my dog is a pancake

IF - Stay

2011-07-15T00:30:00.001-04:00

The first thing I thought of when I saw the Illustration Friday prompt, "stay," was my son in pre-school. At one point, he was having a hard time coping with his Dad being in the hospital and he did not want to be at school. I will never forget the look that stopped me in my tracks and those heart wrenching words, "Mom, stay." I guess we were both having a difficult time.

IF - Shadows

2011-06-08T12:37:00.003-04:00

It's been a while since I have posted to Illustration Friday. And I'm sorry that I've been a bit too preoccupied to be a good blog visitor these days. I am looking forward to getting back to posting and visiting. Well, one bit of news to share is that my website is up...hooray! I've also finally joined twitter (still learning about it), and I have designed a new blog header for my group blog, Smells Like Crayons . I also just yesterday finished a six-week weaving workshop with fifth and sixth graders which I will soon be posting about on my Mrs. P's Art Blog. Right now you can see the Famous Americans project I did with second graders in March.

So that's what's new. The image above, however, is not so new. But I do like finding images from the past that fit the theme. And if there is a witch involved, even better!

New Ways of Working

2011-06-02T13:55:00.002-04:00

This is the blog header I recently finished for my group blog Smells Like Crayons. We are an SCBWI illustrator critique group. We meet once a month to share work, ideas, advice, and usually food, too!

This started as a drawing and some gouache experiments, but it ended up being mostly Photoshop. I'm thinking about my work in new ways...more like collaged layers where I can use painted and drawn elements--organic and imprecise--combined with the precision and efficiency of Photoshop. It's a cool combination!

Velveteen Rabbit - My Cover Redesign

2011-05-16T22:10:00.004-04:00

I spent the weekend at the 2011 NESCBWI conference. This year was the 25th anniversary of the New England conference.

The above is my poster submission. The assignment was to redesign a cover of a book that you consider to be a milestone.

The Velveteen Rabbit is high on my list of favorites. Though this has been illustrated several times since the original was published in 1922, I think there was room for another cover idea. For me, the rabbit meeting the fairy who stepped out of the flower that grew from his tear, was a pivotal moment.

I also posted about the conference here at my group blog Smells Like Crayons.

Illustration Friday - Bottled

2011-04-14T15:45:00.005-04:00

Make a wish!

Illustration Friday - Toy

2011-03-31T22:55:00.002-04:00

My mom told me about tough times growing up in Italy during World War II. During certain years, they were lucky to have enough to eat. As for toys, well children had to often create their own.

I thought one story was particularly funny and sweet. My mom and her sister did not own any dolls. They would take a kitchen towel and drape it over one of their hens. She became--a bride!

Illustration Friday - Stir

2011-03-17T23:51:00.001-04:00

Illustration Friday - Swarm

2011-03-04T00:23:00.000-05:00

Illustration Friday - Layer

2011-02-24T23:16:00.003-05:00

So this may be a bit of a stretch. The layers here have to do with the medium mostly. This is a cut paper collage I did a few years ago. I painted the paper swatches with gouache, cut and glued. No Photoshopped textures here.

Illustration Friday - Sweater

2011-02-17T23:53:00.002-05:00

Illustration Friday - Reverse

2011-02-08T18:09:00.003-05:00

This was a page from my sketchbook for The Sketchbook Project 2011. (If you want to see more of my pages check here.) I thought it worked for this weeks Illustration Friday prompt. And hey! It's almost Valentine's Day! I love when things fall into place.

Illustration Friday - Surrender

2011-02-03T23:41:00.003-05:00

It was fun experimenting with Photoshop for this Illustration Friday prompt. The wallpaper was scanned from some stripes I had painted with gouache. The drawing is in ink and the rest is colored in Photoshop. I stayed up way later than I intended. *sigh* But it was fun.

Illustration Friday - Dusty

2011-01-28T00:05:00.003-05:00

Remembering that he swept his father's dusty tavern
brought tears to his eyes.

Illustration Friday - Chicken

2011-01-20T23:57:00.005-05:00

Chickens at School

I tried something I don't normally do for this weeks submission to Illustration Friday. I took a sketch and added color using Photoshop. Did it very quickly and need more time to work on my skills, but it was good practice.

