Happy Thanksgiving!

{Watercolor Sketchbook, 2012}

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you found yourself something delicious to eat! Ken and I made a turkey and the sides at our home this year. It's too close to my due date to travel, but we enjoyed each other's company. This is only our second time making Thanksgiving dinner at our own house alone. Usually, when my parents visit, my dad does an amazing job on the turkey! Our turkey still turned out pretty tasty this year too!

Illustration Friday - Zoom

{Watercolor Sketchbook, 2012}

We recently got another cat to accompany Amelia. (Since Oliver's passing in April) It took a few weeks, but Amelia and Roxie have become pretty good buddies. They like to take turns chasing each other and playing the dominant cat. They zoom all over the house and every now and then we hear a little crash! I did a quick drawing of them in my Moleskine watercolor sketchbook and then added their markings with marker and paint. 

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!

Small Moleskine Watercolor

{Watercolor in Moleskine, 2011}

When I was visiting England last spring, I purchased a very small Moleskine watercolor journal. Its only about 3"x5" and its a very pleasing size to carry along in a purse or even a pocket. This is just a quick watercolor sketch. I was trying to convey how exciting getting some nice mail can be.

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?

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!)

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 - Double

{Graphite in Sketchbook with Digital Color, 2010}

A double dip ice cream cone! It looks like this mouse is about to eat more than her body weight in ice cream. With all the heat and humidity around here, that doesn't sound like such a bad idea.

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?

Sketchbook Figure Drawing

{Sketchbook, 2010}

I start teaching a figure class for teens next week at the Des Moines Art Center. After looking through my books for ideas for my class I got the urge to draw. I decided to draw from some of the reference photos in the back of my books. The class I am teaching is a clothed model figure drawing class, but it is still a great introduction to drawing from life. (especially since most high school students have never drawn from life at all.) Figure drawing is one of my absolute favorite things to do and hopefully next week I can relay some of that love to the students in my class.

Happy Independence Day! 2010

{Watercolor with Gesso, 2010}

I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe holiday! I'm looking forward to a parade, fireworks, friends and some really good food!

Illustration Friday - Paisley

{Pen and Markers in Sketchbook, 2010}
Click for a slightly larger view :)

The prompt for Illustration Friday this week is Paisley. I decided to do a free form drawing with little paisley birds hidden amid all the patterns. I used Copic markers and Le Pen drawing pens. This was a really fun sketchbook piece to do... I just relaxed while I let the drawing take me wherever it wanted! How many birds can you find?

Sketchbook- The May Garden

{Sketchbook, 2010}

I spent a little time drawing my world this evening. There are plenty of lovely spring blossoms to choose from between my shade and sun gardens. My favorite spring flower is definitely the Lily of the Valley. It has the most intoxicating fragrance! Aside from drawing plants, I also noticed some kids flying a kite in the park across from my house and some Turkey Vultures circling around the woods.

Illustration Friday - Linked

{Graphite with Digital Color, 2010}

{Graphite in Sketchbook, 2010}

I imagine sharing a worm is the standard Northern Cardinal wedding procedure. (and it is such a happy occasion, unless you are the worm!) I think it is utterly romantic that Cardinals mate for life. I drew this in my Moleskine sketchbook and then colored it quickly in 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 - Adrift

{Sketchbook, 2010}

This little red winged blackbird is adrift as he flies to his next delivery site! I want to try and paint this little sketch next week if I find a little time. I think he would look cute in watercolor or oil. Also, the children's illustrators portfolio site is back up. You can view my portfolio at www.candacecamling.com.

Sketchiness

{Ink, 2010}{Graphite, 2010}

{Graphite, 2010}{Acrylic, Graphite, and Ink, 2010}

Some recent drawings from my Moleskine sketchbooks. I'm really trying to draw a little bit every day so that I can get ideas flowing quicker. I know it is really simple, but I like the dinosaur best because it was done in ink pen and I couldn't second guess any lines.

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...

A New Year

{Sketchbook, 2010}

I love a fresh start. So full of possibilities and hope! Here's to a fabulous 2010!

Illustration Friday - Hatch

{Sketchbook, 2009}

{Sketchbook, 2009}

{Sketchbook, 2009}

What a hectic week! I've been desperately trying to finish up all of my handmade Christmas presents which left very little time to work on a suitable Illustration Friday entry this week. The first image is my main concept for this week's theme of "hatch". I would like to find the time to elaborate on my concept later, but I still have a lot of portfolio pieces sitting on my art desk that are begging to be finished! I've also posted a few recent pages from my sketchbook. I should have some photographs of the crafts I've been working on to share pretty soon too!