Oddly Enough

The sketchbook continues!

2012-01-09T20:18:00.001-08:00

Trying to get the sketchbook project finished up. I've got everything drawn at this point. I just need to finish the paintings.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-04T13:00:00.001-08:00

Moving along with the sketchbook project. I'm enjoying the process. Back to work on Friday and back to school on Monday so I need to keep going if I'm going to finish by the end of January.

Christmas Chicken

2011-12-22T10:39:00.001-08:00

Now that this holiday hen has been received, I can share her with the blogging world.

Lesson learned

2011-12-19T19:03:00.001-08:00

Well this was a valuable experiment. I have long loved paper collage and watercolor, but I can see that they are not going to go together in the way I imagined. I will certainly continue to do both, but I do not want to illustrate an entire book this way. It is way more fun for me to make single illustrations and fine art pieces with collage and I want to keep it fun. However, now I know that, and as GI Joe observed, knowing is half the battle.

Work in progress

2011-12-14T17:51:00.001-08:00

I'm trying some different techniques for the illustrations in my children's book. This is a background for a collages version and the other is what it looks like when it is all done in watercolor.

181A at UCLA

2011-12-13T18:36:00.000-08:00

My film from my animation class at UCLA. It was totally old school, drawn by hand, painted on cells, then shot on 16mm. I haven't done that in years. It was pretty fun, but I definitely know why a lot of the process has been moved in to the digital realm. I'm trying to keep up with the posting. I love the new blogger app I got, but it looks like a lot of the images are coming out pretty dark. I'll have to light them better I think.

Hey look!

2011-12-06T19:26:00.001-08:00

"It's the ice-cream man!"
That would be the text on this page of The Treehouse Wars, a little story I'm working out as part of the sketch book project.

More fun with treehouses

2011-12-05T20:35:00.001-08:00

I am continuing to work on my sketchbook project theme. I have developed a little story of some girls in their treehouse being terrorized by a bully with a water gun. This is one of the illustrations.

2 for 1

2011-12-04T18:50:00.001-08:00

Well I was pretty busy this weekend, so much so that I put my back out. Yes, again :( However, I did get a bunch of life drawing done on Friday. Also I'm working on a more dynamic illustration for my children's book.

Treehouse sketch again

2011-12-01T23:42:00.001-08:00

Soooo tired tonight, another sketch from the treehouse book.

Concept painting

2011-11-30T21:00:00.001-08:00

I'm not overly thrilled with the way it came out, but it tells me what I don't want at least.

Treehouse

2011-11-29T19:10:00.001-08:00

For the 2012 sketchbook project, treehouse theme!

New fangled technology

2011-11-28T14:18:00.001-08:00

So here we are folks. In an attempt to actually post the artwork I do regularly I'm trying the bloggerplus app.
This is a piece I did for the Jim Henson tribute show. Sadly it didn't get in, but I still like it. Below is the sketch.

An Update

2011-09-20T14:03:00.000-07:00

A failed submission for the Jim Henson Show at Gallery Nucleus
The finished painting from the Gallery Girls event last month. Finally!Painting, working on the book and of course I started grad school this week at UCLA so I have been busy. Exciting times!

Catch Up

2011-08-21T22:59:00.000-07:00

I have this problem where I draw and paint a lot, but I never remember to update the blog. I'm trying to remedy that.

A work in progress from a live painting session I went to this evening at the PaintLab.

And some sketches trying to capture a little girl I saw at the Urth Cafe who desperately wanted there to be fish in the little fountain.

Koi

2011-08-12T17:38:00.000-07:00

Fish! They always make me think of Daisy. These guys were painted with a new technique of wet into wet with watercolor. Not bad for a first try. Click to enlarge.

Dandelion

2011-08-09T15:56:00.000-07:00

A yellow flower
Becomes a soft little puff
And so flies away

Awakening

2011-08-08T15:10:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone in blog-land. I don't even know if anyone is checking this any more, and I suppose that is my fault if you've gone away. I have been spending the past 4 months reinventing myself. I am changing my career in a big way, going back to grad school, and above all I've been painting and drawing like a fiend. I have so much to show, so please check out this preview of what is to come. Some of my watercolors I've done since March. As always, click to see a larger image!

