piggyback

a monkey for caroline

2012-02-12T23:19:00.001-05:00

When your monkey-loving niece turns two, nothing but a hand-painted, pink and brown, top-hat-wearing, flower-toting, sneaker-bedecked chimp will do.

Happy birthday, Miss Caroline!

birds of a feather

2011-12-31T13:16:00.000-05:00

I have set my felting needles aside for the moment, in an effort to return to critters of another kind...the digital sort. Working in Illustrator and Photoshop is a true love of mine. Way back in college, as I was entrenched in the world of illustration, I quickly learned that illustrating was by no means limited to the more traditional mediums of watercolor, acrylic, colored pencils, and the like. I developed a fascination with mixed media and 3-dimensional forms of illustrating (which could then be photographed for 2D forms of production...like books, for instance). And while I knew of digital illustrators, I didn't count myself amongst them. I respected the work but left it to others. Art by hand was more my style, thank you very much.

But, fast forward a few years and you'd find me working in an art studio where digital art was a necessary skill. I learned Illustrator from fellow co-workers and fell in love. Between studio work and my own stuff, I honed my skills and later found ways to merge the fabulous, crisp, graphic look of Illustrator with the textures of Photoshop. Because texture was always something that had drawn me to mixed media work, this discovery within the digital realm was most welcome.

Anyway, I have been working on these little birds for awhile now but finally had a chance to finish up a foursome. I'd like to also create some hand-painted, 3D versions of these guys by painting them onto wooden eggs. I think that's a lovely blending of digital and made-by-hand. One inspires the other, and they end up living in perfect harmony...just as the most charming of birds should do.

celebrating with snowmen

2011-12-28T12:08:00.002-05:00

This year's Christmas was filled with lots of needle felted presents, as it has become my art/craft-form of choice these days. But, even prior to the holidays, I felted up this little guy as an 80th-Birthday gift for a dear friend. This friend is the one who taught me to knit, the one with whom I've spent many a yarn-filled (and conversation-filled) evening, and the one who collects and adores snowmen. So, what better way to celebrate a milestone birthday than with a party-ready snowman? He was fun to felt, fun to photograph, and fun to bestow on his new owner. Felted creatures are that way...naturally fun all around.

faith in felt

2011-12-07T22:26:00.001-05:00

We collect nativity sets. And I have wanted to add a handmade-by-me nativity to this collection for quite awhile. That time has finally come. I finished needle-felting all the main players in the Christmas story, so my nativity is complete enough for now and ready to grow whenever I get around to felting some shepherds, a few sheep, and three wise men. For now, I am content to have this sacred little family in our home this Christmas season.

a robot named lou

2011-12-06T22:53:00.001-05:00

I love this robot for many reasons, the top 5 being...

1. She was inspired by a white crayon and the printed numbers on a cardboard box.
2. Her glowing antenna makes me happy.
3. It took less than five minutes to draw her, and she's one of my favorite robots yet.
4. Her "canvas" was an old cardboard box, thus inspiring me to do more illustrating on this humble yet wonderful surface.
5. She was drawn during a sweet, creative, and fun art-making time with my biggest inspiration of all...my little guy, Owen.

the owls of owenania: jo

2011-11-18T12:57:00.001-05:00

The owls are back, my friends. Or, at least, this one owl is back, eager to join the ranks of the Owls of Owenania. Meet Jo, a darling of an owl, who has a penchant for plants. Despite her lavender hue, some might even say that she's got a bit of a "green wing."

Jo is my only pre-named owl thus far. A dear friend suggested the name as a lovely owl choice, and I had to agree. In thinking of a "Jo," my mind envisioned a sweet, shy, feminine owl, and thus this Jo was born. I realize that this breaks my own self-imposed "rule" of naming owls only after they've been created, much in the way that I couldn't have possibly named my own child until actually seeing his little face. However, I think it works in this case, because I probably never would have created an owl just like this one had I not had the inspiration of a name.

We never know where inspiration will come from, how a suggestion or a sight or a seemingly arbitrary detail will float around in one's mind and provide the much-needed spark for something much bigger. I've decided to start keeping track of these inspirational sparks even more. Who knows how many more "Jo-moments" may lie ahead.

bits & pieces

2011-11-12T17:20:00.001-05:00

Life feels crazy.

Heather feels crazy.

Heather sets aside the making of artwork to manage said craziness.

Heather lacks artwork to introduce to Blog.

Heather realizes that Blog is rather lonely.

Heather scrounges through her computer files to find Art, who she thinks Blog has never met.

Heather posts and hopes for the best.

Heather sees that Blog is smiling again.

Life feels happy.

(The story of the past 3 weeks.)

from rags to riches

2011-10-21T22:20:00.002-05:00

We all needed a break from the felted owls. I love them but I was feeling like this blog was getting a bit heavy-handed in the felted owl category. Variety is the spice of life, they say. So, I present you with variety, in the craftable & fashionable form. Now, if you loved the owls and are sad to see these scarves in their place, I'm sorry. But, don't fret. They will be back.

If, however, you were thinking, "My word. The girl has gone owl-crazy," then you'll be happy to know that I am not only owl crazy, but scarf crazy as well. Scarves have become my accessory of choice these days, and making them for free is even better than buying them at super, cheap, consignment-store prices (which, admittedly, is pretty amazing, as well). This t-shirt scarf idea came from Shwin&Shwin, and it is a perfect way to transform your old t-shirts into trendy, fun scarves. I think you'll find this project to be altogether lovely, easy, and trendy. I hope to try these scarves again using a slightly different material. My shirts were of the slightly ribbed variety, and they didn't work exactly as I think they were supposed to. My redo will be done with one of my husband's regular old t-shirts. Or two or three of them. I am actually hoarding his old shirts in our attic closet. I've got a pile of almost a dozen waiting for me.

Scarf crazy, I tell ya.

the owls of owenania: tallulah

2011-09-25T11:38:00.000-05:00

So, after much, much, much perseveration, I decided upon a name for this little owl. Actually, my sister decided upon her name, and I thought it suited her fairly well. Tallulah. Looking at her now, though, I do feel that she needs a little extra something to make her match the spiciness of her name. A fancy, oversized hat à la Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady, perhaps?

I had some other fun and creative suggestions from friends, which I may bequeath to future owls, but for now, Tallulah it is. Hat or no hat, I think she makes a fine Tallulah.

the owls of owenania: fritz

2011-09-19T11:29:00.001-05:00

Say hello to Fritz. Fritz was felted from birthday wool, which is even better than birthday cake, if you ask me. It's certainly better to felt with and much more fun, even if it doesn't taste quite as good. It took me awhile to name Fritz. I had to look at him for quite some time before any name seemed right....although he wasn't as difficult to name as his sister, who is still fluttering about, nameless and rather unnerved by her lack of a title. But, named or not, she'll be posted soon. Perhaps you'll help me in the naming process, dear friends. I fear this owl's got me stumped.

the owls of owenania: jett

2011-09-17T07:18:00.001-05:00

Jett. He's a rockstar of an owl. Funky, hip, and one-of-a-kind. Jett is flying alongside Lucy to the North Shore, where he will soon meet his new owner, P (Miss C's little brother). I can't wait for this superstar owl to meet this superstar little boy. They're a perfect match!

the owls of owenania: lucy

2011-09-14T21:31:00.003-05:00

This is sweet Lucy, an owl who is currently in-flight, flapping her little wings as hard as she can in order to make it to the North Shore as quickly as possible. You see, I let it slip that she was going to live with one little girl who is equally as sweet as she. And, Lucy couldn't wait to arrive and meet her new owner, Miss C. I had the distinct pleasure of being C's babysitter/nanny for about a year and a half. And while I no longer serve that role (being a mama to my own babe now) and no longer live just fifteen minutes away (a recent move lengthened the journey to over 2 hours), I have a dear spot in my heart for Miss C and her family. So, I sent kisses and hugs with Lucy, as well as clear instructions to bestow them immediately upon her arrival. Being the sweet owl that she is, I'm sure she'll have no problem fulfilling her duties and then making herself quite at home with her wonderful, new family.

the owls of owenania: lala

2011-09-03T11:55:00.003-05:00

C'est Lala! I don't have much to say about this little owl except that she is a definite favorite of mine, with her quirky, asymmetrical eyes and bright pink-ish, red feathers. I gave her a fun name because she is a fun owl. And fun owls are nice to have around, so I've invited her to stay. La dee da!

the owls of owenania: cornelius

2011-09-01T10:31:00.003-05:00

Bookish, studious, quiet, and with just enough gray feathers to make him look as wise as he truly is. It's Cornelius...the grandfather of Owenania, and a sweet addition to my collection. This guy will call our house home, at least for awhile, until it becomes clear that someone else is destined to adopt him. With all this felting going on around here, I have started to think that I will create a whole family of owls (and perhaps rabbits and robots and monsters as well...as these are all favorites of mine) to sell next summer at some of the local craft fairs and extravaganzas. If I'm honest, I figure that there are only so many felted creatures that one really needs in her own home. So, why be selfish and keep them all to myself? I'd rather share the felting joy.

