Illustration Friday - Lesson

This may be a lesson in cake making or a lesson in not eating batter because of possible Salmonella poisoning.  I can't decide.

Ya'know, I ate a TON of batter growing up and never was so severely sick to be diagnosed with Salmonellosis.  But I don't know-if I did ever contract Salmonellosis (which symptoms were a tummy ache and new found aversion to cookie batter), my mom seemed to easily cure it with giving me a cup of soda while I sat on the couch and the most effective treatment - an episode of Scooby Doo.  Or She-Ra.

I think my Mom should email the Mayo clinic.

Illustration Friday: Bike

I was super excited to see this week's IF theme be "bike" because honestly, drawing bikes (and horses) just isn't in my skill set.  So this challenge forced me to concur my fear of this two wheeled contraption.

My daughter just recently learned how to ride a "big girl bike" and the icing on the cake was outfitting her pink princess ride with a sweet ching-ching bell.  That sound, is the sound of freedom.  At least within a two block radius for my kid.

Stretching Watercolor Paper

The craft behind stretching watercolor paper has always seemed to me this strange cryptic practice that painters explain in vague generalities. I work on watercolor paper and have done so professionally for five years and up until March of THIS YEAR I could never get it right. One side of the paper wouldn't adhere to the tape, the paper wouldn't stretch enough and do that weird buckling thing when wet, the tape would just flat out reject the paper, the list goes on...So being that I had to complete 25 illustrations in five weeks, I HAD to figure this out. Now, I actually feel confident enough to share my process with world.

So here goes...

Materials (that I used): Arches Hot Press 140 lb watercolor paper Packing tape Plywood board (leftover from an unsuccessful printmaking class) Paper towels Water

Cut the paper smaller than your board so you have about a one inch border around for the tape to stick to both the paper and board.

Cut (rip, whateva') the tape so that two strips match the length and two strips match the height of your board. Keep'm close by on the table.

Remove kids toys from tub. Then fill the tub with cold water about 1-2 inches. Submerge the paper for 4 minutes, larger sheets may take more time.  Set a timer people! Because pretty soon you'll get all distracted with the laundry, reorganizing the junk drawer or bringing justice to the crying sibling who actually had the pink Zhu Zhu pet first, and half an hour later you notice the sad soggy watercolor paper in the bathtub.

After 4 minutes, take one corner of the wet paper and roll it up on a clean surface into a tube. Shake excess water off the tube. You can roll it again the opposite way with another corner, but I'm lazy and impatient, so I skip that part.

Wet your tape by dragging a wet paper towel or wash cloth from bottom to top. I don't recommend a sponge because it just seems to be too saturated and then the tape just gets funky. Do these all fairly quickly because by the time you've finished the fourth strip, the first one most likely will have hit a mystical level of stickiness then when touched sends you into a panic mode of never knowing life without this tape on your fingers. If said tape has reached this level: SUCCESS! Quickly move it to the correct length of the paper, sticking half on the paper and the other half on the board. Repeat with opposite side and then remaining sides.

NOW this is where I think I've gone wrong so often in the past.  The work is done, you earned yourself a muffin break right?  Na, Na, Na, NO.  Make sure your board is LEVEL and babysit it.  You don't have to camp out next to it with some MREs, just periodically check in on it.  That buggy tape may try to get up and leave by curling a little at the edges, so smush it back down and make it stay!  Sometimes I stick the lightbulb from my lamp right overhead of the paper.  I FEEL like it speeds up the drying, but it probably doesn't, but I feel productive doing that.

So that's it!

Just let it dry thoroughly before taping off the edges and paint!

A good site for more tips (like different paper weights, other adhesive techniques) is Winsor and Newton.

Illustration Friday - Toy

 

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.

The Sleepy Little Alphabet

There seems to be a reoccurring pattern that takes place on my kids' floor.  We go to the library once a week, check out a gaggle of books, then return them the following week.  Well, almost all of them get returned.  Inevitably there are one or two that we (mostly me) just can't part with.  There this book rests on the carpet of the kids' carpet, and each time we enter the room a joy surges through us, knowing it is still here to be visually devoured.  Unconsciously  we have taken on an ownership of these books, feeling as though they will disappear forever into the dark void of the book-drop slot. One book that is now overdue is Judy Sierra's The Sleepy Little Alphabet with the funniest illustrations by Melissa Sweet.  Each little lower case letter has it's very own unique personality as it fights the nightly battle of having to go to bed.  My 5 year old has started to memorize some other letters' personality, shouting to me through the house "Mom!  Look at me!  I'm 'O'!  While my little 2 year old looks at the K and L page and screams "Don't turn off the lights!", which is little "L's" line.