Illustration Friday: Deja-vu

2011-01-13T14:31:00.004-05:00

She felt as if she had known him all of her life,
as if they had held each other many times before.

Joy to You!

2010-12-23T16:54:00.002-05:00

This is my "mail" post for Illustration Friday. It's my Christmas card for 2010. Wishing you joyful, peaceful, and happy holidays!!! ♥

Illustration Friday - Phenomenon

2010-12-17T00:49:00.000-05:00

Illustration Friday - Savor

2010-12-02T17:43:00.002-05:00

IF - Burning

2010-11-18T23:47:00.002-05:00

When everyone turned around to look at her, she felt her cheeks burning.

IF - Afterwards

2010-11-11T22:09:00.003-05:00

Dharma finds her favorite toy.

IF - Spent

2010-11-04T23:54:00.004-04:00

While Jeremy studied, Sylvana spent all of her time in class studying Jeremy.

New Art at Lilla Rogers Studio

2010-10-23T18:13:00.004-04:00

Friday I traveled to Lilla Rogers Studio for a fabulous event. Lilla invited art directors, art buyers, and designers to a private viewing of new art. She displayed stacks of gorgeous prints, scrap-booking ideas, and jewelry along with various products made beautiful with her artists' work. This was the first studio event of this type she's hosted, but hopefully Lilla will do more of these in the future. To me it seemed like art buyer's heaven...and inspiration heaven!!
Most impressive though is that Lilla knows how to create a fabulous experience. I got to meet Lilla's staff who were all warm, welcoming, and hospitable. There was delicious food along with hot and cold beverages. What made the event even more memorable? Everyone went home with a "goody bag" ---a lovely canvas bag with little product treasures inside. What a perfect ending! Be sure to check out her updated website.

IF - Spooky

2010-10-21T23:46:00.003-04:00

I really wanted to create a new painting this week, especially since the prompt for Illustration Friday was "spooky." What a great word to illustrate! What is more fun than creating witches, zombies, and other ghouls?

Unfortunately, I was too busy, but I did have many earlier works to choose from that fit the theme. I chose Ghoul Spa.

Facial anybody?

IF - Transportation

2010-10-15T00:22:00.002-04:00

This sketch is doubling as an Illustration Friday submission and a page from my sketchbook for the Sketchbook Project. The IF prompt was "transportation."

Are you participating in the Sketchbook Project? My theme is "Jackets, Blankets, and Sheets."

One Lovely Blog Award

2010-10-11T21:30:00.005-04:00

I was graced with this wonderful blogger award by a special person. Marion Eldridge was my first Children's Illustration instructor. She was the one who got me started thinking seriously about this career and it was in her class that I picked up a wealth of information, guidance, and encouragement. Thank you Marion!!

There are so many out there very deserving of this award, and since it has been around for some time, I will pass on passing it along. Please know that I think all all of you, my blog friends, are lovely bloggers!! ♥

IF - Beneath

2010-10-07T16:50:00.000-04:00

IF - Old-Fashioned

2010-09-30T22:49:00.002-04:00

This is an acrylic painting I did a few years ago. (I work with gouache now usually.) I thought it fit Illustration Friday's prompt this week, which is "old-fashioned."

IF - Acrobat

2010-09-23T23:42:00.003-04:00

Though I am burning the midnight oil, I had fun with this concept for Illustration Friday's "acrobat." They are having a good time, too. This is NOT a circus. They are doing this just for fun.

IF - Proverb

2010-09-16T23:50:00.006-04:00

Look before you leap.

Dessert Painting

2010-09-12T10:52:00.003-04:00

Here is the painting I did for the sketch from the last post. It was done on wood, which is not yielding the happiest of results for me. It takes some getting used to as the paint doesn't flow as it does on paper because the gouache becomes absorbed into the material. I tried an underpainting of Acryla gouache which seems to work a little better than regular gouache.

Here's to more experimenting.

IF - Dessert

2010-09-09T23:10:00.003-04:00

I did a painting on wood based on this sketch for Illustration Friday's "dessert." However, my scanner is giving me trouble. I actually like the sketch better than the painting anyway.

