Happy Halloween! 2010

{Candy Corn Costume, 2010}

Photo Credit: Metromix Des Moines

{Lego Man Costume, 2010}

Photo Credit: Metromix Des Moines

{Carved Pumpkins, 2010}

We always have fun making costumes. This year I sewed a candy corn costume using fleece and my husband, Ken, revamped his Lego costume from last year. To be fair, he was working on it until the last minute last year and only got to wear it to one party. This year he wore it all around Des Moines and got lots of laughs, smiles and nostalgic 20/30-somethings! In fact, he is in the running to win a local costume contest so I am going to shamelessly plug him! If you are so inclined, please vote for him until November 5, 2010 at THIS LINK. We would really appreciate it!

Halloween Kitty

{Drawing in Sketchbook with Digital Color, 2010}

A sweet little kitty to wish you all a happy Halloween! I will be posting a few pictures of the pumpkins I carved and my handmade costume later this week. I'm especially proud of my costume because this is the first time I have ever sewn a whole costume myself. Is anyone else dressing up for Halloween? If you are, what are you going to be?

Sugar Skull Girl

{Graphite in Sketchbook with Digital Color, 2010}

I think it would be a cool costume to dress up as a pin-up / sugar skull girl. I shared some pictures of some actual sugar skulls in my last post which inspired this drawing.

Sugar Skulls

{Completed Sugar Skulls, 2010}

{Materials: Royal Icing, Sequins, Colored Foils and Sugar Skull, 2010}

{Frida Kahlo Inspired Sugar Skull, 2010}

{Sugar Skull Detail, 2010}

{Sugar Skull Detail, 2010}

{Sugar Skulls from above, 2010}

The Des Moines Art Center asked me to decorate sugar skulls for the annual Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos). This is the Art Center's 10th anniversary of this ritual event and they needed some new skulls decorated for the display in the museum. The altar display honors those who were leaders within the Hispanic culture of Des Moines, Iowa. To read more about the event at the Des Moines Art Center click HERE. If you are in the area I highly suggest attending the event! It is a colorful, culturally rich day with music, food and great art.

Illustration Friday - Spooky (Color Version)

{Sketch with Digital Color, 2010}

I used Photoshop to color the sketch from my previous post. Click HERE to see the sketch. I think the addition of color gives the piece much more life. (Especially in this piece because of the glowing light coming from the witch's spooky potion!)

Illustration Friday - Spooky

{Graphite in Sketchbook, 2010}

This witch and her little pals are concocting on a spooky potion! I'm currently working on a digitally colored version that I will post in a day or so.

3rd Wedding Anniversary

{Graphite, 2010}

{Photo Credit: Tressa Ross, Photo Loft, 2007}

{Photo Credit: Tressa Ross, Photo Loft, 2007}

{Photo Credit: Tressa Ross, Photo Loft, 2007}

As of today, October 13, 2010, I have been married for 3 years. I love Ken more now than I ever have before. He is a good man and I am so lucky to be loved by him. Our wedding was a beautiful day with a lot of smiles, tears and laughter and I look forward to the rest of our lives together.

Illustration Friday - Transportation

{Graphite, 2010}

I think courteous drivers make car transportation much more enjoyable! My cats really like boxes so I thought I would make a cat car out of a box and then I added a little convoy of mice. I drew this in my sketchbook.

Darling Notions: Illustrative Works by Candace Camling

{Artist Statement Layout Design by Iowa State, 2010}

{Entrance to Iowa State Memorial Union show, 2010}

{Pioneer Room with "Darling Notions: Illustrative Works by Candace Camling, 2010}

{Ames Tribune, Review and Information, 2010}

Click on Above Image to Enlarge Text.

Go to the article online HERE.

Currently there are over thirty-five of my illustrations on display in the Pioneer Room of the Memorial Union at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. Works will be on display until November 8, 2010. If you are in the area make sure you go check it out! I took a few shots of the layout of the show when I was in Ames today. The Pioneer Room gets used for a lot of conferences, meetings, luncheons, ect. which is why the third photograph has chairs scattered about.

Halloween Digital Sketches

{Sketch with Digital Color, 2010}

{Sketch with Digital Color, 2010}

I always look forward to the spookiness of the Halloween season. I love that the movie channels on TV play scary movies and that the stores are full of costumes, candy and decorations. I also love the colors that this time of year brings. All of the decorations have been put up around the house and the magazines are full of pages of pumpkin colored decor, recipes and clothing. I thought I would add a little of that same flair to my blog and work on a few spot illustrations to share! What is your favorite thing about Halloween?

Old Fashioned Rotary Phone

{Watercolor, 2010}

I missed posting this to Illustration Friday's theme of "Old Fashioned" last week, but I thought I would still put it on my blog. I used black watercolor and prisma pencil in my Moleskine watercolor journal. When I was a kid, my neighbors still used a rotary phone and the phone in my own home had a long cord. I think I was in high school or junior high when we finally got a cordless home phone. Now, I don't even have a land line! With three cell phones in our household, my husband and I made the decision not to get one. When I think of a phone, I still think of rotary phones as a classic example. Kids today will probably fondly remember the iPhone as an antique someday. (which makes me laugh!)

Beach Porcelain Shadowbox Project

{Mixed Media Assemblage, 2010}

{Detail, Mixed Media Assemblage, 2010}

{Mixed Media Assemblage, 2010}

In my attempts to clean my studio today, I happened upon a shadow box that I bought a few months ago on a thrifting trip. I got the urge to give it new life with some scrapbooking papers and some tiny treasures. One of my favorite things to do is beach comb and when I get near the lake or ocean, I can't help myself. The treasures I chose to fill my shadowbox with were an assortment of porcelain pieces that had washed ashore. Its always interesting to think about all the places and people those pieces were with before they came to me. To add a little extra charm I also added a few plastic farm animal toys!

{Photography, 2010}

Also, is anyone else just TOO EXCITED that the leaves are starting to crunch beneath their feet again? Come visit me again tomorrow and I promise to share a drawing! I know its been pretty craft/mixed media heavy around this blog lately, but I am still an illustrator to the core! However, I think its important to stay creative in all aspects of life and I try to fill my soul with inspiration wherever and whenever possible! (which is why I have been sharing these other projects.)

EDIT: I promise to have some drawings later this week. I have been a little under the weather this weekend.