Spring has sprung and I am knee-deep in to-do's. Both professionally and personally. I had to turn down my first job, that I would actually enjoy doing, the other day. I absolutely hated to. It would have been so much work and a great portfolio piece but with the short timeframe (1 month to completion) I just wouldn't be able to make the deadline. It was a packaging design job from a past client (18 different packages and other material to be exact). I haven't felt too bad about passing on it though. I know another project is just around the corner waiting for me :) (I hope!). Also the Woog's 1 year birthday party is just a couple of weeks away. I have so much to do for it and I still need to make her gift from me. I got her invitation finished up yesterday and plan on getting them ready for the mail tomorrow. I'll probably post a picture of it on her birthday if my eyes aren't swollen shut from all the crying I'll be doing.

While checking my weekly blogs (yes, I categorize them) I notice that Heidi has an interesting post on what she learned at the Children's Book Writing Conference. She even has her notes posted. It's funny that she wrote down to "draw children with big eyes & puffy clothing." Here I am making smaller eyes! She also has a neat post on what she needs to make her art possible. I want a Tuff Shed now!

Now off to my to-do list. Two things are illustration jobs so that will be relaxing!

Here is my entry for StudioFriday. The theme was "playtime." Playtime happens in my studio everyday since my daughter is with me while I work. I take breaks to play with her and my favorite playtime activity is reading to her or watching her "read." She is just now really noticing the illustrations and she will try and pick them off the page. The book above was one I bought last week to use as reference for body perspectives but she took it over. She loves to flip the pages. Her new (and really only consisted word) is "ball." So yesterday she found a ball on one of the pages and said, "ball, ball, ball" (although it sounds like "bau, bau, bau"). Too cute!

I hope everyone has a good Easter weekend. Mine will be filled with illustration and design projects, putting down shoe mould downstairs (never got around to it since we put down our wood floors last fall), and of course, church on Sunday (no Sunday School so I get get a little more sleep) and Easter lunch at my mom's house!

This week's Ill. Friday topic was "Bloom" and I thought it was perfect since I had just sketched this scene out last week. I'm adding a painterly medium to my illustration style so I've being experimenting with my entries.

I was sick all last week (and still not completely over it) but while being mopey anyway I became mopey about my work. I questioned myself, my style, and my ability. I am my worst critic and I "know" my work is good, but is it good "really?" The mopes subsided as I got some news about a project I hope to be working on (I'll hopefully know soon but the info I received was positive) and an inquiry about illustration a children's book. I ended my day with a trip to the bookstore, scoring the children's section. I found a few books that I really liked the illustration style and some to use as reference for poses, etc. I find it so hard to get the right perspectives when drawing children.

Here are some illustrators I'm lovin' right now:
Alex
Maria
Pamela
Moira
Heather

Here's my StudioFriday. The heme was fabric. I have had these empty fabric frames on my wall for several months. The background is an oversized bath mat that is hung on the wall and the frames are attached.

I got an email from Bonnie yesterday and I though I'd show you her work. I love this one. I have a nightime illustration (a boy catching a lightening bug) that I need to finalize but making it appear as night is so hard, but she did a great job on her colors.

Here's my Illustration Friday a little early this week. The theme was ancient. This was drawn in Illustrator and then taken into Painter for the "painterly" look.

I ran across a site today. And a particular post made me smile. The Woog will turn one year old next month. I can't believe it. I'm trying not to focus too much on it just because it breaks my heart. How has it already been a year? She was sitting and playing the other day and wearing a little bow in her hair (she was born with a head full and had a mullet until we broke down and cut it Christmas Eve) and she didn't look like a baby anymore, she looks like a little girl. I am horrible at admitting that a certain outfit doesn't fit anymore or that she's ready for the next size up in diapers. My husband on the other hand is not as bad as me thanks goodness. She'd probably still be wearing the outfit she came home for the hospital in (although she did wear it until she was about 7 months).

The big event of a birthday party is brewing in the back of my head. I don't like themes as far as characters but my wheels are spinning as to what to do. I don't want to go overboard but I do want it a little girlie. I've been thinking a tea party, things that start with "w" (the first letter of her name), and various spring related things. I do know were are having cupcakes and I'm thinking about sculpting her a little cupcake topper out of clay. I am also going to do a special painting as my gift to her (I really need to get sketching on that). Well, enough of me goo-gooin' over my daughter. I'm surprised I didn't get all tearing writing this post. She doesn't know it but I got all teary yesterday reading Roz's post about her kids. The paper her son wrote is what got me. And Heather's post was so sweet it just made me smile. I love you Woogie Bear!!!

In lighter and less babbling news...I've written my 9th installment of Becoming An Illustrator. It has not been edited by CL so forgive my grammar and any misspellings you might come across.

There just not enough time in the week to complete a detailed Illustration Friday. This week's theme is "jazz" and my plan is to do this one in clay. The background will be painted with acrylics on illustration board and the foreground will be in clay. I hope, hope, hope to finish it up this weekend. I'll post it when it's complete.

This past week has been a good week. I finished my softie which made me happy. It looks so cute sitting on my desk against my muted blue wall. I received an illustration job that I didn't expect to get (a calendar illustration for a kids magazine that I had initially though I'd be doing every other month. I had finished up September and didn't expect to do another until November but they went ahead and gave me October), a small design job for 3 ads, a catalog/flyer design job, and an offer for a big catalog design project come September (wow---this is a huge run on sentence!!!). And I spoke with a rep this week who gave me great advice and offered to help me build on my style and portfolio. I hope future weeks are as good to me!

While doing my daily peek into other illustrators site (which I do several times a day - it's an addiction) I noticed that one illustrator who I've had bookmarked forever, had a blog. You can see Paula's blog here and her fabulous work here. I love what's up on her home page right now! She uses Painter for some of her work and I had looked into Painter just this week. Seems to be a powerful tool so I think I might buy it.

Becoming An Illustrator: I know it's already March 3rd but my latest entry will probably go up this weekend. I've been a tad busy.

And finally, StudioFriday. This week's theme is "light."


This is my daughter's first watercolor at age 5 months (yep, started her early). She is the light of my life. I really do need to get this framed. It's been propped up on my bookshelf sine she did it. Crayons were introduced last month and although she made some scribbles, she was more interested in examining each color.