Pages 12/14/2010

I just got this photo from the person I did the illustrated story for. This is the piece framed. Her husband loved it. It's pretty trippy to think something I made is hanging in a person's house. Sounds weird, I know ... but even after I've done this for so many years I still get that 'good' feeling. Pretty cool.

Pages 12/05/10

This weekend I was in the Holiday for the Arts show at the Olive Hyde Gallery in Fremont. You can see my bottle toppers, some painted ornaments and a platter on the last photo on the top shelf. It was a nice show!

Pages 11/29/10

Here's the final scan of the artwork with color for my client. I think it turned out nice. There's alot of gold leaf added on the stars ... tiny dots of gold all over.

Pages 11/28/10

Well, all finished inking the lines. What do you think? Now to color it all in like a speed demon so I can be done by tomorrow. Colored version soon. (I hope!) I am enjoying this project, just wish I didn't have to rush it. The words are beautiful. I hope they like it.

Pages 11/27/10

This is what I am working on today. It's a love story a client wrote for their husband for their 30th Wedding Anniversary. She wants me to make it look like an illuminated manuscript page. I don't really *do* calligraphy, but she is ok with just my handwriting. The pencil sketch is ready to be inked and I am praying I don't have any kind of pen malfunction, or BRAIN malfunction when I go to redo the lettering. I already had to rewrite it once because I left out a paragraph. (I wondered why it fit really nicely the first time I wrote it out.)

It's an odd feeling creating something so very personal for a client. But I am really honored to have been asked. I just reallllllly don't want to screw this up. (BTW, I blurred out their names for privacy.)

I'll post progression as I go today and tomorrow. I have to hurry, this needs to be done by Hanukkah for a gift. No pressure! (Yeah, right.)

Pages 11/26/10

A few more ATCs / ACEOs I finished. All of these were done on reclaimed / recycled card stock. Some of them have words from the advertising still on them. One is painted on a piece of heavy cereal box paper. The black and blue cards, I used a white sharpie poster paint pen for white highlights.

Pages 11/25/10

Here are a set of 9 ATC journal cards colorized and scanned. Some are done on 140lb. watercolor paper and some are done on recycled card stock I cut up.

Pages 11/19/10

A few ATCs in black and white. Will color them in watercolor later.

Pages 11/14/10

My display at Art in Clay 2010. You know, it never fails to surprise me what items sell at any show. Last year I sold a ton of bottle stoppers, and this year ... not one so far. On the other hand, things that didn't sell LAST YEAR, are selling. *scratching head* Oh well, shoppers keep me on my toes all the time. I'll never figure it out!

Pages 11/12/10

Some pics of the Holiday Show at Higher Fire. They did a really nice job of setting people's work up I think. The space is open and bright.

Pages 11/03/10

My finished clay boxes. I was *SO* excited when these came out of the kiln. The colors on the moon box really intensified more than I expected. I finished the lids with ornamental pulls.

Pages 10/30/10

Yellow Dog.

Pages 10/20/10

Some new arty magnets just finished and fired and ready to package. I promise, they aren't as yellow as the picture. My iphone makes everything look jaundiced! lol. These go for $9 a piece. If anyone wants one before they go to a show - lemme know! ;-)

Pages 10/16/10

Here's a new clay box I am working on. It's pretty big at approx 8" wide and 12" tall. I am working on a day to night theme. I still need to finish the mountains, and then do some words on the hair of each character. This piece still needs to be glazed and then a handle topper will be added to the top so the lid can lift easily.

Pages 10/15/10

I went crazy and doodled a whole pile of ATCs this week. Some are done on old postcards I chopped up. Next I'll work on coloring them with watercolors. I'll post the finals when they are done.

Pages 09/27/10

This is a new covered, extruded ceramic box I am working on. The top comes off, so I am using the top as a 'landscape'. (So, the line of the lid is the mountain ridge.) One side is going to be daytime, and the other side will be nighttime. Just getting started on this. Usually I don't sketch, I just go for it ... but this one needed some planning to make the transition from day to night work. Will post as I progress.

I've been extremely busy with work and preparing for a couple shows the past weeks, so my poor blog has been neglected. After all the ceramic shows are out of the way, I need to get back to some painting or collage. I hear it calling! ;-)

Pages 09/06/10

On my art table: Working on underglazing my ceramic bottle toppers. I tend to do a bunch at a time to save paint. I have a bunch of Day of the Dead toppers I need to get ready for my show at Higher Fire in October.

Pages 08/25/10

 This is one of about 6 bisqued extruded boxes Bob and I made. We weren't sure they'd even make it through the first firing without blowing, but they did! The size is about 8X8, which is pretty large. They weigh a TON. This is the first underglaze layer I painted on with Duncan Underglazes. The design wraps around the entire box.
This will go into the kiln and be fired to 06 so the underglazes bake on nicely. Then it will need to be glazed and fired again. I'll post the final glazed piece once complete. There's always a risk it will crack in the next firing, so you can't get attached to pieces. There's no way you know if it's going to make it.

Pages 08/26/10

The Seafood Festival website is finally up. Check out some of the illustrations I got to do for them on the site. Pretty cool. :-) Here's the link.

Pages 8/14/10

These are some cute little clay circles I painted with underglazes. Getting ready to fix the paints in the kiln. Once they are fixed, I'll glaze them and refire. These were alot of fun to make. My vision is to adhere ring backs to them and make some cute girlie muse rings. A super power creative ring. Each one is about 1.25" wide. Will post the finals when the next firing is done.

Pages 07/22/10

More pics of my stuff at Itty Bitty. Grabbed these from the shop's FB fan page.

Pages 07/10/10

I worked on some ceramic tile magnets last night while watching TV. These small items are perfect to work on when I want to chill, but feel like doodling. The size is about 1.75 X 1.75. They'll need to be glazed and fired.

Pages 06/26/10

Here are the set of 6 illustrations for the Seafood Festival website and print material. I am so glad I am done as it was a pretty large job. I am now recovering from a bad case of arm strain and carpal tunnel! lol.

Pages 06/23/10

Here's the logo for the Pittsburg Seafood Festival I just sent out to the client for approval. Art is colored with pencil crayons and washed with odorless turpentine. It's been awhile since I've used this technique as there seems to be more interest in the patterned ink illustrations I'm doing right now. I forgot how lonnnnnng this technique takes. It takes some time to build up the layers with the pencil crayon. I still have a set of 6 smaller illustrations to complete. I'll post them when they are done.

Pages 06/18/10

This is the revised sketch for the Pittsburg Seafood Festival logo I am creating for this year's celebration. It incorporates a lot of elements from the downtown area and specific items from the festival. Just waiting for approval before I do the final drawing and color it. Then the type will need to be added. I'll post the final as soon as I get there.

I am also going to do a series of small illustrations for the website as well as a mailer and billboard. Big fun. ;-)

Pages 06/06/10

A couple of my pieces displayed at OVCAG's The Language of Clay exhibit at the Olive Hyde Gallery. For more info about the show click here. For more photos of the show click here. Here's a great article about the show which is published in the Tri-City Voice newspaper.

Pages 05/29/10

4 more Copic ATC doodles just completed. I'm going to work on a line of illustrations for note cards (Celebrate, Thanks etc.) Celebrate is the first.