Awesomeness all around AKA December is here?!?

Thanksgiving was spent in warm, sunny Florida where my boyfriend and I WENT TO UNIVERSAL STUDIOS ISLANDS OF ADVENTURES AND SAW THE HARRY POTTER WORLD! Even though my fandom for the series has settled into a comfortable fondness (10 years ago I would have been one of those fans who had to buy the t-shirt....and the scarf...and the hat...etc, etc), I truly enjoyed seeing the series brought to life. Plus, the tiny kids in wizard robes were adorable (note: those robes are $100 each. Mom and Dad's bank account was hurting after that vacation). It was so crowded that we did not get to venture into the stores, just the rides (since we were staying at a hotel on site, our room key got us to the front of the lines, baby!). I hope to post some pictures soon.

Now I'm back in Providence, and it's mind-boggling how much stuff I have to do before I go home for Christmas! My RISD and Montserrat students are finishing up their semester, I have some commissions to take care of, and there is a secret project I'm starting (shh) for a company in NYC. Oh, and let's not forget holiday shopping! Still have to get those gifts...

Respect The Mullet!

Currently I am trying to get a new 5"x7" mailer made. One was just sent out with Sedna on the front (see post below), but I usually try to make two different mailers so that I can attract different clients. I had sketched out "Mullet" a long time ago and shelved it only to come across the sketch again a year or two later. It was something that I found silly and fun (and it also featured a guy- something that I could always use more of in my portfolio), so it's the "other" mailer this time around. I'm hoping the different flavor might attract some new art directors.

The Giant Fox

I'm so happy to announce that I have received my copy of Oh, Comely that includes my Lost & Found piece. The UK magazine is beautifully published, and I love the overall look and feel of it (online mags will never have that satisfying weight to them, ya know?). The current issue of Utne Reader also has an editorial piece from me (Nelson Mandela is on the cover!), so take a peek if you come across it. I produced a spot illustration for them, but I hope in the future to do a nice, meaty big one-page illustration or spread and give them a big dose of Minco.

For now, please enjoy a new piece I have done called The Giant Fox. It s based off of an inside joke/story between my boyfriend and I. At night, The Giant Fox come down from Boston and pokes his head in our apartment window. He has a giant basket which is full of treats (sometimes beer, pizza, or tea depending) and we enjoy the goodies until he returns. We're huge dorks.

Brains!

My favorite piece I painted for the RISD sale!

It's Cocoa Season

I'm so happy I can show something new! Lately I have had several projects finished, but I can't show anything because they haven't been published by the clients, etc. So while I'm waiting for those illustrations to come out to the world, I will treat you to this piece. It is based on an Inuit Creation Story about Sedna, a giantess who grows so large and hungry that her parents are forced to throw her into the sea. According to the myth, she now provides the people with food during the fishing season.

The future projects I hope to post soon include an illo for UK's Oh, Comely Magazine, a piece for a solar energy convention, and a spot illustration for Utne Reader.

On another note, I will be present at the RISD Alumni Art Sale this Saturday, October 9th. It's held in Providence along Benefit Street. If you are in the area please stop by!

Fall is sneaking up on me...

I have been BUSY this past month, but only have one thing to show right now. At least he's peppy (and already has his puffy vest and long sleeves for Fall!).

Just finished an illustration for Utne Reader. I got to work with their awesome Art Director Stephanie Glaros. I will be able to post the image when it comes out (Novemberish).

Today I am finishing up an image for a new magazine in the UK called Oh Comely. I have a lot of freedom with this one, so it should be interesting. The theme is "found things" and is about discovery. Oooooo...

“Did you know that you wanted to go to art school?”

Me with my Basic Design students, RISD PC Illustration Majors

Even though it’s been a while since I last posted, it’s not due to a lack of things to talk about. Five RISD pre-college classes and 71 students brought a lot of great projects, silly moments, and a few heart to heart talks with unsure young artists who are trying to answer that all important question that is dominating their existence at the moment: what do I study in college?? Many assumed the six week program would answer that question crystal clear… and for some that did happen. For others, however, the whirlwind and intensity of the semester just confused them even more. It’s amazing how often I heard the same question thrown my way:

“Did you know that you wanted to go to art school?”

