Creative Whimsies

My little helper

2012-01-26T16:56:00.000-08:00

I'm almost finished with book two. You can see a little sneaky peak here. I couldn't work without my little helper, Cody, as you can see. I remember when I had an infant in my lap.

What I'm up to

2012-01-20T12:28:00.000-08:00

I'm busy working on book #2, a magazine cover, & inside spread. Loving the work, but not the inability to post anything! Above is my submission to Bari's question, "What's in your hoop" over at WeLoveFrenchKnots. It's another pattern by Charlotte Lyons.

Here's a really small peak at what's on my drawing board right now.

Clowning around

2012-01-14T16:33:00.000-08:00

I really need to make time for some personal work, but I'm snowed under in fun work I can't show, yet. Here's another illo of my clown penguin. You can see the first one here.

Happy 2012

2012-01-02T16:57:00.000-08:00

2011 started off pretty weak, but finished with a bang. It was a year of pushing myself harder than I have in years. I spent most of the year in the uncomfortable position of knowing my work was in transition, but not knowing where it was going. It's not fun, but it is just part & parcel of the creative life. Even though I knew what was going on, it wasn't easy. In fact, it was completely frustrating! Finally, my work gelled in the last few weeks when I completed the Chicken Licken project. I'm so psyched for what 2012 has to offer.

Here's a list of some of what I hope to accomplish this year:

• Finish & deliver the 5 remaining books in the series I've been working on.

• Complete the dream project I just received. Yippee!

• Design a fabric collection.

• Create & Sell my own embroidery patterns.

• Land one trade book deal, preferably a board book.

• Sign on an agent

• Attend workshops (The Creative Connection Event)

• Draw everyday

• Paint & play more with collage

• Create 20 new collections

• Redesign my Twitter page.

I'd better get myself organized to get through this list!

I hope your 2012 is the best it can be for you, too!

New Desk for a New Year

2011-12-30T10:31:00.000-08:00

Just in time for the New Year, I bought myself a 'new' desk. I've had my eye on this one for awhile at Ikea. Just found it on Craigslist and had to have it. I just wish I was one of those people who doesn't have to have everything visible to be inspired (or to remember what I have). Lot's of plans for 2012. If I get my nerve up, I'll post my goals for the year next week. Happy New Year!

Christmas

2011-12-27T11:02:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas with family. I was so surprised and happy to receive this original painting by Sonia von Walter from my parents. She also hand paints nesting dolls. Mom got one for my niece who loves them.

This room is almost finished. After the contractor leaves, I still need to paint the battens, but it's so close! At least we'll be able to use it today. It's been three months! I won't be using Home Depot for any other projects. Their people are wonderful, but the policies are all about covering their a____. I had to pay for the whole project in advance way back in September. I want to work with someone who is an expert in whatever project and who can help guide me in choosing the right materials in the first place.

On Christmas day we checked out what Santa brought, then hopped in the car and headed down to my brother-in-law's near Santa Barbara. I was so happy to sneak in a trip into town. I love Santa Barbara! It's a feast for the eyes. Fantastic weather too (68°). All I really want for Christmas is snow, but I did enjoy the warmth.

My favorite restaurant in Santa Barbara—Pascucci's. Their Firenze pasta is to die for. Yum!

Even the shuttles are festive!

I hope your holidays were the best! I can't wait to dig into 2012.

It's beginning to look like Christmas…

2011-12-19T14:37:00.000-08:00

It's finally beginning to look like Christmas around here. I've been way behind on my decorating due to deadlines and sickness. Deadlines are met, I'm feeling better, so bring on Christmas! I just wish I had finished my shopping.

This nativity scene, the angels, and the plates all belonged to my grandma. Lladro isn't really my thing, but I love having these reminders of her and her home.

This is the Santa collection that now lives full time in my studio. It helps when I have to create Christmas art in July.

This is the one thing that's still hanging over my head—the bathroom. I so wish i was finished with this already. I've completely lost interest in it, but traipsing up the stairs all the time is getting old, and I have company coming in two days, so I must press on.

Chicken Licken

2011-12-16T10:34:00.000-08:00

This is my entry for the Tomie dePaola award. It's a scene from Chicken Licken (aka Chicken Little). I am so excited about this piece. It's done in a style that's been brewing all year, but was always just out of reach. It's also a much more complicated composition than I usually do. I had the idea from the beginning, but it took a lot of sketching, scanning, and re-sketching to make it work. I'm so happy with it and I can't wait to get onto the next project to play some more.

A Baby Quilt

2011-12-07T09:04:00.001-08:00

If you follow me on Twitter of Facebook, you know we had a recent addition to the family. No, this is not my baby, it's my sister-in-law's baby. Introducing my new niece, Raiah (pronounced like Mariah without the 'ma').

Of course this much cuteness deserves a very special gift, so I decided to make a quilt. This is my first completed quilt. I still haven't finished my first pieced quilt which you can see here.

I used fabric from my friend, Bari J's latest line, Paris Apartment. I ordered it from Fat Quarter Shop. This is the second time I'm making a quilt with her fabrics. I think I'm the president of her fan club.

I truly love this line of fabric. It's like she used all of my favorite colors! I also love that it features dressmaker's dummies in one of the fabrics. Perfect for my SIL, Tabi, who's very into fashion. I machined quilted it with random width lines of hot pink thread. I don't have a photo of the back where I used a leftover piece of Bari's Full Bloom Fabric, which worked perfectly.

I made this quilt big for a baby quilt. It's about 48" x 60". They grow out of baby quilts so fast! I'm calling this one a cuddle quilt. Big enough for Mom & baby.

Here's a little behind the scenes photo of my assistants.

Cyber Monday Sale!!!

2011-11-28T09:12:00.001-08:00

My gift to you is 20% off for the next three days, so stop by, stock up, and have a great holiday season!

I'm destashing my studio in preparation for the New Year. I have big projects and big plans for next year, so I need to clear the decks. I'm putting extra craft supplies in my Etsy shop. If you buy them, I'd love to see what you do with them! I also have some tins & craft boxes available.

This is an original collage in a handpainted birdhouse frame — 20% off!

I also have some originals and home decor stuff that's not working in my new home.

I'm selling this vintage sign on ebay.

This is an original painting made with vintage ephemera. I have some more originals to add, but I need a sunny day to photograph them. Stay tuned.

A stitch in time

2011-11-21T12:22:00.001-08:00

I'd really love to be showing you the art I've been working on, but I can't, yet.

Last night I was too tired to think, but had the urge to make something. It's no fun sitting around, not making anything. I can't handle it, I must make! So I got out another of Charlotte Lyons' patterns and some Summer Soiree fabric by Paula Prass, which I am so loving! I decided to base the color palette on this fabric. Hello, color! Now I may be able to remain sane over the weekend when I won't be able to work. Whew! Crisis averted!

Just in time for Christmas, I'm updating my shop. I've only just started, so keep checking back. I'm adding supplies, originals, and ornaments.

A bit of sillines

2011-11-02T10:47:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just feel a little prickly.

A quick doodle to warm up today.

Collage it up!

2011-11-01T11:43:00.000-07:00

I've been working to change my style for at least a year now. I think I'm finally getting close to something I love. I still have some ideas on how to push it further, but I'm really happy with where this is going. I've added some collage to this illo.

This is the original version I submitted for the Illustrator's Day assignment for Disney/Hyperion Art Director, Joann Hill.

Halloween

2011-11-01T11:15:00.000-07:00

Halloween makes me so happy we moved almost two years ago. Are new neighborhood is so much fun on Halloween. We actually got caught in a couple of 'traffic jams' while Trick or Treating. This year we had the teenager and his friends hang out at the house and pass out treats (chaperoned, of course). The younger set then hit the road. A good time was had by all.

One of the perks of having a 10 year old, is that he can carve his own pumpkin! Thank goodness! I really don't like doing that at all.

Here are my Chick Magnet & my Lil Miss Sunshine. I'm so proud. I like that I got to applique and hand stitch the Chick costume. So much fun! The best part is that the little guy is wearing my old Tinkerbell costume. Talk about 'reuse'.

This is a really bad picture of a truly great costume. I wanted to keep this adorable baby! Can you believe the cuteness here?

P.S. I won a poster print from UPrinting on Jannie Ho's blog. Oh, the possibilities!

Halloween Goodies

2011-10-17T17:07:00.000-07:00

I just got my super cute Halloween ornament from Kathy Weller! I so cute! This will be added to my Halloween decor collection which I keep up year round. You can get one here. She has so many cute things! I also got this to put in my current sketchbook.

