New Vision, New Perspective...and Mixed Emotions

Day after day I have taken one step after another, moving forward through life toward this demand or that goal.  For so many wonderful, fulfilling years, these goals and demands have been deeply rooted in family and parenthood. 

Our children - ages 4, 11, almost 15, and 18 - continue to grow and are in various stages of independence.  This reality comes with twinges of sadness for what is to come as one by one they pull away from the nest (just today, my oldest informed me of his plans to enlist).  But, I also realize that my art has been patiently waiting to slide into any empty spaces as they open up. I will always be a mom no matter how old they get - they have been, and continue to be, my inspiration and idea-generators.  These years of family experiences have given me a wealth of  insight and motivation.  And, really, it's not over yet.  The 4 year old is already proving to be a fountain of potential stories.  And, I have to think ahead.  An illustration career doesn't develop overnight.

As soon as I made the official declaration - that NOW is the time to establish myself as an illustrator - I see all of my past doodles, drawings, paintings, and projects with a more critical eye.  Are they representative of my best work?  Are they up to the level of a professional illustrator?

Delete...delete...delete...redo...redo...redo...

If you have visited my blog before, you'll notice that the look has changed.  It didn't pass the test - time for a more thoughtful upgrade.  I was hard-pressed to find a colorful image to put up top, so my over-stuffed house will have to do for now.  But, I'm still working it out - we'll call it a 'work in progress.'

Forgive My Absence...But, It's Time For Some New Releases!

I've found it very difficult to get to the creative work recently - it's always hard this time of year with the ending of the school year and trying to get things completed, the end of the Family CoOp and related celebrations, the end of spring soccer seasons and it's related celebrations...if I never have another pizza it will be too soon!!!

"Spring" Signed, Limited Edition giclee print on paper
of original pencil drawing, 9"x12" $50.00

Anyway, during this hiatus from actual art production, I did manage to FINALLY have some new prints made!  They are lovely quality giclee prints from the only place around here that seems to do them (and Les does a wonderful job) - Palette Arts in Nipomo.  They are available directly through me (if you want a signed limited edition, quality guaranteed) or through my site at Fine Art America (which would not be signed and they print on demand on various sizes and surfaces, however I am unable to check the quality against the original - looks good on screen, though).

I'm sure long-time visitors will recognize the drawing above - the first to be released in a series of 4 seasonal drawings.  Obviously, this one represents spring - my goal is to try and release a new one during each season until the series is complete.

"Tweet" Signed, Limited Edition giclee print on paper
of original gouache painting, 6"x 8" $40.00

#2 in the series

#1 in the series

You'll also recognize this little guy - part of a series of 3 kid-friendly, primary color images that were originally done in gouache.

"Still" Signed, Limited Edition giclee print on paper
of original acrylic painting, 9"x 12" $55.00  OR  16" x 20" $65.00

Of course, my favorite is the recent painting "Still."

Last but not least, I have some 9"x12" prints of the chef study that I used for the mural.

A Project in the Works...

I'm surprised that it's already halfway through July!  I feel like I'm still in "school mode" as I've been organizing and cataloging the home library and doing A LOT of planning for the next year.  I guess I'll be happy come August and I'm ready to go.  I just hope I can settle into some art, now.

Well, at least I have 2 weeks of art classes to teach starting next week.  AND, I have been working of the design for my first commissioned mural project (so I guess I've gotten a little art in).  The design was just approved and I will be ordering paints, getting it sketched on the wall (hoping to borrow a projector to expedite that step), and then making it happen.  I don't want to share too much - you'll have to wait and see the completed work.  However, I will share this little quick study from the design.

These kids are just a teensy-weensy (but important) part of the mural.  They'll appear in it, although not in that configuration.  So, there.  That's all for now - I'll share more when it's completed.

Next in the Series...

As I mentioned before, I'm taking an illustration "class" at the local city college. There's not really instruction - it's more about pursuing our own projects and bouncing ideas off of each other.

The paintings I shared recently were studies done for my project. Part of my goal is to practice working with acrylics while creating a sort of memoir. The idea sprung from the fact that my oldest just turned 13, which made me think of when I was that age...and the series of decisions (good and poor) that followed. Through the illustration of single words, the series will reflect where I was around that age, the various stages and struggles that I passed through the following years, and will end at the point I am fast approaching - when my own child will have to step out and face those same struggles and decisions. You hope they won't make the same mistakes!

One neat thing is that I went through some old drawings from my late teens (early college days) and found a couple that would be great for some of the words I chose to illustrate (shown above). I like that I can take something from the actual time period I want to represent. The picture shown here was done over 20 years ago (obviously before I started working with a much wider tonal range). I will pull from it and tweak it a bit to illustrate the next word/stage - "Lure."

Why I'm not in the studio...

Things have been rather hectic for the last couple days. My youngest was swinging from a tree branch and fell on her arm Monday night before bed. She seemed OK at first, so I planned on taking her to the doctor first thing Tuesday morning. However, when I checked on her in the middle of the night she was clearly uncomfortable and her elbow had swelled up quite a bit.

Soooooo, it was off to the emergency room at 2:00 a.m. We didn't get home until about 3:30 (the middle of the night is the ideal time to go to the ER - no wait). Of course, then it took a while to fall asleep. I've been a zombie ever since.

So, no drawings to share. Just a picture of my little monkey sporting a splint. The X-rays showed a small fracture. We have another doctor visit to see if she needs an actual cast.

A Little Less Talk and A Lot More Action...

Easter Vacation is here(ish). Well, I think the schools take off after a half-day tomorrow and then the whole next week. We've finished math, spelling, and science units - no need to start new ones at this point. The kids are doing some work on their projects for the Science and History Fair coming in April - painting models, building dioramas, planting seeds - fun stuff. There's little help they need from me at this point.

Sooooooooooo, that means TIME OFF FOR MAMA! Now, I can spend some chunks of my days actually working on some illustration stuff - in between cups of juice, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, etc. (and you know 3 kids can't ever ask for it at the same time - they have to wait until I get settled and then ask separately).

And, since I keep mentioning my 3 kids in this post, I guess I'll share a page from my sketchbook done last fall sometime (they're not my kids obviously - just another doodle).



While I've been blogging up a storm, I've really only included works that are sort of recent (and a couple from a long time ago). I've had little time to work on anything new. Hopefully, I will have something new to share very soon.