Fox In Socks

Illustration Friday: Fluid

2012-02-17T23:38:00.002-05:00

Dummy Book Spread

2012-02-17T20:57:00.000-05:00

Sketch For Illustration Friday

2012-02-17T13:37:00.002-05:00

Thumbnail Sketches Template

2012-02-16T17:53:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone, here is a template I made if anyone wants to use it--they're basic page layouts. Just save it to your computer and print! **Make sure you choose 'fit to page' or the option that shrinks it to fit the page in your printing options**

Red Bicycle Color

2012-02-16T13:52:00.002-05:00

Trying out a watercolor style for this story.

A New Project

2012-02-15T19:49:00.001-05:00

With "A Dragon's Tail" complete and submitted, I'm now on to my new story entitled, "The Red Bicycle". Here are some of the beginning sketches...and yes I LOVE bears :0)

The Owl and the Pussy Cat

2012-02-13T22:49:00.000-05:00

The Owl and the Pussy-Cat went to sea
In a beautiful pea-green boat:
They took some honey,
and plenty of money
Wrapped up in a five-pound note - 1871 Edward Lear

Shiny Red Bicycle

2012-02-13T14:12:00.003-05:00

Welp, I'm still waiting on a response from my secret submission to secret person, and while I'm waiting....I'm working on new ideas and working on improving my art and writing. I updated my website and design/images, updated my images on the childrensillustrators.com site. I'm trying hard as heck not be incredibly impatient and watch my e-mail while clicking 'refresh' over and over and over again. I just want something good to happen from all of this.

Sometimes I do wish I had fallen madly in love with something more lucrative and more dependable, but this is it for me, in good times and bad. I'm just not happy doing anything else.

For My Niece

2012-02-12T13:53:00.001-05:00

Also, check out the front of my main webpage to see it animated!

A Storm Brewing

2012-02-11T20:34:00.000-05:00

Starring: Mr. Toad of Wind in the Willows

Snow II

2012-02-10T18:54:00.002-05:00

Snow

2012-02-10T16:14:00.002-05:00

Night Reading

2012-02-10T14:21:00.002-05:00

Illustration Friday: Suspense

2012-02-09T15:45:00.001-05:00

This was an easy one for me idea-wise. It's always around February I start waiting with suspense for spring time to arrive. Even the smallest signs are a delight to me.

Another Dragon's Tail Illustratration

2012-01-28T22:41:00.000-05:00

I'm going to be submitting my dummy book "A Dragon's Tail" to an agent this week! Fingers crossed! :)

Penguin Slide

2012-01-25T15:06:00.001-05:00

Roar!

2012-01-25T12:54:00.000-05:00

A strange sound outside.

Illustration Friday: Twirl

2012-01-23T16:12:00.002-05:00

Twirling snowflakes

Dragon's Tail Dummy Sketches Continued

2012-01-18T18:27:00.000-05:00

More Sketches

2012-01-15T18:41:00.002-05:00

Character Sketches

2012-01-14T15:58:00.002-05:00

Another Day, Another Dummy Book

2012-01-11T21:13:00.000-05:00

..and 30 more pages to go lol. It's not daunting...really it isn't. :)

Fingers crossed--maybe a publisher will decide to adopt this one.

Illustration Friday: Grounded II

2012-01-11T14:34:00.000-05:00

Grounded: admirably sensible, realistic, unpretentious. A perfect description of this boy's panda bear friend.

Character Sketches

2012-01-10T17:43:00.003-05:00

Illustration Friday: Grounded

2012-01-10T15:58:00.003-05:00

Charlie was not only grounded for sticking his tongue out at his little sister, he also had to paint the new shipment of zebras.

New Magazine Assignment (secret):-)

2012-01-03T17:58:00.000-05:00

Here are some character sketches!

Risky in Space

2012-01-02T17:40:00.002-05:00

My sketch for this week's Illustration Friday: Highlight, starring my dog and studio assistant, Risky.

Illustration Friday: Messenger

2011-12-27T21:10:00.001-05:00

Winter is Coming!

