Shirley's Illustrations

"I've gotta go forward!"

2012-01-29T13:14:00.000-08:00

...Otso said as he decided the paddle wasn't getting him there fast enough.

(click here to see the beginning of their adventure)

Pippy learns to twirl....(scroll down, please)

2012-01-22T12:30:00.000-08:00

paddling...paddling...

2012-01-19T16:03:00.000-08:00

Where do you think they're going?

Happy news, and Prepare for IF (illustrationfriday.com)

2012-01-17T19:32:00.000-08:00

"We must prepare for Sarah's Birthday Party!"

The final illustration, with added doggies, and antagonistic cat above...per Bernadettte..great idea!!

Here's the sketch I originally sent for review.

Late last year, I was busy sketching and painting new illustrations all to prepare for my online portfolio debut. I am SO very happy to finally announce that I have a wonderful Artist Representative, Bernadette Szost of Portfolio Solutions LLC.

I am very excited about starting this brand new year off working with Bernadette and her wonderful team (Laura & Nina). While solidifying our contract, Bernadette felt that I could add a few more portfolio pieces which show interaction between characters, more expressions, and above all, detail, detail, detail. I immediately worked on sketches and more sketches and provided roughs for her to review. She came back with fantastic suggestions on how to improve the work. I have been so very impressed with her professionalism, expertise, and enthusiasm! She has been working in the field for many years, and in the 90's started her own company and has worked with wonderful artists and clients ever since. I am very honored to be amongst such wonderful company!

Here are some of the final illustrations (as well as the sketches I initially sent for review) that I've prepared for my online portfolio at the site....I had a great time working on them and this surely challenged me (timing of pieces). Thanks for your visit!! I appreciate it very much..I am off to visit all of you now too. : )

Chicken Licken - Warning! a very loooong first process post for the New Year

2012-01-10T20:30:00.000-08:00

Happy to see you here - hope you all are having a wonderful 2012 so far!

I wanted to share with you a recent illustration that I had painted late last year. It was a challenge for me that upon reflection, pushed me to work hard, think hard and try harder with my watercolors. I am pretty happy with the result and very much enjoyed the process!

Presenting my official entry to the SCBWI Tomie dePaola contest . If you aren't familiar with the contest, Tomie dePaola chose text for all to illlustrate and wow him..and so I wanted to come up with a concept that I thought would be interesting and also be fun to execute.

My concept was to draw Chicken Licken (Chicken Little) as a jester of a royal court. The text ends with "off to tell the King" so every character I felt needed to be of the royal court. I also wanted to use the author's heritage (Danish) throughout and so I put Turkey Lurkey in a Knight's outfit with Denmark's Coat of Arms, the Rooster and Hen are prince and princess, Goose is the Herald, Duck is the King of Arms, and Chicken Licken is the Fool. The toughest part was painting the lion on the Knight's outfit. One of the other things that kept going through my head was to give it a very classic old-time nostalgic feel, and so I went ahead with my sepia-toned framing of the oak trees and you can see a tiny squirrel up at top, hidden. Perhaps he was hiding the nut that fell? : ) I ultimately finished the piece with my "gothicized italic" handlettering which was a ton o' fun!

Finally, I thought I'd post my process as I managed to take a few snaps of the illustration before I finished painting it. Hope this is a bit interesting for you! : )

Step 1: Sketches - (about a week or so, jotting down ideas when they came to me)

Sketched late at night before going to sleep, here are my sketches..you'll note I had a little help from my youngest as well..see the sketch with clothing! : )

I didn't resolve the illustration until I added some color to the images, so I scanned the sketches and very quickly and roughly added some color...
Step Two: Scanning in thumbs and adding rough color

I had not done this step ever before, but it really helped me to solidify the illustration that I thought would have the best focus on Chicken Licken. I also asked my family which character was the focus of the piece, and they all helped me figure this out.
Step 3a: Create the template for the Watercolor Block
I don't have a pic of this but what I did here was take the thumbnail image I thought worked best, increased the size to a workable final illustration size (about 14" x 20" (the largest I've ever painted so far), and printed out a full size thumbnail to use as the outline on my watercolor block.

Step 3b: I then took the prints (four 8.5 x 11's stitched together with tape), rubbed graphite on the backside of it, and traced over the thumbnail lines onto the watercolor block.

Step 3c: The long part: drawing. I love this part though..I spent quite a few hours drawing with my Staedtler Mars Lumograph 2H pencil and kneaded eraser the final illustration that I would begin to paint.

Step 4: Start painting with watercolor! : ) Here are snaps of the process..

Step 5: Painting, painting, and more painting..and if you notice, I left a bit of the painting on the bottom right free..I was going to add a little mouse there, but instead decided it would take away from the piece...what do you think? Should I have added him/her?

That was it..I painted and added more detail as I went along, taking about a week on this piece which was very enjoyable all the way through. After the painting, I decided to add the handlettering, so I got out my calligraphy box and got to work. I will post on that too.

The winners were announced yesterday..and I am SO very happy for Yvette as her piece was one that I was drawn to. Diandra Mae, a talented and hard working illustrator in Houston, created this fabulous gallery where you can view many entries to this year's contest. Thank you Diandra! It's been so neat to see the many different concepts and executions from one excerpt of the Chicken Licken text.

Thanks for taking the time to read..I hope this was interesting and I am so happy to read your comments..it means a lot to me! Til next time ~ Shirley

Welcome 2012! Have fun!!

2011-12-31T15:20:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year's Eve everyone!

What a year 2011 has been. For me, personally, it will forever remain the toughest year for me personally for the loss of my dear mom is something I will feel every day for the rest of my life. Losing her has taught me so much about life. She leaves me not with tears but with smiles..that is one of her lessons.

I'm not going to be lengthy in my post here, but I want to end the year with this....

...there is a start to every end. It's interesting how an ending can endure for a short or long time. Once the end comes, there is inevitably a new beginning. Tomorrow is a new beginning and I welcome it with open arms. I will squish my family, pet my dog, call/email/blog to my friends and family and wish them a happy and healthy new year ahead. Our world is so complex..politics, environment, relationships, economics, safety and health issues can burden us with stress and worry each day. Each year we have the yin and yang/ups and downs..it is the way it is. I wish for you a year of more ups than downs, more smiles than frowns, more time to enjoy what you do than worry over worries, and lots and lots of laughter and fun. Wishing you this for 2012 my friends and above all peace. ~ with many thanks for your wonderful visits, a very happy new year! Shirley

The Messenger of Peace

2011-12-24T13:28:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas, happiest of holidays and the warmth & peace of family and friends close, far away, and within your heart.

Thank you so much for your kind visits this year..they truly mean a lot to me and I am looking forward to visiting you all in the new year ahead! ~ Shirley

Love from Monsieur Olivet...

2011-12-17T12:21:00.000-08:00

A gift has arrived...please visit here.

A question for you...

2011-12-15T12:38:00.000-08:00

A most wonderful gift...thank you Ces!

2011-12-12T16:51:00.000-08:00

One of the most special things to me is when I hold a handmade, original piece of artwork. A few days ago, I became the recipient of a most wonderful gift..from my dear friend, Ces.

A few years ago, when I started this blog, I was visited by a smart, smart, witty, and fun lady..and I was delighted to peek at her world, Cesandherdishes. I was overwhelmed with the intricacy of her fine black and white penwork, and after a few comments back and forth, I also discovered her love of dishes, which now make so much sense to me as I can say that her gorgeous oil paintings show great love of color, much like her dishes. I've often visited Ces and contemplated what to say in my comments, as her posts make me think. She is a critical thinker, and I am so grateful that Ces is there to keep asking the tough questions, and stating her mind, as well as granting us with views of her beautifully intricate works of art.

I am so honored to have this piece, Shirley's Ant Brigade, hanging in my home for all to see. My daughters, as well as my daughter's friends, my husband, and friends and family have all stopped to peer into the world she has drawn..for there is much to discover each time you view it. I love that about Ces' work. It is multifaceted..much like Ces is herself. I am so happy to call Ces my sisterfriend - for she has been truly that as we go along this journey here in blogland as well as life...painting, creating, and thinking. A heartfelt thanks to you Ces. Tsup!

Please visit Ces and her lovely, lovely post about this most wonderful piece.

Sharing Our Notebooks

2011-12-07T12:48:00.000-08:00

I would like you to meet Amy Ludwig VanDerwater - a lovely lady who I first met while participating in Kelly Light's Ripplesketches last year. Amy was one of the two people who purchased my artwork in support of the relief efforts to the wildlife affected in the Gulf. Amy is a writer, teacher, wife and mom and her poetry book, FOREST HAS A SONG, will be illustrated by Robbin Gourley and published by Clarion in the spring of 2013. Congratulations Amy! Her work is delightful and full of color and life..I invite you to visit her Poem Farm, as well as her wonderful new space titled: Sharing Our Notebooks.

Amy contacted me about posting my sketch process - and I was so happy to share this with her in hopes that it encourages children to put their work out there, sketch and create each day and find the process that works for each of them. I've found that there is no "right" way to "get there" as you work towards your goals, and I think that this idea of Amy's is wonderful. It encourages you to put it down on paper..any which way, and perhaps by visiting the blog and seeing how others work on their craft, it will inspire you or give you an idea you may not have thought of. Thank you Amy, for allowing me the interview..it was great fun to share my process with you.

Happy December everyone!

2011-12-01T11:30:00.000-08:00

Wishing all of you a great holiday season ahead..however you celebrate, I wish you time for friends, family, and time most of all for yourselves to create, reflect, have fun, enjoy great food, and all the things you do to relax for there truly should be time to relax during all of this hustle and bustle! Isn't that what happens in winter for the animal kingdom...storing for the winter, hibernating, and flying south? : )

I want to also thank you all for your very kind visits here recently..it really means a lot to me that you take the time to do so, for I know that time is precious! A heartfelt thanks from me to you...now for my little gift! Here are some of my favorites....