As hard as it will be, I will abstain from posting all of these creatures here, as I'm sure it could get a bit monotonous. But, the most irresistible ones will be shared. I think that the occasional felted friend is sure to brighten any day.

the owls of owenania: charlie

2011-08-31T09:11:00.001-05:00

Charlie seemed pretty content when I placed him in our big backyard tree for his photo shoot. I have a feeling that, despite his atypical blue hue, he's a natural, rustic sort of owl who feels quite at home amidst moss and bark. But, our tree was just a stopping place on the way to his permanent home a town away, where I am sure he will be equally delighted. Little does he know, but Charlie is going to be living amongst a whole commune of owls. You see, I discovered last week that Mr. B, the dad of my elementary-school best friend, collects owls. I spent a lot of time in Mr. and Mrs. B's home as a kid, but I never knew about his love of owls until now. When I learned this bit of information, I thought it only right to make a felted owl to add to the collection, and Charlie seemed an amiable and good-natured owl to send his way. I know that little Charlie is sure to be in good company. Afterall, a home full of owls is a happy home!

the owls of owenania: zaydee

2011-08-30T19:37:00.003-05:00

Introducing Zaydee, the funky little owl who likes to fly to her own beat. She is, afterall, pink-feathered and striped. How many pink owls have you come across in your daily travels? I'd wager not many. Zaydee reminds me that it's good to be unique. And on those days that I feel either too normal or not normal enough, that's a good reminder.

the owls of owenania: sunny

2011-08-29T21:13:00.003-05:00

We've been weathering a storm here in New England. A hurricane, to be precise. So, my owl-a-day goal had to take a brief respite as we've spent the past two days at my parents' house...where the risk of enormous, falling trees was much less and where there was a finished basement in which we could sleep and "hide out" if the winds got too strong. This turned out to be mostly unnecessary, as Hurricane Irene didn't hit our area nearly as hard as the weather-people had been predicting. Thankfully, no trees fell on our house (my biggest fear leading up to the storm). However, our home did lose power for over 30 hours, while my parents managed to sneak by with nothing more than a mere flicker. This was an enormous blessing.
Now, the storm has passed. The rain clouds and wind gusts have stepped aside, allowing the sun to return to its rightful place in the sky. So, I thought it only appropriate to post Sunny, my most cheerful owl to date. Sunny has plenty of reasons to be cheery. She has the perfect, most joyful shade of yellow for her feathers. She peers out at the world through bright blue, curious eyes. But most of all, she now lives in the one of the most beautiful locations...the North Shore of Massachusetts...with two of the sweetest people I know. That would make me cheerful, for sure.
Something else that fills me with cheer are the newest owls that were born during Hurricane Irene. They've been a bit camera-shy but are sure to make their grand debut later this week. Stay tuned. Sunny days are here again!

the owls of owenania: caspian

2011-08-26T06:18:00.001-05:00

Caspian. Sounds like a princely name, doesn't it? That's because this little owl looks sort of regal to me. Maybe it's his crown-like turquoise feathers. Or, perhaps it's his slightly purple-ish hue. Whatever the case, I like Caspian. He's a stout, brave little owl who ventured out across the country, marking the furthest flight of all the Owenania Owls thus far. He arrived safely in California earlier this week where he was warmly greeted by a sweet babe and her lovely parents. I've been assured that Caspian has already been bestowed with royal treatment...a few loving nibbles from his new owner, Miss H. I'd say that's a welcome that is fit for a prince.

the owls of owenania: jasper

2011-08-25T12:49:00.002-05:00

Meet Jasper. Jasper now lives in Norwood, Ohio, with a most wonderful family of four. Well, five now, as Jasper has just added himself as the fifth member of the clan. I think that Jasper's polka-dotted belly and big, curious eyes make him a most welcome addition to any family, and, as with all these little felted creations, I was sad to see him go. But more sad (or jealous), perhaps, that he gets the pleasure of living with a family that I wish I could see on a daily basis. For now Jasper will have to be my ambassador until I can take my own flight to my much-missed Ohio friends.

the owls of owenania: bandit

2011-08-24T14:31:00.003-05:00

I've been giving away a lot of my owls, but this guy, Bandit, captured my heart so much that I've decided to let him stay. There's something about his simplicity, his bright blue hues, and his little masked face that I just adore. So, he's currently perched in our living room, missing his fellow felted comrades, but happy that they have flown all over the country to other, wonderful, equally owl-friendly homes.

the owls of owenania: mack

2011-08-23T10:57:00.003-05:00

Here is my owl-of-the-day, a little guy named Mack who was born on August 17th. He now resides with my sister, who is learning to felt herself. So, undoubtedly, Mack is sure to have some friends soon enough.
I love Mack because he looks like he's up to something. Plus he has great hair. And, what better combo of owl traits could you really get?

the owls of owenania: seymour

2011-08-22T20:23:00.003-05:00

I have been needle-felting a lot lately. I think I've felted 9 or 10 owls in the past week. Clearly, my friends, I am addicted to this new-found art form.
My owls have all been given names and places of honor within a tribe I've come to call "The Owls of Owenania." Being a proud mama, I named my owl clan after my own little one. The double O names seemed to work, so I just added a whimsical little ending and found myself with a quirky tongue-twister of a name that I like rather a lot.
The owl above is Seymour, an eccentric, orange-feathered bird who was born on August 17th, 2011 and now resides on the North Shore of MA with some dear, owl-loving family friends. Seymour just might be my favorite owl creation to date, although that feels a bit like choosing a favorite child.
In any case, I will be posting an owl a day (if everything goes according to plan) from now until I run out of owls....which, at the rate I'm going, could be quite a long time.

a bit of painting

2011-08-12T09:44:00.005-05:00

Tonight, I will be participating in my first-ever art auction! The painting above will be "up for grabs" at the New Britain Museum of American Art's Museum After Dark event, with the proceeds from the auction benefiting this really amazing museum. I've come to fall in love with the NBMAA in the short time that we've been back in Connecticut. It's small enough to visit with a babe strapped to you (a definite advantage for this Mama), but has a great collection of interesting work.

The painting that I created for tonight's auction (titled "Vacancy") was an experiment for sure. I started with an initial idea, which included a highly textured background and a whimsical, illustrated bird. But once the background was done, I knew that the bird wouldn't fit the bill. So, I started rifling through my random art materials and found an old key that sparked my interest. I have a deep love of old things, so that key became my source of inspiration. It was fun to paint in such a representational style (something I haven't done in quite some time since the majority of my art has become digital), especially in combination with the textural, more abstract background.

So, tonight should be an interesting evening, filled with intriguing art, good friends, yummy food, and perhaps even a bit of dancing. I am sure that I will leave even more inspired, as I tend to be after surrounding myself with quality artwork. So, let the auction begin. This girl is ready!

finding uses for felt: owls

2011-08-11T09:35:00.005-05:00

Technically this would be considered "finding uses for sheep's wool" since it is felting, not felt. But, regardless, this is the project that I have been waiting to share. So...after too many months away from this blog and a move with a one-year-old babe...at long last, here they are! My first two felted owls!
Thanks to my friend and felting-genius, Robin, I learned the amazing art of transforming sheep's wool into these amazing little winged creations. Through the process of learning how to felt, I discovered that this art/craft-form is not only highly creative but also relaxing and cathartic. Felting is my new favorite.
In addition to teaching me the ins and outs of felting, Robin also instilled in me the importance of naming one's creations. She told me that she always waits until her little owls are completely finished before bestowing them with names. I agree that the naming process is a crucial one. Our son didn't have a name for the first 24 hours of his life, because we wanted to be sure that we were choosing the one that suited him quite perfectly. I didn't take quite so long to name my owls, but I did take Robin's advice and I waited until they were done before choosing their names. After looking long and hard at my little creatures, I decided upon Archibald and Frank. Archibald is the studious-looking brown owl, and Frank is the slightly quirky, but ever-friendly gray owl. They seem content with their new names and happy in their new home, but I somehow sense that they are eagerly awaiting more friends. It's a good thing I just unpacked my felting supplies yesterday. They might not have to wait long at all.

finding uses for paper (yet another...perhaps not so brief...diversion from the "finding uses for felt" series)

2011-03-23T18:45:00.000-05:00

Well, that was almost certainly the longest possible title I could have chosen for this post. Nevertheless, I have yet to put the finishing details on the much-talked-about felt piece. And so, lest I keep delaying the process of posting, I figured I'd simply take another detour. Detours, afterall, often lead to interesting places.

I find that certain artistic mediums take over my life in clusters. In college, beeswax was my material of choice. Then, throughout different stages, I've found myself favoring mixed media, acrylics, watercolor pencils, and digital art. Most recently, I've been enticed by paper collages. My love of paper, my insanely large collection of paper materials, and my desire to use and recycle as much of this paper as possible makes this a perfect medium for me right now. Of course, I am going to have to start working on a much larger scale if I am ever to make a dent in the drawers and bins full of paper that I currently possess. My, oh my, how I love my paper.

The pieces above were created as part of a group project for a friend's baby shower. The whole alphabet was made in this "flash card style" so that her babe will someday be able to use these little cards to practice his letters, words, colors, and such. These are two of my contributions. It seemed only fitting that an elephant represent the letter "E," seeing how my only little guy has quite a collection of elephants himself. They make happy friends for babies, those wrinkly pachyderms.

