Matt’s Choice and Wednesday Animal

Yesterday I let myself be sucked into a new piece. It is part of my decision to move forward with making a new portfolio of dimensional work. It is a large undertaking which, is going to require a lot of time and energy. It will probably be a side B to my portfolio. However, this is a long process and I am going to be asking a lot of advice from professionals before I finalize anything. As I am in the midst of trying to make large amounts of work I am actually having a hard time breaking out of my illustrating mode to be online or make dinner . . .

I was hoping to finish the piece yesterday. However, it is taking longer than I expected and isn’t coming together quite how I want. It is going to require some trial and error. I want to try different backgrounds, one being outside and since it is raining today, I can’t give that a try yet. For now here is the work in progress:

With these two taking up my art time yesterday, I didn’t get a chance to make many new cuddly critters for the drawers.  I also didn’t post the new guys from the day before until today, check them out:

And after reading back this post I am realizing I am in a place where balancing my blog and getting work done isn’t producing wonderful results. So, I am deciding to take a hiatus from blogging for the next couple of weeks. I will still post pictures of my daily drawer filling progress, watch my flickr stream for that. I would rather be off line for a couple of weeks and put all my energy into my illustration than spread myself too thin and not give my all to anything. If I get done with something and have time, I will try to post but, plan to look out for my next Husband’s Choice May 3rd. I will post about SOS again before the event on April 30th and May 1st.

Happy Creating!

Dueling Banjo Pig! – MoCCA

After watching The Dueling Banjo Pig Blog for a while; I finally made a submission:


He is for sale along with the rest of the creatures in my print drawer, current progress

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In other news this past weekend Matt and I went to MoCCA after my friend Marisa invited me to stay with her for the event. It was a wonderful weekend of meeting artists that I have been following online via twitter, their blogs, and etsy and hanging with friends that share my love for art/comics/publishing.

Among the artists we chatted with were:
Darryl Ayo
L. Nichols
Jannie Ho
Doreen Mulryan Marts
Becky Munich
Bob Flynn
Dan Moynihan
David Malki ! my death card, Sabotage!
Laura Lee
Chad Beckerman
Phil Falco
Willow Dawson
Emma SanCartier and her Odd Fauna
Gareth Hinds
Kelly Light
Sarah Glidden

And a couple people I wish we could have talked to more:
Ryan Sias
Megan Baehr

I love being a part of this community. I find all of these people so inspiring and I am so thankful for the time I had getting to chat with each of them. Thank you all for what you share with us I can’t wait to see what you do next!

Super Vibrant Bunny!

Somerville Open Studios has an Artists Choice Exhibit at the Somerville Museum to help promote artists involved. Often I am out of the loop from lack of attention because, I am trying to be involved in too many things. After critique group Tuesday and an email, I got the information that if I wanted to participate I needed to get it together by today. Which I did!

Gareth and his brethren marched onto my studio desk yesterday and today Gareth is traveling to the Museum to tell people about my art and where to go for SOS.

Here’s a shot of him before he left:

Another Rebecca’s Choice

This past weekend my Step Mom and Dad came up for a visit. We always lay low, watching favorite TV, eating the local food, and simply chit chatting. This visit was much the same but, had one wonderful addition. I shared sculpey with Rebecca and she became hooked.

Needing to acquire supplies for her, our daily routine was set up. Get up, have some breakfast, get ready, head to Kelly’s. After Lobster Rolls and Roast Beef Sandwiches were consumed, head to the Artist and Craftsman, and Starbucks. Go back home, with Lucien napping, make scupley critters until 1am, with a couple breaks in there for dinner and Wii Pictionary.

Rebecca went big right away making this lady
This image is an in progress shot. I didn’t take a picture of the finish but, she rocked!

With shared creativity in the room I was able to get a strong start on my art for Somerville Open Studios. My plan is to fill two type drawers with my cuddly critters. Here is my current progress

You can follow along for daily updates here at the full Photo Diary. I am also making larger cuddly critters that don’t fit in the drawers; I will be showing them during this diary as well. As you can see they will have individual shots.

My stop at SOS is #69 on the map. My friend Seth Seligman has kindly let me share his space. Stop by to see us April 30th and May 1st between 12-6pm.

The Pacific

Lately there has been a focus on the Pacific in the world and at my home. The weekend the Quake and Tsunami hit Japan, Matt and I were listening to the Life of Pi on our drive to Rochester. This was my second time listening to it and I was taken away again. The Life of Pi is on my favorite books list; it blew me away. I had no idea what was coming. If you decide to read it I highly recommend the audio book, thanks Melinda for recommending that to me.

Upon my second listening I decided to move forward with my decision to illustrate 3 scenes that stuck in my mind. This is also my Husband’s Choice for the present as I have a show and a conference coming up in May. With his encouragement I am working to make new work to sale or donate and to update my portfolio. (yes there are only 2 of 3, the third composition is too similar to the first. it’s still in sketch stage)

With the many things happening across the world, I’m glad to say there are many groups sending whatever help they can including Kidlit4Japan There are some wonderful items up for auction. Check it out and bid as generously as you can. We are thinking and hoping for the people of Japan. Let there be more people this brave.

New Shop!

All right, things have been going on in my life and I have to admit they are completely disrupting my regular scheduling. I am still getting things done and am making work; it is just all coming out on it’s own time. Hopefully next week will be a bit more normal and there will begin a new series of Husband’s Choice. I apologize for the break in the usual programming.

However, new things are here! I had a wonderful commission from a friend, 6 of my specimens! As it was left completely up to me on what to make I wanted to give her options to choose from. This left me with 7 new cuddlies to sale.

For a while I have been thinking of making the step to have a separate shop for my specimens. I believe these cuddlies don’t fit in well with my CaseyGirard etsy store. I think when the letters or even the other cuddlies are what brings you the shop and then you see the specimens they are off putting. So, to give them some proper space I have opened up Biology Class my new shop just for the specimens and any other strange creations that come about.

Here are the others that will be going up for sale throughout the week:

Yes the two not in vials are now and will sell in vials.

Shy Sloth

I feel I owe a couple of posts here! No husband’s choice this week, sorry gang. However, I do have an animal for today:

Spring is coming and the to do list seems like it has suddenly gotten longer. Does that happen for most people’s spring? Clearing, gardening, final projects, getting outside, people wanting to hang out! Mostly all fun stuff, not really on the clearing. After cleaning yesterday so much dust went in my nose I have cold symptoms today. Bleh.

Even with being slightly under the weather I am raring to draw. I have so many pieces I want to make, I just need to get my butt in the seat! As well as my cold I seem to have anal glaucoma, I’m not seeing my butt sitting down(or coming into work). I have no idea where this saying comes from but, I heard it from my friend Laura, from NC, and it makes me laugh every time I think of it.

Hopefully tonight I will find myself healed and with pen to paper.

A page of crows and a turkey

These are sketches from my Dummy Challenge. The story I want to flesh out is all about a crow. No details yet, but I need to make him look rather crazy. The above sketches don’t capture that but, I love the way a crow looks angry by the way their brow arches. These are a first run, simply gathering information on the shape and angle of a crow’s body. They aren’t my characters yet but, I enjoy them.

Flowers for 4 Years

As talked about Tuesday, my spin on a bouquet for our 4 year anniversary. I had hoped to make at least 8 of these and other elements to fill out the bouquet, however each octopus takes about 3 hours. Coupled with the other work I had to do and eventually getting sick from not sleeping enough, I had to call it quits Wednesday afternoon. Today I am planning to get back to them since I am feeling better and I have been inspired. These drawings rock!