glow

I saw two clouds kissing under the glow of sunset today.  I guess they're practicing for New Year's Eve ;)

snow

I remember eating snow for the first time . .I loved the cold tingle on my tongue as the flakes slowly floated down from above.   Living in California, the experience is definitely a rare treat :)

Oh, and I finally finished a commission piece involving chemistry and glow-in-the-dark paint.  Here's a gif of how the painting changes from day to night:

I'll be out of town for a bit so I'll see you guys next year.  Until then, have a wonderful holiday season!

explore

This big sister refuses to explore the possible benefits of acquiring a new baby sister. . .instead, she chooses to ignore said baby.  We'll see how long that tactic lasts ;)

The big sister character randomly showed up in my sketchbook a few weeks back so I decided to build a story around her.  I was also playing around with a more on point "explore" sketch involving hipster bunny riding a narwhal, but we'll just have to save that for another day lol.

My Moment in Time book talk went well so thanks to everyone that came!  Now that I've got a talk under my belt, I'm thinking of visiting some schools so let me know if you guys have any suggestions in the SF bay area.

Until next time, here's a free coloring page.  Might be good for any frustrated big sisters out there hehe:

tree

I got to visit thousand year old trees recently and you could just feel their age and wisdom while breathing the forest's fresh air.  How wise these trees must be, after seeing, hearing, and experiencing so much.  I wish they could share their stories with us!

shy

Even the shyest of clouds will come out to enjoy a good soak in the warm hues of sunrise.  

This week, I had the privilege of catching a few gorgeous sunrises and sunsets that really got me out of this blue mood I've been feeling lately.  Thus, I thought I'd share a bit of the lifting view with you as well :).

Also, I just wanted to remind folks that I'll be signing books and giving a talk about A Moment in Time at the Book Passage store in Corte Madera, December 8th, 11am.  I hope to see you guys there. . .a polaroid camera may or may not be making an appearance at the event.  You'll just have to swing by to find out!

A Moment in Time

Hey all.  . .as I've mentioned before, the book I illustrated called "A Moment in Time" is available at my Etsy shop.  It is also available at the lovely book store called Book Passage in Corte Madera:

I'll also be giving a talk there on Saturday, December 8th, at 11am.  Click on the Book Passage icon above for more information.  I hope you all can come :).

water

Did a quick sketch on my iPad for this week's Illustration Friday.  Grass bunnies are happiest when you water them every day :)  They are close cousins to mushroom bunnies and thus, have amazing camouflage abilities!  I got the idea for these creatures while witnessing a role playing game with friends hehe.

Sorry I've been absent for so long. . .did a lot of traveling these last few months which involved:

Sketching at Burning Man

Painting a Car

and picking out a pumpkin from the Great Glass Pumpkin Patch of Palo Alto :)

I hope to post more frequently during the next few months so come back soon!

teacher

One of the greatest rewards of teaching is when students find their own special way to show their appreciation.  On my last day of teaching at Sacred Heart's Sophie Scholars summer program, one of my students gave me a Pudgy Puppy Zombie Dog doll that she had spent weeks hand-sewing.  My heart instantly melted.

As a reminder, here's the original Pudgy Puppy Zombie Dog:

I showed kids the process I used to create Pudgy Puppy to teach them the basics of cartoon design.  I think my student did a pretty good job at replicating him don't you think? ;) 

freeze

You might freeze while belly sliding through snow, but racing penguins looove it. . .especially because they get to fart snowflakes! 

I designed this logo for my boyfriend's 24 Hours of Lemons team, since their theme is "arctic explorers."  I'll also be painting a belly sliding penguin on the side of their car. . .woo hoo :)

In case you want to color your own snowflake farting, belly sliding, racing penguin, here's a free coloring page:

Sorry for the long absence from blogland.  I'm about to wrap up my last week of workshops at Sacred Heart Atherton before going on a few personal trips to LA and then Burning Man (yikes).  I'll try to put in another post somewhere in there but no promises!

carry

I just spent a wonderful weekend playing board games at a friend's family cabin and there was a charming gnome chilling outside the entrance.  I decided to reinterpret him for Illustration Friday's "carry." I figured blueberries would be the perfect thing to carry for the summer season :)

I went for a less saturated look and I think I may have gone too far. . but hey, that's part of the exploration process right?  And here's another free coloring page, so you can try out your own color combinations!