~ My little gift to all of you! ~

a page of little characters that you may use to decorate scrapbooks
or cut out to use as gift tags...

download here

(The ladies at www.welovetoillustrate.com and our wonderful guest artist, Brad, have done an amazing job of creating their fabulous pages which are also being shown at the scraptus blog)..swing on by for more! I had a great time with these and I hope you enjoy them!

Happiest of holidays to you and yours! ~ Shirley

The Magic Behind the Screen - The Book!!!

2011-11-22T23:20:00.000-08:00

I'm thrilled to announce the release of the book, The Magic Behind the Screen, written by the world-famous author and poet Charles Ghigna, and illustrated by me!

I...am...bursting! It's so awesome to see that this book is now a part of the Alabama Public Television company, published by APT and Cornerstone Media and is now available as a support premium . Thank you to Charles, for the great opportunity to work with him. If you have not met Charles, he is an AMAZING writer and poet. Affectionately known to his fans as “Father Goose,” Charles is the author of more than 5,000 poems and 50 award-winning books. I urge you to visit his website, and his blog to discover his work. Charles also has a talented son, and this blog highlights Chip's paintings as well as Charles' wonderful poetry. Please do check them out! My thanks also goes to the fabulous Art Director, Randy Johnson of aptv.org. It was truly a wonderful experience bringing Charles' story to life and illustrating "Father Goose" as he "reveals the science, art and work it takes to carry moving images from a production studio to the screen in a child’s own home." I'm honored to have been a part of this collaboration and you can click here for more information about the book.

Here are a few of my favorite pages..
Father Goose, on the loose!

Movember, Envelop shop and the beautiful island of Kauai...

2011-11-18T14:44:00.000-08:00

In support of Movember, my little avatar sports a mustache...please visit this link for more information about the importance of Movember, the month of November that raises awareness for men's health. Thank you Ces, for alerting me of this!

Also, over at my group blog www.welovetoillustrate.com, I'm so delayed at letting you know that the ladies (Bee, Cally, Nina, Jennifer, Julissa and I) all created designs for pillows and opened up shops with Envelop.eu. It's really super cool...I've ordered one up for myself and I will keep you posted with the final product. : ) I tell you, this can be pretty addictive, and there are some amazing designs out there. I'm so impressed with what the ladies came up with and want one of each! Swing on by if you have a chance...my envelop shop. And perhaps create your own designs, too! : )

This pillow has a special meaning to me as I just love the song, Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Judy Garland's version from the Wizard of Oz will always be a family favorite - I spent many years as a child watching her sing the song with my mom, dad and brothers. More recently, I've come to love the version by by Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole). I googled to find out that he has passed away and his song lives on..I remember watching the last episode of "ER" while it played in the background and just got whisked away to another place. Most recently, I had the absolutely awesome experience of hearing it with my family with wind blowing through our rented Jeep while driving under a starry sky to dinner on the beautiful island of Kauai. I will never forget that perfect moment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1bFr2SWP1I

Here are some highlights of my recent family holiday to Kauai..if you have not visited the island, it is a bucket-list kind of thing..and I am truly thankful to have been able to visit it..I hope you all can do the same!:

Did you know that sea turtles are prevalent in the south of Kauai? We were so fortunate to see this amazing creature on a few trips to the beach. Thankfully the lifeguards are quick to cordon off the area so that on-lookers won't harm them. Kauai also has the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific" (Waimea Canyon) and the Na Pali cliffs. We also saw the great waterfall from the movie Jurassic Park. Oh my, what a gorgeous island and with warm breezes, and warm sand with reggae music in the background..we were completely a part of the island. Aloha! And mahalo to Kauai!

Silent: Illustration Friday

2011-11-17T17:23:00.000-08:00

What a thrill to have my word chosen for this week's Illustration Friday prompt! Just made it in the nick of time. : )

uTales.com has launched! And 2 of my books are available today! : )

2011-11-02T11:43:00.000-07:00

Go to "Launch!" now!
(currently $3.99 at uTales with a portion going to Pencils of Promise..see below)

Go to "The Gingerbread Man" now!
(currently $2.99 at uTales with a portion going to Pencils of Promise..see below)

Hi Everyone -I want to let you know that it's a very exciting day for me as the launch of uTales.com has happened. "uTales offers unlimited access to an entire library of digital picture books for kids - available anywhere and anytime on your iPad or online!! You get unlimited access to all our digital picture books with a monthly subscription of just $9.99, or you can purchase books separately." You can gain more information about uTales here and here.

Many months ago, I decided to try my hand at writing and illustrating for a digital picture book platform and Nils at uTales offered this possibility. You'll find a host of wonderful books - some with sound and animation, some classics, and some original picture books written and illustrated by some, or books of collaborations between authors and illustrators. It's a delight to share the news that two of my books are available for viewing and downloading: "Launch!" (written and illustrated by me - remember the IllustrationFriday.com prompt animation I did awhile back?) - and a retelling of the classic, "The Gingerbread Man." Initially illustrated for the SCBWI event I attended and then finished up for uTales - animations and sounds too! : )

Anyhoo..one of the best things about this endeavor is knowing that for each of the books' downloads, a portion (25%) will go to help build schools in developing worlds through a charity called Pencils of Promise. To date, the organization has built more than 30 schools.

This morning, the ability to download the uTales app from iTunes has occurred..it's been an exciting adventure so far...and I encourage all of you to have a look at the uTales library of books so far when you have a bit of time. : )
Shirley

And the winners are....

2011-11-01T16:29:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much everyone for your wonderful comments - to read of your fabulous recipes, prose, book recommendations, and fall/autumn favorite things to do have been a delight for me and I hope for all of you! I hope you all get a chance to visit others that you might not have visited before.

This morning was a whirlwind field trip with my daughter learning about the Colonial Days - she dipped a candle, she made a corn-husk doll, and she ran about with a hoop and stick. It was awesome! After a great day in the woods listening to wild turkeys gobbling in a field nearby, I'm finally able to get back to all of you with the winners of my little giveaway....
I crumpled up all of your names, and randomly chose 3 with my eyes closed..

and the winners are:

Julissa Mora - the amazingly talented New Yorker who is also the fabulous leader of our group blog: www.welovetoillustrate.com - please check out her wonderful work - she's recently been painting...so pop on by!

Heather Stillufsen - from Rose Hill Design - a fabulous illustrator with wonderful creatures who dance about at her wonderful blog!

and last but not least...

Andrew Finnie - each time I visit Andrew's world, I discover something new and magical - he is a creator-extraordinaire - not only are his illustrations multi-faceted, but his paintings are true gems. Please visit if you have not yet! : )

Thank you dear friends for stopping by this past month! I'm hoping November finds you and yours enjoying warm beverages and moments to reflect the beauty of the season.

Hooray for Fall!....and a Giveaway! (until Oct. 31)

2011-10-09T13:08:00.000-07:00

Something cheerful, I promised! I also decided to update my blog header as I just LOVE this time of year...here's to a lovely Fall out here in the states, and to all of my friends from afar, here's to a wonderful season where you are too!

I am very grateful to all of you who visit and leave comments as this community is very important to me. I feel that sharing my art with fellow artists and creative people has been extremely valuable to me as a person and in my creative work. The warmth of thought, and sense of community I feel as I visit blogs and sites throughout the year, as well as the creations I see - from designers, letterers, illustrators, painters, crafts-persons, poets, authors, writers, jewelry-makers, and artisans working in all kinds of mediums constantly impress and inspire me. I am continually learning and growing, and this blog has been a portal to all of you..so thank you!

I'm giving away three prints of "Well, hello!." Harry (the Hare) is the main character in a personal project I am working on with my littlest one..hope you like him. : )

(click to enlarge)

Please leave a comment here, perhaps sharing a tip or trick to fellow artists, an inspirational thought, a recipe or a "must-do" in the fall idea, or perhaps the title of a favorite children's book! You have until 12 midnight, October 31st PST. I'll pick three winners and ship them out to you pronto.

Wishing you well as we enjoy the smells, the sights, and the warmth that Fall brings.~ Shirley

Hibernate, and rest in peace, Mr. Steve Jobs...

2011-10-06T14:42:00.000-07:00

Like many, I am so saddened by the passing of Mr. Steve Jobs. I was reflecting upon why this hits so close to home with my little brother last night and it makes some sense..we are children of the Bay Area, born and raised in the Silicon Valley before it was the Silicon Valley, just orchards, track houses and families. I'll never forget the first time I saw the big Apple building from the freeway, and the classic Mac that dad proudly brought home for us to figure out..floppies and all. I'll never forget trying to work on Adobe Illustrator 8.0 for the first time and not having to order up galleys of type anymore, nor use T-squares or rubber cement for paste-ups thanks to the magic of the Mac. His passing of pancreatic cancer saddens me as my Aunt had passed 2 years ago from the same disease..a very, very difficult and horrible disease.

I painted these this morning..it's a stretch for hibernate but it's all I could think about as I was sketching a hibernating bear..perhaps this is just an end of one chapter, and the beginning of a new one for Apple. I send my heartfelt condolences to his family at this difficult time.

Promise to post a happier post soon..and I hope you are all well!
Shirley

Happy October!

2011-10-02T13:48:00.000-07:00

Wishing you a great month ahead..I love the feel of October - cool nights, dark and mysterious skies..and staying in at night cozy and warm with a good meal (well, when I get to cooking that is!). I'll have to share a pretty simple Butternut Squash soup recipe soon..and I'll need to make it too!
Our recent post at www.welovetoillustrate.com features some free downloadable cupcake-topper/stickers! Check out the great illustrations the ladies came up with to celebrate October!

And Monsieur Olivet has finally arrived at his destination...(finally!).

Poppin' in to say hello! Warning...long post! Illos at the end..

2011-09-29T16:59:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone's well out there..I just wrapped up a big project and I am hopeful to be able to share it with you all soon. : ) Whew!

