NancyIllustration(.com)

Holiday Gifts!

2012-01-06T15:09:00.000-08:00

This December ruled! I had more work than I could fit into the month- I worked 10-12 hour days every day of the month with only one day off before Christmas Eve (which was spent at the Ellen show for a 12 days of giveaways show taping- told you it ruled!).

I have never been so busy with portraits. December in numbers was; 16 gifts, 26 people, 11 dogs and 2 cats. Although I gained a few pounds and suspended my social life to finish in time, it was entirely worth it! I got to draw really interesting people and pets including; a one-eyed cat, a family dressed in costume for Halloween, many cute pups and a cigar store Indian statue. I am so thankful for all of the clients who allowed me to make drawing pictures my full time job. Not to get all mushy, but it is truly an honor to make something that is intended to be a family keepsake. I got great feedback and hope that everyone who got drawings for the holidays loved them as much I loved making them!

Until I'm able to update the website, new work can be seen on my Facebook page HERE.

...and now, on to Valentine's!

Lovely Gift Guide!

2011-11-29T11:04:00.000-08:00

I was contacted in early October about being chosen for HGTV Design Star Winner Emily Henderson's holiday gift guide (this girl is on top of things to be starting in October :) It's been in the back of my mind, but I missed it going live (around Nov 1st), but after a quick google search, I happily found it HERE.

It's a beautiful guide, she does a peacock colored Christmas decor spread that is just fantastic (world globe snowmen?! awesomeness!) I'm so excited to have my drawing surrounded by such loveliness! Thanks so much to Emily Henderson for including me!

Holy Amazing Write Up

2011-11-08T12:41:00.000-08:00

I did a really special drawing this week. A client commissioned (via Reform School) a drawing of her mother who passed away two years ago. The client is an awesome girl that I've met a few times through the shop. I try very hard to do a really good job on every portrait. Some of them, though, are especially touching and I get more invested in them because of it. This was definitely one of those cases.

I knew that this was a gift for this woman's widower, commissioned by her daughter, and I could not help but get emotional while drawing it. We lost my mother-in-law about two years ago, and my dad died when I was 23, so the emotions of losing a parent are pretty familiar to me. I actually teared up multiple times while drawing (which makes drawing a bit difficult) and then full-on cried when I was telling my husband about what a dork I am for crying while drawing. This is why I don't work in health care. I'm far too empathetic- I would probably have patients consoling me about their condition. So it's cool to me to be involved in these kinds of stories and gifts and get all wussy in the privacy of my studio.

Anyway, it turns out the Jenny, who commissioned it, also writes for XO Jane. She wrote a beautiful piece on the portrait HERE . I am honored to have been a part of such a special gift. Also, I have to say, as a girl who grew up reading Sassy magazine cover to cover the day it came in the mail- being on Jane Pratt's site geeks me out to no end! Thanks so much to Jenny for the write up. I hope that her dad likes the drawing too!

ReForm School Pop Up Shop

2011-10-22T11:25:00.000-07:00

Last night was the opening for the pop-up shop at Reform School ("This Time it's Personal"). It was loads of fun, amazingly great friends came out, I met lovely peoples- some of whom have my work in their homes :)

If you're in L.A. please stop in to see the shop. The lovely ladies of Reform School built this massively awesome structure to house this and future pop-ups. They also have mad display skills as they set up my stuff far cuter than my ideas for it were. There's also four other great artists and printmakers in the shop; Clementine Press, Jill K in L.A., Krank Press and Paper Pastries. They are offering such amazing goods as letter pressed coasters, custom stamps, letter pressed personalized labels and custom block printed nude portraits. I'm hoping that my stuff sells enough to give me the pocket money to partake in all of their goods too!

Thanks to Virgie of Reform School for taking photos last night, especially because she took ones with me in it, which I entirely failed to do (except for one of all of our shoes). Thanks to everyone who came by as well!

Pop Up Shop Opening on Friday!

2011-10-18T11:45:00.000-07:00

This Friday, October 21st is the opening of the pop up shop, "This Time It's Personal" at Reform School (3902 Sunset Blvd in Silverlake- LA, CA). There are 5 other artists and printmakers participating- the theme is that all of the work is customize-able and super gift-able for the holidays.

Please stop in if you're in the neighborhood, I shall be bringing my world-famous vegan cupcakes too!

Making Christmas

2011-10-15T11:41:00.001-07:00

I was lucky enough to be asked by the delightful ladies of Reform School to participate in their holiday pop-up shop called, "This Time it's Personal". The theme is all artists who do customize-able art work. There are great artists and printmakers participating- so I'm doing my best to bring my a-game to the shop next week! I'll have custom portrait sign-up forms, these here holiday gift tags (printed all old school style- my studio reeks of oil based ink and my nails are red and green!) and a new set of prints based off of the high school series.

More details to follow, but the opening is next Friday, Oct 21st from 7-10pm. I will also be bringing cupcakes- and I do make a mean cupcake. Please stop by!

Site Update!

2011-09-28T15:53:00.000-07:00

Huzzah! After a long day and a sore bum- the site update is complete! I replaced the handwritten words with lovely typeset ones, used my favorite gramma blue and some greys to soften it all up and added some info on the commission page. And, although I was never a fan of a landing page, I now have that. It was too hard to decide if I should put commissions, design or high school pics up there since I think a lot of people draw their conclusions about you from the first page. So, now it's like a choose your own adventure book. Well, not really, but maybe that'll be the next update!

See the changes HERE (hope you like!)

Jim Henson

2011-09-24T11:39:00.000-07:00

(me and a Big Bird puppet circa 1979 or so)

I adore all things Muppets (like most of the world). I feel like I was born at the perfect time for prime Muppet appreciation, though. Despite living in Los Angeles, I freely admit to having just turned 36. So, by 1975, Sesame Street had hit its stride and was achieving maximum levels of awesomeness. I remember watching the beginning and believing that Barkley running and disappearing into that tree was solid evidence of magic in the world. We watched the Muppet show in the evenings, and, although I don't remember the special being on tv, listened to 'John Denver and the Muppets Christmas Together' every single year while decorating the tree. I think that the poem about Alfie the Christmas Tree probably planted the seeds for me being a vegetarian, "You see, life, is a very special kind of thing- not just for a chosen few, but for each and every living, breathing thing- not just me and you."

While my mom followed the plots of All My Children and General Hospital, I was following the plight of Big Bird trying to get the grown ups to finally see Mr. Snuffleupagus, who they believed was a figment of Big Bird's imagination. I still remember feeling vindicated when they finally met him in person. And when Mr. Hooper died... oh, man.

I don't know if I would love the Muppets and Jim Henson as much if all of his work wasn't so much a part of my youth and my life. I'm guessing that I would, though. It all stands for the things that I try hardest to keep in my life as an adult; kindness, humor and optimism. It can be difficult to live out all of the values of childhood in an adult life, but Jim Henson's work makes it seem possible. 75 years ago, an amazing force of wonder and awesomeness came into the world, and I truly believe that we're all better off for it.

Commissioned Portraits Columbia

2011-09-20T11:53:00.001-07:00

These were commissioned by the Columbia Alumni magazine. I did find out yesterday that they won't be published, though, as they didn't fit into the final layout. (bummer)- so goes the world of publishing (Country Living holiday issue flashback...) The subjects are their honored alumnis who have done lovely things since graduating. Congrats to them!

Feasting

2011-09-04T10:28:00.001-07:00

Hello again! It's great to see you. I have resurfaced from my day job long enough to update my website and blog. In March, I was brought in to help out with graphics at a company that owns a great vintage-themed restaurant as well as an upscale lounge. Over just a few months, that morphed from being the graphics helper to being a one person creative department. This, you can imagine, is rather time consuming. Any time off the past few months was spent either freelance drawing or out of town.

There is that adage about "feast or famine", which is so true. I have been feasting for months and have taken Labor Day weekend off to take a break and let my tummy settle (so to speak). By break, I mean extensive website update!

I also have lots of freelance drawings to share, but those need to wait until they are published or given to the recipients- don't want to spoil any surprises!

You can see what I've been up to on my site HERE.

Homes

2011-06-25T22:35:00.000-07:00

This post is apt right now because we're moving- so the idea of home has been at the front of my mind for a good month now. This image was done for a client of a home that he wanted on letterhead. The printing was letterpress, which I've honestly not designed for until now. He sent a sample that was close to this in detail (the stationery for Chateau Marmont), and it was far more detailed than I thought was possible with letterpress at that size. He also needed to print a larger size as a frameable piece. Because of that, I made a point of adding a lot of detail so it would look good at the larger size.

Turns out that it took a few rounds of minimizing detail to get it ready for the letterhead printing. But, it got there, and it looks great! The printer did a fantastic job, and I was honored that the client was kind enough to send me the very first letter that he ever wrote on it. I could multiply this fella and work with people like him all the time and retire on a cloud of rainbows and happy.

High School Pics

2011-06-06T14:17:00.000-07:00

I just inventoried what's still at Reform School of the High School series. Excited to say that their supply is dwindling! There's still a few originals left, though, as well as less expensive prints. 3902 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

Farm Sanctuary Auction

2011-03-21T20:50:00.000-07:00

There's this great organization called Farm Sanctuary that rescues animals who desperately need it. I love good peoples, so when I heard that they were having auctions to fund-raise, I wanted to help.

I drew this fella for the NYC auction and will do another for the Beverly Hills auction. I may throw in a custom portrait for each, but they asked that artwork be farm animal-related (hence the piglet)

They're site is HERE, the auction is Saturday, May 14th.

Pet Adoption Fair!

2011-03-18T11:57:00.000-07:00

My drawings and I have a table at the Pet Adoption Fair at Vroman's in Pasadena tomorrow. I shall also have a discount card for those peoples who come to the event (playing with a puppy is mandatory to redeem the discount.)

Vroman's Site is HERE.

Another vintage photo drawing

2011-03-09T14:25:00.000-08:00

This lady really stood out in the stack of pics at the antique store. Also, three's a dog involved, so that's always good too.

New Series!

