Hello Niccoco design by Nicole Duquette

2011-10-06T10:48:00.000-04:00

popping in to share the rest of the jungle crew with you today!
along with the hippo gift certificate i designed the invitation for the shower and the thank you notes!

who doesn't love a playful monkey? he's most certainly my favorite of these characters!

hippo gift certificate

2011-10-04T10:01:00.001-04:00

peeking in to share this sweet little hippo gift certificate that i was commissioned to create a few weeks ago for a dear client. it was part of a baby shower gift and couldn't have been a better more thoughtful idea for her daughter's first baby!

i'll have more to share soon featuring this hippo and a couple other fun jungle characters!

allison and anthony

2011-09-27T11:43:00.001-04:00

remember these boston terrier wedding portraits matt & i created? well this commission was inspired by them but featuring black cats! i jumped for joy at the proposition because i have the perfect model, even though he can't sit still, my very own black kitty licorice!

we had fun creating each in our own style, but adding similar touches with the border and colors

congratulations to the couple, anthony and allison!

daily doodle day #18

2011-08-18T13:47:00.000-04:00

the beautiful bright blue jay is today's daily animal doodle!
i'm thoroughly enjoying opening my watercolor's each day, even if its only for a few moments.

daily doodle day #17

2011-08-17T10:27:00.000-04:00

i can safely say i've never drawn a camel in my life- until now!
while looking at a number of camel photos, it struck me how top heavy they are... and by the looks of it, they shouldn't be able to function and hold themselves up! my favorite part about this guy is his eyes. i normally stick dots in place of eyes, but camels have such heavy eyelids. adding that tiny line, i think, made all the difference in his expression!

daily doodle day #16

2011-08-17T00:53:00.002-04:00

the doodle for day number 16 is a hummingbird and who ins't awestruck by these lovely creatures :)
as soon as i started sketching this morning i knew i was inspired to take this doodle further!
i began a flowery wreath in ink and have plans to continue and finish with a watercolor wash.

a little side note of inspiration... we just bought these stamps and i am head over heels with the design, everything is made up with hearts! swoon! i've been gazing at these lovelies which i purposely placed on my desk for some cheerful eye candy.

daily doodle day #13

2011-08-13T22:27:00.000-04:00

i doodled up a red bellied woodpecker in ink and watercolor! i think my favorite part about them is the pattern on their wings- oh so lovely!

daily doodle day #12

2011-08-12T18:52:00.000-04:00

there is this fun little project that i was introduced to be the multi-talented emily... it was originated over at the papersparrow where a new animal is the inspiration for a doodle a day. i'm a bit behind and just started today, on day 12!

can i just say i am loving this idea & seeing other creatives knock out some most excellent drawings! it's a great exercise that keeps the imagination wheels turning- who know one of these doodles may turn into a shiny new complete piece!

my very own print...

2011-08-11T21:09:00.001-04:00

of my very own drawing!
I ordered this a couple of weeks ago from society6- they were offering a fantastic special for designers & I just couldn't resist. The best thing about the print is the size, its about 12 times larger than the original drawing! I draw itty-bitty so seeing my work larger than normal is pretty fantastic :)

ready to go!

2011-08-11T09:53:00.000-04:00

snapped right before mister chipmunk and a few other goodies were packed away to be shipped to their new home!

miss yarn hair >> a doodle

2011-07-15T12:39:00.000-04:00

you should know by now my love for drawing ladies with large imaginary hair! i doodled this one quick and light-boxed the watercolor overtop, so if mistakes happen no re-drawing is needed :)

i kind of love the idea of yarn hair. perfect print to hang for all you avid knitters and crocheters out there! i'm going to keep playing with this idea, so you may see a new version in the shop!

new york inspired

2011-07-12T13:15:00.000-04:00

last week I was lucky enough to spend three days in new york to celebrate my birthday! I made a couple of new york inspired thank you's featuring lady liberty (even though we didn't see the actual statue of liberty we did see one made entirely out of legos...)
Here is the watercolor wash and the almost finished note!

and just a few snapshots from the trip...

Matt in line for the lion king! and yes, it was amazing.

a new york slice, as big as my head!

charming detail at the carousel in central park

there was about a dozen of these illustrated windows, they were so fun and brightened up our walk to Fao Schwartz

lady with fantastical floral hair

2011-06-29T09:30:00.002-04:00

a new lady with a flower garden atop her head. next, a veggie garden? yum!

good morning rooster >> a new print!

2011-06-21T13:54:00.001-04:00

yesterday I revealed on flickr a sneak peek of my latest drawing soon-to-be print!
very enticing isn't it?

here is the finish! I made a few color changes but overall the palette stayed the same. I went back and forth and back again on wether to have a background color or even lay in a background. I admit I loved it on screen and in thought but once it was printed I really didn't like it. at all. I reminded myself that I'm going for clean and simple and left the background white, that way the sunshiny yellow can stand out.

the print is now available in my shop and to celebrate the first official day of summer use the code YAYSUMMER to receive 10% off anything in store. limited time only so move fast :)

hope something today...