Thanks for coming out!

2011-03-05T18:39:00.000-08:00

A great big thanks to everyone who came out to Women In Animation's group show at the Animation Guild last night! It was a great turn out and a lot of fun. For those who couldn't make it, the show is up all month, any time the Guild is open I think. I still can't get an answer on that.

Hopefully now that my graduate applications are all in, I'll be able to post more stuff. I've been painting and drawing, I just need to get a good workflow to include the blog as my last step to considering a piece done ;)

IF - Burning

2010-11-16T17:55:00.000-08:00

The Djin felt a burning desire to dance.

Breast Cancer Awareness

2010-09-21T21:47:00.001-07:00

As always, click to enlarge.

walk on water

2010-09-20T18:54:00.001-07:00

more fashion drawings

2010-09-16T17:29:00.001-07:00

More fashion based illustration. I like the kind of line work, not sure where I'm going with it...

Gram

2010-09-15T16:35:00.000-07:00

My Gram was a stylish lady, she never left the house without lipstick, she often wore a turban, and big dark glasses. It made her look like a movie star from the 60s.

Watercolor Orchids

2010-07-25T15:15:00.000-07:00

My large orchid is blooming like crazy. Something like 12 flowers! I had to try to paint it. I made 2 passes, I think the second smaller one is more successful. It is more about the spirit of the orchid and less about a specific flower.

Blog backlog, again!

2010-07-09T23:20:00.000-07:00

The Process Mill

Gypsy Moth

Gerbers & Roses

Gypsy Moth WIP

So this is what I've been up to this week, and I've decided to go back to grad school. I'll be working a lot on my portfolio, trying to get it up to snuff. Stay tuned.

Other thoughts, I need to update more often so I don't have to do a bunch of paintings and drawings all at once. Also, why did I get the hot press paper? I know I had a reason when I bought it, but I surely can't figure it out now! I just know when I paint on it the way I paint on the cold press it becomes a flooded disaster. Must try drier techniques!

Inky Sketch

2010-07-04T22:54:00.000-07:00

Playing a bit with ink in the sketchbook.

Marlena

2010-07-03T22:53:00.001-07:00

Now we are getting somewhere.

Update

2010-06-30T19:48:00.000-07:00

Not dead yet.

Some old posts

2010-05-19T15:46:00.001-07:00

Koi Pond

2010-03-17T22:46:00.001-07:00

Some fishies from a photo I took at the Huntington.

Post from yesterday

2010-03-16T13:52:00.001-07:00

I finished this last night but was too tired to post. Some pretty orchids for the spring.

NOT a boat, a garden!

2010-03-11T16:40:00.001-08:00

Santa Monica has some wonderful gardens and landscaping. I spotted these lovely rocks on one of my neighborhood walks.

More boats

2010-03-10T19:00:00.000-08:00

Eyvind Earle was taken by his estranged father when he was a kid and his dad required him to paint a painting or read a book every day. I thought at first, how restrictive. However, it is probably the best thing that ever happened to him.

Click to enlarge.

SB Boats

2010-03-09T22:33:00.000-08:00

Based on a photo I took in Santa Barbara last June. Obviously I changed the costumes. Click to enlarge.

Somewhere I'd like to be.

2010-03-05T20:43:00.001-08:00

Master copy of an artist named Steve Rogers. Super talented guy, I really admire his work.

Strange clouds

2010-03-04T23:52:00.000-08:00

Do it every day and you'll learn something.

For Bill and Katrina

2010-03-03T20:20:00.000-08:00

Ahh, pastels, the sunset and cypress trees. Reminds me of Italy sometimes.

Watercolor from class

2010-03-01T18:00:00.000-08:00

Ahhhh, I love watercolor. Except of course when I hate it, but really I always love it. It feels so good to be painting again. I may give up on acrylics all together. They take up a lot of space in my very small studio.