IF - Immovable

2010-09-02T21:00:00.004-04:00

Dreams are illustrations... from the book your soul is writing about you. -Marsha Norman

This is my submission for this week's Illustration Friday prompt, "immovable." It is a sketch I did of my daughter when she was asleep. She was about 14.

Nine Qualities of a Successful Freelancer

2010-09-01T09:35:00.011-04:00

If you are a freelancer or business owner (for those who don't like that term), you might enjoy this book trailer for The Ultimate Guide to Running a Successful Freelance Business.
The music is Susie Ghahremani's who is both a visual artist and a musician.

Atmosphere

2010-08-27T00:03:00.004-04:00

Here are a few sketches for Illustration Friday's "atmosphere" prompt.
I have missed blogging and am happy to be back!

Book Review and Giveaway

2010-07-26T21:47:00.003-04:00

Read my review of this book here and leave a comment for a chance to win.

IF - Paisley

2010-06-25T00:16:00.004-04:00

This was a painting I started and posted a while back. However, it was pretty rough. I decided to work on it and added a paisley pattern.

I really liked this week's word. Would have liked more time to work on it.

Ripple

2010-06-16T08:24:00.002-04:00

In this life we cannot do great things.
We can only do small things with great love.

-Mother Theresa

Many small acts are adding up to thousands of dollars donated to help wildlife affected by the Gulf Coast oil spill. Illustrator Kelly Light created an opportunity for artists and art lovers alike to help. Artists donate small works of art which can be purchased at her blog Ripple for a $10.00 donation.

Here is my first contribution. It's a gouache painting on bristol.

In the wake of this environmental tragedy, it's empowering to know that as a community of artists and concerned citizens we can make a difference. Thank you, Kelly, for leading the way.

IF - Trail

2010-06-11T00:32:00.002-04:00

Here is my submission for Illustration Friday's prompt "trail." It is on paper this time, but it is a study for a painting I plan to do on wood.

IF - Slither

2010-06-03T23:41:00.003-04:00

So here is my interpretation of Illustration Friday's "slither." I'm still trying out painting on wood. I wonder if an octopus hug would feel slithery? Maybe not with all the suction cups! We'll leave it to these two to figure it out.

IF - Early

2010-05-28T00:22:00.004-04:00

In the eleventh hour, while experimenting with gouache on wood, I decided this quick painting might work for this week's Illustration Friday prompt. Ironically, I am posting late for "early."

edit: Oops! Forgot to tell you. She is enjoying the early blooms of spring.

Inspired by Flowers

2010-05-10T17:52:00.005-04:00

Today I was inspired by flowers. The above sketch and this one:

came about after doing some studies of flowers I got for Mother's Day yesterday. I like doing studies from life as a starting point sometimes.

This was the starting point:

IF - Linked

2010-04-13T08:50:00.005-04:00

Lucky for me the word at Illustration Friday this week is "linked." It's a busy week, so it was nice to have a couple of sketches that would work for the prompt. This is one of them.

Witch's Hobby

2010-03-30T20:21:00.003-04:00

Last month, I posted a sketch at my group blog here. This was for Illustration Friday's "propagate." Here is the painting. Witch is taking care of her Venus Flytraps. It's the kind of thing she does.

Must-See Monday: Klee's Layers

2010-03-15T14:23:00.004-04:00

Sonnenuntergang (Sunset), 1930
Oil and pencil on primed canvas

Lately, I have been looking at Paul Klee's work and I was struck by this painting. In 1930, he was thinking about layers on flat planes, much the way contemporary artists think about layers in this digital age. Ahead of his time indeed!

IF - Focused

2010-02-04T22:44:00.002-05:00

This week's prompt for Illustrtion Friday is "focused." This is a mandala painting I did a few years ago for an illustration assignment. A mandala (Sanskrit for "round" or "circle") is used to assist concentration and meditation.

Mandalas can be created in many mediums--even dance! The process for creating them is often ritualistic as in the creation of sand mandalas unique to the Tibetan Buddhists. Once created these are deconstructed and the sand is dispersed in water to symbolize the impermanent nature of existence.