2011-06-17T12:37:00.002-04:00

makes you smile!

happy friday!

new new new +links!

2011-06-09T19:55:00.001-04:00

hello dear blog! it's been so long, you probably thought i had forgotten all about you.

but don't fret i have lovely things to share like my shiny new etsy shop hello niccoco that I have been filling with prints

Etsy
helloniccoco

also i'm currently a part of the papernstitch exhibition this month, and couldn't be happier! i credit my first sale to being a part of brittni's lovely round up of shops & i hope to make a few more by the end of the month.

lastly, this may be old news to some but in april i received an email from society6 (where i've been uploading designs & selling prints and yes even iphone/pod cases!) that my "all you need is love" design would be a part of urban outfitters print shop. i couldn't believe my eyes, but it was true! i've sold a handful of prints since being on the UO site and it's been a great experience.

i promise more updates in the futures especially of sneak peeks of new prints for the shop!

Love is all you need

2011-03-29T08:34:00.000-04:00

and here is the other half to join this first design.
the deeper colors seems to pop more for me so i went with the second color scheme.
i can't say it enough, i just love how easy it is to switch and play with color in illustrator! seriously, its the tops!

all you need is love

2011-03-23T11:11:00.000-04:00

a fun little design that will soon have an accompanying one to match- bet you can't guess what that will be!

all you need is love in pastels and an orangey orange

all you need is love in blue-y greens with a popping yellow

even though its monday...

2011-03-14T09:45:00.001-04:00

today will be top notch!

its true! sometimes we just need a little sunny reminder that it can and will be a good day :)

hello bird!

2011-03-02T12:21:00.000-05:00

a fun little piece i drew up yesterday in between some work... its always nice to take a break and make something just because. it wasn't until after i played around with the colors that i realized it kind of resembled my latest inspiration board!

& just in case you haven't seen over at society6 i have some designs up for sale as prints, tees, ipod/iphone skins and cases! including yesterdays hello bird! its really quite an amazing site.

first ever >> screenprints!

2011-02-22T18:24:00.000-05:00

yes, thats right these are my first ever attempts at the skill of silkscreen printing! like any other new medium there are trials & errors. lots of them. believe me. every screen and technique i had to do some trouble shooting in an attempt to salvage my full class worth of work (they were only 3 hours long! which sounds like a lot, but boy oh boy the clean up is messy!)

the first assignment we had to draw a handful of thumbs of an object from our surrounding and kind of abstract it into shapes, or even textures... and then separate it into 4 layers.
we were also to combine the use of stencils and drawing fluid to form our 4 layer print.
here is my trusty cactus- with some blob like spikes on a few of the prints :)

the second project we were asked to make a collage and create an appropriation where we could combine found imagery and our own drawing to it. we used the photo emulsion technique which is excellent for mass producing prints.
i used an image from an anthropologie catalogue and created a frame around her & added some fun woodland doodles.

back when i was like 13 years old i always wore those screen-printed looking tees (my fondest memory is one of felix the cat) and my dad always told me i could make my own! i thought that was the coolest thing ever. since then, i've always wanted to try the technique. in my mind i thought i could just teach myself, which i still think i could of- but taking this course really just set the time aside and made me jump right in! learning something new is always a tad bit scary, because what if you jus plain ol' stink at it? i'm not exactly proud of these prints, i'm proud that i tried my hand at something i had absolutely no experience with!

inspiration >> from the philadelphia art museum

2011-02-17T09:00:00.001-05:00

matt and i hopped in the car tuesday for a semi-belated valentines fun day and headed east to philadelphia!! it's been 2 years or so since i've been to the art museum (well over 3 for him!), so it was a long over-due trip considering we've frequented NYC museums more than philadelphia.
it was a wonderful trip filled to the brim with inspiration overload.

of course we brought our cameras along & snapped away.
& of course one of my favorites were the dutch tiles.
they are just so fun & simple, i can't help but love them.

i suppose i really enjoy ceramics and delicate paintings? because these asian dishes are so charming!

this shot came from one of matt's favorite sections- the armory!
the detail work on all the armor, swords and yes, even this gun was just so unreal.

there was also a small exhibit showcasing embroidery- my favorite piece (which photo didn't turn out due to lack of lighting) was a stitch sampler that dated back to the 1600s! the stitches created intricate lines, shapes, flowers, designs and looked like a well thought out pattern, it was oh so lovely & inspiring!

hello from sunny florida>> in progress peeks

2011-02-03T12:23:00.000-05:00

i always love seeing the behind the scenes/development of a piece of work... so just in case you missed it on flickr here are all stages of the florida postcard!!

