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The ekeko is a Peruvian symbol/god of good fortune and prosperity. This lovely metal one was given to be by my mother while I was in Peru last month ... apparently the ekeko has to be received as a gift in order for it to cast its benevolent light upon your life. The original ones were made of clay and apart from the goods that they carry (this contemporary one even has a giant visa card!) they had a hole in their mouths into which you were meant to place a cigarette to make it happy. I assume that no longer applies!

Above was a specially designed for a friend who is turning fifty-five very soon. And below is another special request for André. Off to spring-clean now. Cheers!

Lucky Metal Ekeko products at Floating Lemons at Zazzle

5ifty 5ive cards and products at Floating Lemons Typography at Zazzle

André cards and products at Floating Lemons Typography at Zazzle

I've been away ... but before I left I managed to squeeze in some work on text designs so am putting two of them up here for Valentine's Day. Am now madly catching up on other jobs, and will post more customer request text designs within the next couple of days before I begin on another project and as that involves drawing, I'll be getting the coloured pencils out soon too. Cheers!

Yes Heart cards and products are up on Floating Lemons Typography at Zazzle

Love Heart cards and products are up on Floating Lemons Typography at Zazzle

Last week we bought a small basketful of Clementines from the weekly village market. They look and smell so bright and cheerful and summery, lift the spirits even on cold winter days, and are absolutely irresistible. I've since discovered that they are also called Christmas Oranges as they're available from mid-November till January. Sweet and seedless they're teeny pop-in-the-mouth treats. Had to draw them of course.

This was done in coloured pencil on a large-scale moleskine sketchbook that I'm now quite in love with. I haven't really finished the drawing and I hate not completing something to my satisfaction once I've started it, but this will just have to stay as is, as I am away for a couple of weeks as of tomorrow and needed to post this in order to wish everyone a lovely Christmas and New Year!

I'll also add my latest customer/friend requested text designs, Natascha and Goddess. Enjoy the holidays! Cheers.

Natascha products at Floating Lemons Typography at Zazzle

Goddess products at Floating Lemons Typography at Zazzle

There truly is not enough time in the day to do everything I want or need to do! I look up -- and days have passed ... and there's always more that I would like to do but simply can't fit in yet. Yet.

I've been completing text design requests and have to finish most of them before Christmas, which has kept me occupied for a while now (with a trip to London as a break in between of course LOL), but I managed to finally drag out a wonderful extra-large moleskine that I'd purchased some months ago. Started playing within it's pages and found myself doodling gift boxes ...

I love gift boxes and wrapping papers and it being the season for it, am not too surprised that it's what came to mind. Still, I'm only part-way through colouring them in but thought I'd put them up here a proof (to myself really!) that I AM doing some much-needed drawing in between sketching out text designs. Simple stuff but just as therapeutic and as much a pleasure to do.

I've also completed a couple of typographical designs for the festive season and here they are:

Merry X'mas cards, stamps, gift tags & matching products at Zazzle.

Happy New Year 2010 cards & matching products at Zazzle

Christmas Tree Cupcake products at Zazzle

Just a doodle -- that ended up taking days to finish as I've been inundated with guests recently. Very happily so I might add. I ended up declaring a holiday/vacation "go slow" for myself as a result, and am only now finally getting my act together again.

Perhaps being ill made me realize that although work is definitely a priority it certainly should not be my top priority, and that Quality of Life (which includes family, friends, and enjoying the glorious summer days in Provence) and Health should be moved above Work on my little list.

At any rate, I'm finally winding down as far as visitors are concerned and in a few days will be back on my own and back at work. Good timing too as I'm now itching to get back to some drawing, though I'm also looking for a different approach to my art. Something needs to be changed, I need a dose of New Perspectives. Am not quite sure of what that might be as yet, but it's there just at the edge of my vision (isn't that frustrating? Like having that word just there, on the tip of your tongue ...) and I'm hoping it turns up soon to inspire me ...

Meanwhile, these are what I've managed to squeeze in thus far. The above drawing popped into my mind when customers began purchasing my Christmas products! And below are some of the text designs requested by wonderful friends and customers. I've enjoyed doing them and still have a list of more to go through, so will be putting them up as I go along. Cheers to all!

Tini purple Products at Zazzle

Sprog lime green Products at Zazzle

I tend to find myself irresistibly attracted to charming things -- which has led me into trouble far more often than not -- but these delightful French chickens were crying out for attention and how could I say no? I am far too easily persuaded :) They belonged to the friend of a friend and sat on her table, all round and smooth and quite a pleasure to behold. I've changed the colours but hopefully retained the simplicity of form and it turned out to be a simple yet extremely therapeutic and enjoyable drawing.

I also have a wonderful queue of requests for my type designs which is a great but pleasant surprise. I'm going through them all in between drawings, but here's the last one I managed to do, for my niece:

I'm pleased to say that the sticker for it won me a TBA Award at zazzle on the 28 August :) Thanks Marisa!

