elena's easel

Room Decor

2011-12-05T22:51:00.006-05:00

I really enjoy creating art that I know will go in kids' rooms. The idea of one of my creations making a child smile as they grow up seeing it on their walls makes me really happy. So, having a baby, I got a chance to decorate a room for a child that would be in my house!

We didn't need to paint when we were expecting our baby. We planned ahead when we moved in and painted the room a bright neutral green. I believe the actual color is Valley Poplar, picked out by my husband, who did a great job. Green is hard to pick, just ask my former roommate about the cheery citron green I thought I picked for our kitchen that turned out to be highlighter yellow-green (gross!). We had sort of a purple and green theme in what was the guest room but when the guest room became a baby room it needed a change.

I'm big on color schemes and themes. Usually I start with colors that I like together and build from there. The room was green and I loved green and blue for baby boy rooms and green and pink for girls. I contemplated the idea of not finding out the gender of the baby but wanted something to look forward to. We found out our baby was a boy but I really liked the idea of keeping a lot of the baby things neutral so that when baby number 2 came along we could still use everything if baby was a she and not a he! So I picked a lot of yellow and green baby things and then put blue around the room too.
I obsessed for a few weeks over the paintings I was making to go with the pond theme (we like right next to a lake/pond), knowing that someday we could tell him that I made the paintings just for him. I love doing sets of 3 because it just feels complete to me. It was also important to have 3 pond friends because I felt that I could honor the two other babies that we'd lost.
The room is bright and cheery and light-filled...one of the happiest rooms in the house. Makes sense because our baby boy is a gift and a joy and the greatest work of art we've ever been a part of!

Back again...but not the same

2011-10-05T15:11:00.004-04:00

Gosh it's been a long time....April according to Blogger. So sad that I haven't kept up with my blogging. I miss it. So here I am again.

To try to sum up what the last several months of my life have been like would be impossible. So many thoughts and feelings....so many aches and pains (and that was just pregnancy). Permit me to gush a little bit about the new man in my life. I am normally a very rational and emotionally-controlled person. I have my weepy moments but in general I have a practical view of life. Not too many things make me school-girl ditzy, emotionally gushy and annoyingly proud. But I've had a hard time reigning myself in these days. "How are you, Elena?" "I'm great thanks!" "How's that baby of yours doing?" "Oh. My. Gosh! Well, he weighs (insert enormous weight increments here) and he's doing (insert cooing, smiling, giggling, shrieking) now, and I can't believe how beautiful he is and".....blah, blah, blah, blah. Yes, I am one of those people.

I'm here to say...it's all true. Every saccharine sweet thing you've ever heard a crazy, hormone laden new mother say....it's true. Absolutely true. I adore my baby boy. I don't think it's just hormones. I am convinced that my child is the most beautiful boy ever created. Seriously. Suddenly the five years of longing, loss and waiting have turned into overflowing joy. The smile I see on my husband's face when he makes our son smile... The feeling I have when I'm holding the little chubber... It all just feels wonderfully....right.

That's the benefit of the waiting I was talking about. We had so long to prepare our lives. We opened our hearts to whatever God's plan was and we waited. And the payoff was....peace. In the waiting I discovered my heart for adoption and foster care, changed careers, became an artist and learned how to grieve and let go.

I have nowhere near the same amount of time to do anything these days. (Especially not blogging!) Drawing, reading, sleeping, showering....all luxuries! It bugs me a little bit because I'm a "doer." But it has helped me realize what is most important. Time is a gift. Nothing else has inspired me to just sit and enjoy the gift of time like my boy. Every week, every day even, he changes. I am mesmerized by the miracle of his life and paralyzed by the beauty shining from my own home every day. I let my world slow down, even stop sometimes...so I can just watch him. Be with him. This is what God must desire from us. "Stop trying to impress me with your smarts, your work, your charitable accomplishments...just be with me" he might be telling us. And maybe if we could slow down and just be....we would have joy.

I'm getting a lot less done these days....and I'm fine with that.

Did I ever show you....

2011-04-26T20:54:00.003-04:00

the little Chef Turtle I made to go with the little Baker Turtle. It was a special request for another fun couple. I'm so privileged to meet creative, original, art-loving people from Etsy. Thanks to all those who've ever taken an interest in my art. Look for these two sold as a set in my Etsy shop soon!

IF: Duet

2011-04-01T12:51:00.005-04:00

I've been working on this commission for what seems like eons! I was just scanning and cleaning it up when I noticed the IF topic for this week...and it fits! Wow!

A big thank you to Heather and her husband for their creativity and patience on this custom order. They requested this "duet" of ballroom dancing turtles to be framed in their formal dining room. Heather and her husband have a flair for dance and a love for turtles...so there you have it! Hope they were worth the wait, Heather!

Dear Neglected Blog....

2011-03-16T21:37:00.002-04:00

how I have missed you. I haven't written, I haven't called. I haven't even told you about what's new in my life. I'm so sorry for leaving you out. It's been hard, you see, after that Christmas rush....all those ornaments....all that snow....all that nausea.

It really shouldn't matter that I'm pregnant (surprise!) or that I'm trying hard to do my 40 hour a week job. No, that's no excuse for neglecting you like this. I do have so many things to share. I need to show you the little Chef Turtle I drew for Briana and the nautical nursery painting I made for Heather's soon-to-be-born baby Cayden. Not to mention the ballroom dancing turtles I've been working on since before Christmas. I'm a little slow these days my bloggy friend. Please forgive me.

I'll be back real soon with some pictures and things you'll love. Until then...

Sale in my Etsy Shop!

2010-12-07T20:59:00.004-05:00

Tis' the season for unique Christmas ornaments! I'm making tons of cute ones these days! I almost forgot to tell you, check out my Etsy shop and order before December 15th. If you order before then and use the coupon code "CHRISTMAS2010" when you checkout you'll get 25% off your whole order. Not just on ornaments, on anything! Yippee! I love sales! Back to the ornaments for me...

Thankfulness

2010-11-26T11:10:00.006-05:00

Turkey day has come. It is my favorite American holiday. I love that there's no pressure for presents. And that the whole day is about something we should always be doing and celebrating - giving thanks.

It seems to me that at work and in my Etsy shop, planning for Christmas events once again took over right after Halloween. Thanksgiving gets overshadowed by shopping, football and gearing up for Black Friday. I didn't want to jump right to Christmas without taking a moment to be quiet and give thanks. So here's my little list of thanks.

- I'm thankful for family - the people God gave me that drive me batty but always have my back. The ones who see me at my worst and still accept me. As I learn more and more about children in foster care and the events that have put them there I realize how importance the foundation of a loving family shapes your life. Thank God that he blessed me with a wonderful family to grow up in.

- I'm thankful for food - every year as I plan some veggie dishes to go with my mom's amazing turkey, potatoes and stuffing - it hits me how much this holiday is about food. Lots of food. Family sitting around the table and eating. And I know, deep in my heart that many, many families do not have enough food to feed their children or themselves. And so I thank God for the privilege of abundant food.

- I'm thankful for health - I went to church on Thanksgiving Eve and what will forever be etched in my memory is a beautiful family I know sitting in the front row. This couple got married later in life and have young boys who are a delight. This fall, the husband was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Watching a man worship God in the face of death is convicting and humbling. This man is thankful for every day he has left on earth and he's determined to use it wisely. I am thankful that God has given me today. I thank Him for the blessing of life and good health.

- I am thankful for cheesy movies! Yeah, that's right. Every year when I watch "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" I'm reminded of how important it is to take the time for other people. No matter how many times I watch the classic "White Christmas," Irving Berlin's song about counting your blessings speaks to my heart. Every time I watch George Bailey from "It's a Wonderful Life" realize how his humble life made such an impact on the people around him I'm reminded again of the chance we have to make a difference. How much our little lives are unique and profoundly felt on this earth.

- I'm thankful for waiting. Sigh. I didn't really want to write that. I might have to go back and read it a couple of times to convince myself it's true. But in recent years, I've thought a lot about times of waiting. As my husband and I continue to wait with patience and perseverance for children to be placed in our family (through pregnancy or adoption) we have to trust God for our future. This is hard for me. But for that reason, I am thankful. Because when something is hard won - you appreciate it for a lifetime. When plans don't work out how you expected or in your timeframe - be thankful they WILL work out in God's. It is good for me to continually surrender control and trust God in the waiting.

- And last but not least - I'm thankful for my husband. When you're single you wonder and you wait to find the person that will be your companion, confidant and friend for life. When you're married, the search is over. But the journey is not. I thank God for Joel. I'm thankful he doesn't get mad when I eat the last of the brownies, brings me flowers at work just because and loves me unconditionally.

Autumn Arrivals

2010-11-03T18:37:00.003-04:00

Hello out there! Got some new cute things going into my Etsy shop that you have to check out! Apple pie, hot cider, pumpkin pie and...llamas?

Well, if you have a thing for llamas....and fall...and llamas in fall....this is for you!

Also, if you're stuck on the cutey turtles, this little fall note pack is something to check into.

Stay tuned in to my shop as I'm uploading a bunch of awesome ornaments....so perfect as Christmas party presents. Can be personalized in any way you want. Enjoy the season!

IF: Dessert

2010-09-09T00:06:00.005-04:00

Aha! Making a comeback to Illustration Friday after too many months away. I have no idea why dessert made me think of a family of otters. Otters out for an evening float. Leisurely enjoying their dessert of fish cupcakes with seaweed on top. Sure, why not!

I could tell you about how I'm trying out a new technique with blending the pencil in layers on watercolor paper. I could certainly tell you that this new technique is not cutting down the time it takes me to complete one drawing or the hours I sit with my neck craned trying to get the pencil blended right. I could also tell you how much I LOVE otters and will embarass anyone that is around me if I think I've spotted one....

but I'm too tired. So I'll leave it at that.

Here I am!

2010-07-23T23:52:00.007-04:00

Oh my goodness! I knew it had been awhile but wow, it's been over three months since I posted! Yipes! The thing is, there's a very good reason for it.

I was on the verge of telling you what I was obsessed with and excited about in May and then....even more craziness happened. So here it is....my husband and I are adopting! Sorry if this is old news by now. It took months to get through the process but we are now happy to be licensed and approved to adopt. At this point we are trusting completely in God to match us up with the right child. I have learned so much about adoption in the year or so since we've been thinking about it. It feels as if I've found my life's calling and my heart's passion.

A couple of months ago I had the opportunity to apply for a job in the foster care world. It was kind of a long shot. I don't have a social services background, I have been a graphic designer for 8 years...hard to change what you're used to. But...I was offered the job. Even more ridiculous than that...I took it. The month of June was spent fluctuating between bravery and tears. It was so HARD to leave my wonderful friends, my amazing workplace, everything I had become familiar with over the past 8 years. In a way I was shocked and heartbroken that I would do such a thing. But I felt so strongly that life is too short to not be spending time doing what you feel called to do. My work experiences and my personal experiences suddenly coincided in a such a way that I felt I had no other choice but to take a leap!

After more than a month at the new job, I can tell you, I'm so glad I did. I am working HARD. I am exhausting all my energies, pouring out my talents, investigating the things I don't understand, soaking up other's personal stories....and I love it. I really do.

So I am now spending way more time working and much less time on artwork. My Etsy shop is still up and running. I am having fun doing custom artwork every once in awhile. Such as this drawing for a friend's anniverary.

And this wedding invitation for an awesomely original couple...

And trying to enjoy summer while it's here.

Can't wait to update you again on all the craziness that is my life! Be blessed everyone! Life is short...live it well.

IF: Fearless

2010-05-13T22:05:00.002-04:00

Mmmmmm, creativity struck once again with barely enough time to finish this week. The topic was too good to pass up. FEARLESS. I have so many things I could say and illustrate for this one.
Instead I'll just explain my drawing. This is colored pencil on some new tinted pastel paper. The cute little white bunny is about to exhibit fearlessness in my book. He's going to offer love and compassion to someone who is in need. And he might be rejected. Growled at. Turned down or abused. But he's fearless, so he's putting his heart on the line anyway.

As always your comments and criticisms are welcome. I have another bunny illustration that came from sketching this one also, can't wait to finish it.

The first half of this week I kept seeing this topic as FEAR LESS. What an assignment....I think I'll spend a few more weeks on this one!

Obsession

2010-05-04T13:45:00.007-04:00

I totally forgot to share with you guys my latest artistic obsession and how it turned out. I spent a couple of months being obsessed with pandas. They are so exquisite, so beautiful and so foreign to anything I get to see here in New England. I love them. Doesn't help that I live with one....

Okay, maybe she's not a panda but Kita-Bear and Petit Panda are some of her many nicknames! Just to show you the tortured mind behind the artist.... (click on the pictures to see them larger)

First I thought a panda with a parasol would be cute.

But the parasol drove me nuts.

