Cat foot

I unpacked my acrylic paints a few days ago and decided to make some new textures on canvas. Without intending to, I created another Midwestern landscape. So, I added some ghostly/dreamy hay bales. Archer wants me to add a man inside a tractor, but I'm liking its calmness right now, and I'm not sure what I'll add next.

While taking a picture of this stage of the painting, no matter where I went, my cat, Milla, insisted on putting her paw in the shot. For now, I'll call this, "Nebraska With Hay Bales and Milla Foot."

My latest order from Skreened.com

Yesterday, I received onesies from my Big Bridge Studios shop on skreened.com -- "Rocket Memory" and "Boom Boxes." Once again, Skreened did an excellent job. The colors are clear, and the line work, though digitally printed, looks great. I'll be sending these off to my friends with new babies in the morning!

All designs are also available in various toddler and adult sizes and colors. Please visit http://skreened.com/bigbridgestudios for more information, or feel free to contact me at kendra.shedenhelm (at) gmail.com.

Just a quick sketch today

Home and homes.

More collaborations with Archer

As I've mentioned, my five year old and I collaborate on art projects quite frequently. We generally begin with some sort of painting, and then we forget about it for awhile. Weeks or months later, one of us will find what we'd started and add to it using another medium.

Below is a painting that we created together, that I later picked up and penciled on some birds.

I then cut it into a postcard shape and laminated it with packing tape. I experimented with some sewing (in lieu of the Great Stitched Postcard project), but I became discouraged, and I put it away.

Archer ran across it a couple of weeks later and thought the stitched buildings were fascinating. He immediately asked for a Sharpie, and drew "buildings with portals" hovering above my pink brownstone.

Although it's not complete (Archer has a few ideas about what to add next), I adore how my son saw a story in this, when I was ready to throw it in the trash.

I will post again once its finished.

Foxes

I've started a new book illustration project this week, and this one features a fox. Not a cuddly fox, but a rascally one, and I've been drawing, painting, and collaging foxes like crazy trying to find my character.

Though I decided against this more painterly fox below, I found him quite beautiful, and I think I'll keep him around for some other ideas.

Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap

Last week, I stitched my first postcard for the Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap. How strange it was to compose a scene so slowly, thread in, thread out. It was difficult for me at times, because I wasn't exactly sure where it was going, but I also found it quite calming.

My recipient was a woman in Australia. I'm not sure if she's received it yet, but I hope it makes her feel like home is a good place to be.

I am finally posting my fired piece from the Painted Pot (I posted the unfired tile here several weeks ago). It turned out better than I'd even expected -- colors were so bright, and all of my erase lines and scratches are still in there. It was my first painted tile, and I loved it so much, I'm considering a series. Any suggestions on products/glazes/local studios are very welcome.