Also, I wanted to send a big THANK YOU SO MUCH to dear Jane! I was the lucky winner in Jane's giveaway and received a beautiful (stunning) set of earrings she had handmade from alabaster beads she had bought in Volterra, Italy. Please see this post to view her jewelry, and this post about her visit to Italy (Tuscany)..oh how I love Jane's visits abroad as I get to vicariously enjoy them from afar. Thank you, Jane...I am truly enjoying them! Please visit Jane's Journal and view her fabulous card creations, her lovely garden and studio (I'm jealous!) and her great travel posts. She also decorates and bakes amazing cakes, too!

Recently, I went to a wonderful SCBWI event at the Fort Mason in San Francisco - it was an all day, Illustrator's Day and we had a great session listening to Linda Pratt of Wernick and Pratt Agency, Joann Hill, Art Director for Disney/Hyperion Books, and Illustrator/Author, Andrew Glass. We also had a great panel who reviewed our portfolios while we were enjoying the lectures..John Clapp, Assoc. Professor, SJSU; Abigail Samoun, Agent at Red Fox Literary; Dana Goldber; Editor at Children's Book Press; Kristine Brogno, Art Director at Chronicle Books; Renee Ting, Publisher at Shen's Books; and Deborah Norse-Lattimore, Author/Illustrator of 40 books, and teacher too. Some of the highlights for me were meeting up with fellow illustrators I've "met" via Twitter, Facebook and blogs: Juana Martinez-Neal, Tracy Bishop, Laura Zarrin, Joy Steuerwald.

It was fabulous to discuss illustration with these amazing ladies - and to see them in person and enjoy a delicious lunch together was super!!

Now for the lectures...these are quick highlights from some really fantastic lectures, and apologies in advance for errors/simplicity - they are definitely not intended!

Joann Hill: Traditional trade picture books - should have an emotional impact; pay attention to the color palette; people are looking in different places for ideas for picture books (i.e. YouTube's Pete the Cat). As an illustrator you must consider what compels you - add your personal expression to the piece. Who are you? A cat? A dog? What about a story from your childhood..and most importantly, draw what you love to draw! She mentions that it is a good idea to learn how to draw - take classes and life drawing courses. Revise, revise, revise, and draw children! As the illustrator of a picture book you are: A Film Director; A Casting Director; A Lighting Designer; Art Director (pay attention to whitespace); Set Director; Costume Designer; Cinematographer. Page turns are extremely important (and fun!) and can be used very effectively. Nothing should be too generic. NO visual cliches. No giant eyeballs. Don't make a book too "happy", draw the reader in. Her most important advice was to be able to say NO to distractions if illustration as a career is your goal. She ran the NYC marathon and was able to say no, and attained her goal. What a funny, engaging, and heartfelt lecture Joann gave. She was also the AD for a group of illustrators at the conference who were able to send sketches and roughs, and then final illustrations for book spreads for The Gingerbread Man.

Linda Pratt - Her lecture focused on assessing which creative approach you might find yourself in...traditional narrative work, public domain re-tellings, or a concept book. Lily's Purple Plastic Purse is a great example of a traditional narrative which starts with a main character, the character has a problem, there's tension, and then there's resolution. Public domain retellings such as fairy tales and nursery rhymes inately have a positive aspect because they are familiar stories. The challenge for illustrators is to make it fresh. Example: an upcoming book titled, "Maria Had a Little Llama."Concept books: she notes the book, Press Here and taking an ABC book and giving it a twist.

Andrew Glass - the key takeaway from this very talented author/illustrator was when he said that he receives a script in the mail, opens the packet, and leaves it on his desk and gives himself time to come back to the packet to really give it his full attention. The goal: "I want to be enchanted." - and he wanted to get an initial feeling from the story and capture that feeling with notes upon that first focused reading. If we can give the book this undivided attention and shoot for that goal during the whole process (which may take many months in the process), that ultimately will help in the end.

We had our portfolios in a separate room for all to view during the day, and the panel members all got a chance to sticky-note pages that might work for a mailer, and so that is always so very helpful to see at the end of the day. Being able to mingle and learn with peers at such a great event each year inspires me and recharges me in this awesome profession. There is so much to learn and so much to gain as we move into this crazy new world of electronic books and such. I almost missed this event and scrambled the week before the event to come up with an illustration project (optional) to show at the conference day. Here are the three images I showed in my portfolio..it was a blast to work on little Gingerbread boy. : )

The Fox illo got a few sticky notes, so I'm pleased! : )

Hopefully I will get to show some of the awesome project I've been working on these past few months. And soon (on Oct. 1) there will be a post at our www.welovetoillustrate.com site with some freebies!

Hope you've all been well!! ~ Shirley

Pizza! pizza!

2011-08-31T21:33:00.000-07:00

Helloooooo everyone, just a quick news brief to share an easy recipe if you're strapped for time and needing a simple lunch or snack...

Easy English Muffin Pizza!

Thanks Nate & Salli at TheyDrawandCook.com for the inclusion!

Please also view the ladies' fabulous recipes over at WeLovetoIllustrate!

Thank you SO very much for visiting!!! Have a fabulous September everyone!

"Life is swell...

2011-08-14T12:07:00.000-07:00

...when I'm sailing along with you," said Kitten to Owlet.

Hi everyone! I'm off for a bit and will be back when I surface..working hard on a project and hope to share some of it when I return!

It's awesome to see your visits and comments..they mean a lot to me!

I hope this finds you well as we sail through August
and into fall out here in the US! : ) ~ Shirley

Some people have an obsession with...

2011-07-29T15:15:00.000-07:00

dressing up their dogs.

We haven't purchased clothes for our dog..she's shorthaired and mostly an indoor dog, so we don't really have a need to. I must say, it was difficult for me to see a tiny little dog fully dressed in raincoat, puffy booties and rain hat having the darnedest time trying to walk. I'm sure I'll offend some people but this was the first thing that came to my mind for this week's prompt and I had to get it out..sorry to all of you out there who love dressing your dogs..I'm sure they're not as overdone as these little guys..

ha ha - the little chihuahua is actually kinda cute though, eh? : ) Thanks for visiting everyone!

Alisa Coburn at InkCaravan.com

2011-07-27T09:58:00.000-07:00

Each day, my littlest one gets the mail for us. We have a mailbox on the lane outside of our front yard and we drive by to get the mail in the late afternoon. I suppose I am an old-fashioned girl but each day, I hope for a bit of "happy" mail amongst the pile of ads and solicitations.

Yesterday, lo and behold, my daughter said, "mom, there's a package for you." and I immediately smiled. Oh my, AIRMAIL from Australia, signed by my lovely friend Alisa Coburn! Yipppeeeeee!!!

If you remember a long, long time ago, there was an international art exchange and I had sent a few pieces of art to people in different countries, and asked Alisa if she would want to participate. At the time, it didn't work into the schedule, but one day a few months ago, Alisa mentioned she'd be sending a parcel..OH BOY!

And here is what was found in a lovely tissue-wrapped, red&white string tied package:

(click image to make larger)

A gorgeous, gorgeous hand painted, multi-media art piece inspired by a "April Rain Song" by Langston Hughes...this piece is something that I will treasure! Alisa's palette and subject matter, line work, and composition are beautiful..thank you for a one-of-a-kind piece, Alisa!

And, dear me, I shrieked when I saw this in the package too - it was one of my most favorite pieces of Alisa's - two of her hand printed (gocco) cards of her sweet napping fox. You must visit Alisa's site for her details of her process here and here. And the beginnings of her inspiration here. Oh, I was charmed by this fox when I first saw it!

And this is the front of Alisa's sweet business card. Her characters and illustrations range from fresh and storybook sweet, to thoughtful and poetic linework.

I'm so amazed at this gorgeous little package of gems..thank you, Alisa, for sharing your work with all of us and for adding beautiful pieces to my art collection here in California.

Please visit Alisa at: inkcaravan.com

A perennial favorite growing up!

2011-07-24T12:51:00.000-07:00

"....The hills are alive, with The Sound of Music!"

Can you hear the music now? I LOVE this movie.

Each year, my family and I would watch this movie as a family..and over the years, it's become even more of a favorite of mine. There are so many "gems" of scenes and the songs are still wonderful after all of these years. Watching Maria, the Captain, and seeing the sights and hearing the sounds with my children take me to a different time and place. I'm happy that my kids enjoy it as much as I do. : )

A few years ago, my daughter and I traveled with her Suzuki Violin group to "spread peace through music" and toured Hungary, Slovakia, Austria and Germany. In Salzburg, Austria, where the The Sound of Music was filmed, we stayed in a wonderful bed and breakfast and rode the cable car up to Mt. Untersberg. - the view was spectacular. The director of the group did a "Maria-esque" twirl once she arrived at the top of the mountain..it was such a great day!

The Violin group also played in front of the famous gazebo in the gardens at Hellbrun Palace - what a once-in-a-lifetime event! The palace as well as the gardens are a must-see if you are ever in Austria.

I feel very fortunate to have visited these countries and to have experienced the food, the music, the sights and the history with my daughter. One of the highlights for me was to watch her play a medley of Sound of Music songs in front of the gazebo for passers-by to enjoy. There weren't many people in the gardens that day, but quickly a crowd formed and we were so touched by the people who applauded for our kids (there were 28 performers and all of us proud parents watching). I will never forget the smiles of two elder women arm in arm who watched. They were curious and one lady asked me where we were from and they smiled and were very pleased to see such a large group of violinists - something that does not happen often in the gardens.

What good memories! If you ever get a chance, you must visit Salzburg!

A look, a gesture..

2011-07-18T11:22:00.000-07:00

Have you ever stolen a glimpse.....and got caught?

I remember those good ole days in school..but I was wayyy to shy to ever do anything about it. A stretch for "gesture", I realize! : ) Hope you all have a wonderful week ahead! ~ Shirley

Copycat! Bee's been ripped off...

2011-07-12T15:55:00.000-07:00

Dear blog buddies - today, my friend Bee (Belinda Strong) let us (the gals at WeLovetoIllustrate.com) know that her design of "Mister Fox" is being blatantly ripped off. Here is her beautiful design:Bee's Mister Fox,

and here is the ripoff:

Who knows how much this person has sold at her store!...

Bee is contacting the copycat and would like to let everyone know that this is something not to tolerate. She also is posting at Gemma Correll's Facebook page Designers-and-Illustrators-Against-Plagiarism.