2011-03-09T09:39:00.000-08:00

I always come up with ideas that involve doing many many pictures. Not sure why that is, I just can't seem to be like, "hey, here's an idea for one picture". Just doesn't happen.

I have a small stack of amazing vintage snapshots that I bought of people that I don't know. This is the first drawing of them. I had originally wanted to paint them, and may still, but for now, a kitten in a house with no separate studio space for me would = oil paint footprints all over the house (and mixed media cat hair paintings). I still hope to make a painting series of them, I'm longing to work larger again.

For now, though, I'm doing drawings, and this is the first. I loved this photo instantly- these girls are awesome.

Pasadena Adoption Fair

2011-03-02T15:39:00.000-08:00

I just got back from vacation a few days ago, so I'm catching up on posts. This is from the Pasadena Humane Society adoption fair at Vroman's Bookstore. One of their managers saw my postcard out and about and invited me to set up a table at the fair with all of my pup pics. Um... spend a day with doggies? Yeah!

The event was on a Saturday right before we left, and I've agreed to return for this month's event. Hopefully all of the pups that I met will have found homes by then and there'll be a whole new batch this time. It's a great way to spend an afternoon, I was very honored to take part in it, and there's nothing more heartwarming than seeing families interested in rescuing these babies.

If you see any doggies that you like and are in Los Angeles, they were from the Pasadena Humane Society, who lists their adoptable animals (cats too!) on their site.

Willie the Basset Hound

2011-03-02T15:37:00.001-08:00

Newest commission. This fella is the most dignified, soulful looking pooch that I have ever seen. Wouldn't he look great on a dollar bill or coin? He's just so regal.

Crossroads Series

2011-01-23T21:21:00.000-08:00

I still have a few to go to get to the magic number of fifty, but here's a preview of the latest (and last) High School Portrait Series. The 1974 Crossroads (there were amazing faces and hairdos in this book!)

Supermodel Baby Boy

2011-01-12T18:08:00.000-08:00

This is the son of our friends Sean and Carly, who it turns out together have super genes that can create one of the most stunningly adorable children on the planet. This child is so cute you cannot stop looking at him. He could make the grinches heart grow FOUR times it's normal size just with a glance. I'm hoping that my drawing of him captures a fraction of the darling overload that is this cute baby's boy face.

Also, I hear he has a good personality, too!

Digby!

2011-01-12T18:00:00.000-08:00

This is Digby, another pup commission from this week. I have never seen a more honorable, stoic, charming face in my whole life. This is why doggie commissions rule, I got to look at that face for hours on end!

The Progress of June

2011-01-12T17:41:00.000-08:00

I was doing a pup commission today and thought that I'd take some progress photos along the way. I always forget to do things like this, and the quality isn't the best b/c I barely stopped what I was doing to take them (I took them on my lap during pencil sharpening breaks). The finished piece is at the bottom. I'll post her bro Digby after this...

$10 Prints on Etsy!

2011-01-04T16:39:00.000-08:00

After a year on and off of trying to find the best means of printing the High School series, I got it! I tried; screenprinting, solar plates, finding a printmaker to make an etching plate, trying online giclee vendors, and then... I got an archival Epson R2880 printer, a box of acid-free paper and voila! I got me a printing factory!

You can see all twenty available images HERE. Thanks for looking!

iMax

2010-12-28T11:39:00.000-08:00

Maxwell in a calmer moment. I feel like doggies get all the commission love, so I finally did a portrait of Max to increase my kitty portrait power.

Youngest subject ever!

2010-12-28T11:34:00.000-08:00

The award for the youngest person that I've ever drawn goes to.... (drum roll)... Calvin! At two days old, he is the youngest subject of any of my drawings! And a darling one at that. Can you even imagine being that new?

Graphite Aqua Effect

2010-12-22T12:06:00.001-08:00

Okay, this is just silly, but so am I so...

I wanted to put the little buttons on my site for Facebook, Twitter, this blog, etc forever. These are the things that I put off. I made my site in Dreamweaver with the help of Davey and a fat Dreamweaver manual. Which means that every time I have to do anything outside of the 4 things that I do on a regular basis- it involves a few hours of swearing and beating my head against the wall before I get it all up and running smoothly.

True to form, that's how I spent my morning trying to get these up. Mostly b/c my Fetch program wonked out from some de-install back up b.s. that I did about a month ago. But, it's all up and lovely now.

To get the icons to match my site, I drew them all out in graphite, and just to add a geeky touch, used a kneaded eraser to make a highlight simulating the "aqua" effect that all of the cool app buttons have these days. I like the effect, and am happy to check this off of my to-do list! You can see the results HERE.

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-20T12:25:00.000-08:00

This is our 2010 holiday card. It is starring Carol Jackson, who was Miss Snowmobile in 1969/70. At the time, her name was Carol Rieley. She was my mother-in-law, Davey (and his brother Matthew's) mom, and a wonderful lady. She lost her battle with ovarian cancer in February of this year, and although it's very hard to be celebrating the holidays without her this year, we're doing our best to focus on her life and her light. She brought immense joy to a whole lot of lives, and this year she brings cheerful holiday greetings to everyone that we know.

The drawing is graphite, and was done from a newspaper clipping advertising that she was Miss Snowmobile. I did the lettering by hand as well with a nib and ink- it was really a lot of fun to explore that kind of work. I also hand lettered all of the envelopes, which sounded like a far better idea at the start of the project than it did after doing about 70 envelopes! But, it was fun, we're happy with the results, and we hope that you have a great holiday!

Anniversary couple

2010-10-25T22:22:00.001-07:00

This couple will be celebrating their 50th anniversary this month. Their daughter was sweet enough to commission this for their present/ party. I had so much fun doing this one because it was for such a great occasion, and also- staring at them while drawing them made me think about when the reference photo was taken and the idea that someone that they'll never meet in the future would be drawing them 50-ish years later for a party with their kids and grandkids. Life is phenomenally weird.

Also, they look like they'd be so fun to hang out with! They were the owners of Bryant's in Milwaukee, which is an amazing cocktail lounge that feels like a portal back into the days when the photo that I drew this from was taken. I hope that they have a great party and love their picture, because I loved drawing it!

Roll on Rolly Wheel!

2010-09-24T14:39:00.000-07:00

I am damn proud to announce that my renovated website is (finally) live! I have been wanting a schmancy (to me) rollover set up where all thumbnails are on the same page as a large image and visitors can rollover them to see big versions quickly and easily. However, I have pretty limited web skills and an even more limited budget for hiring programmers, so I had been stuck with this goofy window popping up system for the last, oh, FIVE YEARS!

I finally consulted the right person (my husband, who has been living with me the entire time that I wanted to do this), spent dozens upon dozens of hours working on images and coding and pages- and today, after 2 work projects cancelled, I settled in and f-ing finished it!!!!

I also have a new visual bio page, and menu bar. I still want to embed my blog, but later for that. Today is for celebrating successful rollovers!

Please go look!

Prince Maxwell J-R

2010-06-27T16:11:00.003-07:00

Meet Prince Maxwell J-R, the newest member of the J-R clan. He was born in May, so he's just a wee baby. We rescued him today (a term that I feel that it's safe to use since it's a euthanization shelter).

He is a darling teeny tiny tabby. We have a 12 lb cat now, who is the best, but it's just so funny to hold this kitty who is 2 lbs at best (probably not- I'd say a can of beans weighs more than he does), it's just too much. He's such a little doll.

In Chicago, we had gotten Madeline (see pics here) from the Anti-Cruelty Society, a no-kill shelter downtown. It was (I thought at the time) a nice place, rather bare bones, but fine.

After going to the L.A. shelter- oh my gosh, Anti-Cruelty is a spa. This place is overrun with animals. Granted, it's "kitten season" (cats breed in spring), but there were so many homeless babies in cages. 3-4 kittens per cage, 10 or so cages per room, 4 rooms of cages along with a bay of them in the lobby. We didn't even get anywhere near the dogs, although we were in line behind some broad (a nice term for her) who was returning a dog that she got 8 days ago that "doesn't like people".

I totally cried there. It is devastating to me that people have done this. Just let the pet population get so out of control that there are hundreds of homeless animals in one single shelter- one of dozens of shelters in the city.

If you have room in your home and heart for an animal, please adopt. They ask for very little and give you the world. I know that I sound like a preachy bastard, but after seeing all those faces and babies in cages and knowing that they won't all live to find homes- I can't help it.

Happy Wedding!

2010-06-26T18:33:00.002-07:00

This was made as a wedding gift for our friends Trevor and Cyndi. We were super sad that we couldn't make it to their reception party in Florida this month, but we aren't on our feet enough for it yet (needing to keep noses to grindstones). Anyway, they're a lovely couple and we're so happy that they're happy!

Puppies!

2010-06-18T12:27:00.002-07:00

New doggie commissions! I have to say, I love drawing peoples, but puppies are even better. I think it's good for the soul to stare at and draw puppies for hours! And, they're international puppies! I'm not sure where Bing and Scout live, but Jazz (the black lab puppy) lives in Australia! It's pretty rad that my drawings will be in a place that I've never been :)

Bubbie!

2010-05-22T21:41:00.003-07:00

This is a recent commission that I finished up this weekend. I love that I've been drawing just as many animals as peoples lately. It means that people love their bubbies as much as their human family, which rules.

Sister Act

2010-05-21T17:16:00.002-07:00

And now to shift from shameless self promotion to sister promotion... My sister Sheila has an article in the best magazine of all- BUST this month! I am so proud of her and excited and feel like a total dork for not remembering it was coming until she called me (I've had it sitting for 2 days waiting for me to have time to devour it).

It's about our paternal grandma and they ran a photo of her holding Sheila as a baby. It is SO unbelievably cool to see my family in my favorite magazine! It's on page 27 if you have it, be sure and give it a look. Apparently, the recipe for doggie biscuits is to die for as well! Yay Sheila!

Featured on Daily Candy!

2010-04-29T09:32:00.002-07:00

After having a particularly blue day last weekend, I was thrilled to get an email from a Daily Candy writer asking for info for a feature that they'd like to do on my work. I'm still not 100% on how they found me (I suspect through Reform School), but that doesn't matter b/c yesterday was my DC day!

