Chinese Brush Painting

Spent last week trying out some new painting techniques. It was pleasing, frustrating and refreshing to attempt something I've never tried before, and I wish I'd had a whole second week to continue!

Posthaste!

I'm not sure how I feel about these - don't seem finished to me, yet. But they were done so quickly, it's no wonder.
If they get picked up, I'll refine them till I'm satisfied. That's one thing I adore about working digitally!

Happy New President Time!

High-Five!


And, in the spirit of local community, here are some rejected icons for a local art & craft festival.

"The Contest"

Paper, acrylic, sealant on wooden skate deck.

The Skate Deck is Finished!

...But you don't get to see it until after the show opens.
I'm quite proud of it - want to do more!
I'm hoping to do a series of long, narrow pieces on wood (not necessarily skate decks) with more warriors fighting monsters. It'll be a fun departure from my usual birds and teapots and scarves.



Happy (very cold) Friday!
Here's a birthday card I made for a friend:

Spreading the Word

It Runs in the Family

Congratulati0ns to my father, who just opened his own Etsy shop!

He's been a freelance artist for years (and was the source of most of my inspiration growing up) and he's finally getting back into doing artwork that is personal, gratifying and meaningful.
Although he has many prints lined up to go into his shop, he's just focusing on one specific piece for now in the spirit of Valentine's Day (and love in general).
It's customizable and oh so lovely.


Take a look!

Hooray!

Progress!

I still have some darker reds, blacks, blues and perhaps some yellows to work in there, but I'm making headway. Hopefully, I'll be finished tonight or tomorrow.
I'm kind of making it up as I go along, which is nerve-wracking and fun at the same time. To get away from the tiny pen & ink & embroidery line drawings in which I've been entangled for a while is refreshing.

The board so far...

It was a frightening experience trying to get my drawing onto to the board, but after a few minutes of panic and terror (with some glue incidents), it ended up being a successful venture. I'm glad that the woodgrain shows through the thin paper - that was something I had wanted, but I hadn't expected it to occur.
Now for the paint!

New Cards of Mine

I'm pretty proud of this first one - it's an 8-page booklet. The illustrations were fun and adorable.Card planned by Emily Gross.


Card planned by Julia Kuo.






They're out in Target and American Greetings stores.

Perhaps Too Ambitious?

Nevertheless, here's a glimpse at part of the color study for my skate deck. I'm not sure if the final piece will be quite as detailed (I have to figure out how I'm doing the layering, as I want some of the woodgrain to show through)...I really love how the full color study image has turned out, but I don't want to show too much right away...
And also, as always, I'm nervous that the color study sketch will end up better then the final, so I'm being a coward and playing my cards close. For the time being.

All Hands on Decks!

First of all, Happy New Year to everyone!


I'm part of a skate deck show!
At this juncture, I have no idea what mine will end up looking like, but I'm excited to depart from paper and ink for a short while. The woodgrain is lovely and I'm very fond of the skinny format. Take a gander here for sneak peeks at how we're all progressing.