2006 S. Winchester Blvd, Campbell, CA 95008
I ran into an old college friend the other day and she invited me to display my work in the next show at
Psycho Donuts. I've never been there, but I've had a lot of people tell me I should sell my work there. I'm taking it as a sign and said YES! The theme is 'Bugs'. I am having so much fun working on these paintings!
I made this collage portrait last week for
Devon's going away and Griffin's first birthday. Her kids are so adorable, it was an easy project. I added a bird next to Miranda's picture, because her nickname is Bird. Griffin got a worm because boys are all about dirt and worms. Both are drawings taken from my Birds of a Feather collection.
My favorite part of these collage portraits are hidden underneath the paint. Here, I added a vintage sewing pattern and button paper as a nod to
Devon's fabric design and love of sewing. The map signifies their moving to Germany (never mind that it's a map of England). You can see more of my collage portraits and order one for yourself
here.
This week has been full of promos and sketches for new portfolio pieces. I felt the need to let loose and have some fun. Alice the Dream Pig is the result. The upper text reads: "Alice flapped her wings and flew westward towards the sunset". Remember to always Dream Pig!
BTW: Alice is also a 'beginner' at flying so this fits in with the Illustration Friday theme, thank you very much!
I'm posting the last bits of my Sketchbook in two posts. Below is one of two collages I did. My collage technique is kind of a stream of conciousness type. I just glue down whatever strikes my fancy at the time and repeat the process with paint. It's the polar opposite from my illustration work. I named this one 'Dots' —clever, huh?
What do mice dream of? Cheese, of course.
Day in the Life: Our backyard got skunked.
Towards the end it got harder to come up with what to draw, so I broke out Drawing Lab for some inspiration. Here's some continuous line drawings. Fun, but yikes!
Another Drawing Lab exercise, draw like Dr. Seuss. This was so fun! I used a nifty brush pen I got from my friend Tracy.
Next up, the cover and the last spread.
In between all of my nursing efforts this week, I've been busy filling my sketchbook. Since collage has been such an important part of my life this past year, I knew I had to include it. I've painted one collage in the actual book, but this one I created on a separate piece of watercolor paper. I plan to glue it onto one of the pages. The problem is I love it so much that I want to keep it.
I saw the above quote on someone's blog (so sorry I forgot whose). It's the Oregon state motto, apparently. It holds so much meaning for me this year as I try to grow my business. This morning I read a blog post by
Kelly Rae Roberts that goes along with this quote. It seems I'm being given signposts lately (from Oregon). I want to lighten my husband's load financially, so growth is very important.
I've been trying to come up with a word for this year. Last year's was 'Simplicity'. I didn't achieve that in quite the way I was expecting, but I did find myself letting go of a lot of things that weren't so important. I'm wishing housekeeping wasn't one of them, though;-) This year, the word isn't coming to me so easily, but I think it's going to be 'ACTION'. I'll let that sit for awhile and see how it feels.
I've been so busy with the house and the move that making art for fun has been a distant memory. If you're still reading this blog, you're probably wondering where the art has gone. I hope to share more with you soon.
Today I went to a friend's baby shower. She had asked me for a painting for the baby's room. Of course, I left it until the last minute. It didn't help that my studio looks like this.
Instead of delaying it to a more perfect time, I cleared off a corner of my drawing board and a spot on the floor in front of it. I felt so blocked, but I took Kelly Rae Robert's advice and pretended like I was in the mood. I had no plan for this painting at any point. I had no idea what it would look like or be about until I was almost finished. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!!!! As a color pencil artist I always have a plan and it takes a long time to complete it, so just winging it is heaven. I was grinning from ear to ear while I painted. I was joyful. I really think that shows in the painting.
My friend loves it and she loves dragonflies (as do I). She also told me that dragonflies are dream keepers. Spooky. I had no idea.
My blog is very sad and lonely. I've been neglecting it lately. At least it doesn't look as bad as my house does. Here's a little peak at what I'm doing these days.
Dark Chocolate cabinets with a side of pistachio.
Red accent wall.
And my complete inability to measure and tape correctly.
This is a collage portrait of my gramma, mom, and me. I was very close to my gramma, and am very close to my mom. This portrait strengthens that connection. They're quilters, and now I am beginning to quilt. You can see my first attempt here. The collage process is a bit like quilting plus I added old sewing patterns to add to the theme. The photos were all taken by my grampa.
Making progress on my first quilt with Bari's beautiful fabrics.
Here's the base for my current painting. It's a sample for my new custom collage painting. Can't wait to show you the finished piece.
How fun! I've been reaquainting myself with collage as well. It's been freeing and fun. I really love what you have done!
I am the Unknown commenter. Sorry about that!
I've never been into collage myself but do love what others do with it. Love the pig family off on their adventures.
So honored to be tagged in the roll. I love your style exploration and how your work has evolved over the years! You truly have some wonderful stories to tell.