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. 

Inktober Highlights

{Bear, Sketchbook, 2013}

{Rabbit, Sketchbook, 2013}

 

 {Briar Rose Awake, Sketchbook, 2013}

{Like Moths, Sketchbook, 2013}

 {Fall Harbinger, Sketchbook 2013}

 {Forest Floor, Sketchbook, 2013}

{Brave Merida, Sketchbook, 2013}

Don't let my blog absence fool you! I've been a busy lady the last few months. I finished my 4th picture book illustrations during the first week of October and have been working on personal projects off and on. I've also been using my daily sketchbook time (ie. drinking coffee, watching Sesame Street and trying to fend of my 10 month old pen stealer.) to participate in the #inktober fun on Instagram. I love seeing what everyone else is doing and it feels good to be a part of a huge community of people who are all over the world doing the same thing. The above sketches are some of my favorites from this month. I am also planing on participating in PiBoIdMo which is essentially one picture book idea a day for the month. You can read more about it at Tara Lazar's Blog. I hope to share some of my work from that during the month of November.

Cookies Between Friends

{Digital Mixed Media, 2013}

It has been awhile since I last posted! It isn't because I haven't been working on anything. In fact, it's very much the opposite. I've been pretty swamped with work and I have several things I'd like to share on my blog. I thought I would start with this little personal illustration I created during some down time a few months back. I liked the way it turned out and I have some other little mice I would like to finish once I have some free time. I'm currently working on my 4th picture book, which I am very excited about! Juggling motherhood, an illustration career and general life stuff (and summer is always extra busy too!) has proven to be difficult but rewarding. I really enjoy blogging too, so I hope to try and fit a bit more in. 

Illustration Friday - Obsession

{Graphite Sketch with Digital Color, 2011}

Mrs. B is obsessed with collecting nectar! You should see the bees in my garden right now! I love watching the bumble bees the most. If they didn't have a stinger, I would love to pet one. For an insect, they look like really cuddly creatures!

Reading to Ladybugs

{Watercolor and Digital, 2010}

Just imagining what it would be like if fairies had libraries. I wonder if the smaller creatures might come together to hear a story or two. I drew this with prisma pencil and used watercolor to add some values. After I scanned it, I colored it digitally using Photoshop.

Animals with Clothes

{Sketchbook, 2010}

I just started my second Moleskine sketchbook. This is one of the first pages from it. I love drawing animals with clothes. It has become a major obsession... though I generally don't subject my own pets to clothing. (Only on holidays to snap a photo or two!) It is only Tuesday and it has already been a busy week! I am currently preparing for my first ever school visit to present as a working illustrator. I plan to show the kids (Kindergarten and 3rd graders) some of my work and I have also planned a project that should be inspiring and fun. My visit is on Thursday, and I hope to take a few pictures of some of the art that gets created! I must confess, I am a bit nervous about it too... wanting to make sure that it is a special experience for these guys! I'll definitely have more to share about my trip later.

Illustration Friday - Confined

{Graphite, 2010}

Fireflies confined in a jar, as their flying buddies come to see what has happened! Personally, I have never caught a firefly in a jar, but the idea always seemed romantic! (Probably not if you are the firefly!) We live across the street from a park though. In the summer they fly around the trees and it is wonderful to walk amongst them as they buzz around your head. Just dreaming of summer I suppose...