I stated in my unnecessarily-long title that this paper detour may not be so brief. That's because my paper collages have not been limited to baby flash cards. Recently, my husband's 30th birthday gave me a perfect opportunity to pull out the scissors and the massive paper stash. I collaged at least half a dozen cards for him. So, let me reassure you that the paper detour will continue. I figure I've got a good six posts up my sleeve.

finding uses for yarn (a brief diversion from the "finding uses for felt" series)

2011-02-11T18:52:00.006-05:00

A two-month hiatus is never a good sign. It usually means that the world of art-making, crafting, and creating has come to a screeching halt. This time, however, that is only semi-true. While I've taken a serious dip in productivity over the past...oh, seven months (which, suspiciously enough, is the same amount of time that I've been a Mama)...I have been making things behind the scenes. Knitted hats for one. My yarn collection has gotten too big to not be knitting. And, my little one is getting too big to not have new hats. So, the combination of the two works pretty well together. As of late, I love stripes. And, striped hats, in particular, have captured my heart. And so, it is with stripes that I am adorning my babe.

A new felt craft lies ahead. And this one is amazing. Just you wait.

finding uses for felt: part two

2010-12-17T07:04:00.000-05:00

No matter what I may or may not feel about felt, I adore this creature. He's quirky and rustic and rabbit-esque, all of which give him rather high marks in my book. But, I'd be lying if I said that any of those traits were what made him most admirable in my eyes. The truth is that as much as I adore this little critter, I adore even more the little critter for whom it was made. And, that's what I like most about this stuffed felt monster-bunny. He was crafted with love as a Christmas gift for my little one.

With the recent (and slightly unwanted) growth in my collection of felt, I am basically overjoyed to find such loving ways to use this material. While my recent felt-crafting pursuits have made only the smallest of dents in my very large stash of felt, I like knowing that at least some of this material is being transformed through the process of creative juices. I mean, there now exists a monster who greatly prefers his new existence to his old life as a rather lifeless, flat sheet of felt. And, he can't wait for Christmas day, when he'll be bestowed upon his new owner, a wide-eyed, fuzzy-headed, 5-month-old with a tendency to gnaw on anything within reach. I must say, it's a good thing felt monsters don't fuss about such unimportant things as being drooled on. My guess is that he's got a lot of that in his future.

finding uses for felt: part one

2010-12-09T14:19:00.002-05:00

When one teaches art workshops for children, one often finds herself with mass quantities of certain materials. One might, for example, find herself with stockpiles of fun foam or papier mache or glue sticks. Construction paper, air-dry clay, and plastic-handled paint brushes might also find their way into an art teacher's collection. In my case, however, the material which recently began overtaking my studio space was none other than the beloved felt. Truth be told, I have a love-hate relationship with felt. And, oddly, the reasons that I love it are often the reasons that I, at the same time, dislike it. In my mind, the biggest and most convenient reason for purchasing felt is its innate ability to resist the dreaded fray. Unlike cotton fabrics, felt can be cut into any number of shapes or formed into just about any craft project, all without one pesky frayed edge or a need for hemming. As a very, very unaccomplished sewer, I like this. At the same time, on every occasion that I use felt, I feel a touch of underlying shame. If only I knew more about sewing and had the ability to handle a wider variety of fabrics, I would not be forced to stoop to the depths of felt. How very regrettable.

Yet, regardless of my crafting insecurities, felt undoubtedly works wonders, especially with children. I have seen boys and girls of many ages come to adore hand-sewing after just a single experience with felt. And, why not? It provides instant success, crafting joy, and a feeling of accomplishment. All in all, I'd say that raises felt to a level of worthiness in the realm of art and craft materials. And worthy it became in my own crafted creations as well. A recent project with my students left me with an over-abundance of felt. This did not mesh so well with my also recent desire to simplify and eliminate clutter from our lives. I found myself faced with a noble goal: to find uses for this material that I both loved and hated.

When all else fails, at least in the crafting department, I turn to cards. Cards are what I know and what I love. Over the years, my card-designing style has changed frequently, often as a result of the materials that I have on hand. So, it only made sense to merge felt with paper and create felt greeting cards. And with that decision, production began and my piles of felt began transforming into tiny cut birds with hand-sewn wings and embroidered eyes. Upon being glued to the fronts of several dozen paper cards, I found the birds to be quite charming. So charming, in fact, that my love of felt began to grow immensely. As I looked proudly at those neat, little, un-frayed edges, it was nearly enough to make me forget why I had ever doubted felt in the first place.

kanga monster

2010-11-09T22:03:00.000-05:00

This is Kanga Monster, thus named because he resembles, in some respects, a kangaroo. Although, truth be told, he was inspired not by our bouncing Australian friends, but rather by a vase that sits in my living room. Kanga's body and this vase share a sneakily similar shape. I spend a lot of time in our living room these days. With a baby boy who likes to eat every three-ish hours, I typically find myself seated across from the aforementioned vase for a good portion of each day. My eyes can only look at the same things for so long before they start merging into new things. Air conditioner becomes robot. And because I have a slight robot obsession, lamp also becomes robot. And vases, apparently, become monsters. This transformative quality from inanimate objects to previously unforeseen creatures is one of the many harmless side effects of being an artist. I think that I inherited this quality from my grandpa who is also an artist and who would often point out the images he found hidden in the knotty pine paneled walls of our summer cottage. Just as some families find animals, objects, and other hidden pictures within a cloud-covered sky, we'd hunt for the intriguing details within woodgrain. And now I transform household objects into robots and monsters. I suppose this could seem, to the untrained observer, to be a strange habit. To me, I know no other way of observing the world. And, really, what fun is there if a vase is always a vase? A lamp always a lamp? Good things come from liberated vision. I'm inclined to think that Kanga would agree.

snails

2010-11-04T20:23:00.003-05:00

Pre-parenthood, Dan and I would often spend evenings in a coffee shop or our local Panera, enjoying each other's company but working away on our own individual projects and responsibilities. In fact, the evening before I went into labor, we spent our night in just such a manner. I knew that I would miss those times once a baby made such outings impossible (or, at the very least, limited in time span). Those were the days when I accomplished so much more than I ever realized. I have a new appreciation for that time of my life, now that it has passed. I suppose that's how life works. At the risk of sounding cliche...you really don't know what you have until it's gone. Of course, I now have so much joy and wonder in my life that I couldn't have dreamed of before Owen arrived on the scene. The beauty of life just shifts constantly, in a nonstop ebb and flow.

In light of all this, I think it's rather appropriate that I've been inspired by snails as of late. I do often feel that I work at a snail's pace these days. Art projects take a lot longer to finish than they used to. And, in a way, this makes them more significant. I think that if a snail were to crawl an entire mile, it'd probably be a pretty big feat for that particular snail. I, as a human, however, view a mile-long walk as a rather insignificant, everyday sort of affair. It's all a matter of perspective. In my pre-baby days, creating a full illustration from start to finish was no big deal. I could do that easily in an evening. In fact, I might even have viewed it as "not productive enough" if I felt that I really had multiple illustrations in me. Now, however, I feel that I'm doing a pretty good job if my sketchbook accumulates an additional drawing or two throughout the course of a week. And I find that those sketches, regardless of the subject matter or perhaps even the quality, feel pretty personal and significant, since they represent my brief and cherished leaps into creativity.

So, perhaps I'm now more like a snail than I ever would have wanted to be four months ago. Life goes slowly. Accomplishments that may seem insignificant in the eyes of some matter quite a bit to me. And a mile, yes a mile, feels like a journey indeed.

happy halloween

2010-10-31T19:42:00.004-05:00

Monsters make good Halloween-well-wishers, so here's a little one I sketched today just for the occasion! Happy Halloween!

truly, truly addicted

2010-09-27T20:37:00.000-05:00

You all may be getting tired of these freezer paper creations, but I, for some reason, am not. So while I do apologize for the lack of variety on this blog as of late, I also relish in the fact that I adore this craft. I'm not sure which emotion is stronger, but seeing as I keep posting these creations, I'm guessing that the relishing-my-new-found-love-of-freezer-paper emotion wins out. Speaking as a true addict..."So be it."

addicted

2010-09-22T09:10:00.004-05:00

Well, I think it's official. I am addicted. Addicted to freezer paper crafts. Completely. I don't have all that much time for art-related projects these days, with an adorable 2-month-old who usually steals most of my attention. However, when he drifts off for one of his mid-day naps, I often pull out the freezer paper, find a shirt to embellish, and get to work.

Monsters have been my recent subject matter of choice. Perhaps it's because I am teaching a Fantasy Art workshop and our first theme was monsters. Or maybe I am running out of new and exciting robot ideas, so monsters seemed a logical next step. Or perhaps it's due in part to next month's arrival of Halloween. Or maybe, just maybe, it's because I now have my own little monster at home who needs adorable, Mama-made outfits. Monsters seem to suit our little guy perfectly. While he's un-monster-like in his sweet disposition and lack of hairiness and big feet, he is just about as curious as I imagine those creatures to be.

And so, I continue on in my freezer paper crafting adventure. Perhaps I will allow a few of my creations to make their way into my Etsy shop instead of into my son's closet. For now, he's got first dibs. But, if I keep going at this pace, he'll have more shirts than he can handle. And, I'm sure he won't mind sharing. He's a thoughtful little monster, you see.

a robot to wear

2010-08-22T20:33:00.002-05:00

How could I resist combining one of my favorite craft mediums (freezer paper), one of my favorite subjects (robots), and my absolute favorite little boy? If you ask me, the combination is just too cute for words. And so, I'll let the picture do the talking.

quilting

2010-07-28T14:27:00.000-05:00

You know how the old saying goes..."The shoe-makers children have no shoes." I must admit that I had a sneaking suspicion that the artist's baby would have no art. The crafter's child would have no crafts. I have an unfortunate way of making creations for everyone else and finding that none of them stay in my own collection. I didn't want to come to the end of my pregnancy and find that our baby had no handmade treasures from his Mama. So, in the final weeks before Owen arrived, I became determined not to let this happen. Art production increased tenfold and long-ago-purchased fabrics were resurrected from their storage drawers, ironed, cut, and sewn into a quilt. It felt marvelous to actually do all the things on my "before-the-baby to-do list."