I wanted to post about this because this just is not going to be tolerated or sat down for..we are hoping to just bring this to light and hope these efforts will stop copycats from stealing...thanks for visiting and do let us know if you've had this same problem, and any suggestions on how to remedy it..,
Shirley

Two Illustration Fridays - Remedy and Midsummer Night

2011-07-06T11:52:00.000-07:00

A little act of kindness makes for a nice remedy!

and here's my belated Midsummer Night piece..

This is a digitally enhanced watercolor...I added the little fireflies and made the shadows darker in the final piece as I realized that how could the fairy be reading at nighttime? There was too much "light" in the watercolor, so I had to add some "night" to it. I have a lot to work on regarding shadow and light..but just wanted to share this work-in-progress. Thanks for visiting and I will pop by soon to all of you! Shirley

Happy July! The Circus is in town...

2011-07-01T08:05:00.000-07:00

Over at our group blog, www.welovetoillustrate.com, the Circus is in full swing! The ladies did a lovely job and we're all a bit excited about being a "Blog of Note" (thanks Blogger!) recently. Here's my contribution..hope you like little "Elbert the Amazing" (my littlest named him : )).

By coincidence, I recently completed a commission for a wonderful client (thank you, Sharonel!)..and it so happened that this piece had a circus theme as well! Here is the watercolor before I had added some handlettering digitally to the final piece. I hope the piece was well-received and worked well for her festive occasion!

I recently had a great quick visit to Washington D.C....I rented a car, had one full day to my own and discovered many new places on my visit: the Newseum, the Library of Congress, the National Gallery of Art (ok, I swooned when I saw Italian Master Drawings!), and visited Georgetown, Foggy Bottom, walked from the Capitol Bldg, visited the WWII Memorial, Vietnam, and Korean Memorials, and enjoyed a thunderstorm at the Lincoln Memorial. It was a really wonderful day. I'm so very proud of my eldest who completed a week-long Jr. National Young Leadership Conference all week and I was SO very happy to have her back in my arms again! Here's a quick sketch at the WWII memorial..

I was hoping to get to the lastest Illustration Friday prompt (Midsummer Night), but alas, it's already Friday, and a new word has come..I may still consider painting my sketch and show here on the blog when I have it ready. Hope everyone is healthy and well and I want to thank all of you for your very kind visits..it's always so encouraging to read each comment and visit all of you. Wishing you a lovely weekend ahead...any grand escapes or holidays you'll be taking? I like to live vicariously you know. : )

Launch!

2011-06-19T22:58:00.000-07:00

Sketches: swept

2011-06-13T12:16:00.000-07:00

Just some sketches late last night...very fun to figure out body positions and motion...gotta keep practicing for sure. Hope you all have a great week ahead, and many, many thanks for your recent visits..it means a lot! ~ Shirley

Shadows

2011-06-08T17:12:00.000-07:00

"Just checkin'!," Petunia said spying their shadows as she walked home
with Petey, her faithful pup. Petunia and Petey loved playing
'til the sun went down.

Ahhhhhhhh.....asleep! (Illustration Friday)

2011-05-30T11:26:00.000-07:00

Monsieur Olivet is on the move..

2011-05-25T12:19:00.000-07:00

Had some fun today painting...ahhh..it feels good to get back to Monsieur Olivet again. Please stop by his blog if you get a chance. Hope you all have been well..I hope to check in with all of you soon. It's been far too long...what have you been up to?

2011-05-15T22:43:00.000-07:00

To you!

2011-04-23T22:01:00.000-07:00

Hippity hoppity....

2011-04-17T17:59:00.000-07:00

...Easter's on it's way!

(Even the easter bunny likes a treat now and then!)

Bottled

2011-04-08T23:18:00.000-07:00

Something so seemingly simple as a bottle of fine wine
may take years, or decades in the making.

Here's to viticulture and enology!

~Dedicated to my husband and father-in-law

More Monsieur!

2011-04-06T16:36:00.000-07:00

Please indulge me here, but I just had to write today about Monsieur Olivet.

The AMAZING and wonderful Julie Fortenberry at http://picturebookillustration.blogspot.com/
just posted about Monsieur, and I am tickled!

Julie's blog is a wonderful place to discover videos, links,
images of all things picture book and children's books.

I don't know if you've ever visited his very own blog,
but he'd be happy if you did. : )

monsieurolivet.blogspot.com

Please do visit Julie's wonderful blog as well as her website..her illustrations are simply top-notch. Her work is delightful AND smart. I cannot say enough about how much I love her work.

Thank you so very much, Julie! I am doing the happy dance over here!

April... : )

2011-04-01T11:40:00.000-07:00

It's a gorgeous day over here in California..I cannot complain one bit as this is one of those fine Spring days that you just can't help but reflect upon. This morning, there was an amazing pattern of airplane trails in the bright blue sky..it reminded me of the crisscross of an apple pie. : )

If you have a moment, check out my group blog's wonderful April post..
the ladies (Julissa, Nina, Cally, Bee and Jennifer) over at www.welovetoillustrate.com have created a fantastic range of FREE downloadable Easter fun! Here is my contribution:

download

Also, I had the great pleasure of being interviewed by Martina of http://martinagolafre.blogspot.com/ and she has graciously posted it on her blog. Please visit her blog for fantastic interviews of artists from around the world. Thanks Martina!

Back to work I go...thanks for taking the time to pop on by. Have a lovely April ahead!

Monsieur Olivet!

2011-03-24T06:56:00.000-07:00

....made it to the IllustrationMundo.com blog. Thanks SO very much, Nate!!

If you don't know of illustrationmundo.com - well, you just have to go check it out..illustration awesomeness all over the place..and handlettering..oh, my..I wish I had days to peruse all of the links! And, if you haven't seen Nate Williams' work, you definitely must as he is truly an inspirational, creative guru! : )

Cultivate...

2011-03-23T22:17:00.000-07:00

...compassion.

Wishing all of you well! ~ Shirley

Japan on my mind..

2011-03-19T14:17:00.000-07:00

on this night of the "supermoon", I wanted to post a new painting that I did while watching the breaking news of the disasater in Japan. I wanted to paint a symbol of strength for Japan..the Japanese Crane, maple tree, and the moon. I hope that it conveys a sense of hope.

In my small way, and with your support, I am donating 100% of the proceeds of sales of a print of this piece to the Red Cross in support of their relief efforts in Japan.

Thanks for your kind visits everyone..it is always wonderful to hear from you. I've been swamped this month, but hope to get back to blogging more regularly in April. I hope you all are well, healthy, happy, safe.

Hello March...and a giveaway at www.welovetoillustrate.com!

2011-03-01T13:03:00.000-08:00

Thank you everyone for your kind and fun visits here at the blog. It is truly a treat for me to visit all of you, too...all I know is that I'm continually inspired by what I see on the blogs in terms of energy, good will, and such amazing creativity...it's inspiring, and I am taking those cues to heart and sketching each day to keep working toward my goals.

Also, I wanted to let you all know that in honor of thanking our kind followers, the ladies at www.welovetoillustrate.com are hosting a mini-print giveaway...click here to see Julissa, Nina, Jennifer, Bee, and Cally's fabulous designs and enter for a chance to win. We had a great time celebrating all things baby!

Here's my little baby bunny illlustration in honor of the Year of the Rabbit. Cally had a keen idea that it might make for a fun animal-alphabet series..I will need to start on that right away! : )

Have a great week everyone! ~ Shirley

Layers.....

2011-02-24T10:41:00.000-08:00

of cream, pastry, custard, cream, pastry, custard...and so on, and so on! Oh how I love Mille-Feuille ("thousand-leaf")! Have you ever had this amazing dessert?

My family grew up on these treats from the Victoria Pastry Company in North Beach, San Francisco. They were infamous for their St. Honore cakes which had little rum and cream-filled puff pastries on top of the cake. But my all-time favorites were the Napoleons (mille-feuille). Check out their delicious offerings here. While in Florence on a trip before we had our two girls, my husband and I stumbled into a great little neighborhood restaurant and had their homemade Mille-Feuille. I'll never forget how amazing every bite was! OH what a treat. Please do try one in your lifetime if you have not yet tried one. It is THAT good. : )

Illustration Friday: Sweater

2011-02-16T13:25:00.000-08:00

"Wait for me, I'll join you!"

Have a great Valentine's Day celebrating with the one's you love...

2011-02-14T06:46:00.001-08:00

Illustration Friday :: Reverse

2011-02-06T14:17:00.000-08:00

"Let's take back our reputations of "garbage-rummaging rodents"

to the intelligent mammals that we are known to be!," said Ricky Raccoon.

"Don't let him fool you, he's just using some reverse-psychology so that he can claim those trashcans for himself!," whispered Rocky to Rowena.

Aaah..I don't know where this one came from, so please bear with me. : )
Just wanted to give some shoutouts to a few wonderful people
out here in blogland:

1) Ces, is playing along in her own way to the recent Pay-it-Forward post by hosting a wonderful giveaway...visit her here!
2) Bradford Renner opened up a wonderful new Etsy shop - visit his blog and shop and you won't be disappointed!
3) Peter Breese - the uber-talented, is selling amazing Lithographs of his fine, fine work..visit here.
4) Amalia (oh my, I'm so belated) has a wonderful Etsy shop too - swing by and see her beautiful and rich work here.
5) Sophia - just wanted to say a big good luck to you as you embark on your ballet dreams! Visit Sophia here.
6) Jane - Jane is a lovely Pay-it-Forward blog friend and I believe she still has one opening if you'd like to participate..please visit Jane here.

Happy Super Bowl Sunday everyone - have a great week ahead!!
~ Shirley

Gung Hay Fat Choy! Happy New Year of the Rabbit (4709)

2011-02-03T22:08:00.000-08:00

I just couldn't let the start of the new year pass without an illustration to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit (my daughter and Father-in-law's year). Here's a quick scene of Miss Bunny giving out laysee (red envelopes) to the Lion dancer with firecrackers in the background. This year, my littlest one will be the tail of the Chinese school's Dragon during it's New Year's celebration. She's really looking forward to it, and so am I!