I saw my name in my own Google Reader, which was surreal and super cool. The article is darling and so flattering- I couldn't be happier. It also led to answering commission inquiry emails all last night, which isn't a bad way to spend an evening!

Thanks so much to Daily Candy for the write-up!

ReForm School Drawing day

2010-04-17T16:27:00.003-07:00

Today was my in-store drawing session at ReForm School. It was really fun hanging out in the shop this afternoon, and I'm so grateful to everyone who came by! Also, I got to sit next to the sweet parachuting sasquatch display- which ruled, and I learned that the shop owners Billie and Tootie both play the ukulele! Which has to be one of the coolest instruments around! Also, best husband in the world (Davey) was there to help me haul my easel, drawing board and tons of other stuff down to the shop. All and all, a great day.

New commissions. Hey look, school photos!

2010-04-09T18:23:00.004-07:00

These are commissions completed this week. These girls are so darling! Dimples, freckles, smiles and so much personality! Their mom had a lot of great pictures to choose from, but we went with the school photos. I may have a bit of a thing for drawing school photos (see the 150 examples of that in my High School series).

Aw, shucks!

2010-04-09T11:06:00.006-07:00

My high schoolers are having a good week! I've gotten a few emails from Bloggers and Etsy-ers and Art Wall-ers about write ups and lovin' from nice peoples about my work.

One fella was featured in an adorable Treasury on Etsy (which I hear was on the front page today, so sad that I missed it!):

This darling blog found me on Etsy and wrote lovliness:
PrettyNeat

Another blogger and sweet write up. Made all the more flattering by the fact that her work is about as cute as anything gets (a guinea pig with a balloon tied to it flying over paris, c'mon!)
GuineaPigs

One of the gals was featured as a "fan favorite" on Artwall:
Artwall

And, last but not least, the kids at Reform School were featured in Dwell. I basked a bit in their reflected glory when my work was seen in the background of a photo of the shop! (okay, you have to know that they're there and what they are- but it's Dwell, so I still think it's super cool!)
Dwell

I am happy and humbled and more happy! Thanks to all for the mad props!

Meeting and greeting!

2010-03-29T13:26:00.003-07:00

Brand new news (that I alluded to in the last post)- I will soon be doing a live art, in store meet and greet at Reform School, the home of some of my high school series drawings. I'm really excited to hang out in the shop for awhile and meet peoples (I should probably leave my credit cards at home as I love all their stuff SO much!).

We'll be taking orders for commissioned drawings for Mother's Day, so if you're looking for the perfect gift, bring along photos of whoever you'd like drawn (I can also receive them via email- which also works great if you're not in L.A.)

Hope to see you then!

Saturday, April 17th, 2010
1:00- 3:00 pm

Reform School
3902 West Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90029

New commission + kitty

2010-03-29T10:25:00.004-07:00

These are newbies. Kitty is, well, kitty. The other is a commission for a super nice gal that I met via Reform School. She had purchased a few of my high school portraits, and then hired me to do this image of her lovely friend. I'm excited to do more of these (commission portraits) in the future. They're a whole other thing from the High School series, and with these, it's exciting to get the feedback of how the recipient feels about the likeness (she loved it).

Also, there may be some news on this soon, I'm holding out though until talks are finalized with the other parties (doesn't that sound intriguing?!)

Carol

2010-03-28T12:26:00.002-07:00

A lot has happened in the month plus that it's been since I last posted. I have neglected my blog before when life events pick up to the point that I have no down time for reflecting online, but this was different.

My mother in law Carol had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer about 2.5 years ago. Since she was still with us for the .5, that was bonus time. The projected life expectancy for someone diagnosed with the disease is 2 years. Still, we all had hoped that she would be the happy ending and that this was a blip in life. A long, terrible fight of a blip, but something that we would try not to talk about and could hardly believe happened when it was 20 years down the line and we were all gathered for a holiday or family event. Unfortunately, that's not how the story played out.

Carol lost her fight with cancer on February 21st.

When a family loses a mother/ grandmother, it leaves a very big space. This is especially true of Carol's absence. After about a week of being relieved that her fight was over and there was no more pain left for her, we started to feel that space. We know logically that the pain of the loss will lessen over time, and that we'll be left with all of the happy memories to focus on versus the thoughts of time ahead that will be missed out on. My husband is being amazingly brave after having one of his pillars pulled out from under him. But honestly, it's all been very hard for a very long time. Anyone who has a loved one that's gone through a long fight with any health problem knows that.

But, instead of focusing on the pain and the loss, I'm trying to focus on the amazing lady that I knew. She was in my life since I have been with Davey (1998), which is about 1/3 of my life so far. She was one of the most kind hearted, helpful, supportive people that I have ever met. She was no push over and would let her opinion be known but was never argumentative or unnecessarily critical. She had excellent style and always surrounded herself with lovely things. She was incredibly generous and did her best to be sure that her sons and their families had as much of those things as she could give to us as well. She had been a model, a florist, a real estate agent, an interior decorator, a store owner, and a teacher (I'm sure that I'm missing a few things too). She had travelled the world and had volunteered with a dentist who went to Guatemala. She went in an administrative capacity, but after they were flooded with people in desperate situations, she was put to the task of pulling teeth (with probably 5 minutes of dental training). I was shocked when she told me this, and she just said, "These people needed help, I had the tool to help them. You couldn't not do it." She was an amazing daughter to her parents, going to their house multiple times a week and making sure that they had everything that they needed and wanted, including company. She was a model (literally) as well as figuratively- of a person who always did her best, tried her best, and loved her best.

And when the impulse strikes to call her or tell her something, and the knowledge of her passing immediately follows- we're choosing to focus on her presence in our presence, and on how lucky we were to know such a great person.

"How do you find America?"

2010-02-23T20:30:00.003-08:00

"Turn left at Greenland."

That's one of my favorite quotes from 'A Hard Day's Night' in the scene where the Beatles are being interviewed by a room full of press peoples.

My interview answers with Artwall weren't quite that clever, but I'm happy it's up! Please read it here: http://artwallblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/meet-art-wall-artist-nancy-julson.html

Portfolio v38.2

2010-02-20T12:28:00.002-08:00

I just made a new physical portfolio book. The title of this post probably isn't too far off, I've been making portfolios for my work since high school, which is like five years now (fine, it's been sixteen- not five). Anyway, I had the 'trying to get into college' portfolio, the 'just finishing photo school' book, the 'career photo photos' book, the 'changed my mind and want to be a designer' book, the 'get into art school' book... you get the idea.

Since graduating (again) in 2005 for Illustration, I've made a few different ones, but barely have any need for them. No one ever needs to see them since they've seen everything on my website anyway. I can count on one hand the showings of a physical book that I've done in the past few years. But, it does come up. And on those occasions, I have to face the conundrum of showing something that's really good work but that's not online. I've brought original pieces with me since that's nicer to see than the little 72 dpi web version. Or, in this case, I was taking printed samples and a smattering of different kinds of work.

So, this book was inspired by some vector pattern things that I did for a client who is a brilliant decorative painter (SJM Fine Art: http://www.sjmfineart.com/gallery.html ). I worked on a damask pattern file for her and then ran with pattern making in Illustrator because it's just so fun. I made a stencil of one of my designs, painted it on wood, drilled the holes, mod'ed out those icky black portfolio pages (cut their ugly holes off and switched the paper out with white), and voila! New book version whatever version I'm on now. I like it a lot. It may not see the light of day again for awhile, but it went over well this week in my meeting, so it's done it's job! If anyone has pics or links of interesting handmade books, please send them along, I'd love to see!

Bond. James freaking Bond.

2010-02-18T10:50:00.004-08:00

Being relatively new to L.A., I still haven't gotten jaded about celebs on the street and seeing photos and films of nearby locations. A few weeks ago, I walked by Jason Schwartzman in front of my apartment and freaking freaked. I waited until he walked by to freak, so I was still really cool about it ;) but still. He's Coconut Records AND Ash from Fantastic Mr Fox. How could you not freak?

Anyway, I follow Pablove on Twitter (http://www.pablove.org/home/) which is an amazing foundation founded by an inspiring couple who lost their son to childhood cancer. If you're looking for a good cause to donate to, I think this is one of the best. There's a Pablove mural on sunset on the Dangerbird Records building, and today there was a Pablove tweet about Pierce Brosnan having a GQ photo shoot in front of the mural. I looked at the link and found that there's another photo of him in front of Reform School (where some of my work is hung/ sold). So, it's official. PB endorses Reform School and therefore my work, and therefore he loves me. Now I have to go buy GQ and see if the image is in the magazine too.

And yes, one day when I've seen so many celebs on the street that they blend in with the bushes, I may think this is silly. But for now, I think it's rad that James Bond was hanging out down the block from my house.

Hanging in the Master Bedroom (literally)

2010-01-31T21:39:00.003-08:00

I am thrilled to be hanging in the Master Bedroom of Artwall online! The talented Katie Stephenson curates all the different "rooms" of an online home. It's an amazingly creative concept and I'm so happy to be a part of it, please go see! http://www.artwallonline.com/master-bedroom/

Walking a mile in girly shoes

2010-01-28T10:52:00.003-08:00

There are rules of L.A. that I am catching on to as time goes by. Like in the summer when we were invited to a music party where the dress was to be "casual", I learned that "casual" means that the men will have on nicer jeans than usual and maybe a jacket, but the girls will be dolled to the nines. When Davey said that we were going to a party for the Producers and Engineers wing of the Grammys and that the dress was listed as "studio casual"- I was prepared. Doll to the nines. And really, even on an average day, most of the women in this city wear either sky high heels, boots, or an amalgam of the two. Tired of feeling like the "before" picture at these events, or the midwestern just-off-the-truck character on the glossy tv show, I decided to ratchet up the height a few inches and invest in some sky high heels.