Now that Owen's here, I am especially glad that I took the time to create. Art-making is a little harder to come by these days. But, seeing the creative gifts I made for him ahead of time gives me confidence that I'll return to my creative ways before long. An artist's son needs a life of creativity. I think that's part of my job. He deserves nothing less.

owen's hedgehog

2010-07-21T09:04:00.004-05:00

My little one leaves me with less time to write these days, but I did want to at least post the second piece of the Owen art series. This hedgehog hangs quietly above Owen's crib, happy to provide a bit of company to the friendly elephant who lives next door.

an elephant for owen

2010-07-13T11:09:00.001-05:00

These days, painting doesn't happen too often in my artistic realm. Digital artwork has kind of overtaken my illustrative habits. This is partially a matter of style (I really do love working in Adobe Illustrator), partially an issue of ease (a computer takes a whole lot less clean-up) and partially the reality of practicality (limited space and a lack of anywhere to get messy makes energetic painting a little tricky). So, now that I've attempted to clear my creative conscious, let me acknowledge that I actually did pull out my acrylics a few weeks ago. And, the painting experience was quite refreshing. As many textures as one can replicate in Photoshop or as crisp of lines as one can draw in Illustrator, hand-painting is a thing all its own, unable to be duplicated by any computer program. There's something unique, special, and intensely personal about it.

My motivation to paint came from the upcoming arrival of our little one. I wanted artwork for the nursery and a hand-painted look was just the touch that it needed. There was something too impersonal about printed digital files. I wanted my hands to have created something for this baby. And, I finished just in time. On July 4th Owen Nathaniel arrived, making our world even brighter and happier (as well as sleepier and less productive, but we don't hold that against him). Every time I walk into his nursery I like seeing the colorful paintings hanging there, serving as just a small reminder of the unique, creative, and deep love that I have for this little guy.

the final three bugs

2010-06-30T20:57:00.004-05:00

Here are the final stragglers to wrap up the bug project.

The fireflies were a last minute addition. I decided to add them after a sweet childhood memory crawled into my mind. On warm, quiet summer evenings, my family would often gather on our front porch in search of lightning bugs. One neighbor's yard in particular seemed to attract the mysterious, glowing insects, so we knew right where to look. If they happened to be hosting an impromptu performance, we, in turn, were treated to the simple yet perfect entertainment of a firefly soiree. We'd watch intently as they danced through the bushes and across the yard. Ultimately, there was nothing extraordinary about it, nothing unusual or miraculous. The lightning bugs were simply doing what they were created to do. And yet, I think that my childhood summers would have been lacking something rather magical if those tiny, twinkling insects hadn't taken such a liking to our ordinary, everyday neighborhood.

five more bugs

2010-06-29T18:45:00.001-05:00

As an art tutor who teaches middle school and high school-aged students, I regularly encourage the use of observation and reference images. I am constantly asking my kids to work from life. When a lack of the "real thing" makes this impossible, I encourage them to turn to photographs, field guides, and reference books. As an illustrator, I learned early on in my art training that reference was a key component of quality illustration. I quickly discovered my love of the library, realizing that it contained an invaluable collection of imagery that helped me to take my illustrations to the next level.

With the recent bug project for my sister-in-law's wedding, I was provided with the perfect opportunity to return once again to my own illustration roots, while also practicing what I preach to my students. My first stop, soon after learning about this illustration "assignment," was none other than the library. Up the stairs I went, straight for the Smithsonian Handbooks. The photos inspired me, sketches ensued, and before I knew it, I was transforming my insects into finished digital illustrations.

These little bugs reminded me that I was meant to be an illustrator. There have been times in my life when I've wished I had the typography sense of a graphic designer or the eye of a photographer or the touch of a sculptor. These skills somehow seemed more glamorous or artistic or bohemian. But, with each new assignment that I tackle, I am reminded again that being an illustrator holds a unique and creative eye all its own. In fact, illustration, in some senses, combines the skills of so many various art forms. I am proud that I can call myself an illustrator.

It's funny the lessons that can be learned from a dozen or so tiny insects.

six bugs

2010-06-28T13:41:00.002-05:00

This past weekend we celebrated the beauty of marriage with family, friends, and a few little buggy critters as well. Now, before you wrinkle up your noses and assume that insects of any sort would make rather unwelcome wedding guests, allow me to explain. I was asked to design the table numbers in a spring-like, insect theme. Not wanting to spoil the surprise or unveil these little guys before the big day, I am just now setting them free here on my blog. A few of their friends will be joining them in the days to come. They're all well-mannered critters, though, so no need to fear any sort of bug infestation. I figure that a bug who can behave at a wedding ought to be able to behave just about anywhere.

a herd of fabric elephants

2010-06-22T09:12:00.000-05:00

I love elephants. And, regardless of the fact that I am a self-admitted novice when it comes to sewing, I also love fabric. So, combine some cute little pachyderms with interesting fabrics and a medium that I do know well...paper...and you have created just about the ideal craft project for me.

While organizing my fabric drawer several months back, I came across a packet of "Wonder-Under" transfer fusing web. I am not exactly sure how or when I obtained this marvelous material, but upon my discovery of its existence, I figured it probably had great potential. However, I don't know that my first fabric-on-fabric experiment with the "Wonder-Under" was a complete success. It didn't seem to "stick" all that well, and this discouraged me just enough to tuck the tiny packet of iron-on webbing back into my newly-organized fabric drawer. "Perhaps someday I'll try this again," I conceded. Now, I must be honest and admit that such discussions with myself are usually for the sole purpose of making me feel a little better about giving up. The odds of me ever reapproaching something I saw as a failure are, in most cases, slim.

So, I, of all people, was most surprised when the "Wonder-Under" reappeared on my craft table, this time alongside some paper and a few hand-drawn stencils. I had wondered, in a fit of creative fervor, if this crazy iron-on material would have any way of merging itself with paper. A few Google searches later, and I discovered that, yes, in fact, this brainstorm was more than possible. And, I must say that I was very pleased with the results. Fabric on paper. And, with no sewing, to boot. Fabulous.

Make way for the fabric elephants. They are a pretty proud little herd.

insects: three little lady bugs

2010-06-16T21:33:00.003-05:00

As promised, here are some more little insects. I must say that lady bugs are probably the most charming of the insect world. They are simply so sweet that they barely qualify as bugs.

the wonders of freezer paper - part three

2010-06-05T15:35:00.005-05:00

My third and final shirt (at least from this first freezer paper experiment) was created for my sweet little niece, Caroline. Rabbits have a special meaning in our family, and so I knew that a bunny would do quite nicely for her.

Having now posted all these little stenciled shirts, I feel ready to start a whole new batch of freezer paper creations. They just make me happy. And, I think happy is a pretty good thing to be when you are crafting and creating.

the wonders of freezer paper - part two

2010-06-02T19:18:00.004-05:00

There are some introductions that simply must be made. Peanut butter meeting jelly. Macaroni meeting cheese. I'd have to argue that life would just not be quite as grand had someone not been willing to allow these pairings to get acquainted in the first place.

And, it was with just such a thought that I brought together a couple of my recent favorites: robots and freezer paper. Sure enough, as I would have predicted, the two met and hit it off right away. In fact, they worked so well together, that I would say that they resulted in my favorite creation from the whole freezer paper adventure of 2010.

Bring two marvelous things together, and good things are bound to happen. And even on the off chance that they don't, you can always console yourself with a comforting bowl of macaroni and cheese, remembering that there are some combinations in life that will never fail.

the wonders of freezer paper - part one

2010-05-28T08:03:00.005-05:00

Have you ever heard of freezer paper? It's nothing more complicated than it sounds: paper that can be used to wrap food prior to freezing. In fact, it can be found quite simply in its humble spot amongst the boxes of waxed paper and aluminum foil that line your grocery store's shelves. And yet, this kitchen staple has a hidden identity as a miraculous crafting tool that sets it far above its other food-wrapping counterparts. Really. It has a whole secret life beyond its intended culinary purposes.

Humor me for a moment and imagine that you find yourself with an undeniable need to whip up a fancy little stencil for a t-shirt or a tote bag. Hey, it could happen, right? So, there you are in dire need of a customized stencil, pacing the kitchen wondering how exactly you are going to remedy this terrible predicament. And then you remember...freezer paper has a secret identity! You pull it from the drawer, sketch up your stencil, cut it out, and you're in business! Now, instead of reinventing the wheel and describing the whole incredible process, I'll put you in the capable hands of Craftster. There's a snazzy (albeit cheesy) little video that ought to guide you well along your freezer paper journey.

Personally, I have been in a bit of a freezer paper frenzy. Above is the first of three shirts I made the other day. There will be more to come in the days ahead. I know you simply must be on the edge of your seat with anticipation. But I trust that you'll be patient. And, if your patience begins to wane, make a mad dash to the grocery store, pick up your very own roll of freezer paper, and craft away. You'll be so amazed at all the incredible things you're creating that you'll forget you even lost your patience in the first place.

insects: an antiqued scarab wasp

2010-05-26T15:24:00.002-05:00

I'm working with insects these days. Artistically at least.