So yet again because of a good book I am paying overdue fines, but can be easily justified by telling myself I am supporting my local public library.

Cranberry Apple Tarts

Yet another recipe illustrating my love for the overlooked food group -  "Baked Goods".  This was featured on They Draw and Cook waaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in good ol' 2010.  December if memory serves.

Cooking and baking to me can be such a conundrum because you can come up with something and think, "well, it tastes good to me" but then go into this perpetual cycle of self doubt when presenting this edible experiment to your loved ones as slightly willing guinea pigs.  But really, come on, how can one go wrong with sugar, butter, flour and fruit?

Illustration Friday - Winter

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!

Sweet Love

I love scones. I love blueberry scones above all.

When I'm in line at, oh let's say...Starbucks... and I see one remaining blueberry scone behind the glass case,  I first start to go into a mild panic, then calm myself down and start sizing up the people in line ahead of me -

"She doesn't look like a scone kind of lady".

"He...he...is probably gonna go for that maple glazed cruller donut".

"C'mon, c'mon!  Hurry up!  You've order the largest drink possible!  Why are you looking at the bakery case?  Stop eye-stalking my scone!"

In the event that I am unable to acquire that which I covet, I have had to make do with my own.

This is the recipe I use when I am at a loss of perfectly purchasable scones.  You can also check it out on the really fun site They Draw and Cook where some lovely illustrated recipes are happening.

In Process

Here is just a quick shot of my desk in the middle of an illustration...

The carpet is really where the action is - covered in tying bits of paper that I inevitably will be picking through to find a 1/4 inch piece of paper I cut out and dropped.

And then after the illustration is complete - the aftermath left in it's wake.

You may notice an addition glass bowl of orange weirdness, that being Trader Joe's Roasted Red Pepper Hummus which makes for a really good snack at 3am.

The Mall

Just a little something I did, playing with stereotypes and word bubbles...

Not much else to say other than I'm really hungry and I wish there was some chocolate in the house.  That has nothing to do with this illustration.

Sketching babies

"Fail, fail again, fail better" - Rama Hughes blahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh........

That pretty well encapsulates how I've been feeling about art, illustration or anything that makes me take the laundry off of my drafting table in order to work.  But after I read this great quote by the awesome illustrator Mr. Hughes, I just felt like I had to do something.  So, baby steps.  Baby steps led to babies...crawling, toddling, playing, wedging themselves in small places.  My floor is always moving with cute diapered beings.  So I've been plopping myself down Jane Goodall style and have just been sketching away.

And...I'm getting out of my funk!

Awww, shucks...

My amazing illustrator friend Laura Jacobsen was kind enough to lay this award on me! Here are the rules for this award... 1) Thank the person who gave you this award. 2) Share 7 things about yourself. 3) Pass the award along to 5 bloggers who you have recently discovered and you think are fantastic! 4) Contact the bloggers you've picked and let them know about the award.

Here are 7 things about me:

1. If I didn't have my amazingly talented and super cute husband Cameron to help me in my illustration career, I would probably be making air quotes when I said the word 'career'.  I would also most likely be calling the internet "the website" and be under the impression that one's personal on-line diary is called a "blob".

2. I'm a Christ follower but my favorite comedian is Patton Oswalt.  Quite a pickle.

3. I have had Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis for 19 years.  Basically my hands and feet are pretty wacky looking, but I am thankful to the Lord that I am still able to do pretty much everything anyone could do.  Except play guitar, but I REALLY sucked at that anyway.

4. I hate it when people complain about the heat.  I live in Arizona, the testing ground for global warming.  You have lost all privilege of complaining in a topical manner regarding your 95° heat wave.  Did your flip-flops start melting when you went out to get the mail?  No?  Stop talking.

5. I am most inspired by kids' (especially my kids') art work.  I know that sounds sickeningly sentimental but kids draw in the most liberating way.  When I worked at a daycare, I would regularly steal kids' artwork.  One kid got wise to me.  "This is for my Mommy" little Kyle said as he handed me the most amazing  drawing.  "Sure, sure, Kyle.  I'll put it in your cubby" He paused for a moment, regarded the covetousness in my face and slowly pulled the picture out my hands.  "I'll hold it until my Mommy comes."