Yes, I did. I didn’t know what major I wanted to choose (odd fact: I thought I was going to go into Apparel), but I knew I wanted to go to art school and later chose RISD. Now, let me stress that I knew I wanted to go to art school. Meaning I wanted to learn…meaning I knew I had potential but still sucked to high heavens when it came to specific areas in art. Whenever you decide to pursue something in higher education, it’s because you usually have a deep interest and passion for it. ‘Nuff said. People who love learning French in high school know more than the average bear (or me), but that doesn't mean they are experts. Twelve-year-olds interested in Medical school aren’t taking small reptiles and performing kidney transplants in the family garage (we hope). However, when it comes to art school I find my students and many others think you have to be already amazing to get in. It’s true that you have to draw more than a stick figure, but obviously if you already knew everything about art than you wouldn’t have to go to an art college in the first place, so don’t stress it if you’re a little rough around the edges.

There was also another important factor with my decision to go to art school. First of all, let me say that I did not think I was amazing at the age of 17. Yes, I thought I had a knack for art and enjoyed making it. Going to art school just “made sense”, but more importantly, I had no doubts about pursuing a higher education in art because I truly felt like I had faith in myself no matter what I pursued. I could have been a chef, a meteorologist, or a DJ and I think I would have approached it with the same positive attitude- that with hard work, time, and patience I could be successful. With something like art, It’s easy to romanticize it into some sort of magical ability…either you have “it” or you don’t, but in the end it’s about those values that Mom and Dad tried to drill into us when we were in elementary school: study, do your homework (well), and apply yourself 100%. No pixie dust needed.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter where you are now…it’s how hard you push to be where you want to be in the future.

Summer, Oh Summer...

July is almost here and a lot has happened. I visited my family in Texas for three weeks, started teaching RISD pre-college, and found out I will be teaching "Image Design" in the RISD illustration Department this Fall. The summer is starting off with a joyous bang.

I hang with suspicious company

Above are a couple of examples of the small paintings I sold at the RISD Alumni Sale. I especially like the colors in the second one, which I lovingly call "Fang".

Currently I am working on a painting for the Summer Illustration Show at Silver Circle Studio in Putnam, CT. They have a great gallery there and the local community is very supportive of New England artists. I'll post the final product soon, which is based on the theme "Midnight Vices" (Oooooo).

Folk Skull Print

Sharing some surface design work today. The smiling skulls were done in Illustrator by hand-tracing sketches, and the floral print is a scanned ink drawing that was colored in photoshop. The second one is my favorite.

Surtex dancing in my head...

A hotel in New Jersey is not where I'd thought I would be a week ago, but having a change of environment can be good for the artist that is constantly tied to their home studio. My boyfriend had to travel for RISD, so I happily came along to get a break from my messy drafting table.

Surtex had some really good stuff this year- not as many cheesy snowmen or beach scenes. No, there were many artists that I liked and I can definitely see my style of illustration entering the surface design market. However, I realized that the trick is going to be fitting in while not fitting in too much. Basically, I still need to stand out in some way (in a good way, of course) and not loose the flavor of my illustrations.

I also have been practicing and struggling and practicing...and struggling some more with how to make my surface design. My illustrations are paintings and that works great, but for the SD market vector art is popular and also much easier to manipulate color-wise, etc. Obviously you can scan in traditionally-painted artwork and manipulate it in photoshop, but indexing the color and clean up is much more frustrating for me, and in the end my work can have this stale look to it after the process. I'm working on a print in Adobe Illustrator today in the lobby and hope to post that soon. Here I come, pen tool!

Happy Birfday To Me...

May 2nd was my birthday, but it was celebrated this past Saturday with friends. Because of this, my clock is kinda thrown off and it's weird to think we're pretty well into May. Currently I am wrapping up classes (congrats to my Montserrat students who did awesome!) and putting things together for the 2010 Surtex and National Stationary Show this Sunday in NYC. Last year it was smaller due to the economy, so I'm hoping that it has grown back to its former glory. There are a few key companies/people I plan to say a quick hello to, and I always enjoy discovering new trends and ideas while I'm browsing. Perhaps I will actually pay for one of the seminars this time around? Might have to play that by ear...