Anyone who knows me knows that I don't love bugs. I can deal with them, will even squish little ones with my bare hands if necessary (i.e. if they will inevitably run away before I can grab a tissue), but I do not like them in my space. If the bugs and I could work out some sort of civil agreement, it would be this. You, bugs, will live safely outside, where I will refrain from stepping on you, save for the innocent and unintentional misplacement of a sneaker. And I, in turn, will be given a bug-free home where you refuse to enter, knowing that an unhappy end will await you upon your arrival. Bugs: outside. People: inside. It's not that hard, really.

So, now that you know where I stand on the subject of real, live, everyday bugs, I will tell you my thoughts on the art of insects. Give me the job of drawing insects, illustrating bugs, and researching beautiful beetles, and I am completely inspired. It's somehow easy for me to see the beauty of a bug when it's photographed in a field guide or being transformed into a piece of artwork. It's a little harder to appreciate when those same sorts of insects make their way into your bedroom or invade your kitchen cupboards.

Currently, I am working with these insects for a couple of purposes. One is as part of a very important wedding. The second is more for myself, simply because I started playing with these images and found that they were pretty inspiring to work with. So, with that, I announce that the bug series has begun. It will be interspersed with other miscellaneous whims of craftiness and creativity. But, don't be surprised if this blog becomes slightly infested with insects. It's my peace offering to them, you see. If I allow them to settle here, perhaps they'll find no need to take up residence in my home.

Well, a girl can hope.

yo yos

2010-05-25T20:20:00.002-05:00

There are certain things in life that are simply too good not to be addicting. Chocolate, for one. Ice-cold lemonade, for another. And apparently, in my case, fabric yo yos as well. Of course, this last example is slightly less universal in its appeal. I don't suppose it would top the list for too many people. And, I'd even say that up until a few weeks ago, it wouldn't have crossed my mind to add it to such a list either. But, a recent introduction to these little sewn creations made me realize that the process of sewing them, designing them (even in...and maybe because of...their simplicity), and finding uses for them is, in some quirky way, kind of soothing. During a recent yo yo-making session, I had to stop myself at five. Only two were made with specific recipients in mind, making the other three proof of the addictive nature of this craft. Plus, when a day holds other important tasks beyond the simple joys of crafting, I usually find myself needing to institute an unfortunate end to pure fun. Isn't that sad? I think that some days should be dedicated only to fun. Nothing serious. Nothing adult-like. Just simple, laugh-inducing, gloriously addicting things like making fabric yo yos with a tall glass of lemonade nearby. And chocolate chip cookies too, of course. Truly, a day of fun deserves no less.

a forlorn hedgehog

2010-04-15T21:51:00.004-05:00

This hedgehog makes the second animal in the "Bébé Series," the collection of art pieces that will hopefully inhabit our little one's nursery sometime in the near future. I fell in love with hedgehogs back in October when I was perusing Target's baby section. At the time, their Dwell Studio collection included a sweet hedgehog image, which made its way onto baby blankets, onesies, and the like. There's just something about the hedgehog that seems so humble, so quiet, so shy. I think he's rather charming, in his own forlorn little way.

an elephant for bébé

2010-04-08T20:28:00.003-05:00

I have a nursery to plan. And not just any nursery, but our baby's nursery. Perhaps this shouldn't be so intimidating, but in some senses, it just is.

When I first started pondering this space, I narrowed down my color scheme to a combination that seemed altogether perfect. Little did I realize that I had subconsciously resorted to my "default colors," those shades that I love to live with and tend to gravitate toward: chocolate brown, orange, and green. It took my husband's gentle revelation of this fact for me to accept the truth...that these colors actually do permeate almost every room of our home in one sense or another. In fact, I am quite certain that I would decorate our entire apartment in these colors if I weren't careful.

So, I turned the decision over to my husband. "Well, what colors would you choose?"

"Black, white, and yellow," he announced with confidence. Perhaps this was a color scheme that he had secretly been hoping I'd put into play during a design overhaul. Or, maybe he'd just had his own dreams of a unique, little nursery. At first I cringed (internally, at least) at the yellow. I don't exactly love yellow. But, the more I thought about it, the more the idea grew on me. I mentally added a touch of lime green to the mix, and it suddenly seemed utterly adorable.

With this color scheme floating around in my mind for the past several weeks, I recently began to envision coordinating artwork. But, I realized tonight that my brain was starting to get a tad crowded with all the to-do-lists, thoughts, worries, ideas, and unmade artwork concepts. It was time to empty my brain of at least one tidbit. I grabbed a moment in between freelance projects to draw this little elephant. Eventually, I'd like to turn the idea of him into a painting, but this seemed like the best first step toward freeing him from my mind. And, I'm guessing that he's probably pretty grateful. There's certainly a lot more room out here for an elephant to roam free.

a hat for kacie

2010-04-05T17:35:00.000-05:00

I am well aware of the fact that I can get stuck in ruts. Knitting, in particular, holds one definite trap for me: baby hats. I know how to knit one kind of baby hat, and I knit the same pattern over and over, with slight variations in details like color and yarn choice. But, basically, it's always the same thing. As I've stated on this blog before, if you have a baby and you know me, it's altogether possible that you too will eventually end up with one of these hats. I just don't need dozens of miniature hats all for myself, as tempting and lovely as that may sound.

You'd probably guess that this post is some grand announcement that I've broken out of my hat rut and tried a brand new, glorious pattern. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but that's actually not the case. The hat that you see above is none other than the same pattern I've followed for years. It's bigger in size than the newborn versions I typically knit, but it's the same pattern nonetheless. However, I did proudly add one unique detail this time...a yo yo. Yes, that's what the fancy little flower-like, fabric embellishment is called. These were very popular in the 30s and 40s when they would be sewn end to end to create large yo yo bedspreads. Personally, I find them slightly more charming in moderation, so one single yo yo, dolled up with a button and a bit of felt seemed just the thing to give my knitted hats a touch of new life.

So, there you have it...a sweet little hat for a sweet little cousin named Kacie, who will undoubtedly look adorable in a yo yo hat, despite the fact that her big cousin Heather can still only knit one type of hat. I'm guessing that she won't mind a bit. 2-year-olds seem to be rather forgiving.

being productive...and inspired

2010-03-20T22:17:00.006-05:00

I made myself a to-do list for tonight. It seemed the only way to guarantee that I would spend the eight hours I've had all to myself in a state of utter productivity. And, I'm pleased to say that it's worked rather well...that is, right down to the line that stated quite simply, "Blog." That's where I got stuck. I feel as if I have nothing altogether worthy enough to post. But, I'm beginning to think that perhaps this is a more perennial problem, not something limited to tonight's self-imposed deadlines.

I haven't blogged in a month. And, month-long hiatuses seem to be commonplace around here. The way I figure it, if I'm going to keep a blog, there's simply got to be some consistency to it. Otherwise, who will want to check it, read it, or stick with another month of old news? No thanks.

So, for the sake of trying to be more consistent, I am posting an image (two, in fact!) that in some ways seem rather insignificant to me. Photography is not my area of expertise, and so, I feel almost ashamed to post anything photo-related on this blog. I photograph things that I enjoy. I feel inspired by good photographs. But I am not, in my mind, a photographer. What I am, however, is an artist. And, if there's one thing I believe firmly as an artist, it's that inspiration is all around us. Furthermore, noticing patterns in our sources of inspiration can lead to amazing things. I try to teach this to my students. So, I certainly ought to be practicing what I am attempting to preach.

It was with this idea somewhere at the back of my mind that I felt a twinge of excitement today as I noticed the beginning of a pattern. As Dan and I walked back toward our car (after a marvelous beach-combing adventure), I stopped briefly to snap a photograph of an old water fountain. It caught my gaze and I didn't want to forget it. Simple enough. But then Dan commented that I seemed to like water fountains. He was right. I had photographed another old-fashioned fountain over a year ago. That one had popped up just as unexpectedly during a Christmas visit to a Swedish festival. And so, a pattern has officially begun. I like water fountains. Might I even say I am inspired by them? Perhaps. We shall see where this leads. Maybe I will go on collecting snapshots of random fountains that I discover from time to time. I will certainly be more on the look-out. And, maybe something else unexpected will come of all this. I cannot begin to imagine what that might be. But, inspiration is working its mysterious magic. And I'd like to think that that, in and of itself, is pretty blog-worthy indeed.

a quilt for caroline

2010-02-17T11:30:00.000-05:00

As I've stated in the past, I am not much of a seamstress. When it comes to these rag quilts, I know enough to get by, but I hold my breath during all the parts that involve actual contact with the sewing machine. You see, ironing fabric I can do. Cutting fabric? No problem. Laying out a design? It's probably my favorite step. And, pinning? Well, it's tedious but not difficult. It's that menacing sewing machine that intimidates me, as it sits looming in the next room just waiting for my inexperienced self to approach it humbly, begging it to sew smoothly, praying that I'll avoid broken needles and empty bobbins. These are real thoughts that go through my mind, and yet...I suppose I make it all sound just a tad too dramatic.