French Hen products at Floating Lemons at Zazzle

Marisa cherry pink products at Floating Lemons Type at Zazzle

I've just noticed that my Go Green Leaf design is featured in a post called "Beautiful Hand Drawn Typography" over at Smashing Magazine! Am extremely proud and gobsmacked as some of the font designers included in the post of 40 creations using hand draw type, are wonderful. It's definitely a 'wow' moment for me :)

I'm also featured over at http://thedesigninspiration.com/fonts/go-green-leaf/ under the 'Font Inspiration' section ... also among some brilliant type designers so I'm in a bit of a state of amazement here ... am going into speechless mode now ...

Here's the design that both sites are featuring:

Decided to start drawing in a new moleskine ... I'd forgotten how much I like the surface of the paper for my colored pencils, it's so lovely and smooth.

I'd been to the markets in Aix-en-Provence and discovered a stall that sold hundreds of glorious beads in all shapes and colours. HAD to buy some ... and then of course I HAD to draw them, so here's a selection. They're like glittering glowing pieces of candy in real life, quite delicious --

Once I'd finished the sketch I scanned them in, cleaned them up, added a bit of a shadow in photoshop and here's the cleaner, finished product ready to be placed on cards online:

Beads card and products at Floating Lemons at Zazzle

And finally, here's another play on my previous text design, done especially for Clara!

Clara cards and products at Floating Lemons Typography

Carla lime products at Floating Lemons Typography at zazzle

I've still been taking things slow :) And I've had visitors so I've been enjoying the Provencal summer with them, which has unfortunately cut into my drawing time. Still, have managed to fiddle around with some requested text designs and here are the results.

Clare plum products at Floating Lemons Typography at zazzle

Happy Birthday blue products at Floating Lemons Typography at zazzle

AND I was given a Today's Best Award from zazzle for my Alexander white Birthday Card:

All is not lost on the drawing front though as I'm playing around with some lovely beads I bought at the Aix-en-Provence markets. So I shall be back soon! Cheers.

Carla lime products at Floating Lemons Typography at zazzle

I've still been taking things slow :) And I've had visitors so I've been enjoying the Provencal summer with them, which has unfortunately cut into my drawing time. Still, have managed to fiddle around with some requested text designs and here are the results.

Clare plum products at Floating Lemons Typography at zazzle

Happy Birthday blue products at Floating Lemons Typography at zazzle

AND I was given a Today's Best Award from zazzle for my Alexander white Birthday Card:

All is not lost on the drawing front though as I'm playing around with some lovely beads I bought at the Aix-en-Provence markets. So I shall be back soon! Cheers.

Things are a bit slow around here ... I'm still recuperating. The good news is that I am free of infection and therefore finally free of antibiotics. But my neck is still a bit sore from the operation and my foot still somewhat swollen -- apparently it has been so traumatized that it will take another month or so to fully recover! I hobble along quite well though, so am at least no longer sofa-bound :)

Still, the pace of life is no longer frantic as limping around takes time and I still get exhausted at the end of the hot summer days. Am appreciating life and drawing what lies before me, in this case my coffee cup, saucer and spoon. The coffee stain is a photograph of an actual one so I guess I should apply the term Collage to the above. Lots of fun doing it.

I also had another special request for the above. I hope she likes it. Cheers!

Coffee Break products at Floating Lemons at Zazzle

Yasmin purple products at Floating Lemons Typography at Zazzle

Yasmin products at cafepress

Two oddly shaped nectarines from the lady who has a wonderful organic fruit & vegetable stall every Wednesday and Saturday morning in the nearby village of Lauris. I love imperfectly shaped fruit, so when my mother (who has been an angel looking after me) brought these back I knew I just had to draw them.

It took me three days to draw them! Though that's probably due to the fact that I still tire easily ... and perhaps because, in some places, there are over twenty layers of colour in this drawing. I'm still not completely happy with it but knew that if I didn't finish it off I'd end up destroying it, so I finally stopped.

A special request, for the name Alexander. I'm quite enjoying doing these names. I have another one waiting so I'd better get onto it.

I'll have to blame my illness and recuperation for the fact that I'd forgotten to mention that this book that I'd ordered before getting so sick was waiting for me when I returned from hospital. I have been going through it with pleasure and pangs of hunger when I come across the too-yummy food drawings. Altaglich Folio: No Five contains beautifully delicate and detailed drawings by the extremely gifted Megan E. Bluhm Foldenauer whose artwork can be found here www.megalo-media.com or at her Flickr site. I've been a fan of hers since I discovered her drawings and am now determined to acquire books No 1 - 4 too! Cheers.

Flat Nectarines products at Floating Lemons at Zazzle
Alexander lime products at Floating Lemons Type at Zazzle

Three Cherries products at zazzle

Well, I obviously tried to tackle far too much last month ... what with so much extra work and the arrival of my shipping, etc, I ended up sacrificing my daily walk with the dogs, stopped eating healthily, stressed out completely -- and as a result my defences went down and I ended up being taken by ambulance for an emergency operation as I was attacked pretty viciously by an extremely happy internal bacterial infection.