Speed Painting - Griffith Observatory

2010-02-24T23:17:00.000-08:00

So tired tonight, but trying to challenge myself to do something in less than an hour. 45 min, inspired by the beautiful Griffith Observatory at night.

Dahlias

2010-02-21T20:58:00.000-08:00

A sketch I started long ago and only just got around to coloring.

IF Catch Up - Adrift

2010-02-20T17:55:00.000-08:00

I walked home today feeling adrift in a sea of puffy clouds. It was a beautiful day after the rain last night.

Sketchbook Pages

2010-02-11T22:40:00.000-08:00

Sketching.

Painting - Complete

2010-02-09T23:03:00.000-08:00

Closer detail:

Trying to always be working on a painting right now. It is good, and I really enjoy it.

Moonset

2010-02-09T00:26:00.000-08:00

Moonset is still one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I'm totally out of juice tonight, but trying to stick with the posting. It's something :)

Beset by Demon Snails

2010-02-07T21:50:00.000-08:00

I am under attack. They are all around these demon snails. And one of them got my scanner! Some back logged posts, but I'll have to get better about photographing my sketchbook while my scanner is out of commission.

Rembrandt at the Getty

2010-01-31T21:47:00.000-08:00

I had a truly fantastic weekend. I got to go to the Getty with Amanda and see this fantastic exhibit on Rembrandt drawings (please note, these are copies of Rembrandts and in no way original art), visit a Vintage Clothing Expo with Karen and take in the singularly bizarre "A Town Called Panic" at the Nuart with Jim, Rudi and Nora. All in all a weekend of note!

Late Autumn at the Tree of Life

2010-01-26T22:19:00.000-08:00

I often suffer from stage fright of blank paper. For example, I got this gorgeous Fabriano artists' journal about 3 years ago. It has a beautiful rainbow of colored paper and I opened it for the first time about 3 weeks ago. You can see my first sketch in the "Blog Backlog" post. I like working on colored paper quite a bit.

Painting Sketch

2010-01-25T15:53:00.000-08:00

Exploring some ideas inspired by metamorphosis.
"When Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, he found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin." - Kafka

WIP:

I had intended to capture the pencil sketch before coloring as well but I forgot. Oops.

Draftsmanship

2010-01-24T23:12:00.000-08:00

I took an amazing class in Draftsmanship (aka perspective) today! A wonderful joint effort between Gallery Nucleus and the great master instructor Marshall Vandruff. This is the second Marshall class I've had the pleasure of taking. It reminded me I really love drawing figures, and honestly, I'm not as bad at it as I thought ;)

Staying Out of the Rain

2010-01-22T22:34:00.000-08:00

I always feel bad for the snails in the rain. It is a tough life, being a snail. Click to enlarge for detail :)

Romanesco

2010-01-20T23:47:00.000-08:00

A fascinating vegetable I spotted at the farmer's market! It is a living 3d fractal, each part of it is a smaller representation of the whole. It is gorgeous! Now I need to figure out how to eat it ;)

Was it the Rufina?

2010-01-17T00:58:00.001-08:00

Sometimes I get so tired of the "what did I eat that made me sick this time?" game. Was it the fact that I drank coffee this afternoon? The fact that I ate refined sugar items twice today? The fact that I had a drink at dinner? Or was it my most favorite dessert on earth, the Pastel Rufina...?

I may be over eating sugar. We'll see.

Friday Post

2010-01-16T13:06:00.000-08:00

A study for a large painting I'm about to embark on. I'm sure I'll have to work it out more, this is just the first sketch.

Pity-riosis

2010-01-13T22:15:00.000-08:00

blarg.

city scape

2010-01-12T17:20:00.000-08:00

An abstract cityscape for fun.

Storm Clouds

2010-01-11T23:51:00.000-08:00

So tired tonight, something quick and easy.

