Inspire Me Thursday: WatercolorStudio Friday: Favorite Item

Inspire Me Thursdays challenge: "This week let’s have some fun with watercolors. Experiment with watercolor paper, watercolor paints, watercolor pencils. Or, for the computer savvy, how about digital watercolor painting?"

Watercolor with Digital Effects

For IMT's challenge I painted a monochromatic watercolor and scanned it. Once digital I opened the image in Photoshop and added the watercolor filter to see the effects. I like the textures the filter created!

Studio Friday challenge: "Favorite item in your studio/craft space - why do you love it and how does it inspire you (art or journal and photo)?"

Watercolor Original

I decided to dedicate Studio Friday's challenge to my corner punch. Since I'm in the mood for fall, I created this Halloween card to show the corner punch in action.

The corner punch has been my best friend as of late since I've been in production mode with baby announcements. I rounded all the corners on 80 announcements and their components to give them a softer finished look. The baby announcement will be posted at a later date.

My only gripe I have for my Corner Punch Marvy is the button! I wish it had a soft grip instead of hard ridges...it's murder on your thumb if you cut too many corners at one time.

Illustration Friday: Moon

Destination Moon

I bought a few songs by Dinah Washington, one of them being Destination Moon. I love that song! It went along nicely with Illustration Friday's theme this week, moon. The celestial sky I created for my last image, My Roots, was reused for this one. This image is paper and digital collage.

Lyrics for Destination Moon

Come and take a trip in my rocket ship
We'll have a lovely afternoon
Kiss the world goodbye and away we fly
Destination moon

Travel fast as light 'til we're lost from sight
The earth is like a toy balloon
What a thrill you get ridin' on a jet
Destination moon

We'll go up up up up
Straight to the moon we two
High in the starry blue
I'll be out of this world with you

So away we steal in a spacemobile
A supersonic honeymoon
Leave your cares below, pull the switch, let's go!
Destination moon

There once was a time when the colorful thing to do
Was to call for a date on a bicycle built for two
But cars and trains and even planes
All have had their day
Now the time is due to call for you
In the modern atomic way

We'll go up up up up
Straight to the moon we two
High in the starry blue
I'll be out of this world with you

So away we steal in a spacemobile
A supersonic honeymoon
Leave your cares below, pull the switch, let's go!
Destination moon

Studio Friday: Favorite Resources Illustration Friday: Poem

The challenge: "What is the most favorite resource you use to seek encouragement, understanding, enlightenment, inspiration, strength, to gain further knowledge or fun? Is it a book or a magazine, a quote, a website, a photo, another artist?"

My Roots

I started this piece several weeks ago for Inspire Me Thursday's challenge for the word roots. I've been so busy lately with being the Treasurer for the Norcal GAG chapter, and with the Sequoia Hospital art installation sales that I've neglected my creative side.

I find inspiration in words, either through a clever phrase, lyrics, from a single word or a paragraph in a story. My inspiration for this image came from the phrase "pushing up daisies."

Poems
"Keep not your roses for my dead, cold brow
The way is lonely, let me feel them now."
- Arabella Smith, If I Should Die To-Night

"Do not stand on my grave and weep;
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn's rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in the circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die."
- Anonymous

"Gather ye rosebuds while ye may
Old time is still a-flying
And this same flower that smiles today
Tomorrow will be dying."
- Robert Herrick

Final Week at Sequoia Hospital's Art Corridor

Has it been 2 months already? My art show at Sequoia Hospital's art corridor is coming to a close. If anyone is interested in purchasing an image off the wall, contact me sometime this week! This Sunday, July 29th at 10:00 a.m., I'll be taking down my art installation. It was installed on June 2nd and since then, I've had lots of positive feedback. A few more pieces that people showed an interest in were these:

Super Phil's Red Cape

Virgo: Nature's Meticulous Maid

Blue Heron Fishing

A Wedding Moment

Alioth's Star

New Client: Blueyes

Blueyes Logo and Business Card Design

I've taken a small break from my illustrations to work on client projects. I just finished the Blueyes design package for Mindy Harmeyer, a jewelry designer. Her design niche is "modern heirloom"; it's what you wish you found in your grandmother's box of baubles.

