A Drawing A Day, 6.26.08

After way too long, I am back with A Drawing A Day (What is this? A Drawing a Quarter?!). And guess what? I am loving it. If I have an unproductive day or I can't get motivated, I just feel like at least I have done something. Yes, that is exactly how I have been feeling. And I feel good about this watercolor. I am going to keep doing cupcakes because I love the and they are popular with the audiences right now, and it's really neat to see how my drawings change over time.

I have realized how much I love working with a practically dry brush on this clayboard.

This one is quite small, only 4"x4". I love the intimacy of such a small painting -- both while making it and in the end, looking at it.

A couple notes to self:

1. Do this more often. It makes you feel good.
2. You also like using black Bravo markers -- a lot.
3. Good thing I am making this "note to self" list. I can't even remember the last of the three in a span of minutes. Oh well.
   

Teacup Card

I made this card for my dear friend Sarah's tea themed bridal shower, and even though I loved it, couldn't post it until after the shower.

So, here it is. I love the print and its simplicity. It is a notecard, but could be framed as a nice, simple (and inexpensive) print.

You can but it here, on Etsy.

International Child Art Foundation

This isn't about my art.

I found this foundation I am madly in love with.

The International Child Art Foundation.

I just need to figure out how best to get involved.

Frustrated

So no, I don't love the new header, but I can't get it to work like I want it to, so it is going to have to do. I am trying to make it match my new website to be, but blogger, though wonderful in so many ways, doesn't give me much leeway in terms of changing the header. So this is it for now. Oh well.

Oh, yeah. Even more frustrated with the new website. That's why I tried to work on the blog "look."

Alas...

So that is the the look I am going for at right...it is simple but I want the art to speak, not the website so much...The top is the original InDesign document, and the bottom is the coding as it is right now -- I do have to say I am impressed with my ability to translate it in Dreamweaver. However, SO much work to do on it...I need to...

1. Choose the art/design to use
2. Figure out the way I am going to show multiple pages
3. Figure out the way I am going to show images a little bigger
4. Take pictures
   

Don't hold your breath waiting for it. I don't expect it up too soon.

Onesie Designs

So when I am having a mental block, I design simple little designs that will be good for onesies, so I can sell them either at shows or online.

I have been having a mental block...

Here are some ideas...The top three are other onesies I have done in the past, the remainder are new ideas.

The bottom cupcake and ice cream...I love the simplicity, but the cupcake is a four color job and the ice cream is a two color job. Not sure I am up for that.

The higher up ice cream and cupcake is nice because I will use the shirt color for the frosting/ice cream color, which keeps it a two color.

Finally, the giraffe was designed because of a suggestion by Marsha. I am especially curious to see what SHE thinks of it...I don't know. Does it NEED spots? I love the simplicity of it without...not so sure.

Jessie, working on a guinea pig design. This is a bit harder to simplify. But don't give up on me!

Etsy Shop: Sale and New Items

Been doing a lot of updating, posting, etc. to my Etsy Shop. I think Etsy is a wonderful concept and I love buying as many of my gifts as possible for independent vendors on Etsy.

I put up the print of the girl reading as a donation to ReBooK. I am very excited about this little print and I hope it can help out my sister's non-profit. I think it is a great cause. I love to read and I wish everyone had the luxury to do so.

Many of the tees I have been are on sale as I try to clear out my inventory. There are currently nine listings (both short and long sleeved tees, and tank tops) that are on sale, but more will be added over the next couple of days. Perfect for this hot weather we have been having.

Also added some new hand printed Moleskine journals. I really enjoyed printing these -- I love the look of screen prints on kraft paper.

Onesies are still being uploaded daily and I have had a few requests for giraffes, cheetahs, guniea pigs (or as I liked to call them when I was younger, "skinny pigs") on the onesies so we will see what comes of that. Also have an ice cream onesie in the works -- it's Scoopalicious! As if an ice cream onesie weren't a long time coming! Personalized onesie offerings are also in the works!

I guess that is it to report right now...

More onesies and children's tees!

I have added a few onesies and young children's tees to my etsy shop, so feel free to take a peek!

Page A Day, April 15 - June 3, 2008

So I decided that I really hate the process of putting all my images of page a day up. It is so tedious, and by the time I get them scanned, uploaded to both Flickr and Picassa, I just don't want to link each and put them in the blog. I love the image of how all the pics look in the Flickr page anyway, so I decided I would just show you that (this time I am showing all from Jan 1 to date, but in the future it will just be the new ones!) and then link you to the first page of the new images in Flickr and Picassa.

Picassa
Flickr

I hope this is ok. If you really hate this new format, let me know via comment or vote on the right.

Busy doing, not so busy blogging

I haven't posted in a while. I think that is good actually, as it means I am busy making/creating. Lots of freelance. Have been working on and off for a while on the new/modified design for One Pearl...this one has been challenging and fun and it is still in progress. Great cause.

Also have been trying to define "belief" and figure out how in the world to illustrate it.

Have been working on my sister's site for ReBook. Unfortunately, the old site was outdated, hard-to-update, clunky looking...I designed it my earlier days when I thought it was so cool to design everything as an image and chop it up and post it on the web. It is still in progress and some of the functionality doesn't work -- don't try to send a message using the form just yet...but the mailing list form works -- thanks, A! Are web pages ever done?

Did a few prints off of the design for ReBook...one of which I will add to my donation prints on Etsy.

Both are mixed media, printed on the pages from a very old and outdated Nancy Drew book -- this book actually refers to "colored people," which is why I am glad I tore the pages out. Outdated books like this don't need to be in existence! Ha, looks like the book I tore up, The Clue of the Tapping Heels, is 70 years old, published in 1939!

Anyway, I tried two different ways of going about this. One was I actually glued two ripped pages on a larger stock so I could print my favorite size, 6x6 inches. I probably should have glued the pages together, cut them to 6x6 inches and then adhered them to a larger page, but I was a little more "spontaneous" than that, so some of the have lines going right through the girl's head where the paper ends. Something to think about. But on the more ripped pages, I kind of like that effect, so we will have to see.

The other I printed directly on to a page. I had to shrink the image significantly. One thing I liked about this was that I had printed a purple background that I hated, so I printed over in copper...I love the depth that this created.

Additionally, I have been experimenting with Jacquard screen printing inks, which I LOVE LOVE LOVE. I am really learning how they work...it takes some practice. They were drying quickly so I added glycerin, and I really liked how that worked. Unfortunately, I learned my lesson the hard way -- a lot is not better. The blue ink took forever to dry when I added a little too much glycerin!

I made a cool invite/greeting card that I am also happy with, but that will also have to be for another time as I want the guest of honor to be surprised by it when her party happens in later June.

At the same time, unfortunately, my page-a-day and my drawing-a-day have become more neglected.