Rar!

This little monster is from a painting I'm working on right now.

Mr. and Mrs. Calliope Hummingbird

Here are a couple more little friends of mine.

The Hubby

And here is Mrs. Nuthatcherson's dapper husband. Both of these pieces are about 4 1/2 inches by 5 1/2 inches.

Mrs. Nuthatcherson

I'm doing a few little portraits of birds for fun. This lady will soon have a gentleman companion.

Monsters in Progress

Here is a little preview of what I'm working on right now. I'm so excited because I'm going to have pretty much the rest of December to do with as I please, and I'm looking forward to a lot of painting. I've been terribly busy with illustration projects, so my paintings have been simmering way back on that ol' back burner, but now I get to take them out and finish old ones and start new ones. Yay!

oh hai guys

Oni

I've been illustrating some stories for the Core Knowledge Foundation. One was the story of Issun Boshi, a Japanese folktale. In the story there is a monster known as an Oni; he was my favorite part to paint by far!

If you're in Massachusetts...

Well, my posting has been just pathetic, hasn't it? I've been working really hard on an illustration project, but I'll be done soon, and then I'll be back with the regular programing. Anyhow, If you're in Massachusetts on December 6th, make sure to stop by the opening of Pop Euphoria at the Aurora Gallery in Worcester. I'll have one piece in the show, and it looks like it'll be a lot of fun, so I'm sad I can't be there. Toodaloo and I'll be back soon enough!

Red Bird

Here is the finished painting. It is oil on acrylic-gessoed paper, and it will be mounted on hardboard. This piece will be in the group show Pop Euphoria which will run from December 6 through January 9. A portion of every sale will be donated to the Toys for Tots charity. link

Oil on Paper

Here's what I'm working on. These will be in oil, they are on gessoed paper. The drawing part is always really straightforward, but when I get the paint out I always feel like I'm jumping off a cliff and hoping for a safe fall.

Return

Well I've been gone for awhile, haven't I? My sister just got married, which was a wonderful experience, but a very busy and somewhat exhausting one. Anyhow, I'm back. Before the wedding I'd been doing more work for Core Knowledge on the story of Snow White. Here are the dwarves on their way home from work.

Advice on Morals and Manners

This is my newest painting. On my website I've posted pictures of it progressing. Click here to view it on my website and follow the link to the demonstration.

Coming Soon...

These two guys inhabit a painting I've been working on for a little while. Since it has no deadline, I tend to push it aside for more "important" projects, but I've had some extra free time lately and it will be done soon. I've been documenting its progress as I paint, so when it's done I'll post all of the pictures on my website.

Mozart

I'm working on a project right now illustrating the life of young Mozart.
This is Wolfgang's father Leopold Mozart playing the violin.



And here is baby Wolfgang trying to reach the keys of the family's clavier.



Mozart spills ink on himself as he writes music.

float

It's been quiet around here because I've been busy, but I'll be back.

Trying to relax

Most of the paintings I make are fairly tightly rendered, and sometimes I feel like I start to spiral into a maze of details and lose sight of why I love painting in the first place. When that happens I like to take out my acrylics and do whatever. I try to forget about how it will turn out and just put paint on paper.

Cats

I think our cat Vinnie infected my brain with toxoplasmosis and now I have to draw cats. Here are a few.

The second cat is actually a study for a cat in a painting I'm working on right now. Recently a couple people have asked about my painting process, so I'm taking lots of pictures of this piece as it progresses and when I'm done I'll put it all up on my website.

Mona Kilauwea

I've been working on this watercolor in between illustration work.

After posting this, I realized it works very well for this week's Illustration Friday topic, Homage. As you may have noticed, it is a humble homage to another Mona.

My mom gave me these great pads of paper that she got for free from a friend who works at a paper company. They cut up their leftover paper and make it into pads; the quality of the paper is good, quite heavy with just the right tooth for sketching in graphite. Nothing stops me up creatively more than really expensive art materials, so something like this is perfect. If it's free I feel like I don't have to worry about making a "good" drawing; I can just draw!

This particular drawing is a study for a much larger painting I hope to make in the future.

Medio Pollito

These are two illustrations from a project I just finished illustrating a story called Medio Pollito for the Core Knowledge Foundation.

Hatchling

Sometimes when I'm cutting paper apart for a project, I'll have little scraps leftover that are just perfect for those in-between projects. It's refreshing to paint something really small after I finish a larger or more complicated piece, mainly because I get to see the finished product really quickly. Then I feel ready to tackle something that'll take longer.

Mockingbird

This is my most recent project. in progress...
...and completed

Valentine

Happy Valentine's day, especially to my David. I love you so much. Also, this would make a great tattoo, no?

from a recent bout of sketchinitis

Mayday

I sketched this today. Sometime I'm going to make it into a big oil painting and call it "Mayday."

Goldfinch Secrets

In a far away land, goldfinches whisper tales to fair maidens.

Black Swan

I'm working on a project, and the day before yesterday I started getting sick. Yesterday I felt awful and couldn't do any work. So, today I was feeling somewhat better but I was having such a hard time getting back to work, so I thought I'd do something fun just for myself. I had a small piece of leftover paper, and so I painted this little piece.

Framed

David, my husband, was so great to make a frame for my picture, and I am extremely pleased with how it turned out. Now it's all ready to go off to show. Thank you David.

Also, for anybody who hasn't tried it, feeding chickadees out of your hand is just about the most wonderful thing ever. David and I went on a walk today, and he took this picture of me feeding the chickadees. Their little feet felt so funny clutching the tips of my fingers.

More Imaginatings

a peek into the sketchbook

Checking the Cards

I love sketching from my imagination. I'm a bit impatient, and I like to see my picture appear so quickly. Now back to some sloooooow oils.