Happy New Year!

Dorothy Lamour from 1937 via Valentino Vamp

Getting ready to ring in New Year! Wishing you all a fabulous 2012!

Finishing up 2011...

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to drop a little update of what I've been up to. I am evaluating what I did and didn't accomplish in 2011, and figuring out how to make some improvements in the future.  This year I accomplished many things but most importantly 2011 taught me I have a lot to more to learn.

Right now, I am working on a bunch of new pieces to be posted ASAP and I'm trying to figure out what the grand plans of 2012 will be. I am pretty excited about next year and will be working on getting my work in magazine and books. I'll be focusing more on editorial illustration and storytelling...but more on that later.

So, until my grand New Years resolution post...here is a lovely new video by Featherbeard & Lavender Lee.  Isn't it fun? I love all the creativity(and happy darkness) that went into making it. It is kind of inspiring to me for the new year.

What are you doing to finish off your year? Are you excited as I am about having a clean slate? Here's to whatever is next!

Feeling relieved...

I'm finally done with all the getting ready for Christmas craziness. And feels so good. My shopping is done. Everything has been shipped off. Fun plans plans are about to be had. My yearly Christmas depression/worries are pretty much over.  (Anybody else out there get that?) Now, there is nothing much more to do....yay!

So, I say it is time to slow down, stop for a bit, relax (have a large glass of wine) and do nothing except enjoy the holidays. Maybe, sit back and try to remember why we have these crazy holidays in the first place. Sound like a good idea? I hope you are able to do the same...

Addams Family via Charles Addams

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas. And I hope your holidays are filled with joy and laughter.

Santa is here...well almost.

I just wanted to give you all a peek at the Santa Claus illustration I've been working on. He is a little bit Victorian(of course). Hopefully he will be done and made into a card ASAP.  I still need to work on adding some type. But I think the portrait is pretty much done. Hope you like him...

Illustration Friday - Separated

There are some words on Illustration Friday that bring an instant image to my mind. This was one of them. The word challenge, "Separation",  instantly made me think of the recent local news story of conjoined twin girls who had an operation to be separated.

Separated by bluehour studio

Detail

The story is pretty scary story one. If you happen to give birth to conjoined twins, you basically have two choices. One, you take the big risk of deciding to separate the girls and hope they both survive. Or two, you keep them together and hope they don't have too difficult a life together. This family decided to go forward with the operation and hope for the best.

Luckily, this story happens to have a happy ending, and both girls, Angelica and Angelina, are doing great.  I wonder if they are happy now or they miss being so...so...close?

Hope you like it!

Mid-Week Music and A Work in Progress

I'm working on a bunch of new art work now and have been in a kind of dark mood lately. Don't worry though, my dark moods can be a huge source of my inspiration. So I wanted to post a little bit of music I've been listening to. I had only heard of Agnes Obel really recently, isn't her music lovely?

Oh, here is what I am currently working on...This is my work in progress for Illustration Friday.  This weeks word is "Separated".  I'll post it again when it is finished.

 

I better get painting....

A Good Thought...

I am loving this wonderful poster by Jon Contino.  I makes the world seem a little lighter doesn't it?

Well, it also explains exactly where my brain is today...I'm trying to envision(and to make it reality) using my illustration to help people around the world...

Good Deeds Poster via helpink.org

FYI, This lovely poster is featured on the amazingly good charity/art collaboration site helpink.org.

Here's a little bit about Help Ink:

Help Ink is a collaborative project, using the sale of premium and exclusive art to help charities in an exciting way. With each purchase you’ll be doing your part to help charitable organizations and individuals around the world.

Pretty cool, huh?

Monday Inspiration: Maurice Sendak on Illustration

I love this video. Maurice Sendak is so honest about the nature of being an illustrator. How does it all work? He doesn't know...

Basically, as an illustrator, you just want to tell a good story with your drawings. Yep, that's about it. He makes it seem so simple...It suppose he has the experience, he has been illustrating for over 60 years...amazing!

Here's a few of Sendak's wonderful illustrations...

An illustration from "In Grandpa's House" (1985) via The New York Times

  An Ilustration from, "Where The Wild Things Are" (1963) via DailyArtFixx.com

An Illustration from, "In The Night Kitchen" (1970) via loveardently.com

Yay for Maurice and all his curmudgeonly ways...

What is your favorite Maurice Sendak book?