art THROB Magazine

A while back I was featured in Salem's Art Throb Magazine again thanks to the awesome Lilly mcCrea, this time a part of my The Giant Fox painting being used to convey the comfiness of home. If you are a local artist near Salem, feel free to contribute to the publication! Another illustration can be seen in the recent ASK magazine again- that image will be posted soon when I get my copy. Big thanks to Pamela Bonesteel for that one.

In other news, things at CR Gibson are going swimmingly. Nashville is starting to slowly get into springish weather, and I'm starting to see my first creations come back from vendors (or as I like to call them, "my children"). My co-workers continue to be great, and the newest of us (one from Alabama, the other two from New York City) are having a good time discovering more of Music City every day.

I'm lame and haven't been posting in regular fashion, but I hope to pick up my blogging pace. Bare with me.

ASK Magazine

Guess what? I can finally show you something! Recently I was published in ASK magazine for kids. I illustrated an article about archeologists using the internet and local citizens to help them find the long lost burial site of Genghis Khan. I'm currently working on a new article for them, this one about a new discovery in space.

I promise there is new work!

Whoooooa, summer has gone by so fast, mainly because the 6 week RISD Pre-College program takes over my life (in a good way). I haven't really shared anything lately, but I promise new work exists! In the last few weeks I've done some fun holiday stationary for Paper Culture, as well as a children's editorial about Genghis Khan (insert Kirk's famous "KHHHHAAAAAN!!") for ASK Magazine and a book cover for girls in the YA market.

The truth is, a lot of stuff I just can't show because it hasn't been printed yet. The sneak preview above is all you're gonna get for now, but I promise I will post things as they become available.

In other news, Williams-Sonoma bought five illustrations from me that may be used for spatulas this Halloween season (I say "may" because those companies buy tons of work and just throw it in their "art vault". They may use one of my illos this year, all of them, or none of them. Not sure). I'm hoping at least one got printed this season, because using something that you've illustrated is an awesome feeling.

July 4th

Happy 4th of July!

I'm busy working with two new clients- the wonderful Paper Culture and ASK Magazine through Carus Publishing. Hotdogs and fireworks for all.

Spread the Word

Looks like we're getting close to summer. I finished a job for Williams Sonoma and will be working on a book cover soon. This year I will also be teaching Illustration at RISD Pre-College, which I'm very excited about. This will be my fifth year- and I've loved teaching Design Foundations- but to teach the subject that I actually...you know, make a living with will be exciting. Plus it's just nice to have a change.

Surtex was great this year, and I left with a lot of inspiration and new ideas. There should be several things to post in the next few months!

Brushing Beauty

I'm really digging this newer painting, which is another adventure into constructing my images through abstracted space, pattern and color rather than thinking of my environments traditionally. People must like it, because I had 28 promotions in one day after it was posted on society6 (I think the highest I've ever gotten so quickly is 12, to put it in context). What is NOT posted is the first version, which was just wrong, wrong, WRONG. The figure, the colors...even the size was just plain wrong. It's bizarre how one day you can try to create something and inspiration doesn't strike, only to have a completely different creative energy the next day. In the end...I win! Take that, painting.

See "Tea Party" at Hive Gallery!

People in the LA area can see my painting at Hive Gallery's Second Annual "Alice in Wonderland Show!" I was so happy to work with Nathan and Romina again and am looking forward to future collaborations. Check out the link above for more details and directions.

"Tea Party" was fun to make. After the past couple of years, I'm starting to realize that I handle my illustrations more from a design point of view. I am especially happy with how the graphic elements combine with the more spacial elements (such as the receding table) and start to create a harmonious marriage between flatness and dimensional space.

Yee Haw!

The Illustration Department at Montserrat College of Art is having a gallery show currently. The theme this year was "Wild Wild West", and I just had to do a saloon girl.

Catch Up...Ketchup...

Looking back at older posts, I realized there is a lot of art I've been meaning to show but wasn't able to at the time due to publishing dates, etc.

So let's do some catch up, shall we?

The first one is a piece I did for a client based on the premise of solar energy and going green. Hopefully you could tell those are solar panels on the plant mixed in with the leaves. When I was looking up reference I wondered what the average person thinks of when they hear "solar panel" and if it's anything like the real thing. On a side note, I have to put more beehive hair do's in my work.

And next is a piece that was in my solo show at Gulu-Gulu Cafe back in November. I'm happy to say that it sold and is now in a permanent home!

Character Game!!!

My boyfriend and I have a friend visiting, and we started doing this exercise where we give each other 10 characters to draw. It was a lot of fun after a long day of work, but also an interesting chance for me to apply my style to different faces. Anyway, here they are! Mine are at the beginning and our friend's doodles follow.

Happy New Year!

The holiday season has come and gone, and it was great to be down in Texas with family for a while. Even with all the craziness, I found it to be a good time to achieve some clarity on issues (and isn't that a great way to start the year- with clarity?).

I'm back in Providence and some gallery appearances await my artwork, including the department show at Montserrat College of Art where I'll be showing as faculty. The theme? Wild Wild West! Around the same time, the RISD Faculty Biennial will be up in the mueseum. I think the piece above is the one I will submit for that show.

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...

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!