Illustration Friday - WINGS

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I can't believe it, but this little guy marks my 52nd consecutive week participating in the Illustration Friday challenges! I made it a whole year, without fail! I admit, it has gotten more & more difficult to get them done, & now that I have completed a whole year, I intend to do a bit of slacking off, and maybe some picking & choosing. (Although I expect this to be a very hard habit to break!!) But I'll still be posting, so do continue to stop by for smiles & silliness!!!! Thank you to all who have come along on this ride!!!

Illustration Friday - MYTH

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It is a myth that unicorns are peaceful, docile creatures. 

They're actually quite nasty. 

Not only do they  terrorize woodland denizens, but they also have a penchant for popping balloons & bouncy houses at kids' birthday parties and have been known to stalk Lisa Frank.....

So this week, I had this fantastic idea for "MYTH." I wanted to do a minotaur (doing something unusual, of course!) Was pretty excited about it, actually. I started sketching during a particularly tedious meeting at work, but the minotaur just wouldn't come together for me. And I knew if I didn't get it done tonight, I wasn't going to get it done at all, with more pressing (read: paying) projects looming this week. So I flipped the page, & cranked out something I could draw with my eyes closed. A unicorn. My friend Phil had once said unicorns are not all cute & sweet, & I decided he was right. This one is certainly not all sunshine & rainbows!

As for the minotaur.....I still love the idea. Maybe he'll appear in a future blog....

Happy Friday!!!

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It's not often I'm up & drawing before 7:00 am before I head off to the day job!! But sometimes when you're excited about an idea, you just have to do it........regardless of whether it will make you late for work or not!! Happy Friday, everyone!!!

Illustration Friday - OCEAN

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Ah, ocean! Not really a difficult theme this week, & several of my other IF entries would have fit well with this theme, but I decided to do something new anyway....

This is the 49th consecutive Illustration Friday challenge I've participated in! When I discovered IF last February, I thought it would be a good way to keep drawing regularly, & maybe get a few new portfolio pieces. I never expected to keep this up, week after week!

 Once I hit 52, I will slow down a bit & try to squeeze them in when I can, as it has become increasingly difficult to complete them with all of the other creative projects and assignments I've got going on. But it has been a lot of fun, and will really be a hard habit to break! Thank you for coming along for the ride!

Illustration Friday - EDGE

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The first illustration challenge of 2013! And I got it done fairly early in the week, too!

 I'd say, off to a good start! :)

Illustration Friday - NEW

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Everyone knows new sneakers make you run faster!

For this week's challenge, I was going to draw a newly hatched chick....Then I scrapped that for a baby new year....But upon thinking about it, I felt both of those ideas were pretty common, so I decided to go with new shoes...and from there it went to new sneakers. Didn't you always think when you were a kid, that new sneakers would make you run faster than you ever could before? Well, maybe I'm just weird, but I did!! 

2012 was a very good year for me on many levels. In February I discovered Illustration Friday, & committed to participating each week, in an effort to keep me drawing. I haven't missed a week since. In March, I started this blog as a place to display the challenges (i.e. the products of my wacky mind!) & through it, have "met" so many great people, & have made some really cool new friends!!! I LOVE reading your comments & insights, & discovering some of you are as crazy as I am!! Above all else, I love it when you tell me my drawings have made you smile! And visiting & commenting on YOUR blogs has truly become a favorite past time! I sit there with a cup of coffee, and & am inspired & amazed by the level of talent! In July, I met a super-hot guy who IS as crazy as I am, & who has become, without a doubt, my biggest fan. He pushes me onward, always challenging me to challenge myself, do more....and stop screwing around! In November, the children's book I illustrated went to print. This was a project started many years ago, and something I'd long since given up on. It was amazing to finally hold it in my hands! And when I started receiving photos of happy kids, holding their copies of the book that they'd received for Christmas....well.....it made me want to get off my butt and create MORE!!! 

So I look toward 2013 with eagerness and anticipation! And I hope at this time next year, I'm typing up an even longer list of positives!! And with that, I'll wish you all a truly FABULOUS new year, & shut up!!!  :)

Illustration Friday - GLOW

A little late, but less than 24 hours, so its all good!! With the craziness of Christmas this week, I decided not to work on something new, but to brush the dust off this oldie but goodie. I think it fits the theme! Hope you all had a magical Christmas, & best wishes for a fabulous 2013!

Merry Christmas!

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Wishing you all a safe and very merry Christmas!

Illustration Friday - SNOW

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You know what they say about yellow snow.....DON'T EAT IT!!!!!

Each week when I do the Illustration Friday challenge, I try to accomplish 2 things: #1, make you smile, and #2, come up with a unique idea. After all, there are usually several hundred artists submitting an illustration of the same theme. I don't know if I achieved goal #1 this week, but I *think* I came up with something somewhat original....there can't be THAT many people as twisted as me! You decide!

I don't know if I'll post again before Christmas, so I'll take the time now to sincerely thank you all who visit this silly blog again and again, as well as those who may have just stumbled upon it. Have a wonderful and safe holiday, and be sure to hold those you care about close - in your heart, if you're not able to physically. Because this blog is dedicated to art designed to specifically make you smile, I'll just leave it at that, as I'm sure many of us have had our thoughts & hearts in the same place this past week......

Illustration Friday - EXPLORE

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Instead of jumping over it, like she usually did, Abigail decided to 

land and do a little exploring....

A little bit of quick experimentation with Photoshop this week. These challenges are getting harder & harder to squeeze in at this time of year, but I got it done! And not at 5 til midnight on Thursday, either! Ha ha! Its been a good week, art-wise. Was happy to learn my children's book is selling well on the Frecklebox website! And my studio Facebook page reached over 600 likes yesterday! (links to both can be found on the right side of this page) It may sound silly, but one of the art things I was most excited about this week was I finally tried a new drawing pen that I bought a few weeks ago while "exploring" at Dick Blick & completely fell in love with it! Trying new art supplies is always fun, but finding a new tool that you immediately feel comfortable with is the best! The girl at Dick Blick had to talk me into the Pilot Precise V5 Extra fine pen, but I'm glad she did!!! :)