Beans

This is how Beans stays warm.
(Click to enlarge.)

Multiple Personality

Yup, that is how I feel a lot of the time. I was doing a little redecorating and decided to frame out this piece I did in a multimedia workshop a couple of years ago. I wasn't that excited about it at the time, but I recently found it again and quite like it. (It doesn't reproduce well online, but you get the general idea.)


It is very different from what I normally do and I love the story that evolved as I was creating it. I feel like there are so many artists inside of me lying dormant, waiting for a wakeful nudge. I have talked about experimenting with metal, collage, ceramic studio days... there was also photography for a short while ...





I own a small fraction of what I produced. There is a visual history of my life that awaits me at my friends' and family's homes. I can map out my life by what is hanging on their walls or sitting on their shelves. I want to do it all, but more importantly I want to do it well....and well, that takes time. In my impatience I feel I have raced through a lot of media trying to find that something that I will stick with and explore. But maybe that is not as important as I think.

Design work for now is very satisfying. I have finally come up with a mental formula to help me sort out the tug of war that happens within. I am a surface designer, I am a children's illustrator, both of which I do for my job and for the love of it. But off hours, I am a curious artist who will keep exploring and playing with different media and hopefully growing. Maybe something will grab me along the way and say, "Hey, stay a while and play". That would be sweet.

I read an interview with a book artist recently and he said, "Ask your hands what it is they want to do". That is a great jumping off point. I think I might add to that, "What do your eyes want to see?" and "What makes your heart jittery?"

Last week in the NY Times there was a small piece about Ettore Sottsass, one of the founders of the Memphis Group. He said, "Many architects are very rational, but I believe we have to experience the world like children--through the senses rather than the mind. What is truly important is to have an open mind and no borders. Then you can do almost anything."

Robert's Snow Interviews Have Begun

I am having so much fun reading all the bloggers' interviews with the participating illustrators for Robert's Snow. They are so inspiring.
Check out the interviews from the 15th on Josephine's blog and the rest of the week on Liz's blog.

Bird Sightings

I found my owls peeping out of this scrapbooking kit by Scrapologie.



Here are some owls that were made from the free owl pattern being offered by Robert Kaufman.



Made by Nicole Ellison.

Finally, here is my little bird from the free give-away waving hello from its new home. Check out Tricia's fun blog and her wonderful illustrations.

Forest Fun

Here is my new forest piece for Oopsy Daisy.

(click to see larger image)


Details -






Onesies and tees available here.

Greetings From the Forest

I am still busily working on my forest illustration. As I am sitting in my studio, the squirrels are jumping around my house, the ducks are quacking loudly, the swans are gliding, and the beavers have been foraging for food every evening. I am sure the raccoons are around at night, but this one popped up today to say hello from the forest.

I was recently interviewed by Josephine Cameron, a very talented musician, who is participating in the blog features of artists involved in the Robert's Snow auction. I will post the link to the full interview and her interviews with four other artists once they are posted. In the meantime, one of her questions was about what inspires me. I listed Bean's shadow, which has always put a smile on my family's faces. I hope you enjoy this photo.



(and back to the forest theme, here are some photos that I took last week of a resident beaver and the beaver lodge in my neighborhood lake)