More Poppy Sketches

I'd love to fly to Paris for a cup of hot chocolate, especially if I could do it with the help of a hat instead of a plane trip! Here are a couple more sketches-to-finish illustrations of Poppy and Her Magic Hat.

Poppy sketches

Here are a few pages from Poppy and Her Magic Hat, along with the preliminary sketch that preceded each final illustration. It's always interesting to see the progression of an artist's work, from the concept to the final. Sometimes there is very little difference, but sometimes the transformation can be significant! In order to prevent revisions after the artwork was in the final stage, I was very careful to keep the preliminary sketches as detailed as possible so that the editor would have a good idea of what the final versions would look like.

Poppy and Her Magic Hat

It's finally out, my first published coloring book! It was fun to write, and even more fun to illustrate. Poppy discovers a very special hat that gives her the ability to fly. She embarks upon a series of adventures, sailing in and out of the neighborhood library and corner grocery store before flying through New York City. From the top of the Statue of Liberty she sees the Eiffel Tower, so she flies to Paris for tea with new friends. What child wouldn't like to fly anywhere their imagination could take them? Tomorrow I'll post some of the preliminary and final inked pages. In the meantime, if you are so inclined, you can order a copy for your special little friend from the publisher Dover Publications or through Amazon.com.

Inky Sketch

I have finally put away my snow pants and sled. I don't ever want to see them again! It takes forever for summer to come to Minnesota, but when it does, it is splendid!

Inks and Watercolor and Collage

As I'm sorting through files I discovered some sketches done for previous assignments. It's fun to travel back in time to when I was using different mediums.

Over the River and Through the Woods

Time to put up a tree with some lights! It's been so dreary and murky outside lately, I could use some sparkle! (I also could use a snappy little multicolored convertible).

Birds and More Birds

Here's another pattern that I was commissioned to create by Sublime Stitching, the contemporary embroidery company I mentioned in my last posting. This assignment might have been simple for most artists, but for some reason, it gave me a real run for the money. I find birds to be a challenging subject matter. They are so streamlined and uncomplicated in shapes, and yet I wrestle with them as if I were drawing the blueprint of a submarine. You can view and/or purchase this pattern "Songbirds" on Sublime Stitching's website here.

Because I tend to always overcomplicate things, I am a big fan of the illustrator Charley Harper. His knack of simplifying his subject matter and rendering it with graphic boldness and often sweet humor is brilliant. Check out these great images, courtesy of Audubon.org:

"Green Jay, 1956"

"Cardinal", 1960

"Red-eyed Vireo", 1959

"Eskimo Curlew", 1957

"Baltimore Oriole", 1959

"Water Turkey", 1958

I find it really amusing, as well as inspiring, to know that these simple designs and graphic clean lines came out of this chaotic studio...it makes me feel a whole lot better about my own messy studio!

Charley Harper

Housing Development

I mentioned a while back that I created some illustrations for a fabulous contemporary embroidery company, SublimeStitching.com. I think my favorite was the Atomic 50's ranch house...or maybe the fairy tale cottage, both sketches featured above. You can view and/or purchase the final pattern on Sublime's website here: HOUSES.

The Great Outdoors

Friends of mine are driving up north to the Boundary Waters this weekend to relax and camp out. You know, pitch a tent, hike and do all those outdoorsy things. It's all well and good if you're armed with a can of heavy-duty bug spray and bear repellent, but frankly, my idea of the great outdoors is sitting next to a tent more like these:

photo: London West Hollywood Hotel

Grill Girl

It doesn't matter if there is four feet of snow on the deck, you can still go out and barbeque. Well, YOU can go out and barbeque. I'll just sit inside by the fireplace, waiting for dinner to be served. This is all a dream, I confess, since I don't have a deck, a grill or a working fireplace.

However....I can sit by the non-working fireplace and wait for a pizza to be delivered, that's my idea of a relaxing dinner!

Lawnmower Lady

With a hat like this, mowing the lawn is a fashion statement, not a task. I might complain a lot about winter, but I also keep telling myself, At least I don't have to mow the lawn!

Patio Princess

I can't wait until I can be a Patio Princess. First I'll need warm weather. (what is that?) Next I'll need a patio. (no money for that) I'll need to be a bit taller and a lot thinner. (impossible) On second thought, perhaps I could just be a regular Princess.

Mulch Mama

I know we are not into raking leaves right now, but I feel like I need some bright colors, and this chartreuse background is really perking me up. Winter can get so...monochromatic. This illustration is a continuation of the "Garden Girls" series that I began posting a while back.

Garden Goddess

In spite of certain doubting relatives living in Fargo, ND, I will hold fast to my promise that spring will come by posting yet another of my t-shirt illustrations from yesteryear. This one entitled Garden Goddess was one of my favorites.

Compost Queen

Years ago I designed a series of t-shirts with silly illustrations on the front. They were very popular - apparently silly is good! We need more silly! I called them my Garden Girls. In the middle of this winter, as I look out my window at the falling snow, I'm thinking...spring. Spring will come. We can wear our t-shirts and garden once again.

Beehives and accordions

Remember beehives? Of course you don't. Remember Lawrence Welk and the popularity of the accordion? Of course you don't.

Well, unfortunately I do remember these icons. My grandparents were glued to their black and white TV every Saturday night watching the Lawrence Welk program. Lawrence had his band behind him in their chartreuse green dinner jackets, surrounded by the glow of the pink curtains in the background and then of course you had those lemon yellow matching outfits of the Lemon Sisters, I mean the Lennon Sisters. That program must be one of the oldest running programs around. Every Saturday night my dad, who is almost 101, turns on his TV to watch a little polka dancing, a little tap dancing, all to the tunes of Lawrence's band.

And beehive hairdos,....well, that's when you would "rat" your hair. Enuf said about that.

This is an illustration for the sixties project I mentioned in a previous post.

Hayride

I don't think I ever went on a hayride. Now that Fall is falling all about me, I'm thinking that it would be a lot more fun than raking leaves. This acrylic illustration was created as part of a fabric design.

Don't Upset the Apple Cart

One of my favorite summer treats is a juicy crisp apple. This small painting was part of a fabric pattern I created years ago.

Fun with Fashion

This was an assignment that ranks right up there on my list of MOST FUN EVER jobs! I had to re-submit the first drawing though, because it was decided that the scarf was too realistic in comparison to the rest of the sketch. I knew that would probably happen but I enjoyed tinkering in Photoshop, and re-drawing the scarf by hand was a quick revision.

Chrysanthemum Girl

The trees are starting to show a few yellow leaves - it's only September 7th, how can this be? It's too early for Fall to start unveiling its color show! With this transition in mind, I thought some mums in the background would perhaps get me more in the mood for Fall. It's not Fall that I mind, it's Winter which is attached to Fall like a shadow.