Sparky's Dream

I created this little painting for the June Nibblefest contest ("In the Mist"), it also works for Illustration Friday's "Fog" theme:

"Sparky's Dream"

You know how sometimes when you’re sitting on a bench, pretending to read your homework assignment and you just can’t stay awake? Then you sort of doze off, but you’re not really sure anymore if you’re awake or asleep, and all of a sudden squids start barging out of the mist in droves? Don’t you hate when that happens?

Please search NFAC on eBay (starting the 20th of each month) to see all of the other Nibblefest entries!

Illustration Friday - Forgotten

This week's topic is "Forgotten," and I instantly thought of poor Little Red, who is sadly forgotten on the shelf:

"The Secret Garden"

I have a little garden
I keep it on a shelf
My garden is a secret
For no one but myself

Hurt Feelings

Why do there always have to be hurt feelings? Why can’t anything just be happy and good, and stay that way? Little Red used to like to pretend he was one of his plant friends, but sadly was left behind on the shelf. It sucks to be forgotten, doesn’t it.

Poor Little Red.

I'm going to try to create another piece for this theme too, if I have the time. The problem is that everything I can think of is really sad, and, well, sad is just so sad!

Illustration Friday - Baby

I've finally decided to participate in Illustration Friday - how could I not when this week's topic is "Baby"?

My piece shows the first meeting of Sparky and the squid (since I know you've all been wondering how it all started). Look, they've known each other since they were in diapers!

Babies
(The First Encounter)

I just listed it! Click here to go to the auction.

Doodles (not the noodley kind)

So I was looking through some old stuff over the weekend and came across a sketch book from a few years ago. I used to do work like this all the time, pure stream of consciousness - I was always surprised at what would come out. Technically I know these drawings aren't that great, but I do think they look kind of cool (especially when the whole page is filled up). Just seeing this again makes me want to go order another rapidograph (since they don't make rapidoliners anymore) that would probably get clogged up and rendered useless within two days.

Anyway, here's one of my drawings:

and another:

If nothing else I think it's kind of interesting to see how much my style has evolved over the years. Speaking of which, I finally found photos of some paintings I did ~20-23 years ago! The paintings themselves are still lost somewhere in my house, and when I find them again I want to get decent scans. There are a couple that didn't make it to the photo session so I'd especially love to get pix of those. Anyway, I was pretty depressed back in those days & my paintings were a lot darker. Now I can finally update the "Oldeys" section of my website! Yay!

Chirpy II - an experiment

I thought I'd give watercolors a try again - about once a year or so I give watercolors and/or acrylics another go, determined that this time I'll figure them out! I really don't know how you water-media folks do it! So anyway, I dug out all of my watercolor paraphernalia again & came up with Chirpy II:

I had a little bit more success this time. I may never be a "watercolor artist" but maybe won't wait another year before trying them again!

Hamstey is a Winner

Hamstey doesn't know it, but he's a winner. All he needs to do is look in the mirror and see for himself (or take off his shirt and read it).

This is a little colored pencil ACEO (Artist Trading Card) I had originally created for the February Nibblefest art contest (Rodents), but I changed my mind at the last minute. It was a tough call - on the one hand you have hamsters, on the other, capybaras - ultimately the capybaras triumphed.

Wow, I hope that' not why Hamstey is crying.

Lunchbox, Lost in the Jungle

Introducing Lunchbox!

Lunchbox is a true innocent, stumbling through life, oblivious to lurking dangers and the fact that his little world could come crashing down at any given second. But it’s ok - Lunchbox just keeps plugging along, because at the end of the day, when you’ve got your lunch pail and your diaper, what more do you really need?

I like to think there’s a little bit of Lunchbox in all of us.

Click on Lunchbox to go to the auction!

This is the first in my new "Lunchbox Gets Lost" series. Lunchbox was a collaborative effort between my husband Chris and me.