Then I switched to an idea of a human child hanging out with a real-life animal (yes, as an artist I am allowed to live vicariously through my artwork, thank you very much!). So I decided on a little girl and a panda having a tea party. I loved how the panda turned out. And really liked the color scheme I decided on but I could not decide on the background scene. Should it look like a messy playroom? Should there be lots of furniture when most of my drawings are simple? And then I drew the little girl two small. She looks to be about 7 instead of 4 or 5 like I wanted her to be. And compared to the giant panda, the girl and her tea set all seem miniature. Toyed around with just finishing it and them fixing things in Photoshop but that added another layer of questions and decisions. So I put it aside.

Still feeling obsessed and inspired by pandas I came back to the idea again and decided that I would keep trying until I had an illustration I liked. Which meant starting all over. Worked hard on practicing little girl faces and bodies that would look young enough. Changed the perspective of the panda and ditched background furniture for crazy wallpaper. (And somewhere in there the little girl changed ethnicities.....I have no explanation for that one...)

So what do you think?

I was putting a lot of pressure on myself because I'm focusing on building a solid portfolio. So of course I had all these criteria that I wanted to meet which only makes the decision making process worse. I'm pretty happy with the result but I still love the beautiful face of that second panda. And the final product still isn't perfect. Oh, to be a perfectionist and an artist.

I've been obsessing about something else entirely different lately. It has nothing to do with my artistic goals but has become a greater and greater obsession of my heart as of late. I'm hoping to share it with you in the blogging world soon.

Spring is here....

2010-04-20T16:26:00.002-04:00

and in to celebrate I'm making some of my original paintings available on Etsy! Hooray! Some of these I've shared with you before and others you've probably never seen. Go check em out and tell me what you think!

Hooray for sunshine!!!

Frugally Fighting Monotony

2010-04-05T11:23:00.008-04:00

Had a quick whirlwind weekend to my in-laws in Massachusetts for Easter. We don't go visit often enough but when we do it's always a bittersweet walk down memory lane for my husband. His dad still lives in the house in the same neighborhood he grew up in. Joel has so many memories of his childhood friends, the little traditions they came up with and ALWAYS remembered (honking twice and waving at one friend's house, for instance!) and it always leaves him a little bit reflective and melancholy. Because...he's a grown up now. He remembers how life used to be. It's not that our life isn't happy....it can just seem a little monotonous sometimes....go to work, go home, try to relax, go to sleep, get up, go to work.....we feel beat up by the mundane cycle of routine.

On our way back I had an idea, the whole drive back (including getting stuck in traffic) we brainstormed some crazy little activities that we could use for a date night or any day that we wanted to break out of the normal routine. Took a little doing to think outside the box but I'm proud of what we've come up with. Things like:

- go to a restaraunt we've never been to
- put on loud music and dance around the house
- memorize a Scripture verse together
- go to a store and pick out mushy cards for each other and then put them back (that's courtesy of my frugalista aunt, awesome idea!)
- grab the guitar and go down to the lake to sing praise songs at night
- make a fort in the living room (seriously, who didn't make a fort when they were little!)
- write an encouraging note on a dollar bill and then go spend it
- make up a new word and use it
- draw a picture of heaven
and one I think will go down in the history books of good memories with Joel and Elena....
- learn how to say "Excuse me, you're sitting on my sandwich!" in 3 different languages!!!

These are just a few! We've agreed that whenever we decide to pull a card we HAVE to do what it says even if it's not convenient. There are so many things on our minds lately, the tragic death of a co-worker, flooding, marriages in turmoil....we need to give ourselves ways to let go and have fun. I want to be able to look back on my life and marriage and be able to say, we tried hard, screwed up a lot, but we sure did have fun together!

I love you, Joel, always, no matter what.

IF: Rescue

2010-04-01T11:14:00.006-04:00

My little drawing for this week's topic, Toby the turtle and Filmore the frog, setting sell to go rescue a lost friend. LOVED this topic, by the way....there's a million drawings I could have done....all of them with children's faces...I see them all the time. So many needing to be rescued.

This topic coincides with news I just heard this week. My sponsor child in Haiti is alive! His home and the surrounding area were completely destroyed...but he and his family were spared from the horrendous earthquake. I am so happy to hear this news. After months of worrying and praying. Oh, to start writing him letters again! They will be filled with the joy of knowing he was rescued and is being taken care of now. The same organization that has allowed me to be a part of his life over the past several years is working tirelessly to help his family and many others like his. May God strengthen and bless their incredible work.

Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

Isaiah 46:4

IF: Brave

2010-03-09T17:36:00.004-05:00

"She often thought herself a fairytale princess, held captive and forced to go to bed against her will. And while the stairs to her bedroom tower seemed friendly enough in the light of day, by nightfall they had grown into something more dark and ominous."

All colored pencil....let me know what you think!

Upcycled Art....otherwise known as FREE!

2010-02-27T21:36:00.005-05:00

I'm so proud of myself. It rarely happens. Not just that I'm satified with a project but that I can make a piece of art without agonizing over every little thing for days, weeks, months on end. To start and finish a project in one day....ahhhhh, this is the life.

I was helping my mom redo her bathroom the last couple of weekends. It needed a little fixing and a fresh coat of paint. She already had a new shower curtain and bath towels in a lilac and dark purpley blue color. Of course my mind goes immediately to what wall art would update the bathroom and stay with this color scheme? I was thinking flowers and butterflies. I remembered that I saved a gorgeous calendar from 3 years ago of exotic butterflies. I flipped through looking for inspiration and then it hit me.

I took a page out of the calendar that matched well with the color scheme. Took a nice shadow box that I've had (I think a friend gave it to me....thanks Aimee!),

took about an hour or so to carefully cut around the butterflies, pop them up a little and voila!!!!

Upcycled, calendar art! For FREE! I love it! Now, I'm not endorsing packrat behavior but it's fun to see what we can do with some saved things....calendars are great for making envelopes, magnets and a bunch of other neat, useful things.

For the other piece I'm thinking some big flowers (first I was thinking lilacs but now...) with a butterfly resting on one....but should I use paint or pencil....oh here we go....

IF: Propogate

2010-02-25T15:06:00.009-05:00

Just a quick sketch with a little bit of Photoshop tweaking for this week's Illustration Friday. I wasn't a huge fan of the topic....but I've been missing a lot of the latest IF challenges because of that excuse! The truth is I've been busy...it's hard to sit and be creative when there a bunch of other things engaging your heart and your world.

I'm noticing as I look around my little world that hope is under attack. So many people I love are dealing with financial strain, tragic loss, horrific health problems, relationship conflict and the depressing thought that the cycle might never end. It creates in me a shocked sadness...a profound questioning of my Creator who sees all and knows all. So I retreat. I cry. I become Eeyore for a little while. And then I get defiant.

I was listening to a discussion recently about foster care and kids in custody of the state. The social worker in charge was discussing one scenario with an angry teenage boy. She said with finality "This teen will never be whole. He will never be able to have a normal life." It was as if the air was sucked out of the room. There was just silence where there used to be warm hearts that had hope for change. Until finally, one man spoke up and said, "I refuse to believe you." I have been thinking a lot lately about what it takes to do hard things in this life. One thing comes to mind. Defiant love. I understand that sugarcoating doesn't help anyone, that we live in reality not fantasy...that life is hard. But let's not deaden our souls to the very thing that makes us human...the HOPE of change. The quest for healing. The joy of sacrificial love.

I am usually nice and acommodating in my everyday life. But I've decided, try to take away my hope....and you'll be met with stubborn defiance.

Let's propagate hope.

"Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime; therefore we must be saved by hope; Nothing which is true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore we must be saved by faith. Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone; therefore we must be saved by love." Reinhold Niebuhr

And the winner is....

2010-02-14T15:43:00.002-05:00

Thanks everyone for playing...I loved all of your comments and quotes about love. Happy Valentine's Day! Stay tuned for more fun giveaways...I'll be sending Mary her little box of treasures soon. Hugs to all of you!

February Giveaway!

2010-02-08T10:11:00.008-05:00

I've never done a giveaway before. Well, I mean, a bloggy giveaway....I give away things all the time. To friends, to Goodwill, to my poor unsuspecting neighbors who can't seem to avoid me....but an honest to goodness, bloggy giveaway...that sounds like fun too!

So this February, the month of cupids and hearts and chocolates and flowers and panic for men everywhere....I'm going to give away a one of a kind surprise box from Elena's Easel. It IS better to give then to receive. But hopefully one of you will want to receive this little box of goodies. Hand painted by moi and with one of my prints on the top (that would be the Love Turtle, also available here). I'm not telling you what's inside, you'll just have to wait and see when you win it! But there will be some wonderful artsy things from my store and maybe some sweet treats too! All you have to do is leave me a comment with your email address and tell me your definition of true love...

If you're friends with me on Facebook, leave me a message on my wall and that will count too! The winner will be randomly picked and announced on Valentine's Day (February 14th) and I will send your little box of goodies right out to you! Happy February everyone....make sure you tell the people you love that you love them...not just on Valentine's Day but every day.

You would think it would be genetic....

2010-01-25T18:37:00.007-05:00

but I did not inherit my parents' skill with a camera. When I showed my dad (a professional photographer for decades) the B&W pictures I took for my college photography class, he looked at them, thought for a second and said "there is no black and white in this picture!" Yes, thank you Dad. I know. So if you catch me blaming my inadequate pictures (which by the way is kind of important if you are trying to sell your work people have to be able to see it and love it if they're going to buy it!) on the camera, the lighting, etc. I'm lying. I stink at taking pictures.

Of course it doesn't help that my assistant is always getting in the way.....

He munches on my props,

he can't keep his tail to himself,

and he's nosy.

Why don't I just lock him out of my art space when I'm working you ask.....

because I've already locked this one out! If they were both running around together even worse things could happen! Oh well! Just a day in the life of a non-photographic, pet-loving artist.

Heartbroken for Haiti

2010-01-21T14:04:00.009-05:00

My heart hurts for the people of Haiti.

I have been wanting to write this post for over a week. But every time I tried, the words just didn't come. It was too overwhelming to think through and type out. I want this blog to be a happy place but life I can't leave out the reality of life. And if we were all silent when something hurt, healing might never come.

I'm sure by now, you've all read countless articles, seen dozens of pictures, cried tears and whispered desperate prayers. The news of devastation coming from Haiti continues after the strongest earthquake in more than 200 years. The quake measured 7.4 on the Richter scale, and was centered 10 miles from Port-Au-Prince, the nation’s largest city. In the days following even the aftershocks were large enough to cause significant damage and terrify the people trying to find their loved ones. A country that was already struggling, is in absolute chaos.

This is personal to me. My heart became attached to Haiti several years ago. When I decided to sponsor my beautiful Idson Etienne through Compassion International. I'm still not sure if he and his family are okay. Pictured below are the Compassion centers in the vicinity of the earthquakes, Idson is in center HA254 which I highlighted with the white circle and arrow. The dot with the red triangle is the center of the first quake.

While I pray and worry and wonder, I so easily feel completely depressed and despairing of the situation. The grief and pain for the people of Haiti is overwhelming. But as we know, great trials and suffering brings out the true character of human beings. People from many different countries are donating supplies, money, services and their very selves to helping the people of Haiti at this time. Bloggers are blogging, believers are praying, artists are using their talents and governments are acting on the behalf of those who cannot help themselves. Although my heart is broken for my little Idson's country, for his people, and how much they have suffered. I see a glimmer of hope. I have hope that those who have been tirelessly working for the orphaned and the impoverished before the earthquake might now be in the spotlight, making our world aware. I have hope that people who have never been interested in adoption, yet see the devastation of children who have fallen victim to circumstances might follow their heart and open their home. I have hope that while the Haitian people and all of the workers poring into their country work together, the unity of the human spirit will forge friendships and bonds that will last a lifetime... and change the world. I have hope that God can make beauty from ashes. I don't know how.... but I have hope.

Keep hoping and keep praying for miracles. Idson and his family and thousands of others need them.

For information on how to help, visit these organizations' websites:

American Red Cross
Food for the Hungry
Samaritan's Purse
Hands & Feet Project
World Vision
World Concern
Compassion International
YELE (send money with a simple text, set up by Haitian singer Wyclef Jean)

And for a really comprehensive list check out this article.

Merry Belated Christmas!

2009-12-30T11:34:00.008-05:00

Hello friends! I got a little too busy and forgot to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. Hope you all spent time with family and friends, stayed warm, kept or made new traditions and felt the love of God this Christmas.

I was quite busy with custom orders....personalized room art....special ornaments.....Christmas presents made with special ones in mind....and family!!!! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to this new year!

A baby surprise!

2009-12-15T11:50:00.004-05:00

Well, I kept a fun little secret from you for a little while....and now I'm ready to share. Elena's Easel is in a local baby boutique!!! It was very exciting and fun to meet Heather of Ulabu Baby Boutique in Niantic. She was very enthusiastic about putting my artwork up in her store. The store is geared towards kids ages 0-5. Everything there is so cute, cuddly, snuggly and beautiful! I could spend hours talking to Heather about her kids and ooh-ing and ah-ing over the adorable baby things.

Heather loves to showcase local artists and crafters so if you're looking for a local find that was handcreated by someone in the New England area, go check it out!