Mindy already had a firm idea for her business logo, so I gave it a good polishing, incorporated it into a business card design and also into two different sized product tags, one for necklaces and one for earrings. The two product tags fit nicely into a business card format, which can be cut apart as needed...and saves on printing!

Blueyes Product Tags in Buscard Layout

Baubles by Blueyes
The Stacia necklace with matching earrings

Baubles by Blueyes
The Stacia necklace in detail

Baubles by Blueyes
The Mimi necklace

Baubles by Blueyes
The Mimi Earrings

Mindy and I had an agreement to exchange some of her jewelry creations for my graphic design work. I usually don't do this type of thing, but I love jewelry and just had a sense when I met Mindy, that she had great talent. After I was done with the graphic portion, we met for lunch so I could shop through her collection. So many cute things it was hard to choose. The two necklace/earring sets above were my ultimate favorite that I absolutely adored. It was a real treat to know Mindy named the yellow crystal necklace after me!

If anyone would like to contact Mindy regarding her designs, let me know! I'd be happy to send you her way. Email me at stacia at espialdesign dot com.

Good luck with your upcoming trunk show, Blueyes! I already have my eyes on a bracelet...

Published in Artful Blogging Magazine

Artful Blogging Cover
Premier 2007, Volume 1, Issue 1

Studio Floor Plan
Page 104

A few months back I received an email request to publish my "Studio Floor Plan" image in Stampington's new magazine called Artful Blogging. This is their first issue published for August 2007 (I just got my complimentary issue a couple days ago).

I originally created "Studio Floor Plan" for a Studio Friday challenge to help me plan the layout for my studio space. Stampington used it in conjunction with their article on Studio Friday and it's creator, Tine Wiggens. Check out pages 104 - 107 if you get the chance to peruse their latest magazine.

Positive Feedback cont...

I've sold another image this week with two more as future transactions. Everyone has favorites for different reasons and I love hearing what draws each individual to a particular image. Most of the work I've sold thus far have been older pieces, which surprises me! Here are the images of interest this week:

Ballet series: The Nutcracker

Heart Quilt series: A Chocolate Solution!

Cat's Cradle

Again, thanks everyone for your awesome and inspiring comments! I've been so busy these past few weeks with client work and personal projects that I have been negligent in creating new artwork. I have several things brewing and hopefully will get them done to display at Sequoia Hospital's art corridor before the end of July.

Cheers!

Positive Feedback!

I've had lots of positive comments regarding my artwork currently installed in the Sequoia Hospital's art corridor. Thanks to everyone who's left the wonderful feedback! It's uplifting to hear that my work is being enjoyed by so many.

I've made a couple sales just today and a pending transaction for early July. A portion of my sales from this show will go back to the community through the Sequoia Hospital Foundation. Below is the artwork that has sold so far:

Art at Sequoia Hospital

Yesterday, I installed my artwork at the Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City, CA. This is my fifth "show" with 60 images installed in the hospital's art corridor, which totals 150 feet of wall space. It will be showing for the next two months, until the end of July 2007.

Sequoia Hospital's Art Corridor
Click on image for a larger view.

Posing by Hospital Sign in Corridor

Last Minute Touch-ups

Other places my art has been installed:
Sunnyvale Library with SCBWI art critique group in 2003
Saratoga Library March and April 2006
Main Street Coffee Roasting Company October 2006
Woodside Library March and April 2007

Illustration Friday: Citrus

Freshly Squeezed

Here is my second image I've done while on vacation! Using a roller-ball mouse is proving to be a challenge while coloring. I'd love to add highlights and shadows but just don't have enough control.

