Here is the color version of the flying penguin. I have to admit, this character is growing on me. I might need to make a series of illustrations with penguins trying to fly until I get it out of my system 🙂

I’m also gonna throw this up on Illustration Friday too, since their theme this week is “wild”. And this penguin is definitely WILD.

Have a BEEautiful day, and thanks for checking out my blog.

The flying penguin has returned, and he’s beeing especially daring this time. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist the punny opportunity) The color version will be up tomorrow!

I’m planning on submitting two designs to the “Ironclad Art” competition for the manhole covers in Vancouver. The challenge is to make a design that will “identify and uniquely distinguish sanitary from storm sewer manhole covers”. I’m still deciding which two to submit, but at least I’ve got it narrowed down to these three! If you have any feedback on which one you like the best, send me an email!

This week I pulled out my paint and made some art for Easter. The goal of this painting was to reflect the contrast between the cultural Easter with colorful eggs, chocolate and bunnies, and the Christian Easter of blood, death and resurrection. I’ve always wondered how the Easter Bunny and Christ got woven into the same holiday. The one theme that I see in both traditions, is the theme of “life”. Christians celebrate Christ’s resurrection from death into life;  bunnies are symbols of fertility, which is the potential for life; and eggs are the start of life. So, I chose to use the “Easter egg” to (hopefully) make this connection visually.

It was an interesting exploration. And I’m sure, there’s lots more that could be interpreted from it, but I’ll leave that up to you 🙂

So, this project was something different for me. I’ve made a lot of people portraits, but not so many animals. The drawing was completed a few weeks ago for some friends who recently said “good-bye” to their long-time companion, Bailey.  I’ve been told that he was the best family dog ever and loved to visit the lake that is drawn in the background. He lived from Sept 1999 – Jan 2nd 2013 and will be dearly missed by his family. Much love and comfort to you all!

This is the final version for Illustration Friday.  For those of you who are wondering, Illustration Friday is an open blog that has a new theme every week. The theme for this week is ‘talent’. Any artist who has a blog can make an illustration based on the theme and then post on the wall. I like to participate once in a while because it helps to get ideas flowing when I’m feeling stuck for inspiration.

And just to clarify, there is no such place as the ‘School of Talentology’. (At least, I don’t think there is!) I made it up for the purpose of the project. Sorry to dash your hopes if you wanted to enroll.

We have color folks!  I decided to experiment with textures in this final illustration. Normally I would ink over top of the sketch, but I actually like how this worked out.

This is a little illustration in progress, stay tuned for the finished results. Tonight is one of those nights where I need to turn my brain off and just draw 🙂

This week, the theme on Illustration Friday is ‘ocean’. And since it is Sunday today, I’ve decided to share this old ‘Sunday Comic’ project from my last semester in April 2012, at Emily Carr University. ( Yes, you can study COMICS in University. Who would have thought?!). The goal of the project was to mimic the layout of a Sunday comics page in the newspaper. If my memory serves correctly, it was completed in the wee hours of the morning before it was due. As you can tell, at 3 am you start to get really imaginative!

I had toast for breakfast the next morning in honor of my completed project.

I’m beginning 2013 with a new blog and a “new” illustration. I was going to post this one on Illustration Friday, but I finished it this morning and missed their cut off.  Every week they post a new theme and the most recent one was “new”, very appropriately.

This illustration was inspired by the feeling that I am currently living in “The Vintage Revolution”. Do you feel that way, or is it just me? There seems to be a widespread fascination with photos, furniture, cards, toys, clothing that are old, antique and I’m sorry but I hate this word, shabby looking. I’m seeing that there is a renewed sense of value for objects from the past, and a lot of people are cashing in on it.

In my opinion, this is a real-time example of that old proverb, “there is nothing new under the sun”. The new got old, but now the old is new again.

I have to admit, I’ve been sucked into the vortex of vintage too.  I love Instagram because it reminds me of old family albums. And I love vintage children’s book illustrations because I’m amazed at the time and skill that went into every detail. I’m also a HUGE fan of the tales of grannies and grandpas from the ‘good ol’ days’.

Yet still, there is a part of me that looks at this whole revolution with a bit of cynicism and humor. I can’t help but wonder:  one day, after I die, will someone dig up my old pillowcase, make it into a shirt and sell it online for $100? I hope not!