the initial sketch done with 4 other concepts for the commissioner

playing with placement of all the landmarks- they were each drawn/scanned in/placed separately for easy moving around. here i was also testing a watercolor bleed...

the finished digital image! complete with watercolor bleed in the shape of florida, & interstate signs!

kept the back of the postcard simple but fun!
everything turned out so lovely that i'm currently working on a maryland map for a personal piece! i've been wanting to do illustrated maps and this commission was the perfect excuse to get started.

a little yodelayheehoo for you

2011-01-28T10:15:00.002-05:00

i've been drawing imaginary mountain ranges with polka dots & stripes and thought it would be fun to finally color one of them. i couldn't decide on a color scheme (frozen and wintery? or lush and green?) so here are both of them for you to enjoy!

fun & fancy doodles

2011-01-26T10:00:00.019-05:00

mister night owl.

a chipmunk squirrel-ish hybrid.

& a sweater wearing rabbit. because all rabbits need cute polka dots.

inked up ideas

2011-01-14T11:00:00.001-05:00

just a few concepts for a commissioned set of postcards.
even if they aren't selected to move forward, i think i may have a few new prints on my hands. i enjoy them all so so much!

part 2 >>sketchbook project 2011

2011-01-13T10:30:00.005-05:00

a few of my favorite spreads from my art-house sketchbook! yes, it's finally done and soon to be on it's way to brooklyn. i really would love to see the tour, but if a spontaneous trip to one of the cities doesn't pan out, a trip to brooklyn must happen where all the sketchbooks will eventually reside. goodbye dear sketchbook!

woodland garden >> inspiration

2011-01-11T10:15:00.000-05:00

these matching curtains & shams from urban outfitters make me swoon. the punchy colors and the simple yet playful line-work are a dream come true! if that wasn't enough woodland garden love there is even a rug to go with this set. talk about a lovely dose of inspiration.

part 1 >>sketchbook project 2011

2011-01-06T10:15:00.000-05:00

here are the first few pages of my arthouse co-op sketchbook project. each sketchbook has a theme, it can be taken literally or just inspired by... you can fill it with whatever your heart desires. the theme i choose was "in flight".
i've come to realize my sketchbooks/loose scraps of paper i draw on are quite repetitive, i end up drawing the same thing over and over changing only small details. so it's fitting that i dedicated a page to just one word repeated in different ways.
the deadline is looming and i still have a handful pages to fill up, but i'll be sure to share more!

inspiration >> paint palette pillows

2011-01-05T09:00:00.000-05:00

how lovely are these watercolor paint palette pillows from cb2? i was flipping through their most recent catalogue yesterday and my heart stopped, i am head over heals in love. they remind me of the little pieces of scrap paper where i test what color i mixed or how thick the watercolor pigment is. i just might have to own one.... or both... of these.

a look back into 2010>> journal spread!

2011-01-03T08:30:00.004-05:00

a snippet from the mini book of our 2010 adventures i wrote/drew up for Matt as a surprise new years gift. this spread is part of february & march of last year... i dedicated 3 whole pages to disney world alone.
2010 was a good year, i'm pushing for 2011 to be even better!
a year filled with more
+ creating
+ drawing
+ blogging
+ promoting
+ picture taking!

Rumblebea's pet treats >> logo design!

2010-12-28T11:21:00.000-05:00

I've been working on a handful of illustrations with this sweet couple who whip up homemade gluten free pet treats for their furry friends. The logo was the first piece (more are up on my website!) featuring Rumblebea the black lab, an orange cat, and a pet rat.
This nifty little package was part of my gift to my parents puppy Oreo, and she absolutely loved the treats!! If you're interested in a package of your own, get in touch, I can send the owner your way!

snowflake kites >> starbucks commercial

2010-12-09T09:28:00.000-05:00

i just saw this last evening & I can't get the imagery out of my head, the snowflakes are so whimsical & dreamy. i've been contemplating making paper snowflakes to hang- its now definitely on my crafty to do list. enjoy!

christmas card peek

2010-12-07T14:24:00.000-05:00

up close shot of (so far, there may be more) all three designs.
must start writing them out & sending them off!

december inspiration + promo mailers!

