Portfolio update of January 2012

I have rebuilt my whole portfolio. It has nine new images and each of them are watercolor and color pencil on wood boards. I have taken into consideration their reproduction of course. They are a size that can be scanned. When I spoke to my friend in production about my new plan he gave me an cold stare. Until I explained their size. Then we were friends again.

The new pieces are three series. Two stories of my own, A Visit from the Wild Side and My Monster Friend(current titles, they will most likely change) and one classic, Goldilocks and the Three Bears. My hopes for the pieces from my own stories is to complete one of them into a dummy book for the dummy book challenge. I haven’t yet chosen which one. So, you can vote your choice at the bottom of this post!

Free Blog Poll

Monochromatic – 7

Here is the line art for page 7! Things have been so busy my sketchbook project has been languishing in the sidelines. I decided to warm up by drawing this page. I will add in the monotone later.

It has been a wild 5 days. On Friday I was featured on Behance Network’s front page! As of today I am on page 2 of their featured projects. I am beside myself with the recognition my Animals in Alphabet has received. Since then a few other websites have picked up my project, Plog(they actually posted a couple days before the Behance release), Abduzeedo.com, chuk*num, blogyst, and Don Serifa. I have been doing my best to keep up sending thanks you and responding to questions. Thank you everyone for sharing my work. I appreciate all of the comments. The response is so encouraging. I want to get to work making more art.

If you have popped over here and are wondering, the X is missing but, is planned to be completed in February. That is when I will have time to finish it.

Thank you!

I’m head over heals!

That’s the Kind of House We Live In!*

This week is full of things to do! Lucien turns 3, he had a first dentist appointment, I went to the first Crafty Biz meeting of 2012, and I have been preparing like a bad woman for Arisia As I have been preserving specimens some of them have not cooperatively moved into their vessels. A couple have ended up in strange places around the house.

But that has always been the kind of house I wanted to live in so I have no problem with it! Just like There’s a Wocket In My Pocket, which has always been a favorite!

*”That’s the kind of house I live in” –There’s a Wocket in my Pocket, Dr. Seuss

Arisia

This week I feel like I am cramming for an exam. Although, I’m a little ahead of the day of the test so it’s not that bad.

I will have a table in the Art Show at Arisia this year. I am excited to know my work will be on display along with my friend Gareth Hinds, who is the Rising Star Artist of the event. Congrats Gareth!

Here is the information about when you can view the Art Show.

And here is a sneak peak at a couple of pieces I will have there:

 

Check out more updates about my Specimens at their Google+ page.

Where elements combine

I loved the time during the holidays. It was quiet, it was just the three of us home, we easily moved around each other, and I was able to get a lot done. I nestled into my own space and just started producing work. I believe I was able to complete as many illustrations as I did because I stepped away from observing and focused on making my own work. It is very easy to be swept up in the beauty of everyone else’s illustrations. I still check everyone’s work out but, I am being more careful to give myself more time.

After I got sick mid-December and realized my deadline for a new portfolio was closer than ever I stopped lollygagging and got to it. I have two big deadlines in January. The portfolio for the SCBWI Winter Conference, January 26th, and Arisia January 14th.

My participation in Arisia was only finalized at the end of December; right after I completed a good chunk of the portfolio. I knew I could take my last two days of Holiday time to make Specimens. My time spent with them was very successful. I made three new large critters and eight small ones. Then, at the beginning of Monday I knew I needed to switch back to painting.

I wasn’t completely ready to put the critters away so I compromised and decided to sketch my most playful one. The sketches quickly became a firm base for a new painting, which you can see above. I am so glad for this meeting of my painting with my sculpting. I feel like I have broken through something and a new path has emerged. I am looking forward to seeing where this goes.

The Witches

Whenever I read a book I get vivid images in my head of what’s happening. I have recently picked back up the Witches for fun and although, it’s difficult to compete with the incredible illustrations of Quentin Blake I still have my own ideas.

As I began to desire to draw this illustration, I had an image come to mind as I read the passage. I then turned the page to the illustration by Mr. Blake and it was what my mind had shown me! I love that books I read as a child stuck with me so intently. It also terrified me to realize how much my illustration ideas are influenced by others which, I may not immediately remember.

However, the story progesses telling more about our young hero sitting and listening to his Grandmama. From my continued time being with the characters I was able to stretch my mind to come up with my own image.

It is the new year and as I always plan to draw images from what I am reading I think this shall be my just for fun resolution. “I will not neglect to draw the images that come to mind as I read.” They will post on Mondays, I’m not going to plan to be regular with them. I will draw them as I have time.

Happy New Year All! I wish you well with your goals and resolutions. Also great success to all in 2012!

Kikwi

I haven’t made the link through yet but, you can find me over on tumblr now. I contribute to three tumblr blogs. One is my own. I don’t post often and there is no order to what I post. It is a mash up of general images that I want to share: photos from the zoo, sketches for fun, and reblogs of things that I enjoy from tumblr.

My most recent post is a drawing of a Kikwi. It is a contribution to Alphabeasts. A blog of fantastical creatures, each week featuring animals of the letter of the week.

K is for Kikwi

This is what happens when you spend a lot of time playing Zelda the Skyward Sword and also want to sketch for fun.

I chose to do this with the brush pen because I have been mainly using them for sketching purposes. A little over a year ago I began exploring the limitation of only using black and white as an exercise. When I would sketch on location I wouldn’t use a pencil, just dig right in with my brush pen. The first sketches were terrible. However, with practice I feel I have gained control of them and now they are one of my favorite drawing tools.

—

The other blogs I contribute to I have referenced before, one is Fanartica and the other is Picture This. Both have a constant link in the side bar here. I hope you will head over to tumblr and check out all three.

Quote Quiz:”You have to start off with another woman who bears some ball park resemblance to Mrs. House.”

Currently Reading:The Witches by Roald Dahl

Chicken Licken in B&W

Wednesday’s posts got side tracked. Two Wednesdays ago I realized I couldn’t show you my current sketches, then last Wednesday my website was a mess as was I with a coughing sickness.

This Wednesday things are going better and I have something to show you!

Recently SCBWI held a Tomie dePaola contest. They have this every year, the deadline is December 15th, the winner is announced January 2nd, and the winner is honored at the NYC Conference in January. This year I planned in time to submit an entry. I will share my final along with numerous other artists on a group blog January 2nd after the winner is announced.

For now, here is a black and white final sketch of my Chicken Licken layout.

Quote Quiz “But if you’re short of cash like little old me, the window shopping’s always free.”