For more info you can visit Ulabu on the web:

http://www.ulabu.com/

http://www.ulabu.blogspot.com/

or in person:

Ulabu Baby Boutique
Niantic, CT 06357

Packing it up

2009-12-15T11:31:00.005-05:00

Mom and I did our last craft fair of the season this past weekend. Phew! What a crazy crafty world it is out there. Usually Christmas seems to sneak up on me every year. But this year I knew it was coming. At the craft fairs I was already hearing Christmas music, watching people shop for Christmas presents and it really helped me appreciate the hustle and bustle I usually avoid.

Here are some pics of our booths from the last show. We've learned a lot and have some new ideas for the way to find success at craft fairs in the future. Thanks to our "muscle" (or husbands) who helped us lug all of our stuff, pack and unpack every weekend and to our friends and co-workers who came out to support us.

And that's it for holiday craft fairs this year! We're packing it up....see you in 2010!

IF: Entangled

2009-12-03T15:01:00.004-05:00

When I saw the IF topic this week an older turtle illustration came to mind. This little guy (I like to think he was a firstborn overachiever) got quite zealous about decorating his spruce and found himself entangled in the lights. I'm sure a turtle friend came along and helped him out in the spirit of Christmas cheer.

You can see this turtle and other designs in my Etsy shop. I'm also offering FREE SHIPPING on all of my prints throughout the month of December....because I'm always merrier when I get something free!

We set up our tree, nativity scene and minimal decorations already and I've enjoyed listening to Christmas music while trying out new recipes in the kitchen. The Christmas season is definitely upon us! Happy Holidays and remember the reason for the season!

IF: Music

2009-11-20T09:11:00.008-05:00

My little parade of monkeys that I just finished is perfect for this topic. This monkey marching band enjoys entertaining the other jungle animals on holidays and special occasions!

This is a colored pencil drawing with a little bit of collage (the sheet music at the bottom). To see the personalized version, check it out in my shop. I think monkeys are my favorite animal to draw... after turtles of course!

Finally finished!

2009-11-20T08:59:00.005-05:00

It seems that I've been working on these two drawings forever. I finally got them finished and then had several weeks of messing with them because I didn't like how the colors came out when they were printed. I LOVE teal and aqua colors, they are finding their way into a lot of my new stuff....but it's quite hard to make the printer show teal and aqua. Everything comes out blue. Blue is nice, but teal is AWESOME!

Turtle Girls of Summer (8x10 available in my shop)

Monkey Parade with Personalized Banner (8x10 available here)

A very Turtle-y Christmas!

2009-11-19T11:10:00.005-05:00

I've been thinking about that small percentage of people (and I know you're out there...) that seem to be obsessed with turtles. And so I thought, what might a turtle-lovin' person want for Christmas? What might I give those adoring fans of the beautiful, docile, shell-sporting reptile......how about some ornaments!!!

This idea is not completely of my own invention. I saw some cool cube decorations and seeing as how all of my turtle illustrations are square (a framing nightmare by the way!) a wooden cube seemed to be just perfect for them. Add to that an obsession with pretty paper and a desire to learn the "distressed" technique and there you have it.....country style Turtle Christmas ornaments!

The large size is available in my Etsy shop now. I'll be adding some smaller fun ones soon. And not all turtles either. Did I mention that Turtle Holiay Card sets with awesome metallic envelopes are available now too! Oooooooh.....sparkly!

Sugarloaf Craft Fair 2009!

2009-11-15T20:39:00.005-05:00

I had the privelege of a mother-daughter date to the Sugarloaf Craft Festival last weekend. Sugarloaf is a HUGE juried fair with hundreds of vendors and activities. We haven't made the trip in a while but now that my mom and I have been delving into the craft fair world we decided to check out the BIG one!

Of course there was amazing amounts of jewelry, photography, woodworking, clothing, and art. The best part for us was the time we had together and talking to people that we look up to in the business. Mom got to talk to one of the 5th generation owners of Pretty Baby Soaps. And I got to see one of my favorite artists, Eric Sturtevant!

It was great seeing them do their thing and also encourage our efforts in the business. Eric mentioned and I agree that finding a mentor is key. It is wonderful when artists who are succeeding are willing to share their story and their advice with us...the confused yet hopeful crowd who is just starting out. One theme remains clear....this is really HARD work!

Random Fall-y Goodness

2009-11-15T20:12:00.008-05:00

Some tidbits from fall so far....

going from full time to part time at work means surprises when I come in, like a desk drawer full of nuts for instance....

discussions on being thankful for what we have with the blue-eyed baby...

distracting the panda-dog from her tail boo-boo...she's convinced her tail is not her friend...

dressing up as the older versions of Charlie Brown and Lucy VanPelt for Katie's birthday party...the subsequent bring-your-wig-to-work pictures are too scary for the internet.....let's just say certain ladies wigs are not meant to be worn by men...

vibrant, gorgeous fall leaves fluttering down around New England houses (no, this is not our house!)....

and YUM, last but not least...a newfound enthusiasm for baking....whole wheat pumpkin muffins...mmmm-mmmmmmmmm!

Happy Autumn!

IF: Skinny

2009-11-04T14:49:00.002-05:00

Long, lean Lenny loved the autumn. He loved wrapping his long, skinny orange scarf about his neck and trundling outside to watch the leaves dance for him. “They’re so graceful” he thought, as he reached out and let the leaves land on his tongue. Crunch, Crunch.“And tasty. Mmmm….Tastes like red.”

Yippee!!! A little IF illustration after hours and hours of sketching other ideas! Have you ever really studied a llama?! Wow. What character! I know a certain friend might really like Lenny....!!!

5 Lessons I learned from Craft Fairs

2009-10-18T16:13:00.007-04:00

It IS the season of crafty goodness. Fall here isn't complete without hayrides, hot cider, hot chocolate, pumpkins, apple everything and tons and tons of crafty goodness. I have been busy trying to balance normal life with crafty life and taking part in the crazy pre-Christmas festival season. I have a lot of respect for people who do this year round, all the time. I don't think I'm cut out to be a lifer but here's a little snapshot of what I've experienced so far.

If you wanna make it in the craft world.....

1) You have to draw people in....
Dozens of doggies in costume and competing for various puppy prizes at the Pumpkins and Pooches Festival....a must see for animal lovers.

2) You have to stand out from the crowd, you need to have an original idea...
This lovely local man started making reindeer from leftover wood a couple of years ago, he shows up with a truckload of little Rudolph's and often goes home with an empty truckload....even I couldn't resist having one of my own after staring at the little guy all day.

3) You have to be professional....your booth and your work should look like a million bucks but your prices have to make people feel like they're getting a deal.
Evelyn Villegas is a very talented woman who sells Peruvian jewelry, some of which is intricately woven together in the technique of her ancestors. Her prices were so amazing, I dropped a bunch of money on Christmas presents right there.

4) You have to be kind to your fellow crafter. It's amazing how many wonderful people I've met just by sitting next to them during a long festival day. Watching each other's booths, lending supplies, swapping ideas for upcoming shows.....by the end of the day, you feel like you've made it through an ordeal together and become friends.
My favorite crafter to sit next to is of course my mom!

5) You have to be brave. It is not easy to let people touch, look at, comment on or pass by the things you've taken hours to make. It makes you just want to sit down and cry when the wind knocks over your carefully placed display. It certainly is not logical to get up early in the morning, lug all of your wares out to the car, travel to the fair site, set them up frantically and then take it all down and start over again another day. You have to be gutsy (or nutsy!) enough to do this without knowing the outcome. This is the hardest part for me as it is with all of life.

If I knew that doing something would bring great success, much joy and plenty of moula....of course I would do it. But most times we don't know for sure, we're just stepping out in faith. You can't get anywhere if you don't start somewhere. Keeping your eyes and ears open along the way. So many times I want to stop and figure out if something is worth my time, worth investing my heart in....will I waste money, will I waste time, will my heart get broken? I believe in making wise decisions but if I waited for the answer to all of these questions I would be unable to move. In the wise words of Bob Wiley from the movie What About Bob? all you need is one baby step at a time. "Baby steps to the elevator, baby steps get on the bus, baby steps down the aisle, baby steps..." Happy baby stepping!

Cards and Magnets...ooh la la!

2009-09-28T16:52:00.007-04:00

I just added some great new crafty items to my shop! Check 'em out if you're interested in stationery and magnets. I'm still in the middle of craft fair season here. The hard part about being an artist/crafter is that every weekend I attend a craft fair I think I'm ready for the next one....but in between the fairs I'm making more art and of course want to bring the new things along! So I'm never ready! It's a lot of work but also a lot of fun. At the Scarecrow Festival a couple of weekends ago I met so many great families and amazing kids. One in particular kept coming back to visit me (if you're reading this...Hi Leyah!!!) and bringing people with her to exclaim over my work. To see kids spend their dollars on my prints because they love them so much certainly warms my heart. Now if only I could hire Leyah as my spokesperson on these crafting weekends so I could shop around myself! (Leyah? Wanna be an artists' apprentice?!)

We are enjoying fall in New England as everyone should with hayrides, apple crisp, walks in the leaves and head colds! If you're in the area come by Colchester green for the Pumpkins and Pooches fair this Sunday and visit me....or at least check out all the pooches in costume! Happy Autumn everyone!

When you stay up late....

2009-09-18T12:37:00.005-04:00

you get no sleep but lots of things done! Working on lots of new things as the weather gets cooler and we head into fall. It seems that I'm not the only one that suddenly has a burst of energy and ideas around Autumn time. I'm not sure what it is about the season that makes you re-invent yourself. For us New Englanders, maybe it's the knowledge that winter is right around the corner and we have to kick it into high gear before we bunk down with our blankets and hot chocolate!

Finally, as promised, I'm close to finishing my Turtle Girls of Summer paintings. This is a sneak peek of them almost done. With a few finishing touches and a beautiful ribbon for them to hang on, they just might make their debut this weekend.

Also making their debut.....MAGNETS! Don't the turtles look great in glass! I'll be adding these to my Etsy shop, but I'm bringing them along to some great fall fairs coming up.

If you're in the area, stop by the Preston City Scarecrow Festival tomorrow (Saturday, the 19th) from 9 to 6pm. I've been before and was pleasantly surprised by how big this small town fair was! It's free to the public and there will be food, crafts, pumpkin painting, a moonbounce, a scarecrow competition.......fall fun for everyone! I'm looking forward to it. Hope to see you there!!!

Interview with an Illustrator: Eric Sturtevant

2009-09-15T10:23:00.012-04:00

Eric Sturtevant is the only artist I've interviewed so far that I've actually had the privilege to meet in person....several times! It is SO exciting to me every time I run into Eric at a local art festivals because I love his work, I love his style, and I every time I see him I know the world (or at least my area!) is experiencing and buying his fantastic illustrations! Hooray for local artists! So anyway, here is my latest interview with Eric Sturtevant.

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How did you get started as an artist/illustrator?

I was tired of working jobs I hated that had nothing to do with art at all. Jan. 1st 2007 I quit my job as a warehouse manager, cashed in my 401k, sold my car and took the plunge into the art world head first. I've always drawn cartoons since I was a kid and really wanted to break into publishing. The dilemma was how do I make money off my work while strengthening my portfolio for art directors.

Growing up in New England, I've always attended local art festivals and noticed a major change occuring in the scene. There were alot of younger people attending the shows, starting families and looking for something different for there homes. Essentially its my generation growing up and becoming our parents, but with different tastes. I also noticed there was a real lack of artwork for kids at these shows. I really felt that there was an untapped market that I could try to appeal to with my work. Armed with a wad of cash (essentially my life savings) and some great advice from some professional artists who also travel the show circuit for a living, I applied to shows full tilt and began selling my work. I'm in the midst of year three full time and things are great. People are extremely enthusiastic about my work and I've gotten some incredible opportunities out of it, including a licensing deal with Barnes and Noble to sell puzzles and games based on my work nationwide. It's so much fun.

What does a typical day look like for you?

It's funny, there really isn't a typical day, which is another reason why I love what I do. I get bored really easily with routine, so there's usually a list of things I need to prepare for each show and I'll tackle them in the order in which I feel like it that day. Sometimes I'll get up and start drawing, or I'll hit the business end of it...mailing out internet orders or making prints of my work, applying to new shows, contacting art directors. After all it is a business and needs to be treated as such. And admittedly, sometimes I just want to watch Judge Joe Brown and do nothing. Just kidding. I'll have him on as background noise when I'm drawing.

Who/what inspires you creatively?

I'm a huge movie nut and really love music. I draw a lot of inspiration from both. Two of my newest pieces were drawn from each. One is called "Tambourines and Elephants",a lyric from a CCR song I really love, and the other is called "Pool Sharks", completely inspired by "The Hustler". I'm a big Paul Newman fan. A lot of it too comes from listening to the public. It's really invaluable the access to opinions and reactions from people at these shows. From a marketing standpoint you find out what works and what doesn't, and then you tweak your work to appeal to an audience.

How has your art/style changed since you first started?

