At the end of every storm a rainbow....

at the end of every year champagne.  Here's to an effervescent 2019, bubbling with opportunity & love- CHEERS!

A Fresh Start!

New chances, new beginnings- I see you around the corner 2019 & you look fresh!

(art inspired by a paper mache mermaid I brought back from San Miguel de Allende 23 years ago.)

Warm Winter Wishes

Sending you warm winter wishes compliments of the Posca markers I got for Christmas.

I could draw for days!  Especially on a dark background- the colors really pop!

Happy Christmas

Hope you find yourself just where you want to be this Christmas!

A Very Vintage Christmas

Another spread from my sketchbook.

Not my usual color palette & it's really bugging me that the light

green looks so dull in this photo. (real life it's has such a nice glow- think lime sherbet!)

Nonetheless, it's pretty fun.

City Skate

Ready for a tripe axel of fun?  Here's my city skate illustration I did years ago.

It's still very merry!  I always love the outdoor skating areas you find in most cities.

When I worked in Manhattan at the end of the day I'd often wander over to the Rink at Rockefeller Center.  I'd buy a fancy hot cocoa & slowly sip while I watched people skate by. It always felt special and festive.

Christmas Canines

I have a soft spot for animals especially, dogs!

This one made me happy & was painted with watercolor.

FRIDAY

Here's a little cut paper & paint piece that makes me smile.

It's beginning to look a lot like cocktails.  Which makes sense friends- it's Friday!

Angelic

Cute paper angel with a touch of bling.

A little sparkle never hurt anyone.

Gingerbread Village

I made a cut paper Gingerbread Village using oodles of masking fluid instead of icing.  The view from above is always so pretty so I added some mountains to ski down.  

The top image is this piece before I rolled off the mask & added all the details.  

(which was done digital listening to Christmasy carols & signing along)

Season's Greetings

This is a puzzle board book I designed & illustrated for C.R. Gibson.

Each snow globe puzzle piece is also an ornament.

A nice introduction to the season for little ones & a perfect way for toddlers to start decking the halls.

Gingerbread Land

Made a gingerbread village using oodles of masking fluid & watercolor.  The raw state of this turned out nicely.  I decided to add some mountains to ski down! (they're so darn pretty & majestic)

Here's a snippet of the finished piece.  A little digital magic for all the delicate line work details.

Which reminds me I haven't decorated a gingerbread house yet this season.

Have you?

Seasonal Art

Midweek-merry& bright!

(sketchbook play gouache & cut paper)

Mazel Tov it's Monday!

Peace, light and love-

Happy Hannukah!

Countdown Calendar

This year I made a homemade Christmas countdown.  In the past I've pulled out

calendars I designed for kids companies like Land of Nod or PB Kids.

This year with my son now 11 the kiddie stuff while fun didn't

quite fit the vibe.  So, I got out the acrylic paints, managed to limit my color,

(hooray- that's hard for me) & collaged on some numbers from an old game sheet.  I like bright color & simple patterns so, I was happy with the outcome.

Definitely fits my merry & bright holiday vibe.  Until later this month when I usually I have a pre-Christmas melt down.  Do the holidays give anyone else a slow crescendo to crazy?

This year is another chance to work on it- while I count it down. :)

Snipping Snowbirds

I've been busy daydreaming about flying south!

After our first official snowstorm of the season I made this mobile.

It's placed next to my desk as a reminder this frigid, frosty season will fly right by.

*Visual reminders help me!

Deck the Halls...

Or, in this little squirrels case- deck the forest!

The cold winter months seem warmer with some twinkle lights & tinsel.

(cut paper + nature = delightful fun!)

Watercolor Bounty

Nope it's not paper towels but instead an older watercolor painting I added on to.

Let's call it a leftover.  Which seems to be a common thread after Thanksgiving.

Turkey Town

This turkey is headed out of town just in time!  

Hope you end up just where you want to be this food filled holiday.  

I’m grateful for the goodness in my life & that includes you.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Etsy Shop

I'm setting the table for a bright holiday season & beyond with some colorful

NEW art available at my Etsy shop.

I've got optimism on my mind & this assortment of art reflects just that.

I also have been excited about symmetry but, in a not so perfect way.

I believe there's magic all around.  Can you feel it?

If not don't worry sometimes you just have to close your eyes.

Finally, I've been daydreaming about an imaginary world of forest animals.

By day they nibble on berries & nuts.  When the sun goes down they take a dip in the pond.

(it's been a big day)

Slowly the group gathers for story time under the big full moon.

Folktale Week Finals

Here's the rundown for how I finished Folktale Week 2018. 

The prompt for day 5 was  I N S E C T.

I'm not squeamish with bugs. (snakes are a whole other story for me)

I find them fascinating. All those legs, wings, antennas, somethings they light up, or have an iridescent sheen. Then the biggest TADA to me is the complete transformation of a caterpillar to butterfly. (I mean come ON- that's a trick!)

                                   Unfortunately, I missed the prompt for day 6  M I R R O R.  

But, I came back strong for the day 7  A N I M A L.

I've always had a fondness for animals.  Honestly, I think it's probably because they don't talk. (in my opinion words often muddle things up)  To me there's a simple, attention to the moment that animals have.  No agenda, no judging, just here and now.  To me that's part of their beauty.

Ghost

OooooOOOOOooooo!

Day 4 of Folktale Week.

Ghost!

Do you believe in them?

I do!

Witch

It's day 3 of Folktale Week & it's all about the witch.

A weaver of worlds, a catalyst for change, enlightened with super natural powers.

She looks trouble in the eye & gives it a wink!

Folktale Week has begun!

Yesterday was the first day of Folktale Week the prompt was  F O R E S T.

The forest is mysterious especially at night.  This is what I came up with.

The prompt for today was  M A G I C.

I think the ability to heal & make whole again is 

pure magic!

Seasonal Inspiration

A little ditsy print inspired by fall.

The ground in my neighborhood is a colorful confetti!

It's that time!

Like the song says "This land was made for you & me."

But, it works best when we ALL participate.

Show your country some love & vote!

Happy Halloween!

A spooky, spidery, floral MEOW!

(painted with gouache on black paper)

Pumpkin Magic

Digital pumpkins today & carving the real deal tomorrow night!

Only in October.

I discovered it felt right to make ghost emerge from tail pipes.

Blue tiles

I'm a life long lover of patterns.  Here's a kaleidoscope of blue tiles painted

with gouache.  I think it would be fun to fill a sketchbook with different tile studies.

Monday...

Bittersweet.

Forest Animals

I'm all about bringing nature in.  Especially this time of year when I can see it all slowly disappearing.  I'm also into symmetry but, more of an imperfect kind.  There's so much pressure in the "perfect" & the end result is well what you expect= perfect.  Which if you ask me can be dry & leave little space for the imagination.
(art is silkscreened with cut paper details)

Little Red

She was joyously making her way along the wooded trail.

Little did so know trouble wasn't far behind.

Big tops, big dreams

I've been watching American Experience, The Circus on PBS.

It's a four hour history of the circus.

I've found it spectacular, exploitive, sad, ambitious, limiting & limitless.

(all sorts of contradictions)

My dad took use to take us to the circus in the fall so for me it conjures up 

good memories of a big afternoon out.  It's nice learn more about the long,

rich, history of the greatest show on Earth.

Wish...

The morning glories are fading & the dandelions are gone.

A morning chill has set in.

(some of my favorites painted with gouache)

And... the rain continued.

We've had days & days of rain.

I'm imaging the outside while I stay cozy and dry inside.

The colors slowly change.