Next Steps...

I didn't make the final 6 for the global talent search. Of course I'm disappointed but it was really a long shot.
And I wasn't able to put my all into round 2 as I explained in my last post. I guess it was
a bit too ordinary. But I've learned that I grow and learn so much from each setback. I'm picking
myself up and moving on.
I did put my t shirt design into society 6, I needed to see how it would really look on a little T!

It looks cute, huh?  If you want it or a print the link is here.
So, I have lots to look forward to, a secret I will be talking about soon, Finishing up the cookbook,
and a whole lot of designing. I'll be posting here again soon!
Thanks for all the support during the GTS.

New Things

Week 3 of #Make Art That Sells class is children's books. We had to illustrate the cover of this fable by Aesop. I haven't done too much character development and it was fun working on this fox. Of course the
decorative stuff always comes into my work.  I paint all the icons separately and scan them in and do the background in photoshop.

Week 4 is Wall Art. I don't have much to say about this one, It's not the direction I want to be going so
even though I like it I will be moving on from here.
Thank you for voting for me in the ecojot cover contest, I came in 2nd place!!!
Jen

Jell-o, Jelly and Moulds

I can't believe its almost a month since I posted. I just can't keep up with
everything.. I try to do too many things and then sometimes nothing gets done.
Like the blog.
I'm in month 2 of Make Art that Sells bootcamp. The mini is Jell-o, Jelly
moulds. My first reaction on monday morning was Oh, Gross. It took a day
to sink in before I even could start the assignment. Once I got over the fact
that I wouldn't touch the stuff with a 10 ft pole it got more interesting, (and
disgusting) In the 50's and 60's people made Jello with other foods suspended
in it. Like fruit, meat, spaghetti, I don't know what else but GAG. But the good
side is that the shapes are sort of awesome and the colors are happy.
Don't they look like they could be cool hats? I did..

We'll find out what the assignment is on Monday morning. I'm sure a wrench
will be thrown in.

I'm back at Make Art That Sells. This time it's bootcamp where we get an
assignment each month. This is perfect because it gives time to do other
things as well as really dig deep into it. The first month we have Cuckoo Clocks!
My grandparents had one in there home when I was a little girl and I remember
being enthralled by it. It was so magical with the little bird popping out and
making that pretty sound. I haven't thought of them since.
It turns out we have to design a cell phone cover using a cuckoo clock. I need
to start sketching..
I've also been continuing my sketchbook paintings a day...

Here are a few florals, The right one inspired by Downton Abbey, that
beautiful shot at the beginning. You can see them all at my website.

IF-Creature

I know it's Halloween this week and illustrating the word creature
should maybe be a monster of some sort but it's just not my thing..
So here's a sweet creature in a magical environment.
It's done with gouache, acrylic, collage and metallic paint.

Together

This weeks word for Illustration Friday is together. It's such a perfect word
because I'm participating in a Blog Parade together with a bunch of my new
friends from Lilla Rogers class, Make Art That Sells. The class itself was fantastic,
I can't say enough how much I learned and grew from those 5 weeks. And Part B
is coming up in 2 weeks!!
The other wonderful thing that came from the class is the group of amazing artists
I've been able to connect with through the private facebook group. We share advice
and information, work in progress and thoughts. It's been such a treat to meet kindred spirits
from around the world.
I can vouch that they don't look like the above menagerie (we've all shared short videos)
but I'm so glad we've come together.
Next in line on the parade is Sherry London who works absolute magic with
photoshop, she's an expert, she teaches and is so generous with her help. She
also beads and spins yarn. Please go check out her blog and then go on the
parade if you like.

Here are a few sketches of the wild animals I drew earlier today.

 

IF-Totem

A few woodland creatures for today. I've been painting all
those loose intuitive canvas's that I just felt like putting out a few
characters today..

Global Talent Search

The last 2 weeks I've been so absorbed in my entry to
the #globaltalent search. We had to design a 5x7"journal
cover with the theme vintage playground and the word
journal in there. The winner gets 2 years representation
by the amazing Lilla Rogers and a whole slew of licensing
deals. It's stiff competition, I've seen lots of the entry's and
there is some really  amazing work out there. I don't know how
many entrants but it could be thousands.. I would drop dead with joy
if I won, but right now I'd be blown over by just making the
the first cut which is the top 50 pieces. It's a long shot but if
you don't try you can't win...
I played with a few versions before I landed with the chalkboard
version which I submitted..
I started with pencil sketches, I knew I wanted to paint the icons
goauche and play with them in photoshop. I began designing a scene
but I just wasn't happy with it, It felt fussy and somewhat off.
especially as I added more icons.