I feel like I've really gotten better since I started three years ago. Its really true, the more you do it (whatever it is) the better you get. I feel my work is more polished...I'm more confident with my work (although I'm horribly self-critical). A big problem artists have is a lack of self esteem in getting your work out to an audience. Let's face it, it's really scary to put yourself out there and get people's reaction no matter what the situation. For me I had to move past that immediately since I was determined to make money off this venture. Again, this is where the public's opinions have been so important. Once I found out what they were looking for, I could just have fun with the ideas and really put myself into each picture without limits. That's really what I try to do each time.

What are three pieces of advice you would give to someone just starting out?

For any artist starting out doing art festivals, I would advise that you stay true to your work and keep it focused. While its always important to explore new mediums to better yourself, in the art show world it can be a bit confusing to the audience to have all kinds of work in a show. Find your niche and stick to it. That's not to say it won't evolve over time, but remember its a business venture too. I'm fortunate to have recognized my passion early on. For some people it takes longer.

Be prepared for a lot of work. It's true that nothing really worth pursuing is easy. Stay focused on the prize ( for me it was working for and supporting myself through my art) and commit yourself to it fully. You will learn to become your best salesperson and get people excited about your work. It's the greatest feeling when someone is willing to spend there hard earned money on your work instead of countless other escapes because you've inspired them. Believe me, once that happens you're hooked.

Most importantly, don't let a closed door deter you from your goals. Not everyone will like what you do. Stay true to your vision and people will see what you're trying to accomplish. Sometimes you have to win them over, sometimes you just can't. Keep going! Forward progress is extremely important. My mantra has become "Let my work take me where it's supposed to." While that may seem like an incredible leap of faith, if you believe in it, you'll find your audience.

What do you hope to accomplish in the future (artistically or otherwise)?

The sky's the limit. My immediate goals are attempting to publish a book I hope to complete next year and continue the pursuit of more licensing agreements to make other products out of my work. I really believe there are many avenues I can pursue and am always willing to explore any opportunity. It's a grassroots effort to get my name out there and fortunately, it's working.

What's one thing you've always wanted to do?

Motorcycle cross country. I'd love to spend a few months exploring this country on a motorcycle. I've taken a lot of road trips by car, but there's nothing like riding on two wheels across an open road.

If you could hang out with anyone for a day (living or dead), who would it be and why?

Martin Scorcese. I think this man is a national treasure and an insanely creative force. I would love to watch him work for a day and see how his mind clicks. His cinematic style is so unique, and he lives and breathes what he does. It's so inspiring.

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Well! Isn't his stuff amazing!!! I'm like a kid in a candy store every time I see it! And I can't stop using exclamation marks!!! Aghh!!!! I absolutely love every piece. If you are interested in Eric's illustrations, check out even more of them at http://www.sturtevantillustrations.com/ and if you're in the New England area you can see him at upcoming art festivals in MA, RI and NJ this fall. Thank you so much, Eric!

IF: Strong

2009-09-10T19:06:00.002-04:00

Coffee please. And make it strong! (For all you true coffee lovers out there who can't even begin to get through a day without that first cup of brew!)

IF: Magnify

2009-09-03T20:21:00.003-04:00

A little graphite pencil drawing that took me what seemed like ages to complete. This topic immediately reminded me of the difference between childhood and adulthood. When you're young, everything outside of you gets put under the magnifying glass. You want to understand it, get up close to it, experience it. Everything is wondrous and amazing to a little person in a great big world. Somewhere in between childhood and adulthood the magnifying glass turns inward. Then all you seem to see are your flaws, your unmet goals, your dashed hopes. The world isn't quite so wondrous anymore. You question whether it really ever was.

The only thing I've found to heal this dilemma is to turn the magnifying glass away from me and toward Someone who deserves all the attention. Only then do I gain my childlike perspective.

"Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!" Psalm 34:3

My latest little obsession....

2009-09-02T10:29:00.006-04:00

Homemade stamps cut from white erasers!!! Thanks to Geninne's blog and the linocut tools I still have from college...I've got ANOTHER project I'd love to spend hours on!

IF: Caution

2009-08-26T13:31:00.002-04:00

CAUTION: bright colors and sickeningly sweet illustrations to follow.

(I've been playing with brighter colors and patterns with the turtles. I love it! Stay tuned for more fun drawings and maybe even....paintings!!!)

Starving Artists Craft Fair 2009

2009-08-18T11:36:00.004-04:00

Thought I'd show you a little taste of what life is like if you're one of those crazy people that does craft fairs. My first two-day, all weekend fair was on the muggiest, hottest weekend! Thank goodness we were in the shade and it didn't rain! My mom and I enjoyed talking to each other, some visits from friends and watching all of the hot people heading to the beach! It's a lot of work to prepare for these things. Lots of stuff to bring, setup to work out, packing and unpacking the car. It must run through every vendor's mind whether it's worth it or not. For me, I love to see the expression on people's faces. I love to hear their feedback. I loved being outside amidst my art, coming up with more and more ideas while I was sitting there. It's hard to put yourself out there and let others critique you or walk past you. But the sense of pride and happiness you feel when someone loves what you do and decides to take a piece of it home is priceless.

Oh! I almost forgot. At the fair I had a drawing for a free illustration. The big winner is April G! Hooray for you, April! I'll get in touch with you soon to work out an illustration just for you!!! Thanks for coming by!

IF: Wrapped

2009-08-16T23:09:00.004-04:00

Wrapped is the topic for this week. I immediately thought of this half finished illustration I started a while ago. What a perfect incentive for finishing it. This is my colored pencil version of my little rascal pets. Consider this the "before" picture of what might happen "after" I left a room of beautifully wrapped presents. I think you can guess what these two (with their mischievous little claws) would do next!

This is Prismacolor pencil on Strathmore Bristol Vellum (I think I like the smooth paper much better for pencil work though). I added some cut paper and ribbon for the gifts. I hope this will find it's way into a personal Christmas card or letter from us this year. As always I'd love to know what you think!

The Turtles go the Fair

2009-08-13T16:48:00.002-04:00

Hiya! Just a quick note if you're in the area of Niantic, Connecticut. Elena's Easel (which is me and the Turtles and Jungle Babies) will be at the Starving Artists Craft Fair this Saturday and Sunday. We'll be on the lawn in front of the Rocky Neck Inn & Suites (Exit 72 from I-95) which is right near Rocky Neck State Park. Mom (aka: Sonata Soap) and I will be there from 10-4 both days. Hope to see you there!

Black and white beauties

2009-08-07T16:25:00.009-04:00

I missed the topic of Modify this week. I think it was a good one. But I have been doing my share of modification. On this little baker turtle for instance. She looked like this at first...

But then I modified her a little! Isn't she cute!You can see her and these "Turtle Girls of Summer" made into stamps over at Stamping Bella's next month! Oh, the excitement of it all! I'll let you know when they're in the shop over there. I just couldn't wait to show them because they reflect my mood lately. I feel like cooking up new things and enjoying the summer sunshine! Happy August to you all!

Random moments from July!

2009-07-31T10:09:00.009-04:00

Well, July kind of flew by didn't it?! It's just started to feel like summer here. Humid. Hot. Fans at full force. I love it. I haven't been doing a whole lot of artwork but I've been busy just the same. Here's a little snippet of what I've been up to lately......

Playing with my breadmaker....mmm, mmm...there's nothing like fresh, natural bread!

We invited EVERYONE on Joel's softball team over for homemade pizza after the last game of the season. Everyone loved the varieties of homemade, healthy pizza and there was enough to go around. Felt like I was operating a busy pizzeria for one night there!

Threw a surprise baby shower at work for a lovely lady. I enjoyed picking out rubber ducky decorations and being sneaky! It gave me a lot of joy to organize a celebration of life for my friends and co-workers.

Celebrated my 27th birthday! Had beautiful flowers and yummy drinks at work (Shirley Temples, my favorite!!!) Lasagna and ice cream cake with my family.....there's always extra frosting though....

Not sure, but I think I lost that fight.

I've also been making new friends (Hi Gwendolyn!).....

resting more....(the little Siamese Prince does this well).....

and taking some time to be still and ponder the mysteries of life.

Interview with an Illustrator: Kathy Hare

2009-06-30T16:18:00.022-04:00

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! I am excited! The incredible Kathy Hare agreed to be interviewed and let her artwork grace my bloggy pages. I LOVE her stuff! I'm sure it doesn't help that she also works mainly with pencil or that her creative ideas are astounding or that she manages to submit something to IF every stinkin' week!!! It's sweet torture to watch her outdo herself week after week. Here is a little peek into the life of artist, Kathy Hare.

Q: How did you get started as an artist?

A: I have always loved to draw. When I was very young I had problems with my feet and had to have a couple of operations when I was two and six years old. I had to have casts on my legs and I spent a lot of my convalescence with crayons or pencils in hand, filling my time with drawing. I created little worlds through my pictures, often creating whole families and stories for them to populate. My love of art continued throughout my teens and into my twenties but I married young and started a family so thoughts of going to college and studying art to become an illustrator seemed like an impossible dream. I carried on drawing for pleasure but I always longed to pursue my artistic career. At the age of thirty-five my children were growing up and I had more time on my hands so I decided to go to college to study art part-time. After finishing a two year foundation course I was encouraged to push on and go forward to university to study illustration. I attended The Cambridge School of Art at Anglia Ruskin University, a wonderful school where the emphasis is on drawing rather than graphic illustration. It wasn't always easy juggling family, Uni work and travelling but I managed somehow and came out the other side of it a very happy woman with an honours degree in illustration!

Q: What does a typical day look like for you?

A: Since leaving Uni I have spent my time drawing and developing my portfolio, I usually spend about two to three days a week drawing for Illustration Friday,which I find a wonderful way to keep myself challenged. I also occasionally do commissioned portrait work. A typical drawing day starts with me getting my youngest son ready for school then after a couple of hours of drinking coffee, puttering about in the house and garden, checking emails and floating around in the blogosphere I get down to work. I have a studio but often prefer to sketch ideas in the garden before settling down to work on the final illustration. Once I'm in 'the zone' I can draw for hours with virtually no breaks often through the evening and into the night.

Q: How has your art/style changed since you first started?

A: I think the thing that has changed most for me is that the image in my mind of what I am about to draw has more clarity now than it used to have. I have a very definite idea in my mind before I start to sketch and with this has come a new definition in my work which in turn has given me more confidence in the things I choose to draw. I now like to experiment more with colour and light. I love exploring the way light can create drama in an image. I have also been enjoying working with just graphite pencil and rediscovering it's properties and subtleties.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish in the future (artistically or otherwise)?

A: I want to illustrate books for children. Last year I started sending work out to various children's book publishers and agents and gradually started to get positive responses. I have managed to aquire the representation of an agent and a few publishers have put my work on file in case anything comes up that suits my style but I still have not had any children's book work. But I will push on and keep sending out my mailers and hopefully one day soon my work will be seen by the right person at the right time and my illustrative journey will truly start!

Q: Who/what inspires you creatively?

A: I am inspired by many things; life itself , my family, nature, art whether it be illustration, fine art or sculpture. I enjoy it all. I am inspired by many illustrators. I love the work of John Tenniel, Arthur Rackham, Edward Ardizzone to the more contemporary work of Shaun Tan, Oliver Jeffers, Angela Barrett, Raymond Briggs, Quentin Blake, Edward Gorey and Maurice Sendak.... I could go on and on.

Q: What are three pieces of advice you would give to someone just starting out.

A: Draw, draw and draw!! :) Draw as much as you can, have a little book with you and sketch when you're out, just quick sketches nothing too intricate, people, children, dogs, buildings, trees by doing this it helps you to build a kind of visual library in your mind that you can dip into as you draw. I sometimes even sketch as I watch tv! The slope of someone's shoulder or the outline of someone's face... it all feeds into later work.

Play, experiment with things, find what works for you. I have often spent days playing with new materials, dropping things into watercolour to see what happens, covering whole sheets of paper with scribbles of colour pencil building them up layer upon layer. Sometimes you have to just play without trying to get an end result.

Persevere, push on with it no matter how disheartened you may feel. Whether it is a drawing you are struggling with or approaching publishers you must persevere. If a drawing goes wrong I either continue until I get it right or start afresh and the same goes with publishers. If you get rejection, keep working and sending out your stuff until you don't! If you want something enough you have to keep going until you get it! :)

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Aren't you as amazed as I am! Thank you so much Kathy for agreeing to be interviewed. I'm sure you're dying to check out her other work. Visit her on her website: www.kathyhareillustration.com or check out her blog: www.moongazinghare.blogspot.com or if you hang around Illustration Friday circles for any length of time, you'll recognize her exquisite illustrations!

Illustration Friday: Drifting

2009-06-25T16:32:00.006-04:00

This weeks' topic is drifting. I quickly fixed up and colored my little Monkey in D (thanks for the idea, Katie), so you can see him drifting off to sleep. I didn't plan for him to be in a "D" when the topic was 'd'rifting. It just worked out that way. After giving a Monkey C to my friend to celebrate her new monkey baby, I thought I'd do some more!

I'll be adding these to my Etsy shop shortly so people can pick a letter for their kids! I love the idea of something personalized and handmade in a child's room. So pick a letter, pick a color scheme and I'll draw it up for ya! Hooray for monkeys!

