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!

Merry Christmas!!!

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Wishing you all a merry Christmas filled with joy, laughter, & yummy things to eat!!!

More Aquatic Alphabet

K = Killer Whale

 

 So, as I mentioned last week, I found a new illustration challenge through my PiBoIdMo group called Doodle Day. For the month of December, they are drawing aquatic creatures for each letter of the alphabet. I began on December 2nd with "B." Honestly, with the normal holiday craziness (I actually went to the same store 3 times in 24 hours & returned an item TWICE before I got it right!!), I didn't expect to get much past "B." But I've really found these to be fun!! So I've squeezed them in whenever I could. (I was working on the jellyfish until 11:30pm Tuesday night!!)  I admit I've missed a couple, & know I'll miss several this weekend, & several more after that.......

J = Jelly Fish

 

 But I'm really liking some of these quirky guys..................and I think I need to make more............... 



                                               D = Dogfish

What do you think? You can see the rest of the series thus far on my Facebook Page. And if you enjoy this blog, DO consider subscribing (button under the tiger on the right). Thanks for stopping by! May YOUR holiday shopping go smoothly!! ;)

Illustration Friday - REFRAIN & some new toys!

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 I have wanted to try Copic Markers for a LONG time, but they were an indulgence I just didn't feel I could justify yet. Well, my incredible boyfriend (& biggest fan) COMPLETELY caught me off guard & surprised me with a small set last weekend!!! I NEVER thought I'd own a set of these! I was SO excited & completely blown away.....and yet, I was TERRIFIED to actually try them out! I'd heard such great things about them - what if I couldn't do anything more with them than I do with my Prismacolors & Bics?? What if I like them so much, I want more? (A set of 70 runs about $400!!!!!! Gulp!!!!)

So it took me 5 days (& a lot of prompting from my boyfriend!) before I got the courage to open the package, but finally, tonight I did....

And I am in love.  

Uh-oh. 

Winner!!! And a new challenge!

B = Beluga Whale

The month of November is over, & so is the Picture Book Idea Month Challenge. (PiBoIdMo). I am happy to say, I achieved the goal of coming up with 30 ideas! In fact, I actually came up with 40! The best part is, they don't all suck!!! Seriously, there are a couple of gold nuggets in there among the rocks that I fully intend to take next steps with. Will editors find them as exciting as I do? I don't know, but I think they're worth giving further attention to. But more importantly, I became much more cognizant of ideas as they popped into my head, & diligent about writing them down before they vanished, as they often do! My PiBoIdMo notebook still has some blank pages in it, so I'll continue to fill it with ideas, & hopefully make a habit of filling notebooks!! It was a fun challenge, & definitely a worthwhile experience, between the generation of ideas, development of new, positive habits, and connecting with & supporting other writers!!!

C = Crab

So you would think, after the pressure of a daily challenge (versus the weekly challenge of Ill Friday), I'd be DONE after PiBoIdMo. But no, I discovered a NEW challenge! This one is called "Doodle Day." It is run through a Facebook group, & was started by one of the PiBoIdMo participants. The challenge is to do a quick drawing of a sea creature for each day of December, in alphabetical order. I discovered the group on December 2nd, so I started with "B" and my happy Beluga whale. Yesterday was "C." I think that one is self explanatory.  Do I think I will be able to keep up with this? Especially in addition to Ill Friday, & all the chaos the month of December usually brings? Hell no! But I felt inspired the past 2 days, and anything that keeps me drawing is a GOOD thing in my book! So I'll do it when I can, and when I can't.....oh well. Because I didn't have to take an oath with my hand on a picture book for this one!!! :)

I think "winner" might be a stretch, but I DID achieve the goal!!!

Illustration Friday - SHADOW (Plus Happy Thanksgiving!)

This week's Illustration Friday challenge word was SHADOW. Drew these guys pictured above real quick during a meeting today to squeeze them in before the holiday crunch!! Wishing all who celebrate a Happy Thanksgiving! Be safe!!!

Illustration Friday - TAIL

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Sometimes less is more.....

This week's Illustration Friday challenge word is TAIL. I think I got that covered! 

I am happy to announce (& actually just noticed!) that this will be post #100 for this blog!! Big thank you to all who have visited, and shown an interest! It's nice to know I'm not just talking to myself here!  :) But seriously, your comments really DO keep me going!

I'm also pleased to say that my participation in PiBoIdMo (Picture Book Idea Month) has been beyond worthwhile! I achieved the goal of 30 ideas on day 18! That's not to say all 30 are actually GOOD ideas (some of them are lame, some suck, and there is at least one that makes me question my sanity... or at least what I was eating before I went to bed the night before....) but there is enough decent material to keep me busy for a LONG time. And I'm not done! I will continue to try to come up with an idea every day for the rest of the month...& hopefully, I'll have developed a habit by then, of looking for ideas in everything around me, & being cognizant enough of them to be sure to jot them down!! (I'll have to buy some little note pads and put them in my bag, my cars, my night stand, my bathrooms....)

But things haven't been ALL good, lately. This Illustration Friday piece is the first thing creative that I've done in my studio since losing my beloved studio-mate, Miss Miga last week. For over 2 years, since the day I brought her home from the animal shelter, she brightened my studio & made it a place I wanted to be. It's not so bright anymore. She was a happy little hamster, & without her, the room seems so incredibly empty. But oddly enough, on the day she died, I was contacted out of the blue about illustrating a 2nd children's book for an author I worked with earlier this year. Which would require spending a LOT more time in my studio.... doing something I love. And today, I received a promising message for yet another book project. So maybe this room hasn't been completely drained of happiness....maybe it still holds some promise....

As always, I thank you for visiting!