Illustration Friday: SCALE

My first IF contribution in an extremely long time. Hello from my new hom in NM - I've missed everyone!
This is a quick little spot illustration. I was thinking about scales and Justice and Libra and then I thought doing a portrait of Libra... but then I remembered, it's Thursday. This has to be done today, this has to be done quickly. So I moved on to thinking about doing a drawing of something showing scale... a penny WITH something. But that idea was simplified down to what is basically a universal scale tool: a penny, or any coin. It was fun, and it was really quick. I didn't even notice the time. I guess that's a good thing. :)
-m.

Update: Life

So, it's been a really, really, REALLY long time since I've posted. My show in ABQ went off beautifully, and it's been a whirlwind of events ever since. Between packing up my life in NJ, driving across the country (and breaking down in Louisiana!), moving into my new home in NM, and starting my new life as a full-time freelance artist -- things have been a little, hectic... to say the least. But I want to get back into things, into the illustrator's hat. I've been working steadily, which is a blessing, but I miss my blog and the new things it's always inspired. I miss being involved with Illustration Friday and SFG and all the others. So, I will be working hard to make the time to get back into it all.

I'll start with a sampling of my first freelance illustration project that was completed the NIGHT I ARRIVED in ABQ (so much for settling in). It was a very small, low budget project but fun none-the-less. This is for the cover of a promotional pamphlet for the Boys and Girls Club (not an actual book). I've included the sketch phase, the final drawing, and a mock-up of the cover. Enjoy!

Solo Show: WILDlife

In celebration of their first year in ABQ, Tangerine Cafe will be hosting my first solo show and gallery reception.

"WILDlife is a collection of my works centering on the animal side of life. Fantastical beasts, friendly fauna, and mysterious mammals alike come together to share a unique and all together wonderous journey through a variety of landscapes and stories."

Check out our announcement.

SFG! The Blank Book Project

Hello! I know it's been over a month since my last post. Summer seems to have thataffect on people.

But, I couldn't put off this project! This is the Blank Book project from SFG!. 50 illustrators, 500 days, one blank book soon to be filled with amazing artwork and amazing stories. Above is a picture of myself handing the book off to the next artist, Adam Levine, below is a teaser shot (a small cropped portion of my completed piece) that is posted on the Blank Book flickr page. It's been a really amazing experience, I'm so glad I got to be a part of it.



Speaking of summer, all day long I've been hearing about the 'last day of summer', sad faces, festive dress in farewell celebration, etc. What a load! It's the last day of AMERICAN SUMMER. REAL summer has almost a whole month to go! I say - don't stop enjoying it!

Illustration Friday: MOON

I've been out of commission for a while now, over a month in fact. I'm good and all, but I've been distracted. Loads to think about, plans to make, need of a summer break - of sorts.

So I return with another existing work: AquaLuna. This character was developed for a children's book dummy I started but never finished. This year it was accepted into the Colored Pencil Society of America's 15th Annual International Exhibition in Bethesda, MD - open now through August 25th. The Opening reception is August 4th, 7-9pm at The Mansion at Strathmore Gallery, 10701 Rockville Pike. I'm not going to be able to make it, but if you're in the area check it out!

Illustration Friday: SUIT

Late again. I didn't have time to do anything new last week and I had intended to post these sooner. Oops. I created them as a self-promotional series. I've now entered a couple in the Custom 52 contest, plus a new piece. Vote for me! Here, here, and here! Thanks!!

WRECK THIS JOURNAL: Keri Smith

Keri Smith is an amazing author, artist, and creative spirit. She has written several inspirational creativity books. This is her newest (there's ANOTHER one coming shortly - Guerilla Art Kit). I've been waiting for this one! After work on Friday I went over the the local B&N and picked it up. I was so anxious to get home and start destroying it. I have a serious perfectionist problem, but I love happy accidents. Playing with this journal is a reminder that you can find beauty in everything, even things that are beat up, destroyed, burned, scratched and more. Relax, let go, have FUN! Thank you Keri!!