I'm Back!

2009-06-20T16:51:00.002-04:00

So sorry about my blogging hiatus! I guess I've been a tad busy! Just got handed a huge project that will take a miracle to finish at work. Though I don't mind being busy the extra hours and stress of wanting to do a good job in a short amount of time takes it's toll.

Had my wonderful sister and brother-in-law for a visit. It was fun to have them but sad to say goodbye. We went to the zoo, made a silly movie and ate a lot!

Then Joel and I went on vacation to Vermont. We toured the Cabot cheese factory, learned how maple syrup is made and saw beavers in the lake looking for dinner. We're back now and trying to get used to the humidity and the fact that it STILL doesn't appear to be summer here in New England. I have patience....summer is coming.

This week it's Father's Day, my dad's birthday and my baby sister's birthday....! Yikes! So much going on lately I've had to choose between relationships and family time or artwork and as you can see from the lack of new artwork.....

I'm hoping to get back in the swing of things in the coming weeks but who knows, maybe this more relaxed me will have to stay around for awhile. People are still coming up with some amazing things for the latest IF topics. I admit I have a hard time looking at other artists work and being inspired.....most of the time I'm just amazed and jealous! We always think that creativity comes so naturally to others than to ourselves. I do anyway!

I have some more monkeys to show you soon that I hope to be including as a personalized art in my Etsy shop soon. There's also some other ideas rolling around my head, we'll see what actually comes out.

June 5th

2009-06-05T10:00:00.001-04:00

I struggle a little with how personal to get on this blog. It's supposed to be a happy little place where I can connect with you, show you my artwork and give you a peek into my life. But the longer I blog the harder it is not to share the sides of me that are not all light and happy and cheerful. This time I think it's worth sharing.

It's June 5th today. That probably doesn't mean much to you but it's a day that I've looked forward to with anticipation and sadness. Today was the expected due date of our first baby. There's a lot I could tell you about the experience of losing a child. Some people start up whole blogs about it just to get their feelings out and connect with others who have gone through similar pain. But that's not what my purpose is in posting today.

Instead I want to share with you what we've done and what God has done to turn our mourning into gladness. I've noticed that the old saying "when God shuts a door he opens a window" certainly seems true in my life. I do not believe that God inflicts suffering or tragedy on us. Nevertheless, in this life, we will have trouble. And pain. And heartache. And disappointment. But it seems that every time a dream is dashed and I'm mourning the loss, God drops in my lap, another opportunity, conversation or encouragement that I didn't realize I desperately needed.

The week that I miscarried the baby was also the week that I had the privilege of going to my first craft show....and it was a big one! I was working hard for months to get my turtle collection ready. It was such a great, silent desire in my heart to prove to myself that I could do this. The craft fair turned out to be a wonderful experience that gave me hope that my dream of being an artist and illustrator just might come true. You could say that while one dream was dying, another dream was just starting to grow.

There are many more instances like that. I really want something. It doesn't happen. God surprises me with joy in another way. I've decided we need to partner with God (as opposed to avoid and mistrust Him) when bad things happen and see how these hurtful, painful things will be redeemed.

As we've been going through the process of grieving and letting go these past several months I've started looking ahead to June 5th and wondering what I could do to say goodbye at last. My mind turned to how blessed we are right now. How much we have compared to the rest of the world who is hungry, jobless, homeless and hopeless. Joel and I prayerfully and financially support several organizations that work tirelessly to help those who can't help themselves. We decided to turn our loss into joy and after a little research....we found beautiful Bajantri Vimala from India. A little girl available for sponsorship from Gospel for Asia. Birthdate.... June 5.

It gives us such a thrill to honor our baby in this way. She is safe in heaven, but Bajantri needs help here on earth. We're so excited to be involved in and make a difference in Bajantri's life. In what God is doing in India. He's clothed us with joy again.

If you want to know more about child sponsorship or any of the organizations we support, please contact me!

Interview with an Illustrator: Laura Zarrin

2009-05-31T17:40:00.014-04:00

This week I'm bringing another wonderful artist to your attention. Laura Zarrin's colored pencil work makes me gasp with envy. I love it so much! Her illustrations are bright and funny. She's been in the biz for a while and is still learning and doing new things. Be sure to visit her website and blog and check out her amazing art.

How did you get started as an artist/illustrator?

I’ve been drawing since I was very little. The illustrations in the Little House books inspired me. I began working as a designer while working on my illustration degree. Right after graduation, I attended Illustrator’s Day in Pasadena. I showed my portfolio to Art Directors attending the event and was hired to illustrate 6 books for a book packager. It was amazing!!!!

How long have you been doing this?

Since 1988 with a big break for the last 9 years while my kids were little. I'm now restarting my career and it’s a lot harder this time around.

What does a typical day look like for you

Up at 6:45 to get the kids ready for school. Drop them off. Walk the dog, then dig into work. I’m currently working on a lot of promotions for the children’s and educational market. Researching constantly. I’m also working on collections for licensing. This is very new to me, so there’s a big learning curve. Let’s not forget checking blogs and Twitter. The kids are home by 3:30, then homework, dinner, bedtime. Sometimes, if I’m very lucky, I get to work while they’re home. It’s getting better as they get older.

Who/what inspires you creatively?

Everything. My kids, the dog. A walk. Other artists. I’ve recently embarked on a new path after reading Kelly Rae Robert’s book, Taking Flight. I knew I needed a change, but didn’t know what it was. Her book launched me into collage and painting. I’ve been painting up a storm lately. I am not giving up color pencil, but it’s feels so good to work in a freer, quicker medium also. I love color pencil, but it is extremely labor intensive.

How has your art/style changed since you first started?

I’d like to think it’s gotten a lot better. I still cringe at some of my earlier work. I was lucky to work with a great art director, Annette Hollister-Papp, early on. She really pushed me in my style. I love to collaborate like that. A good art director can really get you to do things you didn’t think you could or hadn’t thought of before. I’ll always be grateful for her input and direction.

What are three pieces of advice you would give to someone just starting out?

Draw, draw, and draw!

Make art friends and support each other. I’m finding some great friends on Twitter. They inspire me daily.

Know your market. Research. Get out to as many conferences and industry related get togethers as you can. If you want to illustrate children’s books, join SCBWI!!!

What do you hope to accomplish in the future (artistically or otherwise)?

I want to improve my drawing skills. Explore more. Add more fun and humor to my work. Illustrate more board books. License my work. Achieve balance.

What's one thing you've always wanted to do?

Be a great wife and mom. I’m a work in progress.

If you could meet anyone living or dead, who would it be & why?

It’s so hard to choose. Garth Williams—I’d like to just watch him draw.

I would love to shadow someone whose art is licensed. I want to see how they do everything from the art to the business. Mary Engelbreit would be at the top of my list in this category.

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Thanks so much Laura! Go check out her work at:

http://www.laurazarrin.com/
http://www.creativewhimsies.blogspot.com/
http://www.pixiebears.com/

Interview with an Illustrator: Carmen Keys

2009-05-22T15:35:00.003-04:00

The first in a series of wonderful artists that deserve recognition for all of their talent and hard work. I don't remember how I first found freelance artist, Carmen Keys....through Illustration Friday maybe. Following her blog, I often have moments where I can't help but thunk my head and exclaim, "no way!" "how in the world did she do that!" Carmen's work is soft and beautiful and peaceful. She mainly uses watercolor (my archnemesis!) and her paintings are sometimes so intricate and detailed I have no idea how she finishes them so fast. Click on the artwork to see it bigger or find out how you could purchase it.

Q: How did you get started as an artist/illustrator?
A: I have wanted to be an artist/illustrator since childhood, but never had the courage to step out and do it seriously until about 4 years ago when I found myself in a position where I badly needed a way to earn money. I knew that other people sold their art online, such as through Ebay and websites – I finally got desperate enough to get over my fear of selling my artwork and jumped in! I started by selling itty bitty ACEO paintings of fairies and fantasy on Ebay. Out of the necessity to earn money I learned to paint like crazy, and ever since then I've been painting hundreds of pieces every year. At the time I had a blog on LiveJournal (the archives are still there) and that is where I learned the wonders of networking! I met many artists there that are still my friends, and we look out for each other in this wacky business. I don't know what I'd do without them! Though most of my art friends are fantasy/fairy artists since that is where I started, their support and friendship are invaluable still as I've transitioned into children's illustration.

Q: How long have you been doing this?
A: Like a lot of artists, I've been drawing since I could hold a pencil – however, I've only really been painting for about the past 4 years. My mom and brother are artists, too, and we kids got to play with all my mom's good art supplies from the beginning! I owe a lot to her for that, even though we ruined a lot of markers and brushes. ;) She also was (and is) very adamant that children should not stifle their imaginations, encouraging us to use them more!

Q: What does a typical day look like for you?
A: There is no “typical” in my day, ha ha... I have discovered that sticking to a set schedule/routine just does not work for me, no matter how I've tried to fight it. I wish it did, but it doesn't; I am learning to just accept this and roll with it, as long as the work gets done on time! The creative part of my business (drawing and painting) happens best in the evenings to late night, so I try to do the more tedious office-y tasks during the daytime. Lots of web and computer work, post office, things like that. I feel more physical during the day, so I also let myself play in the garden on sunny days as I wish. Sometimes a painting will be so consuming that I will do it all day despite my dusk-loving creative muse. Lastly, all of the things I've just said are subject to change on any given day! Deadlines are good, schedules are bad. For me at least.

Q: Who/what inspires you creatively?
A: First and foremost, God. This is His business, not mine. I love innocence and all things childlike and gnomish, and I love being out in God's creation. His great and inexpressible beauty is something I long to stay close to. Those things really drive my work, and I want to make a little respite from the trials of this world for both adults and children. All of the beautiful illustrations and storybooks I loved as a child really helped me in this way. Looking at other artists' wonderful work is usually a good way to get me fired up for some drawing and painting.
Music is also a huge part of my creative process, as it is my other main vehicle for creative expression. I write it/sing/play instruments and I certainly love listening to other peoples' music. My brother is a very gifted musician/composer, and listening to his work is great fuel for creative fire!

Q: How has your art/style changed since you first started?
A: It has changed a fair bit, especially in subject matter. When I started I was an animistic pagan, so did a lot of fairy, mythology, goddess, and pagan type subjects in a rather Art Nouveau style with heavy ink outlines and bright, soft colored pencil. Three years ago I met Jesus, which has utterly rocked my world and just exploded my ideas about everything. My art began to change with me, switching to themes of innocence and childhood. My work also became much softer and looser, mostly all in watercolor. I love acrylics and oils too, they're just a lot more work! I still paint fairies from time to time, but I have felt called mainly to paint through the eyes of childhood (which can certainly include a fairy or two!). The transition from fantasy art to children's illustration was an inevitable thing for me.

Q: What are three pieces of advice you would give to someone just starting out?
A: 1) PAINT. (Or whatever you do to make art). Do it all the time. Set quotas, it doesn't all have to be amazing. I end up with plenty of mediocre and even bad paintings scattered amongst the good ones, and I go through artist's block ridiculously often. Doesn't matter, keep painting. If you get used to this, meeting deadlines even when you don't feel inspired becomes far less of a problem. If you want to do art as a profession, there are going to be plenty of times when inspiration isn't there (unless you are very unusual and lucky, then rejoice!), yet it still must be done. The more you paint the more you want to paint and get better at painting, and the less you fear painting -- at least for me. Also your unique style/voice will emerge naturally from this.

2) Make friends! The single most important thing in my art business other than doing the actual art is the networking with people. Almost every single licensing contract I have has come through knowing my circle of artist friends. Most people are more than willing to help set you in the right directions. We protect eachother against copyright violations and steer eachother through the murky and sometimes dangerous waters of contracts. I made friends primarily through my old LiveJournal blog when I started out, which also led me to various artist forum communities. Nowadays I make friends through my Blogspot blog, Illustration Friday, and recently Twitter. Some people like Facebook, MySpace, etc or may prefer face-to-face in their own community, people from SCBWI – find something you like and use it! Go forth and meet people! I'm shy/introverted and I did it, don't let that stop you!

3) Have a way for people to keep up with what you are doing, like a website and/or blog and be consistent with it. It's much more fascinating for people to see the human being behind the paintings and illustrations. Post sketches, works in progress, tutorials, pictures from your life, talk about your process, your life, etc. People will want to know more! This phenomenon still amazes me, but it is true. I know I for one end up liking an artist's work many times more than I already did just by knowing about who they are.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish in the future (artistically or otherwise)?
Many book publications with my illustrations in them, I hope! Getting my business in a place that it will support me without being always driven and nervous about the next set of bills (thus creating lots of lovely artist's block). A little less hand-to-mouth, please. Mostly I just want to listen to what God wants me to do with it and follow.

Q: What's one thing you've always wanted to do?
A: I would so love to be able to write my own little stories for my illustrations. I am incredibly shy and fearful about doing this, but there it is. My brother seems to just be able to write fantastic stuff without sweating it too much, but I don't have his confidence in that area!