Love is in the air!

2011-02-01T06:36:00.000-08:00

Wow, February, already? This month is especially special 'cause it's my mom's birthday month. Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you!
~
Love is all around over at my group blog: www.welovetoillustrate.com
swing on by and check out all of the sweet Valentine-inspired illustrations by Jennifer, Cally, Julissa, Nina, Bee and myself..the ladies created some really wonderful pieces!

Papa to son: "I surrender!"

2011-01-30T22:15:00.001-08:00

Little Lusa and papa had tickle fights often. This time around, Lusa won.

One more entry for this week's IllustrationFriday.com...
(just needed to watercolor today, too)
Have a great week everyone, and thank you for stopping by..it means a lot! ~ Shirley

Illustration Friday :: Surrender

2011-01-30T15:23:00.001-08:00

"I refuse to acquiesce to your request."

~Barbosa, in the Pirates of the Carribean

A very big stretch for surrender, but the image of Elizabeth dangling the medallion over the edge of Barbosa's pirate ship kept popping into my head. This is a pencil sketch scanned and painted in photoshop. Changing it up (technique-wise) helps to clear my mind..what do you do to help when you're stuck in an illustration rut? I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Pay it Forward

2011-01-29T07:23:00.000-08:00

First of all..my heartfelt thanks to all of you who so kindly stopped by to comment recently! I have yet to get to everyone but will do so this weekend!

Also, the reason for a quick post with no illo just yet...I just stumbled upon Penelope Neal's post and wanted to get this out there asap.. and my goodness if you haven't seen Penelope's work, please do so..her animal illustrations are fabulous!

Here’s the concept: “Pay it forward” is the idea that random acts of kindness are given without expecting anything in return. It’s passing on a kindness hoping that your recipients will do the same, and forming a never-ending chain of goodwill, that’s what this is about. But it isn’t only kindness, it is also a means to connect and share instead of just keeping it to ourselves.

Here’s how it works: You’ll have to comment on this post and the first three people who comment will receive an original “Pay it Forward” illustration from me within the next few months. But those three people will also have to post the idea on their blog and commit to creating something for the first three people who comment and so on and so forth.

SO, the first three people to comment here will get something by me, but you have to do this on your blog as well. I’ll be reading your blog to make sure that you have posted something about your “Pay it Forward.”

I'm looking forward to posting my illustration (still in concept right now) for the giveaway - but wanted to say...pay it forward, friends! : )

Illustration Friday :: Dusty

2011-01-23T11:45:00.000-08:00

The Sketchbook Project 2011, Thank You's, and Monsieur Olivet!

2011-01-19T22:34:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone - just wanted to pop by and say hello! I hope you've all been enjoying January so far..wow, I can't believe it's already the 20th!

The Sketchbook Project 2011: Yay! I completed the project and mailed my sketchbook to the ArtHouseCoop a few weeks ago, and I can't wait to see all of the sketchbooks when it tours to San Francisco. I must say that I REALLY loved this project and am missing it already as it was my first completed sketchbook and I had never kept to a small format as this to sketch before.

Before I started, I wracked my brains for a cover illustration, and then decided, put it away, start somewhere in the middle..so I started on page 3. I think it was a good way for me to just dive in, not get too caught up on "perfect-perfect" and just start sketching. Throughout the project, I found that just sketching one spread a night or every other night was a peaceful and less-frightening way of tackling some of my illustration challenges like hands, the male figure, proportion, shading, lighting.

I'm going to purchase new sketchbooks to keep working on my drawing skills...do you have any recommendations of favorite sketchbooks, please let me know..as I'd love to hear from you and your experiences with this...as well as your experience with the Sketchbook Project if you participated! : )Note: cover was done on the LAST day of the project - I decided to scan and print on watercolor paper an image of one of the last sketches I did, and it made it to the cover. I cut out the hole, and glued it from the back. I wanted to keep the cover to black and white since all of the pages were done in pencil only.

click here for more at the ArtHouseCoop

Thank you's: I'm SO honored by my dear Ces. Thank you Ces! You are a rockstar sisterfriend bar-none. If you are not familiar with Ces, please go visit now. I am always, always amazed at the breadth of her beautifully detailed illustrations and paintings. Ces, you honor me as you had given this to me many months ago..I am kicking myself for not acknowledging it sooner..it is in honor of Arija , a dear sisterfriend of Ces's. You can read about the award here. And to Christie and Julie, many thanks for the Stylish Blogger award! I am so happy to get to know you both recently and it is wonderful to share this award with such kind, talented and energetic artists as yourselves..thank you!

Monsieur Olivet: It has been far too long since we've heard from Monsieur. I hope you all know that he had a quiet, though peaceful holiday season, and he is ready for a brand new year. If you haven't visited before, please stop here for a visit.

Always wonderful that you take the time to visit and comment...I appreciate it a lot, fellow artists and friends! ~ Shirley

January::Desktop download

2011-01-07T19:36:00.000-08:00

In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy!

1280x1024 / 1680x1050 / 1920x1200 / Ipod Touch or iPhone

Here's my contribution to my group blog, www.welovetoillustrate.com for January. Swing on over to visit and download all of the ladies' wonderful desktop designs for January! This is somewhat of a verrrrry loose homage to Sean Connery and Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Loved that film!

January 1, 2011 - Something new..

2011-01-01T11:59:00.000-08:00

Ch'i

Just kicking off the new year with something I put away many months ago - taking sketches and adding color in Photoshop. I had a lot of fun this morning playing around...here is Ch'i or qi (氣), "life-force" in Chinese culture.

I don't know if I mentioned this before but I am a proud Chinese-American. I was born and raised in California and experienced a childhood of very American traditions but also Chinese traditions as well. Every weekend my family would travel up to San Francisco to enjoy dinners at my grandparents' houses. We'd feast on 7 to 9 courses of cantonese dishes, and celebrate birthdays and Chinese New Year's with special dishes, candy, and of course fireworks (bricks, they'd call them). Recently I've been taking my kids to Chinese school each Saturday to learn Mandarin. This is our third year and it's been h-a-r-d, that's for sure. What a tough language to learn! Anyway, our teacher, Lao-shi Chang, taught us how to do a little tai-chi, and though we only learned a little, I enjoyed the idea of moving a ball of energy smoothly, consciously and focused to bring balance and stability. I studied a few years of Aikido as well and it brought back many good memories of the peace that I felt practicing the art. Here's to balance and calm in the new year!

Goodbye to 2010 and a big HELLO to a brand new year!

2010-12-31T14:37:00.000-08:00

I am bidding goodbye to 2010 - a year of many ups, and some downs, too.
I consider myself SO fortunate to have so many blog buddies out there, for you have added so much to this year and my life!
Wishing all of you a most splendid new year ahead...may you shed few tears and have many days of smiles and laughter. 'til tomorrow, the start of a brand new beginning ~ Shirley

Happy holidays, everyone!

2010-12-21T15:52:00.000-08:00

Chocolate dipped...anything!

Hi Everyone! I hope you all have been well and wanted to thank you SO very much for visiting recently while I've been away. I'm just sending a quick shout out to Nate Padavick and Salli Swindell for honoring me today with their kind "favorite of the day" at their awesome blog theydrawandcook.com. They're hosting a 31 day holiday recipe extravaganza and I've been enjoying visiting each day to see all of the fun illustrated recipes. I also sent in another recipe which was shown on Dec. 1st, that I thought I'd share with you here as well as the hot drink is wonderful for the holiday season.

Holiday Honey Cider

I am planning to return to the blog in the new year..hopefully I'll have something to share, but in the meantime I just want to send my heartfelt wishes of happiness and peace to you and those you love at this time of the year. As I spend valuable time with my family, and as I get older (yoiks), I am 100% certain that we must appreciate each day that we are blessed with.
Big hugs, Shirley

Off to hibernate...

2010-10-30T18:37:00.000-07:00

Dearest friends of my little blog...

thank you SO much for your kind visits and amazingly generous comments this past month. I am so happy to be a part of this fantastically creative community and it is always so joyful to me to visit all of you as well.

I just wanted to let you know that I'm off to hibernate for the winter...taking some time for life and family, and I just wanted to let my blog family know where I am.

Here's to a wonderful Fall and Winter, and I wish you all lots of quality time with those you love, and loads of time to create. Hugs to you, friends. ~ Shirley

I've spent..

2010-10-30T18:02:00.000-07:00

a lot of time in my life...

worried about what others thought of me

about how I could fit in

thinking that I wasn't "good enough"

feeling shy and afraid

and not able to show my art to anyone

because of fear...

but I realize that I wasted time

precious time

and I ain't gonna do that anymore.

Nope, not gonna.

Here's to living your life each day to the fullest, everyone...boldly and bravely!

Transportation, the Jetson's way!

2010-10-11T06:48:00.000-07:00

Did you grow up watching the Jetson's? I always loved their transportation system!

Sketchbook Project: some little sketches that popped up last night

2010-10-05T15:33:00.000-07:00

"A little dip in the water"

"The Discussion"

I think I'm veering off of my "Day in the Life" topic, but I'm going for it. : )
Hope everyone's having a great week!

Happy October!

2010-10-03T22:35:00.000-07:00

The Marshkateers™ (little marshmallow-headed friends) are ready for trick-or-treating fun! These little vector pals can be found on my treat box design at my group blog, www.welovetoillustrate.com.

The ladies (Nina, Jennifer, Cally, Bee and Julissa) all did a smashing job on their designs..so swing by if you have a chance, and you can download this little box here.

Thanks again everyone for your wonderful visits! I appreciate them so much!

Old Fashioned: Donut!

2010-09-30T11:03:00.000-07:00

Francois, Monsieur Olivet's neighbor's son, enjoys a rare treat–
an Old Fashioned donut shipped in from the United States.
Ahhh..that crunchy glazed goodness!

~ note: yes, this is definitely a stretch..thanks for bearing with me! ~

And the random winners of the blog giveaway are...