Coincidentally, when I walked in to ask if they had the journal, the girl helping me asked me to wait while she went to retrieve it for me. While I stood at the information desk, I notice an interesting book sitting on the counter. I waited for someone to return and I asked if it was being held for someone. It wasn't, so I took it and went to sit down and started reading. It's called ˆGig: Americans Talk about Their Jobsˆ. It's really extremely interesting, and easy to sit and read in short spurts because it’s a series short essays by individuals living and working myriad jobs across the country. Being at a stage that I am really questioning what it is that I am doing and what I would LIKE to be doing, this seemed to fall out of the sky at just the right time. I haven't actually ˆboughtˆ the book, but I've been back to B&N twice and picked it up to read a bit more... is that bad? Check it out:

Quote 2: Kierkegaard

So I'm going through a time of real self-evaluation - asking all the usual questions: Who am I really? What do I want to do with my life? What do I want out of life? What really makes me happy? etc, etc. I'm reading lots of books, exploring lots of radically different options... all I know is I need a big change. So, I'm working on figuring that out. I've been reading lots of books and listening to interesting interviews, podcasts, and radio. Some of it helps, some of it makes me feels worse, but it's part of the experience. I found this quote in one of my many books and thought, yeah, this is the right sentiment, I need to remember this.

SFG: Sketches

I decided to look through some sketchbooks and pull various sketches from over the last few years. I've been trying to sketch more recently, because I'd fallen out of the practice... thus the date stamped sketchbook. Goal: draw SOMETHING everyday. Anything else is bonus. At the beginning, it was hard just to get the one drawing in, now I usually have to keeping going. Just wish I hadn't let it go for so long...

My crazy mind at work, this is the fun stuff I really enjoy. Wish the inspiration hit me more often.

Horses, my first passion... then came the drawing.

Random daily sketches.

These are the oldest sketches, from a personal project I started in college. I don't sketch like this anyamore, I've become too lazy. Would love to do it more often.

Custom 52: New Submission

A new submission for Custom 52. Should be up in a few days - check it out and VOTE FOR ME!

SFG: Televison

my submission for SFG this week. eh.

Illustration Friday: YOUR PARADISE

I really don't like this at all. I just had to post something. :P

Stefan Bucher's OPEN SOURCE MONSTER 10

Another 'monster' for fun! Created from Ink Blot #10 at Daily Monster

Portrait Party 2: Wonil 3

Went a little out there with this one. Still trying to find my own voice.

Illustration Friday: CARS 2

UPDATE!
Illustration/Photo:


Original:

Here's another. I really do love my little car. :)

Illustration Friday: CARS

UPDATE!
Illustration/Photo:


Original:

One car, MY car. I love my car. It's the cutest little thing on the road, as far as I'm concerned (see previous post!). I was actually thinking about branching out and drawing my car last week - before this topic came up - so it all worked out (I only wish the car actually looked better!). I had fun with this - kind of creating a little faux-ad for suzuki or something. Was going to through a little tag line and logo in at the bottom... but I ran out of time. Maybe I'll come back to it - I'm just excited to have this in relatively EARLY!

Sketch:

TAGGED: 7 RaNDom ThinGs aBoUt Me...

I've been tagged! At last! I thought no one loved me, but Kelly does! She even has me on her links list! I love being linked to!! That's why I link as much as possible!! Anyway - down to the facts:


1 • I LOVE MOVIES. unfortunately none of my friends seem to love them as much, so i often end up going to random matinees by myself. upside: there usually aren't many other people there to spoil the show with loud personal commentary, ringing cell phones, or stomach turning body odor. I also live for netflix - LOVE that I always have another movie coming!


2 • I DON'T HAVE CABLE. this doesn't mean i don't watch tv, but it does mean i don't watch that much (LOST! HOEROES! VERONICA MARS!). i gave up cable last summer to save cash (& time), but never really needed to get it back, so i didn't. i do have some very nice friends that DVR certain shows for me, and most of the REALLY good stuff gets talked about or offered for sale on DVD or iTunes anyway. :) shortly i'll be giving up my ancient tv as well. the computer'll do.


3 • I LOVE MY CAR. it's a make and model most people have never heard of, a suzuki reno, and ORANGE. it's officially 2 years old next month, but i try to take good care of it so it still looks brandy new - even though it tangled with three other vehicles in it's first year out (including a BUS!) and lots of time parked in Manhattan. it's lived to tell the tale though - must be its positive attitude. it's the cutest thing on the road as far as i'm concerned!


4 • I HATED THE COLOR ORANGE AS A CHILD. i thought i would always hate orange. oops.


5 • I'M MOVING TO MANHATTAN. at least that's the plan. i'm trying to be smart about it - paying off all debts, saving money at the same time, learning how to budget (and actually LIVE on that budget) and all that good stuff. and i'm struggling with the idea of possibly having to give up my car. :( but, MANHATTAN... it's a dream, it's exciting, and i'm scared out of my mind! but you're supposed to do things that scare you, right?


6 • I HATED THE CITY AS A CHILD. i didn't mind visiting, but i thought i could never live there in a million years! egh! dirty, crowded, noisy... how wrong can one girl be about her future!?