6. When working, I am a podcast junkie.  I love, heart, ♡, what-have-you This American Life, The Moth, Stuff You Should, Escape from Illustration Island, to name a few.

7. I am OCD about my bed.  It must be made everyday.  I was once accused by a roommate that I actually slept on top of my blankets because she had never seen my bed unmade.

My blog crushes:

1. our.city.lights my friend Diana is, in a nutshell, a Blogging Ninja.  She is so amazing, her talent is exuding from her skin (in the form of wickedly cool tattoos).

2. Diahn Ott Diahn's blog is an all encompassing mix of life and art.  Her blog is so fun and casual, it makes you think "oh, I totally should write a post today just like Dia...OOOOH!  There's a new 'Ellen' on!"

3. Melissa Kojima Melissa's blog kicks me in the lazy butt.  Every time she posts on Twitter or on her blog, it's always gets me pumped to work on, well, work.

4. Zeichen Press I have talked about Fran's blog before but it bears repeating because it is just so stinking funny.  Her letterpress cards are amazing and you have to stand up and take notice to anyone that compares herself to wet cat.

5. Drawger Well, it's not technically a blog but more of a great resource to a poll of abundantly talented illustrators.

Illustration Friday - Expire

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.

Brain, Child Magazine

Well, aside from curtain hanging and baby birthing I did some illustrations for an awesome magazine Brain, Child.  Each time they send me an essay to illustrate, I (admittedly) putz around, leave it on my drafting table to read and then get to it a day later.  I then force myself to sit down and read it while at the same time praising  myself for being such a grown-up and doing my work. And then it happens.

I'm a page into the essay and I'm bawling.  I'm in this writer's world and emotionally link to every word.  I'm reflecting on my life, my family, the choices I've made and now because of this essay I feel as though I've been emotionally tenderized with a magazine article mallet.  " I NEED to email this writer and tell her how much I love this essay!"  I scream in my mind.  Fantasies of meeting the writers spin through my head:  oh - there we are having coffee, oh - that's us shopping at Costco, there I am helping her organize a garage sale.  It just goes on...

Once I stop being imaginary BFFs with the writers, I  actually do get to work-

"The Sound of Us"  by Kristen Kovacic

"This Sucks" by Kelly Feinberg

So if you're in the mood for a good cry, pick up a copy of Brain, Child.

GO NOW!

*tap tap tap* ....is this thing on?

Well, my unofficial blog hiatus is over. You can resume living your lives people!

Hmmmm, what have I have been up to?  Well, I hung up some curtains, on Super Bowl Sunday I made this super cute pot holder with my sister-in-law, and...oh!...I had a baby!

This is Jude.  Isn't that so rock n' roll?

Illustration Friday - Pattern

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?

Illustration Friday - Welcome

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.

Illustration Friday - Strong

Those baby dolls can be so demanding!  You gotta be strong to keep up with their needs.

Marc Simont

Oh Marc Simont, you've stolen my heart!

How this all began...

My 4 year old daughter Lily has been diagnosed (by me) to have an obsessive compulsive disorder regarding dogs. So needless to say, when we venture into the library, she makes a bee-line for the toys with the understanding that I am left to check out every dog themed picture book ever published. Let me be clear- I love my daughter but I do not love dogs. I am not a dog person. I'm a people person. People are funny and fun to draw. Dogs smell and shed excessive amounts of oily hair. So you can understand my lack of enthusiasm when searching through the stacks for yet another Rover, Bozo, Spot, Pancake whatever - dog book. But it seems my luck had changed when I came across The Stray Dog by Marc Simont. It, I think, is as close to a perfect picture book as you can get. It's a great blend of cute dogginess and amazingly observed people. Simont is great at capturing those moments that seem so often overlooked. And how could you not love a dog digging in the trash.

Emo Smoothies

I couldn't help myself.  I had to draw this...

I just couldn't believe how someone so riddled with teenage angst, facial piercings and heavy eyeliner could see the appeal of working at a perky, sugary sweet smoothie shop. Maybe he heard that car, insurance, drugstore, shampoo commercial telling us "Times are tough in today's economy" and figured he should get a job. Maybe it was the appeal of the ear numbing blenders that reminded him so much of his music. Maybe the blender's blades gave him the thrill of danger he was seeking. What ever the case, Kevin makes a good emo smoothie. With a free apathy boost.