In any case, one can much more easily tackle such fears when the recipient of one's sewing adventures is none other than a brand new niece. Nieces by their very nature are meant to be pampered and spoiled, of course, and how better to pamper than with a handmade quilt? And so, my sewing machine and I came to a little understanding through this most recent sewing escapade. I will fear it less. It will be as patient with me as is possible. And, together we will make lovely little things for lovely little nieces who deserve no less than fearless creativity.

meet ike

2010-02-12T11:37:00.009-05:00

Hello, faithful friends. I say faithful because you truly could be nothing less than that if you are still checking this blog and haven't completely given up hope of ever finding a new post on this loved yet under-appreciated little site of mine. Alas, my faithfulness has been more fleeting. I have succumbed to the lure of busy schedules, given my heart to a new-found obsession with reading through the entire "Harry Potter" series, and ignored the persistent call of the creatures in my mind who long to become illustrations of their very own.

But, your faithfulness has paid off. The day has come. New artwork has been created, and life is as it should be. Well, in the creative realm of my little corner of the world, at least, order has been restored. I think that this little guy, whom I've dubbed Ike, is quite appropriate for today. He looks a mix of excited and surprised, which is just about how I feel now that I'm finally finding myself with artwork and some written words to post. Perhaps the days will not run away from me so quickly between now and the next time we meet. Whatever may come, Ike will be here to keep you company, and with a little help from me, his patient flock of friends just might join the party soon enough.

tradition

2009-12-10T23:19:00.004-05:00

I love tradition. To me, the holidays seem at their best when tradition is placed front and center. And, growing up, the traditions I adored the most were the ones that found their roots in our Swedish heritage. Each year, the Christmas season was ushered in with the Santa Lucia festival, complete with songs sung entirely in Swedish as well as dancing, prancing little tomten (Sweden's charming take on Santa Claus). Soon to follow was the delightful baking of the Scandinavian treats we waited for all year. The smell and taste of homemade cardamom bread and spritz cookies left little doubt that the holiday season had arrived. And, on Christmas day itself, Swedish meatballs, korv, lingonberries, and rice pudding were amongst the honored guests of our Swedish smorgasbord. The rice pudding, besides being a tradition simply because of its presence, also held a traditional surprise. Somewhere admidst the creamy custard, an almond had been baked inside. The recipient of this fortunate almond was, according to tradition, destined to be the next to find themselves married.

As I look over the words I've just written, I am charmed by these customs simply in the reading of them. Even had they not been my own childhood memories, I believe I would still find them altogether lovely and enchanting. There is just something rather magical about such things, for it's these traditions that have a way of marking our lives and bridging generations and bringing us together year after year. Truly magical indeed.

under the mistletoe

2009-12-08T20:58:00.003-05:00

With the recent arrival of snow, the joyful hum of holiday music on the radio, and the countless trees draped in strings of sparkly lights, I am finding myself in quite the Christmas spirit. And, what better way to celebrate such a delightful time of year than with two sweet, mistletoe-seeking birds? They seem like little messengers of holiday cheer, and so, I deem them fit to announce the arrival of the Christmas season on this humble blog. My hope is that they'll encourage some of their friends to join alongside them because Christmas is, afterall, a time for togetherness.

to the birds

2009-11-22T16:21:00.002-05:00

When I'm not making art, a part of me is missing. I think that's what I've been feeling lately. My artwork has gone by the wayside, a victim of other responsibilities and hectic schedules. And while this sweet little cardinal is not a brand new image, I decided to spend a little time with him today. I gave him a face-lift, added some texture, and set him on a course for greater things. He'll become one of the illustrations that I'll feature in print-form at an upcoming holiday fair.

I'm feeling a little more content now. I find that creating has a sneaky way of doing that.

grocery-toting gourd

2009-10-31T13:09:00.005-05:00

How, really, does one celebrate Halloween more delightfully than with decorated pumpkins? I can think of no better way. So, fill your day with a pumpkin or two. And a little bit of candy as well, just for good measure.

vacation journals - day three

2009-09-24T23:07:00.003-05:00

The vacation journaling continues, long after the vacation is over...

vacation journals - day two

2009-09-02T14:46:00.002-05:00

vacation journals - day one

2009-08-27T15:29:00.005-05:00

In an effort to preserve my vacation memories, I took to creating an illustrated journal of our marvelous little adventures. More to come in the days ahead...

a bit of cheer

2009-08-11T11:54:00.005-05:00

A month is too long for me to be away from this blog. It starts seeming dreary, and I begin feeling more and more distant. All in all it just makes for a bad relationship. So, in an effort toward reconciliation, I made my blog some flowers. Nothing cheers up a good blog like a row of little flowers.

This particular bunch of cheer-me-up flowers ended up looking a bit fall-ish, even though I created them on one of the hotter days of this summer season. Perhaps I am looking forward to Autumn. I don't want it here right now, but when it does arrive, I'll be happy to welcome it back. My craving for apple cider and crunching leaves has started to make itself known.

bestowing names on robots

2009-07-08T20:41:00.007-05:00

Upon the request of a friend, I finally got around to naming my robots. And, through the process, I decided that picking out names is serious work. There's a lot of thought, meaning, and consideration that goes into the delicate art of name selection. I can't imagine the pressure that must be felt when naming a child. Phew. I'm worn out just from naming three little robots. Of course, these creations do feel like my children at times. I grow so very attached.

In any case, meet Reggie, Sal, and Scoot...a somewhat motley (but nevertheless endearing) threesome.

assessing creativity

2009-06-30T21:59:00.003-05:00

Well, here I sit, on the last day of June. My creative progress has been different than I imagined it would be when I started this month. Perhaps not in a bad way. Just in a way that I wasn't expecting. No masterpieces made. Only a few new illustrations to show for myself. But, goals were met nonetheless. And, when creativity is happening, no matter what the form, I think there's little to complain about.

creative check-list

2009-06-24T11:51:00.005-05:00

There's something about setting creative goals and making a physical list of said goals that really does push me into action. And, since June has been deemed my month of creativity, I figure that I owe it to myself to check things off my "to do" list. I've been whittling away at this for the past several days and am happy to report the following: Robot prints have been added to Etsy. New greeting cards have been made. And, sketches are done for an invitation job that I'm working on. I am breathing a sigh of relief as I type this. It feels good to get things done...and then to consequently have room on my "to do" list for a whole new batch of projects!

in a fit to knit

2009-06-19T23:39:00.002-05:00

A whole lot of knitting has been going on around here over the past 2 days. The striped hat, which has been sitting in my living room unfinished for too many weeks, is finally done. It feels a little Harry Potter-ish, which is just fine by me. No harm in getting one's baby off to a magical start, I'd say. The brown one is for a dear friend's new baby. I can't wait to deliver it to its rightful little owner this weekend!

Whenever I get on these knitting spurts, I just want to keep going and going. It's almost midnight, and yet, I've considered pulling out all my yarn to decide which color will be the inspiration for my next itty bitty hat. They are just so darling that I can't stop making them. So, be prepared. If you're having a baby, you're most likely going to be the proud recipient of a Heather-made baby hat. Like it or not. But, really, how could you not?

pen to paper

2009-06-17T22:36:00.004-05:00

In an effort to fill the month of June with creativity (and diverse methods of creativity at that), I've returned to my love of journaling. The past several days have included significant periods of time spent in writing and thinking and the construction of creative yet meaningful lists. I suppose that blogging about the act of journaling may be a difficult task. I can't exactly capture a photo of my journaling nor do I feel so inclined as to share portions of the entries I've been pouring myself into. So, I'll just leave it at this... Creativity comes in many forms, and I am accepting more and more that I just need to stumble upon the appropriate outlet for each creative moment. This may be different from one day to the next, one hour to the next, or even one minute to the next. The only thing I can do wrong is to deny my creative self the ability to escape by forcing it into some contrived box that I think should provide the right answer to some creative dilemma. Other than that, there are no wrong answers.

diversions

2009-06-13T22:17:00.008-05:00

My creative ventures of the past several days haven't been quite as straightforward as drawing or painting or working in Illustrator. Creating has pushed ever so slightly over the border from conventional to at least somewhat unconventional.

Yesterday, as well as many of the days leading up to yesterday, found me hunched rather dutifully over a stack of photo albums. You see, organization has become my obsession of choice these days, and the latest victim of my organizational rampage has been our photographs. The details of such rampage are interesting, I'm sure, to no one other than myself. But, suffice it to say that all my creative energies have been poured into making these albums both strategically organized as well as artistic and charming. Hopefully the mission is being accomplished.

Today, we strapped on the sandals, packed a picnic lunch, and ventured outside, embracing the beautiful weather that we'd almost come to believe would never return. A week of rain and overhanging clouds has a dreadful way of dashing one's hopes of any future sunshine. In any case, our outdoor adventure led us to a bit of beach-combing, which led (of course) to much excitement on my part. Bits of sea glass, smooth-edged "beach pottery," and flat, circular skipping stones are amongst my favorite finds. And, with each piece that I claim as my own, I feel that I am collecting bits of creative fuel. Many pieces, however, I leave behind. Some stay exactly where I found them, while others are placed in impromptu sculptures or piles on nearby rocks for the next adventurer to find and (hopefully) marvel over.