I just can't get enough of any kind of orange and green combo. It was an accident that they landed together here on my palette.

Don't forget to order my Halloween products in my shop.

Inspiration

2011-10-13T10:28:00.000-07:00

I'm working on improving my painting skills. I'm not abandoning my color pencils, but I am painting more of the backgrounds and assembling things in Photoshop. I re-discovered a couple of books I already owned (thank goodness) that have been a great inspiration. The above is The adventures of the Dish and the Spoon by Mini Grey (sorry, she doesn't have a website-gasp). I just love everything about this book: the layout, the art, the colors!

It has a bit of a graphic novel layout as you can see here.

Max's Words written by Kate Banks is another great book. The story is about a boy who wants to collect something and decides it'll be words. This book inspired my son to collect words in a box and 'write' stories with them.

I just love how Boris Kulikov illustrated the words, stories, and collections. So clever!

Sketchbook Project: Too much of a good thing!

2011-10-10T13:54:00.000-07:00

I think this falls under the category of "Too much of a good thing"! Sketch plus Photoshop.

I've just recently updated my Zazzle shop with lots of fun Halloween products. Check it out!

Pumpkin Trick or Treat bag here.

Scary Spider Trick or Treat bag here.

Boo Bat T-shirt here.

Scary Spider T-shirt here.

Pumpkin T-shirt here.

Sketchbook Project 2011…Finally!

2011-10-05T04:00:00.000-07:00

After much stalling, busy-ness, and ambivalence, I finally started my Sketchbook Project. Not sure I'll finish it, since I have other priorities. This is a small experiment. I'm trying to include more collage in my illustrations. This wasn't what I was picturing, but that's ok. I may make this sketchbook a place to pursue this goal.

Circus Art

2011-10-04T10:22:00.000-07:00

Can I just say how much I love this time of year? Well, I do. The coziness factor has increased tenfold. I find that I'm better at the 'butt in chair' component of being a working illustrator when it's raining. Do you find that the cold, rainy weather helps or hurts your productivity?

This is from a job I did over the summer. I can't give any details, sorry. I had a lot of fun with this project. I've been wanting to do a circus project for awhile.

Sketch Sneaky Peak

2011-10-03T09:55:00.000-07:00

Here's a sneaky peak of what I'm working on right now. I hope to be able to talk about it soon, but I can say that it involves multiple books. Squeeeee!

In other news, I'm knee deep in bathroom remodeling, enduring one hiccup after another. One thing's for sure, I do not enjoy doing it myself. Painting, hanging pictures or shelves are more my speed. My husband's just loving that I insisted on removing a 'perfectly good' tile floor, thus causing him to do intense manual labor. He's just thrilled (tongue inserted firmly in cheek)! His mantra is 'Why do it yourself when you can pay someone else to do it'. I have to agree, but I'll have to earn a lot more money to put it into practice. Sigh. At least I had enough sense to know I wouldn't want to lay the tile myself. I should get points for that.

A Turtle for a Baby

2011-09-27T20:40:00.000-07:00

My brother-in-law loves turtles, so I knew I wanted to make my soon to be niece a stuffed turtle. At the last minute before the baby shower, I managed to (mostly) complete it. I realized that I forgot to put the eyes on it. Oh well. Since it's a gift for a baby, I opted not to add the felt flower. I used this pattern from Heather Bailey and some of my stash of Full Bloom fabric by Bari.

I spent last week, not only speed remodeling a bathroom, but also cleaning, decluttering, and making this guy. I also whipped out a large curtain panel for the family room. One more to go and that's over, thank goodness. I have some other sewing projects waiting in the wings.

Bathroom Mini Reveal

2011-09-26T12:02:00.000-07:00

It was hard work, but I finally got the bathroom remodel 'finished' for my sister-in-law's baby shower. It's not really finished, because the new floor won't be installed for another two weeks. Add to that a new vanity, painting the wall cabinet, and finishing the faux board & batten ala Welcome to Heardmont.

Here's the before. You can't see all the patches, spackle, and random primed section in this photo. You'll just have to trust me when I say it was UGLY! Don't even ask about the nasty grout that cannot be cleaned. Ugh.

Here's a mock up.

Drum roll please…here's what it looks like now! I love it!!!

It took me forever to choose the color! My youngest son picked it, but it seemed to over the top even for me. I finally went for it when I met Danielle Hirsch at an OSH grand opening! Remember her from Color Splash? She agreed with Josh on the color. She was so sweet!! Meeting her was the highlight of my day! Check out her Restore my Decor to win a makeover!

Here is a sample of the board & batten (and the bathroom inspiration I used) I'll be installing next. You can see the tutorial here.

I can't wait to be completely finished with this project!

P.S. the color is a Martha Stewart Araucana Teal

A quick check in and a Collage Portrait

2011-09-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

Last Mother's Day I made this collage portrait for my friend, Paula Prass. I was so saddened when she lost her son. That's every parent's worst nightmare. Making this portrait for her was just a small way for me to reach out to her and let her know she's not alone. I'm so happy to hear it made it safely to her new home, despite the straight-out-of-SNL movers she hired. You can read about those guys here.

This last weekend was our church's Festival! It's the highlight of the year. My kids rode their favorite ride, The Zipper, over and over and over again. They have cast iron stomachs.

And here is my trusty assistant. He's helping me choose paint colors for the half bathroom. More on that and who, ultimately, picked out the color tomorrow.

A wagon full of friends

2011-09-09T08:16:00.000-07:00

I completed a last minute piece for my portfolio. Here's the sketch. I'm thinking of squeezing in one more.

Sketching and Illustrator's Day prep

2011-09-07T19:21:00.000-07:00

I'm busy prepping for Illustrator's Day this Saturday. I finished my Gingerbread Man homework project last night. I still have to print out my portfolio, but I'm trying to squeeze in one more piece first.

These are a few sketches I've done recently in my sketchbook, not to be confused with my completely untouched and neglected Sketchbook Project. Ahem.

St. Charles, MO, part 1 & a sneaky peaky

2011-08-30T13:06:00.000-07:00

While I was in St. Louis, I had the chance to visit the lovely St. Charles's main street along the Missouri River. I loved it!

Here's a sign I saw in a bakery there. This would definitely be my oldest son's motto. I may have to print up a sign for him.

The gardens in Missouri are so beautiful! I'd love to recreate this in my yard!

Even the hanging baskets were adorable! I have a few more pictures of the old buildings along the main street for the next post.

Here's a little sneaky peaky of what I'm working on right now.

A Stitch in Time

2011-08-25T10:47:00.000-07:00

I have become totally hooked on embroidery this summer. I just can't get enough of it! I bought this pattern from Charlotte Lyons right before my vacation. It didn't come with any directions, unfortunately, but I was able to figure everything out by watching diy videos on WeLoveFrenchKnots.com, thank you Bari!

Now that vacation's over I'm busily stitching while waiting in the pick up line for my shiny new high schooler. I actually look forward to this time now.

When I was little, I slept every night on these hand stitched pillow cases. This one was done by my mom. Luckily she still had the set. They're very well 'loved' (tattered) now, but still bring back memories of my childhood.

This one was made by my Great Gramma on my mom's side.

I just love the white details on this one! It's so wonderful to be a part of this generational art form.

Chocolate Can Save the World

2011-08-17T13:39:00.000-07:00

While visiting family in Springfield, Missouri, we stopped by the Askinosie Chocolate factory and store. My oldest son and I are chocoholics with no plans for recovering, so being able to visit a store dedicated to chocolate was a must. My parents had been there a couple of weeks before, so I already knew how delicious the product was. I have a little jar of Chocolate Hazelnut Spread that I'm doling out in tiny amounts. It's soooooo good, like Nutella, but so much better!

I just love pictures of doors, especially colorful ones!

The factory

Shawn Askinosie was featured in Oprah Magazine as one 14 guys saving the world. He's a former criminal defense lawyer turned chocolatier. He also runs Chocolate University for local kids to teach them about direct trade, sustainability, and entrepreneurship. With his business, he's helping the farmers and the local community. Just another great reason to eat chocolate, as if I needed one. You can see what they're all about in this video:

You can order the chocolate online here. It is so good!

It's Curtains for Me

2011-08-16T11:12:00.000-07:00

I had a great vacation and I have some stuff to share, but I'm not up to sorting through all of the pictures right now, so here's a quick post about my current home dec project — curtains.

I've had this fabric for about a year, but it's one of those huge projects that just seems too overwhelming to start. On our hottest days, I've opted for a 'Shabby Chic' look minus the 'Chic' — sheets taped over the sliders. Classy, right?