I am not a high heel kind of girl. I'm a short fingernails and practical shoes girl. I used to get so frustrated with girls in heels when I took the El in Chicago. They'd be wobbling ever so slowly and precariously up and down the steps while I'd be stuck behind them, dying to go faster and tapping my comfy flat-shoe wearing foot. I think that as objects, heels are amazingly cute, but that for all intents and purposes, there's no reason to do that to yourself.

But, what the hay, it's a party. So, I got these shoes (the ones in the photo), which are darling. They have 4" heels. This is henceforth unexplored territory for me, my highest having been a 3" pair that I wore once and then used to collect the dust in my closet. These are cool, though. When you put them on, you can tell that they're not comfy, but it changes the way you stand, everything about your body feels different. Being 4" taller was SO cool too! Normally at a crowded party, I can't see past the shoulders around me. Last night, I was over most girls heads (the shoes made me almost 5'9"), I was looking Davey in the eye, it was like a Freaky Friday thing- like I had switched bodies with some tall chica, and the view was really cool!

Really, the shoes didn't kill me until we were leaving. 1/2 way down the block to the car the pain was almost unbearable. And the really funny thing is that once we were in the car and I ripped them off of my feet, I realized that I had to pee really bad. My body had been focusing so much on the pain receptors in my feet that I was ignoring the fact that I drank 3 vodka tonics and hadn't hit the restroom.

So, I have learned a valuable lesson. The "tough" girls that have short fingernails and practical shoes and are dressed to use power tools at all times... we got nothing on the girly girls. They look all fluffy and delicate, but they have a really high tolerance for pain. They are bad mamma jammas.

Liking doing likenesses

2010-01-27T13:56:00.001-08:00

Dads, darlings and doggies. Soooo fun!

You outta be in pictures.

2010-01-14T14:43:00.003-08:00

I have gotten requests for commissioned portraits since having my work on display at Reform School. I have done a lot of portraits for illustration clients, but never gave too much serious thought into doing commissions for anyone. But, with the recent inquiries about it, I gave it some thought and decided that it would be fun. I love drawing people most of all, I've gotten good with likenesses over the past few years, and I think that it's great for people to have portraits of people who are important to them.

I'm in the midst of building a portfolio to post online, and just did this one yesterday. It's for my father-in-law, and it turns out that he wanted a picture of one of my favorite people in the universe- my husband (isn't he a dollface?!) It was a great photo to start with, and I was happy about how the drawing came out. I'm lucky to see that handsome face every day, don't you think?!

The commission page should be up soon with rates and all!

Babycakes comes to L.A.

2010-01-03T11:47:00.004-08:00

So, I know that this has traditionally been my art blog- but it's morphing into life in general as more and more awesomeness happens in non-art life. Like food. I decided to go back to being vegan this past summer because it's so easy here in Los Angeles. And, it just got easier and more delicious (and probably more fattening, but whatevs).

Babycakes, the legendary NY vegan bakery has opened an Los Angeles location! Davey woke up early to get there right when they opened (I was a lazy bones and didn't get up early enough). He brought home; a skinny bun (sticky bun), a sugared doughnut, a chocolate covered doughnut and 2 mini brownies. We split the first three (neither of us were able to finish, they were so rich)- but oh. my. gosh.

In the past, I haven't found that vegan bakery lives up to it's bad rep. Sometimes you get something at a cafe that's kind of dry- but having baked dairy free myself, I think that's just inexperience with alternative ingredients, there's plenty of ways to make moist bakery that's vegan. But this- this is one of those things that's in a category all by itself. It defies the 'vegan' label, and even the 'bakery of this world' label. It is amazing.

And I am so glad that it's downtown and not in our neighborhood, or I would have to go shopping for larger pants.

Rose Bowling

2010-01-02T18:47:00.003-08:00

We got to spend the afternoon looking at the Rose Bowl floats in Pasadena today! After the parade, they park them all and charge $7 a person to go visit them (well worth it). It's crazy crowded, Davey even found a little lost boy in the crowd (we found his mom, poor baby).

It's so strange as a midwesterner to be outside in short sleeves and sandals on a 78 degree day in the sunshine looking at flower floats. But it's strange in an amazingly great way!

Free stuff!

2010-01-01T21:25:00.004-08:00

I love prizes. Call anything a prize and it goes from 'whatever' to 'holy moly!' instantly. Therefore I created prizes for anyone and everyone who goes to my website! 3 free downloadable bookmarks for your book marking pleasure! They're 2.5" wide by 7" tall and they stylishly and effectively shall hold your place in as many books as you choose to use them in. Please claim your prizes and feel free to dole out prizes to anyone and everyone you know! http://nancyillustration.com/free.html

Definitely not a white Christmas.

2009-12-12T12:30:00.003-08:00

I have had firm rules in place for the last 4 years about our holiday cards. 1) They are illustrated by me, 2) they are based on the theme of "giving", 3) they are paper, 4) they are mailed, 5) they are non-denominational. This year only one of those five rules survived.

The holidays have been to me, for 33 years, snowy, cold, and wintery. Around September when it gets to be about 50 outside, I usually start making candles for gifts, crocheting and knitting things, and by late October hatching the idea for the card.

This year we moved to L.A.

It's still in the 60's even though Christmas is 13 days away. My yarn, crochet hooks, knitting needles and candle supplies are all stored on shelves. The trees still have green leaves on them, and every street has the incongruous site of santas and reindeer on green lawns with holiday lights all over them. It's weird. Therefore, this year, so is our card.

However, it wouldn't be a card from me without some sappiness, so I included an excerpt from Francis Pharcellus Church's reply to Virginia O'Hanlon's question of whether or not there is a Santa Claus.

I hope that you have a great holiday whether you are in sunshine or snowstorms.

"Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world."

New series and HGTV potential

2009-12-04T08:50:00.003-08:00

Happy December! I have to say as a Midwesterner- it sure doesn't feel like the holiday season in L.A.!

These pics are of the third and latest group in my High School Portrait series. These are from the 1967 Cardinal series, which- I know that you shouldn't have favorite children, but I enjoyed these immensely. I LOVE 1967 hair and clothing, these cats have style! You can see the rest on my site: http://www.nancyillustration.com/cardinal.html
Or buy them on my Etsy page (I'm also doing free shipping this month): http://www.etsy.com/shop/nancyillustration

In other news, I just turned in my release form to Reform School. They are so hip and cute that HGTV shall be filming them next week. Which, by extension means that my work may be on TV! Very exciting. Now I need cable and a DVR.

The Weakerthans and painting workshop

2009-11-14T23:04:00.003-08:00

I did this after going to a painting workshop with a superstar painter that I completely admire this summer. The style is too much the painter's vs. mine, I think maybe. I do miss oils though, which I did this in. It's a portrait of John K Samson of the Weakerthans. Only b/c I adore the band's music at a level not seen since my Smiths obsession in high school (or maybe the Get Up Kids one in my 20's). And, I had taken the workshop, then gone to see them live at the Roxy (great great show), so that's all I was listening to at the time.

It's been a few months since I did it, but I finally scanned it b/c I just bought Mr. Samson's solo EP (with my new favorite song on it) and remembered I painted this in summer. The likeness took a million years, and it doesn't match my portfolio, but I like it anyway.

Mady Overload

2009-11-06T08:57:00.003-08:00

A tribute page to kitty. Crazy? I think not. Or, I think sure, but don't care :) The following page has over 50 excellent photographs and fan art of Madeline Sparkle Pants J-R. Please look!

http://nancyillustration.com/mady-overload.html

By the way, this beautiful kitty was adopted from the Anti Cruelty Society in Chicago. Adoption rules!

High School Portrait Series: The Truman Show

2009-11-02T14:40:00.003-08:00

Yes, we are in the 70's now! I have finished a new series of High School Portraits. This one was drawn from two yearbooks from the same school. One was 1977 the other 1979. They were years when the boys rivaled the girls with hair and clothing styles, and they all looked amazing! I have to thank my cousin Miki for lending me the books (which I'll ship back today!). This one was a lot of fun. All fifty portraits may be seen on my site here: http://www.nancyillustration.com/truman.html

I've also had some sales at Reform School of the first series. I am experimenting with printing methods to offer inexpensive (but good quality) prints. So far the combination of the two qualities is alluding me, but the quest continues! In the interim, originals are still for sale online at Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/nancyillustration As well as at Reform School on Sunset in Los Angeles: http://www.reformschoolrules.com/directory.html

Next up- 1966 BIG hair!

Hanging at Reform School

2009-09-07T12:02:00.003-07:00

Again with the high school pics, but I'm really happy that they're up at such a cool place! They were hung up yesterday, and here's some pics of them in the store window. Thanks to Tootie and Billie from the shop for putting them in such a prime spot! And, if you're in L.A., please stop by to see them and the nifty goods at the store! 3902 Sunset Blvd www.reformschoolrules.com

My art is going to Reform School

2009-09-06T12:22:00.003-07:00

I'm very excited to report that the awesome, lovely shop Reform School (3902 W Sunset, Los Angeles) is now carrying most of my Comet series (36 of them). They are being hung in the front window as we speak, and I can't wait to see them up! If you're in or near Los Angeles, please visit them!

Their online shop is here: http://www.reformschoolrules.com/

The "Comet" series

2009-08-29T18:11:00.003-07:00

Things have been busy in the new place in L.A. I just finished a project of 50 drawings of high school class photos from a 1960 yearbook. I decided to do the project for a few reasons. I have always loved the styles from then, and that coupled with yearbooks in general have always fascinated me. There is so much about it that is unique and interesting. There aren't a lot of careers or times later in life where everyone gets their portrait taken. Or an instance where everyone's presence at an institution, company, or even social circle is chronicled in a book. A book where people write what they think of each other in it, no less. I have always wondered why businesses don't do that. They're sentimental and nostalgic, and downright flippin' cool. Just think- if you had every year of your life documented in a book along with all the of the people who were in your life at that time, I mean...really? How crazy would that be?!

It's made more interesting by the fact that it's that particular slice of life. High school. When everyone is at their most awkward and trying their hardest with their appearance (at least with most people, that would be the case), the school goes and takes their picture. And prints it in a book that everyone gets a copy of!

