Illustration Friday: SubtractInspire Me Thursday: I am...

Free Bee
I just gotta be me!

I was inspired by the bowling pins I recently crafted and thought I would exercise my brain with a quick image. I illustrated the bee and the ladybug and then let them take over as they started telling their own story. I like letting go to see where things end up. An enjoyable journey today with the Free Bee.

Idle Hands

Bowling Pins
Monkey, Bumble Bee, Cat

Bowling Pins
Bird, Ladybug, Bunny Rabbit

I needed a project to do while spending time at my parent's house. I have so many fabric remnants and odd buttons that I thought of making bowling pins for my girls. I brought with me the easy pattern I created, some notions for antennas, eyes, and noses and sewed like the wind! I used navy beans for the base and stuffed the critters with recycled pillow stuffing and fleece. I made a bumble bee, ladybug, monkey, cat, bird and a bunny rabbit.

All Together Now

Sewing ConfectionsInspire Me Thursday: Lace

Sewn Confections, Batch 2

Fresh from the oven, my last batch of sweets sewn for the Deux Pois Bakery. When my girls are old enough to play in their make believe bakery (and stop putting things in their mouths) I will share my box of treats. Right now the buttons are a choking hazard even though they look delicious!

My Petit Four Sec Chocolate Cake with Confectioners Sugar has a sprinkling of lace, which lends itself nicely to this week's theme for Inspire Me Thursday.

Sewing ConfectionsInspire Me Thursday: Fold

Deux Pois Bakery Logo
Translated: Two Peas Bakery

I saw some crafted cupcakes and confections online made from felt or felted wool and topped with ribbons, buttons, and beads. They were really cute so I thought I'd try my hand at creating my own plush desserts. I have loads of fabric pieces, jars of old buttons, and ribbon remnants of all sorts. To use up these collections of scraps, I machine sewed all my confections using mostly cotton quilting fabric. I created my own patterns and looks to stock my new "bakery", Deux Pois Bakery.

The first batch of sewn confections is for a friend's daughter. She'll be turning two and getting a tea and kitchen set as gifts. The second batch, not shown here, is one I'm currently working on for my two girls. I have two more cakes to sew to complete the second set. Fun was had by moi!

Sewn Confections, Batch 1

Don't they look scrumptious? If only they'd taste like they look...yummy!

Textures in the Slough

Moss and Lichen Spore Capsules

I went for a nature walk today in the Mercer Slough. I took lots of great shots, these three being my favorite. Maybe I could use the "Swamp Gunk" image in my last monster image for the Seven Deadly Sins, Greed. I'll have to think on that one.

Lichen

Swamp Gunk

Inspire Me Thursday's theme this week is Breakfast. I'm not sure that "Swamp Gunk" is giving me the proper inspiration! Yuck!

Production Mode

The Production Line

Up Close and Personal

I was in need of some 'thank you' cards and went into production mode. I have a play pen set up in my studio with toys and pillows to keep the little ones occupied while I try to be creative. They both like to get into everything BUT their toys and pillows. Big sigh. I like having them with me but I don't get much accomplished.

I kept the cards simple so that I could work on them quickly and have a finished product under my belt. I used scrapbook paper, stamps and ink, a flower punch, acrylic paint and Yes paste. Done and done!

First 'Thank You' Batch

Bumble Bee and Lady Bug
Thank You cards

I forgot to share my earlier 'thank you' cards made in September. The cards were created for a bumble bee and ladybug themed party.

Illustration Friday: Memories

Kookaburra

I used to have this song on a 45 LP when I was a kid...it was one of my favorites.

It's hard to see, but the first two verses of the song (font in the image is Dandelion) are repeated in the background of the image adding to the texture.

Here are the lyrics:

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree.
Merry, merry king of the bush is he.
Laugh, Kookaburra! Laugh, Kookaburra!
Gay your life must be.

