I'm not sure what I'll do with this quite yet, or what color combinations would work best. Suggestions?
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Geometric Patterns
After I saw this call for geometric pattern submissions at print & pattern, I began sketching a variety of shapes. I soon realized that many of my shape combinations looked a lot like my old ghetto blaster. So I made several.
I'm not sure what I'll do with this quite yet, or what color combinations would work best. Suggestions?
I'm not sure what I'll do with this quite yet, or what color combinations would work best. Suggestions?
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Little house sketch
A quick sketch today, while my son played at the playground. My little imaginary house...
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
The Global Talent Search
Yesterday was the submission deadline for the much-anticipated Lilla Rogers' Studio Global Talent Search. As a recent student of her Make Art That Sells course, I was automatically enrolled in the contest. All I needed to do was make the art.
First, I must say that I am huge fan of the artists Lilla represents, and to be among them would be an absolute dream for me. A life-changing, enormous deal. After recently taking her class, I can see why such amazing talent would want to work with her. I can't remember feeling more inspired and encouraged by a single person. Lilla has an immense gift. She is a Wow.
The Talent Search assignment was to create a 5x7 journal cover with a playground theme, also including the word "journal." While preparing my submission over the past two weeks, I felt intense pressure, because I so deeply want to be a finalist, and my biggest battle was allowing the joy of art-making to make its way into my work.
On the last day before the deadline, many thanks to my almost-five year old son, I was able to do so. Created with watercolor, ink pen, graphite transfer and a bit of digital collage, this piece is called "Vintage Playground, Rocket Memory," and is based on a memory from childhood in Omaha, Nebraska. I feel that my joy really came through.
My non-type variation is below, followed by two different styles of lettering for 'Journal':
First, I must say that I am huge fan of the artists Lilla represents, and to be among them would be an absolute dream for me. A life-changing, enormous deal. After recently taking her class, I can see why such amazing talent would want to work with her. I can't remember feeling more inspired and encouraged by a single person. Lilla has an immense gift. She is a Wow.
The Talent Search assignment was to create a 5x7 journal cover with a playground theme, also including the word "journal." While preparing my submission over the past two weeks, I felt intense pressure, because I so deeply want to be a finalist, and my biggest battle was allowing the joy of art-making to make its way into my work.
On the last day before the deadline, many thanks to my almost-five year old son, I was able to do so. Created with watercolor, ink pen, graphite transfer and a bit of digital collage, this piece is called "Vintage Playground, Rocket Memory," and is based on a memory from childhood in Omaha, Nebraska. I feel that my joy really came through.
My non-type variation is below, followed by two different styles of lettering for 'Journal':
Monday, July 8, 2013
Drawing again
As recently as a year ago, I told a friend that I just didn't love drawing anymore. I remember feeling sad about saying this, but since I haven't drawn much in the past 10 years, I felt it was probably true.
Five weeks ago, however, when I started my amazing class with Lilla Rogers, I found myself not only loving it, but craving it. I began carrying a sketchbook and an ink pen again, everywhere. I have been drawing the shapes of the hardware in a subway car, my shoe laces, my son's face as he plays iPad. I have also begun drawing from my imagination, which, outside from my childhood, I don't do much of. And this is where I've begun to find some unexpected joy -- in my imagination. How cool of a (re-)discovery after all these years.
For this week's assignment (the last one of Part A), we focused on the gift market and created a zipper bag with a "lush" or "hyper-lush" design. Popping colors, florals, fantastical or dreamy subjects, lusciousness. Because I enjoyed my first assignment so thoroughly, I decided to also draw this design with a black pen and an 8.5 x 11 sheet of printer paper. I scanned it in, added color, and moved the elements around. The first image here is the one I submitted, but I really loved creating the bottom two as well, so I thought I'd include them here.
Five weeks ago, however, when I started my amazing class with Lilla Rogers, I found myself not only loving it, but craving it. I began carrying a sketchbook and an ink pen again, everywhere. I have been drawing the shapes of the hardware in a subway car, my shoe laces, my son's face as he plays iPad. I have also begun drawing from my imagination, which, outside from my childhood, I don't do much of. And this is where I've begun to find some unexpected joy -- in my imagination. How cool of a (re-)discovery after all these years.
For this week's assignment (the last one of Part A), we focused on the gift market and created a zipper bag with a "lush" or "hyper-lush" design. Popping colors, florals, fantastical or dreamy subjects, lusciousness. Because I enjoyed my first assignment so thoroughly, I decided to also draw this design with a black pen and an 8.5 x 11 sheet of printer paper. I scanned it in, added color, and moved the elements around. The first image here is the one I submitted, but I really loved creating the bottom two as well, so I thought I'd include them here.
Friday, July 5, 2013
Painting again (Welcome back!)
This week's assignment for Lilla Rogers' class was about wall art, with a focus on collage, paint, layers, and text. Our color palette was limited to neutrals, plus the colors of our birth sign. I'm a Taurus (May), and my colors were green and yellow.
I'm a somewhat messy artist, but because I've been working out of our bedroom, I don't go nuts very often anymore. But this week, I did not hold back, and I pulled out art supplies that I haven't used in years. It felt tremendous to just sit down and paint, and to smear around so many layers of oil pastels that my finger nails were caked with the colored oil for days. I kept saying to myself, "Welcome back."
I'm a somewhat messy artist, but because I've been working out of our bedroom, I don't go nuts very often anymore. But this week, I did not hold back, and I pulled out art supplies that I haven't used in years. It felt tremendous to just sit down and paint, and to smear around so many layers of oil pastels that my finger nails were caked with the colored oil for days. I kept saying to myself, "Welcome back."
Monday, June 24, 2013
Hand lettering
This week's assignment for my class with Lilla Rogers was about children's books. Everyone was to create a cover or a spread for Hans Christian Andersen's tale, The Snail and the Rose Tree, with character development and hand-lettering as our focus.
Although I pretty much choked on developing my characters, I spent a ton of time on hand-lettering. I absolutely love illustrations with hand-lettering, but I never felt I'd be very good at it, and I found this part of the assignment to be extremely rewarding. I've already incorporated some of the lettered styles I created into my current children's book illustrations, and it felt great!
A bit of what I made this week:
Although I pretty much choked on developing my characters, I spent a ton of time on hand-lettering. I absolutely love illustrations with hand-lettering, but I never felt I'd be very good at it, and I found this part of the assignment to be extremely rewarding. I've already incorporated some of the lettered styles I created into my current children's book illustrations, and it felt great!
A bit of what I made this week:
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