Q: If you could meet anyone living or dead, who would it be & why?
A: Wow, that's kind of a tough question. I'm going to say Beatrix Potter, as I identify with her a lot. Besides loving her illustrations. I love that she created an entire little world to keep her company in a very introverted childhood, what a great imagination! And such perseverance despite obstacles. I'll bet she might be a “kindred spirit”.

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Thanks so much, Carmen! Go and leave her a note on her bloggy if you LOVE her work as much as I do. www.carmenkeysart.blogspot.com or visit her Etsy and ArtWanted shops and personal website.

Inspire Me Thursday: Petals

2009-05-19T16:14:00.004-04:00

Oh, how crazy! The wedding turtles I just finished work perfectly for this weeks' Inspire Me Thursday topic. These little reptiles proclaimed their undying love amidst a wave of petals.

This drawing will be made into a card and possibly a stamp soon! Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

For the love of Blogging

2009-05-18T10:38:00.003-04:00

Okay, that's it. I've just realized it. I like blogging. Despite all my best intentions, I really do. I desire a simple, minimalistic, naturally beautiful life....I view computers, gaming systems, and the internet with aloof disdain. After having a job that requires a computer for over 7 years I still wouldn't know how to set one up myself (it's okay, you can be embarassed for me). I think people get sucked into staring at a screen and buying the latest gadget instead of spending time with real people or solving real problems in our world.

But you know what? In the short time that I've been blogging, using Etsy, Artfire, Deviant art and the like, I've found a whole bunch of amazing and interesting people I might not otherwise have the privilege to know and learn from. In the journalistic world of blogs I can learn from other peoples mistakes with money like this guy, or find even more ways to be frugal like her. And then there are the days I stumble upon hard to read blogs like BringTheRain and I feel so completely immersed in the heartbreaking story of someone I've never met.

Lately I am thankful for how this technology has led me to real artists that I can learn from and interact with. I am so excited to let you in on the newest idea I have cooked up for this bloggy. Interviews with the Illustrators! I will be publishing interviews from some of the amazing people I have met online through one connection or another. I know that you will love getting to know them and seeing their awesome creativity. It definitely inspires me! Stay tuned for my first Interview with an Illustrator featuring my new bloggy friend Carmen Keys!

I'm seeing spots...or polka dots!

2009-05-14T15:18:00.003-04:00

I just stumbled upon a great site for fellow Etsians and creative types out there. Julie of onthedotcreations has an obvious love of everything polka dotted, a generous spirit (check out the free e-book on her sidebar), and the desire to highlight other Etsy sellers. Look around her site it's so colorful and fun! I am a part of the Polka Dot Parade for this month. Every month you can send her your Etsy items that have polka dots in them and she'll feature them! She also has contests, giveaways and advice on selling from many valuable sources on Etsy. Check it out! Thanks, Julie!

My Mama!

2009-05-11T16:09:00.009-04:00

This post is too late for Mother's Day but it doesn't really matter does it? The minute you find out you are pregnant, you are and will always be, a mother. Every day is mother(ing) day even when your babies are all grown up. So now we have a day to stop and appreciate our mothers and honor them for all they've done. As if we can really sum it all up or pay it all back in a day. Ha!

This Mother's Day, Joel and I decided to host a lovely brunch for our families at our house. Joel expertly made tons and tons of pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon. It was yummy and fun and we had a wonderful time.

My mother-in-law, Gail, and her babies.

My mom, Debbie, and her babies, minus Cristi and Ben. (And I suppose my dad isn't her baby, but he's often been referred to as the oldest child....!)

Later that night I was excited to hear that my mom, who just recently set up a blog and an Etsy shop, sold her first item!!! Wow! She was excited and I was very happy because my mom deserves success in whatever she does. She has always been interested in natural healthcare remedies and products. She started looking into glycerin soap when she found out how much more beneficial it was to our skin. She's been selling soap at craft fairs and soap parties ever since! If you are interested in my wonderful, gracious momma and her endeavors in the land of home-made soap, check out her blog here or on the link in my sidebar. She's just started listing yummy soap bars in her Etsy shop which you can see here. It's too bad you can't smell them through Etsy because the scent is amazing!

I love you Mom. And I wish you lots of success in this crazy cyber world.

Inspire Me Thursday: Umbrella

2009-05-07T11:43:00.004-04:00

Oops! Totally forgot that to submit something for Inspire Me Thursday you should kind of post it, um, before Thursday! The topic was umbrella which was a fun topic....and I was going to submit my Singin' in the Rain Turtle. Which is quite fitting as it has been hazy, cool and rainy lately. Sigh.

This is the last leg of endurance fellow New Englanders! The rain is bringing our flowers out and the sunshine is right around the corner! I CANNOT wait! Every year since I became an "adult" (aka - started working full time and realized summer vacations were over!) I think of all the fun things I want to do in the summer and write them down. Summer flies by and I always want to stuff as much into it as I can. It makes me happy just to put things down in anticipation. I love lists, especially when they involve fun!

Here's what is rolling around in my mind so far:

1) Go to a local baseball game.

2) Take a community class (starting my Pilates class next week!!!!)

3) Go to the zoo.

4) Hike, bike, and walk.....anywhere there's a path!

5) Tennis and swimming.....in that order. Because when I try to play Joel in tennis, I need to fall in the pool after!

6) Have a picnic/cookout/party at the lake for my birthday in July. Bocce anyone?

7) Take time off to do fun things when my sister and her and her husband come to visit. Yay!

8) Go to the drive-in movies.

9) Cheer at Joel's softball games.

10) Vacation in Vermont. To celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary. Just me and Joel and a canoe....ahhh.

In the jungle, the mighty jungle....

2009-05-04T12:41:00.005-04:00

there are two more babies! Introducing....

Zeke the Zebra and Maya the Monkey! They are up on Etsy already, check them out! I'm working on some other fun monkey art. Hope to show it in the upcoming weeks. Happy, rainy Monday!

Illustration Friday: Theater

2009-04-28T14:00:00.007-04:00

It seems that the innocent, unassuming turtles aren't without their own dramatic flair. For instance, the Turtle Tenors here qualify as reptilian theater. I think the Can Can Turtles are equally as theatrical but I'll save them for another day. Can't you just hear the beautiful melody of the these little guys with their smart red bowties!

In other news, hop on over to Stamping Bella and check out the new turtle stamps just released! I hope everyone has a fabulous time making cards and scrapbooks with them! What fun! If you're a lover of all things stampy, check out the Stamping Bella blog and see all of the other new releases today. They are all so imaginative and adorable! What a great group of artists they have there in BellaLand. Happy Tuesday everyone!

Illustration Friday: Impossibility

2009-04-23T22:19:00.006-04:00

After a bunch of ideas and sketches that didn't seem right, my brain stumbled upon this idea. My own version of "when pigs fly" which everyone knows is an impossibility. What do you think?! These are some resourceful and creative hogs.....I don't know where they're going, but they're determined to get there!

Interesting topic this week...it's easy for creative people to imagine all the beautiful, visual impossible scenarios they could illustrate. It's much harder to face all of the things in real life that seem impossible. My heart is often troubled by the impossible things that I want to see happen. A loving family for every child. An end to world hunger and violence. This week it ocurred to me, what if it's not impossible? What if I can do something and do it now? If I could come up with as much creativity and determination (coupled with God's direction) as these flying pigs, maybe seeming impossibilities could become possibilities.

"Everything is possible for him who believes." Mark 9:23

What up, my peeps!

2009-04-22T10:29:00.016-04:00

Well, I've disappeared from blogging a little bit in the past few weeks. Had a great Easter Sunday with family and friends....might share some pictures of that soon. I have been working very hard on various things but still don't have much to show for it! Funny how that is. So here's an update on my endeavors.

The first baby of a good friend means one must make artwork! Since she reads this blog, I'm not going to show you the finished art just yet, but here's a little hint....

There's going to be a new release of more turtle stamps over at Stamping Bella on the 28th! Hooray! If you check out the blog, some creative ladies are doing some really cool stuff with the stamping challenges.
I've started a little store over on Artfire (there's a linky on my sidebar). I'm new to Artfire but it looks fun and we'll see how it goes.

Sold a couple of Turtle Tots with frames on Etsy to wonderful Alicia. Hooray! I've also added the Celebration Card pack to my Etsy store. I love the colors of those designs, so bright and cheery and fuschia!

Hoping to make something impossible happen for Illustration Friday this week.

Almost finished with two more jungle babies: Zeke the Zebra and Maya the Monkey, pictures coming soon!

Trying to eat better as I've sort of been hooked on sugary things for too long now. (thanks to my benevolent co-workers....somebody's always giving me bad-for-you food)

Besides these things I'm looking forward to visiting in-laws in Massachusetts this weekend, starting a Pilates class and the warm weather that I'm sure is just around the corner. Wow, I guess life is always more full than you think!

In hopeful anticipation

2009-04-02T10:05:00.006-04:00

Do you feel it? Do you get the sense that something good is coming? When I'm not focusing on all the mundane and trivial things of the here and now, I stop and I feel it. Good things are coming....the flowers are pushing their way up out of the soil, the air is getting a little warmer, new lives are being birthed all around us.

I'm thinking of my beautiful friend, Jill, and her girls. I remember at exactly this time 6 years ago, I was a senior in college, anticipating and eagerly working towards my Senior Art Exhibit and graduation. She was at the end of her third trimester, eagerly anticipating the birth of her first baby girl. We shared in each other's joy and accomplishment. We looked forward with expectancy and trepidation to how our lives would change in this new season. We had tremendous hope.

Now my wonderful friend Aimee is eagerly anticipating her first baby. A bouncing baby boy. As I gather a care package to send to her...I find myself excited. Eager. Hopeful. For a new little person to enter the world, bringing joy and blessing to his parents.

But even more than the weather and new life....I'm anticipating the Easter holiday. Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Resurrection/Easter Sunday....for some reason I look forward to the celebration more this year. Maybe it's because this year I've had my share of sorrow. Maybe it's because I've started looking forward to celebrations and remembrances. Maybe it's because my heart's cry is for more of Jesus. How I would have loved to be amongst the women that saw their glorified Savior. I can just imagine the tears, the fear, the excitement when I tried to tell the others of what I had seen and experienced. And how I would want to cling desperately to Him when said He was leaving....only to come back one day. I have experienced the resurrected presence of the living God. And I want more. If you ever see me crying, shaking, stumbling over myself trying to tell you about Him....it's because my words could never do justice to who He is and the love he has for us. But I desperately want you to know.

Most of the time you'll see me doing completely mundane things, going to work, cooking food, taking care of my home, doing laundry.....but I have a little secret. I know there's more! I have the complete assurance and utter HOPE of more! This isn't all there is for me....

What will we celebrate this spring? What will we fix our hopeful, tender hearts on?

Illustration Friday: Poise

2009-03-30T10:17:00.004-04:00

Though I have some other ideas rolling around in my head, I thought I'd use one of my favorite Turtle Tots for this week's topic. Isn't she sweet? So full of grace and poise.....she doesn't know that turtles are known for being awkward and slow. She sees herself as a beautiful ballerina. Poise is just an outward sign of an inner confidence. Hope you like her, you can check out all the other Turtle Tots here. Happy Monday!

Illustration Friday: Subtract

2009-03-24T09:51:00.006-04:00

Woohoo! I did it! And early too! Here's my submission for this weeks topic, "subtract."

Seems this little thief thinks that if one tasty treat is subtracted no one will notice! I had fun drawing these cupcakes...if you stare at them too long they might make you hungry. I have another cute idea for this subject. Maybe I'll be able to submit twice in one week....imagine that!

Spring Gala 2009

2009-03-23T22:42:00.010-04:00

It was an hour before the ball when Cinder-Elena looked up from her drawings in her cold part of the castle. Where was her Prince Charming? Where were her furry attendants? There was only silence....

All of her friends had fallen into a deep slumber. Who would take Cinder-Elena to the ball! She had no magic wand or fairy godmother to help her. Instead she tiptoed up to them and gave them each a kiss. Wake up Sir Yoshi, wake up Princess Kita, wake up handsome prince!

Yoshi helped the Prince get dressed. And off they went....

...and they had a wonderful time!

Illustration Friday: Legendary....almost

2009-03-19T23:00:00.008-04:00

Well, I tried. I know, you out there in the blogging world are so disappointed in my inability to prioritize my time and get these unpaid, just for fun, Illustration Friday assignments done! I understand, I'm pretty disgusted myself....so I've decided to cut out a few things. Like going to work, showering, and paying taxes. Something radical has to be done.

Alright I'm being melodramatic again but in all seriousness I really ALWAYS want to submit something for IF. It's so fun to see what other people think of your work. To participate with all the other artists....I wanna be in the cool club...pick me, pick me! Oh, sorry, sudden flashback to middle school. Boy I'm pretty sarcastic when I'm exhausted....

I'm showing you my very undone illustration for the topic of "legendary." I tried to think of legendary figures, icons that stood out to me. I was either going to draw a great photorealistic drawing of Ella Fitzgerald belting out a song in a nightclub or this one....

this will be my childrens illustration version of this famous picture....if you don't know what this is from I might have to disown you as a friend (sorry that's cranky Elena piping up again).