Must-See Monday: Mary O'Malley

2010-02-01T15:24:00.003-05:00

Mary O'Malley is a Boston area artist. I came to know her work through DeCordova Museum. I first spotted the above entitled, "Hybrid Bloom" in one of DeCordova's brochures. (Is it not gorgeous?) I had to see more of her work and find out more about her, so when I heard her work would be featured in Decordova's Drawn to Detail exhibit, I made plans with a tour guide/friend to take a look. Hella (I worked with her at DeCordova when I was a tour guide a few years ago) walked the exhibit with me and shared what she knew. She told me that, though she does also paint, Mary mostly draws on paper (black or white) and uses metallic gel pens--a pretty unusual medium. These richly detailed, organic pieces seem to have grown from some divine communication with nature.

Take a look:

Art Musuem Damage in Haiti

2010-01-25T12:34:00.005-05:00

For more click here.

IF - Wilderness

2010-01-20T23:32:00.002-05:00

She dreamed about a lovely wilderness.

Must-See Monday: Paint and Tote Relationship

2010-01-18T06:00:00.003-05:00

Whenever I go to Boston, which is fairly often these days, I love picking up art supplies. I don't do it every time, but yesterday, I stopped at Blick's The Art Store near Fenway Park. I only needed some gouache and paper, but of course I can't rush in and out. I can't resist looking at the handmade papers (even though I wasn't planning to buy any) and thinking about what I might possibly do with them. Then there are the portfolios, sketchpads, notebooks, etc,. Good thing my husband was with me to prod me along and keep me thinking about the time (though he was very patient).

So, I finally got to the gouache aisle and then I had to think about the colors I needed and those that I wanted. I finally settled on some Holbein colors: Permanent Yellow Orange, Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna, and Opera. I also got Windsor and Newton's Linden Green (a color I use a lot). A very nice person unlocked the Holbein case and then I saw her again at the register.

As she rang up my items, the above tote (from The Outfit designed by Kazuko Nomoto) caught my eye. I thought I could use another tote, but did I need one? I wasn't going to buy it, but my thoughtful shopping mate sensed my longing and convinced me to get it. It didn't take much convincing.

On the ride home, I studied my new treasures--the beautiful little bird shapes, the colors. The colors!

Strangely, the gouache colors I chose and the colors the tote artist used were similar. I picked the paint out first and saw the tote second. It wouldn't have been so weird if it were the other way around. I looked out the car window and noticed the colors of houses--Burnt Sienna-ish with Linden Green-ish trim; a yellow building like the yellow Nomoto used.

Finally, after completing a myriad of tasks at home, I got to paint inspired by colors, Kazuko Nomoto, and a wonderful day.

IF - Confined

2010-01-14T23:52:00.002-05:00

Must-See Monday: Beautiful Word

2010-01-11T06:00:00.003-05:00

If you didn't see Scrabble's Beautiful Word ad campaign in 2009, you must see it now. The creation was a collaboration of six artists from around the world under the art direction of Antoanetta Metchanova.

IF - Renewal

2010-01-07T23:57:00.003-05:00

Just barely making it for Illustration Friday's "Renewal." Did several sketches and put these two together--a penguin and a monster on their way to the library. It could happen!

Must-See Monday: Chinatsu Ban/ New Year New Blog

2010-01-04T12:11:00.007-05:00

Happy New Year everyone!

Above is a painting by Chinatsu Ban who's known for painting elephants in underpants. I love, love, love her work! Check out more paintings here and here.

For 2010 my Monday theme will be "Must-See Monday." On Mondays, I will share things that I am excited about and feel that you must see. Today there will be two things.

Besides Chinatsu Ban's work, you must check out Smells Like Crayons, it's a new blog my awesome critique group and I have created. We'll be posting at least three times per week discussing our work, ideas, industry info, and more. Come visit. We'd love to hear from you!

Holiday Wishes

2009-12-24T13:09:00.004-05:00

May your days be merry and bright.

Peace, joy, love, and lots of inspiration to all my wonderful blog friends! <3 <3 <3

Flashback Friday - Painted Sketch

2009-12-11T10:35:00.005-05:00

I found this while looking for inspiration for my holiday card. This was a sketch page for a card I did a couple of years ago. I thought I'd post it for Flashback Friday.
Sometimes I like the sketches better than the final work.