Looking back now, I could have stopped here on the
scenic one but I was set on having the moms on the bench
in there and it just didn't work well with this layout.

I put this little sketch on the submission page. I remember my son doing this!
I'm looking forward to August 1st when we see the final 50!

Lilla's Class Week 3

This weeks assignment was to create a book cover (or interior spread)
for Hans Christian Andersen's tale, The Snail and the Rose Tree. I never
read this one before and wow, it was unexpected. The snail was just a
grumpy nasty guy and he was interacting with a beautiful rose tree.
I had my vision for this right away, I wanted to paint it with exuberance
and create a beautiful world that you'd want to enter. I painted
it in layers and put it all together in photoshop. That way I had the
ability to play around with it a bit.
Of course I had my doubts midway, should I have used illustrator to draw?
Should it be cuter? But in the end I stuck with my original vision and
I'm quite happy with the results. I made some changes along the way, The
snail needed more attitude so I added his crossed arms and I fussed with
the color a bit.
Here are some of the sketches,

Here is an early snail, but he wasn't grumpy enough.

I like the roses on white too.
This has been a real growing process, When the class is over in 2 more weeks
I'll be working on my portfolio tho round out everything I've learned.

IF-Wild and Challenge Day 15

Today is a combo painting of my April Painting Challenge
and Illustration Friday word-Wild. I painted this in
watercolor rather than my usual gouache.
As I painted this the news of the explosion at the Boston
Marathon came on and I am so sad about it and wish anyone
who is there the best wishes.

IF-Swim

A goldfish in a tank.This is one image from a book
project I am working on.

IF-Yesterday

Yesterday.
Yesterday it was raining. I traveled from my village to
the city on the train to work with my partner on my book,
"I know I'm Not an Elephant". I had dinner with my
husband and son, who is home from college this week
for spring break. He turned 19 on Sunday. It's hard
to believe. I followed my new migraine diet and I'm
headache free. It was a very good day despite the rain.

IF-Talent

Last fall I was in the yard with my 3 year old nephew Ren.
He had just discovered that he could blow bubbles. He was
so delighted each time it worked. And if the bubble came out
big, there were squeals of laughter. What a talent!

IF-Wool

Last week I was in the car coming home from a family
dinner, and in the car with us was my 3 year old nephew
Ren. He was loudly and proudly singing nursery rhymes,
to which we all joined in with him. He made us happy
at a particularly sad time for us. I chose not to directly
illustrate Baa Baa Black Sheep, but when I began this
painting I was thinking of nursery rhymes, Ren, happiness
warmth and comfort.

IF-Wings

As I sit here in this dark, cold, gloomy, wet, wintry
afternoon, I just wanted to bring some magic and
light into the day. So here's a little magical fairy garden
bringing brightness and hope into the January day.

IF-Ocean

Strangely enough last week I decided to do a new digital painting,
which I hadn't done in a while. The subject I chose was fish in the
ocean and then lo and behold the illustration Friday theme came out as
ocean. I just finished it up this morning, maybe it was a message to get
back to my digital work somewhat.
So for the near future at least I have decided to dedicate my IF's
to digital work and I will be posting my paintings and drawings
on alternate days. The big theme for me this year is to get lots of
artwork made.

IF-Whiskers

Today is the last time I want to talk about my migraines.
I'm totally sick of them already in so many ways.. The
huge problem though is that they have created a wall that is
so hard to break through.. Even when I feel ok my brain
still feels like mush. My goal is to figure out how to re access
that happy creative magical place, even if I have down days.
Sometimes it's just about starting that's so hard.. there are just
so many choices. I started reading Annie Lamott's  wonderful
book Bird by Bird. It's about writing and life but I think it
works just as well for art and drawing and painting and ideas
and life. I'm inspired to just go little by little, bird by bird, and
just restart. So here is a bunch of drawings of animals with
whiskers, then I pulled the one that spoke to me the most
and painted her up. The 2 pages are the start of my sketchbook
project 2013.

IF-Mirror

This is a sketch from a project I am working on.
A little girl looking in the the mirror trying to discover
who she really is. I enjoy reflection drawings and over

time I've done many of them..

This one "Trying on Glasses" was done for the
author Geneen Roth, for the video promotion for
her book  "Lost and Found" 

IF-Imagination

I've been working on illustrating a children's book with a great lady,
who's funny, smart, energetic and so sensitive.
She wrote a great story about a little girl who is figuring out who she
really is. It's been a long and intense process but fun and we are
almost finished. I'm looking forward to finally getting it all together.
This is page 4.

IF-Carry

Here's a little sneak peek at a project I'm working on..
More details later!