A small secret about me is that I used to work (briefly) as a school photographer. The kids have just about 20 seconds to pose before whatever expression they chose to make is frozen in time and saved for everyone to see. There are the things that the photographer is instructed to do; square a boys shoulders so they look more manly, tilt a girls shoulder away from the camera so that they look more feminine, move their head, tell them to smile, etc. I always found it funny how when someone gives you their "picture face" (usually a smile), and then proceeds to follow all the instructions to move, tilt, etc- that they get this frozen, odd, awkward expression on their face that absolutely no one ever makes ever in life. Those pictures are my all-time faves. And the good news is that it didn't just happen to me and the kids in my school. As I pick up these vintage yearbooks, I'm finding that they're loaded with those goofy expressions.

I wanted to further record these faces, these captured instances of odd expressions, crooked eyebrows, dorky cool glasses and youth. I feel like we are so inundated with images of physical perfection (particularly here in L.A.) and fixing everything that's physically wrong with yourself, that these images feel refreshing and charming. I look at these pictures-these kitschy, dated, odd images- and see beautifully interesting people. There are no pictures of people this interesting in magazines. They're hiding their braces and glasses and dated hairdos in dusty books on shelves and in boxes in attics. And now, in my drawings.

Resuscitation

2009-07-03T08:37:00.003-07:00

The title today is twofold. Primarily, I'm referring to this poor, neglected blog. I hadn't written since February, because in early March we made a big decision that's consumed the last three months of my life. We moved to Los Angeles (from Chicago). I think that as an unencumbered early twenty-something person, moving that far must be a lot more fun and a lot less stress. As two grown ups with a large apartment and two studios (my art, husband's music)- it's an amazing amount of work. I can't say that I had any idea of how much time it would take to pare down, find a place in the new city, tie up 1,000 loose ends in the old city, and physically move here.

But, that's all behind us (thankfully), so although things aren't nearly set up here yet (our stuff is on a truck somewhere in Nebraska or Utah or Nevada), I am feeling relieved, happy that we're in the new place, and ready to take on new things again!
Which is where the other meaning of today's blog title is. I'm hoping that a sunny new location that I am so far in love with will be inspiring and be a boost to my work and life in general.

The pics are my Chicago living room (3 weeks before the move, no less), and then the L.A. one. If it's true that clutter clutters your mind, the latter pic explains why mine feels open again.

Selling out

2009-02-28T19:28:00.003-08:00

Okay, the title of this is an attempt at a pun, since as a commercial illustrator- that's the goal!

Bad puns aside, I have just posted part of this sugar skull series along with a few illustrations for sale on Etsy. Please check it out and pass the link along if you should happen to desire to do so!

Etsy shop

The link is also my "merch" link on the front page of my website:

www.nancyillustration.com

So this is what's called a lunchtime poll

2009-02-11T20:43:00.004-08:00

Okay, so please pick three in order of preference. Or just pick a style preference (the movie quotes versus the others). I have here a handy list explaining what the illustrations were made for, which should also be taken into consideration (content as well as the image on it's own)

Did I mention, thanks? And... you're a peach.

a) The flamingo- this is to illustrate the quote from the movie Heathers "First you ask if you can be red- knowing that I'm always red" (it's a flamingo lawn ornament

b) The trophy- for the quote from the Breakfast Club, "This is what you get at my house when you spill paint in the garage"

c) the stove- for the quote from Pretty in Pink, "Blane! That's a major appliance, that's not a name!"

d) the bald lady- this was done in response to someone close to me going through chemo. I was showing how many options you have on any given day (or how many mistakes having hair can get you into)

e) feet with cans and bottles- this is the couple (at about 4:30 am) that never leaves your party until all of the beer in the house is gone

f) suitcase lady- this is for the word "enough" (I guess that she had enough)

Hot off the press

2009-01-19T18:44:00.005-08:00

I had the best studio day that I've had in awhile! I took advantage of the fact that my client who I'm waiting to hear back from about our project and what I should do on it had off for MLK day today. I do feel a little guilty for not doing the day of service, but I'll do it another day...

The press worked great! I had played with it a bit since I got it about 2 weeks ago, but nothing planned or controlled, just experiments to get the press working right (paper soak time, gauge setting, etc) But this is the start of the series that I mentioned in my last post. I have 4 of them drawn, but am thinking of making more- it's a quote from an 80's teen movie (in this case, Heathers) with an object illustrated. I'm doing a combo of monotype, watercolor/ gouache and ink. I'm having so much fun with it, and have all the Molly Ringwald/ John Hughes ones in my Netflix queue for more inspiration. I was so into it, that these 5 and a few more ghost prints and test prints were all done today. I think the others may take longer too since they aren't as simple a shape as the milk carton. Anyway- fun, fun, fun!

life drawing

2009-01-18T19:28:00.003-08:00

I have been lucky enough to be busy lately. Sometimes, though, it's hard not to let my mind wander when I'm drawing or concepting for a client. These were done in between client drawings- of Mady napping next to me in the studio. The other is on a scrap of printing paper. I should have a bunch of updates on that soon, I have a new addition to the studio- an etching press! I'm hoping to incorporate monotypes into illustration work, or at the least just make uncontrolled fine art prints to counter the hyper controlled illustration watercolors that I do for work.

As part of the aforementioned mind wandering, I came up with an idea for a series to try the print/ watercolor combos on. I did some drawings for them today, and will attempt them tomorrow or later in the week. So, if I post them soon, they worked. If not, I'm back at the drawing board!

...and in color!

2008-12-30T09:02:00.003-08:00

holiday sneaky peek

2008-12-06T08:47:00.002-08:00

The card is at the printer! Until I get it back and mail it out, I don't want to spoil all the fun by posting the image on here...so here's the sketch. Which, if you like, you could print out and use like a coloring book. If you were to do such a thing, you should post it to me so that if you end up using the same colors I did, I could send you a prize.

I just love prizes so much.

Yes We Can! (?)

2008-11-04T23:32:00.004-08:00

This was taken at the Grant Park Rally where we just got home from watching President Elect Barack Obama give his speech. It was taken just after they called the election for him. Hence my yell.

I said earlier today before we left for the rally that if the country voted him in, I would believe in everything. I would believe in unicorns.

I now believe in unicorns.

SO happy. Greatest night! Greatest event!

Pfffffft!

2008-10-03T19:23:00.003-07:00

Kitty raspberry!

Paint for Print Exhibition

2008-10-03T09:53:00.004-07:00

I have to start this with an image credit- the image is "Look Within" by Robert MacKenzie, and I'll explain why I'm posting another artist's picture in a sec.

I had alluded to the upcoming show that I'm working on before, but had avoided specifics so as not to curse the show (I'm a tad on the superstitious side!) But, the artwork is starting to trickle in and I'm getting far too excited to contain it. The exhibition is one that I'm curating of other illustrator's work. You may ask, why would I want to promote other illustrators? Primarily because I had this great opportunity to be able to ask my absolute illustration heros who are far further in their careers than I am to be in the show. Then I got even luckier when they agreed to participate.

The theme of the show is illustrators working in traditional media (i.e. paint). The full title of the show, in fact, is "Paint for Print: Contemporary Illustration, Traditional Media". It's been in the works since about January of this year, although the idea was hatched even before that. It will have five original illustrations each by the following rock star illustrators: Ofra Amit, Shino Arihara, Gérard DuBois, Penelope Dullaghan, John Hendrix, Sterling Hundley, Aaron Jasinski, Robert MacKenzie, Joe Morse, and Gina Triplett.

For anyone who has been following illustration the past few years in the CommArts annuals, huge campaigns like the one for United Airlines, the Tashen Illustration Now series, pretty much any magazine, etc- you know who these people are and how amazing their work is.

As I mentioned, the work is trickling in (so far I have Ofra's and Aaron's), and it's inexplicably cool for me to hold these pieces that I've seen in print and be able to see the layers of paint in them, the surface of the paper (or wood in one case), the underpaint colors, the brushstrokes, the color choices, and the difference between the printed pieces and the originals. I have been absolutely geeking out on seeing these pieces in person and can't believe my incredible luck to bring them all to Chicago! I can't wait to see the rest, meet a few of the artists, and get the show up and looking amazing so that everyone else can see it.

It is still a month away, the show is from November 3 - December 16. I'm sure that I'll need to be gushing about it more before then.

See, I told you that I was excited :)

Oprah!

2008-09-21T15:16:00.002-07:00

I wanted to have a portrait of someone that everyone would know of in my book to show that I can do likenesses okay. I figured that Oprah's a safe choice (most people have heard of her, right?) I went a little messiah with it, but hey, it is Oprah.

party guests

2008-09-20T08:44:00.002-07:00

This takes place at 5 a.m. when the party has been over for 4 hours and there is a couple left who is drinking the rest of the party stock of beer and they won't leave until ALL the beer is gone!

Take it back!

2008-08-31T09:48:00.004-07:00

I have been keeping busy with freelancing and sending out mailings that are far more time consuming than they should be. I'm attempting to research every single place that I'm sending them out to, so it's not just a blind solicitation, but rather it's targeted to the people that are getting it. I see now why people send things out blindly and hope for the best. With a mailing of 200 or so, it's SO much research, writing, addressing, and coming up with new personalized things to say so that 5 contacts at the same company don't get the same message. I'm looking at it as planting seeds. Grossly time-consuming, labor-intensive seeds. Hopefully they'll do better than my cilantro plant from seed did and something will come of them. Also, the next time will be easier since my list will be built already.

It is a massive adjustment to have shifted my life to most of the time freelance. I am having a hard time carving out a schedule and having dedicated time to things (work, social, relaxing, exercise) to have some sort of balance- it's all kind of mushing together into one long day of everything. It's just such a shift from a job with designated hours to the job being ALL the time. I had experienced it before, but just not on this level. I am ironing it out though. It's only been a month, but I'm starting to figure out that it's okay to do things other than drawing, painting, and mailings all the time.