When It Rains It Pours

I've been absent during the past month, but for good reason. I JUST finished up a freelance job for SOWA Open Market in Boston and am starting to collaborate with a company that works with artwork used for retail. This would include illustrations for storefronts as well as ready-to-hang stretched high end prints like you see in Target or Urban Outfitters. Clients working with this company include some of my favorite stores, so I'm very excited. Details right now are on the down low.

In the meantime, I am working on some personal projects as well as my website and an upcoming mailer (is it mailer time already?). However, my last two big jobs I got were via email submissions through company websites, so don't be shy about contacting Art Directors that way! Just make sure you read the submission policy and follow their rules. Anyway, below are two different possibilities for the back of my May mailer. The front will most likely be my newest painting of my cat hoodie girl in front of the row of houses (see post below). What do you think??

New clients!

I'm finally posting some new work! A lot of news (some I can talk about some I can't), but I've been contacted by two new and exciting clients: Boston's SoWa Open Market for website illustrations and another hush hush client interested in illustration and surface design. I've also set up a summer gallery show in East Boston at Cafe 303 with a good friend of mine.

So much to do!

Take a Hike!

Welcome to Friday! It's snowy and grey, but I'm hoping to get started on a new piece I'm very excited about. In other news, I will be be one of two guest faculty members presenting at the RISD Pre-College Open House. It's March 6th and I'll get to show off all the great work my past students have done.

Tweedle Dear and Tweedle Doll

Just a quick post! This piece was mailed off to Hive Gallery in LA. It's an Alice in Wonderland themed show (man those are popular with the new movie coming out). I chose to do my female interpretation of Tweedle Dee and Tweddle Dum, hence turning them into Tweedle Dear and Tweedle Doll.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Heart Day. For some, February 14th is a mess of capitalism and cheesy stuff animals, but my boyfriend and I see it as a friendly reminder that we should pick up a nice bottle of wine and forget about work for a while. This morning I painted him the little valentine above. I should explain- my nickname in the relationship is "squirrel". Although it sounds very cute, I actually got the title because I'm a total SPAZ when crossing the street (like a squirrel: right. left. hop to the right some more. freeze. RUN). He became known as "Woodchuck" (depending who you ask that came about for different reasons, although I think neither one of us knows 100% anymore). The apartment is littered with woodchuck drawings, but I don't have a scan. However, I realize that I basically draw him as a big round fuzzball that looks kind of like Totoro, so that will do for the sake of this entry.

BEHOLD:

Surface design is my new friend

Some surface design experiments from this past Fall. I have thought about making one of these into a new notebook/journal, but I'm not sure...

Enormous Tiny Art Show!!!

I don't think I've posted "Toy", right?? Well, it is one of a handful of my paintings in Nahcotta's seventh Enormous Tiny Art Show (Lovingly called ETA7 for short). Check out the event's website and the other fun artists here. Nahcotta is located in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and the show ends early March.

Mermaids make me think of warmer weather

This Mermaid was a small painting that went off to a gallery show in Florida. Mmmmm...Florida. Probably a weenzy bit warmer than Rhode Island right now. More paper umbrellas and plastic monkeys, too.

After a cozy morning of Kitchen Nightmares (Ramsey!) and a cup of tea, I'm going to work on my mailers now that I know exactly what I want to do. They are going to be a bit bigger, 5"x7" instead of your standard 4"x6". A bit pricier, but I'm not buying as many and have had fellow illustrators recommend the extra room. Another decision is to do two instead of one. Since I've edited my client list down I don't have to break the bank doing multiple mailers. The second one will be the sushi piece I posted a while ago (yum).

The longest Monday of them all....

The last few weeks I've been hiding in my studio avoiding January. Oh January, you are the Monday of the year. It's also a good time for fresh starts, and for me that means reviewing my client list, focusing my portfolio towards my most successful markets, and preparing a new mailer.

I noticed that it looks like some of my newer students have already started following my blog (which of course I promise to update more). Hello! I look forward to meeting you. Start warming up your pencils...