Princess MJ and her subjects

We still don't have our scanner set up yet, but here is a little snap-shot with my cell phone. 

Misc character sketches

With our cross country move only days away, it's been really difficult to calm my mind long enough to have inspired sketches.  I'm constantly feeling as if there is something that needs to be packed, or remembered for the move.  But, I feel I need to draw something, even if it's a quick sketch, with limited palette just so I don't get out of the habit of daily drawing.  So, here's a quickie.  Been thinking of my kids being the new kids at school, and hoping that it'll be an easy transition.

Watercolor Wednesdays - Winter Wildlife

Meanies.

Character sketches: Twin-ergy

"Don't forget the 'jazz hands' Quincy!"

Quincy and Carter were identical twins.  But you wouldn't know it by watching them dance.  In fact, when it came to dance, Quincy and Carter were as dissimilar as chalk and cheese.  Carter would glide across the floor, Quincy clomped. Carter had pizazz, Quincy had fizzle.   But this difference between them, never affected their "twin-ergy" as they liked to call it.  They were like Oreos and milk.  You couldn't have one without the other.

"Mom, will you watch us?" asked Carter, as she pulled the stool from the kitchen into the living room.

"Sprout will be the comic relief" said Quincy.  He was always the comic relief whenever they practiced their dance routine.   They had gotten Sprout from the shelter when the girls were four.   And as it turned out, he had a knack for dancing too.  Whenever the twins played the radio, or popped in a CD, Sprout would howl and go into full-body spasms of joy.  You couldn't help but laugh when you saw little Sprout dance.

Howdy Pardner - in color

Illustration Friday - Prehistoric Sketch

Here is the sketch I've worked up for IF's Prehistoric.    Now, to find time to paint it!

Ella knew that her mother would not understand.   She would come up with some motherly words of wisdom like "Ella, we don't bring stray mammoth's home with us, do we dear?" or "How would you feel if you were a mammoth; would you want to be trapped inside or allowed to roam free?"  She said the very same thing last week when Ella brought home a lizard she found on her way home from school.   But this was different.  How could she possibly turn Rocky away?  He was so fuzzy and cute.  It's not every day a kid finds an actual mammoth.  Especially since they are supposed to be prehistoric or something.  Now... if she could just fit him in her closet.

See the finished piece over at Smells Like Crayons.

Howdy pardner

Thanksgiving Coloring Sheet

Character Sketches - Pollock

Character Sketches - Pals

Illustration Friday - Sneaky III

I was guilty of a similar thing when I was little.  My parents caught on video a wee Michelle in her high chair reaching out for the sugar bowl and spooning a giant mouthful into her own waiting mouth.  I wouldn't put it past my younger self to do this too.

Illustration Friday - Sneaky II

Lauren's sneaky ability to catch her parents at the exact moment they were discussing her upcoming birthday was remarkable.

Illustration Friday - Sneaky I

Clarence was notorious for being sneaky.  His sneak attacks on his hapless victims ultimately got him banished to the basement, but it was so worth it.

Smells Like Crayons

Take a look at my experimentation with a Graphic Novel over at Smell's Like Crayons.

Spilled Milk

This little pup isn't going to cry over spilled milk.  No, sir.  In fact, he'll do his very best to put on a brave face.  

Illustration Friday - Burning

I enjoy finding my two young daughters books with strong female characters.  The Paper Bag Princess by Robert N. Munsch is a great example.  The eponomous princess stands up to dragons, saves the boy, and then realizes the boy is a jerk and dumps him.  I love it!

The dragon is known for burning everything in its path, including princesses.  However, not even fire breathing dragons can stop this princess.  She's got some serious moxy.  And she's a great role model for young girls.

Illustration Friday - Afterwards

Ally loved her weekends.  She treasured them.  On the weekend, Ms. Gator would leisurely amble through her morning routine, she'd make a pot of tea, and afterwards, she'd sit down in her oversized chair, prop up her feet and savor her Gator Times daily.  No rush, rush, rush that was so typical during the week.  No.  She didn't need to be anywhere or do anything on the weekend.  Ahhh, weekends were such a delight.  Unfortunately, Ally had no idea that all that would change when her new neighbor moved in...

Daylight Savings Time

It's hard for me to get up in the morning when it's still pitch dark outside.  I'd prefer to stay curled up in my warm bed until the sun decides to wake up, but alas, it's not to be, and I drag myself out of bed.  Once I'm up, I wake up fairly quickly.  It looks like my hedgehog friend here has trouble with daylight savings time too (but at least he gets to sleep a 1/2 hour longer than I do.)  :)

Rejection is hard

Rejection is hard.  You'd think after a while you'd get better equipped at dealing with it, and I suppose that you do.  But it's still hard reading "Thank you for sharing your work with me.  Unfortunately, your style is not one that I can use at this time," or "I'm not taking on new artists this year."  And those are the ones you actually know about. 

But rejection is inevitable in this competitive industry, and when it comes knocking at my door,  I pick myself up, dust myself off, and keep plugging away.  Evenutally, there will be an agent, or an art director out there who thinks "Aha!  Just what I was looking for."  