I really love this fabric and wish I could find the name of it. It's an indoor/outdoor fabric which is perfect for these south facing, close proximity to the pool location. I knew I wanted a thick, wood rod for the sliders because one of them is about eight feet wide. I got a quote for the rods, finials, and rings from a local home dec fabric place of around $500 for hardware — gulp! Once I stumbled out of the store, I knew I had to come up with a better way. I couldn't find what I wanted online or anywhere, so I improvised. I got the brackets and rod from Home Depot unfinished. The rod is actually for hanging clothes on in a closet and was very cheap! I wanted wood rings, but the cost of buying them and tedium of staining them all was more than I wanted to do, so I borrowed a design from some store bought curtains and added loops to the back of the curtains. Easy peasy. I think all of the hardware came in under $50. Oh yeah!

I'm very pleased with the results, but I still have the big slider set to do :( I'm probably going to make a Roman shade for the garden window out of the same fabric or a solid color that matches, but that can wait.

By the way, our dog was miffed about not going on vacation with us, so he staged his own vacay shot.

In Stitches

2011-08-09T20:52:00.000-07:00

I'm in St. Louis and am enjoying the beautiful weather we brought with us from California. I've been stitching this lovely little sampler from Charlotte Lyons as we travel around or sit poolside.

Grandpa…take off your glasses.

2011-08-03T18:34:00.000-07:00

A long time ago, my kids came up with a game called 'Grandpa…take off your glasses!'. My dad is in the habit of lounging on the couch, watching TV beneath a bay window. The kids (who were much littler then) would say the above phrase. He'd comply, then they would belly flog from the window onto him. It looked incredibly painful, but they all seemed to enjoy it. 'Grandpa…take off your glasses!' became the catch phrase for all sorts of wrestling and shenanigans. My dad has always been a kid at heart and a stirer of you know what.

I remember one infamous cousins sleepover at my parents. I called to check in and my mom said, "Everybody's ok, the paramedics just left. Don't worry, I got pictures". WHAT?! That is not what you expect or want to hear when you call to check on your kids! Gah! Apparently, my dad was chasing the grandkids (five of them) around the house and slipped on a ball. He broke his finger. The paramedics came and suggested he go to the hospital, but he refused until after he finished his pizza. His wedding ring had to be cut off. We have never let him live that one down, let me tell you.

Now, there's a new version of the game only I call it, 'Let's beat up a brother'. They'll never grow up, thank goodness.

Don't you think you should be feeding me right now?

The Creative Connection

2011-07-31T14:11:00.000-07:00

Photo from The Creative Connection site for Julie Cole's class

I want to go to The Creative Connection so darn bad!!! I have ever since I first heard about it. It's got everything I want: business, cooking, and making workshops! I would love the creative business and making parts the best, and my family would sure be happy to see better cooking around here ;-)

There are so many people I'd love to meet! Betz White, Patty Young, Charlotte Lyons! There are so many more you'll have to just see for yourself here! It's a smorgasbord of wonderfulness, I tell ya.

What really got me excited were the pitch slams! How amazing would it be to pitch to Hallmark & Demdaco for a licensing deal? It's too much to imagine.

I'm really super intensely hoping that I win the two free tickets. Puh-lease! Go check out their website so that you can go or just sit home and be envious, like I'm doing.

Courtesy of Charlotte Lyons

I bought an embroidery pattern from Charlotte Lyons, that I'm planning on working on when I'm in St. Louis this summer. I just love the design and the colors she used. Cute, right? My friend, Bari, got me all excited about embroidery with the launch of her new site, We Love French Knots. Go check it out as there's lots of fun stuff going on over there, including an awesome giveaway!

Summer

2011-07-28T12:35:00.000-07:00

Sorry to be such a bad blogger. It's hard to do everything in the summer when the kids are home. I'm trying to soak up every last minute of relaxing with my family while it lasts. School starts soon. I always dread it, but I do love the regular work hours it brings.

This is a photo of my kids going off to camp. I just love watching them go off to their day of fun and friends. I wish I had taken this photo every year they've gone. It'd be fun to see the growth, which has been beyond reason this year. My oldest is wearing size 12 shoes. How can that be? He was super tiny when he was born. Maybe even smaller than the shoe. How does a tiny peanut get so big so fast? It flies, my friends. Enjoy every single moment with your kids and don't blink! They'll be big before you know it.

What I'm working on…that I can show you.

2011-07-20T18:20:00.000-07:00

I've been working on a lot of self promotion, some licensing stuff I can't show, and another job I can't show yet. It's frustrating. I love to post stuff the second it's complete. Which usually means I'm changing out images, because I realized after posting that it wasn't really quite right yet.

Anyway, this duo is for my portfolio. They've been trapped in my sketchbook for awhile now and are very happy to be getting out. Hopefully, I'll finish it soon.

Felting

2011-07-17T20:35:00.000-07:00

Went to Devon's house on Saturday and learned how to needle felt. I made this nifty little flower brooch. I've been wanting to do this for years, but I didn't want to invest in yet, more craft supplies only to find out that I don't enjoy it. It was so fun despite stabbing my fingers a few times! I do believe I'm hooked!

I wish I had a picture of her garden. She has the greenest thumb around. Her tomato plants are HUGE!

DIY Tool Box Makeover

2011-07-07T17:48:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post today. Yesterday, I went to Goodwill in search of some bins to organize my art supplies with. I've been looking for a tool box type of thing for awhile. I found this one which I immediately collaged and painted. I have such a bad habit of buying something with the intention of giving it a makeover that never happens, so I jumped right in. (Anyone want some unpainted wood or papier mache doodads?)You'll have to trust me that it started out ugly and had the words 'baby meds' stenciled on it. Odd.

I love it! I now have all of my brushes organized by type. Flat in the first spot, round in the second.

I also managed to find a cool little wire basket to hold my Claudine Helmuth and Lumiere paints, a nice ceramic thing to hold some bits and pieces and another bigger wire bin in the back to hold my larger paint tubes. I've had my paints in a big box and I could never find the color I wanted. Please admire that my paint is now organized by color family. Aren't I amazing? I'm hoping this bit of dazzle will distract visitors from the mess all around it.

Admit it, you're jealous, right? :)

Warm up sketches

2011-07-05T16:16:00.000-07:00

I'm going to Illustrator's Day in September. There's an optional assignment to work on before the conference which should give me three new portfolio pieces. In preparation for this project, I've been doing some warm up exercises. My portfolio definitely needs some more variety of ages in it.

4th of July fun

2011-07-04T18:12:00.000-07:00

My Hubby and his dad ripped out the built in benches and moldy storage boxes from our deck yesterday. The deck needs some rotted boards replaced, the paint stripped off, new stain, and a railing. I sure hope we can get it all done quickly! I can't wait to sit out there and enjoy!

Our neighborhood has a fun parade every 4th of July. A few of the streets create their own floats, kids decorate their bikes, scooters, or wagons, and most people and their dogs walk along. We also had a contingent of motorcycle cops, mounted police, and a fire truck. Many families host breakfast buffets on their front yards. It's so much fun!

Two of the cul de sacs team up and create a float every year. It's always a hit! One of the guys dresses up in some crazy outfit to go with the them. I think he really topped himself this year. He was Little Miss Firecracker 2011. I could not believe it when I saw him! He really has no shame, thank goodness!

After the parade, the fire truck hoses us all off. They always manage to get the bystanders who thought they were out of range. This is the highlight of the day. How was your Fourth of July?

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-03T12:46:00.000-07:00

I couldn't think of a better way to honor the founders of our country than by telling you about this book, Founding Mothers, by Cokie Roberts. I've been wanting to read it for years, but never got around to it. I'm blessed with parents who are voracious readers, so I have a constant supply of free books. Their senior center has tons to take/borrow. It's a great place to donate books to also.

Anyway, back to this book. It is the most amazing account of the beginning of our country! It's a little hard to follow due to the number of women, men, and events covered, but well worth it. It was like my favorite art history class, 15th century Renaissance, where you get all the dirt and behind the scenes stories, often in their own words. Loved it!!! You get a real picture of what life and society was like then. You also realize that, for better or worse, absolutely nothing about politics has changed since then. If you're as into history as I am, you will really enjoy it. It covers the road to revolution all the way until the 19th century, mostly covering the revolutionary period. These women and men were amazing! One of the women (Abigail Adams, I think?) wondered in a letter if future generations would remember the sacrifices they made for our country. I do now. When I got to the section about the preamble to the constitution I got the chills. It's so beautifully written. Of course, whenever I think of it the Schoolhouse Rock song pops into my head.

