Tag Archives: baby

New gallery, New exhibit!

Posted on October 27, 2017 by | Comments Off on New gallery, New exhibit!

At the end of the summer, I secured a spot in a local co-op gallery, Carolyn Seiler & Friends in Cocoa Village.


So now some of my original paintings and giclee prints are available for sale, and you can come see my stuff in person if you're in the area! I also have an upcoming exhibition at the local library, the Merritt Island Library starting November 2nd! 
I'm very excited to show my latest paintings!



If you're further away, I'm currently working on an online shop so you can see my work and buy it if you would like a print! I'll post once it's open. In the meantime, though, if you'd like to buy my cards, I now have two retailers where you can always find them here: Blow! Birthday Cards (an online card shop that ships from the U.S.) 
CardIsle (various kiosk locations around the U.S.)

And lastly, I'll be moving my blog to my website just as soon as I figure out how! In the meantime, have a great week and Happy Halloween!

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Surtex Prep!

Posted on March 10, 2016 by | Comments Off on Surtex Prep!
Here at the studio, I'm in full-out Surtex prep mode!  Yes, it's only March, and Surtex is in May, but I hate leaving things to the last minute.  I tend to avoid last-minute frenzies and prefer instead to work at a steady pace...

So that's where I've been... in Surtex preparation!  (Ahem... getting ahead of myself, eh?) Ah yes, I should explain. 
What is Surtex?  It's a tradeshow for licensing illustration and artwork.  
What do I mean by licensing? That's when you rent your work out to different industries that need visuals for their products.  And, that's my aim along with meeting art directors interested in collaborating with me and asking me to illustrate people or flora and fauna for them!

My top three areas of focus are...

1) Surface design for apparel / home decor / gifts



2) Illustrations for children's literature



3) And greeting cards and stationery


I'm getting so excited!  I just sent my files to be printed as fabric swatches and I cannot wait to SEW with my own designs!!  I made my first prototype for what I'll be wearing during Surtex today, and I might very well be bubbling over with excitement!  (bubble bubble bubble)

Oh, are you going to be at Surtex too?  Let me know!  I'll be exhibiting as part of my art collective, Finch & Foxglove at Booth #543!

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A Group of Charming Cuties

Posted on November 4, 2015 by | Comments Off on A Group of Charming Cuties
Last week, I had something very interesting happen.  I had a kind of cute-splosion.  I started illustrating for the children's apparel market so I can begin to pitch my work.  I did some short research by looking at my son's clothes and picking out my super-top favorites.... and then it all just flowed.

It was remarkable.  I just worked on Illustrator and out came these characters and their back-stories and little lives.  I kept wanting (and still do) to keep on drawing them and their accessories and interactions...


Next, I want to develop each character on their own!  What do you think?

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A Group of Charming Cuties

Posted on November 4, 2015 by | Comments Off on A Group of Charming Cuties
Last week, I had something very interesting happen.  I had a kind of cute-splosion.  I started illustrating for the children's apparel market so I can begin to pitch my work.  I did some short research by looking at my son's clothes and picking out my super-top favorites.... and then it all just flowed.

It was remarkable.  I just worked on Illustrator and out came these characters and their back-stories and little lives.  I kept wanting (and still do) to keep on drawing them and their accessories and interactions...


Next, I want to develop each character on their own!  What do you think?

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Looks Like We Made It

Posted on October 14, 2015 by | Comments Off on Looks Like We Made It
We did it!  We made it to California, the baby and I, and all in one piece thankfully!  The first flight was a real doozy with lots of crying, squirming, and screeching, but the second flight went very smoothly.  It's our third day here and we're living amongst cardboard boxes and half-empty rooms, but it's really cozy nonetheless.

Our new place is a cottage.  It's the first time we've lived in a house-type dwelling with a yard as a family.  Before now, we've only ever lived in apartments.  It's very nice having a back yard.  And this yard has a beautiful towering avocado tree that's full of Hass avocados.  There are also a few citrus trees alongside it - one's a blood orange, but I'm not sure of the others... must study them.

Today we received a lighter/smaller kitchen table and chairs than the ones that are coming from Germany and so we finally have a place to sit.  We also had our gas turned on so we can bathe with hot water!  Yay hot water! So, things are looking up.



So what's with the rose finch? I've been working really hard on getting my art collective Finch & Foxglove off the ground, and so far we're off to a good start.  There are 8 of us from around the world and we've banded together in order to exhibit as a group at Surtex 2016.  I'm so very excited.  We are very supportive of one another's work, and we also give each other feedback and push our work so that we're showing our best.  It's nice to feel like you're not "going it alone" in the world.

I've uploaded some new work to the Finch & Foxglove site and will be updating my site too!  Here's a sample...




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Feeling Crabby

Posted on June 1, 2015 by | Comments Off on Feeling Crabby
Our little guy has been having lots of teething days.  On those days, he moans and groans and drools.  He is so sad and gloomy.  I suffer with him.  Teething sucks.   That inspired me to illustrate this one...



I learned tons about combining Illustrator's vector shapes with textures in Photoshop in this Skillshare class by Matt Kaufenberg.  I started out with a pencil and marker sketch.