2010-12-06T09:23:00.000-05:00

my latest arrangement on my inspiration board has a mix of reds and greens to celebrate the season. the snippet of green polkadots is one of my holiday wrapping papers this year, swoon!

finally got to take a snapshot of my recent promo mailers featuring the piece ocean swept in deeper blues. i sent a batch out a couple weeks ago, must beef up my client list to send out the next round.

i am loving the back layout & design, it's only natural for me to handwrite my information... using a typical type just doesn't mix well when trying to showcase myself. hope you enjoy them as much as i do!

a little winter forest

2010-11-18T11:14:00.001-05:00

a quiet little forest created for the trees galore exhibit/silent auction at the lancaster art museum in december. my favorite thing about creating this was experimenting with the layers/opacity of the trees. really, i could spend hours mocking up different versions, its oh so fun!

a sample of colors

2010-11-09T22:54:00.002-05:00

I love how different each version of this same pattern looks. Its amazing what color can do/super fun to play around with. I so want to make these into 12x12 scrapbook sized paper. or wrapping paper. or journals. (I normally like to add blog images to flickr, they tend to have a higher quality but the colors in this one turned "hurt your eyes fluorescent", so I hope you enjoy the slightly smaller but the intended muted palette here.)

autumn leaves >> inspiration

2010-10-29T11:43:00.000-04:00

yesterday i spent the unseasonably warm afternoon outside drawing and collecting leaves.
i think i may do some quick color studies from them before they become brown and crunchy.

october inspiration + nested

2010-10-07T10:45:00.000-04:00

my new october inspiration board... i decided to go through old magazines/catalogues for this one and my eye was caught by creamy neutrals & hand drawn line work.

another illustrator piece! i sketched this same idea next to the previous, ocean swept, so i think they have a similar feel. blogger seems to have really desaturated this one making the greens/browns look gray-ish. flickr has a better version (on my screen at least!)

shades of blue

2010-10-06T12:39:00.000-04:00

i've been playing around in illustrator, my ultimate default program is photoshop, so its been a bit of a transition... but i'm finding out there are a lot of cool/easy/super fun tools that i didn't even know existed!

i first started with this scanned ink drawing (i'll spare you from the two watercolor attempts)

first color-way here in light blue/seafoamy greens

second color-way in deeper blues

i'm not sure which is like best?! its fun working digitally because with the click of a button you can re-do/un-do everything!

snap-shoot>> new swatches!

2010-09-28T12:23:00.000-04:00

new spoonflower swatches have arrived!! its exciting/nerve racking opening up that little package!

the second in the nature walk series turned out a bit orangey than I imagined, so i've made a few adjustments and plan to proof the new version soon.

the tea cup flowers in shades of gray turned out perfect and is up for sale now!!

warning: i think its safe to say spoonflower is officially feeding my obsession with patterning. so be on the look out for new designs by becoming a fan on facebook where you will see them first!!

new & old >> leaves!

2010-09-16T11:49:00.000-04:00

spent a bit of time yesterday playing in photoshop trying out new (to me!) techniques, patterning some ink drawings & discovering new color palettes.

its fun to see my style evolve in just under a year. this pattern was made last october.

nature walk >> on fabric!

2010-09-14T10:47:00.000-04:00

didn't i mention yesterday how anxious i was to see my first ever spoonflower swatch??

the colors match perfect, i couldn't be happier! i just love seeing my ink drawings on fabric, i want to make curtains and bedsheets and tablecloths!
this design is now up for sale, go on take a peek!

nature walking

2010-09-13T12:04:00.000-04:00

hello blog, it's been far too long!
here are the latest designs i've been working up... a nature walk inspired series.
i must say this summer was hot, like super hot to the point of not being able to enjoy outside-ness. when i tried to escape it, that pesky heat followed me (it was 90 degrees in maine last week!!) since it's finally cooled down to a livable temperature i've been able to enjoy walking some trails and discovering new plants/shapes that inspire me.

i ordered a swatch of this design from spoonflower, and i'm overly anxious to see it! it got lost in the mail while i was away so i'm crossing my fingers it gets here this week!

new doodles

2010-07-24T09:31:00.002-04:00

just a couple of new ideas that keep popping up while I'm drawing away...

3x3 nuts & bolts conference

2010-07-15T11:37:00.000-04:00

from my experience the first annual 3x3 nuts & bolts conference this past weekend was a huge success! getting to see/hear each illustrators progression from student to working professional was truly awesome and inspirational. each speaker had a specific topic to elaborate on ranging from children books, to self publishing, to protecting you work... it was overwhelming to hear one person after another but in a good way.

Charles Hively (who is photographed here taking a picture of the whole group) opened the conference by saying even if you take just one thing away from this, it was successful/worthwhile. that stuck with me.

home from the woods...

