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!

November Visitors

 {Sketchbook, 2012}

{Sketchbook, 2012}

I love November. It's the month that holds my birthday, Thanksgiving, and the excitement that leads up to Christmas. I also love the scurrying of all the animals trying to get the last tasks done before they migrate on or go into hibernation. In fact, right now there is a vibrant bluebird in my birdbath! I always see bluebirds in the spring and fall because we aren't situated in their habitat, but in their migratory paths. These are a few sketches inspired by November. (I wish animals had to bundle up like we do. Wouldn't that be cute?) Oh well, I guess in my imagination they still can. 

Chicken Licken for Competition

{Oil on Board, 2011}
*Click on image to view larger*

Chicken Licken excerpt by P.C. Asbjörnsen

So they went along and went along until they met Turkey Lurkey
“Good morning, Goosey Loosey, Ducky Daddles, Cocky Locky, Henny Penny,
and Chicken Licken,” said Turkey Lurkey, “where are you going?”
“Oh, Turkey Lurkey, the sky is falling and we are going to tell the King!”
“How do you know the sky is falling?” asked Turkey Lurkey.
“Ducky Daddles told me,” said Goosey Loosey.
“Cocky Locky told me,” said Ducky Daddles.
“Henny Penny told me,” said Cocky Locky.
“Chicken Licken told me,” said Henny Penny
“I saw it with my own eyes, I heard it with my own ears,
and a piece of it fell on my tail!” said Chicken Licken.
“Then I will go with you,” said Turkey Lurkey, “and we will tell the King!”

I decided to try my hand at the SCBWI illustration challenge that was initiated by illustrator Tomie dePaola. Regardless of the results, I am really glad I participated because I think I ended up with a nice new portfolio piece. The above text is the excerpt that participants were given to inspire an image. Best of luck to all of my fellow participants! It will be fun to see who Tomie picks!

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!

Happy Halloween!

{Sketchbook with Digital Color, 2011}

Wishing you all a very Happy Halloween full of yummy candy, fun costumes and pretty pumpkins!

Sketch and Book Review

{Sketchbook, 2011}

I thought I would post the line drawing while I am still working on the digitally colored version. Halloween is just around the corner and I always look forward to carving pumpkins and watching the leaves turn. Of course, I always enjoy a festive cat too! On another note, my publisher sent me a link to THIS REVIEW of "The Twelve Days of Christmas -- In Texas, That Is". It happens to be a favorable review, which of course, makes me happy.

Busy Squirrel

{Graphite in Sketchbook, 2011}

The squirrels around here have been pretty busy the last few weeks. The acorns are falling off all the oak trees and the air is changing into that crispness that signifies fall. I love this time of year and I always look forward to all the sights, smells and festivities that it brings!

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.

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.

Autumn Spice Headbands

{I'm wearing one of my autumn inspired headbands, 2009}

{Headbands: Details and Colors , 2009}

When I got my hair cut too short to wear in a ponytail, I decided I wanted to make some autumn inspired headbands. I made one for myself, and then I made five more variations to sell at the Market Street Media Foundry Market Day. The sale is this Saturday (October 24, 2009) from 9-5. Not only can you find reasonable art and craft deals, this particular Market Day event is also having a rummage sale. If you are in the Des Moines area, stop by for some great finds and even better deals!

Market Street Media Foundry

118 SE 4th Street

Des Moines, Iowa 50309

Sneak Peek

{Oil on Board, 2009}

This is just a segment of a new painting I am working on. It is close to being finished... probably by tomorrow! I am happy to be working in oils again. I was SO burnt out though, so I took a solid 6 month break to teach myself watercolors. The two mediums are obviously very different, and you build colors oppositely. I hope to have the entire painting posted about mid week.

Bring on October!

10 Things I love About October:

1.The leaves start to change
2. My wedding anniversary is October 13th.
3. Fun size candy appears in every type of chocolate bar that exists
4.The chill in the air makes a walk more refreshing
5. Sweaters and scarfs!
6. Picking out and carving pumpkins
7. Halloween trick or treating
8.Spiced Apple Cider
9. Hay rides!
10. Raking Leaves with my Husband

Illustration Friday 2- Horizon

I've posted this on my blog before as well, but I thought I should share it again...I think it fits great with Illustration Friday's theme this week too! This little girl is flying her kite as the crispy air and fall horizon surround her!

Wedding Madness!!

I have some weddings to go to in December so the sketches are some of the concepts for the small paintings I'll be making as part of each of the gifts. While I was at it, I thought I would share the details of my own wedding. The picture of me on the beach is by the wedding photographers at Pure Studio in Grand Rapids, MI. They were so amazing. You can check out their multi-occasion photography at www.PureStudioPhotography.com
I made most everything by hand for my wedding...(my cousin took alot of the pictures during the rehearsal and wedding of the details.) This cake was designed by me, I gave the baker a detailed illustration of what I wanted it to look like. It HAD to have fondant...it was lovely, and really didn't taste as bad as everyone said fondant would taste. I found the cake toppers in Petoskey while shopping with my mom. I can't think of the artist right now, but I've become quite a collector!
The fireplace has some of the pictures of weddings in past generations within Ken and I's family history...I wanted to add a vintage and traditional feel to the setting. I also stamped phrases, cut out each letter and individually sewed each one to silver ric rac.
This was a hit! I recommend it to everyone getting married, I had so many funny pieces of advice from my friends and younger family, and a lot of very sweet and sentimental advice from older people.
This was the major display of photos that took me FOREVER to compile, I had to basically harass family to hand over the photos so I could copy and frame them.
The letter press on my invitations. They looked so beautiful, the printers at Swift Printing in Grand Rapids, MI did such a good job!
I did the illustration of squirrels at the bottom of the invitation. Our wedding was Oct. 13, 2007 and it's fall-ish...plus me and Ken love squirrels. We used a really heavy orange cardstock and brass brads to assemble each one by hand. We had really cool envelopes that were brown and had a squirrel above the return address in white on the back. I used a white prisma pencil to address each one too.
I made a paper pinwheel by hand for every guest. I think I made around 200 total. I used heavy papers, wire, beads and sticks. It was fun to see people and kids blowing them all night. I made kids bags too, but I don't think there are any pictures of them.

I handmade each wrapping for each gift for the attendants in the wedding party. I liked the way they all looked together.

Overall, it was a beautiful wedding. If I can round it up, I'll share more later.