So, have I come to end of these past few days with artwork to show for myself? Not exactly. But, I think that the journey and the creative pursuits are just as worthwhile. For a result-driven one such as myself, this is an important lesson indeed.

a favorite bird

2009-06-10T18:10:00.004-05:00

I've been working on a project for a friend. We share a common love of the tufted titmouse. So, when she asked me to create an illustration of this sweet, little bird, I figured there was no better bird to draw. The final piece is not quite finished, but I think this little guy is still ready for his blog debut.

revisiting old friends

2009-06-09T20:31:00.002-05:00

It's been awhile since I've created any little bird illustrations. Tonight seemed like the right night to revisit this sweet, well-loved subject matter. So, here's a feathered threesome that I drew earlier this evening. Tweet!

three days of knitting

2009-06-07T20:09:00.003-05:00

This weekend's trip home took my creative quest down a slightly different path than I've been pursuing so far this month. With several hours in the car and many more hours manning a tag sale with my dad, I set my creative sites on knitting. A good friend just had her first baby a few days ago, and I wanted to be sure to get my promised baby hat to her as soon as possible. The little brown hat succeeded in evoking questions and comments from many of the tag-sale-goers who wondered what exactly I was so busy working on. As soon as the hat is complete, it'll gain its own spot amongst the various June creations that have captured my attention this month.

fly away

2009-06-04T22:45:00.002-05:00

This little guy was amongst the many creatures I sketched in Vermont over Memorial Day weekend. This evening, his sketchy self took a quick flight through Illustrator for some much-needed color and spiff.

Dirk, the farmyard robot

2009-06-03T22:02:00.004-05:00

Meet Dirk: rusty, quirky, perplexed, inspired by a tractor, and created by a lover of robots.

inspired by a tractor, of all things

2009-06-02T21:21:00.003-05:00

Sometimes I just see random things that inspire me for somewhat unusual reasons. Perhaps it's my recent love of robots and gears and mechanical things that drew me to this old tractor. There's something about it that gives it a rather life-like appearance...as if it is going to spring to life at any moment. A farmyard robot of sorts, perhaps? In any case, I have plans to turn him into a character all my own. Dirk shall be his name. Seems fitting for a country robot.

a creature to kick off June

2009-06-01T19:44:00.004-05:00

A new month. A fresh start. An excuse for another month-long quest toward creativity. Three years ago I created "The June Series," a daily creative exercise in which I created (or worked on) a piece of artwork each day. It was mostly an un-blogged project...one that I simply did for myself. But I am finding that I need blogging inspiration as well as general creative motivation these days. So, I've decided to attempt to blog something creative everyday. Consider it "The June Series, Take Two."

To start things off, here's a creature I sketched over Memorial Day weekend, while sitting on a dock overlooking a beautiful pond in Vermont. It was quite the inspirational spot, so it's no wonder that I was able to create. Let's just hope the drawing streak can continue...

found inspiration: rocks

2009-05-17T21:06:00.004-05:00

A recent trip to Maine led to some unexpected finds amongst the beachy rocks and tide pools. I'm not sure how these beautiful vignettes from nature will find their way into my illustrations, but I love them nonetheless. They seem like paintings to me. The textures are so alluring and the colors are perfect. So, I'm quite sure that these rocks will someday wander quite neatly into some future art pieces. It's the how and when that have yet to be determined.

remnants: a little blue robot

2009-05-09T10:46:00.003-05:00

I finally got around to finishing this poor, little robot last night. He'd been sitting on my desk for weeks, arm-less and eye-less...just waiting for me to find my inspiration. I'm happy to say that he's finished and even has a few more unfinished friends waiting to join him very soon.

My burst of inspiration last night happened as a result of my most recent organizational binge. For years, I've kept all my little "odds and ends" in glass jars. This seemed like a good idea and a fun way to display them. But, I found that I never opened the jars or used the wonderful treasures stored inside. A recent revelation led me to believe that the plastic bead boxes I'd been using for years to house my abundant bead collection, might also be well suited for holding miscellaneous pieces for creating these "remnant characters." And so I began organizing. Tacks and screws here. Glass marbles there. Stones and sea glass in yet another compartment. My "brilliant idea" soon turned a bit more large-scale than I had intended. But, now that everything is at my fingertips, I feel inspired and ready to continue creating.

remnants: a beginning

2009-04-19T19:57:00.004-05:00

I'm a saver. A saver of bits and pieces, of things that may someday have untold value for one project or another, of art materials (both the traditional and non-traditional sorts), and of just about anything that inspires or bewilders. But, as of late, the saver in me has been battling it out with my inner organizer. A recent effort to simplify has led to cleaning, purging, throwing and giving things away, and trying to reduce as much as possible.

And, thus, I've been left with quite the predicament. What stays? What goes? What comes of the cherished bits and pieces that have been added to my life through the years? But, it seems that the solution to my problem lies quite simply in its origin. These treasures were saved with the purpose of transformation. Becoming something new was always their ambition, and so I must help them toward this goal. I must create. Create from the remnants.

I've always loved the word remnants, perhaps because I see all of my saving as just that: holding on to remnants from the past, pieces of things that were unwanted, that didn't carry on with their rightful owners, that couldn't exist as a whole but lingered on in a smaller, more save-able form. Broken shells overlooked too long by countless beach-goers. Photos rescued from yard sales. Pieces from incomplete games and toys. Buttons leftover from long-discarded shirts. These are the things I save and love and must now surrender. For the sake of my inner desire for simplicity. For the sake of art. And, for the sake of restoring meaning to these cast-off, yet innately beautiful, remnants.

a color scheme put to use

2009-03-31T18:14:00.004-05:00

I haven't been illustrating as much as I'd like to these days, so I decided to take my antique dish color-scheme and put it to good use. Sometimes a little inspiration is all it takes to push me back into action.

found inspiration: antique dishes

2009-03-30T19:51:00.002-05:00

I've decided to start capturing my sources of inspiration. Daily, I find things that fascinate me and trap my attention, but rarely do I write them down or document them in any sort of way that would preserve them. If I had a library of sorts in which to catalogue images and ideas, I'd have an exact place to go whenever finding myself uninspired.

So, here I leave my first piece of captured inspiration. These glass dishes were discovered months ago in a rather eclectic antique store. While the dishes in and of themselves are beautiful, I was mostly inspired by the colors. I loved how the stacks of deep amethyst glass were placed above the rows of warm amber. I think that the combination is stunning and well worth remembering. A good color scheme, I believe, is not to be dismissed lightly. Amazing ideas can be born out of such things.

picture book inspiration

2009-03-09T18:43:00.003-05:00

I spend a lot of time with kids and thinking up art projects for kids these days. And, thus, it's no surprise that I am finding myself inspired by kids as well. Over the past two weeks, the students in my illustration workshop have been creating monsters, influenced by Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are." Like many adults, this book was a part of my childhood. But, somehow, its beauty and creativity were forgotten over the years as seemingly more important thoughts took up residence in my brain. In planning the projects for my illustration workshop, however, I returned to this classic. The kids seemed inspired. They produced creative, fascinating, detailed monsters. And, I, in turn was inspired by the enthusiasm and carefree whimsy that they brought to this project. I like how creativity and inspiration have a way of coming full circle.

a is for armadillo

2009-03-06T20:03:00.005-05:00

As is probably very well evident by this point, I adore alphabets. I love thinking through themed alphabets, I love reading children's alphabet books, and I especially love making artwork based on alphabets. And, it's because of this deep adoration for the humble ABCs that I found myself starting yet another alphabet project. And, while I won't be able to keep up with a consistent blog series of these illustrations, running straight from A to Z, I will post them as I finish them, with other various postings thrown in between for good measure.

So, for now, here's this sleepy little armadillo. The background reminds me of Arizona. I like thinking that he's hanging out somewhere amongst the red rocks of Sedona. I know that's where I'd like to be right now, so I figure he'd be pretty happy there too.

searching for seahorses

2009-02-16T16:26:00.006-05:00

I love seahorses. In fact, I love just about anything that lives in the oceany depths. So, you can imagine that my recent trip to the aquarium in Boston was inspiring...to say the least. At points I felt like one of the many kids who ran to and fro around me. And, I'd say this was definitely the emotion as I approached the sea dragon tank. I had never seen these fanciful creatures in person, so I was in awe. I'm pretty sure they may be the most creative, artistic, and imaginative underwater animals that God created. So, if you've never experienced a sea dragon, add it to your "to do" list and make a date with your local aquarium. Trust me. Good stuff awaits you.

beckoning spring

2009-02-14T11:43:00.005-05:00

A couple of unseasonably warm days this week made me long for Spring, when the warmer weather will make walks and trips to the beach just a little more enjoyable. And so, I beckon you, Spring. Come quickly!

"cut & paste" robot

2009-02-02T16:39:00.005-05:00

During my illustration workshop today, the kids were working so quietly and diligently on their cut-paper collages, that I sat down at the table with them to make my own. When there are only four, very capable 11- and 12-year-olds in one's class, it almost seems silly to keep walking around the same small table observing their art-making techniques. I run out of things to say. They probably grow tired of listening. No doubt, we'd all rather be creating and experimenting with artistic techniques.

So, eventually I sat and worked alongside them. They seemed content. We talked. We created. It was a grand time. And, I got to make a quick collage version of one of my robots. It was fun using scraps of beautifully painted and textured papers that had been leftover from past student projects. It felt like a wonderful joint collaboration of creativity.

and this robot makes three

2009-01-27T20:55:00.009-05:00

The robots are continuing to inspire and challenge. I almost want to print them out and hang them up in the apartment. They feel like little friends, and I wouldn't mind seeing them placed somewhere cheerier than in the rather lifeless frame of my computer screen.

another little robot

2009-01-22T16:02:00.004-05:00

I never would've thought that I'd be addicted to robots. Still, here I am...inspired by little, mechanical creatures. I'm pretty sure that I love the new art-making techniques I'm discovering just as much as the robots themselves. But, since it's the robots that brought about these new methods of creative madness, I'm forever in their debt.

new territory

2009-01-17T22:12:00.006-05:00

Sometimes it's good to step outside of our boxes and try something new and unexpected. I'm pretty sure this relates to all areas of life, but lately, it's been hitting home in the creative realm. Over the past few months, I've focused my efforts on a few favorite subjects. Birds and rabbits have been getting a lot of attention. Now, this was all well and dandy until I noticed how uninspired I was feeling. Time to broaden my horizons, I decided. And thus began my exploration of robots and hedgehogs.