Then, I found something that has been so freeing to me... sketching in Photoshop.  I know it's a weird hang-up for a traditional illustrator, but I hate wasting paper.  And, when you sketch a lot, you inevitably end up using loads and loads of paper.  And, no matter how cheap it is, you kind of feel the weight of how many trees you've decimated on your creative journey.  Okay, maybe it's just me.  In any case, it doesn't pain me to do sketches on layers in Photoshop.  Not. one. bit.  So, off I went!

I started off using traditional shapes for figure drawing (can't help my training!)...

 I knew I didn't want to go this route.  I have had a kind of artist's block when it comes to drawing babies.  Every time I attempted to draw my son, it came out so weird!  I wasn't happy with any of the results, so I just focused on expressions he makes when he's in a funk...

I had a breakthrough with that big head up top.  I then pushed the exaggeration of the size of the head even further.


After drawing the top one, I said out loud, "aww."  And that's when I knew I was onto something!  So, off I went using the techniques from the Skillshare class, and the end result is the first photo from this post.

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Feeling Crabby

Posted on June 1, 2015 by | Comments Off on Feeling Crabby
Our little guy has been having lots of teething days.  On those days, he moans and groans and drools.  He is so sad and gloomy.  I suffer with him.  Teething sucks.   That inspired me to illustrate this one...



I learned tons about combining Illustrator's vector shapes with textures in Photoshop in this Skillshare class by Matt Kaufenberg.  I started out with a pencil and marker sketch.


Then, I found something that has been so freeing to me... sketching in Photoshop.  I know it's a weird hang-up for a traditional illustrator, but I hate wasting paper.  And, when you sketch a lot, you inevitably end up using loads and loads of paper.  And, no matter how cheap it is, you kind of feel the weight of how many trees you've decimated on your creative journey.  Okay, maybe it's just me.  In any case, it doesn't pain me to do sketches on layers in Photoshop.  Not. one. bit.  So, off I went!

I started off using traditional shapes for figure drawing (can't help my training!)...

 I knew I didn't want to go this route.  I have had a kind of artist's block when it comes to drawing babies.  Every time I attempted to draw my son, it came out so weird!  I wasn't happy with any of the results, so I just focused on expressions he makes when he's in a funk...

I had a breakthrough with that big head up top.  I then pushed the exaggeration of the size of the head even further.


After drawing the top one, I said out loud, "aww."  And that's when I knew I was onto something!  So, off I went using the techniques from the Skillshare class, and the end result is the first photo from this post.

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Toddler Streaky Legs & Moneta

Posted on May 17, 2015 by | Comments Off on Toddler Streaky Legs & Moneta
That felt really weird typing the title to this blog post, but yes, admittedly my son is now a toddler and most definitely not a squishy baby anymore!  I finally finished one of his "Streaky Legs" poofy pants this weekend!

The Facts
⁃ Fabric: <1m single jersey, <0.3m ribbing for cuffs
⁃ Pattern: Ottobre "Streaky Legs" pattern
⁃ Year: 2014?
⁃ Notions: waistband elastic
⁃ Time to complete: 1 day for tracing and cutting, an hour for sewing
⁃ First worn: May 16, 2015
⁃ Wear again?  He has no choice! hahah!
⁃ Mods? Nope, they fit great on him.

and I finished Moneta from Colette Patterns for me!


The Facts
⁃ Fabric: 3m soft interlock, maybe french terry in turquoise
⁃ Pattern: Colette Pattern 1028 Moneta
⁃ Year: 2014
⁃ Notions: Framilon clear elastic
⁃ Time to complete: 1 day for tracing and cutting, 1 day for sewing
⁃ First worn: May 17, 2015
⁃ Wear again?  YES!
⁃ Mods? Yes, I would like to make the shoulders wider so it doesn't fall off my shoulders... or expose my bra straps to everyone.

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Funky Fresh Hat

Posted on May 2, 2015 by | Comments Off on Funky Fresh Hat
My son finally fits into the hat I made him last year!

Remember the yellow and blue reversible hat (letter E in the photo)?
It was from the Hat Shop book, and was a great way to use up scraps.


It took nearly a year after his birth, but it finally fits...



We certainly make a funky fresh duo!

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Working on Magic

Posted on April 13, 2015 by | Comments Off on Working on Magic
Something clicked for me after MATS A, and that's the concept of joy in one's work.  I connected it finally with the idea of creating magic in an illustration. It's something I have struggled with for a long time, and am always working on.  So, this past week, I made it a point to focus on this element and re-work some past illustrations.

I started with my sketches from the Global Talent Search back in 2013.  I loved my sketches for this project, but ended up submitting something completely different and kicked myself afterward.

Anyway, I worked with this palette which I used for the competition and that I love, and it helped me focus on just having fun and making a sweet little repeat.

revamped repeat

original illustration from 2013

Next, I thought of a different concept with the playground scenario.  What if the playground animals came alive at night and had fun jumpin' around in a magical firefly forest after dark?  So, I re-inked the original sketches, illustrated all-new spring animals, and created a night-time palette to help me focus on illustrating.  Here is what I came up with:

alternate night time theme, 2015


Wouldn't it be so cool if it came in actual glow-in-the-dark fabric?  I keep thinking of a pajama set for my little guy that glows in the dark!  That would be neat!

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