2010-07-08T22:46:00.000-04:00

.. and on our way to the city.
it's been a busy, jam packed week.
matt & i just got home from a short trip to westmoreland virginia where we made these delicious bald eagle marshmallows (that were dipped in white chocolate, rolled in coconut, and stuck on an oreo cookie. yum.)

and painted these rocks & shells found on one of our walks. that big blue one i'm going to turn into a whale by drawing on it with a handy dandy pen/marker that works on crazy surfaces!

we are heading up to NY tomorrow for the nuts & bolts conference hosted by 3x3 magazine. it should be pretty excellent because
1. it's being held at the society of illustrators
2. we are going on a studio tour
3. we get to meet amazing illustrators working in the industry doing what they love day in and day out
4. well, do i need any more reasons? it's going to be a fantastic experience.

also this weekend is the drawgasmic show in st. louis where (former classmates/current illustrators) matt, amanda, joe & myself have pieces on display/for sale!! i wish i could attend, i'm sure the show will be spectacular.

a trip to the brandywine

2010-07-03T09:59:00.003-04:00

we ended up at the brandywine river museum on thursday & it was absolutely beautiful. matt had never been so it was definitely extra special.

we purchased the general admission and the NC Wyeth home/studio tour.

the studio. was. well, still is amazing. unfortunately we weren't able to snap photos inside, but this photo below is the north facing window of the studio. it had the most amazing light.

this is the path between the studio and the home.

from my own experience of the trip... even though i don't paint like the masters on display there, it is (beyond) amazing to see where/how illustration started. just to be in the same room as those works of art is jaw dropping. the history. the significance. and to put it simply, the talent. it was truly a fantastic day filled with inspiration.

our mini collection from the trip... the 2 postcards on the right are paintings by Andrew Wyeth & the bottom postcard is from inside NC's studio.

happy july

2010-07-01T11:09:00.004-04:00

can you believe the year is halfway through?
it's another beautiful day out & both matt and i are off, so the plan is to enjoy the lovely non-humid weather!

happy day doodle

2010-06-30T09:19:00.000-04:00

the humidity has finally gone away & it's beautiful outside! oh happy day indeed!!

the green bib necklace

2010-06-29T10:14:00.000-04:00

this beaded swag bib necklace from anthropologie catches me eye every time i see it. i could never pull it off though, i tend to wear simple jewelry if anything at all.. i think i love it so much because of the gorgeous green color annnd that it reminds me of all my tiny circle drawings.

oreo the dog!

2010-06-28T08:43:00.000-04:00

yesterday was my mom's birthday & in hopes of breaking the tradition of the same ol gifts we give her.. i tired my hand at something new. i drew her something. come to think of it, i don't think my parents have any recent artwork of mine!

this is a portrait of their dog oreo, who is a mostly black (with a tiny bit of white) cockapoo. she is still a puppy and is full of energy, and of course very adorable! i tired a few different versions.. one with her name and the big O, an actual oreo. but i went with this and was inspired by the design on the cookie as the background pattern.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevendepolo/4596906329/in/set-72157608772318264/ by stevendepolo

today will be awesome

2010-06-14T09:19:00.000-04:00

the past 2 days have been filled with lots of tiny little ink drawings, watercoloring, photo-shoots, photo editing, printing, cutting, resizing.. and well, you get the picture. it was super productive!
i've been drawing up a lot of these handwritten mantra's & i love them! they inspire me, so i hope they can/will inspire someone else!

ok, so today isn't very sunny & thats OK. matt and i are heading to hershey park for some roller-coaster/water-park fun. we will enjoy the cloudiness for we both have fair skin... and maybe it won't be so darn hot.
today, in fact, will be awesome.

prints + paper crafting

2010-06-11T10:15:00.000-04:00

happy friday!! it's been a gorgeous few days here ie. not too hot, no rain.. so i was able to snap some shots of my latest fun. first up are 2 (out of 4) prints for a sunny beachy series i'm doing for a friend.

and i purchased this lovely blue & white yarn yesterday and just had to put it to good use. i made a fun little bunting! my original idea was to make one so i could take some lovely product print photos.. this white fence is the perfect backdrop!

super fun modcloth flats

2010-06-09T09:38:00.003-04:00

these state fair flats from modlcoth are super adorable! they make me want to slip them on and hop on boardwalk rides all night & eat nothing but funnel cake.

also, sign me up for doing designs for insides of shoes!! how adorable is that?? my whole sketchbook is filled with birds!

leah duncan bike print + a curious catt

2010-06-08T11:47:00.000-04:00

i was so excited when i took a peek in leah duncan's etsy shop last week... she has just recently added tea towels- swoon!
annd i've always loved her bike pattern.. lo and behold! it is now a limited edition print! it was one of those things... i couldn't not buy it. it arrived on my doorstep yesterday and i'm now the proud owner of this oh so lovely print! thanks leah!!!

happy june!

