Baby Boy Announcements

Announcement time for our family! What a joy to design, to make, to mail with love. In the age of "electronic" everything, it's nice to work on something tangible to send via regular mail, to those we know and love, and who know and love our little boy, too.


Some drawings I did for my sweet little boy's birthy announcements. Heavily inspired by Richard Scarry and Art Seiden. I ended up chosing the one, right above, "Boy Oh Boy!", and you can see the finished piece at the very top. As always, a fun and happy project to work on!

Engagement Portrait

Earlier this year I was contacted by Deborah, a wonderful bride-to-be who was interested in having a portrait done of her and her fiance, Carlos. It was great to break out the watercolors and get sketching! Thankfully, Deborah was very patient, as I simultaneously juggled a new baby and adjusting to life as an artist AND a mother to three.

I've never met Deborah and Carlos, as they live on the East Coast! But Deborah was great to work with, via e-mail communication, and it was a true delight to paint their portrait for them.

Congratulations you two! Thank you for the opportunity to do this commission for you, it was a lot of fun. All my best to you as you prepare for your wedding next month!

Art Minute: Edward Hopper

Edward Hopper. I don't know much about his personal life. Well... I probably did a report on him or something back in high school... but that, my friends, was a long time ago.

But his work invigorates me. Inspires me so, so much. I haven't painted with acrylic and canvas since college (a good five years ago). I haven't been very inspired, and let's face it, canvas takes up a lot of room.

However, I "googled" Edward Hopper a few weeks ago and, in turn, became reacquainted with his work. Sparse interiors and landscapes, lonely individuals, quiet settings depicted in bold, clear strokes, each painting overflowing with suspense and/ or secrets. This is one of his most recognizable/ popular paintings.



You may have seen it parodied before. Just google "The Nighthawks Parodies" and you'll be astounded. The subjects in the paintings have been replaced by everyone and everything from the cast of X-Files to the Simpsons to Lego reproductions.




I love his bold use of color and high contrast. The strong light and the dark shadows tell a story. His work embraces architecture, the human form and landscape, all the while conveying and mastering human relationships and emotion. Seriously, what can't this guy do?

It's been cool to revisit his work and gaze, gaze, gaze for a bit. My hands are aching, for the first time in 5 years, to pick up a canvas again and (attempt, at least to) tell a story.

Colette Inspiration Board Contest: Cinnamon

Colette Cinnamon by grovereatsbeans on Polyvore.com

From Colette Patterns' Spring '10 patterns comes "Darling Dainties", visualized by moi in cheerful, retro prints. Subtle voile, satin ribbon accents. A lovely full slip, this pattern can also be modified to make a camisole. I can see it now; a gorgeous slip, the perfect getaway and a fresh pot of coffee on a lazy summer morning-- sounds like a dream!

Pascha Greeting #2

Truly He is Risen!

With all of the art supplies I've collected over the years, it seems that pen and ink hold a special place in my heart. The thick, luxurious lines of ink, the drama, the contrast.

Time to invest in some new nib sizes... the skinnier, the better! A little variation in line detail will be nice.

Oh, and Happy Pascha!

Paschal Greetings

I had the luxury of spending Holy Saturday preparing for the great Feast of Pascha (Easter). Once the food was prepped and the house was straightened up, I sat down and worked on some greeting card illustrations. Some uninterrupted, meditative time with my pen and my inkwell... making something special to share with others... completing a project from start to finish in one day and with time to spare... Seriously, what more could I ask for in a quiet day of rest? Big thanks to my hubby for taking the kids, and to my kids for napping most of the time, anyway :)

A peak at our Christmas 2009 card

Here's our Christmas card for 2009. I wanted to post it sooner, but I didn't want to do so before our family and friends recieved their Christmas cards. Then? I just plum forgot until now!

This was actually done on a 15"x15" piece of watercolor paper, and shrunk down to a mere 5"x5" image. Then I fixed the image to a white card and sent it off with our a greeting, our signatures and lots of love. Watercolor and black ink were used, along with a little bit of colored pencil and markers in some of the detail work.

I love making our family Christmas card each year. Sometimes it is a labor of love, but it is always, ALWAYS worth it.

Have a blessed Lent!!