Humpty Dumpty

2009-12-07T14:54:00.007-05:00

So I was talking to my son on Friday and doodling in my sketchbook. When I say "doodling" to me that means not thinking about what you are drawing, or at least not planning it--just allowing it to happen. Usually, I am focused on something else, like a conversation in this case. (And I promise I was totally listening!)

Anyway, what you see above is the doodle plus what I later added.

Here is what it looked like at the end of the conversation:
But Humpty Dumpty needed some arms. After all, more demons appeared and I didn't want him helpless. I am wondering how long he can stay on the wall. Can all the kings horses and men put him back together if he falls? And why is he in socks?

Doodles can be sources of interesting and curious visual imagery.

I can't wait to see what the next conversation brings.

Edit: I took Art Fan Ako's advice (thanks Ako) and decided to submit this to Illustration Friday for the word "crunchy"--but let's hope Humpty doesn't end up that way!

IF - Entangled

2009-12-03T23:56:00.003-05:00

This is a last minute sketch for Illustration Friday's "entangled."

IF - Music

2009-11-24T22:46:00.003-05:00

Lucky for me, the prompt this week for Illustration Friday is music. I am too busy to create a new piece so I posted this flashback piece from an illustration class assignment. It was a cover illustration for American Recorder Magazine. (BTW, the requirement is that recorders are used in the illustration.)

Coincidentally, last night, I was an invited guest in Glenna Lang's intermediate illustration class at the School of the Musuem of Fine Arts, Boston. (It was the very class I took when I completed this piece.) Glenna-- illustrator, author, teacher, mentor, friend--requested that I come and share my work with her students.

I got to sit in on a critique before I presented. It was a super-talented group. Former classmate and illustrator Ethan Haynes is a teaching assistant in the class and it was good to see some of his new work, too. He designed this cover for AR Magazine. Very cool!

Later I got to present my work. I got interesting questions and thoughtful feedback. It was a fun evening and I left feeling quite energized. Their enthusiasm was uplifting. I am grateful!

IF - Unbalanced

2009-11-19T22:18:00.002-05:00

IF - Blur

2009-11-12T23:23:00.003-05:00

This week's Illustration Friday prompt is "blur." The world is a blur to me without corrective lenses.

IF - Skinny

2009-11-05T23:03:00.004-05:00

This week, the word to illustrate for Illustration Friday was "skinny." I created a tiny gouache painting of a piping plover, an endangered shore bird, that has a plump body and skinny little legs.

Read more about piping plovers and what you can do to protect them here.

Flashback Friday

2009-10-23T15:03:00.003-04:00

For Flashback Friday, I decided to post this illustration I did for a class assignment a few years ago. The story, "European Night Journey" was published in The New Yorker. In the story Zdena, who is traveling from Bratislava to Venice for her daughter's wedding, meets a man on the bus whom she has no intention of speaking with. She is annoyed at first when he tries to start a conversation. The man, whose name is Tomas, senses a deep sadness in her. Eventually, they talk and she reveals that her daughter is HIV positive, something she has not shared with her closest friends.

In the second scene, Zdena has woken up to find that the bus has made a stop in Trieste and Tomas has stopped at a bakery. The bus is ready to leave without him, but Zdena convinces the driver to wait for Tomas to return. Tomas runs back with some pastries that he shares with Zdena.

IF - Infinite

2009-09-23T23:33:00.003-04:00

The rainy weather, as well as her wait for the bus, seemed infinite.

Character Study - Day 7

2009-09-16T00:21:00.003-04:00

Here are my final sketches. It's the last day of the challenge. Oh my. Now what?

Character Study - Day 6 - Welcome

2009-09-14T21:39:00.005-04:00

Ink has to be the most unforgiving medium. Once a mark is down, that's it. Oh well. For this piece, I just kept working with whatever mark I made whether it was accidental or not.

I was inspired today by Kathy Weller's post where she talks about training herself to "work WITH [her] mistakes." This week she is drawing very directly and spontaneously with Sharpies, having no preliminary pencil drawings. Some lovely stuff resulted.