Gene Kelly's famous "Singin' in the Rain"

I ran out of time and could have tried to hurriedly fill in the rest just to finish before Friday. But decided if I was sensible, I should really take my time and make these illustrations GOOD. Because good illustrations make up a GOOD portfolio. So I will take my time and finish this one...maybe I'll just have to watch Singing in the Rain again for inspiration!

Gene Kelly is to me a legendary actor/dancer extraordinaire. I LOVE old movies, musicals and variety shows. I ate them up in high school when most people were dating, getting cars....I didn't really do normal stuff like that. I raced home to sing to my musicals. I loved the colors, loved the costumes, loved the dancing, loved how everything was sweet, innocent and uncomplicated. Incidentally, Gene Kelly grew up in the exact area of Pittsburgh that my sister and her husband are living now. I walked around Gene Kelly's neighborhood! Neat!

So here's to Gene Kelly, Betty Grable, Rita Hayworth, Doris Day, Fred and Ginger, Rock Hudson, Tony Randall, Jack Lemmon, Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin, Victor Mature, Burt Lancaster, Maureen O'Hara, Jimmy Stewart, Audrey Hepburn and all those other screen legends. They bring me fond memories of time with my family and a life less complicated....

I'm singing in the rain

Just singing in the rain

What a glorious feeling

I'm happy again

I'm laughing at clouds

So dark up above

The sun's in my heart

And I'm ready for love

Let the stormy clouds chase

Everyone from the place

Come on with the rain

I've a smile on my face

I walk down the lane

With a happy refrain

I'm dancin' and singin' in the rain!

Two more babies in the jungle

2009-03-17T12:43:00.006-04:00

So I had Yoshi (whose full name, by the way, is Yoshi Shinga Dewey Alexander French...a regal title if there ever was one) offer his inspection and critique of my work. The Siamese ninja gave me his perceptive pointers and helped me complete the next two Jungle Babies!

Now there's 4 in the set and I will probably go put them into my Etsy shop for the world to see. Still have more jungle babies in mind and a million other things....ah, so many projects so little time!

This weeks topic for Illustration Friday is "legendary." I have a couple of good ideas....we'll see if I can make it happen! We have a bunch of special events going on this week. A CareNet banquet and the annual Spring Gala for my work. Lots of good food and dressing up, maybe not so much time for artwork.....we'll see.

Illustration Friday: Intricate

2009-03-12T16:18:00.007-04:00

It's almost Friday! Hooray! Everything seems a little bit better on Friday doesn't it?! Well, here is my submission for this week's Illustration Friday. The little boy loves his shiny red tricycle and although fixing it is probably much too intricate for him....he wants to try it...all by himself!

There were a bunch of little issues with this one. BUT instead of critiquing it...I'll let you figure out what's wrong! What did I learn from this assignment: you should always fix your perspective BEFORE you add color and if you're looking for reference pictures on the internet you just might find an awful lot of little President Obama. Like this one:

Isn't he the cutest president you've ever seen? I'm glad he has a hopeful heart and childlike determination because being in charge of our country is an INTRICATE mess!

My favorite IF submissions this week:
http://artistamuvek.blogspot.com/2009/03/intricate-for-if.html
http://fadasecompanhia.blogspot.com/2009/03/illustration-friday-intricate.html
http://cockyerdoodle.blogspot.com/2009/03/intricate-dreams.html
http://abaasch.blogspot.com/2009/03/if-intricate.html
http://moongazinghareillustration.blogspot.com/2009/03/illustration-friday-intricate.html

What amazing artists!

Bamboo and the Jungle Babies!

2009-03-12T09:47:00.005-04:00

Well, I happened upon the Inspire Me Thursday website and their topic for this week is "Bamboo." What joy it brought to my face as I have been working very hard on the jungle babies who are framed with bamboo! Here are the first two I've finished so far. The giraffe and elephant are on their way and I hope to do more (a monkey, a zebra.....any more suggestions?).

I'm still not convinced that colored pencils are my thing. When I start drawing something I really fight with them and think I should ditch them and go back to painting but then when I'm done it doesn't look half bad. Opinions anyone? Compare them to the original painted Jungle Babies and tell me what you think! Happy Thursday!

A little discouraged...

2009-03-06T10:21:00.015-05:00

Feeling a little bit bummed lately....sort of a combination of these two guys....

I'm not exactly sure why but I think it's because I try too hard. I am a planner, a goal setter, a person who likes to get the job done. All those things are good, but when your plan doesn't work out and your goal isn't achieved you start to feel disappointed and negative.

I didn't make it for the Illustration Friday submissions this week or last. Instead I concentrated on redrawing the Jungle Babies artwork I wanted to put up on Etsy today. But I just couldn't get them done.

I had my trusty Prismacolors, my desk all set up, my sketches, even Kiki the hula-dancing monkey to help me out....but it just didn't happen. Then in my Eeyore-ish state I started to think of all the other things that just aren't happening either. Cleaning the bathroom, for instance, doing our taxes, getting my fur babies their shots, getting more exercise, reading my Bible and spending time with God....ending world hunger, bringing peace to the Middle East, paying off my parent's mortgage, finding a cure for cancer, securing a loving family for every orphan.... you see where this dramatic pity party is going don't you.

So I'm gonna have to knock that off. Obviously my attitude and my priorities need to be shifted.

It's really not about what I can do anway. It's about who I am and who God wants me to be. The refining process not the achievement of my own goals.

"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded, YOU NEED TO PERSEVERE so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised." Hebrews 10:35-36

Random Picture Day!

2009-02-17T17:46:00.021-05:00

I've decided while looking through the digital camera to delight you with random pictures from 2008. (well only really since the summer on so there's even more randomness around somewhere else!) Hope those of you who are not living close to us will appreciate my sharing this embarassing montage of silliness! Enjoy!!!!

Who is that handsome boy cooking dinner? (looks pretty gross but it tasted good!)

My drying dishes hat!

A serious conversation with Miss Kita about the importance of sharing.

Taco the donkey! And at a farm so close by....what a dream come true!

First time in costume....we're Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher.

Visiting family at Thanksgiving....it's only sparkling cider, don't worry!

I tried so hard to become a cookie maker this Christmas....I tried, I really tried.

Yikes, first sweep of the living room with the new pet hair vaccuum!

My first trip to IKEA and this is what I come back with!

The blue-eyed baby likes his present.

Me and my Schweetie-face while visiting my sister in PA.

THIS CONCLUDES THE RANDOMNESS

Illustration Friday: Celebrate

2009-02-17T14:47:00.009-05:00

When you're young, even small things are cause for celebration.....like the birthday of your kitten friend! The sad thing is, I did this very thing to my little Yoshi when his first birthday rolled around....only I was not young at all! And look at him now...all grown up. He seems rather disinterested in his illustrated self so I guess it's okay to post on this blog!

I'm proud of this illustration, not necessarily because of how it turned out but because I am amazed that I was also able to sketch it, redraw it and color it in one evening!!! This is an amazing accomplishment for me....I agonize over things, drawing and erasing, drawing and erasing for so long. I really need to get to the point where I can confidently make a piece of art from beginning to end in a reasonable amount of time. It's a challenge and a matter of practice and determination. AND you have to let go of perfectionism and take it easy!

Here is the sketch I drew on scrap paper. I hope you can see the many eraser marks from all of the times I changed something (for my beautiful friends that wish they had the confidence to be artsy. Aimee! Chris!). I am amazed when other artists show their sketches or artistic journal and the rough drawings are so.....not rough! I am unable to draw that clearly and perfectly the 1st, 2nd, or even 3rd time. I ALWAYS need a good eraser and a paper that can withstand all of my minor corrections. I guess life is kind of life that....lots of new paths and possibilities and a billion little refinements and corrections. Hmmm.....

Illustration Friday: Time

2009-02-12T11:21:00.005-05:00

“I’ve run out of time”
“I don’t have the time”
“That takes too much time”
“Maybe another time”
“This is a waste of my time”

The topic for Illustration Friday this week was time. My immediate thought was of people who resist the belief that their time must be constantly and frenetically spent doing grown-up things. Sacrificing their ability to make more money, cultivate hobbies, have leisure time.... some people realize that the greatest gift you can ever give someone, is your time. Whether you're a stay at home mom, foster parent, youth worker or Sunday School teacher....I admire you! Giving your time to the children in your life will not go unrewarded!

This illustration was done with Prismacolor, colored pencils on bristol vellum. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.

The Turtle Tots get Stamped!

2009-02-06T17:00:00.006-05:00

Guess what! Some of the Turtle Tots have found their way over to Stamping Bella

They've been made into stamps!!! How cool is that....be sure to check out the blog for all the newest things going on there today...

Emily over at Stamping Bella is fun to work with and it's obvious that all of her fans love her and the products. If you're into stamping, scrapbooking and such, you should really hop over there and check it out. I'm finding it hard to resist the stamps myself! Thank you Emily! And if you're visiting from Stamping Bella....Hi girls!!!!

Illustration Friday: Flawed

2009-02-05T12:30:00.005-05:00

He stared at miles and miles of perfectly pristine toys; each little plastic face grinning back, their immobile expressions gleaming under flourescent lights. His mother urged him to go pick one and as he scanned rows and rows of perfection, his eyes alighted on one not so perfect face. He walked up and inspected it closer. This one was flawed, a little broken and didn't quite shine like the others; and because of that, he loved it all the more. - words by Katie Coleman

My first Illustration Friday submission. Hooray! The first picture was my first sketch, the second one I wanted to show a more close-up view of the little boy with his new friend....couldn't decide which I liked better....

Constructive criticism is very welcome!

Lovey-Dovey Turtles

2009-01-29T12:40:00.019-05:00

February is almost here! I'm not trying to rush you or anything but you realize that if we start celebrating February, pretty soon it will be March, yes, it will probably still be snowy and cold BUT the first day of Spring is March 20th.....and then it will be April and then....JUNE! Oh, the anticipation! In my opinion, God made winter to toughen me up and teach me to hope and wait for what I desire. And I always desire SUMMER!

In celebration of February I've been working on more Love Turtles for Valentine's Day. First, I finished the "Love is in Season" Turtle:

And then I made him into a card!

Then I drew some Tango-ing Turtles.

And made them into cards. I couldn't decide which design I liked best...they're all so cute!

Can you see...the caption says "It takes two...." Because of course, it takes two to tango! These designs are already listed over in my Etsy shop. I'm starting to get the hang of Etsy and am really amazed at all the artists and crafters on there. So much talent! I just made my first sale through Etsy this week! Hooray! Thank you, Maria!

I planned to attempt the deadline for Illustration Friday this week. The topic was "climbing" and I had an idea and a sketch drawn out but just couldn't get it done. I'm really hoping to start participating in that forum. It is very inspiring to look at other artists/illustrators submissions, they are SO beautiful! And it is very good practice for coming up with a concept, sketch and finished illustration quickly. Just look at some of my favorites this week....

Laura Zarrin

Carmen Keys

Kristin

Mike Desantis

Aren't they beautiful? I aspire to be as good as these artists! Some day....

Something old, something new...

2009-01-27T16:22:00.008-05:00

You might recall the original sketch I posted of this guy a long time ago:

Done way "back in the day" when I first started the turtles...I had to put him aside as my first Craft Show approached and I didn't have time to finish ALL of the turtle ideas. Here he his all festive and bright, coming to help you celebrate!

Besides trying to work on a couple more Love Turtles, this past week we celebrated my mom and one of my sisters' birthdays. In honor of my mom I started a birthday card doodle that turned out way better than expected. Here it is for you to see, but mom gets the original!

Notice how different it looks from the others. Only two things changed here, I used a different paper and overlayed the colors. All of the other turtles I'm using a vellum bristol which is very rough. I'm not pressing down hard and covering up the whole paper which gives it a textured look. This smooooooooth paper makes the pencil lines look completely different, adding some colors on top of each other made it come alive and I was very happy with how it turned out. This is a little closer to children's book illustration in my opinion. Every once in a while everything just works! So Happy Birthday to Mom and Cristi, I'm so glad to have you in my life.

Family: Our treasure, heaven's gift

2009-01-14T16:30:00.005-05:00

watch this!

Scrabble-Man (my husband) and I have been watching a lot of the Cosby Show lately. This is a Christmas gift that has been making the cold winter nights a little more bearable. We love the 80s sweaters, the clean situation comedy and the focus on a big, crazy, loving family. I grew up in a big, crazy, loving, crazy, funny, crazy, loud family...I had to share everything. Personal space was not an option. You could have the bathroom to yourself IF you were willing to get up before everyone else (so about 5:30) in the morning. Someone was always quarreling with someone else, we had a certain order we had to sit in the pew at church, which my mom decided...based on who was getting along with who and who would be a distraction! No matter what trouble we got into, we always knew we were loved. I wouldn't trade a day of it.

Maybe some of you didn't have such a great childhood. Maybe you weren't ever told you were loved. I'm sorry. I pray you'll know the Father who is unconditionally loving, righteously fair and gave what was most important to Him to ensure your adoption into His big, loving, crazy family. Our time on earth is only for a season...what will we do with it and who will we believe?