In the interim, This is a personal piece based on a concept from a song. Davey had worked with a band called the Box Social last year or so. In one of the songs, they refer to negative words that were said to someone as physical objects that the person needs to store. He talks about never taking (the things he said) back, and that the person has a nice collection of them. I thought that was a brilliant concept (they're a really good band), and this image is a friend literally taking back the crappy things that she said. Dave didn't know where I got the idea from and just saw the piece. I asked what he thought it was and he said that the blonde was her friend who was trying to clear up all the negative things that the girl on the right has heard so that she feels better. Which is close, and really a nicer way to look at it. It makes the word collector far more benevolent.

wig options

2008-08-03T17:06:00.003-07:00

past, present, future

2008-07-20T08:11:00.004-07:00

I got this idea from reading "The Timetraveler's Wife", which I had a really mixed reaction to. I really didn't like the idea that this man essentially took over his wife's life. Like, he met her and they fell in love, etc- but then he went back in time and hogged her to himself. He became her first and only boyfriend, the adult him went back in time and sexed the just legal her- it's kinda gross. If I found out that Dave went back in time to be my only boyfriend before I met him, it would totally tick me off. Like, that's just greedy, really. And, the character didn't go back in time and undo all his past relationships, did he now?

But, feminist concerns aside, the whole time traveling thing where he was visiting past and future selves was an idea that I got absolutely obsessed with, and all I could do was think about and draw myself and other characters hanging out with different versions of their selves in different times. I did a bunch of drawings of me giving myself advice. It's a really fun thought. If you could hang out with any version of yourself, who would it be? Your childhood self? Teenage? Future? Would I alter things, and if so, important events, or just bad haircuts?

So this is one of a bunch of drawings I did where the character's future self is essentially saving a tormented past version of herself. In this one, she's blue and floating away and her red knee high self is grounding her. There's a couple others that I may or may not get around to doing. I'm leery of all my ideas for doing work in a series since I lost interest in the big, grand "20 things to do before I die" project (of which I finished about 5 things) I'll get around to it one of these days, then with any luck, I can go back in time and leave the images there so my past self would've finished it way faster. She'd like that, I think.

Illustration Friday- enough

2008-07-19T21:31:00.004-07:00

So, it's a far more cynical take on an i.f. topic than I did last time. At first, I just thought of overindulging on food or drinks. Then black jack (no more hits- you have enough). Then I had a bad dream about a rough break up, and thought "enough" could easily be when one person has it and leaves.

I heart grannies

2008-07-11T19:00:00.004-07:00

So, during a particularly long el train commute home, I started doodling things that make me happy. Ice cream, margaritas, bicycles, not getting attacked by vampires, stuff like that. I also saw a very sweet elderly woman on the train and thought that without any exception that I can think of, I love grannies.

I emulate their style (well, maybe more 50's granny, I don't have any track suits or anything contemporary grannies wear). I aspire to have my handbag be as resourceful as a granny bag. They always have handbags that pretty much make them into McGyver. If you need a band-aid, prescription med, lip balm, coupon, snack, tissue... anything- it's in there. You could live for at least a day or two off of a good quality granny purse, and probably have a crossword or word search to pass the time as well.

So, I decided to full-on illustrate the doodle since it's such a profound truth in my life.

I heart grannies.

watercolor on gesso?!

2008-07-03T13:38:00.003-07:00

I have been fighting watercolors for over three years. After trying all different methods and techniques (pencil, pastel, watercolor, oils, guache, acrylic, marker, digital, etc), I found that I really enjoyed and did best at oils. They are, however, impractical for freelance illustration on the whole b/c of the slow drying time (unless you want a reverse image left on your scanner). I know, I could photo the work (photo degree and all...), but watercolors have just been easier. The problem is watercolors don't work like oils. You work the opposite way (light to dark vs dark to light), and it takes layers and layer and layer and layers of watercolor with blending mediums to get the look that I want. Which is, in all honesty, a little on the tedious side.

I got a bunk batch of mat board that didn't work for wc painting. it was super spongy and absorbent. The paint made the mat fibers swell up and the color clump in weird ways. So, I primed them thinking that I'd make some acrylics on them or something.

For giggles last night, I tried the bamboo pic w/ watercolor over the gesso'd boards, and I FLIPPIN LOVE IT! It's so much brighter than wc on absorbent boards, you can lift the paint back up if you want, and it'll only take a couple layers before turning into muck and not working at all. So, I've been experimenting, and used the normal graphite transfer that I do for the bamboo, drew with graphite straight on to the board for kitty, and drew with charcoal for the rock one. (all took just a little over an hour each- another serious advantage). The charcoal comes up into the paint, which could have its uses, but not for what I do usually. The other two are promising. I need to experiment more, before a eureka is in order, but I almost feel that my fight with the medium could be coming to an end...(or this is just a fun new thing to play with)

Mady- the cure for the blues

2008-07-01T12:18:00.003-07:00

I drew these so that I could spend some time staring at my cat. I'm always in awe of the perfection of animals- I know I sound like one of those freakshow people that has a pet monkey and treats it like their child, but really, animals are just so inherently beautiful.

Also, I had a crappy morning, so looking at Mady pics helps take the edge off of all that a tad. Also, she turns one year old on Friday, perhaps you'll catch one of the many nationwide firework displays being set off in honor of her birthday this weekend.

Yeah, I'm one of those freakshows, If I could have a monkey child, I probably would.

whirly birds

2008-06-28T19:38:00.004-07:00

It's whirly bird season. I guess it was more so about a week ago when I made the drawing for this, but still. They just crack me up. For one, they're amazing. It's such an immensely clever thing on the part of the tree. Wrap the seeds up in these little pouches, and put wings on them so they get carried far and can ensure that baby trees pop up everywhere, and the tree species lives on even if the mother (or father) tree doesn't. They're pretty brilliant.

Also, if you've ever seen Hitchhiker's guide (the movie from a few years ago)- there's a part where a whale is falling from space and thinking about the fall- I totally see that same thought process in the whirly birds. Like they're just ecstatic- and yelling and whooping all the whole way down, flipping around like they're having the best time of their lives.

Then they hit the ground and it's all over, poor things. Unless they sprout, I guess, or get immortalized in drawings and whirly bird tribute art.

let's see how far this takes us

2008-06-26T17:59:00.006-07:00

I've never really discussed my day job on my blog. Primarily in an effort to deny its existence. Not that it's a bad job by any means. It was as a full-time Exhibition Coordinator at c-spaces galleries in Columbia College Chicago. It paid pretty well, had awesome benefits (for both me and Davey), great people, sometimes really interesting work, great opportunities (such as the later to be discussed illustration show that I'm curating in fall). But it wasn't the place for me to stay anymore. I have held off going all freelance since graduating from school b/c I freelanced before, and I know how it can suck. Lack of work and late invoices are massively stressful. I was basically scared to try it. Which is absolutely no reason not to.

An amazing illustrator called Aaron Jasinski (who will be in the fall show) has a phenomenal image that sums up how I felt perfectly. It's on his old site (image # 38), http://www.aaronjasinski.com/oldsite.html and is called "moment of self doubt". It's of a superhero standing on top of an urban building looking apprehensively down with his cape flying in the wind. The caption is, "Jumping off buildings can be unnerving"

And it can. But, a number of things happened to put life into perspective lately, and I realized that we're here so briefly- there's no time to hesitate. Nothing fun ever happens when you're playing it safe.

So, I went to my boss, poured out my heart "I want to draw pictures all day", and gave up my full time job. She has been amazing about it! Everyone has, and really, how cool they're all being is a testament to why I stayed so long in something that I never intended to be my career. Most faculty and staff at the college are artists, musicians, dancers, and all around creative types. They all understand how art feeds your soul (to sound a little cheesy, but it's true). Everyone there wants to see that art can not only make you think, feel, and learn, but that they can also pay your bills. It's really a great place, and I love it there.

Still, I chucked it for drawing pictures. Which shows how much I must love to do that.

I was a the lakefront today sketching. I was making this image when some tourists walked by who didn't know quite where the bike path led. One said to the other, "Let's see how far this takes us". Which I thought was a brilliant metaphor for my recent decision. Let's see how far this takes us.

I wonder, though, how long they went before turning back. I was downtown at Balboa and the bike path actually goes north to Montrose. (a good 12 miles or so).

my new excuse for not posting

2008-05-02T10:04:00.005-07:00

This is Madeline aka Mady- we adopted her on April fools day. I am now a crazy cat lady.

Working while on Vicadin

2008-02-09T15:02:00.001-08:00

I got a call last week Friday from a client that I had done an ad for two years ago. The ad was for probably the most well-known mustard in the country (the fancy one that used to have the "pardon me.." ads). Myself and two other painter/ illustrators created 30" x 40" paintings from photos of dishes made w/ said mustard by famous chefs. It turns out that it's an annual campaign. Last year they used modded out photos, but this year they're back to paintings. Also, this year, I was asked to do all three, in different styles. Luckily I had to check my schedule to see if this was physically possible with all my other work. I called back to say it was, and in that time, they had asked another artist from the original ad to do one. Which I was initially bummed about, but later came to appreciate.

I went ice skating at Millennium Park with a friend. We've done this repeatedly this year, it's such a great escape in the middle of the day! I was wearing rental skates like always, but we went earlier than usual, so the ice hadn't been resurfaced yet. I choose to blame the ice for what comes next. I fell face forward (bracing myself with my hands)- twice. The first time was just a bit embarrassing, although I kind of like the falling down aspect of skating, and it was my first fall of the year. I did bruise my knees quite a lot, but I was fine. The second fall was different. I further bruised my knees and the ball of my right hand, but (after about 3 hours of pretending it was nothing and 4 waiting in the E.R.) I found out that I actually broke my left arm. Turns out (I found out this week at the follow-up doctor), it's fractured, not really broken. Like a huge crack in a vase versus a vase reduced to bits. I was so grateful that it was my left arm, not right, but the E.R. time, the doctor visit, and the doped up feeling/ nap times that I had going on were not good for my workflow!

Still, the paintings are done. On time. Which actually made me break into a fit of laughter about 15 minutes after finishing them. I felt insanely lucky to have pulled off 2- 24"x30" paintings with everything that happened in the past week! It was also weird to work in a different style (they were supposed to look like they had been done by 2 different artists). After three years of fighting to stick to one style, I had to now fight to come up with something that looked like I didn't do it (the gnocci dish w/ the red plate). I decided on flat, flat, flat- which I never do and really struggled with until the last few hours on the piece.