So until then, here are a few quotes that keep me inspired:

An artist cannot fail; it is a success to be one. ~Charles Horton Cooley

Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

No cats allowed.

Three Cheers

The Award

Teacher Appreciation

Writer's Block

Of Mice and Men

They Draw and Cook - Holiday Recipe Contest

They Draw and Cook are at it again.  Another fantastic recipe/illustration project!  And get this ... $2000 in cash prizes and 31 ƒavorites will be featured once per day on Food Network's blog (The FN Dish)!  How cool is that?!?

I may have mentioned in another post that I've inherited my mom's love of cookbooks.  It's true and I just do not get tired of looking at the illustrated recipes on They Draw and Cook! (It's my guilty pleasure... although I really don't feel at all guilty about it.)  I love that I can participate too!

The recipe I've submitted is for Cinnamon-Roasted Almonds.  However, I must warn you ... they are addicting!

The Suitcase - A Teeny, Tiny wordless picture book

I've added some color to my teeny, tiny wordless picture book.  You can read about the thought process behind it over at Smells Like Crayons tomorrow.

The Suitcase - A teeny, tiny, wordless pb.

Daddy

Illustration Friday - Transportation

These pups are trouble! Although carriages (aka shopping carts) are a fine form of get-away transportation!!  Yee-haw!!!

The Sketchbook Project 2011: More sketches

Check out some of my latest Sketchbook Project sketches over at Smells Like Crayons!

Illustration Friday - Beneath

Rain, rain, go away.  Actually, I don't mind the rain.  Like right now, it's cold, and rainy outside, but I'm inside cozied up with my blanket and tea, drawing away.   My kids totally embrace the rain, because they love umbrellas.  In fact, they love their umbrellas in the rain... and the sun.  I guess umbrellas are just universally fun to hide beneath.

Misc Sketches

Misc Sketches

Misc Sketches

The Drive

I just love going to Oma and Opa's house.  It's a five-hour drive to Pennsylvania, but it's great because I have Mom and Dad all to myself.  They can't check their e-mail, or make dinner.  Nope, they have to listen to everything I say.  And boy do I have good stuff to tell them today!!

"You won't believe what happened at school today! Kaley had a peanut butter sandwich at lunch even though she sits next to Pierce, who has a peanut allergy, and Parker had to sit on the wall after he licked Julie's hair, and the third grade toilet kept flushing, even though no one was in there.  Oh, and we had an assembly - "Mr. Potts and his Fantabulous Puppets."  The puppets were OK, I wouldn't say fantabulous.  And is "fantabulous" even a real word?  You would think that they would have to use proper words in school, because we're supposed to be learning. Cameron got to help Mr. Potts.  I wanted to.  I raised my hand, but I didn't get picked.  But that's OK, because Cameron looked really nervous.  His whole head turned red. "  

Yup.  I love the drive to Pennsylvania.

Postcards and Bookmarks

Today I spent my time putting together my next postcard mailer, as well as a bookmark that I'm planning to hand out to the kiddos at the school during my "visiting artist" day.  I hope both turn out well.  Fingers crossed.

Johnny Appleseed Coloring Sheet

Johnny Appleseed Day was September 26th.  And although I'm a few days late, I made a Johnny Appleseed coloring sheet for the K-3 kids at our girls' school.

Happy Be-lated Johnny Appleseed Day!

Illustration Friday - Old-Fashioned

There is a fantastic historic site in Portsmouth, NH called Strawbery Banke.  It's a unique outdoor history museum: it presents the life in a New England port city over four centuries.  You experience the home life, entertainment, chores, work and play of the various time periods with the help of historic interpreters and role players.  It's wonderful.  In fact, it's one of our most favorite day trips (our girls included!).

They love the Goodwin House where they can play various old-fashioned games: croquet, graces, and the hoop/stick.   Sometimes it's the simple, old-fashioned things that are the most charming.

They Draw and Cook

They Draw and Cook is a fantastic blog where artist/designers/illustrators/ submit illustrated recipes!

I love cookbooks. Kind of funny, since I'm not much of a cook, but I love flipping through the pages of cookbooks. So what's better than a cookbook to flip through ... an illustrated cookbook, of course!!

There have been several times when I've browsed the blog thinking how cool it would be if these recipes were compiled into a book.  Enter Weldon Owen Publishing.  TDAC is teaming up with Weldon to turn the blog into an illustrated cookbook!  YAY!!

I submitted a recipe for my Grandma Henninger's One-Egg Cake: a family favorite!!

Sketchbook Project Sketches

That which causes us trials shall yield us trimph;

and that which makes our hearts ache

shall fill us with gladness.

~ Albert Pike

Sketchbook Project Sketches

Teacher: What a pair of strange socks you're wearing:
one is green and the other is blue with red spots!

Student: Yes, it is really strange.
I've got another pair just like it at home.

~Bad Jokes R'Us

Sketchbook Project Sketches

It takes courage to grow up and 

become who you really are.

~e.e.cummings