What the world needs now...

2009-01-13T10:20:00.004-05:00

....is love, sweet love!

Valentine's Day is coming up next! So I've listed some lovey-dovey type turtles over on Etsy. I'm hoping to come up with some new illustrations in the upcoming weeks too. I'll put them up as I finish them. Leave me a comment and let me know what kind of L-O-V-E, Love Turtles you think would be cute.

Taking Requests

2009-01-09T10:21:00.005-05:00

The latest turtles I've been drawing have been at the request of a couple of people who've caught the Turtle bug! Thanks to Jen and Heather for thinking up these ideas and ordering them....

Here you have:

Carpenter Turtle, Teacher Turtle and Sailor Turtle! The carpenter and teacher turtles are for a couple who are employed as, you guessed it, a carpenter and a teacher. They have the Singin' in the Rain turtle already for their baby, so the three turtles will be a little family portrait.

The Sailor or Navy turtle will hopefully be the start of a series of military-honoring turtles. I've got some sketches for an Army turtle already. What fun!

A Very Merry Christmas

2009-01-08T14:14:00.016-05:00

Well, I have to say, Christmas of 2008 will go down in history as one of the best holidays I've ever had! For once I felt like there was time to celebrate, worship, relax and enjoy time with family and friends. It was wonderful.

Here's my recap for your viewing pleasure....

We had a wonderul Christmas potluck on my floor at work, lots of laughter, food and punch! Looks like Mike and Steve had a little too much!

At my parent's on Christmas day there was lots of food, presents and gaming!!! Oh, how we love to break out the boardgames! I'm sure the neighbors can hear us making such an animated raucous. Some people got kicked out for being "too good" (um, Joel), and other's stayed until the wee hours (the Adair duo sure knows how to play!). Kita chomped contentedly on her first big-girl bone!

The next day...we had some more time with Joel's family....

Some sibling snuggle time...

Some father/son time...Joel got to spend some more great time with his sister and father while he was on break. And there's Joel's mom with her snowman tree!

This Christmas I am very thankful for co-workers who make the day go by, family and friends whose love brightens our lives, my amazing husband who chooses to intertwine his life with mine and a Savior who gave up His life so that we could find ours!

Psssssst.........

2008-12-29T18:35:00.002-05:00

hey, look over there..... no not there, over there to the left.....down a little bit....see that! It's me! I'm on Etsy!!! Don't know what that is? Well you should find out! It's a great site for amazingly wonderful, handmade things. A huge setup just for people like me, living a dream, making things on our own, at home. I'm so excited! I have a shop! Come visit me!

Little Miss Manners

2008-12-15T20:47:00.006-05:00

Look who finished her first basic manners class at doggy-training school...

Look who got a squeaky present from her instructor for doing such a swell job....

Look who knows she's adorable despite all the naughty things she does....

Fa la la la la....the Christmas Cards!

2008-12-15T16:41:00.005-05:00

Well, here they are....

The Christmas turtle drawings turned into cutle little holiday cards. What fun they were to make! I really am quite proud of them. There are so many other ideas I have but this Christmas season was already upon us, maybe next year there will be even more to choose from! Thanks again to Wendy, Frank, and Bob & Carrie for choosing to send out cards from Elena's Easel this year!

Christmas Time

2008-12-13T17:09:00.011-05:00

Last Saturday we had our first snow of the season! It was a delightful surprise (I don't pay much attention to weather forecasts, so I'm always surprised...) and when Kita and I went out for a morning walk this is what greeted me....

I know this doesn't look like much to most of you, but my first thought was "Aha, a shoveled walkway...I love condo living!" We didn't have to shovel, salt or do much of anything. We'll be spoiled in no time.

We also set up our Christmas decorations. We're pretty minimalistic (on purpose) so it's not much but just some little touches to celebrate the season.

You'll notice the glowing-eyed Siamese has already appointed himself the tree guardian. Yoshi's not the only one who loves the tree. Lighting up the tree is the first thing Joel will do when he comes home. He just loves to look at it. Makes him feel happy. We are suckers for light. Winters can be especially hard for us light-inspired summer babies. We get through it by turning on lots of lights, drinking way too much hot chocolate and eagerly anticipating summer!

It's always a challenge for me to be content in the holiday season. I enjoy the music, the food, the friendship and family time. But I always feel discouraged by the commercialism and selfishness that is encouraged in our country. I enjoy giving gifts but it is really hard for me to make decisions and I don't like the feeling of having to prove my love through a gift. Family and friends...if you're reading this....I love you very much, even if my gift stinks!

We hope to start creatively making up our own family traditions (in addition to some that we have from our childhoods). This year Joel and I will each be recording our 5 favorite passages about/with Jesus and then sharing one with each other each night leading up to Christmas. Sort of our own advent countdown. This will hopefully help us keep our focus on Jesus and help us get to know each other's hearts a little more! I'm looking forward to it. What Christmas traditions do you have? Any that I can borrow?!

Walkin' in a Turtle Wonderland!

2008-12-09T17:44:00.007-05:00

And here they are! The Christmas turtles....

Just a few of the many ideas for Holiday turtles. Thanks to the enthusiasm of a couple of people at the Fitch Craft Fair, these guys are being turned into cards! They wanted a unique and turtle-ly note sent to their family this year! Thanks guys! I'll let you know when the cards are done, I think they're going to be really quite fun!

Oh what a tangled web we weave...

2008-12-05T00:20:00.004-05:00

when we strive to overachieve!

After a whirlwind driving tour of New England visiting family for Thanksgiving weekend we jumped headfirst into another busy week without taking a breath. Filled with work, doctor's appointments, work, driving to work, getting ready for another craft fair, driving home from work....well you get the picture. All I can say is, it's a good thing our dog can go 10, 11, sometimes 12 hours in between potty breaks (wow, that's awful) and that we have nothing really expensive to ruin when the cat realizes he's not getting enough attention.

So on the agenda for this weekend....I'll have some collages up starting tomorrow in The Lighthouse Voc-Ed Center Gallery. This is a first time opportunity for me. This exhibit will be up December 5th-29th showcasing various local artists. The open house is Friday the 5th from 12-7pm. Stop by if you have the chance, there's a lot of art to look at and you just might find a special Christmas present for someone!

This Saturday, Dec. 6th I will be at Fitch High School for their Holiday Craft Fair. Stop by if you're in the area!

I have some other surprises I've been working on that I hope will be ready soon! Stay tuned for more.....because I certainly don't know how to stop! I think I should go to bed now....yeah, that's what I'll do....

Turtle Tot Collection

2008-11-11T17:16:00.021-05:00

Since you can't see them up close from the Fair photos, here's the Turtle Tot Collection so far!
Next up, Christmas Turtles!

Elena's Easel Goes to the Fair!

2008-11-11T16:51:00.010-05:00

Check it out! My first Holiday Craft Fair Extravaganza!!!

Katie, me, my mom and Carissa - Mom had a profitable day at her Sonata Soap booth!

Katie and me - goofin' with the turtles!

So we had a wonderful time at our first fair. It was fun to talk to people, see how they reacted to my artwork. Many people were interested in the hand drawn portrait raffle. Thank you everyone! Look me up and I can still do a portrait for you! But the grand prize winner of the raffle is:

LISA FREEGUARD

Congratulations Lisa, hope to get working on your portrait soon. Should make a wonderful Christmas present for someone special!

If you interested, I'll be in another holiday craft fair coming up on December 6th. If you're in the area come by Fitch High School to see many more amazing artisans and homemade gifts!

Craft Fair Fun!

2008-11-09T18:20:00.002-05:00

Well, the November 8th Holiday Craft Fair was definitely a success. So many people turned out to see about 125 Crafters featuring holiday items, jewelry, ceramics, wreaths, quilts, pet items, scrapbooking, fudge, candles, woodcarvings, and so much more! Even more exciting for the kids was the Children's Winter Wonderland with photos and storytime with Santa and Mrs. Claus!

If you were there in those crowded hallways enjoying all the local artisans, it was great to see you! Thanks for coming out. Stay tuned for pictures from the show and the grand prize winner of my portrait raffle!!!

The therapeutic love of animals

2008-11-05T09:12:00.000-05:00

If you know me at all, you know that I am ridiculously drawn to animals and kids. I will make a complete fool of myself to make a child smile and I love to be around animals because they always snap me out of seriousness.

Kita is our adopted pet, we inherited a lot of trouble when we got her....let's just say she has some special needs. BUT she is absolutely the most lovable, loyal, amusing dog you'll ever meet...the only dog I've ever had. She makes me laugh and I love her.

Thought you'd like to see some of her crazy antics. This is how hyper she gets when Joel plays with her!

Still workin'!

2008-11-05T09:02:00.000-05:00

Got a new shipment of art supplies...watch how the "kids" help me unpack them....

Turtles, Turtles Everywhere

2008-10-09T16:42:00.000-04:00

So, I've been working on an idea that has developed into an all-out obsession. Quite a few months ago I drew a little turtle character. He turned out quite cute. Then I started thinking of all the things I could illustrate the little turtle doing. And because I'm particularly exhilarated by alliteration all of the scenarios sounded something like this, "Turtle Trapeze", "Turtle Tots", "Turtle Teeter-Totter", "Turtles Tobogganing", etc. etc. Okay, stop shaking your head like I'm crazy or something.....this is just how my mind works if left unattended!

So I happened to show these turtles to a friend of mine. This isn't just any ordinary friend, she is the kind of spirit that comes along when you don't have confidence in yourself, when you can't quite see your talent or strength or worth. Everyone should have friends like these. My friend, Katie, immediately noticed that I had dreams, I had ideas, but I lacked self-esteem and was letting everyday life take up all of my time. So at her insistence we've started having weekly "art-dates." We've set aside a night and we get together, talk, have dinner, and jump into artwork. She has now also become a little obsessed with the turtles...they do become so lovable!

Now, in all my free time I'm trying to draw these guys. There's a local craft fair coming up in November that I'm going to try to debut at. It's a scary idea for me....will I have enough to bring? will people like them? will I really make any money? Who knows. That's all part of the learning process I guess.

Here's a pic of the first one I drew....his name is Toby. He picked a dandelion for you and he wants you to blow on it and make a wish...isn't he a sweet turtle!

It's 6x6" on a very rough paper so I purposely used crosshatching light strokes with colored pencil. I'm still thinking children's art here...so....what do you think?

It's been hard to find frames, square frames are hard to come by. And there are some turtle's that require a larger wider frame, hopefully I'll have some of those to show soon. Here's some more that I have started....

So what turtles would you like to see? If you wanted to hang one in a little girl's or boy's room, what would that turtle be doing?

Stay tuned for many more turtles to come!

A visit to PA

2008-09-11T22:46:00.000-04:00

Joel and I recently took a trip to visit my sister and her husband in Pennsylvania. We had a great time hanging out with them despite the fact that they had just been robbed!

Cristi and Ben after the police recovered their stolen car and they got new keys!

I'm glad we were able to be there and help them out as they had to deal with this invasion of their privacy. I'm very proud of my sister who is a "military wife" and has had to adjust to constant change, sacrifice and unexpected goodbyes. Now add to that list, having her house dusted for fingerprints, a field trip to the city impound, and going to a job interview with no make-up or personal ID!

The morning we left, right outside their house.

Ben and Cristi inspire me. Cristi was always the romantic dreamer, running around in dress-up clothes looking for her "kindred spirit" and Ben likes to wield swords, wear capes and be the hero. I hope they never lose these qualities, the world needs more lovers, dreamers and heroes.

Something old, something new

2008-09-11T22:16:00.000-04:00

On occasion, my darling husband rescues something headed for the garbage and brings it home. He's a wonderfully simple man who can find use in things that are "perfectly good" even if they are out of date and old. I am a simple girl who refuses to spend money on new-fangled stuff but loves to reuse old things, thereby making them new, cheap and exactly what I want!

The newest project (it's sometimes these kinds of projects that distract me from sitting down and working on real art!) turned out quite nicely, I think. Joel brought home two ottomans, I hated the cloth and the color clashed with the living room, but they were still very squishy and in good shape. Here's what they looked like:

I went off to a wonderful cloth store nearby and for $6.06 plus the cost of staples made two new ottomans that are so pretty in the living room! I'm very happy about this as I spent probably a half hour in the cloth store deliberating over which cloth I should get. I think they turned out well. Sometimes one man's trash really is another man's treasure!

Starting off!

2008-09-09T00:25:00.000-04:00

Woohoo! I'm blogging! We'll see if I can keep this online web log going longer than I did my childhood journals. I wrote wholeheartedly, just sporadically!

For the past few months I've really been looking into children's room art. I love the idea of helping people decorate their child's room or the nursery for their new baby with beautiful, peaceful, fun artwork. I started painting some cute little jungle animals. It seems to be a popular theme among my friends who are having babies. This is the second time I've painted these little guys. This set I did with acrylic paint on an 11x14" canvas. Then gave them to my friends Sam and Beth at their baby shower. I was working so hard on them for a few weeks, I was almost sad to let them go!

Let me know what you think!