TFF: The best way is to send an Email to thefrenziedfox@gmail.com or to message me on my The Frenzied Fox Artwork Facebook page!  And don't forget to tell her the FiveSibes sent you over!

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One (1) dozen whimsical holiday Husky art  greeting cards!
And if you don't win, you can order them on The Frenzied Fox Artwork Facebook page for 12 for $12, plus shipping AND, according to Maria, 30% of the proceeds goes toward helping several Siberian Husky rescues this holiday season!!! "I want to help as many dogs as I can so my goal is to sell 112 more packages!" she notes! Woo!)
 

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Joining us again this week is our co-host, those beautiful Sibes and their mom from Love is Being Owned by a Husky blog! Be sure to pop by on our Flashback Friday Blog Hop and say "hi" to our co-hosts!