Bootcamp Project for March: Fabric Design

 {Digital, 2014}

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Our second project for Lilla Rogers' Make Art That Sells Bootcamp was a fabric pattern incorporating jelly molds. At first I wasn't sure what to do with such a strange concept, but as I worked in my sketchbook I came up with the idea of some woodland animals having an aspic and gelatin party. This is my final project submission for the class gallery.

Dreaming of Spring!

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Watercolor/Digital, 2014

I do enjoy aspects of every season but I am already looking forward to planting my 2014 garden this spring! With the short winter days, and long nights I guess that leaves me time to sketch variations on what I will plant and where. 

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. 

The Sketchbook Project 2012 World Tour

{Mixed Media, 2011}

{The Sketchbook Project Promotional Logo, Find Out More HERE}

At the Des Moines Art Center, where I work, we are working on a collaborative sketchbook for the 2012 World Tour series. The top image is my contribution for our theme of "sandwich". I used a whole spread right smack dab in the middle of the book. I definitely broke the rule of putting important things in the gutter of the spread, but it's a sketchbook! There aren't supposed to be any rules! Let's just say, I would never do that if I was working on an actual book project! The art director would most definitely have to speak to me about it! Anyways, I decided to do an all-American waitress named Bea serving up the daily special. (basically all the stuff on one sandwich that has an expiration date of tomorrow!) I used stamps, coloreds pencil, marker and acrylic paint. I am so glad I got to participate in the sketchbook project even if it's only in the smallest way! I think it is such a cool concept, I just couldn't commit to doing a full book on my own with my schedule right now. Click the link under the second picture if you want to find out more about this awesome project!

Happy Thanksgiving!

{Watercolor, 2011}

I'm thankful for so much this year! I'm so blessed to have wonderful family, friends (that includes everyone online too!), a career that seems to be blossoming, and true inner happiness. I hope you are able to take a moment during the holiday to reflect on what is wonderful in your life! Happy Thanksgiving!

Simple Foodie Apron

{Apron Sewing Project, 2011}

{Apron Sewing Project, 2011}

I used Lotta Jansdotter's book, Simple Sewing, for the basic shape of this apron. I embellished it with a different pocket and used some really fun food fabric that I bought out of a remnant bin several years ago. I think this would be great as a hostess apron for a BBQ; its certainly a conversation starter! Oh, how I love anthropomorphic foods!

Mixed Media Meanderings

{First Page, Magazine Clippings, Prayer Card and Ink, 2011}

{Organized Rabbits, Decorative Paper and Marker, 2011}

{Organized Seed Packet Information, Marker and Ink, 2011}

{Garden Plan, Colored Pencil and Ink, 2011}

I bought a mixed media journal the other day so that I could get out some of the junk thats been floating around in my head. My book projects are very calculated and predictable, which isn't a problem but sometimes I like to sit down and create without knowing where something will go. I also like to make lists, organize things and record ideas for later. This Strathmore Mixed Media Visual Journal is satisfying that need. I get in a little time before I start my work day and a little before bed. Its also nice to finish something in one day. Most of the things I have going on in my professional life take several days so the sense of finishing a page is really fulfilling. I'm also really excited to start thinking about gardening again!

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.

From My Garden

{Watercolor, 2010}

I planted my vegetable garden pretty late this year. Due to the heavy rains where I live in Iowa, I kind of lucked out because most people I know had a hard time with seeds washing away and too much water killing plants. As a result of my late planting, I am starting to pick my first tomatoes, even though most people in this zone (zone 4) would be almost done with them. When I went to pick my Speckled Roman tomato this morning it was so pretty I knew I would be drawing it. The color and shape of the Speckled Roman is just beautiful and it is supposed to taste similar to a Roma tomato since that is one of the species that were cross bred to create it. This was my first year growing the Speckled Roman. The other tomatoes are Yellow Pears and they taste like veggie-fruity-awesomeness. This was my second year growing Yellow Pears and each plant yields tons of fruit (I even grow organically and with no pest protection)! The air has cooled off here so I spent the afternoon drinking tea and painting this in my Moleskine watercolor sketchbook.

Illustration Friday - Breakfast

{Graphite in Sketchbook, 2010}

Just a yummy ode to "the most important meal of the day"! I wish I could say that I eat breakfast every day, but some days I don't get around to eating until after noon. (Breakfast is something I need to get better at disciplining myself to partake in.) What about you? Do you eat breakfast every day?

Illustration Friday - Dip (sketchy)

{Graphite/Acrylic Sketch on Board, 2010}

This is my idea for Illustration Friday. I will be working on the painting this week, if time allows, so I thought I would post the first stage of the illustration. I immediately thought of food when I saw this week's prompt... I thought of guacamole, sour cream and onion chip dip, caramel, ranch dressing... all kinds of yummy dips. I decided to go with honey after I started drawing the bear. What bear can resist dipping into some honey?

Illustration Friday - Expired

{Oil on Board, 2010}

Do pickles expire? I have about six odds and ends pickle jars in my fridge right now... and each one only has a pickle or two in it. One of the jars has a fuzzy pickle and I am willing to bet that particular jar has expired. You know its bad when even the flies won't touch it!

Illustration Friday - Subterranean

{Sketchbook w/ Digital Color, 2010}

There is nothing better than a little subterranean lovin'! I drew these carrots in my sketchbook and then scanned them into the computer and colored them in Photoshop. My favorite part of the illustration is the subplot unfolding in the background (or the above ground in this case!).

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!

Cafe Food and Drink Concept Sketches

{Graphite on Paper, 2009}

{Graphite on Paper, 2009}

{Graphite on Paper, 2009}

{Graphite on Paper, 2009}

I spent a little time organizing and picking things up around my studio today. My husband was in Cleveland last week so I spent many late nights arting and crafting my little heart out... which lead to a pretty profound mess. Anyways, while I was looking through a tub of sketches from the recent past, I found this collection of cafe foods. They are from a freelance project that got killed pretty early on, but I had a lot of fun doing these drawings and I really wanted to share them!

Illustration Friday - Theater

{Colored Pencil, 2009}

{Colored Pencil, 2009}

I couldn't help it! This week, I had to do a spot illustration to go with my more detailed illustration. I doubt I will get the colored versions done in time for this week, but I can deal with that. I am so proud of myself for drawing the popcorn from memory... probably because I have shoved so much of it into my face, that its burned into my memory. When I think about it, there are probably a ton of foods that I could draw from memory (for the same reason).