Windsor Heights 4th of July Poster

{Drawing and Digital, 2013}

**Click Image to View Larger**

Today is Flag Day and I thought it would be a perfect day to share this poster that was created for the Windsor Heights 4th of July celebration. If you live in central Iowa, I highly recommend Windsor Heights' Independence Day festivities. Their parade is wonderful, they have activities for kids, music, food and fireworks! Their even doing a bike decorating contest for kids this year. How cool is that? I created this by scanning in a drawing and painting it in Photoshop. 

Illustration Friday - Intention

{Sketch, 2012}

The intention of planting a seed is to help it grow! This is part of a personal project I'm working on, but I'm still not completely satisfied with the composition. I figured I would still share it for this week's IF theme. It fit so perfectly!

Pen Sketches

{Pen in Sketchbook, 2011}

{Pen in Sketchbook, 2011}

It has been weeks since my last post, which is an eternity for this blog. At the moment I am very close to finishing paintings for my first book and ready to start painting the second book. These are a few sketches I did about a month ago when spring still seemed like it would never arrive. Now, while I spend my days painting I am configuring in my head which vegetables I will plant soon and how I will arrange them in my garden. Crocuses and daffodils are pushing up and even weeds are a pleasant sight at this early stage of spring!

Boston Terrier Painted Plush

{Mixed Media, 2010}

{Detail of Face, 2o10}

{Mixed Media, 2010}

{Mixed Media, 2010}

{Mixed Media, 2010}

As promised in my previous post, this is the other sewing project that I had been working on. The sewing for this piece took one session. Painting, however, took several subsequent sessions! It turned out quirky looking, which was my hope. My parents have always had Boston Terriers and it is such a funny, sweet, silly, little breed. This dog and the fairy princess doll are both off to the Iowa State Fairgrounds today... each toy is hoping for a pretty ribbon!

Illustration Friday - Detective

{Sketch with Digital Color, 2010}

I managed to get a quick little illustration in for this week's Illustration Friday theme of "Detective". Doggies are such great little detectives with their noses! Life has been busy of late so I thought I would share a little bit about what has been happening in my studio:

On top of juggling a few illustration clients, I have been preparing for a gallery show and putting my portfolio together for an SCBWI-Iowa conference. The SCBWI- Iowa conferences are wonderful 3 day events that allow illustrators a chance to put their portfolio on display for peers as well as industry professionals. As I have been rearranging my portfolio, I am surprised at how much I have grown in just one year! I am really looking forward to this conference and the uplifting, inspiring and creative experiences that always seem to await me. After I attend this weekend, I will definitely share my reaction to this year's event.

A Pet Portrait: Scout

{oil on canvas, 2009}

I just finished this little 4"x4" portrait of my parents' Boston Terrier, Scout. He has quite a lot of personality, so it was important that I catch a little gleam of impishness in his eye! I will be giving it to my dad for Christmas, but its really for both of my parents. If you are interested in a mini oil painting pet portrait please e-mail me at candartist@aol.com. 4"x4" pet portraits are $50 and I just need a few pictures of your pet to choose from and a few weeks to get it done and in the mail!

Giant Stacks of Pancakes!

{Watercolor, 2009}

I just finished this illustration for the December issue of "My Light" Magazine. The December issue should be available by mid month. (right around the corner!) I know this is a pretty strange mixture of images... so if you are curious about it, you'll have to go over to "My Light" and read the story when it has been published. I promise, it is a very sweet story! After working on this all afternoon, I suddenly crave some flapjacks!

Scout

{Micron Pen, 2009}

I did this drawing of my parents' dog, Scout, who is a Boston Terrier. I love him so much! They got him as a puppy when I was a junior in college and still living at home. He wasn't much bigger than a guinea pig when we brought him home, but now he is full grown and just as sweet!

Sketchbook!

{Sketchbook, 2009}{Sketchbook, 2009}

These are some sketches I've done recently. The top one is a character I may want to develop further. I like the idea of a squirrel or chipmunk as a little cowpoke. I'm looking forward to sharing some finished illustration projects soon! Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Bloomin' Time

{Bloom Pillow, 2009}

Yesterday, after my parents had departed to head back to Michigan, I was really itching to make something. I was looking through some of my favorite craft books, and got inspired to make a mini pillow. I hand cut and sewed on the decorative flowers and the word "bloom". Then I grabbed my sewing machine and added some Amy Butler fabric to the back, and stuffed it. It matches the bedroom and adds a bit of a spring flair!

Click photo to view larger
{Snapshots from Memorial Day Weekend, 2009}

Here are some other pictures I shot this weekend. The dog is my parents' Boston Terrier (I named him Scout when they first got him ... I was still living at home.) Of course, there is a shot of Oliver. He was relaxing up in the attic while I was digging around for something. There are several pictures of some of the spring plants around the yard. The baseball was just laying in a mud puddle across the street in the park. I thought it was kind of cool. I'm sure its from one of the many games of fetch that seem to go on during all the nice weather with the neighborhood dogs! I hope everyone else out there had a magical long weekend too!

