Oof July...

Hey there blog readers!

It's been ages, I know. Things get all kinds of crazy around here in the summertime, and this year is no different. July was particularly nutty, filled with personal-life things—a dear friend's wedding, the birthday of my spouse-to-be, a full-day illustrator boot camp (this one, not as an attendee... I planned this particular mini-conference), going-away lunches, a couple of visits to friends and family in other states, and, of course, looooads of work - hand-lettering, wedding invitation design, new paintings, manuscript edits, book dummy revisions, book designs, and sketch after sketch after sketch. Whew. I'm tired just thinking about all of it.

Most of the book-related work, as has been the case for the last two Julys, was prep for the annual SCBWI Conference in LA. You remember which one.

So, with the clock ticking down, I'm adding finishing touches, printing the last pieces out, and dusting off my portfolio.

Time to put that best foot forward.

Inspiration

I know what you're thinking... two posts in less than twenty-four hours? After days and weeks of silence? Well, I spent this evening looking for reference for my book project this term (I will be posting about this shortly... I promise I won't keep you waiting much longer. I know you're waiting on the edge of your seat...) and was even looking back at some of my older work and portfolio pieces for style inspiration. As I was doing so, I realized that because I don't yet have a full working website, some of my favorite things have never been posted. So here we are...

This little study - a test illustration that I did for a picture book idea - is one of my absolute favorite pieces -

It's hard to say what it is about this illustration... there are some images that just work. In this particular case, it's how I felt painting it, and how easy and right it was.

I have a bad habit of stressing about finishing a piece rather than enjoying the act of making it: from the first barely-defined thumbnails to final sketches to the finished paintings. Who knows whether I'll decide to bring in elements of this style, but I do hope that while it's tacked above my desk in the studio I'll be able to capture the peace I felt creating it, the swoosh of paint effortlessly washing across the paper, the simple joy of painting.