This whole week highlighted the potentially biggest problem with freelancing (bigger than money worries). There's no calling in sick (or fractured). I committed to these, and no one else could do them but me. That's scary, and then maddeningly fun when you manage to pull it off. I am just so thankful that I didn't break my right arm! I guess it would really be another style then! I also guess that the moral of the story is either to wear protective gear when skating before embarking on a large freelance project, or perhaps skip the skating altogether! (but where's the fun in that?!)

xmas in February

2008-02-09T14:56:00.000-08:00

This is it colored (I said that I'd put it up, I just didn't say when!) I colored it digitally w/ my spankin' new (at the time Wacom). I really haven't used it for a project since, but you never know when it'll come in handy!

The card was folded in to 3 so that you just saw the people buried in fashionable knitwear before discovering how they got that way. Happy Holidays!

2 in one day makes up for none for 3 months

2007-12-04T20:14:00.000-08:00

After three years of illustrating for clients, I may paint myself into an image. Or not. I was having a hard time w/ this figure for some reason, and needed to pose, use the digi timer and draw from that reference (no, I won't post the real photo of me- in costume- posing for this and smiling at the air). so, ordinarily I would alter "her" hair, ethnicity, features, etc. Tonight, I just drew me. So I may make a Hitchcock-esque cameo in the magazine this month. I guess if it were truly like Hitchcock, it would have to be a lot more subtle. Like being in the box or something.

bundled

2007-12-04T14:31:00.000-08:00

That's a preview of this year's holiday card (a detail). It's a logical progression of past year's cards. 2005 was a three image story of a silent movie-ish girl who finds a puppy in the snow and takes it home (theme: dogs- as well as giving, in this case a home). 2006 was a little girl sticking her tongue out to catch "snow" falling, which was coming from her father shredding ice in a tree above her (theme: kids- as well as giving- snow). This year, well, you'll have to guess. There's a kid and a dog, but it's more based around a third element. The other point of the triad of cool people and things in life (dogs, kids, and...) and, I'll post it after it's completely done and I've mailed them.

Illustration Friday- "visitor"

2007-08-25T11:46:00.000-07:00

It's my first ever IF participation! I had this guy in my sketchbook from awhile back and thought he deserved to be color. I was doodling and thought of all the things that could potentially confuse aliens about the human race, cupcakes would be right up there. Sure, he's "cartoony" (one of the main critiques I hear about my work is that I have more than one style). Whatever, I have a fricken day job at the moment, so I'll draw cartoons and realistic stuff and whatever else I feel like. Some may call it schizophrenic, I call it versatile. :)

the wonder drink and the shoulders of artists

2007-07-15T14:12:00.000-07:00

So, I just finished this for a client. They're off for the weekend, and could come back tomorrow very well hating it (it's not the usual that I do for them- full color watercolor). But I love it. For a couple reasons. I got to experiment, and it worked (always fun). And, I got to do my version of Davinci (which made for awesome research). AND I got to use a trick that I learned from another artist, Marcel Dzama who I saw because of his work on the Weakerthans CD. He was also in an exhibit at day job recently, which is where I read about the trick.

Here's the amazing thing. I heard a quote once from Sting about writing music. He said something to the effect of there being these ideas (I think it was Sting...) there's these ideas out there. And, his writing a song is done by tapping into these floating existing ideas (and then probably putting them through his personal filter of thought and language and experience), but this idea is that no single person is the ultimate source of a creative act, that it's a universal thing and that coming up with brilliant creative ideas is simply tapping into something that exists already. That you're almost a vessel in a way, explaining the sort of trance-like medatative state that a lot of artists go into when making work.

So, this piece wasn't that, but I think Sting has a brilliant idea (hence the worldwide fame and riches, I guess). I brought it up because I heard that and it was like finding out the perfect explanation for something. If it's not true, it's at least a beautiful thought. But, yeah, so I brought it up because I think artists rely on things that aren't necessarily tangible. And, some that are.

In my case this week, it was something tangible. I love the Weakerthans music, and they're responsible for my finding and reading Howard Zinn. They're so so wonderful (and have a new CD in September). Marcel Dzama did art for their last cd Reconstruction Site (brilliant). And, in the porfolio of work at the gallery last month, he said that he uses coffee to paint with.

So, I had to tone paper to look antiqued for this, and tried the coffee thing. Could coffee get any better than the tasty goodness I live for every morning? Yeah! The color it makes (this may be placebo from knowing it's made of coffee) is so warm and beautiful! I LOVED it! And then, just to make everything authentic, I used blood for ink. NO, I didn't. I mixed ink though, and used a freakin' quill for the whole drawing! (I've been real immersed in the Harry Potter world, perhaps that had something to do with it). Mostly I wanted to mimic the line variance that Davinci would have had. Incendently, use caution when cleaning those things, I stabbed my finger with the point-no beuno.

This is quite discursive today. The point is, I love when things come only from my head (or from the floaty idea universe). But, I also think it's really f-ing cool to stand on the shoulders of kick ass artists and use their techniques and secrets to make something of my own. In short, this piece was awesomely fun (even if I end up making a totally different color version for the client). And, I drank my "paint" afterward, which almost never usually happens.

070707 (best date ever)

2007-07-07T21:43:00.000-07:00

Yet another new mark (logoish thing, I hate calling it a logo when it's for me... it's so corporate). I have only gotten through about 1/5 of my old business cards, and I'm ditching that look. It's (hey, this came up last week!) vector, so not appropriate for what I do now. I did it that was for ease of repro, but f-that. This is cuter anyway (says me)

So, I can hardly contain myself. July is full of loveliness. First, HP5 movie (order of the phoenix)- the ending of which I may have to leave for popcorn during, but still). Then- Davey's bday, camping trip, Henry's first bday, BOOK SEVEN release (omg), and the new Tegan and Sara release.

In other news, I love the movie "Driving Lessons" and feel that it may be the case that I will just love anything Rupert Grint is in ever. And, I can't stop listening to the sweet snarkiness of Lily Allen, which I really didn't expect to like- let alone adore.

Old movies and illustrations

2007-06-28T17:48:00.000-07:00

I made this image in 2004 or so. I no longer really do vector stuff (with the exception of a recent bday portrait for a friend). After trying it out, it went the way of soft pastels and woodcuts; fun to try, but not my artistic destiny. This Audrey image, however needed to be dragged out of the back up drive and dusted off in honor of my netflixing "How to Steal a Million" (so freakin' cute).

I got into old movies when I was about sixteen (just a few years ago...), and found all of my favorites had Katherine Hepburn in them (no, that wasn't a typo- I meant Katherine). In my pure obsession with her films, I kept finding Audrey Hepburn movies which were of a later period than the ones I was really into, but after getting through most of KH's- I rented "Sabrina".

While she really couldn't be more different from her unrelated namesake, I was then far more obsessed with every thing she ever did. Funny Face (which also tapped into my photo obsession w/ the Avedon pics), Roman Holiday, Charade, omg... just all so so brilliant. I have next to zero interest in celebrities (although I do linger in the grocery aisle to gawk at Angelina a tad more than I'm comfortable with), but AH is someone worthy of worship.

I was, however, seriously annoyed when that awful song about Breakfast At Tiffany's came out in the nineties (far after I was cool enough to adore AH). And then the awful bios and homage photo shoots with twats like Jennifer Bunk Ass I don't look like Audrey Hepburn in my dizziest daydreams Hewett, and Give me a f-ing break you should burst into flames for trying to wear a black boatneck and pass yourself off as classy Nicole Richhoebag. And those gap ads...sheesh! It all just smacks of a lazy cultural tendency to purloin things awesome and turn them into a brand.

Am I an Audrey purist snob? Oh, yeah.

"When I'm through with you, you'll look like- what do you call beautiful? A tree. You'll look like a tree."

If this were a tamagotchi- it'd be dead.

2007-05-26T20:30:00.000-07:00

So, I'm not the best blog mom in the world. I also haven't been producing as much work, therefore, not a lot to update on. I have some client work going on now, a fun one where I get to recreate/ mock Alice in Wonderland, which is awesome. I have 1/4 of the "things to do.." project done, but am inventing all these other side projects lately, which I think is a form of procrastination (or the definition of it, one of the two).

In totally un illustration news- I did see Morrissey since we last spoke, which was phenomenal!! We were 2 rows of people away from the stage, he sang How Soon is Now? and many other lovlies (Boy with a thorn in his side, panic, everyday is like sunday, etc). I think perhaps it's because I was so obsessed with him when I was younger (13-17 or, um... till now, really), but he's one of a couple people, he's #1 on the list of a couple people that I still have on that pedestal of teenage idolizing and adoring. I have no concept of him being an actual person. In fact, it was slightly disconcerting that I was so close to him and could see that this is the case. It helped, though, that he was raised up above us on stage and therefore, I still had to look up to him like the mythic figure that he is. (I told you- I'm a zealot). I would never never want to meet him and have that bubble burst. I would, however, be one of the freaks who has him sign my arm in a sharpee and then get it tattooed on me. Yup, that is the power of Morrissey. He's just so good at being... Morrissey!

These pictures here are one of the aforementioned procrastination projects. 2 minute flowers. I may switch to dogs soon, to see if I can do 2 minute drawings of dogs. Or I could get back to the work that I'm getting paid for and the never ending before I die one too...

A day in the life

2007-05-06T12:38:00.000-07:00

Sheesh, a month since I wrote last? It's been that long that my head's been fried... yikes! The head frying was from a combo of freelance jobs, day job mega monolith install, and general blueness and stress. I was quite close to burning out. I was still functioning, but not happy about it (see self portrait). I'd love to write only about how fabulous life is, but sometimes it's just not. Sometimes it's just too stressfull and tedious and grown up and lacking in fun. That was the past few weeks for me. There were glimmers of good and fun and happy. But a lot of the mucky shit too. C'est la vie, oui?