2010-06-01T09:21:00.002-04:00

can you believe it's june already?! i certainly can't!

here's a little piece i finished the other day for a friend's birthday (which i believe is today!)
she loves owls. i love owls. it worked perfect.

here's just the background of leaves. i kind of like it. a lot.

and the finished piece!
happy june! & happy birthday sara!

endless eyeballs

2010-05-30T10:10:00.000-04:00

i was a little stumped this morning on what to draw. i have a fun little series of beachy drawings i'm starting for a friend to give as a gift & i just couldn't get started with it. (i think i may need to go to the beach to get a little inspiration, ya know?)
so i flipped through my sketchbook and saw i started just doodling owl eyes. i think i could do a whole page each one different from the other! it may also make a great surface design pattern. oh, the possibilities!

for the love of scrapbooking

2010-05-26T11:44:00.005-04:00

yes, its true.
I love to scrapbook.
It started recently even though my love for all things paper and patterned goes way back. We have two going right now.. one for the disney trip, the second for all the other photos that have been accumulating. more shots can be found on my flickr under the crafted set!!

this one is from westmoreland virginia where matt & his family go every year. it's so much fun to walk trails, stay in a cabin, and find sharks teeth!

our pirate themed room at disney's caribbean beach resort!

hollywood tower of terror. probably one of our favorite rides!

a lesson in lift

2010-05-20T09:44:00.000-04:00

my newest just for fun drawing.
the balloon is like the tiny banner in the yay! owl piece, it is a "pop-up". i've been considering using this as a new promo postcard, but i really don't like how it looks in a 4x6 box (with and without type!) that's a bit of a problem, huh? i have some other ideas brewing... i'm long overdue for a postcard mailer!

"so makes me want to paint" commercial

2010-05-18T15:17:00.003-04:00

just saw this lovely sherwin-williams commcercial on HGTV & it makes me want to run out to home depot and load up on paint swatches (you know, just because). oooh the colors! oooh the animation!! enjoy!

a must have

2010-05-17T12:00:00.001-04:00

just spotted these gorgeous watercolor poppy plates over at anthropologie and i am absolutely in love with them.

they remind me of these snapshots i took in march at longwood gardens

start to finish

2010-05-13T12:51:00.003-04:00

here's a peek into my goings about a drawing like this! this is actually my second version so things are a bit tidier :) I light boxed all of the fishy sea creatures from the first version (with a few tweaks!) and inked them. then i start on the bubble/barnacle background

i tend not to work in just one spot for fear of overworking the area. i tend to jump around and let the shape form itself. if you look closely in these in progress shots.. you can still see some pencil lines!

pencil lines gone! few details added to some fish! now onto color!

and voila! the finished piece.
the original size is 11x8.5 and i think i may be using this piece for my drawgasmic (aka massive art show/coffee table book of 1,000 artists, illustrators, designers) submission. i believe there's still room to sign up so go on, check it out!

yay! owl

2010-05-11T23:34:00.000-04:00

i couldn't resist doodling & painting this little owl for my friend manda's graduation present. owls= wise (& super cute.) so it was totally appropriate for the occasion. i did drew the banner separate and cut it out with my trusty xacto and steady hand. i used little adhesive "pop up" stickies to give it a bit of dimension. i loved the result and although i was sad to see it go, mister owl was certainly going to a good home! happy graduation manda way to goooo!

it was a fun process, different than the usual, so i promise you will be seeing more of these!

shiny new banners

2010-05-09T20:44:00.001-04:00

for this dear ol' blog

& etsy shop that I am determined to get up and running!

Mr. and Mrs.

2010-04-27T09:59:00.001-04:00

Yay! I can finally reveal a small, but super fun project Matt and I finished a couple weeks ago.
A co-worker of mine got married this past Sunday April 25th (congratulations Sarah & Dan!!) so we decided to do something personal. Sarah has a boston terrier (Shortie) and collects oodles upon oodles of boston terrier artwork/prints/anything. so of course we joined forces and created a his and hers boston terrier drawings- each in our own style. I have to say, it was a blast!

Matt drew the mister, I drew the misses.

happy ever after you two!!

hello sun

2010-04-14T12:20:00.000-04:00

it's so nice to see you out today!

april showers

2010-04-13T13:24:00.007-04:00

it's another cold & rainy day here. but i keep telling myself days like this are much needed, so everything can turn that beautiful shade of green. and so i can work on a secret present soon-to-be revealed!

oh happy wednesday

2010-04-07T14:42:00.001-04:00

today has been filled with wonderful little things.
tiny owl paintings
sunny weather
picnic & walk at the park
brand new DIY magazine delivered by the mailman
a bit of craft reading

can a wednesday be any more relaxing?!

oh happy owls

2010-03-30T19:54:00.002-04:00

"hable construction pendants rug" by ooh_food on flickr

who doesn't love whimsical pennants tied up with string?? there is something so childlike and fun about those little triangles that I can't help but smile when I see them.

these owls brightened this cold and very rainy tuesday.

disney details

2010-03-23T16:20:00.006-04:00

oh dear blog it's been over a month since I last wrote. I'm not intentionally neglecting you... I just wish I was still in Disney World. I know it's not much (we do have 983 photos) but here are a few of my favorite snapshots that inspire me in so many ways.

decorative/bright/fun bird totem in animal kingdom. swoon.

alice in wonderland display window. oh so lovely.

toy story 3 concept art. swoon again.

sculpted cowboy woody. made me chuckle.

spaceship earth detail. perfection.

see some more photos on my flickr ! no, I haven't uploaded all 983 yet but there is more eye candy.

dreaming of spring

2010-02-21T18:29:00.001-05:00

There are still mounds of snow here & I can't help but dream of green grass, blooming flowers, and 60 degree weather.

happy valentines day!