2011-12-02T20:54:00.000-05:00

The Moonlight Shindig

2011-11-29T17:00:00.000-05:00

Panda Parade Final

2011-11-27T16:17:00.003-05:00

Panda's Parade Sketch

2011-11-27T12:51:00.002-05:00

Illustration Friday: Round

2011-11-25T17:10:00.000-05:00

Mr. Woogykin's Nemisis

2011-11-23T18:04:00.001-05:00

Click to enlarge!

Sledding Hedgehog

2011-11-23T14:18:00.000-05:00

Woogykin's Revenge

2011-11-21T00:36:00.003-05:00

This is a color sample from a recent dummy book I've been working on over the past several weeks. Extra excited about this one :)) I bought a hamster recently named Butters to keep me company in the studio, and ended up being inspired enough by his antics to write a story about one.

Giraffe Swing

2011-11-20T17:25:00.000-05:00

Illustration Friday: Vanity Part II

2011-11-20T16:16:00.005-05:00

Illustration Friday: Vanity

2011-11-20T14:54:00.000-05:00

The tiger cub is singing, "I Feel Pretty".

Archibald Escapes!

2011-11-08T13:53:00.000-05:00

Stilts

2011-11-08T12:35:00.000-05:00

The Giraffe and the Pelly And Me (Roald Dahl)

2011-11-07T14:19:00.000-05:00

Professor Bear Final

2011-11-07T12:04:00.002-05:00

Lost Part II

2011-11-07T01:03:00.000-05:00

Lost

2011-11-06T22:34:00.002-05:00

This sketch has a special meaning for me. Over the summer, I discovered a mast cell tumor in my dog's right foot. It was frightening to think I might lose her to cancer and to not know what was going to happen. It came as such a shock as well, because she had been in such perfect health all her life. Thankfully it was not aggressive, and the tumor was completely removed along with the cancerous cells.

Professor Bear

2011-11-06T16:38:00.001-05:00

Snow

2011-11-06T13:49:00.002-05:00

Random Sketches

2011-11-05T20:01:00.002-04:00

The Rain Falls in Stripes

2011-11-05T17:41:00.001-04:00

Illustration Friday: Stripes

Rain Dancing

2011-11-05T16:49:00.002-04:00

Stripes

2011-11-05T12:24:00.002-04:00

This is my sketch for Illustration Friday: Stripes. Will hopefully get the final version done today!

From "Alligator's Boo-Boo"

2011-11-02T16:51:00.000-04:00

Suzie's Lion

2011-10-28T15:43:00.003-04:00

These are from a new story I've written called, Suzie's Lion!

Lion Sketch

2011-10-27T13:38:00.001-04:00

New Project

2011-10-25T22:16:00.002-04:00

Tea Party

2011-10-24T00:56:00.002-04:00

Picnic Sketch

2011-10-23T22:18:00.001-04:00

Night Snow

2011-10-23T20:51:00.006-04:00

Adding this to my Illustration Friday entry below as well. Really fun one to paint!

Illustration Friday: Fuel

2011-10-22T18:36:00.001-04:00

Snow has always been fuel for my heart and soul. I honestly dread winter around here at times, but the magic of a surprise dusting of snow makes it much more bearable.

Snow Sketches

2011-10-22T16:17:00.002-04:00

Snow

2011-10-22T12:30:00.002-04:00

Poetry Contest

2011-10-19T22:03:00.003-04:00

Bear Crossing

2011-10-19T12:50:00.000-04:00

Pen and Ink Sketches

2011-10-18T14:31:00.001-04:00

Should have both of these completed today, keep checking back! :0)

Poetry Contest Sketch

2011-10-18T11:18:00.003-04:00

Ducks In A Row

2011-10-17T19:59:00.003-04:00

Illustration Friday: Scattered II

2011-10-17T15:57:00.001-04:00

Weather prediction: scattered showers...but only for the elephant.

Sadie and Sam

2011-10-17T11:50:00.000-04:00

Illustration Friday: Scattered

2011-10-16T19:58:00.002-04:00

Walkin' the Dog

2011-10-16T16:43:00.002-04:00

Skateboarding

2011-10-15T20:15:00.000-04:00

Balloon

2011-10-15T15:41:00.003-04:00

Umbrella Piggy

2011-10-15T13:21:00.002-04:00

Cow and Pig Escape

2011-10-15T00:34:00.003-04:00

Illustration Friday: Contraption

2011-10-13T19:05:00.000-04:00

Nautical contraption fashioned out of newspaper

Final Art!