"Robots and hedgehogs", I wondered to myself as I sat drawing them both. "What a peculiar combination." And while I have yet to combine the two into one illustration, it may not be a bad idea. A robot with his spiky yet lovable pet hedgehog could be quite the image.

creepy crawly

2009-01-11T15:41:00.003-05:00

At some point I started this illustration. Oddly enough, I don't recall it. This doesn't happen very often, but it did with this poor, little forgotten caterpillar. Anyway, I found him today...and decided he deserved to be finished. I think he's glad to have a more purposeful place than at the bottom of one of the hundreds of files on my computer's hard drive. It's a good day for caterpillars.

the return of the rabbits

2009-01-03T00:00:00.004-05:00

Between my online focus on an alphabetical Autumn and the off-line whirlwind of the holiday season, I seem to have let Christmas pass me by...at least in the blogging world. But, perhaps I tipped the scales in the opposite direction last year with my "Countdown to Christmas," therefore making all things somehow even in the big scheme of life. So, instead of crying over spilt milk, I am moving onward.

Rabbits are reappearing in my artwork as of late. This is no surprise, of course, since I am almost officially obsessed with the little critters. I like to imagine the fellas above in a spread of a kids' book. Their story and the reason for their tentative gazes across the blank pages of said book has yet to be imagined. But, feel free to come up with your own tale. Rabbits are rather accommodating creatures, so I'm sure that they wouldn't mind your creative musings. As for this rabbit keeper, I am off to bed, where I should have been hours ago. Perhaps my dreams shall be filled with bunnies...

autumn alphabet: z is for zero

2008-12-18T17:50:00.005-05:00

As I prepare to bid farewell to Fall in just a few short days, I believe that I can be so bold as to say that there are zero things about this season that I don't like. It's a season that makes me happy and a time of year in which I feel right at home. Still, I welcome winter with a hearty hello, as I have no doubt that it will bring plenty of beauty and inspiration all its own.

autumn alphabet: y is for yowling wind

2008-12-17T17:31:00.007-05:00

We had very windy weather the other day. I suppose that this can happen at any time of year, but when it occurs during the Fall season, it somehow seems especially appropriate. I haven't always loved the wind, but I am coming to appreciate it more and more. There is a strange and mournful beauty to the way it howls against the window panes. And, its strength, as you walk against it, is amazingly powerful. But, most of all, I love watching the ability that the wind has to cause tall, mighty trees to dance and sway at its command. There's graceful yet intense beauty that happens in those moments....and I always feel, in some way, honored when I get to be part of them.

autumn alphabet: x is for Xmas' upcoming arrival

2008-12-14T14:36:00.000-05:00

With the arrival of Fall also comes the imminent approach of the Christmas season. It seems that once Thanksgiving has passed, Christmas is here in no time at all. And while I often wish that the holidays would linger awhile longer, I do like that the beauty of Autumn sets the stage for a very different and yet equally beautiful time of year: Christmas.

autumn alphabet: w is for woodpiles

2008-12-13T18:42:00.000-05:00

“Every man looks at his woodpile with a kind of affection.” This quote by Thoreau is one of my dad’s favorites. I, personally, cannot completely relate, as I have never chopped a single piece of wood, let alone created an entire woodpile. Still, I imagine that such a feat would require quite a large amount of energy and effort. And, I certainly can appreciate the love that develops when one creates. The things that require so much of our time and skill come to embody our very efforts in a sense. I see this in the way that I adore my creations and in the fleeting bit of sadness that comes each time I sell a handmade card or give away a knitted scarf. So, in that sense, I can understand the whole woodpile concept.

But regardless of all this, woodpiles do make me think of Fall. They remind me of the way that my dad always prepares for the colder winter months by creating a rather impressive collection of hand-chopped wood. Each year, the carefully stacked pile begins its slow procession inside once the Autumn months hit. It gradually diminishes in small clusters of three or four logs each time the winds blow hard and the hearth craves a warm blaze. The woodpile, I suppose, knows its purpose. Without fail, it graciously serves. It warms and it comforts. It mesmerizes with a seasons-worth of glowing, enchanting fires. And, it’s even perfectly content to be a source of admiration for its affectionate creator.

autumn alphabet: v is for vests

2008-12-12T15:58:00.003-05:00

As soon as I became the proud owner of my first vest a few years ago, I have been a vest junkie. Once the slightest tinge of cool Fall weather hits, the vest emerges from the closet and becomes an essential part of my wardrobe. It’s with me during almost every outdoor event, up until that unfortunate moment when the days become too cold and a winter jacket becomes an absolute necessity. Sadly, the winter jacket transition has already taken place here in Massachusetts, but I am holding out hope for those rare 50- and 60-degree days that are still possible throughout the winter months.

autumn alphabet: u is for under the covers

2008-12-09T23:09:00.004-05:00

Fall provides the most perfect, relaxing sleeping weather of the entire year. I love waking to an Autumn morning. The air beyond my comforter is crisp and chilly, but beneath is a warm cocoon of hibernation. There is nothing better, and I have found only one disadvantage to this beautiful sleeping scenario: If it weren't for will power and a long list of responsibilities, I could easily sleep away many a lovely Fall day.

autumn alphabet: t is for trees

2008-12-06T22:34:00.003-05:00

I see the months leading up to winter as a buffer zone, a training session of sorts for the long, snowy isolation that begins with January’s first snowstorm. They prepare us gently for what’s to come. In my mind, this transition is also mirrored in the stages of autumn trees. They start out with a splendor of changing leaves, vibrant at first and then slowly changing to a more subtle beauty of mellow tones of burnt orange and mustard-y yellows. In due time, however, each leaf falls from branch to ground, leaving bare branches that have a unique beauty all their own. I suppose the loveliness in this is sometimes harder to see, as it can be with the long days of winter. But, I still love the look of lone branches, whether they are delicately silhouetted against a dusky sky or creating a magical maze of branches high in the air. Perhaps there is beauty to be found in all things, if we just take the time to look a little closer.

autumn alphabet: s is for spices

2008-12-04T10:29:00.002-05:00

I am convinced that I have an extra-sensitive nose. A simple scent can affect my entire mood. As you can imagine, this quirky characteristic definitely has its pros and cons, but it seems perfectly lovely whenever the good smells are involved. Take, for instance, the spicy scents of Autumn. They make this time of year all the more comforting and peaceful. A waft of mulled cider, with its cinnamon and cloves, is always a sure sign that Fall has arrived. The scent of nutmeg sprinkled onto the Thanksgiving egg nog is a once-a-year treat. And, breads made from cardamom seeds evoke delightful memories of childhood.

I think that Fall is a season that intrigues all the senses. My nose is certainly thankful and definitely delighted.

autumn alphabet: r is for red

2008-12-01T15:02:00.004-05:00

My original goal was to finish this series by the end of November. Even though it is technically still Fall for a few more weeks, the arrival of December always puts me in a Christmas-y, wintery state of mind. Still, I will keep plugging away, giving the Autumn season its due respect before winter is actually upon us.

It is rather ironic, though, that I chose red to be my “R” word. While it is certainly a Fall-ish color, reflected in the season’s blazing leaves and scarlet apples, it also stirs up thoughts of felted stockings and shiny ornaments and sweet candy canes. But, putting those images at the back of my mind, I will return to my very recent memories of the beautiful New England Autumn…

Red is one of my favorite colors. It is bright and warm and makes me smile. This is especially true when it comes to Fall. I love the yellows and oranges of the changing leaves, but when I spy a tree whose leaves have all turned crimson and red, it feels almost magical. For leaves to change from bright green to their counter opposite, red, is rather amazing. It feels as if they have truly transformed, albeit for just a short spell, into something completely new and truly miraculous.

autumn alphabet: q is for quilts

2008-11-29T22:18:00.001-05:00

I don't know much about sewing...which is rather unfortunate, cause I really adore the little bit that I do know. Earlier this year, I was taught how to make rag quilts, and I fell in love with the whole process. Even details such as picking out the fabrics, cutting them into perfect squares, and arranging them into a pattern are artistic and creative parts of this craft. I've only made two quilts in my short quilting career, and one was created with quite a bit of help. But, the crisp weather of Autumn has been rekindling my sewing aspirations. This just seems like the perfect time of year to return to quilting.

I have drawers full of fabric waiting for me. I have a couch that would love the company of a warm quilt. And, I have always dreamed of making all of my Christmas presents. So, in short, I have no excuses. A season of quilting may lie ahead.

autumn alphabet: p is for pumpkins

2008-11-26T12:11:00.004-05:00

I realize that Halloween was a month ago and that my decorated pumpkins are more suited to that part of the Fall season, rather than the Thanksgiving end. Still, pumpkin-decorating is one of the activities I adore the most during Autumn, so I couldn't let the opportunity to post some of my favorites pass me by. These little guys have a way of making me smile no matter what the season.