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree.
Eating all the gum drops he can see.
Stop, Kookaburra! Stop, Kookaburra!
Leave some there for me.

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree.
Chasing all the monkeys he can see.
Stop, Kookaburra! Stop, Kookaburra!
That's no monkey, that's me!

Kookaburra sits on a rusty nail.
Puts a boo-boo on his tail.
Cry, Kookaburra! Cry, Kookaburra!
Oh how life can be.

Bumble Bee and Ladybug Party Invitations

Bumble Bee

Ladybug

I created two spot illos, a bumble bee and ladybug, for a double themed birthday party invitation. The font I chose is called "Fontdinerdotcom."

Seven Deadly Sins (Lust)

Lust

I started the Seven Deadly Sins awhile ago and was stumped on what to do for greed...so I allowed myself to be distracted by other things and kind of forgot about finishing this project! After I read Inspire Me Thursdays theme last week of Polka Dots, I took what I started for Greed and changed it into a lusty, freckled monster octopus instead. It turned into Lust and is the 6th monster I've created to date. The elusive Greed is the only one left! Want to see the others? They're here:

See all of them here.
Envy
Gluttony
Sloth
Pride

NPR's 2009 Calendar IllustrationIllustration Friday: Enough

Listener from Outer Space

Hello! I'm surfacing briefly from house hunting to share my latest work assignment, an illustration for NPR's 2009 calendar, due tomorrow.

Here's the assignment:

"NPR has always represented audio excellence and great in-depth news reporting. Our reports not only foster intelligent discourse, they also often elicit imagery in the minds of our audience. We want you to put that on paper. Here is a choice of questions your art may answer:

* What does your personal NPR experience look like?

* How does NPR affect your life or your community?

* Six key verbs help characterize the NPR experience across today’s media platforms: Share, Connect, Think, Question, Explore, and Dream. How would you visualize these words?

* The work should include the NPR logo."

I thought it was also fitting for Illustration Friday's theme this week, enough. Even this alien can't get enough of the Earthlings' radio. Especially the NPR programming!

Calendar Project for NPR

NPR recently contacted me with an invitation to participate in their 2009 calendar. The production manager wrote, "Your illustrations in the Directory of Illustration were delightful, with their whimsy and textures." Nice to know that my page in the Directory is getting noticed and advertising is paying off...well, sort of...

NPR invited me to contribute an illustration. It's not a paying job, but it will promote my artwork to the 10-18,000 listeners that will receive the calendar. They will also send me 200 calendars of my own to distribute. My name, bio and contact information will be next to my artwork in the calendar. Advertising begets advertising!

Cookie Tin Project Completed

Cookie Tin Lid

Cookie Tin Side Detail
Dotted line is the crease where the lid will sit.

I finished the cookie tin project for Tormont Publishers back in March. A lot of back and forth, and in the end, we were all happy with the final outcome.

For now, no more projects. I need to focus on my impending move. I've already packed up my studio space...a difficult endeavor! I had a hard time saying goodbye to my stuff. Paper, scissors, Yes paste, Wacom tablet...I won't see it for several months! Oh well, I'll be back soon enough!

Ciao for now!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Photograph of Original Paper Image

Mom's birthday was last Monday and the polka dot wrapping paper she tore off her gift inspired this week's "primitive" paper collage. I cut the pieces, glued some together, layed them in position on black poster board, and snapped the picture. I uploaded the picture to Mom's computer, and using her mouse and Photoshop 6.0, I clumsily cleaned up the image and added the shadow and highlights.

Digitized Final Image

I added the cups and saucers in honor of Creative Cup's anniversary on May 3...the C-cuppers will be celebrating 1 year on Saturday!

Illustration Friday: Multiple

Cookie Sampler

I baked cookies, I ate cookies, and I illustrated cookies for my cookie tin project with Tormont Publishers. Now, while I'm waiting to wrap things up with them, I've put all my illustrated cookies on a plate to finish tapping that well.