2011-09-27T23:18:00.002-04:00

A Work in Progress

2011-09-27T18:43:00.002-04:00

This is an unfinished sample color spread from my dummy book- it's meant to be held horizontally (only for two spreads in the book). Going to be submitting this one to an editor who liked a story a sent years ago. I still have her letter inviting me to send more. Hope she likes this one!

Seesaw

2011-09-26T00:14:00.001-04:00

illustration Friday: Ferocious

2011-09-24T20:53:00.004-04:00

Three bear cubs practicing their 'ferocious' roars and growls on the bees.

Ugh

2011-09-24T15:11:00.001-04:00

Fall Bike Ride

2011-09-24T13:54:00.001-04:00

Actually it's a tricycle that I redesigned for piggy's short stature. :)

Lost

2011-09-24T03:10:00.001-04:00

More Raccoons!

2011-09-23T23:46:00.002-04:00

Skating Giraffe

2011-09-23T19:09:00.000-04:00

Night Time Stroll

2011-09-23T17:59:00.003-04:00

More Drawings

2011-09-22T14:47:00.000-04:00

A Day at the Carnival

2011-09-20T18:51:00.002-04:00

Sing Out, Irene

2011-09-20T02:24:00.001-04:00

I'm having fun drawing my own versions of various books. This is from Sing Out, Irene by James Marshall.

Illustration Friday: Mesmerizing Part Two

2011-09-17T21:10:00.002-04:00

On a crisp Fall afternoon, sometimes there's nothing more mesmerizing than sparkling new school supplies.

This is my version of Eugene from James Marshall's Four Little Troubles.

Watercolor Texture in Scans: How to Remove It

2011-09-17T18:03:00.000-04:00

Grainy, overly textured scans getting you down? Try this little trick in photoshop. Go to Filters > Blur > Smart Blur, and move the Threshold and Radius sliders until you get your desired effect. This image was a spotty mess until I found this article.

Illustration Friday: Mesmerizing

2011-09-16T18:20:00.002-04:00

This cow is mesmerized by all the other cows trying to jump over the moon.

Illustration Friday: Boundaries

2011-09-14T21:47:00.000-04:00

Halloween: the one day we can break our diet boundaries and eat till we're sick. Raise your hand if you haven't done this:

That's what I thought :)

Today's Sketches

2011-09-14T19:37:00.001-04:00

Playing in the Rain

2011-09-14T01:33:00.002-04:00

"I am sure it is a great mistake always to know enough to go in when it rains. One may keep snug and dry by such knowledge, but one misses a world of loveliness." ~Adeline Knapp

Playing in the Rain Sketch

2011-09-06T19:21:00.002-04:00

Illustration Friday: Mysterious II

2011-09-05T13:30:00.002-04:00

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science." --Albert Einstein

Mysterious Forest

Dummy Book In the Making

2011-09-04T12:54:00.001-04:00

I strung a couple pieces of wire across the wall in front of my desk so I can hang the dummy book pages and see them all together. It's really helped with seeing the flow of the whole book while I work (some of the first few pages are missing because they're in my sketch book). I'll be starting a second version of the book here soon in a square format with some tweaking--I really want to get this one right and it's been quite a challenge!

High Wire

2011-09-04T01:12:00.006-04:00

Illustration Friday: Mysterious

2011-09-03T13:38:00.001-04:00

It may take a second to see the mysterious element of the illustration...but there's a story behind it. When I was kid, around ten or eleven, I saw a movie entitled Critters. Not a hugely popular movie, more like a B horror film. It happened to be on HBO one night, and reminded me a little of Gremlins because there were these little red-eyed critters that terrorized people. Anyways, there is a scene where someone is in the kitchen washing dishes late at night. The camera pans in towards the pitch black window, and two little red eyes appear staring at the mother of a family. Oh my goodness did that give me the willies! From then on, at night when I'm washing dishes, that scene sometimes crosses my mind, along with (my overly active imagination) the thought of someone or something staring in at me from that pitch black window in the kitchen. :0) BOO!

A Small Idea

2011-08-31T11:15:00.002-04:00

Very tiny thumbnail sketch