As some sort of creative excercise, I took the digi to work with me to document my day. There were about 200 pictures, and I stopped once the cta seriously messed up my commute home and I was too grumpy to continue ( I was still waiting for transit out of the loop about an hour after getting out of work).But, the photo taking- it was really interesting. It was so photo 101, I was noticing things that are there every day that I've never seen before. The photo of the street is one of my favorites from the day. It was taken from the train platform looking down at the people crossing the street. I think the guy's shadow looks like a zombie when you turn the picture 90 degrees clockwise (as I did here). Apt. If not specifically for him, then just for my mood that day.

And the Dos Equis pic is how the day ended (after my commute home took 2 hours... it's usually 40 minutes or so). But, I am happy to report that 1) I have the best husband in the world, who has been on a cooking spree, which RULES! and 2) I'm back to painting and feeling as if the slump has passed. So I should be posting again before June.

going once?

2007-04-08T14:24:00.000-07:00

So, it's late notice, as the actual event happened on the 6th, but I had a piece in an art auction for Lumpen magazine. They were starting every work at 1 dollar, and I'd love to report that mine went for hundreds, but I actually have no idea if it even made it to $1.50, as I wasn't there. It was mom's b-day the 5th, so I was far from the south side of Chicago (in the south side of Milwaukee) that night. I seriously wish I would have known the date (I found out the afternoon before while I was driving to mke), not only to see my stuff since I had seen that already, but the participating artists were in large part all columbia alums, most of whom I've worked with on shows at the day job. I would have loved to see their new work there. But, Milwaukee was fun too. I got quality birthday/ Easter/ baby time in, so it was worth it.

In other (on-time) news, I'm one of 5 featured artists on a lovely website called "Five Fold Ink" (see link to the right). It's an awesome card/ designy place that has a heart of gold and donates 10% of their profits to a different charity every month. I also heard a rumor that they're written up in Time Out Chicago this week as well, which is rad, because I have it on good authority that at least one of the owners is a peach and deserves all the great attention that he's getting! Incidently, my work being on there is what I was talking about last week (the super secret I wont shut up about). You can also find trapeze man below in his natural habitat.

I've taken days off from painting, and my art supplies are calling... Happy Easter if you're celebrating it, otherwise... Happy Sunday!

all work and no play...

2007-04-01T16:44:00.000-07:00

Means I get a lot of shit done. This three day weekend was 12 hours Friday, 13 Saturday, and 8 today (so far) spent painting/ drawing/ scanning/ etc. But, I got 7 pieces done, and the time absolutely races while I'm working like this. I like it a lot, but I'm really antsy, and it'd be great to have a weekend to look forward to after all of this work in lieu of a workweek... but I have three images for a client, and four for a super secret surprise project that I won't shut up about it actually happens.

I am, however, for now, keeping what those four are for a secret, but I can say what the images are. They are four illustrated ways of getting a kite out of a tree (single engine airplane, trapeze, trampoline, and floating on a bunch of balloons- the four most logical solutions). they're elaborated train doodle ideas that I did while concepting the live painting idea from last fall (the product of that night is still m.i.a-grr....) This guy is a preview (out of context, don't want to give away too much).

Anyway, I'd babble more, but I am bona fide stir crazy at this point and must escape the apartment! Now that I'm pretty much done working for the weekend (eesh... insert loverboy song there), it's nice and grey and windy out. Maybe I should just paint more...

indoor kid

2007-03-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

So now that the weather is getting nicer, I'm starting to feel the pain of being disciplined. Because of my commitment to working on the weekends, I missed Kuub today. B to the S. But, I did get these lovely cupcakes done for a show in Hyde Park today (don't know when or where yet, I was just invited, and made the work). They're small, but I do like them. They're from drawings that I did for thank you cards a good year ago. (pays to be a pack rat).

I am lucky enough to have an accommodating husband and set of friends. Rather than cook out at their place, they've brought the party here while I update my site and finish my work.

I also got a new painting for grant project done yesterday. 3 down, 17 to go (what an awful way to put it)!

I had a bit of a setback of sorts last week. I was really stacking eggs in the basket of storyboarding, and met up w/ a potential client and was not at all into it. It reminded me about my aversion to advertising, and left me feeling very discontented. Oh well, I'm sort of systematically ruling out all of the things that don't work (and still waiting to see what does... that pays as well)

I'm on a panel discussion this week. First time for me, I'm offering up my views as a working artist. I'm not generally down w/ public speaking, but want to get over that, as well as do a reciprocal favor for the invitee who has been a peach to me many a time.

Btw, Ira (and Sarah Vowell and David Rakoff and Dan Savage) couldn't have been better. I love This American Life so much it hurts! Now I just need a friend with Showtime!

Eternal Guiness

2007-03-11T16:52:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday was spent very unproductively trying to make a slip for a new party dress. It was an abysmal failure and waste of the evening. I keep thinking that I can sew and then my creations just flaunt my inablilities in my face and give me a big raspberry.

So today (a small part of it) was spent drawing "storyboards". More reverse storyboards since they were for an existing movie! But I'll be needing to prove my ability to do it, and wanted to practice fast stuff, so I gave myself 10 minutes each for 8 and drew what I believe to be one of the top 10 movies of all time (Eternal Sunshine). I only posted 1/2 of them b/c at 10 minutes each, I wasn't fully proud of all 8! But, that's life in the fast... whatever.

If I sound slightly stupid today it's b/c I refrained from any bit of alcohol for a month. Probably the first such experiment in a good 8 years or so. In my outdoor adventures today, I picked up Guiness to welcome my liver back to the world of the sauce. If you ever want to lessen your alcohol expenses, I suggest doing this abstinence thing for a month. Where I could drink 4 Guinesses before with barely any effect, I've had one and feel downright loopy. I must say though, that first sip of creamy guinessness was well worth a month wait.

it's hard to draw w/ your fingers crossed

2007-03-10T13:01:00.000-08:00

CommArts entry... take two! Last year I entered Communication Arts illustration annual, and they must have blinked while my images were being projected b/c I didn't get picked. This year, babies and penguins were entered. At the least, I can write off the $60 entry fee and $17 fedex expense. Still, I'm hoping for the best (hence the finger crossage).

This, btw is "#8 Stand in A Bunch of Penguins (Preferably in the Wild)". This is the one that I mentioned I now have 3 different versions of. But, this is the final- no more (unless I get that wacom tablet, I may give it a go digitally).

I did much of nothing in the way of drawing and painting last week b/c of a whirlwind of installing exhibitions at work. They came out well (Word2 and Sketchy at Columbia), but they pooped me out. I was zombified every evening, but did see the Motorcycle Diaries which was beautiful (slow, but beautiful). Ah, Gael...

This weekend I hope to have another in the series done (I'm way behind on my self imposed deadline of April 1st, unless I don't leave the house until then). It is however all springy springy outside, and Kuub beckons...

I have a coveted meeting w/ a potential freelance client soon and am also busy stacking all of my eggs into that basket this weekend. I may do some marker work since that's their forte. Again with the finger crossage!

one step forward, two steps back

2007-02-24T09:21:00.000-08:00

So, I had a project epiphany. I was doing twenty canvases. Acrilic on canvas. Because I missed the medium. Four paintings into it, though, I really realized that the illustrations weren't at home there. They didn't like the bumps on the canvas, they missed the translucency of watercolor. They longed to get scribbled over. Which made me blue. For the simple reason that I was 20% done w/ the project. But just for grins and giggles, I decided to do babies on board w/ watercolor. Just to see. And- that's the ticket!

I like it on board. Which means that I'm back to square one in a sense because I'm not using the canvas ones. And it means that I'll have 3 penguin paintings since the first was in oil, the second in acrylic and now wc. But whatever. For one, it should go faster b/c this is what I do all the time, and for two, who can't use multiple penguin paintings?

In other news, Next Thursday, my Chicago dream will come true. I will see Ira in person. This American Life live in person, in the same room with my storytelling hero Mr. Glass. I just love that show so much. If I had a dollar for every sentence I started with, "there's this This American Life where...", well, then I'd have enough money to stay home and paint with watercolors on board all day!

baby

2007-02-13T18:36:00.000-08:00

there are no straight lines in babies

2007-02-11T08:14:00.000-08:00

Whoever said that there are no straight lines in nature had just drawn a baby.

One of the paintings for my project (that I've been seriously procrastinating with- which is beneficial to my apartment b/c it's very clean) one of them involves painting many babies. Luckily, one of my best friends just had the most perfect baby in the universe, so I arranged a playdate for Friday to take some reference photos. I took 163 of them, and have been drawing him since yesterday. It's remarkable.

For one, babies are difficult to draw. It's very easy to make them either cartoony, or if they're realistic, they look sort of otherworldly, or like a tumbling kitten painted on velvet (ooh, if you haven't seen it, look at the book, "Happy Bunny Kitty Pony"). Everything is a curve on a baby. It's so funny. legs are arcs, the whole body is usually in one or two circles. The outside of a foot is an oval. I think, along with the big eyes, that's a signature component to cuteness~ circles and curves. Loopy, curvy, rounded, cuteness. It's just interesting.

Two other quick notes. For one, I need a rep. I bid on a book job (50 illustrations) for what I thought was bargain basement red tag sale blue light price. I lost out b/c I was too expensive. So yeah... I think that I'll actually try to get one now. It's a bit intimidating, it's like dating. I want to find someone compatable.

The other thing is how much I heart the movie "the Science of Sleep". I wish Michel Gondry had made dozens like this and Eternal Sunshine to add to my queue. Then again, if he had I wouldn't have time to be drawing babies.

Girl in a Bubble & Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

2007-01-28T00:39:00.000-08:00

Finally taking a break (to sleep) after 14 hours of working. My right hand is getting permanently cramped into the pencil/ brush holding position that it assumes all day every day lately. Which, is actually kind of convenient, I guess. Almost finished 2 Journal illustrations today.

Man, I have nothing good to say after living in isolation for 2 days...

The Changes reference is a secret or will be for now b/c my body just realized it's almost 3am and I just don't do that (sober) anymore.

night.