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

Sketchbook Project Sketches

Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend... inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.

~Groucho Marx

Sketchbook Project Sketches

be ready to be surprised.

Sketchbook Project Sketches

a mother understands what a child does not say.

~jewish proverb

Sketchbook project sketches - redo

i'm tough, ambitious, and i know exactly what I want.

~madonna

Sketchbook project sketches - redo

I needed to a redo of a few pages due to a glue mishap.  So redid them on watercolor paper and glued into book.

Sketchbook Project Sketches

a day without laughter is a day wasted. ~charlie chaplin

15 Artists That Have Left An Impression

Lately a getting-to-know-you thing has been going around FB.  This time it's "15 artists that have left an impression."  I thought this one was a fun one both to do, and to read about.  It really does speak to who you are and what inspires you.  Sometimes the choices are obvious, sometimes not so much.  I thought I'd share my Top 15 with you here in blogland.

So, my Top 15 are.... drum roll please ....

Matt Phelan

Marla Frazee

RW Alley

Tracey Dockray

LeUyen Pham

Denise Brunkus

David Catrow

Harry Bliss

Janet Stevens

Quentin Blake

Bill Watterson

Hayao Miyazaki

Norman Rockwell

Jackson Pollock

N.C. Wyeth (Andrew too)

I love gesture and facial expressions.  I think it's amazing how a slight change to a mark on the face can completely change an expression, or the way a mood can be conveyed with body gesture alone  (the facial expression is just icing on the cake).

So, I begin with Matt Phelan, and Marla Frazee, both of these two are royalty ... the way they create gesture and expression... oh my... I could look at their work all day long and be forever impressed!

RW Alley's characters facial expressions are wonderful!

Tracey Dockray, LeUyen Pham, Denise Brunkus, Bill Watterson - these guys... wow.  What amazing characters they create!!  (Marla fits here too!) I feel as if I personally know Ramona, FreckleFace Strawberry, Junie B. Jones, Calvin and Hobbes, and  Clementine!!  You see their quirks and love them!

David Catrow, Harry Bliss, Janet Stevens these guys make me laugh!  Catrow has such a unique style!

Quentin Blake - gorgeous lines

Hayao Miyazaki - if you have not seen My Neighbor Totoro or Spirited Away or any of the many other amazing films he's done....  Stop what you're doing and get ye to Netflix!  I adore Saski and Mei (and the cat bus!)!

Rockwell... seriously, he's the king of capturing characters in their essence.

And finally, Jackson Pollock.  Yes, I know he's not an illustrator.  You always hear the "my five year old could do that" line.  But the thing I love about his work is how I feel when I look at them.  I ADORE the kinetic energy in his marks!  The colors!  I love that he was able to put feeling down on the canvas in such a unique and absorbing manner.   I also love how it feels to paint in that way.  Of breaking out of conventions.  Ahhh....  Jackson Pollock ...good.

N.C. Wyeth - I love his beautiful work.  Andrew's too - especially Trodden feet.  At the Brandywine River museum (PA), I could spend all day hoping to absorb some of their talent through osmosis.  Beautiful stuff.

Smells Like Crayons

Check out the latest sketch for my Sketchbook Project over at Smells Like Crayons!

Sketchbook Project Sketches

big sisters are the crab grass in the lawn of life.

~charles m. schulz

Sketchbook Project Sketches

hold a true friend with both hands.

~nigerian proverb

Sketchbook Project Sketches

i know it seems hard sometimes, but remember on thing:

through every dark night, there's a bright day after that.

so no matter how hard it gets, keep your chest out, 

keep your head up and handle it.

~ tupac

i deal with temptation by yielding to it.

~mark twain

The Sketchbook Project 2011

I finally found time to add sketches to my sketchbook for The Sketchbook Project!   Yay!!

Illustration Friday - Acrobat

"I'm really great at acrobatics.  Watch what I can do!" Morgan barely was able to get the words out of her mouth before she began her pre-somersault pose.   "Here I go. All eyes on me!"

She posed, as only a self-assured five year old can, deftly tucked and rolled, and then posed again.  "Ta-Da!"

Please excuse the bad scan.  My paper was slightly larger than the scanner, hence the shadow along the side.  I think you can still see the drawing pretty well though.  I really do need to invest in a larger scanner.

Which Witch?

I'm loving the limited palette lately.   In this one, black india ink, and a touch of red. 

Moxie

I've created a new character and can't wait to find an adventure for her.  She's a little spitfire, full of moxie and spunk!  Check her out over at Smells Like Crayons!