Another artist who addresses this is James Surls. At a Decordova Museum lecture, he said that he doesn't consider any marks that he puts on paper "mistakes" or "accidents." Whatever he puts down on paper is valid. For him, there is no erasing.

This is another call to banish that inner critic. Maybe it's not the medium that needs to be forgiving.

Character Study - Day 5

2009-09-14T00:01:00.002-04:00

I did say in an earlier post that she worked as a chef.

Character Study - Day 4

2009-09-12T17:40:00.002-04:00

A quick sketch. Witch is searching for some new recipes.

Character Study - Day 3

2009-09-11T23:31:00.003-04:00

I thought I would draw the witch sleeping. I drew the top image first, then I realized she might sleep in a coffin.

Character Study - Day 2: Strong

2009-09-10T23:40:00.004-04:00

She couldn't deal with airport security and
hoped her broom would be strong enough.

Here is my submission for Illustration Friday. The word to illustrate this week was "strong."

A few people have decided to join in the new challenge to draw the same character for seven days. If you are interested in participating check it out here.

Character Study - Day 1

2009-09-09T19:36:00.003-04:00

The witch is back. What a haunt! She appeared here and here, but I had to figure out what she looked like with her eyes open and without her hat.

You can read about this challenge on my previous post. Join me if you dare!

New Challenge - Character Study

2009-09-08T08:42:00.003-04:00

Are you ready for a new challenge? This will be a shorter one than our usual three weeks. This will be good practice for children's illustration and any other type of sequential art.

Here it is:

Draw the same character every day for seven days.

What you can change from day to day:

setting
viewpoint
gesture
expression
clothing
interaction with other characters
etc.

You can have your character participate in the Illustration Friday challenges, if he, she, or it is willing.

Post your character tomorrow (but you can jump in whenever you read this.) Leave me a comment if you want to join and I will create a sidebar list of participants.

Have fun!

Birds Have all the Fun

2009-09-03T18:16:00.005-04:00

September is here and though summer is not officially over, it feels like it is. I must say, though, that the weather has been great here in NH for the past several days.

I visited Toronto in August with my husband and some friends. We went to see the Red Sox play the Blue Jays. In 2007 we started visiting a city that the Sox play in each year. The other cities we've been to are Baltimore and Chicago.

We stayed at Niagara Falls for one night. The falls are, of course, breathtaking. And there is that palpable and pleasant energy moving water seems to emit. It made me want to jump right in. I took a picture of seagulls while we were on the Maid of the Mist and I envied them. We could get close, but it was like looking at and smelling chocolate cake, but not getting to taste it. Those birds got the whole experience. Lucky birds.

Seriously, though, I did have a lot of fun on my vacation. I loved Toronto and would go back in a heartbeat. I was going to write a longer post about it, but I don't want to bore you with my vacation details and I am anxious to get back to posting art. Thinking about the next challenge...

Ghoul Spa Painting

2009-08-14T10:09:00.002-04:00

I don't feel like it's quite finished, but I wanted to post it anyway. Don't know if I will have time to work on it before I go on a trip. And I don't know about you, but when I have been away from a painting for too long, it's very hard to touch it again.

Another Award

2009-08-10T22:19:00.008-04:00

I just got back from a weekend away (more about that another day) and I was pleasantly surprised to receive this award from my illustrator buddy, Michelle. Thank you, Michelle!!

This award also comes with a few rules to follow:

Pass the Award on to 5 most-deserving Bloggy buds.
Display The Award on your blog, and link to this post, which explains The Award.
Visit this post and add your name to the Mr. Linky List (!?) at the Scholastic-Scribe's blog.
Post these rules on his/her blog.

I am going to bend the rules and choose 2 superior scribblers to pass this award to. Here goes:

Jane and Kathy

___________________________________________________________________

3-week challenge

I am not finished yet, just got a bit behind. I am working on a painting and will post it soon.

A Good Day!

2009-08-06T18:21:00.004-04:00

I am so honored to have received this award from the talented Art Fan Ako.
Thank you so much!!

You can read about the history of this award here on Ces's blog. It was created by Ces in honor of her friend, Bella Sinclair, who tragically and suddenly lost her husband. Here is what Ces says about the award:

I designed this award to celebrate art in the blogs and to honor the value of friendship, sisterhood, sharing and caring. It is to be awarded to the gifted, accomplished, eloquent and talented blogger whose friendship and influence inspire us to do our best. That I named it after Bella Sinclair is because she epitomizes all of these things. She is an inspiration to many of us.

