Must-See Monday: Chinatsu Ban/ New Year New Blog

Happy New Year everyone!

Above is a painting by Chinatsu Ban who's known for painting elephants in underpants. I love, love, love her work! Check out more paintings here and here.

For 2010 my Monday theme will be "Must-See Monday." On Mondays, I will share things that I am excited about and feel that you must see. Today there will be two things.

Besides Chinatsu Ban's work, you must check out Smells Like Crayons, it's a new blog my awesome critique group and I have created. We'll be posting at least three times per week discussing our work, ideas, industry info, and more. Come visit. We'd love to hear from you!

Holiday Wishes

May your days be merry and bright.

Peace, joy, love, and lots of inspiration to all my wonderful blog friends! <3 <3 <3

Flashback Friday - Painted Sketch

I found this while looking for inspiration for my holiday card. This was a sketch page for a card I did a couple of years ago. I thought I'd post it for Flashback Friday.
Sometimes I like the sketches better than the final work.

Humpty Dumpty

So I was talking to my son on Friday and doodling in my sketchbook. When I say "doodling" to me that means not thinking about what you are drawing, or at least not planning it--just allowing it to happen. Usually, I am focused on something else, like a conversation in this case. (And I promise I was totally listening!)

Anyway, what you see above is the doodle plus what I later added.

Here is what it looked like at the end of the conversation:
But Humpty Dumpty needed some arms. After all, more demons appeared and I didn't want him helpless. I am wondering how long he can stay on the wall. Can all the kings horses and men put him back together if he falls? And why is he in socks?

Doodles can be sources of interesting and curious visual imagery.

I can't wait to see what the next conversation brings.

Edit: I took Art Fan Ako's advice (thanks Ako) and decided to submit this to Illustration Friday for the word "crunchy"--but let's hope Humpty doesn't end up that way!

IF - Entangled

This is a last minute sketch for Illustration Friday's "entangled."

IF - Music

Lucky for me, the prompt this week for Illustration Friday is music. I am too busy to create a new piece so I posted this flashback piece from an illustration class assignment. It was a cover illustration for American Recorder Magazine. (BTW, the requirement is that recorders are used in the illustration.)

Coincidentally, last night, I was an invited guest in Glenna Lang's intermediate illustration class at the School of the Musuem of Fine Arts, Boston. (It was the very class I took when I completed this piece.) Glenna-- illustrator, author, teacher, mentor, friend--requested that I come and share my work with her students.

I got to sit in on a critique before I presented. It was a super-talented group. Former classmate and illustrator Ethan Haynes is a teaching assistant in the class and it was good to see some of his new work, too. He designed this cover for AR Magazine. Very cool!

Later I got to present my work. I got interesting questions and thoughtful feedback. It was a fun evening and I left feeling quite energized. Their enthusiasm was uplifting. I am grateful!

IF - Unbalanced