New Work: Botanicals and Vines

This work is based on the same palette as my Mid-Century motif images. I've kept the same simplicity in the forms. I began using limited palettes as a personal challenge and now find that I prefer to work that way. 

New Work: Mid Century Modern Motifs

Quite awhile ago, I created several pieces heavily influenced by Mid-Century Modern ideas. This peacock, in particular, has proven popular among my Society6.com images.

Society6.com has a partnership with other vendors, and much to my surprise two of my pieces have popped up on DotandBo.com. I noticed that my Mama Hen was selling as a pillow more than anything else in my shop. After a Google image search, I discovered the DotandBo source. I'm not complaining, as a matter of fact, I'm rather flattered. Though it seems that there are other pieces in my shop that are more interesting.

I have since signed up for the DotandBo's email and much to my surprise, my peacock was a part of one of their curated features.

Because I created the peacock quite awhile ago, I revisited it recently with a fresh vision. I tweaked the colors and created three other pieces to go with it. Though they appear the same here, the printed society6.com image is a lighter shade.

You can find these in my crated.com shop. If it weren't for DotandBo, I would take down the original on Society6.com and replace it with my new image so everything is consistent. Eventually, I'm sure it will fall out of circulation. In the mean time, I'll just count on different audiences for different sites.

New Work: Counting Songbirds

I started the first two pieces a few months ago-always intending to continue to at least to three. Finally added the third bird this week. I've uploaded all of them to Crated.com. You can find them here.

New Work in Colored Pencil

My most recent submission for #colour_collective.

A scruffy bunny in Brilliant Violet. I didn't' have the right violet as a straight color, so I improvised. 

Sea Dragon. Inspired by a trip to Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.

Simon, from Madame Prunella's School for Wayward Waifs and Irksome Children.

Baba Yaga.

A loyal Bat Scout.

Grandma Was a Batscout

Grandma was a Batscout, brave and true.

Miss Clara Wilson

"Miss Clara Wilson taught 3rd grade at Madame Prunella's School for Wayward Waifs and Irksome children. She loved each student as if they were her own. Though, as of late, she secretly wished her students were a little more waifish and a little less irksome."

Work In Progress: Miss Clara

In an effort to uphold my goal of connecting with other artists and begin building a community, I'm giving the newly formed #colour_collective a try on Twitter. Each week is a new color challenge. Last week was Cadmium Yellow Pale, this week is Opera Rose. The organizer, Penny Neville-Lee seems incredibly enthusiastic so I'm looking forward to participating.

I haven't given my watercolor skills a good workout in a long while. And Opera Rose is definitely brighter than my normal painting palette allows. So far, I'm pleased with the result. The brushes don't feel too foreign in my hands.

I revived an old college project as my subject matter. I have a series of mini-protraits titled "Madame Prunella's School for Wayward Waifs and Irksome Children." In the past, I've created vector versions of the portraits, but never paintings. The mini size of the drawings keeps the paintings intimate. Smaller paintings mean a better chance of finishing each one. I'm looking forward to looking back after several weeks to see how my skills progress.

I'll post Miss Clara's finished portrait along with her piece of the story on Friday when I post on Twitter with the others for #color_collective.

2015: The Year of Pursuit

About a month ago I made a big decision: I quit my job as of December 31 and decided to focus on art full-time this year.  A momentous change, but I've been rather quiet about it. This change is something I've wanted for a long time, but could never justify the decision. So, I've been letting the idea grow of its own accord.

For the past few years, I've  chosen a word to describe how to approach the upcoming year. I've used HAPPY, because it was the beginning of a very good year. Last year we claimed INDUSTRIOUS because we had several plans for the house that we wanted to undertake. For 2015, I have chosen PURSUIT because thats exactly what I'm doing with the idea of this wonderfully creative life that  has been bouncing around in my head for months.

This morning was my first day self-imposed work. And? It was a productive day. Not exactly creatively productive. But my studio has never looked better.

Studio: Before

Most of my supplies had been stacked and piled in the dining room. The lighting is much better up there, and it is several degrees warmer in the winter-time. Before the holidays, I grabbed everything and transferred the piles to my work-table in the basement to get everything quickly out of the way. 