So in the tradition of blog awarding, I would like to pass this award on. I decided to choose 3 bloggers:

Gina, Jenn D, and Michelle for their accomplishments, determination, inpsiration, and support. Here's to you ladies!

Creative Challenge Week 3: More Ghoul Spa

2009-08-04T23:49:00.001-04:00

I know! Enough already with the ghoul spa. I am just obsessed I guess. Ghoul glamour could be a catalyst for many ideas. Also, witch lady really needs this. I want to make it a good experience for her. She spends hours behind bubbling cauldrons, after all. Oh, didn't you know? She is head chef at Tavola della Morta.

Creative Challenge Week 2: Ghoul Spa Sketches

2009-07-30T23:36:00.011-04:00

More sketches here for my ghoul spa idea. Am trying to get the witch to look like the same witch in this earlier post and am trying to simplify the bed of nails. Sometimes I feel like I am spinning my wheels and I wonder if I should just go ahead and paint my first one and not fuss so much. Hope to have a fresh eye tomorrow.

I like this quote by one of my favorite illustrators, Maira Kalman:

I do everything I do because I love to do it, even when I worry or am confused or slightly in despair. Those feelings usually pass. And then the next day is there.

Always a good thing. The next day.

Creative Challenge Week 2: Ghoul Spa

2009-07-29T23:15:00.003-04:00

Here is a sketch idea for Illustration Friday's "idle." She is enjoying a day at the spa--ghoul style.

Creative Challenge: Week 2 Monster Tango

2009-07-28T08:46:00.002-04:00

I wanted to post this last week--as you can see from the subject--but it took me a few days to complete it. This challenge is going to be quite that, I think!

Creative Challenge: Week One - Tango 3

2009-07-22T23:15:00.003-04:00

I stepped out of my comfort zone and decided no more drawing from photos. After a few lame attempts at sketching inanimate objects dancing, I got excited about the idea of ghouls doing the tango. So here they are!

By the way, thanks everyone for your comments. I do appreciate them!

Creative Challenge: Week One - Tango 2

2009-07-21T21:58:00.003-04:00

Welcome to everyone who joined the 3-week challenge! I'm looking forward to seeing how your work and mine progresses. If anyone else wants to join the fun, just let me know and I will add you to the side bar list.

So here are more tango sketches. See previous sketch here.

It has been fun to use photo reference, but I would like to take these to another level. I have been thinking about how to translate these into illustrations for children. So far the children's sketches I did were not working for me. The thought occurred that I could be temporarily stuck here. I don't want to be in drawing-from-photo land for too long. It was good for a while, but I'm hoping I can get away tomorrow!

Creative Challenge: Week One - Tango 1

2009-07-20T19:50:00.003-04:00

Today is my first post for a new 3-week challenge. If you want to read more about it, see my previous post. If you want to join the fun, just leave me a comment and I can add your link to the 3-week challenge list.

Above is a sketch for Illustration Friday prompt "tango." I used photo reference, which is how I sometimes start. Not sure where I will take this, but it was fun studying the action and the positive and negative shapes of the dancers.

An Invitation for You

2009-07-17T16:48:00.005-04:00

On Monday Jenn and I and hopefully more bloggers will be starting a new challenge. We are calling it a 3-week challenge instead of a 21-day challenge (as you may opt not to post every day).

If you're not familiar with the 21-day challenge, you can read more about it on this earlier post. In a nutshell, if you do something for at least 21 days it becomes a habit.

This will be my third challenge in a row (Jenn has participated in all three, too!)

Why do these you ask? Actively seeking out new creative challenges helps us to expand our creativity according to Creative Something. (This is a really good link to check out, by the way.) Also, I found it to be a valuable learning experience and it was fun to communicate with others doing the same thing. So here it is:

The Challenge

Participate for 3 weeks
Complete 3 or more sketches per week.
Complete one finished piece per week. Can be in color or not.
Themes are optional. For example, use the Illustration Friday prompt.
Each day you complete something, post it to your blog.