Blog Backlog

2010-01-10T10:17:00.001-08:00

For Damon:
Here are some of the things I've been working on. Basically this is just the stack that was next to the drawing table last night. I certainly have a lot more stuff I've done since September, but scanning ALL of it is going to take some time ;) Click to enlarge!

More to come...

She Walked in to the Party

2009-09-28T18:48:00.000-07:00

Quick sketch

2009-09-13T22:22:00.000-07:00

Diagnosis is only half the battle.

I am tired and it is late, just a quick one tonight.

Illustration Friday - Welcome

2009-09-11T12:58:00.001-07:00

I welcome the fall! I think Mother Nature walks the earth, making sure we are all ready for the winter season (easy to say when you live in Southern California). This is a digital study for an acrylic I plan to do for a show. It started as a simple IF sketch, but I think it has promise :)

Bizarre Portrait

2009-09-08T11:58:00.000-07:00

This started as a sketch and kind of ended up looking very weird. I don't really like it, but if I don't keep trying, I suppose I never will ;)

Cosmic Fishing

2009-09-03T18:44:00.000-07:00

I always take my flying turtle out for cosmic fishing.

Little Grass Shack

2009-09-01T23:58:00.000-07:00

My friend Jess used to have a blog called Little Grass Shack, and today that was where I wanted to be. On the beach, in Hawaii, near a little grass shack.

Yuki-onna

2009-08-31T22:58:00.000-07:00

A Japanese legend, the Yuki-onna is often depicted as a beautiful woman with long flowing hair. Tales vary, but according to the toy that inspired this, she lures men to their death by convincing them to lay with her in the snow.

Weekend Catch Up - Collage Fun!

2009-08-31T22:56:00.001-07:00

My friend Karen hosted a little collage workshop this past weekend. It was so much fun! I really enjoyed it.

Veronica Lake

2009-08-30T10:24:00.000-07:00

Such a beauty! I don't think I did her justice, but it is not bad. Still playing catch up with the scanner. Will post more late tonight. So much to do, so little time.

Wednesday's Drawing

2009-08-27T19:50:00.000-07:00

Getting behind due to killer back pain. Someone stole my aeron at work and I'm waiting for another one. OY! The chair makes such a difference!

Painting Concept

2009-08-25T23:15:00.000-07:00

An idea for a painting I'm working out. Click to enlarge.

Inspired by Mucha

2009-08-24T22:30:00.000-07:00

I find Mucha's work so inspiring and beautiful.

Weekend Scanning Backlog!

2009-08-24T20:45:00.001-07:00

Playing catchup after being out of town for a wedding with no scanner access!

Real Pencil!

2009-08-19T22:24:00.000-07:00

Real colored pencil on real paper. I love it!

Inspired by Modern Art

2009-08-18T18:25:00.000-07:00

Trying something more graphic after my trip to the LACMA. "By the waterfall".

Illustration Friday - Wrapped

2009-08-17T12:40:00.001-07:00

Wrapped in her kimono, she regarded the intruder with a wary eye.

Sunday Day Lily

2009-08-16T22:20:00.000-07:00

Exhausted tonight. Did another drawing first, but it wasn't working. I went to see Pompeii and the Roman Villa at LACMA today and tried to capture this bizarre sculpture of a bachanae (I think) riding a wineskin. It was really the wineskin that was fascinating, looked sort of like the Swinetrek from Pigs in Space. I'll try to draw it again and post. In the meantime, pretty flower ;)

DH Daily - Quick sketch

2009-08-15T22:49:00.000-07:00

Been up since early and way tired. Just a quickie tonight. More to show later.

More Jellies!

2009-08-14T15:16:00.000-07:00

What can I say, it is slow today. More graphic treatment of jellyfish!

Jellyfish Mania

2009-08-14T14:39:00.000-07:00

For the longest time, I've been fascinated by jellyfish. I think they are so strange! Brainless, beautiful, deadly...an odd combo, but I guess not unheard of. More jellies to come. Click to enlarge, the detail is worth it.