More Research Illustration Friday: Theory

Chocolate Chip Cookie
"In theory, these should taste great!"

I'm still working on the cookie tin illustration for Tormont Publishers. More textures are needed and the easiest way to get them, is to make them. So I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies last week...yum, they were delicious. Tonight, I made peanut butter cookies...fresh for photography.

I left one chocolate chip cookie "chip barren" for my photo shoot. I'm adding collage bits later for the chips in my illustration. All the other cookies were satisfyingly delicious! This better be the last of my research or I'm going to have to blow the dust off my South Beach Diet book!

Peanut Butter Goodness
Only a half batch for my girlish figure.

The Last Studio Friday: Highlight(s)

The challenge: "If you had to pick one highlight of your work what would it be? You might also think about the highlight of your day when you have time to be in your studio, your creative space...? Over the past years has there been a very specific highlight for you?"

A Chocolate Solution

My current highlight is my illustration from March 2006 called, A Chocolate Solution as it is the reason Tormont Publishers recently contacted me. I'm working on illustrations for a cookie tin using A Chocolate Solution as the starting point. I'll be changing the chocolates to cookies for their project.

I think my favorite career highlight as an illustrator has to be my 60+ image exhibit at Sequoia Hospital's art corridor. I sold many pieces, donated a few to different charities, and received many compliments about my work.

Some Tasty Research Studio Friday: The Heart of Your Studio

Cookies in the Making

Happy Valentines Day! Today I made heart shaped sugar cookies drizzled with a glaze for our St. Valentine's Day dessert. First and foremost though, this project was a tasty way to research my next graphic project, a cookie tin illustration for Tormont Publishers based in Montreal. I took close up snapshots of the cookies after they were baked to use as textures in my collage.

The Finished Product

The Studio Friday challenge: "Where or what is the heart of your studio/creative space?"

The heart of my studio is finding, creating, and photographing textures. Since I am a collage artist, textures are what put the lift in my shoes. I find a lot of inspiration in visually tactile materials.

Studio Friday: Pet Peeves

The challenge: "Dictionary.com defines a pet peeve as, "a particular and often continual annoyance; personal bugbear, something about which one frequently complains; a particular personal vexation." Could be fun to research pet peeves while in the studio! What's your pet peeve and why?"

Feed Dog, Presser Foot, and a Threaded Needle

Upon first view one might think my pet peeve is the dirt and grime on my presser foot and needle bar! But, alas, I didn't even notice THAT until after I uploaded the picture. Guess I need to clean and oil my machine...I can't even remember when I did that last. Sewing machine abuse!

Since I've been focusing on textiles these past few months, I thought I'd give the low down on my pet peeves while sewing. I have many, but will mention only a few.

1.) Threads and scraps HAVE to go in the garbage right away. I can't stand trash piles. It distracts me (see #7 here).

2.) Having to use my seam ripper. Sometimes I even amaze myself at the stupid mistakes I make since I've been sewing most of my life.

3.) For some reason I NEVER pull enough thread back after making a seam and cutting the thread. When I go back to make another seam, the thread take-up lever pulls the thread out of the needle. Just thinking about that annoys me!

Studio Friday: The View

The challenge: "Let's take a look at the view out of your studio, be it through your window, door or imagined window maybe?"

A View Inside

I decided to take the opposite approach and instead of looking to the outside from my studio, I chose to look into my studio from my bedroom! My bedroom has French doors to the porch where my studio is located. With the blinds open it offers a mysterious back lit ambience. Rather like an "I spy" scenario.

With that in mind, I decided a photo of the old fashioned glass door knob and key/key hole were in order to complete the noir feeling.

Door Knob and Key

Ceramic Plate with Lichtenstein Image

My studio images reminded me of this plate I painted for personal use back in 1999, a copy of Roy Lichtenstein's image called I Can See the Whole Room.