Enough gushing. I hope you all have a wonderful 4th of July. We'll be parading around our neighborhood. So excited that the route passes in front of our house. So fun.

Thank you so much to all the soldiers, past and present, who serve our country! We are forever in your debt.

Help! A quick one question survey.

2011-06-30T20:14:00.000-07:00

It's time to send out promo postcards. Actually it's way past time to send them (looking sheepish).

Would you mind helping me out here? Which design do you think is the best option? I've even thought of printing them both and sending them a month or so apart, but then there's the cost issue.

A day of antiquing and junking with my mom

2011-06-28T11:42:00.000-07:00

My definition of the perfect morning:)

On Saturday, my mom and I went to a local consignment store and some antique shops. So much fun! I had wanted to do this since my kids were little, but the thought of little boys around all that cool, breakable stuff kept me away. So glad I finally went.

I could not pass these old croquet balls up. I just love the design and color. The bowl was another find. It's originally from Crate & Barrel.

My son supposedly has a beach themed room. You can't tell, because I still haven't gotten around to finishing it. I found this adorable little shelf for him to put all of his 'treasures' in. Cuteness!

This was my favorite find—old music books and photos to use for collages!

Inspired sketch

2011-06-28T10:36:00.000-07:00

I think I'm channeling Garth Williams this week. As a child, I was obsessed with Native Americans and pioneers. I researched both subjects to death and, of course, drew them endlessly.

I find I'm not sketching as much as I need to lately. I'm hoping that the Sketchbook Project 2012, which just arrived will get me going. Meanwhile, I'm sketching even though I don't feel like it. You should see last night's page—Yuck! Sometimes it just doesn't flow, but that's a normal part of being an artist. I just finished Steven Pressfield's The War of Art. Loved it! It makes the bad days easier. I know I just have to keep showing up everyday and do the work. Hopefully, I got the ugly out last night so that today the pretty comes back. I've reserved some inspirational illustrators' books from the library (Arthur Rackham & Richard Scarry) to push me through to the next level.

A quick sketch

2011-06-27T10:21:00.000-07:00

This was a quick sketch that was supposed to be for Illustration Friday 'Swept'. I just didn't have the time to complete it.

Sketchbook Tour 2011

2011-06-23T10:06:00.000-07:00

Tracy Bishop

Tracy Bishop and I headed up to San Francisco last week to view the 2011 Sketchbook Tour. I forgot to enter one number into my nav system, so we ended up in the design district, right next to an amazing cafe. We had the best potato salad and avocado BLT on foccacio ever!!! Luckily after some searching, we realized our error and made our way to the studio.

We were a little shocked when we walked into the venue. It was very sterile and we weren't allowed to browse the books. You have to request two and wait to get them. We were so unprepared! It's a good thing that there were two of us to come up with names. We had a hard time remembering more than a few artist's books we wanted to see. Tracy put out a quick call on Twitter to discover some more. If you go — bring a list!

Jannie Ho's Comic Sketchbook

I loved holding these books in my hand and seeing the line work! I was surprised how many pages there were to fill! I followed along as Jannie Ho posted her story, but was still surprised how long it was. What a lot of work! If you missed it, you can read it here.

I'm holding Abigail Halpin's Sketchbook.

I absolutely love Abigail Halpin's sketches! If I could wave a magic wand, I'd wish for her skills and style. Her book is beautiful!

The beautifully hand lettered sketchbook of Liz Caldwell

Here's my friend, Liz Caldwell's book. Her hand lettering is amazing! I was in awe! It is such a beautiful book. I remember some of the days she was having as she worked on this book.

One last visit with my sketchbook

I just wanted to hold and page through my book one more time. I should have looked at it first, since I was immediately hit with the "I'm not good enough" wave of ickiness. I don't think that feeling goes away, ever! It just lays low until a weak moment appears, then it jumps out to say hi!

I have to admit, I considered not going to the exhibit since I had seen so many books online already, but nothing compares to seeing them up close and personal! They look less perfect, but so much more beautiful in person.

It was a great day! Go see them if you have a chance, but don't forget to bring a list!

Dan Santat

2011-06-21T17:06:00.000-07:00

I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Dan Santat today at my local indie bookstore, Hicklebee's. He's so funny and I love his work! We got a copy of his newest, not yet available graphic novel Sidekicks! I had to leave halfway through his talk to get my son from basketball camp, but I made it back in time to talk to him. I really wanted his other book Oh No!: Or How My Science Project Destroyed the World too, but I managed to control myself. I'd love to have him come back and teach an illustrator's workshop. I'm going to look into that and maybe organize it myself…gulp.

Photo courtesy of Dantat.com

Uber cool stickers he made for the event.

I'm a little behind on blog posts. I'm blaming it on the super heated weather we're having and a lack of air conditioning. Luckily, it turned out to be a blown fuse, which was easily replaced. I really wish we had some major home improvement skills around here. It's painful to hire a repair person only to find out that we could have easily fixed it ourselves. Live and learn.

I'll be blogging about my visit to the Sketchbook Project 2011 Tour, some new paintings I've just completed (I may sell the originals), and some new illos I've recently completed.

An Interview with Super Woman—Sarah J. Bray!

2011-06-13T22:14:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of SarahJBray.com

A couple of weeks ago, I told you I was dating my website. I am so excited about this program! The questions she asks are really changing my way of thinking about my business, where it's going, and how to get there by really making my website work for me. I can't wait to start implementing what I'm learning.

Sarah J Bray

Well I decided that I'd love to have a chat with the creator of that program, Sarah J. Bray. I've been reading her blog for awhile and following her on Twitter. I love her writing style and what she has to say. I'm soaking up everything she has writes about web strategy and content, what better way to learn more than by interviewing her! She was kind enough to agree :) Without further ado, here's what Sarah has to say.

Interview with Sarah J. Bray

Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do?
The easy-to-put-on-a-business-card answer -- I’m a strategic web designer. The real answer? I build and re-build businesses, using the web as my hammer of choice.

I also write a lot – can’t stop writing, actually. I write about the things that make a more meaningful web. I write about making your website love you back. I write about business and about being a better web designer and about my love affair with toast. It’s all about the toast, really.

What is your superpower? I think it’s running your business while Mom to three little ones, one of whom is very new.
Yes! I am a mom (my daughter Charlotte is 3 months old now!), and I run a design studio...but I think a lot of moms do amazing things like that. If I had to pick something else, it would be the way that my brain doesn’t stop working on a problem until it’s solved. Some people might call that worrying; I’m trying to re-frame that and take the anxiety out of it, because it really serves me well. I don’t stop. I keep going until everyone’s getting what they need.

Tell us about your new program, Hot Dates with Your Website and how did you come up with the mind altering content?
Haha...mind-altering! I love that. It sounds very super-powerish. :) I came up with the hot dates because nobody has time to work on their websites, and that makes me sad. It’s like not taking time for yourself by not doing the things that are going to get you where you want to go.

You can change the course of your business with persistent and powerful focus. It doesn’t have to be hours and days and weeks of focus; but short periods of intense focus, doing extremely strategic things adds up. I wanted to make it fun. I wanted to build in the allure of an intense love affair and the excitement of getting rewarded for being good to your business.

And it’s working. It’s crazy-working. I’m such a practical person, and I have to see results in order to feel like my work is worth anything at all. So I’m really excited that it’s resonating with so many people.

How does it work?
Every week, your website writes you a letter (by the way, I’ve nicknamed your website “Mo”, which comes from my fondness for building and keeping momentum). In the letter, he invites you on a date to a certain location, whether that be somewhere outdoors, in your favorite thinking spot, somewhere private where you can blast some music, wherever. He also includes a few pages to add to your Date Book, which is a workbook I created for everyone to take with them on their hot dates.

In the Date Book, you’ll find the area we’re focusing on that week. Eventually, we cover every piece of your website from top to bottom, inside and out. We also cover marketing, products and services, list-building, pricing, content strategy...on and on and on. It’s a ridiculous amount of information (and something even I need a refresher on every now and then), but we cover it in 30 minutes of extremely focused time every week.

The way we keep that focus is by using a timer. Seriously, it sounds hokey, but it works. After your timer goes off, you’re allowed to be finished. You can pat yourself on the back and give your website a good smooch. You’re done.

After that, you shoot an email to a secret email address, which then automatically sends you your reward for a job well done. The rewards are sometimes goofy, sometimes delicious, but always fun.

What can subscribers expect to get out of this?
World domination! Just kidding. They can expect to learn solid web strategy and beyond that, learn how to apply it to their specific style and business. Even if people think they know everything there is to know about marketing and web strategy, have they ever taken a measuring stick and held what they’re currently doing up against that knowledge? This is like that measuring stick, but it takes you beyond measuring and into actually making your website generate more business for you. Every. Single. Week.