My only supplies are my blue gel pen, my digital camera, and access to a MAC laptop with the roller-ball mouse. I'm drawing on the back of scratch paper which is why there is lettering showing in the top right corner. The edges are blackened because of the flash while taking a close up picture! All part of the "rough" process.

Studio Friday: 3 Wishes

The challenge: If you had a magic wand what 3 creative issues would you solve? Maybe they are space issues that you are experiencing in your studio or issues about creating itself?

Three Wishes

The first thing I dream about is space...a lot more space than what I have now. Good lighting is a must too. Natural light during the day and efficient lighting for the evenings. I also dream about a variety of creative supplies. Enough to choose from and inspire creative exploration. If I had a fourth wish, I'd have nice furniture allowing for perfect organization.

Three Wishes was inpsired by Gilbert Ford's work. I just became familiar with his style while looking through UC Berkeley's Centennial Edition of California magazine (issue March/April 2007). After I saw his image in the magazine, I was inspired to just draw, using a ball point pen. This is a good way of not getting hung up on mistakes and to go with the flow.

I'm currently away from my home studio and all my supplies (computer and Wacom tablet included). I drew the image in pen on a piece of scratch paper (printed on one side) and took a digital picture of it. The flash accentuated the printed side causing it to show through on my image side. I did have access to a laptop that had Photo Effects and a roller-ball mouse. What a challenge coloring the image with a roller-ball mouse!

The exploration of creating in a new environment with new materials and different tools allowed for a completely different style to emerge. Very different than my usual digital collage. A refreshing change!

Studio Friday: Seven Deadly Sins (Sloth 2)

Sloth

Earlier, I posted my entry for Studio Friday's challenge of one of the 7 Deadly Sins, sloth. Just recently, I've started illustrating monsters to represent each sin and am now backtracking to posts for challenges I've already done. Sloth is my fourth illustrated sin. Check out all the sins here.

Inspire Me Thursday: WordsStudio Friday: Seven Deadly Sins (Gluttony)

Inspire Me Thursday challenge: "This week, let’s take a look at words. Words found in the pages of a book, on a sign, in a handwritten note. Let the words inspire you..."

On Inspire Me Thursday's website this week was a blurb about The Visual Dictionary, which has photographs of signage, ads, and other things. This reminded me of the photos we took while in Prague several years ao. We laughed quite heartily at the two below. Indeed, these are inspiring!

Sign for Ice Cream Shoppe

Ad for Sausage Brand

Studio Friday challenge: "Gluttony is the excess of eating or drinking. What are you gluttonous about while in your studio?"

Gluttony

Gluttony is my third monster representing the Seven Deadly Sins (see them all here). The photographs above inspired me to create Gluttony...a combination of Cream & Dream and shoving food into one's mouth set the tone.

I try not to bring little snackie things into my studio, but sometimes they find their way there. Small sweet or salty treats are hard to resist!

Studio Friday: Seven Deadly Sins (Envy)Illustration Friday: Remember

The Challenge: "What do you desire that you are lacking and someone else has? If you could have it would you really want it or is it just a notion? How come you want to have it? What can you do to still that desire so that there is no need to be envious of any thing or anybody?"

Envy

Remember the Seven Deadly Sins? They are lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride. I've decided to create a monster for each cardinal sin just for fun. See them all here.

Studio Friday: Seven Deadly Sins (Greed)

The challenge: "What is it you are greedy about or feel greedy about? Is it material or is it a behavior? Are you greedy for emotions? Do you hoard? How do you want to change for the better? It can be small steps or do you rather take a big step to change?"

Fabric Galore!

I think I could be classified as a fabric junky even though I don't sew nearly as much as I used to...I will save old clothes in hopes of reconstructing them one day or cutting them up for block quilts. I buy fabric that is appealing even though I don't have a project in mind, and keep the tiniest scraps for some unknown reason! Needless to say I have bins and bins of all types of fabric, some never touched, some old apparel, and some projects not finished.