2010-02-14T21:45:00.001-05:00

a teeny tiny 3x3 ink drawing for matt this valentine's day.

illustration Friday- muddy

2010-02-09T23:52:00.001-05:00

inspired by the word of the week- muddy!
I know, I know, there's no mud and they are just wearing rain boots.. to avoid the mud.
I decided to play around with some patterning since it's been a while ( I drew a couple other birds donning rain boots- this was my favorite though)

I really want this as a shower curtain.

Illustration Friday- focused

2010-02-02T15:34:00.000-05:00

whoooo says all owls have 20/20 vision?!
Certainly not me! This guy needs some big ol frames to stay focused.

bags, tags, and prints oh my!

2010-01-28T09:01:00.004-05:00

The past few days were spent printing, cutting, framing, and packaging (and yes, dreaming of) prints! I'm so excited to be a part of a shop opening up in Christiana PA hosting local artists, crafters and serving delicious coffee + sandwiches.

Mini thank yous (no 2 are alike!!!) I slipped in the back of the bundled up print featuring my pink and green bird pattern. I printed out so many it looked like a bird army was about to invade.

prints all fanned out and neatly packaged- swoon.

I just love my tag puncher and I was finally able to put the adhesive paper I bought a while ago to good use!

you can zip on over to flickr to see more snap shots!

king in pencil

2010-01-12T16:08:00.002-05:00

just a little character sketch of the king! I do enjoy his curly-q mustache very much.

inspiration snapshots

2010-01-07T15:19:00.005-05:00

I'm always in awe over Gennine's beautiful snapshots of her studio and inspiration boards, they are always so stunning!! I swoon over the natural light and fun prints/postcards/handmade everythings she decorates her work space with.

Here are some of the things I currently have tacked up on my inspiration board, it's always changing with different postcards, notes, & drawings!

Clockwise from the left corner VanGogh calendar, thank yous from made by hank , a Susie G postcard print, a bird ornament from longwood gardens, an original watercolor by Amanda Chronister, a lovely card I received that features a Marjolein Bastin watercolor of watercolors, a postcard of Ye Pirate Cruncher by Jonny Duddle, Terrosel postcard by Joy Ang , a where the wild things are + longwood gardens ticket stubs, and in the middle... a thank you + pin from Leah Duncan, and my most favorite stamps the love king and queen!! all of which are pinned up by those cute ladybug push pins!

On my bookshelves you will find loads of Disney art of books, DIY magazines, wildlife reference, art prints, and yes.. of course bird things!

queen in pencil

2010-01-05T11:31:00.000-05:00

Just one of the several concept sketches I've been doodling for a new promotion piece. I'm not sure how I feel about the circle filled background, I think that may change. My favorite part about the whole design process (besides laying down the final stroke of watercolor) is the idea phase.. so you may see more versions of this in the near future!

whale of a family

2010-01-03T17:25:00.006-05:00

Now the the holidays have come and gone I can finally get around to some updates!!
First up is this whale piece I created for a Christmas present.
I was so anxious to post about it when I finished it up... but I didn't want to spoil the surprise!

I'm happy with the end result so much that I may turn it into my next promotion postcard!
This piece along with a new pattern will be up on the website by this evening.

red and blue flakes

2009-12-06T16:05:00.006-05:00

I love the red and blue color combination- it gives a nice cool wintery feeling!

these snowflake doodles were created by those ultra-fine bic pens I found back in september.
I just love how vibrant they are!!

snowflakes galore

2009-12-03T20:50:00.004-05:00

can you tell I'm eager for the first snow fall??

these snowflake-y patterns would make wonderful wrapping paper!

Happy December!!

personalized canvas

2009-11-19T11:56:00.003-05:00

Waaay back in July (wow, is it really mid november?!!) I drew up four bird ink and watercolors for button designs to be handed out as favors. It was seriously the best project for me since the wedding theme is lovebirds! In the middle of sketches and emails being sent back and forth, the bride-to-be had an awesome idea. Instead of a boring ol traditional guest book she wanted a personalized canvas where all the guests could sign and it would be ready to hang on the wall. seriously, what a fantastic keepsake.

The canvas is 30 inches x 40 inches and features the bride and groom birds along with two smaller birds representing his daughter Lily and their son Gavin. I have to say my favorite part was doing the ink work (see last photo of the corner detail). Working with acrylic on canvas was a bit of a challenge for me, since I've recently moved on from thick textured watercolor paper to working on smooth bristol paper. But thanks to Matt and his patience with me the canvas has been completed! Best wishes to the love birds Megan and Albert- they get married this Saturday!!!

inspiration found afterwards

2009-11-16T23:19:00.013-05:00

Just about a month ago I cracked open a brand new sketch book. It's always so exciting but... always so intimidating to start drawing on those first few crisp white pages. I began doodling a page of fun swirly hearts. This pattern below features my favorite one!