I'm not sure when my next entry will be.  I'm in the middle of teaching cartoon workshops again to some very bright and talented kids.  You may remember the results from last year here.

Also, I'm excited to announce that I'll be giving a talk about my picture book A Moment in Time at Book Passage on Saturday, December 8, 11am.  I'll be talking about turning moments into memories and memories into universal stories (through pictures and words).  I hope to see you there! 

refresh

Long time no bunny!  For July 4th, Hipster Bunny takes a refreshing dip in the pool. . with old school swim swag (uppity English rubber ducky included lol).

As always, hipster bunny comes with. . a free coloring page!

Also, don't forget that my picture book is now for sale at my Etsy shop.  Just click on either image below to purchase a copy :).

It will look so pretty on your book shelf!

And it comes with a personalized doodle from yours truly!

Until next time folks, Happy Independence Day. . .I'll be celebrating with the powerful combination of family + friends + fireworks!

space

What could these pigships from outer space want with our pigs and chickens?  You'll have to find out when Attack of the Space Chickens is available in my Etsy shop.  Coming soon!

Speaking of Etsy shop, you can now purchase a signed copy of "A Moment in Time", illustrated by me and written by the lovely Jennifer Butenas.  I've got to say, it turned out very nicely, and the book would be a perfect gift for any kid, especially those future photographers!  Click on the photo below to get your own copy . . limited supplies available:

This book would look great on your shelf!

Look!  It also comes with a doodle, hand-drawn by yours truly :).

Best Graphic Novel!

"Attack of the Space Chickens" Winner:
Best of the The Graphic Novel at the 2012 San Mateo County Fair- Award
Sponsored by Peninsula Arts Council

 

Woo Hoo!  Looks like my Space Chickens are going to get an award this weekend at the San Mateo Fair.  It even includes a one year membership to the Peninsula Arts Council :)

I want to thank everyone who made this possible (including the pigships).  I think Captain Cluck would definitely be proud!

hurry!

If you've got some innovative know-how, then there's no need to hurry!  Just check out this tortoise and his slightly modified rocket ;)

You can probably tell by the different painting and inking techniques, but I had to post an old illustration for this week's Illustration Friday.  I have a good excuse though, because my schedule has been MAD crazy recently. Here's the down-low:

I just came back from an epic East Coast trip spanning three states. . then immediately after that, I was hired last minute to help illustrate for this moving documentary about the life of mothers in WWII Japanese internment camps.  It's a short deadline, followed by a children's book conference in Corte Madera. .so once again, the blog's going to be a little sparse for a while :(.

However, I can leave you with pictures of a little something I got in the mail today:


That's right folks. . my first published picture book!!  It was 10 long months of hard work, patience, and collaboration with my fellow partner-in-picture-book-crime Jennifer Butenas. . but I definitely think the end result was well worth the effort.

I need some time to process things but will have ordering information for signed copies of A Moment in Time soon :)

kernel

Hipster Bunny wears his Colonel Sanders costume with irony and disdain. . hence the skull and bones on the KFC bucket ;)

I know it's a stretch from the Illustration Friday word "kernel," but I seriously couldn't resist drawing Hipster Bunny in this outfit.  I mean. . come on lol!

And, as always, you all get a free Hipster Bunny coloring page as well:

I'll be doing some major traveling for the next few weeks so the blog may be a little quiet.  I promise to come back with some sketches and exciting news to share :D

hitched + egg

Hipster Bunny hates being hitched to a mundane egg distribution job. . .so instead, he goes on strike in his own special way ;).