Will we all have superpowers by the end?
You know, everyone already has superpowers. But going on hot dates with your website every week helps you to be able to look at your business objectively -- and that’s the hardest part for any business owner. It also teaches you what works to make your website do the work for you; instead of YOU feeling like a slave to IT. Having that kind of superpower in your box of tricks is invaluable.

What is your big thing & how did you decide this was it and stick to it?
My big thing is creating meaning. When you create meaning, people are attracted to what you’re doing without you having to shove it in their faces. I don’t respond well to constantly being marketed to, but I do respond well when someone has created something brilliant that helps me experience the world in a new way. I encourage everyone to think about money, yes, but to understand that money and meaning go hand in hand.

I stick to it because I can’t help it. It’s what I do every day when I’m “done” working. It’s what I help my clients and employees do. It’s what I’ll help my kids do one day when they’re old enough to understand that not everything is play (and hopefully, I’ll be able to teach them that everything CAN be play if you let it).

What words of wisdom do you have to share with your loyal and soon to be loyal fans?
Think about what your favorite clients/customers LOVE to see, do, and share, and create something like that for every piece of your business. Then people will love to see, do, and share your stuff. Make it your business to delight people. To make them think, “Wow, I cannot get enough of that. If this person’s website/product/service were gone tomorrow, there would be a tangible hole in the world.”

And learn good marketing principles. Drink up everything you can. Marinate in the stuff. And then go create your own path.

Thanks so much, Sarah! You can read all about this new program here. I wouldn't be sharing it with you if I wasn't so excited about it! What are you waiting for! Go! Now! You only have until June 17 to join us!

Affiliate link because I really love the program!

Happy 10 Little Man

2011-06-12T22:02:00.000-07:00

I've been out of town visiting family in Santa Barbara this weekend, but had to sneak in a quick post about a special little man. My baby turned 10 today! I tried to memorize him when he was a newborn because I knew how fast time flies! It didn't work. I can only imagine him as he is now. Happy Birthday sweet man.

Watching them grow

2011-06-07T09:55:00.000-07:00

These last few months, I've enjoyed watching my oldest blossom. He's really come into his own. I get to witness him standing fully in his own power. At thirteen, he's so comfortable in his own skin, which amazes me! I was so shy at that age, but he's not. It is awe inspiring and every bit as exciting as watching him take his first steps!

He's got this great talent of being able to manage and guide people. He gets this gift from his dad. Yesterday was my nine year old's end of the year party, so I brought the big guy along. He handled it with ease and they loved him!

I can't wait to see what he'll do in high school. There are so many opportunities at the school he's going to. So glad I get front row seats!

Work in Progress — Hansel & Gretel

2011-06-06T11:38:00.000-07:00

I'm busy working on some new portfolio pieces. Here's my version of Hansel & Gretel.

I'm reading Expressive Photography: The Shutter Sisters' Guide to Shooting from the Heart with the goal of greatly improving my family and blog photos.

Trying to figure out where to put all of these yummy veggies! Cody isn't waiting until the harvest to enjoy our crop.

Wondering if we can spruce up this deck by ourselves.

Experimenting with how to warm this pool of ours. Right now I'm trying a liquid pool cover. Sounds like magic, but I'm giving it a try.

Enjoying my favorite flowers ever. LOVE!

The above link is an affiliate link.

I've been dating my website.

2011-05-28T13:16:00.000-07:00

I've got a secret for you, I've been dating my website lately. We've had a couple of really hot dates! I revamped my website completely in February. A total redesign to showcase my work and make my life easier. No more week long struggles to add or delete images. Who has time for that? Not me. I opted for a WordPress website using Headway. I lost my beloved disjointed rollovers, but you just can't beat only having to spend 15 minutes switching images in and out is a dream come true!

Of course, I was so convinced of my genius and mad design skills, that I figured the money would then start rolling in. (Insert crickets here.) I added such brilliant SEO keywords, how could the masses not flock to my site? (More crickets.) In desperation, I turned to my Twitter buddy, Sarah J. Bray, for help. She's a genius, for sure. You should definitely go check out her website! She recently launched a new program where she walks you through hot dates with your website. I signed up immediately! I've been doing it for two weeks now and I'm loving it! She's got me thinking in new ways. I'll keep you posted on how it goes, but I have great hopes! I love her writing style and her insight. I've wanted to work with her for awhile and this is the time.

This is an affiliate link. I'm really using her program and wanted to share how excited I am!

The Little Witch

2011-05-27T12:46:00.000-07:00

Working on some things for my portfolio. You may remember her from my 2010 Sketchbook Project here.

How Glee ignited a spark

2011-05-27T05:41:00.000-07:00

From the 2010 Sketchbook Project--I can't post without a picture!

I watched the Glee season finale tonight. It wasn't their best show, but the scene with Kurt and Rachel singing on the Wicked stage meant so much to me! It reminded me how important my dreams are. How could I forget that absolute certainty I've always had? Their passion was contagious! I can't wait to get started! Never mind that I haven't stopped at all, that I'm working hard every single day including weekends striving for it—I'd just forgotten how that passion feels. Watch out world, here I come, right after I eat a chocolate chip muffin!

An open letter to Oprah

2011-05-26T11:01:00.000-07:00

Photo from the UK Telegraph

With the end of the Oprah show, I find myself looking back at what that show has meant to me in my life. I've been watching since the very first show. I was a big Donahue fan, so I was skeptical when Oprah came along, but I became an immediate fan. When she started doing more meaningful programing, I was a fan for life. I watched her show through major life stuff like college, marriage, divorce, marriage again, pregnancy, raising my kids, all the while quietly nurturing my dreams. I took her example to heart by working on becoming a better person (still a major work-in-progress). Her mantra "Live your Best Life" became my mantra. I thrive on learning and she has been one of my greatest teachers. Do I always agree with her?—No, not always, but that’s ok. I take what speaks to me and leave the rest.

I've always had this feeling burning inside of me that I'm destined for great things. It's so faint right now, that I'm not sure it's even there, but I have faith. I'm not even sure what these 'great things' are. Maybe it's the raising of my boys, maybe it has to do with my art, or perhaps it's something I haven't even dreamed of yet. I trust it will come if I keep plugging along and being open.

I always strive to lean towards the positive and toward possibility and I thank Oprah for being the champion of this. For setting an example and giving us the tools. For constantly reminding us of what's possible. Of the importance of being open to all that life has to offer. Of the gift of service to others. Her legacy is huge and far-reaching and I can't wait to see what's next!

Thank you, Oprah for being your true authentic self and giving us the mandate to be our own true selves, too. I’ll miss the show and I’ll be watching for what’s next.

P.S. I've been watching her Behind the Scenes show and I love it. I love seeing great people doing great work. Doing their absolute best. Is anyone else concerned about what they’ll all be doing now that the show’s over? Where do you go after you’ve had the best job in TV?

How I spent this school year and lessons learned

2011-05-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

Outside the event where hors d'oeuvres are served.

I have been involved in a huge project since September. I have an eighth grader. He's been at the same school with mostly the same kids since he was three. That's a long time! As he says, he's spent his whole life there. Last Saturday, we, the parents, hosted an African themed Dinner Dance for his class. This is a tradition at the school. There are about 55 kids in this grade. It's a semi-formal event with the parents and kids having dinner together, then a father/daughter, mother/son dance, then the parents leave and the real fun begins. Some years it is beyond spectacular. One year the parents built a 20' long pirate ship, I kid you not.

A tent in the courtyard area

I was one of four women on the committee this year. We opted for a toned down version, for which I am grateful. I was disappointed at first, but in hindsight, I'm very happy. Trying to run an illustration business and put on an event this big is tough. This was an amazing experience for me. I'm not a planner of events. I didn't even enjoy planning my own wedding. All those details are beyond me and, frankly, don't interest me. Why not elope? Thankfully, my other committee members handled those pesky details, while I concentrated on the design.

Hallway to the main room. I had the kids paint the masks in class.

I've never considered myself a leader or project manager. It's a bit of a joke in my house that I'm just not a people person. That's why I work for myself! I do, however, love collaboration! I love coming up with ideas, but bouncing ideas around with other people adds to the fun and to the outcome. This event was all about collaboration. I don't even lay claim to the design. I had a vision, albeit, not a very clear one. I do have a fully formed idea for an Arabian Nights theme which I hope to use when it's my little guy's turn. The safari theme had me seriously stumped.

The stage. A handful of parents spent over 100 hours making these
papier mache elephants. The mama was 6' tall!