7 • I'M 6'3" AND I LOVE BEING TALL. it's taken 30 years to come to this conclusion. even with the funny looks, double takes, difficult shopping expeditions, and limited supply of taller men - i now embrace my height... and heels. :) (batman is SO not even taller than me... he's on a platform!)

ps... i also surfing the internet daily perusing other illustrator's websites kelly! i'm like - ADDICTED.

Useful Tools 1: Idea Log

Knock Knock is company that puts out funny, kitchy, ridiculously outrageous stationery products - most based on the idea that YOU fill-in-the-blank - whatever. They have products like REPORT CARDS, MULTIPLE CHOICE CARDS, FLASHCARDS, various KITS, plus so much more.

I've been a huge fan for years. They recently released a new series of LOGS, a series of To-Do lists for your brain, so-to-speak. I love them. I make lists ALL THE TIME, it's what I do - so this kind of thing is just perfect for me. I keep my lists all over the place - but these logs conveniently let you organize your thoughts by subject, all in one place. Log subjects include: the IDEA LOG, the MIND LOG, the HEALTH LOG, the COMPUTER LOG, the CULTURE LOG, and the MONEY LOG.

Quote 1: Penelope Dullaghan

Some days I find a quote I just have to keep, so I can look at it, soak it up, re-read it again and again. Today I found this, while looking through the MANY websites and blogs of Penelope Dullaghan. I had no idea just how busy that girl is - I'm sure she doesn't sleep. Thank you Penelope, you're an inspiration and beautiful, wonderful artist.

Illustration Friday: SIGNS 2

Second attempt, second thoughts. This one feels little forced. And it was. I made myself do it... in hopes that if I keep making myself follow through - I'll eventually get better at it. Better at the follow through, and better at the illustration.

Illustration Friday: SIGNS 1

First attempt. First impulse. The damage shows. Drawing from the heart and what's on my mind I guess. Still, I like it a lot more than I did when I drew it a few days ago.

Stefan Bucher: OPEN SOURCE MONSTER 09

Stephan Bucher is a brilliant designer & illustrator and a great inspiration to me. When a new design magazine, STEP Inside Design, came out several months back, I was struck by a particular and extremely interesting reoccurring column called Ink & Circumstance. It was so very different, and everything said within it was SO right-on to what I was experiencing on a day-to-day basis. Cut to last week, I discovered Von Glitschka's Illustrative Designer podcasts and discovered Stefan was in fact, not only the creator of Ink & Circumstance, but he also started another website called Daily Monster, a series of monsters created one-a-day for 100 days from random blown ink blots. He started the project to promote a book he’d done: the Neighbors Upstairs, but it quickly developed it’s own unique following – and people started responding with stories about the who and what the monsters were like – talk about happy accidents! He's just brilliant and has done SO much to get people and kids involved.

Part of the Daily Monster blog is the OPEN SOURCE MONSTER, which is a random ink blot he offers for anyone to download and turn into a monster of their own. This is SO my kind of thing. I had a lot of fun doing this in the wee hours of the morning!

Portrait Party 3: Doreen 1

This is Doreen... well kind of Doreen. Again, this is a "first draft". Lately it seems that everything I do looks slightly - or a lot - like someone's work that I've seen. Hmmmmmm.
Doreen is a brilliant freelance illustrator I met through a friend at work. We hired her to illustrate some fun stickers for us and well, she was just so cool I had to make her my friend! Thanks for being my friend Doreen! Check out her website and her blog. Oh, and you should definitely check out Baxter the Puggle's blog too - cause he's just the CUTEST EVER!

Portrait Party 2: Wonil 2

Okay, this on is just embarrassing, but I'm posting in good faith. I'm putting it all out there, even the bad stuff. Sorry Wonil - this doesn't look ANYTHING like you.

Portrait Party 2: Wonil 1

This is my friend Wonil. We met in a children's book illustration class at SVA in 2005. He is an AMAZING, amazing allaround artist. He has such a unique and brilliant illustration style, not to mention a great eye for photography AND web SKILLZ! Check out the Secret Toilet! And the Secret Toilet blog.

Portrait Party 1: Jason... again

I did a lot of drawing this weekend. At least I was semi-productive in that respect. So, as mentioned previously - I've been recently inspired greatly by Rama Hughes' Portrait Party. I've started a bunch - and I've been experimenting lots... I have yet to receive MY portrait in return... but here is the next in a series: Jason 2, a slightly different approach. :)

Illustration Friday: CITRUS

This was an early promotional piece for my design group: Tangerine Cafe. We do everything with citrus... and coffee there. ;)