I'm really having fun with Hipster Bunny here. . .think I'm going to keep rolling with him until I run out of ideas lol.  Here's another coloring page treat for you all as well:

Lastly, I wanted to share this amazing Kickstarter project called The Graphic Textbook:


For me, anything that gets kids excited about reading and learning is "ace" in my book.  They only have a week left to hit their goal so please spread the word!!

****Update: The Kickstarter project was a great success and you can order a copy here: http://www.readingwithpictures.org/the-graphic-textbook/.  Looks like me and mushroom bunny are going to be making a cameo in one of the comics as well :).

Thank You Maurice

I know I've posted this piece before, but I wanted to do so again in memory of Maurice Sendak, who passed away today.

Thank you Maurice:

for chicken soup with rice
and alligators all around
for boys named Pierre who said "No!"
and night kitchen magic
for wild things
and terribly wonderful monsters
for your brutal honesty
to kids and adults alike

You have influenced my life and work in so many ways.
You will be missed.

jump

Easter Rabbits are supposed to hop, not jump. . .Hipster Bunny don't care.  Heck.  He uses jumping assistance devices. . he's that hip. 

You might recognize Hipster Bunny from my bunny exploration about a month ago.  I sort of fell in love with this character and I think I might explore him a little more (even though it's a little late for Easter art lol).

Oh, and of course, I had to provide a Hipster Bunny coloring page:

I dare you to draw a smile on his face. . double dog (i mean bunny) dare you!

heights

I'd be afraid of heights too if I had to jump from icy cliffs. . .at least this penguin has some diving gear :).  This one's an oldy, but a goody. . I've been trying to be less digital in my present illustration work.

Also, I had the privilege of meeting a very talented 9 year old boy named Caine this weekend at the Exploratorium:

If you haven't heard his story, I highly recommend checking out the video below.  You'll find it inspirational, heartwarming, and hilarious.  If you'd like to contribute to Caine's scholarship fund, you can also check out his website here.

puzzled

You can have quite the puzzled experience, trying to figure out the inner workings of the heart. . but I definitely think it is well worth the effort :).

This week's Illustration Friday entry is a little late but I still like the concept.  Also, you can color in your own heart with the printout below!

Lastly, I'd love for you to all check out my very talented friend Claudia's rendition of Johnny Depp for the upcoming Tim Burton vampire movie.  It is definitely well worth the look!

vocal

Bunnies are like people. . .

. . .they come in all sorts of shapes and sizes!  

It's a bit of a stretch, but these bunnies show how important it is to be vocal about your differences.   I used to hide my differences (ex. my deep obsession with accordions), because I thought people would think I was weird.  But you know. . being weird/different is what makes you unique!

Ok, enough of the pep talk. . I hope you all have a bunnyful weekend and here's my holiday treat:

It's another coloring page!  Color these bunnies any which way you like. . .like I said, be different and be vocal about it ;).

return

Let us return to the root of all artwork. . cave paintings.  I had the privilege of seeing the caves of Lascaux and Rouffignac during our trip through France a few years back.  No photography was allowed so I sure was glad that I had brought my sketchbook.  I inked what I saw using a calligraphy pen and then replicated the cave colors digitally in Photoshop once I returned home.

Sorry this isn't a new piece, but it's a perfect introduction to a topic I've been wanting to discuss about illustration:  style.  One concept that is often emphasized in the conferences I've attended is that an illustrator wants to represent a consistent and unique art style in his/her portfolio.

This is a problem for me. . .because I like to work in a variety of styles:

inked & realistic

abstract & geometric

digital

loose & sketchy

inked & painterly

just painterly

The topic/project usually helps me choose which style to use on each illustration.  I've especially been focusing on the last two (inked & painterly + painterly) to bring more focus to my portfolio, but sometimes. . oh, sometimes. . I just want to explore.  I think I'm going to try that a bit for a few days ;).

How about you guys?  Do you have a distinctive style?  Do you have many?  What helps you choose which style to feature in your portfolio? I'd love to hear about your experiences!