Entry tent

Tent facades vignette

I really enjoyed working with all of the other parents on the work nights. I'd lay out the projects, explain what I was thinking for each one and let them loose. They far exceeded my expectations every time. Some of the parents consider themselves creative or crafty, but most didn't. It was amazing to see them soar, to realize they are creative. I've always wanted to inspire other people and this event was all about that for me. In some cases, I had no idea how to make my ideas come to light. It empowered me and them (I think) to hand off my ideas and see what they would come up with. I feel like I've found my calling in the last week.

Place settings

It took three days to put it all together for the dance. Until the end, I wasn't sure what we had. I concentrated on the walls of the main room. We had a photo area committee, a stage committee, and a courtyard committee. Six dads came in late Thursday night to dress the ceiling! I couldn't sleep much that night, so when Friday rolled around I was no longer thinking clearly. I had major fog brain, but since we had lots of help, it didn't matter. In the midst of all this, I got a call that my dad had fallen on Friday afternoon, and I had to take him to the ER. He's banged up, has a broken hand, but doing great. This was another lesson on trust for me. I had so much support that I knew I could leave for hours and it would be ok. It was better than ok!

Two of my favorite guys and me.

In the beginning, I wondered if I should be taking the time away from my business to tackle a project this big, but I'm so glad I did. I found new confidence and skills that I never knew I had. I'm still wondering how to apply them to my business. I'm worn out from the experience, so a few more days of processing it are in order.

Scarecrow

2011-05-09T16:59:00.000-07:00

I have gardening on my mind lately. I wish thinking translated to doing.

Dream Pig & Illustration Friday

2011-05-06T11:49:00.000-07:00

This week has been full of promos and sketches for new portfolio pieces. I felt the need to let loose and have some fun. Alice the Dream Pig is the result. The upper text reads: "Alice flapped her wings and flew westward towards the sunset". Remember to always Dream Pig!

BTW: Alice is also a 'beginner' at flying so this fits in with the Illustration Friday theme, thank you very much!

Whale painting on driftwood

2011-05-05T10:48:00.000-07:00

I painted this little whale on a piece of driftwood I found at the beach last year. It was so fun & quick. I must have more of this kind of fun.

When pigs fly

2011-05-03T08:59:00.000-07:00

Just a quick warm up sketch of the famous flying pig. Maybe my house will be clean now that pigs are flying;)

This little guy may be featured in a painting I'm doing today. Wish me luck.

Spring gardening

2011-04-29T11:37:00.000-07:00

I'm having a hard time figuring out what to post. My sketches can't be shared just yet and my Nikon lens is in the shop. I should have it back in about a week. It'll be so nice to have focused pictures again!

I'm really anxious to get my veggies in the ground. I'm running late, as usual. Just waiting for the gardner to remove those roses, then it's show time. These tomato cages are so colorful! I think I'll splurge on a couple to jazz up the backyard. It needs a lot of help.

My irises are almost ready to bloom. Really hoping my lens is back in time! Here's a pic from last year.

My boys both got glasses this week. They're so excited 'seeing' in high definition now. I'm still waiting for my new glasses and contacts to come in. I hadn't realized how bad my eyes had gotten in the four years since my last exam. I can actually wear their glasses with my contacts in and see perfectly! I can't wait till my new ones come. I'm tired of everything being blurry.

Here they are with a glasses wearing friend.

Spider Magazine June

2011-04-26T05:06:00.000-07:00

My illustration is in the new May/June issue of Spider magazine! It accompanies a recipe for Batidos

Here are a few closeups.

Pumpkins, sick kid, & a garden

2011-04-25T10:35:00.000-07:00

I've been working on a whole host of pumpkins & Jack-o-Lanterns. Let's just pretend they're Easter Bunnies, ok? They're part of a new collection I'm working on.

One of the reasons I've been a stay at home mom is shown here. When you're sick, you just want to be home with Mom, right? Mom and the dog, of course. My youngest was sick all of last week. The week before Spring Break. I had a lot of work to do, so we brought his big bean bag chair into my studio along with the quilt Gramma made. He was so cozy and I could work. The dog also takes his job seriously. He spent tireless hours comforting his boy.

This unattractive monstrosity is doing a good job of holding the pool net, but it's seen better days. I can only work on small parts of the garden as I go along. This will stay like this for now, but I'm dreaming of a variety of color, texture, and height here someday. I'm just not a formal garden kind of person. In other gardening news, I'm having a row of roses removed to make room for an in ground vegetable garden. I can hardly wait! It all starts this Friday. My Nikon lens is in the shop, so I'll try to dig up a camera to show you.

Peaking in to say Hello and some Randomness

2011-04-13T14:42:00.000-07:00

Right now I'm watching this painting class by Will Terry and I'm learning so much!!! Major revelation for me in the first 15 minutes of Part One. Check it out! I'm thinking of purchasing his How to Illustrate Children's Books title also. I absolutely love his artwork! He was also kind enough to answer a question of mine via a video podcast.

I am in love with these two paintings I picked up at HomeGoods yesterday. I've been on the lookout for a good poppy painting for years and at $50, this one was in my price range.

Today my friend Andi Butler shared a link to this post on Decor8 about the popularity of bike inspired art and fashion. Imagine that! I'm on trend.

I bought this plant last year. Loving it! I need to remember what the heck it is and get a few more.I'm still dreaming of overhauling my tired, overgrown landscaping, but with collapsing fences and other not so fun things to pay for, it'll have to wait for the time being. I may, however, rip out some ugly rose bushes and replace them with a vegetable garden for this year.

A tease and a call to action

2011-04-12T17:59:00.000-07:00

I'm working on marketing and creating artwork for the licensing market right now. It's so frustrating that I can't share any of it with you. Above is just a little bit of something I've got on the drawing board today.

As you probably know, the life an illustrator has a lot of highs and of lows. The joy of landing a job or a contract and the lows of not getting it or a project that's suddenly put on hold. I'm just coming down off of a high and if I must be honest, I'm wallowing a bit in the lows. That's not to say that I've given up or am sitting around doing nothing. I'm not as productive as I could be right now, but I am still accomplishing some things and I'm definitely promoting the heck out of myself. I want the next high of a new project. I'm hooked.

I keep submitting my artwork to every possible prospect I can find. I am creating new work, but I'm not waiting for it to be finished before I promote myself. If I did, I'd be forever waiting for the right moment or the right art. For me the right moment is now. The new work will be ready for the next round and so on and so on. You get the picture. If you're still waiting for your work to be at the right place, stop waiting and start promoting. You'll always be improving. Remember, you're not satisfied yet because you can see where you are or would like to go with your work. There's a place for your work right now where you are, so go out and get it!

Scooter Bunny

2011-04-04T19:51:00.000-07:00

Another bunny enjoying the nice weather.

Some Bunnies

2011-04-01T13:24:00.000-07:00

I felt the need to draw something today. Here is the result.

Today was like summer

2011-03-31T19:32:00.000-07:00

After a whole lot of rain and cold weather, today turned out to be quite hot—87°! I knew the kids would want to swim. They swear the pool is just right. Of course, they jump out as fast as in. The blue lips are another clue, though they deny they're cold.

They've been busy growing all winter, so we had to quickly buy some shorts and swimsuits.

No sure why this is so fun, but they do it every time.

This is Cody's go to spot when the boys swim. He's not fond of the water, however he was quick to join us outside when we started the BBQ. He's not so dumb.

I wish I could show you what I've been working on, but it's all hush hush. I hope to be back soon with something to share.

Sharing some old art because I'm avoiding the things I'm supposed to be doing.

2011-03-28T13:58:00.000-07:00

I'm avoiding mundane tasks I don't want to do today. My brain refuses to focus, so I give up trying to work today. I should be cleaning/shopping/cooking/doing laundry anyway.

Way back before my BFF and I had kids, we used to get together on Sundays and paint. These are two of the paintings I completed at that time. The ceramics are all by my talented friend, ceramic artist, Kristen Doner.

The Mummy Walks

2011-03-22T14:39:00.000-07:00

Last week's #kidlitart chat on Twitter was all about backgrounds. I think everyone struggles with them, including me. This illo is a case in point. I really struggled with this one and I'm still not sure if I like it yet. This piece was from a sketch in my Sketchbook Project.

Flamingo

2011-03-18T11:43:00.000-07:00

This charming fellow was meant for a past job, but he didn't make the cut. I liked him, though, so I thought I'd give him center stage.

Those of you on Twitter know that I will be receiving my very first licensing contract next week. I am so flipping excited. I actually got light headed and had to lay down for awhile. This is just very early days, but it could not have come at a better time just when I needed a boost. Thanks for all of your support!