I have to pat myself on the back and say that I did take a big step forward by going through my beloved bins and sorting out things I know I'll never use...mostly the old clothes and bits and pieces that are too small for anything. I donated the old clothes (bulky jeans, outdated skirts), tossed away the scraps and freed myself of a full garbage bag of stuff I haven't looked at twice in 5 years! Felt good to unload...

...and make room for new....shhhhh!

Illustration Friday: Total

Girls Night Out
"In total control!"

Girls Night Out started as a seed idea for Illustration Friday's word communicate before I dropped off the illustration planet for several weeks. Life happens! Now I'm back and have decided to finish Girls Night Out for Illustration Friday's word this week, total.

Each girl in the image represents one of the four basic temperaments as identified by Hire Success. The cast in order of appearance:

Type "C" personality, or details, details, is an analytical thinker that likes consistency, factual information, and precision. They are thoughtful and loyal people that like to figure things out.

Type "B" personality, or the Socializer, loves to party, be the center of attention, and perform for others with their high energy. They are positive and outgoing!

Type "D" personality, or always there when you need them, is a great listener and supportive of others. They have great compassion, which draws people to them, as does their happy and balanced outlook.

Type "A" personality, or the leader, is a strong person that takes risks while deligating to others in their efforts to lead the flock. They like to share their ideas and then move on!

Woodside Library Art Installation

The Woodside Library at 3140 Woodside Road in Woodside, CA is hosting my artwork for the months of March and April 2007.

Today I hung 28 pieces throughout the library and need to print, frame, and apply hanging hardware to 7 more to be installed next week. While hanging my artwork, the Library Branch Manager inquired if I'd be interested in hanging my artwork at the Atherton Library for July and August...I will have to check my schedule since I may be installing at the Sequoia Hospital during that time. Looks like I will have a busy summer!

If you're in the Woodside area, stop in and take a gander!

Woodside Library's Reading Room

Computer Area

In the Stacks

End of Each Row

Illustration Friday: Gravity

Alioth's Star

Alioth's Star detail

I just finished this image, Alioth's Star, for Illustration Friday's word this week, gravity.

Originally I named this piece, My Own Place, but decided to change it to Alioth's Star since that is the name of the star about to be plucked from the sky within the Big Dipper.

Here are some interesting links relating to constellations:

Want to name your own star? Name A Star can help you for as low as $28.95! What a bargain. Or is it?

If you want some real facts before purchasing, click here.

The Big Dipper (or Plough, the British name) is a small star group within the Ursa Major or The Big Bear. The names of the stars in the Big Dipper are: Alkaid, Mizar, Alioth, Megrez, Phecda, Merak, and Dubhe.

Illustration Friday: Crash

Party Girl

I decided to continue exploring the collage fashion figure, as in Coffee Break, for this week's Illustration Friday word, crash. Party Girl is an all digital collage.

I used to tease my friend that everytime she wore a "prom" dress she'd get completely blitzed. You can dress her up, but you can't take her out! She told me this funny story about her office Christmas party. She swears she only had one glass of champagne (probably on an empty stomache) and blacked out! Her boss had to carry her out to the car to have her driven home. Luckily he is a good friend of hers...so funny and great inspiration for this image.

Cheers!

Coffee Break

Coffee Break

A friend of mine is creating an online business and needed an image for her website and requested my doing a pro bono project for her. She wanted object oriented artwork like Luc LaTulippe's style. However, Adobe Illustrator isn't my strong suit so I opted to create the image she wanted staying true to my collage style. Collaging is what I do!

I think I captured the young, technical savvy, multitasker with a sense of humor and good fashion, who can still-enjoy-a-cup-of-coffee type woman! If my friend likes the style then I'll continue to "play in the sandbox" as she likes to say...and if not, then she'll need to find an Adobe Illustrator master who wants to participate in her project, free of charge. Either way, I had fun exploring this new style.

Enjoy!