2010-09-26T10:32:00.000-07:00

1) Karen Whitaker
2) Nina Crittenden

3) Bella Sinclair

Wooohoo!! Thanks for swinging by and participating in the giveaway everyone. It is really a treat to hear all of your comments and to pass on words favorite pieces of advice from one another. Ladies, I'll be in touch via email.

Also, please say hello to my little vector buddy, Vincent, of "The Marshkateers™"...you'll see more of him and his friends soon...

Have a wonderful week ahead everyone!
Shirley

IllustrationFriday: Proverb - and Giveaway! (starts today, ends on 9/25)

2010-09-16T09:35:00.000-07:00

"Love is Blind"

Every morning, as I drive my kids to school, we cross an overpass and we wish our fair city, a huge "good morning!!!". Sometimes we see the fog which has settled over on the coast (Santa Cruz area) which makes for a beautiful scene. I often say, "look at that, girls, look at the clouds, the sky, the sunrise..". We have many moments of reflection about the gifts that are all around us. This morning was especially wonderful. As I got my youngest out of the car, we stopped and heard loud honking. Not cars, but flocks (three huge flocks) of geese overhead..coming toward us and so we stopped and watched and listened. It...was...amazing! My little one loved it, too.
~
I wanted to thank all of my friends out here in blogland for your kindness through the year and a half that I've been blogging. I have grown from this experience and it has become such a joy to me. I plan to keep blogging for many years. To thank you for your kindness, I am having a "giveaway". The giveaway will be either an 8.5x11 print from my Etsy shop (smileshop.etsy.com) or 8.5x11 print of anything that you see on the blog to date. Some of the images have never been printed, so I will do my best to try to make a nice print of it. In honor of the upcoming 300th follower, I will give away 3 prints.

Here's what I'd love for you to do (in your comment):
1) let us know what the best piece of advice you've ever heard and take to heart to this day
2) be kind to someone today
3) notice something in nature that brings you peace today.

I'll use a random generator to pick the three recipients. I hope that you all feel you are winners when you scroll through the answers everyone shares.
Giveaway starts today (9/16 and ends on 9/25)

SCBWI 4th Annual Illustrator's Day at the Fort Mason, San Francisco

2010-09-12T16:26:00.000-07:00

samples, samples, samples..it was awesome!

Warning: This is a loooooong post...so thanks for your visit and comments, I appreciate it!

It was a beautiful day in the city yesterday...time for reflection on 9/11 for me as I ventured up to San Francisco for a one day event at the Fort Mason Center. I parked at the harbor to witness a beautiful scene of the Golden Gate Bridge half visible and half in deep fog. It was a clear, blue morning and I was excited to begin the day with fellow illustrators and illustrator/writers. The events main speakers were Christy Ottaviano from Henry Holt MacMillan, and Barney Saltzberg, writer/illustrator/musician. Christy started the day by describing her imprint at HH and areas which she is most interested in. It was very informative to know that she preferred author/illustrator submissions in the following areas: illustrations geared FOR children, and not art-house picture books; milestones in a child's life; curriculum themese such as language and process books; biographies; and humor. If you click on the link above, you'll find her books. She has an impressive list of illustrators and writers. Some of the artists whom she admires: Gustaf Tenggren, Richard Scarry, J.P. Miller; Eloise Wilken, Margaret Bloy Graham, Jane Thayer, Gus Fleishman, Arnold Lobel, Bill Peet. It was a treat to view the images of favorite Golden Books she adored as a child, and it was wonderful to hear of her appreciation for the illustrators of the past. She encouraged us to all endeavor to discover artists of the past.

Barney Saltzberg was an enthusiastic speaker who (from his website) states: "my goal is to encourage everyone to find his or her own stories, songs, poetry and art!" His current book, "Beautiful Oops" celebrates mistakes and what beautiful things happen from mistakes, or accidents. If you have a chance, please visit his site to discover his books which include Animal Kisses, and Crazy Hair Day. He self-acknowledges that he does not illustrate well (he often declared how he would love to have his or her skills) but that did not stop him from telling his stories. {correction: he in fact illustrates well and has illustrated numerous picture books...please read Barney's comment below as he corrects what I unintentionally miswrote here, again my apologies to Barney.}. He showed sketches from his sketchbooks...thumbnails of ideas, and encouraged people to sketch, draw and do a lot of it. From one sketch, an emotion might present itself which could end up being a book! He described how his neighbor (real-life) would if a ball ended up on her lawn, would keep the ball. He illustrated that person as an animal and a little boy wondering what this person did with all of the balls she took. Did she make a soccer-ball witches brew? It was great to see how he developed the concepts for the illustrations, and how after many iterations, he'd come up with an image that didn't follow word-for-word what the text said, but added depth to the book.

After Christy and Barney, we discussed amongst the group (about 60 people) anything and everything about getting published; artist representatives; mailers; query letters; and showing your portfolio in New York. While we discussed, the faculty: John Clapp, Asst. Professor of Illustration at San Jose State University; Abigail Samoun, Editor of Tricycle; Dana Goldberg, Publisher for Children's Book Press; Renee Ting, Publisher for Shen's Books; Barney Saltzberg and Christy Ottaviano, viewed all of our portfolios (we were able to share our portfolios downstairs for viewing) and they each sticky-noted their "favorite" piece which we could think of as potential mailers. Great, huh?!

I met a few fellow bloggers who were super cool and friendly...it was wonderful to meet them in person!! - Tracy Bishop, Joy Steuerwald, Laura Zarrin, Sarah Ackerley, and I also met some more fellow artists whom I shall now follow through the internet: Woody Miller, Chiaki Darski, Tim Mitoma, Bethanie Murguia, Sungyeun (Sansu), Felicia Hoshino . It is wonderful to be able to connect via the net after something like this event. : ) PS: By the way, congratulations, Bethanie regarding your upcoming 1st book release!! Woot woot!

We then had a first-look panel review of illustrations that we sent in. We could choose one image and it was compiled into a Powerpoint presentation and we as the audience could not say a word about it, while the faculty gave their first impressions. Thought/criticisms, etc. ranged from severe (I would say!) to very generous. It was a relief to get somewhat positive reviews of the following. Immediate reactions were very positive but then the comments swayed to the question of "is the bunny on his tummy or back?"....so I will need to re-paint it seems, as this was an area of confusion. The panel did, however think it was a piece that "the artist has a strong "inner-voice" which comes out". I liked that! : ) Whew.

This was the "first-panel" image that was in the Powerpoint presentation

After the first panel look, we had the option for a $50 fee to have our portfolio reviewed by one of the faculty, and I was able to show my work to Renee Ting of Shen's Books. It was wonderful to get a candid review of my work, and Renee was very helpful in answering my questions about what editors typically would like to see when receiving mailers/inquiries and what she responds well to. Namely 8.5 x 11 sheets (double sided). Cool! Initially, she viewed my work as very cute. It progressed to the last piece which was of my very sad Asian girl, which she thought almost went toward "fine art" - which she thought I could work on pieces that would fit in-between my "cute" work to the fine art side. Interesting, huh?! Her comment that the work was very high on the "cute" meter and that it would be a little less marketable as a whole. She thought that it would be good to show a broader range of abilities. I must say, this gave me food for thought! What do you think, everyone?It was fascinating to hear of showing more than one "style" (I hate to use that word) in a mailer...have any of you done this? Thoughts?

This was my leave behind postcard. I was kinda happy with it though it printed a bit dark..from VistaPrint.

These are my new business cards.

I must say, feedback of this caliber (from the panel including Renee) is SO great...it makes me even more determined to venture farther into this field. I love the challenges that it brings, and the people that I've gotten to meet and get to know through the net, and now in person. It is truly a wonderful adventure and I'm loving it.

Thanks for reading this lonnnnng post! I hope you all have a great week ahead, and many thanks for your past visits...you are the best!

New note: please see the addition of faculty names above for the "first panel" look. And, please read my comments in the string below regarding Renee's review. Thanks everyone!

Illustration Friday: Dessert

2010-09-07T14:49:00.000-07:00

Gotta love chocolate cake, right?!

Here's to dessert, everyone!

Thank you so much for your kind visits everyone, they mean a lot!

Book Plates for back-to-school! ~free!~ printable download...

2010-09-01T06:20:00.000-07:00

Welcome September! School is in, the air is getting crisper, I'm lovin' it...this is my favorite time of the year.

To kick off this grand month, the fabulously talented and fun ladies over at our group blog, We Love to Illustrate...for Children!, have created a bounty of stickers, free to download for your own personal use. I know I had a blast creating these - it was a fun way for everyone to design, and illustrate their own personal pages, and so please pop on over to check it out...and, as usual, please feel join in on the creative fun! Have a wonderful September everyone!!

~download here! ~

and be sure to check out the wonderful art here, too.

When you have a song in your head...

2010-08-26T11:48:00.001-07:00

.....you just have to get it out sometimes. : )
Here's my ode to Train's If It's Love. Some of the lyrics that got to me and made me smile:
I wanna buy you everything except cologne 'cause it's poison.
~
I love you from your toes to your face.
~
I love the creativity of lyricists/songwriters - I have such an appreciation for well-written songs, and another for plays (my daughter is in her very first play this year). I say, if you're inspired, pick up a pencil/pen, a stick, draw in the dirt - have fun and be in the moment.
I am trying to do so each day on this journey called life.

Thanks everyone for all of your kind visits - and for indulging me with this post (if you've read this far!)...you're the best! ~ Shirley

The Sketchbook Project 2011: Berry and Monsieur Olivet

2010-08-23T18:04:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone - I've had some time to sketch these past few nights and here are the first two spreads - only 35+ spreads to go! : ) I chose the theme "A Day in the Life," and so here are a few days in the life of Monsieur Olivet, and a little "Berry" girl bear, which I had the fun help of my daughter Noëlle. She art directed and told me what "Berry" should do in her day.

Hope everyone's well! I am working on some promotional mailers now, and am looking forward to updating all of you on that when it comes to life. Thanks everyone for your kind visits..I really love them and appreciate your having taken the time to do so. ~ Shirley

Happy weekend, everyone!