I don't know about you, but I'm feeling so excited about Hunger Games being made into a movie. I can't wait!

Chickens Revisited

2011-03-15T13:35:00.000-07:00

I'm busy working on increasing my digital portfolio right now by reworking some older work. These chickens have long been a favorite of mine, but I was never happy with the background. I love the new digital version. It's more happy and cozy, if that makes sense.

Here's the all color pencil version.

Randomness and the 80s Party

2011-03-14T09:07:00.000-07:00

I had an insanely fun time dancing my heart out at our school's dinner and auction Saturday night. It was an 80s theme. As the owner of 80s hair, I was very excited to let my hair do it's thing. I put straightening gel in it, can you tell? It just got bigger the more I danced. I'm thinking that gel isn't doing what it's supposed to do.

Can you believe how much jewelry I had on?

We had a Prom King and Queen.

There were a lot of mullats.

The fourth grade parents really got into the 80s thing. They even had a second 80s outfit for the after party.

This and that:

Have you seen these hand painted brooches by one of my favorite artists, Genine Zlatkis?

Meg Hunt and her sister are starting an art auction to help Japan. Please spread the word.

I'm really enjoying following Design Mom's story of their move to France.

I'm not enjoying this time change—are you?

New Collage Portrait for First Communion

2011-03-10T17:23:00.000-08:00

I just finished this Collage Portrait for a First Communion. This is a new color combination that I'm working on for First Communions, Baptisms, and Bridal/Wedding/Anniversaries. I love all the details I was able to add like rhinestones to her tiara, a cream colored ribbon, a cross, and touches of lace doilies. This was so fun to work on!

You can order yours here. Mother's Day is coming up and this makes a great gift!

Sewing & Digital Painting

2011-03-07T20:04:00.000-08:00

Here's what I've been working on lately. I finally finished my studio closet curtains. I'm so happy that all that stuff is covered up. I can think again.

I'm also working on my digital portfolio. I'd like to pick up more educational clients, so I reworked some old art in Photoshop. These were originally part of a set of four illos for workbooks on different cultures.

My First Quilt

2011-02-25T10:22:00.000-08:00

With the kids on vacation and one down with the flu, I gave up on getting any work work done and decided to tackle the quilt that has been in the making for a year or so.

I had most of the block rows sewn together and finished the rest quickly. I had planned a mitered border, but didn't really want to do it. I'd need my mom's help, but we couldn't chance exposing her to the flu. Luckily, I had just received Bari J's Inspired to Sew. She has a Sweet home Chicago quilt which doesn't have a mitered border. Hallelujah! That's all the incentive I needed. The border was a breeze.

I was very determined to finish the top and back this week, so when I couldn't find my original plan for the back and realized that I hadn't ordered enough fabric anyway, I got creative. I used leftover blocks plus added some new ones, scraps, and the fabric that was supposed to be a border. Oh well, that's a problem for another day.

I worked quickly and tried not to overthink it. I like the results. Next up, I'm off to Mom's to baste everything together. How to quilt it is not so easy. I love the idea of using embroidery floss ala Anna Maria Horner or machine quilting it. I don't want to make a career out of quilting it. I want it finished!

Valentine's Collage Portrait

2011-02-18T09:18:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of working with a dream client last month on a Semi Custom Collage Portrait. She ordered the collage for her boyfriend. Don't they make an adorable couple?

She provided me with lots of great stuff to work with — a great photo, tickets, journal pages, and a personal card he gave her. You can see his 'I Love You!!!' above shown in the collage and after I painted it. It's a great personal touch.

The collage was finished off with the sides painted in a coordinating dark color.

Mother's Day is coming up. A Collage Portrait is a great way to show Mom how much you love her. You can order yours here.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T09:49:00.000-08:00

I wish all of you a very happy Valentine's Day! In honor of this occasion, I painted this piece. It's a combination of acrylic paint, collage, pen, and digital painting. You can purchase it here.

My husband surprised us with a couple of early Valentine's gifts yesterday—an iPad and a Kindle! He's definitely a keeper and not just because he spoils us. He has lots of other wonderful qualities that we love so much. The kids have taken over the iPad, of course, but I'm hoping to play with it today. I need to find some useful apps for me (any suggestions?) and of course, I'll have to sew up some covers for them. Carmen Brunson pointed me to this tutorial that I might try (minus the flowers).

Downloading

2011-02-13T21:18:00.000-08:00

This is just a quick post with a message. I'm very concerned that someone seems to be downloading many of the images on my blog. I find this worrisome, since I don't know what they'll be doing with the images.

If you're just clicking on them to make them bigger, great! But if you're downloading them, I am asking you to kindly stop. They belong to me and cannot be used without my written permission.

Thank you.

The beach is better in February!

2011-02-05T19:42:00.002-08:00

We went to the beach today. When we go to the beach in the summer, the kids are in the water (which is always cold) and I'm bundled up in blankets trying, but not succeeding in staying warm. Today, in February, it was perfect! It was warm!

I hate to rub it in, but what an amazing day!

Wishing you a little sunshine.

2011-02-04T14:46:00.000-08:00

This is an older piece that I thought was appropriate for my friends in the rest of the country. It's sunny and warm here. I wish I could send some to you. Anyone want to exchange a little sunshine for a manageable amount of snow? Anyone? Anyone?

Goal Setting

2011-01-31T14:24:00.000-08:00

I've been working on goal setting since after Christmas. I'm way behind due to several deadlines and a child who's been getting a biweekly fever, it's been quite a challenge. I really felt that I needed to do more than just write a list of goals. I needed to carefully and intentionally develop those goals to really be able to internalize them. My word for 2011 is Intention. Everything I do this year is being held up to that word. My hope is to create more focus and intention around my business and my life.

I've had the book, The Creative Entrepeneur by Lisa Sonora Beam, for about a year now without doing more than flipping through the beautiful pages. Now I'm working my way through. I bought a moleskin in which to create my very own intentional business plan. Collaging and painting it is taking longer than I like, but I have been following the writing prompts in the book. I'll add them into the book later. I also signed up for a local creative business group that is holding monthly meetings to work together on this same book. My goal is to have a beautiful business plan that I can refer to. It's also become a great way to create without preplanning. I just glue whatever paper is nearby, then slap some paint on it. I'm not getting hung up on how it 'should' look. It's pure fun!

I also purchased the Goddess Guidebook and I'm loving it! I'm really not the new age, goddessy type, but this ebook rocks! It's really gotten me thinking. You can see a couple of pages peaking out of that adorable file folder that I just had to buy. Big dreams and plans deserve a pretty folder, don't you think?

How are you setting your goals this year?

The Creative Entrepeneur link is an affiliate link.

Illustration & Collage — A sneak preview

2011-01-28T09:07:00.000-08:00

I just finished a collage portrait which will be a Valentine's present my client will be giving. She was a dream client who provided a lot of memorabilia that I was able to add in, giving it a high degree of personalization. I hope it's a hit.

Here's a sneak preview of a project I'll be finishing up today. It's a combo of color pencil and digital painting. I'm really liking this combination!

Sketchbook Project — Finale

2011-01-20T05:00:00.000-08:00

It was a big relief to finally get this project completed and mailed out.

Unfortunately, I forgot to scan the cover. Seriously. It was a collaged bird with the title in a speech bubble. You would have loved it, trust me. Here I sit, red in the face. I can't believe I forgot. Sheesh.

Sketchbook Project — Collage Dots & more

2011-01-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

I'm posting the last bits of my Sketchbook in two posts. Below is one of two collages I did. My collage technique is kind of a stream of conciousness type. I just glue down whatever strikes my fancy at the time and repeat the process with paint. It's the polar opposite from my illustration work. I named this one 'Dots' —clever, huh?

What do mice dream of? Cheese, of course.

Day in the Life: Our backyard got skunked.

Towards the end it got harder to come up with what to draw, so I broke out Drawing Lab for some inspiration. Here's some continuous line drawings. Fun, but yikes!

Another Drawing Lab exercise, draw like Dr. Seuss. This was so fun! I used a nifty brush pen I got from my friend Tracy.

Next up, the cover and the last spread.

Illustration Friday - Chicken

2011-01-18T12:18:00.000-08:00

I think I'm starting to love painting in Photoshop. I wanted a new avatar in honor of Jannie Ho's Chicken week on Illustration Friday, but this guy needed a new background and foreground. I spent a few moments in Photoshop and voila! Only the chicken is in color pencil.

Here's the original I pulled this lady out from. I'll be updating it soon.