Incidentally I also like anemones and will probably draw some of those too.

Utilitarian Weekly - Sulfetara

2009-08-14T07:05:00.000-07:00

For the weekly challenge with Amanda, the volcano goddess Sulfetara. She is an experiment and I'm not quite sure she's finished, but a deadline is a deadline ;) Ink, watercolor, gouache and colored pencil (the frame is digital). Click to enlarge.

DH Daily - Dragon

2009-08-14T06:51:00.000-07:00

UGH. Medication is never fun because it means you are ill, however it is even worse when it makes you sick in new ways! Heartburn is an icky awful side effect that I am never going to be used to, especially not at 5 am.

Illustration Friday - Impatience

2009-08-13T10:39:00.000-07:00

The famous green-eyed monster has a little cousin. An imp that sits on my shoulder and tells me that after all my life as an artist I should be better. That I'm not awesome yet and I should be. Sometimes he makes it really hard to get things done!

Composition studies

2009-08-12T16:38:00.000-07:00

Working with the divine proportion grid, aka the fibonacci spiral. I think I've lost it in there somewhere, but that is where it started.

Tuesday

2009-08-11T09:52:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how to title these, so right now, it is day of the week. I might start doing it by number of posts, but this is working so far.

Weekend Catch Up

2009-08-10T22:09:00.000-07:00

Some of my weekend experiments. Really enjoying ink and watercolor. Click to enlarge.

Monday

2009-08-10T09:58:00.000-07:00

Quick portrait today, have to go in to work, which I am tres excited about!

For Amanda

2009-08-07T11:01:00.001-07:00

Monkey Pirate! Yeah I totally cheesed out on this one, I wasn't feeling it ;) No design to this puppy whatsoever. Oh well, it is good practice to paint somewhat realistically (my cheat when I am not inspired). Could have been this week's IF "Impatience" too but I think I have a better idea for that....

OH yes, and 100 posts to the blog today!

Pattern experiment

2009-08-06T18:56:00.000-07:00

Through an oversight I discovered you can use the patterns in painter in conjunction with the watercolor brushes set to a cloner source. Very interesting results, though I am not satisfied with the overall outcome yet. Hm...

Wood Nymph

2009-08-05T14:21:00.000-07:00

Playing more with digital watercolor. Click to enlarge, you can see the water so much better.

Digital Ink & Watercolor

2009-08-04T08:53:00.001-07:00

Morning experiments, as usual. Click to enlarge, she's better when you can see the detail.

More experimentation

2009-08-03T18:57:00.000-07:00

Still more experimenting. Getting there. As usual, click to enlarge :)

Illustration Friday - Modify

2009-08-01T15:05:00.000-07:00

To advance, one must modify. Trying new things, click to enlarge.

struggle

2009-07-31T16:01:00.001-07:00

Trying to learn how to do ink, it is difficult, digital or otherwise. Click to enlarge.

Odd Morning

2009-07-30T09:49:00.000-07:00

It was an odd morning, what with the talking frog and all...

Morning Glory

2009-07-29T13:45:00.000-07:00

Another idle lady

2009-07-28T10:04:00.000-07:00

And for practice, another figure.

Mixed Media Experiment

2009-07-28T10:01:00.000-07:00

Experimenting, click to enlarge!

Illustration Friday - Idle

2009-07-27T13:37:00.000-07:00

It was an idle morning, she rose late. Click to enlarge.

Illustration Friday - Hollow

2009-07-16T16:45:00.000-07:00

"Hollow, like the bones of a bird."

This is actually a quick digital study for a larger painting I'm starting. I am not happy with it just yet, but I do like certain aspects of it. Click to enlarge, feedback welcome :)

Mai Kai Beauty

2009-07-16T16:16:00.000-07:00

I was searching for reference images for something else and came across a bunch of calendars from the 60's. These Mai Kai girls are just fantastic. Click to enlarge!

Hawaiian Idyll

2009-07-15T10:01:00.000-07:00

A classic calendar beauty! Click to enlarge.