If you want to join the party, let me know!!

Back Soon

2009-07-14T22:58:00.002-04:00

I planned to start another challenge this week, but last week I wasn't thinking about my surgery scheduled for tomorrow. It's just minor, but it will be on my hand. Not even on my dominant hand, though. So no biggie. But just in case, I thought I'd start the new challenge next week. It might work better if it starts on a Monday anyway.

Jenn and I have been planning. More later...

A Lovely Surprise

2009-07-13T22:16:00.002-04:00

Today, there was a lovely surprise waiting in my mailbox. This beautiful and meticulously crafted and just-as-meticulously wrapped magnet arrived in brown kraft paper tied with a wonderful handmade tag with my name on it.

It felt really good to receive a handmade piece with a handmade tag, even. That extra touch made it extra special.

The creator? It was the talented fellow artist and blogger Michelle Eaton. I won the magnet in her recent giveaway. Be sure to check out her blog.

Thanks, Michelle!

Painted Sketch - Day 21

2009-07-10T00:16:00.004-04:00

So here is my final post for this challenge. It's been good to do this. I painted almost every day and that was the goal. Some I felt good about, some...eh. The important thing was that I experimented a bit, but I also stuck with gouache as medium of choice and it was a learning experience.

Many of them felt like unfinished paintings (like the one above). It was more satisfying when I approached my work with the idea of painted sketches.

Anyway, I am going to start a new challenge next week. I was going to post about it today, but I am very late with my post. So I will stop here and be back next week.

Have a great weekend!

Painted Sketch - Day 20

2009-07-08T00:04:00.004-04:00

I have one more day to go for my 21-day challenge--my second one. The first 21 days I did a sketch a day. Next it was a painted sketch a day. So here I am on day 20. I'm thinking about the next challenge. I don't know yet what it will be.

Doing a painted sketch a day made me think about what a complex activity painting is. There are so many variables that affect the outcome. It's all good though. It's what makes it so exciting.

More tomorrow...

Painted Sketch - Day 19 -Shaky

2009-07-07T00:03:00.003-04:00

Painted Sketch - Day 18

2009-07-03T00:09:00.003-04:00

Working again on gray painted background.

Painted Sketch - Day 17

2009-07-02T00:07:00.003-04:00

Instead of using colored paper, I painted over gray paint. This allowed me to do some blending in the background.

The subject matter? I did this quickly and just let it happen. Maybe you or I can make up a story about it. That would be fun.

Painted Sketch - Day 16 - Worn

2009-06-30T23:42:00.004-04:00

Little chick was worn from a long day of scampering about.

Painted Sketch - Day 15

2009-06-29T23:59:00.002-04:00

Painted Sketch - Day 14 - Conversation

2009-06-27T00:23:00.003-04:00

Our conversation.

Painted Sketch - Day 13 - Drifting

2009-06-26T00:01:00.004-04:00

I decided to finish this for Illustration Friday's "drifting." I can't decide if I like it better with the girl smaller or larger. Although I want to really see her larger, when I did enlarged her, the composition didn't feel quite right. I tried moving her around, but I don't know...I kind of like the extra breathing room in the top image.

Any thoughts?

Painted Sketch - Day 12

2009-06-25T00:31:00.000-04:00

Painted Sketch - Day 11

2009-06-23T23:56:00.003-04:00

Painted Sketch - Day 10

2009-06-22T23:40:00.003-04:00

This is based on a true story.

Painted Sketch - Day 9

2009-06-19T23:58:00.007-04:00

So here are my sketches for today. Little time and I am posting quite late. I don't know what these images have to do with one another.

Hmmm...maybe those are the creatures that live on the moon...only she can't see them. Or can she?

By the way if you thought there was no life on the moon, some scientists think there is a possibility...microbes in it's craters perhaps.

Painted Sketch - Day 8

2009-06-18T23:39:00.001-04:00

Painted Sketch - Day 7 - Unfold

2009-06-17T09:15:00.005-04:00

Isabel saw that the flower unfolded. Then an idea unfolded.

Maybe this is a stretch for Illustration Friday's "unfold," but the painting needed a story!

This is a tiny painting...only the size of a business card.