Illustration Friday - EXOTIC Plus, Sunny is Finally Here!

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 I've been feeling under the weather this past week (read: coughing up a lung), and haven't done much drawing lately, but I couldn't resist this week's challenge word, EXOTIC. We often fear what is strange to us....but maybe this bee's imagination has run away with him, & the plant is just misunderstood.......hmmm............ (Either way, I'll blame this rather bizarre idea on the meds!!!)

Last year I illustrated a book called Sunny the Sneaker. It was a fun project, the author was a joy to work with, and by the end, I'd completely fallen in love with the main character, Sunny. Well, Sunny is finally in print, and I was excited to receive my 2 copies from the author last week! Always cool to see the finished project after months & months of work, and it's ridiculously fun watching my library grow!  Looking forward to attending the book launch in a few weeks, where I will be drawing for and perhaps with some local children!!

Illustration Friday - SEARCH

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A common sight in the fall, but at this time of year, I expect to see squirrels searching for acorns under a blanket of snow! With the oddly warm temperatures we've had in New England lately (just a week after getting over a foot of snow dumped on us!) it looks like the squirrels, and all the other critters will have a much easier time searching for food!

Speaking of searching for food, it was only last month that I went to get in my car to head to work on a 6 degree morning, only to find these guys searching for food a few yards away.... I felt so bad for them, pecking & scratching at the snow. I HAD to do something.....

As luck would have it, I happened to have a loaf of bread in my work bag, to bring for lunch. I didn't know if turkeys liked bread (I realize they are often stuffed with bread crumbs, but I didn't think they actually HELPED with that process) & I knew they could be dangerous - especially when there were 7 of them, all taller than my waist...it WAS quite possible I could experience death by turkey..... but I was willing to take that chance. There WAS that moment of terror when they stampeded toward me after I threw the first pieces at them, but after that, we were cool. They came right up to me, making their cute little turkey noises (which, by the way, did NOT sound like 'gobble' 'gobble.') I knew I shouldn't be feeding them, but I couldn't help myself. Needless to say, they ate my lunch, and I was late for work. I told my boss I was "feeding the birds." :) 

As always, I appreciate you stopping by & your comments!

Illustration Friday: TIME & a Few Other Things

Nothing marks the passage of time on someone's face more than wrinkles...........unfortunately........

 

This week's Illustration Friday challenge word was TIME, and thus, so is the theme of this blog post! As time passes, wrinkles seems to become more and more prominent....I've also noticed a grey hair or two....UGH!!! (I feverishly yanked them out in record time!!!) Was doodling during another meeting at work, and thought it would be fun to show a soft pencil sketch for a change, instead of the bold ink drawings I usually post. What do you think? (You can tell I'm a lefty from all the smudging!!) 

Kids....of both varieties!

 

So, I know it's a bit ambitious of me, but I am partaking in yet ANOTHER challenge! I participated in PiBoIdMo (Picture Book Idea Month) in November, then jumped into Doodle Day in December. For January, I signed up for another writing challenge called Start the Year Off Write, and of course, I'm still participating in the weekly Illustration Friday Challenges when I can. So when I saw the 52 Weeks of Illustration Challenge on Facebook, I figured, what's one more?! This week's word was KIDS. Technically there is only one kid in the picture, but since I, as many people do, consider my pets as my kids, I figured this would work!

 

 

 

OOOOPS!!! I forgot one! I also signed up for a PLANK Challenge for January!

 (I just LOVE doing planks!!!)

 



Layla

 

 But just because I'm wrapped up in all these challenges (plus working FT!), don't think I'm not still having fun, drawing what I please when I have a free second! Layla started as a doodle at work that I liked too much not to finish and share!

My lap turtle, Bug!



Yes, 2014 is off to a hectic start, to say the least! But I still try to make time for those who matter! Last night I spent some quality time with my turtle of over 20 years, Bug. In all that time, this is the first time he's ever been on my lap. I was less afraid of him biting me, and more afraid of him doing something else.............

And so I brought my blog post around, full circle, back to TIME. See how I did that? *wink!* As always, thank you for stopping by! And if you found this even remotely entertaining,  please consider subscribing to my blog by clicking on the button under the tiger, to the right! :)

Happy New Year!

Wishing you all a happy, creative, productive & maybe just a little bit magical new year!

I've got lots of fun, artistic things planned for 2014, including 2 book projects, & I hope to continue fitting in the Illustration Friday challenges when I can. I also received an ipad mini this holiday season, and am excited to learn some digital illustration techniques. (read: play with my new toy!!!) I'm totally new to this sort of thing (I don't even have a smart phone) so if anybody has any recommendations for apps for someone who at this time, doesn't have much of a clue, I'd love to hear them!! As always, I appreciate you stopping by, & hope you will continue to follow this blog into the new year!