Won't mention the gory details but I essentially suffered from quite massive blood poisoning and am now still recovering though I'm finally home from hospital and what a relief that is. Still have to keep my feet up for another couple of weeks but at least I finally found the energy to start drawing again!

So here is my interpretation of Life is A Bowl of Cherries. Not a bowlful perhaps but I am truly appreciating every little bit life has to offer, so a trio seems apt enough :)

I was able to work slowly on a few text designs as well ... primarily requests for names, and here are the ones I've completed so far:

Shireen pink products at zazzle

Juarez blue products at zazzle

Angela hot pink products at zazzle

I'd like to thank very much everyone who sent me prayers, good wishes and positive thought. I've been too tired to write emails or respond to messages personally (general anesthesia truly leaves one exhausted) but I shall now slowly go through them all so that I can personally thank you.

Meanwhile, I have a close friend who has also landed up in hospital after an accident so if any of you reading this know Ida Nerina please please send her all those wonderful prayers for a speedy and FULL recovery.

Wishing you good health! Cheers.

It's not that I haven't been trying to make time to draw, but Life keeps getting in the way so I doodled a few type designs and then finally managed to draw this "Magicked Frog" to accompany a sweet story by a friend of mine. Had loads of fun doing them all but am still at my wit's end where time is concerned, reorganizing my home now that my shipping finally arrived from Australia ... here is what I've been playing with in between cleaning, clearing, unpacking and running errands:

Go Green Leaf cards and products at Floating Lemons Typography at Zazzle

Bertha blue cards and products at Floating Lemons Typography at Zazzle

Bella pink cards and products at Floating Lemons Typography at Zazzle

Hello purple cards and products at Floating Lemons Typography at Zazzle

I'm hoping to finish up household tasks and errands as soon as possible and get back to more drawing and blogging. WIsh me luck. Cheers.

My shipping arrived from Australia so am knee deep in boxes and STUFF. The house is in chaos once more but it's slowly taking shape again though it's slightly more difficult keeping clutter to a minimum now! Things will have to be thrown out ...

Meanwhile I'm having (surprise surprise) Blank Page Blues. No inspiration. sigh. So doodled a couple of type designs, a Feliz Cumpleaños (that's Happy Birthday in Spanish for those who don't speak it ... a nod to my Peruvian half) and of course Happy Mothers Day to all of you out there who have to cope with the kids! Cheers.

Mothers Day pink products at Floating Lemons Typography at zazzle

Feliz Cumpleaños  lime products at Floating Lemons Typography at zazzle

First, I started out with this doodle of coffee mugs (this was while I was sipping one in the morning as one does) which I am not terribly fond of ... But it inspired me to do this:

And so the end result was this:

And then I ended up getting a Today's Best Award at zazzle for this:

Now, THAT put a smile on my face :D Cheers!

Life is also very insistent when it needs attending to and easily distracts one from creative pursuits no matter how much one procrastinates ... :) I've had so much to attend to lately that I find myself slightly (or hugely depending on how I want to view it) blocked where art is concerned at the moment. So I've been fiddling around more with typography lately and this is one of the results.

I hand-draw into my sketchbook first now, as my tablet PC seems to have given up on me, and then scan the drawing in and polish it up in photoshop. After which I transfer it into Illustrator to fine tune the lines as it's the smoothest way of changing the colours on the letters if I wish to do so. 

I'm considering opening up a new store on zazzle devoted entirely to my play with fonts and type design, as they seem to be getting increasingly popular. It's also fun and almost as therapeutic as drawing, so I won't be giving up on it anytime soon. Cheers!

I first began blogging here on the 23rd December 2006. I can barely believe that it's been two years. And so much has happened since then that I would never have imagined or envisioned. If anyone had told me that in a couple of years I would be drawing and living in French countryside I'd have laughed. Loud and long. But here I am ...

I need to thank everyone who has encouraged and inspired me, taken the time to drop by to comment, chat, motivate, and turn into amazing friends whom I hugely admire both personally and artistically. I live a blessed life and appreciate it, and all of you, daily. Hourly. By the second!

Cheers and a Happy New Year to every one of you wonderful, talented, inspiring artists/friends out there! May 2009 bring even more creative sunshine into our lives.

P.S.: My Thank You Blue mug design won me a "Today's Best" Award over at Zazzle :)

I first began blogging here on the 23rd December 2006. I can barely believe that it's been two years. And so much has happened since then that I would never have imagined or envisioned. If anyone had told me that in a couple of years I would be drawing and living in French countryside I'd have laughed. Loud and long. But here I am ...

I need to thank everyone who has encouraged and inspired me, taken the time to drop by to comment, chat, motivate, and turn into amazing friends whom I hugely admire both personally and artistically. I live a blessed life and appreciate it, and all of you, daily. Hourly. By the second!

Cheers and a Happy New Year to every one of you wonderful, talented, inspiring artists/friends out there! May 2009 bring even more creative sunshine into our lives.

P.S.: My Thank You Blue mug design won me a "Today's Best" Award over at Zazzle :)