Illustration Friday - VANITY

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This week's Illustration Friday challenge word is VANITY.

 One of my friend Donna's often used expressions is "It's like putting lipstick on a pig," & while I was listening to her run a meeting at work today, this just popped into my head. Ironically, she also would really like to get a mini tea cup pig as a pet (I've been telling her this might not be such a good idea).............I hope that if she does........she doesn't put lipstick on it......  :D 

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Illustration Friday - NATURAL

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This week's Illustration Friday challenge word is NATURAL. 

Sorry for the nudity.... *grin!*

As always, I appreciate you stopping by, & LOVE reading your comments if 

my work has made you smile!!!

Happy Easter!

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A day late, because I realized I couldn't post the photo from my ipad! But the thought was there! :)

Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend!

Illustration Friday - SIZZLE

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This one was a SUPER-QUICK doodle in today's meeting at work.  Hope it gave you a smile!

Illustration Friday - RED (times 2!)

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 Doodled two for this week's challenge in a particularly long meeting today. 

I couldn't decide between them so I posted them both.

Which one do YOU like better?

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As always, I appreciate your visits & your comments! To see more of my silliness,

(Because yeah, I admit the 2nd one is pretty silly) please visit my Facebook page.

Illustration Friday - SPARK (A blast from the past!)

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Well, it's more like a "blaze" than a "spark" and a rather fuzzy scan, at that, but I wasn't able to squeeze a new drawing in this week (& Illustration Friday wasn't able to change the prompt this week, either!) so it will have to do! This is actually a MAJOR blast from the past - it is a scan of a promotional postcard I had printed back in college....21 years ago! (Ugh!)  My college friend, Jodi, recently dug up the collection of postcards from our senior class  & made me think of it, so I thought I'd share....I loved this piece back then, and surprisingly, I'm still liking it now! I know a lot of artists look back at their older work and cringe, so I guess I'm pretty lucky......or else, maybe my eyesight is going........... 

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And I just received copies of the coloring book I did for Big Cat Rescue's "March for Lions" event that was held last weekend! It's always exciting to see a project in it's final, printed form, and even better to learn that the event it was tied to was a BIG success! Big Cat Rescue does wonderful work, and I was happy to participate in their mission of awareness!!!

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Happy National Potato Chip Day!

It was 4 months ago on the 13th that I lost my beautiful little studio mascot & friend, Miss Miga. Things are certainly not the same without her, but she still finds ways to influence my art! Happy National Potato Chip Day, everyone! :) (Yes, believe it or not, that is a real "holiday!"....& one I can really get behind! YUM!)

Been difficult to squeeze in the time for Illustration Friday challenges & random doodles like the one above lately. My Tuesday meeting at work was always a great time to sketch, but now I RUN the Tuesday meetings, so that kind of throws a wrench in things....I'm good at multi-tasking, but not THAT good! *wink!* (I won't tell you when I got this one done!) I finished the coloring book project for Big Cat Rescue, & am now eagerly awaiting my copies, but also just signed a new children's book contract last week that will keep me insanely busy for the next few months. It's a crazy-tight deadline, but should be a fun project, nevertheless!

Despite the busy schedule, I WILL be trying to keep up with my blog, so DO check back! And as always, I appreciate you stopping by!

Press Release - Woo hoo!

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All nice & official looking, isn't it? 

I don't know who actually READS these things....I kind of feel like they'd be more impressive if rolled in a scroll-type fashion with an official wax seal and delivered on horseback by a man wearing a red velvet cape................ a blog post seems far less dramatic.  I think Sunny looks kind of nice against the lime green, anyway.........

Illustration Friday - SPACE, TWISTED2 & A Really Bad Picture!

I finally feel like an Illustration Friday veteran! Because when I saw this week's challenge word was SPACE, I immediately said to myself, "Hey! We already did space!!" Granted, it WAS 2 years ago, but aren't there enough words in the dictionary to not have duplicates after only 2 years? OK. So maybe I'm just being persnickety. (read: cranky) I mean, there IS more than one meaning to the word SPACE, afterall. But the second I saw it, my mind instantly went to this guy, who was a favorite of mine during my first year at Ill Friday. I LOVE this little ET hot-rodder! So I'm posting him again, like it or not. :)

BUT, just so you don't think I'm a total slacker, I did another TWISTED from last week's prompt. I think I like TWISTED2 better. Pretty much anyone who has ever had a dog tied up in their yard has experienced something like this, right?

And finally, there's THIS....not exactly a flattering picture (understatement!!), but I felt obligated to buy a copy anyway. (But just one!) I don't even think it's worthy of bumping one of my friends' kids drawings off my fridge!!! But hey, I'm famous.........sort of...........  :)  To see more (read: BETTER) photos from the book launch party for the most recent children's book I illustrated, Sunny the Sneaker, please check out last week's post. 

As always I appreciate you stopping by, as well as any comments you might feel incline to leave! And DO consider subscribing to this blog and/or visiting my super-cool Facebook page! All the links are in the right column! :)

Illustration Friday - TWISTED & Book Launch Party!!!!

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Some women are so clingy!!

Another quick one this week for Illustration Friday! This week's word was TWISTED, and while I had LOTS of ideas, and several that I sketched out, this was the only one I managed to finish. *Sigh!* 

 Just been an unbelievably hectic week, with a deadline looming on a project I've been working night and day on before & after my day job, but I DID want to share some photos from the book launch party held on Monday for the most recent book I illustrated, Sunny the Sneaker. A big crowd showed up at the South Shore Pottery Shop in snowy Abington, MA to kick off school vacation week. The author read aloud to the kids and signed books. Ceramic plates with the likeness of "Sunny" were available to paint for those interested, and  I taught some young artists how to draw the quirky little footwear. I also took open drawing requests from the kids (LOTS of open drawing requests!) and signed countless copies of the book! I had a line for over 2 and a half HOURS, but the kids were so fun & appreciative, it didn't seem like it! Overall it was a fantastic event, and I was happy to get to be a part of it!

Illustrator, Michele G. Katz (Mit) and author, Michele Christian-Oldham

Working with a young artist

More fun drawing with some talented boys

The line waiting to make requests!!! 

Two new friends & my best two "customers." Aiden, on the left , really kept me on my toes with his creative requests. He deliberately tried to challenge me with a rock band comprised of 2 great whites and a hammerhead shark (pictured) & then thought he surely had me stumped with his final request of a "giraffe laying on a couch, watching tv, holding a remote." The look on his face when I nailed it was priceless and one of the best moments of the day!

My dear friends, Noah & Evan, who came out to support me with their Mom, Leah.
 (who has been supporting my art for more years than I can count!!) It was great to spend the day with them!

Signing books

 I would be remiss if I did not give a shout out my photographer, boyfriend, & biggest fan, Chris, who worked behind the scenes to save the day for me!!! I often wonder what I did to deserve him!!!

OK. Enough with the mushy stuff! I've got that deadline still looming, so it's back to drawing lions, lions, and MORE LIONS!!! Stay tuned to see what that is all about!!! As always, I appreciate you stopping by & love reading any comments you might be inclined to make!!