New Year Portfolio Makeover

Don't know about where you are, but it's a slushy wonderland outside in my neck of the woods. So if you are staying in tonight and flitting about on the internet, check out my updated portfolio if you'd like, with new work from this past year. Much of it is sample work for books to come this year! Many thank yous to the wonderful webmaster at Shannon Associates ;)

Gloria

Hope everyone had a beautiful little holiday. Best wishes for the New Year 2009!

Snowy Snake Secrets

Have you seen your first snowfall of the year yet? Ours was the Sunday after Thanksgiving, and it is snowing lightly right now. First snows always feel special, don't they? Even for me, a "seasoned" New Englander. It always makes things a tiny bit enchanting (won't be saying that in March!)

I'm busy on projects over here, so I thought I'd post a sneak of the character concept painting I did of the slithery hero and spunky heroine from my new early-reader title for Scholastic (click on her to enlarge) It's top secret for now...hope you are warm and cozy and enjoying the season where you are <3

Bridal Series, Shasta

Meet Serif!

I don't think I've ever properly introduced my new coworker...


He's a 6 month old satin–black kitten with a small white star on his chest, and a keen eye for art. He crits my sketches, purrs nonstop and drinks my watercolor water when I'm not looking. He also keeps me on task. When I am honestly working, he sleeps like a baby; when I am fiddling around on the internet, he glares and meows. How DOES he know I'm on Facebook?

I named him Serif, Seri for short. He has a slightly too-long tail for the rest of him which is always curled upright, like the tiny thing on the end of a letter. I guess a "serif", in the typography sense, serves the purpose of readability –allowing letters to flow into words as you read them. I just thought they made them fancy. Serif has made my little life a lot more fancy. And he only drinks water out of glasses, not a bowl, which is much fancier.


Seri came from a local shelter, runt of the litter, but full of heart and gumption. He was the last to be taken home of his brothers and sisters (sad truth behind Emily's sad black-cat story?) Now I can't remember what this little world was like without him!



Today he was using my book dummy pages as a slip-and-slide using it as a landing strip on his crazed flight from the front door into the bedroom, screeching like a little owl. We make a good team. Most of the time he wants to cuddle and play, two things that are excellent for producing a painting. Together we are making some good art. Some sketches:









<3

Holden

I've been chasing this fashion/costume thing since I was a little girl...it is such an integral part of character designing for me. So while I work on books, in the after-hours, these "character girls" show up and I run with them. It is a treat to work this aspect into my books, when I 'm able to. I'd like to move in this direction independently and simultaneously someday soon. I'm making character sketches really while I let them dictate the tone, the costume, the era. I named her Holden. Something in her reminded me of an angsty female Holden Caulfield lost in a time of netted feather hairpieces and sailor bibs and bobs.

My Little Girl

It's out! My Little Girl, by Tim McGraw & Tom Douglas, is twirling around on bookstore shelves!

Hello Carmine!

Hello! How are you today? It's almost dusk here. I have been away these past weeks, working on making my new apartment a home, befriending my new kitten, and working on picture books and some experimental pieces. And since I have last posted, Fall has come!

Fall is my favorite season, warm light inside, cool light outside. Have you ever taken a dusk-time walk? That is the best time to max out the cozy meter, you can peek in politely from your place on the sidewalk as you stroll, and see into warmly lit places throughout your neighborhood. When the sky reaches that deep inky indigo, it is so lovely to see warm orange window lights just pop pop pop out all over the places like little window constellations.

I digress, but I am totally infatuated with color right now. Dr. Ph Martin, thank you for your sumptuous bottles of it. Here is an experiment with them (and Photoshop, colored pencil and watercolor). Her name is Carmine, for my good luck color and for her nailpolish. Her painting soundtrack was the new Stars LP, Broken Social Scene's song 7/4 (Shoreline), and the Sound of Music soundtrack...Much of the initial vision I had for her was based on Brigadoon's costume design (1954 musical starring Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse- so good!)

New Places

Hi! I've been on hiatus due to vacation rolled into moving into a cozy new apartment, so life has kept me packing, moving, in canoes, hiking, seeing friends and fam., cleaning and scrubbing (not in that order) and far away from the computer. I'm even typing this remotely, because my internet hookup doesn't happen until tonight. Navigating room to room via little pathways between stuff. One of my big motivators for unpacking is the new studio company I've been dreaming of: a kitten (or 2!). Art and pictures soon. Hope all is well <3

Clare

This is Clare. She is a quick little study done in graphite and "special" watercolor, born of 2 recent and simultaneous infatuations:

The band, Clare and the Reasons, from Brooklyn, NY. Listen to the tracks "Pluto" (a song of condolence for the overthrown planet we used to know and love) and "Rodi". Be prepared for an entrance into a lovely little world. Plus, the lead singer spells her name the same way I do my middle name.

While I was listening to them, I was on the search for Dr. Martin's Concentrated Watercolor (it feels like a secret I've uncovered). Their saturation is delicious and their layering ability is so exciting. I can't wait to try it all over everything! Even ice-cream!