Poem Illustration

{Watercolor, 2009}

I just completed this illustration for Stories for Children Magazine, which is a digital children's e-zine. I am still working towards being in a print children's magazine this year. That is one of my main goals for 2009. Hopefully the promo I just sent out will help with that! I really enjoyed doing this illustration. Its for a poem about the middle child, entitled, "Between One and Three" by Lois Greene Stone. I have no idea what its like to be the middle child, because I was an only child, but I can only imagine the horrors...kidding!

Illustration Friday - Talisman (Color Version)

{Watercolor, 2009

Alright, so I'm not totally in love with this piece, but I decided to post it (as promised) anyways. Thats part of the problem with not spending time planning the piece at all. If I were to go back, I would have planned the colors differently, and added a more interesting background. There are definitely some small (stress, SMALL) areas that I am alright with, but I am looking forward to a new Illustration Friday subject tomorrow!

{Watercolor, 2009}

This is the comparison of the characters from the past two IF themes of "poise" and "talisman".

Illustration Friday - Talisman

{colored pencil, 2009}

I took my character from last week (IF: poise) and decided to add a bit of a story. Maybe her necklace was a gift before her dance recital? Is it a good luck talisman? It'll be painted and posted tomorrow! Check back!

Spring 2009 Promotional Illustration and an Interview

{Watercolor, 2009}

After starting over, I finally got this piece finished! I worked against myself to try to keep the atmospheric perspective, because I always want everything BRIGHT! I think the lighter background helps keep the foreground objects a.) in the foreground and b.) as the focal point. I will be putting the image on a postcard and sending it out to some places that I think might be interested in seeing more of my work! I will post a picture of the postcards once they have been printed.

Also, Des Moines Juice writer and fellow Des Moines artist, Brent Houzenga did a nice interview with me HERE. DM Juice is a young professional publication that is part of The Des Moines Register newspaper. Thanks Brent!

Illustration Friday - Poise (Color Version)

{Watercolor, 2009}

This is the watercolor version of the drawing I posted yesterday. I'm starting to feel a tad more confident working in watercolors. Hope you enjoy it! Also, I wanted to thank all the new followers to my blog and let everyone know how much I appreciate all the wonderful comments that I receive. When I am alone in my studio all day, it sure helps to "break the silence" and cure the isolation! Thank you.

Illustration Friday - Poise

{Prisma on Watercolor Paper, 2009}

Here is my initial drawing for the Illustration Friday prompt of "Poise" this week. I couldn't help but think of a sweet little dancer. (after all, I studied ballet for almost 16 years!) Look for the painted version tomorrow!

Twirling Through Spring!

{Rough Sketch, 2009}

After messing with this, for what seemed like, FOREVER! I think I am finally satisfied with the composition. I probably drew this about 5 different ways. I'm sure when I go to transfer the drawing to the paper, I will make minor adjustments, but overall, its SUCH an improvement. Pieces like this always make me proud, because I buckle down and work on them. Things that come easily, often pass easily too. Hopefully the end result turns out as nice as I hope it will. I plan to bring it to the Omaha, Nebraska SCBWI event later this month.

Happy Valentines Day 2009!

{Sketchbook, 2009}

Happy Valentine's Day to all! This is one of my favorite holidays. I think its the colors, the imagery (I love vintage Valentine's Day cards), and of course, the concept of love and sweethearts. I drew these little fairies in my sketchbook and thought I would share them. I think, in the fairy world, little berries work just as well as paper cards or chocolates. Hmmm... maybe the berries are chocolate covered?!
Also, Diana Evans printed THIS out and had her son, Cole, color it. He did a great job with his color mixing and got really creative with it! Great Job Cole!

Valentine's Day Coloring Page

{Kids Coloring Page, 2009}

This little puppy wants to be colored!! Directions: Click on image, drag it to your desktop or save as .jpg and then print it out. (it looks really big when you click on it, but it will print at 8.5"x11".) Send the colored versions back to me at candartist@aol.com and I will post them on my blog! Happy coloring!!

Illustration Friday- Wide

I originally did this just for Monday Artday's challenge of Japanese monster. But it works for Illustration Friday...and I only had time to do one oil painting this week. Alas, here is the wide beast confronted by a curious little puppy!
It is oil on a background of tape and gel medium on board. I wanted to try using a texture in the background. It looks pretty neat! And I felt like the painting went faster for some reason.
Oh...and yes, I have changed the background color of my blog...it seems I use a lot of blue in my paintings, and I feel like they often blend into the blue background I had chosen. I think white is better to show work against!