5 minute collage

                                           
                                          I have been playing with making 5 minute collages.
                                          This is one of them. It is also one of those yoga poses
                                          where I resist getting into but once I rise up,
                                          I am feeling happy I did!

Can the little drop do it?

                        

                       Found this idea in an old dummy and decided to redo it. This is what I have so far.

There's a new Dummy in town (and it's pretty darn smart)

at least it thinks so.
Working on a new dummy, for a picture book  idea I've had for a zillion years. Maybe not a zillion but a few. Hopefully it will be dummy done before the next zillion.
My studio's been too hot this week, so here is an aerial view of kitchen table getting some good use.

Change

Sometimes you just don't want to hear what you have to change. Haven't I done enough I think? Actually my brain is screaming, haven't I done enough.!!!!! And the answer is Yes and well NO!
Not if you want the image to speak clearer.

This weekend I went to an illustrator workshop with SCBWI and received some specific comments.
I am taking what I heard and believe to be true as well and making some changes. I think the hardest part is getting from hearing what needs to be done to sitting down and making that happen. It's the resistance in between. But then once I get going, I see there are other changes that would help the image come to life and be stronger as well.

So today I am working on really refining one image, making the changes so I don't have to explain, so it can speak for itself. wooooooo! yes, this is hard stuff, but then again it's fun too.

                                                       

Want to make red thread bigger and as recommended a shadow

want to make the monster appear he is smooshing down the roofs...

playing with colors 

    

getting closer....

changes are happening, because I am making them-

one little red thread at a time.

Play happened today!

Rain Rain Rain

It's been raining a lot and I really don't mind.

Sometimes drizzle drops makes me happy. 

Water is definitely on my mind, playing around with these diver drawing photographs

Brilliant!

ok, I love, love, love this idea. It's soooo brilliant and beyond, that I am not even having a
 (wish I thought of that moment).
Check it out: http://blaine.org/sevenimpossiblethings/?p=2584#more-2584

new illustration

                                                 collage then photoshop -whale boy

new illustration

working on this collage, drawn from a children's book story idea, still playing with color.

The background was made from photographing tinfoil with holes poked into it ( see below)

old sketch book

      I took an old sketch book and made these tiny ones that I colored and photographed (here)
      Now all my old sketch books better hide unless they too want to snip, shrink, snizzle

playing off a sketch

                      
                                                  images from sketchbook
                                                  that I have played some more
                                                
                                                  my new friend is the paint bucket pattern tool in photoshop,
                                                  only took me a few years to discover that one

Sketch Book pages

old made new

some older illustrations revisited and replayed

He turned my heart upside down

                                      
                                           sketch for a picture book idea in musing mode

Love-a-Ball

                     sketches from a picture book dummy (i prefer smarty). It is called Love-a Ball.
    Dog loses ball. Dog finds ball. Dog loves ball. Dog plays with ball in the SNOW he calls OH!
Dog loses ball in the Oh. Oh NO! Dog is sad and remembers ball and calls for ball and.....

If you are an editor or art director and would like to see the full smarty for Love-a-Ball let me know. Cheerio!

Muse Hint

double hint for below
red dot red dot + blue dot= purple dot purple dot

What's in a muse?

                           Love it when I see something new in something I have seen and heard before.
                                          The word muse provided me with some a-muse-ment recently.
                           Can you see what I see inside the word muse? (hint, connect the color dots)

Brrrrrrrrrr

  
  Man oh man oh wooooo, it is brrrrrrrr today. Fine hour to sip tea, play with some collage, and voila!

Focus Pose

Rainbow IGLOO- LOVE THIS

ooooh, I want a rainbow igloo, I want to build one now. How absolutely fabulous. I LOVE THIS!
check out story behind this delightful winter structure at the link:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourcommunity/2013/01/rainbow-igloo-lights-up-edmonton-backyard.html

Paper sculpture

This piece is made from stacking various blue, blue- green drawn dots on top of one another. It has been hanging around my studio for quite some time. I finally got around to taking a picture of it. It is a mix between a drawing and a sculpture.

Playing with Color

 Brain Storm

I found these images yesterday and had fun adding more contrast with brighter colors and texture.

From a Drawer, Watch Dog

I love our big dog. He is away for a few days while we go away,

 and today I found myself staring at this old sketch. I must miss him already. 

Love this!

Love this video of Tomi Ungerer talking about making 
children's books.
I agree it is a great luxury!
http://youtu.be/gDF5c3-Nvjo

New illustrations

                                     some new illustrations (in process) from a new picture book (in process)

Love This! The Art of Bullshifting

The Picasso Picture Book Scale: The Art of Bullshifting and the State of the Contemporary Picture Book

went clicking this morning and landed on this, quite brilliant and hilarious take on the art in picture book making, take a look

http://www.candaceryanbooks.com/2011/11/picasso-picture-book-scale-art-of.html

Green Eyes

                          Playing with this image last night, green eyed figure growing more green eyes

Blue Cat Collage

"calculating the distance between moon and star"

Rediscovered Print

                        
                       I just rediscovered this print I did awhile ago. Perhaps I was sifting through voices I  collect, not crazy voices although when someone says voices it is easy to think crazy. I am thinking more about inspirational voices. Voices for characters. Some that like to draw. Some that like to write. Some that like to sing and ponder their target audience.

Bye Bye Summer

Doggie Dreams

Have been wondering about dogs and their dreams. hmmm, I wonder what this is one is dreaming about

snow, definitely dreaming snowballs

This is Ferdinand a French Bull dog having  

a flying flipper dream.

                                                        dreaming that the power in his tail can open doors.

Brain Storm

Have been thinking a lot about ideas recently, not really where they come from but what to do with them when they arrive. I think I have a tendency to live in this idea making place, you know ("dwell in possibility"). I am working on bridging the idea making stage to the reality building one. I just need to learn how to pick the sturdy ones. While I was brain storming the actions in brain storming, this image rained. hmmmmmm.....(Have been reading Making Ideas Happen by Scott Belsky) which certainly explains this little blurb...