2010-08-20T13:31:00.001-07:00

Just a quick illustration to wish you all a fine weekend ahead. : )

Have you read a children's book lately?!

Star gazing...and lasso'ing the moon.

2010-08-15T17:17:00.000-07:00

I just happen to LOVE Pink's song, Glitter in the Air....any other fans out there?
I am definitely in need of practice when it comes to opaque watercolors...this was a challenge!
Have a great week everyone!

Illustration Friday: Caged?......she thought not.

2010-08-12T10:24:00.000-07:00

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.” ~ Helen Keller

Illustration Friday: Nothin' artificial about it.

2010-08-05T00:39:00.000-07:00

Many of my fondest childhood memories revolved around good ol' fashioned candy stores. In California, Sam's Town (which closed in 2001) was "It." Our family would visit Sam's Town as a pitstop on our way to Lake Tahoe, and one of our favorite things to do was eat fried chicken and grape soda, then head out with a bag of candy from their awesome old-fashioned candy saloon. The sights of the candy jars all within arms reach was something I'll never forget...and to leave with a sack o' candy was the best!

Back then, I'm hoping all of the candy was made of real sugar and flavorings...and nothing artificial. It's a stretch for this week, but I had fun walking down memory lane. : )

Have a great rest of the week, just made if for this week's IF, whew!!

Happy August - those dog days o' summer are upon us..

2010-08-03T09:14:00.000-07:00

First and foremost, I want to thank you, my dear, dear friends of this blogosphere, for all of the kind feedback and great suggestions for my new site. I am SO pleased to hear of your kind words and know that I take every comment to heart..

I really appreciate it, so a very heartfelt thanks to all of you!

Welcome August!

Here is my contribution to my group blog, We Love to Illustrate for Children, "Dog Days."

I wish I had a little more of the "lazy-days of summer" kind of summer, but I can't complain at all. We just wrapped up a huge 70th birthday party at our place for my mother-in-law, and she exclaimed, "that was the best party I've ever had." Kudos to my husband who whipped this place into shape, and for all of the partygoers who helped with the party - they even brought some of the food! : )

We have 2 weeks left of summer 'til school starts, so we plan to enjoy it to the fullest. It was a tough illustration to come up with for some reason, but since I have a lazy pup lying around the house a lot, I had a little help with the concept. : ) Ha! Please do check out the wonderful illustrations the group came up with here if you have some time.

Thanks everyone for stopping by! Til next time ~ Shirley

I'm happily presenting......

2010-07-27T13:33:00.000-07:00

www.shirleyngbenitez.com

Hi everyone! I'm so happy to announce the launch of my new illustration website...I hope you all have a teeny bit o' time to view it at some point...and if you do, please let me know by sending me an email at shirley@shirleyngbenitez.com. I'm really curious to hear of your comments and constructive criticism and hope that you enjoy your visit. I realize time is precious, and so any visits to the site will just bring me such joy..thank you for your kind comments and visits in the past - this community of ours (we are all artists whether we write, sing, draw, paint, read, etc.) really means a lot to me, and it's a joy to hear from you...

thanks dear friends, and to those who have not visited before, welcome. : )

Hope you're all having a wonderful summer!! ~ Shirley

Nothin' better than 2 scoops...

2010-07-27T12:42:00.000-07:00

...of double chocolate chip ice cream! : )

Yummm!!

Sister's Diary........(please scroll to the end)

2010-07-11T13:17:00.000-07:00

Happy Fourth of July!

2010-07-04T10:34:00.000-07:00

"The Magic of Sparklers"

Happy July! Let's have a picnic everyone!

2010-07-01T20:44:00.000-07:00

Wow, July already...amazing! On July 3, my littlest turns 9 (gulp!)....it's shocking. I remember when she was born and I watched fireworks with my newest little bundle of love. Anyhoo...as the fourth of July approaches, and summer's finally here, we at We Love to Illustrate for Children, have just posted our "picnic" challenge. The ladies all did a fantastic job..it was so fun to see what everyone came up with. We'd love for you to join in on the fun...have a look here.

This is a small snippet of my picnic illustration. You know how eldest siblings can be, right? Well, I remember wanting dessert before dinner, heck even lunch for that matter, poor baby bunny - he just wants a swipe of that carrot cake!

THANK YOU all for your visits and comments..they really make my day and it is a joy to be able to see your words and visit all of you, too...thank you my friends!

Have a wonderful July ahead!

Before Satellite!

2010-06-29T12:06:00.000-07:00

Growing up, my brothers and I eagerly awaited Sunday nights when

"The Wonderful World of Disney" came on. Television was a time when we all gathered together as a family to watch some of our once-a-year events. I have great (or should I say vivid!) memories of hiding behind dad's big blue chair during the "child catcher" scene in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", and the entire sequence of the flying monkeys in, "The Wizard of Oz."

Ahhhh..the memories. : )

Very, very belated Thank You's!

2010-06-28T15:58:00.000-07:00

Ahem...I am SO delayed in thanking my friend Ces, for bestowing upon me such a wonderful honor as the "Deborah" award...and I'm hoping she knows how much it means to me. Ces, from the bottom of my heart, thank you..you are such a wonderful friend who continually inspires me with your words and art. You rock, sister! This award was created in honor of her sisterfriend, Deborah, who is an amazing woman! Please read here for the significance of the award, and visit Ces's and Deborah's blogs if you haven't had a chance to visit them yet. Thank you, Ces!

And, it I just had to share my heartfelt gratitude to Ces, for this beautiful illustration. I whooped, and cheered, and just sat in a daze after receiving this piece. Lovely doesn't even begin to describe it. Thank you, Ces!

About a month or so ago, my dear friend Lakhsmita Indira (Mita), sent me a package that had many wonderful treats for myself and my two little faeries...Mita, you are the sweetest witch I know. Thank you SO very much for your thoughfulness and amazing items showing your wonderful illustrations. You are so very talented, Mita! Hugs to you from the three of us!

A few days ago, I was rounding through the ripple blog and came upon an image that really touched my heart...and I thank Cathy Delanssay for this truly remarkable print. Please visit her here.

And last but not least, dear Yoon See, had sent me a sweet package of her wonderful illustrations and pom pom creations for my little girls. Wow! Thank you again, Yoon See!

I must say, I've had an amazing time here on the blogs with all of you. I have been able to try new things, work harder, be braver, be less serious about my work, and I definitely have made some great friendships though we have never met in person. Being able to connect in this way has been a truly rich and rewarding experience for me. There are so many gems out there, and it is truly comforting. Thanks everyone, and thanks as always for your kind visits..they mean so much to me! : )

A Giveaway - from my Etsy shop (smileshop.etsy.com)

2010-06-26T14:19:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone - did you know that I have an Etsy shop? I've had it before I started blogging, and it offers more of my graphic and lettering art (though I have added a few of my watercolors). I have neglected the shop a bit but recently Brandy, at www.brandyatyoudontknow.com, kindly asked if I'd like to participate in an opportunity over at her blog and so please check out my little giveaway here. The giveaway ends on 7/2 at 11:59pm (CDT) (Oklahoma, USA) and is open worldwide. Brandy will mail the handlettered love tree print to the winner. Please check out all of the other fun giveaways she has going on..she is one busy, busy lady! Thanks, Brandy for such a lovely write-up and review, and THANKS to all of my bloggin' buddies, and to those who may be new...it's great you've stopped by!

~ Call for Entries - just wanted to pass this on! ~

Also...FYI, if you haven't visited Julie Fortenberry's wonderful blog, please check it out: http://picturebookillustration.blogspot.com/. She recently posted this: call for entries from the Society of Illustrators for "The Original Art: Celebrating the Fine Art of Children's Book Illustration" 30th Annual Exhibition. The entries are due by July 30, 2010 and the eligibility is here. Good luck to everyone who has a published Children's book! : )

A big lemon...

2010-06-24T23:04:00.000-07:00

...but I am making lemonade!

Last Friday, unexpectedly, my computer of 4 years died. Apple could not recover the data and so it has been a big week of re-building, figuring out what has been lost (I had archived most of my work up until about 3 weeks ago, and unfortunately did not back up my new website! Argh!), and re-loading and updating apps. Thankfully, though, I had been working on my website and so all of the flattened files were still with my ISP, and so I have since been able to recover the files and at least have them as templates to work from.

It makes me wonder what has been lost forever,

and it has been a process this week trying to make peace with it.

Funny how very attached we can become to technology, files, email, and data.

The good news is that since there was no recovery possible,

I decided it was time to upgrade, and so I have a wonderful new MacBook Pro.

I am truly enjoying all that this new machine has to offer,

and best of all, it is FAST! : )

It was a really hard lesson, but the silver lining is that I "cleaned house" and am back at square one to create again. If you all have backup capability, I highly recommend backing up all of your precious files.

Off to make some lemonade now. : )

Ripple:: Two contributions to the cause

2010-06-16T19:20:00.000-07:00

"Fly"

~The Brown Pelican, Louisiana's State Bird ~

"The Dolphins Flee"

In the news today, I read that the sea creatures are now fleeing the Gulf oil spill area. It broke my heart many days ago to read of a death of a dolphin in the area..they weren't sure if it was the oil that caused the death, but to know that this disaster will forever change the area is real. I am contributing these two 2.5 x 3.5 watercolor illustrations to Kelly Light's Ripple effort..if you are not familiar with it, please do visit here.

As of today, the donations to the two non-profits, The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, and the International Bird Rescue Research Center, has exceeded $3,000.

Thank you Nina and Amy for purchasing them on behalf of the cause! I will send them very soon.

Thanks everyone for checking out ripplesketches.blogspot.com/

Each day, there are so many more amazing works of art available...and it looks like Kelly is getting some great support, too. What a great community of artists and art-lovers this is. : )

Alice in Wonderland:: Um from Umbridge, and "Drink Me"

2010-06-14T11:39:00.000-07:00

"Um, from Umbridge"

"Drink Me"

It takes me awhile to see the current films, but have you all seen the new Alice in Wonderland film with Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham-Carter and Mia Wasikowska? I enjoyed our family movie night and was inspired to paint a few illustrations.

