An illustration I did for Babybug Magazine that I felt had a rather luscious background. When I saw the topic for "Illustration Friday" I imagined two possibilities - a lush rolling field of green or Kristy Swanson describing a yellow leather jacket in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" the movie. I know I'm in the minority liking that movie but it has cemented the word "lush" into my brain as a great compliment from a vampire-staking valley girl.
An illustration I got to do for the extremely cute and well designed magazine LMNOP. It was a great assignment, the focus being on libraries and books. Since I frequent the library almost as much as a 13 year old frequents You Tube, I've come up with some observations. Namely being the noise level. Libraries are just so cool now-with crafty interactive a-la Melissa and Doug puzzle/castles/installations. There are toys. EVERYWHERE. Puppets, blocks, swirly things that I thought existed only in dentist offices. And the trains. Kids go into mini-seizures when there is new Fergus, Benedict, Rutger (whatever) train on the train table. Sprinkled and tucked amidst the playtime chaos are the books. Books just laying around, asking to be read. "That kid take your puppet? Forget-about-it...Read me instead", "Hey! Hey! Little girl with the tiara! I'm the new Tangled book!" I think that the librarians love the noise (to a certain decibel) because kids are developing an association between libraries and fun. It's probably in some Library Manifesto to put up "quiet" signs, merely just for show.
I got the opportunity to work recently with the magazine that without question had the largest influence on my desire to become an illustrator. Grade school memories would be incomplete if I were not able to recall the days coming home from school, checking the mail and the surge of joy that followed when receiving the latest copy of "Cricket Magazine". This magazine was a tiny folded and stapled trove of illustrations. I would devour it within a few hours, examining every page. Even into 7th grade, I would sneak my favorite copies into art class with me, completely ignoring the required assignment and copy the illustrations from "Cricket". These illustrations would of course later become illuminated manuscripts recounting the events of the day with witty 13 year old aphorisms such as "SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO LAME!" and "BBB!!!!!!" (bored beyond belief) and then thus folded in the intricate 7th-grade-girl-origami-note style. I could never master the "heart" fold.
This illustration will unfortunately not accompany me to pass off to my friend Lashawn while she waits outside the band room but thanks to the amazing AD Suzanne Beck will be featured in Cricket's other imprint magazine, "Spider" in January.
Just an a dull moment during the middle of the day hustle and bustle of typical office life. The big highlight of the day while chit-chatting with the family over home cooked spaghetti and the microwaved steamed veggies will be that a bird "...somehow managed to get in the office today. We called Maintenance though, they caught it and took it outside." "Hmm," your wife will reply. "So how was your day?" you'll ask in return.
This little diddy was largely influenced by the art work of Jim Kay who illustrated the most amazing novel A Monster Call by the Patrick Ness. The story, narration and illustrations are haunting, tragic and beautiful.
So, as this book has burned an impression in my subconscious like a half remembered dream, I give you the humble magpie, hoarding her jewels.
This is a mono-print done way back in the day. It was part of a series that incorporated vintage images and letterpress type. Might I say, mono-printing is tha-rilling. You never know what you will get so you can't have any rock solid preconceived ideas because you will just end up being a poor sad shlup of a person, crying over a printing press. You just accept what you get and go with it.
I blame this onJessica
Hische. I was listening to her podcast interview on
EFII, in which she stated that she watches/listens to Netflix while
working. So I thought hmmph gooooood
idea! So I'm par-using the films and "The Secret of Kells"
catches my eye. Needless to say no art was created during my
"productivity time" BUT "The Secret of Kells"was a major
influence on this piece. I also tried to mix it up by working on
Clayboard with gouache and pens. All very unforgiving
mediums. Enjoy!
My first initial thought for this topic was, not surprisingly, food that had gone bad. But as I was playing with my son and his demeanor entered into the dreaded "fussy" phase (parents love to use that F word), the phrase my husband and I frequently use with our kids came to mind- "Oh! His meter's up."
And so the idea for this week's IF theme was born- Height: 7 inches, Weight 2 oz.
So, no moldy food- although I was kinda looking forward to painting the new organisms living on the lid of my apple butter.
I hold this illustration very dear to my heart. I did it many moons ago for school, basing it off of a book called The Samurai's Wife. It was the first time I start playing with pattern, basically in response to my loathing of having to render drapery. I just got to this point of "@#$% it! I hate drawing hanging clothes!" And my love of collage and pattern began. It has been an interesting process, this whole collage thingy. Sometimes the more rational, responsible side of myself says, "y'know, this would be alot easier if you had just painted the gray heel of the socks instead of right now, being on your hands and knees, combing through your carpet looking for a 3mm gray triangle"
Yet still I persevere, collecting insanely small scraps of paper that I will, I WILL, use for a future illustration.
Right?
An illustration I did for a story I wrote called Grandma and Little Red Have a Plan. The wolf posed as a "Vakqum Salesman" is most certainly not welcome.
Those baby dolls can be so demanding! You gotta be strong to keep up with their needs.
Well, this might be more appropriately named "covet", but oh well... A great friend of mine told me "Want what you have" whenever I seem to crave something I don't need or not appreciate what I have. Thanks Rachel!
This is so...serendipitous! My daughter Lily has been on a quest to fly kites. Yet again, Walmart saves the day (I know, a necessary evil). We purchased a $1 kite and waited for a breezy day. The end result was squealing three year old running around a field, jumping and trying to catch the kite's tails.
I love how focused kids get when it comes to food, especially when the task at hand is cake.