Studio: After (with feline supervisors)

My husband claimed a corner of the dining room with a new desk, which meant I inherited his Ikea desk as a worktable. No more beat-up folding table for me!

Studio: After 

My biggest challenges for working in the basement have always been lighting, heat and organization.
Organizational goal: complete!
Heating: adequate, but not perfect. A space heater seems to be taking the edge off. We'll see what happens if we face another brutal winter.
Lighting: not yet. I have a tall reading lamp for the present. I'd like to install an overhead light on the beam above the table.

Next goal on my list? Finding and building a community of other artists. I'm not an extrovert, so reaching out to others will be a personal challenge.

December Monsters: Taste the Holiday!

May your holidays be DELICIOUS!

December Monsters: Merry & Bright

May your days be merry and bright this season!

December Monsters: Warm & Cozy

I don't think Santa will be getting his mitten back.

We're doing our best to stay warm and cozy this season.

December Monsters: Candy Cane

Never stand between a monster and its candy cane!

It has been quiet at work, so I've been drawing and little monsters have been filling my sketchbooks. I've decided to follow their lead for the month of December. 

I have it on good authority that little monsters firmly believe that candy canes belong in their own food group.

New Work: Sunbursts

Some of my newest work in three different color ways. 

I've discovered that a few motifs always seem to surface in my work: daisies, circles, and stripes. And, as of late, the more simple the design, the more appealing.  

My Pinterest boards are full of  Scandinavian designs and Mid-Century Modern influences. Rather than resist, I'm following the inspiration where it leads.

I've been thinking about kitchens and sunny, happy art that promotes a cheery atmosphere. These pieces were created with that light-heartedness in mind.

(you can find these prints on Society 6)

Birthday Weekend

Annika turned 18 this weekend. That means I'm a parent of an adult(!) 

We moved her into her dorm three weeks ago and she has already built a whole new life for herself on campus. She's attending a small liberal arts college about 45 minutes away. Close enough for us to visit and take her out to a birthday lunch, but far enough away that she's isn't tempted to come home every weekend. She's made friends, kept busier than she ever has and has even navigated her way around the town surrounding the college. 

Homesick? Nope. Not Annika.

We were texting a few nights ago, she was at the library and she asked if I wanted to see something lovely:

Stack after stack of art and art history books. 

It has quickly become her favorite place and is where she spent part of her Friday evening. 

She's in art-nerd heaven. 

People have asked if I miss her. And, truthfully, I do a little. 

But I'm also so excited watching her live this new life she's found. It fits her. 

Isn't that the moment parents hope for: when our children discover they can survive without us.

I really am such a lucky mom.

Welcome Back.

After two years of trying other things, I've come back to this simple little blog.  Since I've been gone I've joined Twitter (Hello!), Pinterest (So many things!) and Facebook (keep up to date here).  You'll find me on Redbubble (Howdy!) and Society6 (right here!). Most recently, I've joined Nuvango.com (something new!).

Maintaining a website/blog in addition to that wasn't terrible, but once I started layering in creating artwork and working overtime during last tax-season in an un-art-related job last spring, everything seemed suddenly complicated.

So I stopped.

Here we are in September and after a busy spring and summer, I have my days off to myself again. My daughter is comfortably settling into her college life and my son is settling into his high school schedule. And I don't have to think about working full time hours again for several months.

Now I can think about creating. And keeping things simpler. I'll go back to a website eventually. Right now, though, this seems right: just me and the Rumpleshark. (and the internet).

My most recent creations:

(available for sale on Society6)

Owl miss you....

Before.

After.

A list of owl puns from my sketchbook:

H-owl I know?

Owl be back.

Owl stand by you.

Owl if you will.

 Owl give you an answer.

Owl be seeing you.

And a list of owl-ized words:

Be-f-owl

Paper t-owl

Gr-owl

Sc-owl

Hoot.

Before.

After.

From pigs to owls. Apparently moving through my three-letter animals.

More pigs

Oink!

My son's teacher calls her classroom the Pigpen. 

I recently offered to created some images for her.

She gets customized clipart, I get pigs for my portfolio. We both win.

Hello, World. Hello 2012.

We're so happy you're here.

My little redbird and I have been waiting anxiously for the new year to start. 

There are so many stories to be told and drawings to be done. 

I'm ready to begin. Are you?