As I painted "Drink Me", I realized that I am heavily influenced by the Disney film and so Alice definitely looks more Alice from that movie. Funny how that happens!

And as for one of my favorite visuals from the new movie, I just had to paint "Um from Umbridge"...and those hardworking monkeys. I realize now that I have to study monkeys - as these definitely didn't turn out how I had envisioned!

Have a great week everyone! - Shirley

We Love to Illustrate....for Children! :: New Group Blog

2010-06-12T21:06:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone - I'm so excited to let you know that I've joined a marvelous group blog called "We Love to Illustrate...for Children!". It's an honor for me to be amongst these fabulous, friendly, encouraging, and down-to-earth group of illustrators who have a passion for children's art. Each month we'll have something to share, so please pop on by and say hello!

Our first post is an introduction, and so each of us were to fill a polaroid frame with a photo as an adult, child, or an illustration,..so take a peek at www.welovetoillustrate.com and see what we came up with. Looking forward to your visits everyone!

Ripple :: Illustration Friday

2010-06-11T13:12:00.000-07:00

This is in response to the horrible disaster in the Gulf.

My heart goes out to all of the people and mostly the wildlife affected by this.

I wanted this piece to be a symbol of hope, and not sadness...perhaps a ripple of healthy Louisiana Brown Pelicans flying overhead in the near future.

Please visit Kelly Light's wonderful blog here to read more about her efforts to help.

Trail:: Sierra's Fabulous Piece!

2010-06-11T08:37:00.000-07:00

A belated entry for Illustration Friday, but I am SO proud to present to you, my 10 year old daughter, Sierra's, illustration. Her charming character, and attention to detail (pretzels, berries, chocolate chips!) made me say, "WOW!".

Trail :: Illustration Friday (two images!)

2010-06-08T15:35:00.000-07:00

"Trails of Raindrops" (painting and title by Noëlle, age 8)

This is my daughter, Noëlle's painting. She's 8, and she's amazing! Look at the palette... and all of those tiny raindrops, and the way she made them splash on the water surface

....simply fantastic!

Watching overhead, the trail of ladybugs

make sure that Monsieur Olivet's

summertime nap is undisturbed.

Ahhh, the lazy days of summer approacheth!

Schoolkids

2010-06-03T22:50:00.000-07:00

It's the last day of school for my kids today...yippee!!!

I have little schoolkids on the brain at the moment.

I'll be helping with the "Fun Field Day" Limbo Station all afternoon. : )

Thanks everyone, for all of your super kind visits..

I really, really love hearing from you!

A June Breakfast in Bed Celebration for Dear Ces! ...and my 100th post! Wow!

2010-05-31T13:58:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Ces!

Breakfast in bed with all of the things you love...

I wish you a happy June birthday, dear friend!

Hi everyone! Happy last day of May..I've been so busy..working on work-work, a fun illustration project (work related as well), kids are getting out of school on the 4th..yikes!, website, and a host of other things that have kept me away....I celebrated a birthday, an anniversary (17 years with my wonderful RB), and have been looking forward to summer. Almost ready to launch the website with high hopes for an exciting rest of the year. Can't believe we are moving into June already. Hope all of you have been happy, productive, calm. Here's to a wonderful June everyone! Thanks, as always, for your amazing visits and kindness. This is my 100th post, and I raise my glass to all of you, and to all who know Ces, please wish her a lovely June birthday. : )

Scenes on the water

2010-05-06T19:43:00.000-07:00

"And then the raft tipped ever so slightly to the left...," Pierre continued.

(click to enlarge if you'd like)

Timothée, Monsieur Olivet's nephew, enjoys a brisk sail in his father's speedboat.

(click to enlarge if you'd like)

Hi Everyone! Thanks for your patience as I've been away tending to a bunch of different items. Seems the to-do list continues getting longer and longer, and it's already MAY! Happy Mother's Day coming up to all the wonderful moms out there. Hope your families spoil you or at least tell you how much you're appreciated!

Website continues to move forward and I am upbeat as I keep working on it.

I hope you all are doing well and I look forward to checking in and seeing all of the cool work I've missed for weeks now! : )

Good habits with these little readers!

2010-04-24T18:31:00.000-07:00

Good habit #1: Visit the library!

Good habit #2: Share a book with a friend.

THANK YOU!

I am so honored to have received the very special Deborah Award recently from the one and only Ces. Ces, you are a gem! Your wit, your zest for life, your amazing art make you truly unique..and your friendship is something I cherish. Thank you, my nutty friend! I am so honored to receive such a wonderful award in honor of Deborah who is a wonderful friend of Ces's who embodies courage, hope, and faith. She has inspired and encouraged so many in this blogosphere and it is a delight to visit her and Milo. Please visit if you can!

Thank you also, to Susan, and Karen W. for the honor of the Deborah Award, and also for the Renee Award, Karen. I am humbled and honored by the awards as they symbolize these amazing women. You ladies are such wonderful people who spread love and friendship through your visits and posts. I am grateful to have "met" you and call you friends. Thank you!

Salmon Rillettes: theydrawandcook.com

2010-04-13T08:04:00.000-07:00

This is a little cropped shot of bunny and bear enjoying the salmon rillettes - note that bear wants more..! : ) Please click here to go to the site to see the full illustration.

I have been so enamored of Salli Swindell and Nate Padavick's site: www.theydrawandcook.com. Many of my friends have contributed their delicious recipes and wonderful artwork to the site and I thought I'd send in my contribution for Salmon Rillettes. I recently made them for Easter and it was a hit..I suppose it's because my family enjoys smoked salmon and crunchy olive-oil toasted baguette rounds. I was happily surprised to see my two finicky nephews going back for more. : ) So, if you get a chance, and you like salmon, perhaps try the recipe I followed from the Gourmet website, here. And don't forget to visit Salli and Nate's site as well! : )

Update on my website: I keep getting side-tracked! I know...I know...that's no excuse..but I am still working on the site, and the illustrations for the site, so thank you for your patience and my absence from posting to IF and here at the blog. I love hearing from you all - hope you've been well!

Heartfelt Thank You's!...

2010-04-06T10:22:00.000-07:00

...to Sarah, at Koo and Poppet, for asking me to be a part of her "Featured Artist" section at her blog...please check out the article here if you have some time. This is my first ever feature, and I am so honored! And also please do check out her lovely misfits at her shop here. I love 'em, and thank you Sarah for your kindness and friendship!

Thank you also to Brigitte at Atelier Brigitte, and Tom at The Will to Draw, for the wonderful Renee Award. You are both so very kind and so deserving of the award yourselves.

I hope you all swing by these wonderful people's blogs to see their work, their challenges, their goals, their creations. I am so happy to "know" them and call them friends.

Monsieur Olivet's Gift

2010-03-31T18:02:00.000-07:00

Monsieur Olivet is most humbled by the kindness of his friends

for he has just opened his surprise gift only to find....

...an airline ticket!

(destination? Where do you think Monsiuer is off to?)

Shirley's Illustrations

"I've gotta go forward!"

Pippy learns to twirl....(scroll down, please)

paddling...paddling...

Happy news, and Prepare for IF (illustrationfriday.com)

Chicken Licken - *Warning!* a very loooong first process post for the New Year

Welcome 2012! Have fun!!

The Messenger of Peace

Love from Monsieur Olivet...

A question for you...

A most wonderful gift...thank you Ces!

Sharing Our Notebooks

Happy December everyone!

The Magic Behind the Screen - The Book!!!

Movember, Envelop shop and the beautiful island of Kauai...

Silent: Illustration Friday

uTales.com has launched! And 2 of my books are available today! : )

And the winners are....

Hooray for Fall!....and a Giveaway! (until Oct. 31)

Hibernate, and rest in peace, Mr. Steve Jobs...

Happy October!

Poppin' in to say hello! Warning...long post! Illos at the end..

Pizza! pizza!

"Life is swell...

Some people have an obsession with...

Alisa Coburn at InkCaravan.com

A perennial favorite growing up!

A look, a gesture..

Copycat! Bee's been ripped off...

Two Illustration Fridays - Remedy and Midsummer Night

Happy July! The Circus is in town...

Launch!

Sketches: swept

Shadows

Ahhhhhhhh.....asleep! (Illustration Friday)

Monsieur Olivet is on the move..

To you!

Hippity hoppity....

Bottled

More Monsieur!

April... : )

Monsieur Olivet!

Cultivate...

Japan on my mind..

Hello March...and a giveaway at www.welovetoillustrate.com!

Layers.....

Illustration Friday: Sweater

Have a great Valentine's Day celebrating with the one's you love...

Illustration Friday :: Reverse

Gung Hay Fat Choy! Happy New Year of the Rabbit (4709)

Love is in the air!

Papa to son: "I surrender!"

Illustration Friday :: Surrender

Pay it Forward

Illustration Friday :: Dusty

The Sketchbook Project 2011, Thank You's, and Monsieur Olivet!

January::Desktop download

January 1, 2011 - Something new..

Goodbye to 2010 and a big HELLO to a brand new year!

Happy holidays, everyone!

Off to hibernate...

I've spent..

Transportation, the Jetson's way!

Sketchbook Project: some little sketches that popped up last night

Happy October!

Old Fashioned: Donut!

And the random winners of the blog giveaway are...

IllustrationFriday: Proverb - and Giveaway! (starts today, ends on 9/25)

SCBWI 4th Annual Illustrator's Day at the Fort Mason, San Francisco

Illustration Friday: Dessert

Book Plates for back-to-school! ~free!~ printable download...

When you have a song in your head...

The Sketchbook Project 2011: Berry and Monsieur Olivet

Happy weekend, everyone!

Star gazing...and lasso'ing the moon.

Illustration Friday: Caged?......she thought not.

Illustration Friday: Nothin' artificial about it.

Happy August - those dog days o' summer are upon us..

I'm happily presenting......

Nothin' better than 2 scoops...

Chicken Licken - Warning! a very loooong first process post for the New Year