Sketchbook Project —A Collage

2011-01-13T10:29:00.000-08:00

In between all of my nursing efforts this week, I've been busy filling my sketchbook. Since collage has been such an important part of my life this past year, I knew I had to include it. I've painted one collage in the actual book, but this one I created on a separate piece of watercolor paper. I plan to glue it onto one of the pages. The problem is I love it so much that I want to keep it.

I saw the above quote on someone's blog (so sorry I forgot whose). It's the Oregon state motto, apparently. It holds so much meaning for me this year as I try to grow my business. This morning I read a blog post by Kelly Rae Roberts that goes along with this quote. It seems I'm being given signposts lately (from Oregon). I want to lighten my husband's load financially, so growth is very important.

I've been trying to come up with a word for this year. Last year's was 'Simplicity'. I didn't achieve that in quite the way I was expecting, but I did find myself letting go of a lot of things that weren't so important. I'm wishing housekeeping wasn't one of them, though;-) This year, the word isn't coming to me so easily, but I think it's going to be 'ACTION'. I'll let that sit for awhile and see how it feels.

Sketchbook Project —Ties, Houses, and What not

2011-01-12T09:09:00.000-08:00

With family members dropping like flies with the flu, I'm nursing and sketching as fast as I can.

Sketchbook Project —Flamingo and other pages

2011-01-11T10:41:00.000-08:00

Not sure I'll make it, but I'll do my best.

Sketchbook Project —Do Alligators Surf?

2011-01-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

I, for one, would love to see an alligator surfing…from a distance, that is.

Sketchbook Project —Lost Sock Conundrum

2011-01-09T11:07:00.000-08:00

The pattern of lost socks and a bad pun "Needler in a Haystack". Sorry, I couldn't resist.

More Sketchbook Project & PJs Galore

2011-01-06T08:51:00.000-08:00

My sketches are going back to doodles at this point. I don't mind. For this entire project, I've just drawn what I felt like at the time. I'm just enjoying the simple act of putting pencil to paper. My goal is to continue this practice after this project is complete.

Everyone got pajamas for Christmas except for my husband. He didn't want any, go figure. I was able to use my mom's serger, until the blades came loose. I then had to set up shop in my bedroom on a tv tray. It took a couple of late nights, but I did it!

Here's my youngest sporting his latest do—the Faux Hawk. I had to make his top twice because the pattern sizing was way off. He'd still like this to be longer, but I'm done for now. You can see a little bit of my psychedelic pjs behind his chair. I love these!!! I never want to take the off. They're the warmest clothes I own.

It's almost impossible to get my boys to model clothes at this point. I had to sneak this shot. A mama does what she has to to get the job done. After I made them, I realized that they look a little bit like Star Trek Next Generation. I swear that was an accident ;-)

Even the dog got pajamas. He's always shivering so he needed some! Here he is in his Toy Story bean bag chair over the heating vent. He's been there all morning. Tough life.

The Whole Shebang & some sketches

2011-01-05T09:13:00.000-08:00

I'm really excited that Kelly Rae Roberts is offering here ebook for a special one day only price of $89 (regularly $140)!! I had wanted to take her class when she taught it last year, but couldn't fit it in. Luckily, she later offered it as an ebook, so I bought it and read it last summer. I'm always interested in how successful people became successful and this book delivered on that. My goal is to implement more of her suggestions this year.

If you've been thinking about buying it, today is the day! Click the button on the left to order. (This is an affiliate link).

Here are a couple more Sketchbook pages. I feel like I'm running out of steam with this lately, but it has meant so much to me creatively. My sketching has improved with this regular practice.

It's been fun to treat this space as a finished product. Instead of freezing me up, it's had the opposite effect. I haven't sketched like this in ages! Most of my sketches in the past have been created for the sole purpose of filling my portfolio or completing a job. This has been just for fun with the bonus of feeding my portfolio.

Second try at digital painting in Photoshop

2010-12-31T09:31:00.000-08:00

2010 has been a year of experimenting for me and it's been a real struggle. I know it's necessary, but I miss knowing exactly how to solve a given illustration problem. I can still do it like I used to, but I feel I'm moving in a new direction with my work. I am enjoying the ride for the most part, though.

I 'm working on a snowman collection and this guy is one of the sketches. I thought a snowman would be a simple subject for trying out digital painting. I tend to jump right into a BIG project before I've experimented on a smaller scale. Overall, I'm happy with this guy, though I still feel the pull to try again with paint and color pencil. I just realized that I forgot his scarf!

I'm afraid this new digital direction is going to cost me some serious money if I'm not careful. Can you say CS5 and Cintiq? Yikes!

I want to thank all of you who read this blog from the bottom of my heart! Your comments help fuel my creativity and hope. I have a lot planned for 2011 and hope to share it with you here in this space. Happy New Year!!!

Sketchbook Project — Winter & Some Golf

2010-12-30T14:39:00.000-08:00

The Sketchbook Project is coming to a close in a couple of weeks. It'll be a mad dash to finish it up. I hope to fill several pages with some collage and some prints of illos I've colored using sketches from the book. Crossing my fingers that'll I'll make the deadline.

After being hit with lots of sickness around here, I'm happy that my family and I are healthy. My husband feels like he's coming down with something, but we're ignoring it in hopes it will go away. He's out playing golf right now, so I think it's working.

My husband is obsessed with golf. He plays whenever he can and watches it on TV every weekend. He records the PGA Tour, The Champions Tour, and the LPGA. I kid you not. He never does anything halfway. My hope is that the boys someday get into it so they can all go together (and I can stay home and paint for 5 uninterrupted hours!).

Merry Christmas!!! I guess I need to finish decorating, wrapping, cleaning!

2010-12-24T10:53:00.000-08:00

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!! Thank you for following my blog this year!

I've been experimenting with digital painting lately. I made this illo into a Christmas one using a color pencil brush in Photoshop. It still needs some work, but overall, I'm happy with it.

This is an elf from Christmas past. I made him out from a pattern when I was a teenager. He's a little bedraggled, but still loved.

This little Stanley reminds me of when my 13 year old was a preschooler. Good memories! We have a tradition in my family in which each kid receives an ornament each year. We date and initial the back so that when they grow up and have their own tree, they take all the ornaments they've collected over the years.

This is an ornament that belonged to my grandparents.

This is the stocking my mom made for me when I was a teenager.

My youngest uses this one. He's all about color!

Who let the dogs out?

2010-12-14T10:01:00.000-08:00

After a week and a half forced hiatus from walking, Cody and I got to walk the trail today. It's still Fall here as you can see. My front yard looks like a leaf bomb went off and with rain coming, it'll only get worse.

Here are Cody and his walking buddies. It would have been a funnier picture if you could see us trying to get them to stay long enough to get the shot. Cody is the little guy wearing the red jacket. Thanks Corina for taking the picture!

This is a sneak preview of my first digitally painted piece. I painted with acrylics then scanned it and painted over the base in Photoshop. Not my favorite way of working, but it's a good skill to have.

I'm posting about our favorite Christmas books next.

Sketchbook Project — Reindeer

2010-11-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited about some of the sketches in my Sketchbook Project. So many new illos to color!

Sketchbook Project — Skiing Penguin

2010-11-29T09:45:00.000-08:00

We had a record amount of snow in the Sierras this last week. Wish I could have gone skiing. This little fellow did get to hit the slopes, though. As you can see, I've hit the halfway mark on my Sketchbook Project. If I keep doing 2 page spreads, I should be able to finish by the deadline. Yay!

In CyberMonday news, I'm have a 20% off sale in my Etsy shop with the coupon code Thanx10 and on my Collage Portraits, so now's the time to shop!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T07:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope your holiday is full of warmth, love, and way too much food!

Sketchbook Project — Bunnies on the Brain

2010-11-23T13:07:00.000-08:00

My poor sketchbook has been sadly neglected lately. I was busy on a project and had no time for it. The project was cancelled, so now I have time. If you look closely, you can see the next page I'm working on. It's more seasonally appropriate than bunnies.

We did a lot of celebrating over here this weekend. My in-laws celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and my oldest turned 13. In other news, my 9 year old son has discovered girls. More specifically, a belly dancer. You can see the appreciation in his face.

Happy Birthday Kiyon!!!

2010-11-20T23:08:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that my little boy is turning 13. How did this happen? He was just a teeny weeny baby yesterday! One thing that has never changed is his deep love of chocolate and his love of ice cream. We joke that his freckles are made of chocolate.

He is the best big brother…ever and we love him so.

I hope this is your best year yet. I so enjoy catching glimpses of the man you are becoming.

Happy Birthday!!!