Not much more than a couple weeks later after my page full of hearts did Matt and I make a second trip out to Longwood Gardens... where we discovered this heart pattern! I love finding things like this after I've already drawn my own version.

Here are just a few other snapshots from the gardens... and most certainly future inspiration.

I just love the leaf-like pattern on these gigantic leaves.

This chrysanthemum shield is made up from just one plant- absolutely. amazing.

These little flowers were so delicate and vibrant.

Indie Fixx download!!

2009-10-26T15:00:00.001-04:00

So I was on a little weekend get-away to Westmoreland Virginia and I return to see that I'm up on indie fixx today! what a great surprise! (pictures from the trip to be up soon :) )

I am so honored and proud to be a part of the Indie Fixx Feed Your Soul Project! The idea behind the project is to help keep a positive mindset during these rough economic times... the artwork created solely for this project is FREE!!! and for you to download, print, and enjoy!! What an awesome deal, right?! I think it's so fantastic that even though budgets are tighter, you can still enjoy, and be inspired by these pieces of art.

My download is an autumn inspired piece (it's most certainly one of my favorite seasons!) I love most everything about the season including the smells, the weather, all the flavors, the colors... it truly feeds my soul!

Thanks again everyone at Indie Fixx, I'm so happy to be a part of this ever growing project.

go on, check out all of the lovely downloads!!

Longwood Gardens

2009-10-07T11:24:00.008-04:00

This past weekend was a fantastic one! Matt and I made a trip to longwood gardens & then to chestnut hill's arts and crafts fest. The weekend was filled with food, walking, and of course tons of inspiration! I took over 200 pictures at longwood- there was so much to see and we only saw about half of it. unbelievable! Here's just a small amount of the pictures I took- I have a feeling I'm going to start uploading my zillions of photos to Flickr..

I imagined this overhead shot of these gorgeous red flowers as a polka-dotted pattern

I just loved the color of this flower, its big shiny petals, and the tiny flowers floating inside of it

these swirled plants were one of my favorite finds

the water lilies were absolutely stunning, look how large they are!

inside part of the conservatory were these topiary bees hanging from the ceiling

this bench reminded me of an owl

can you tell I have a thing for scrolls and swirls? I loved the simplicity of this bench

this was part of a waterfall/fountain I just loved the pattern and texture

the shape and color of this flower reminds me of a paper lantern

Illustration Friday- germs

2009-10-05T21:53:00.006-04:00

With the wonderful season of fall comes the ever so lovely season of germs!

Here is my (super disgusting!!) pattern of these oddball germ like characters I doodled up just for fun. Please note I chose the worst colors imaginable (haha!) a pea green, a sickly yellow, week-old rotting orange, and a sea-sick on the verge of fainting green. enjoy!!

illustration Friday- pattern

2009-10-01T20:52:00.005-04:00

Happy October!! It was quite chilly today and it definitely felt like fall. So here is a leafy pattern inspired by the season! It just so happens that this weeks illustration friday word is pattern (what are the chances?!)

2009-09-23T19:49:00.006-04:00

I apologize in advance for the repetition (hardy har har!!) of the multiple posts of birds. and patterns. and of course my favorite... patterns filled with rows of birds. Seriously, it's all I've been drawing in my sketchbook and I just love experimenting with the zillions of possibilites I have once I scan in these itty bitty birds. The colors, shapes, and negative space (which then creates brand new shapes) is just endless.

This bird was probably my favorite out of the page I doodled on. I love the zig-zaggy feel of these pink and green birdies.

This one has a retro 70s-ish feel to me. I think it's a combination of the bird shape, the repeating pattern, and the bold colors. I love it.

PS I'm starting a new sketchbook soon. Maybe I'll force myself not to draw birds. I can't make any promises though.

wacky birds

2009-09-22T11:36:00.008-04:00

This wacky bird pattern originated from a recent page of doodled birds in my sketchbook. I couldn't resist scanning it in and creating a fun image. I would love to see this on a journal, or even some bed sheets!

Below is another little sketchbook doodle. Needless to say I was feeling pretty tired and when I'm tired I get goofy, so the outcome is bird versions of Matt and myself. enjoy!

sneak peak

2009-09-21T18:17:00.005-04:00

just a peak of some 5x5 prints that will be featured in my etsy shop... these are part of a seasonal series idea I'm playing around with.

No date is set for the re-opening, but it's in the works!

Art Out Loud

2009-09-20T21:15:00.004-04:00

wow, it's been a week since the weekend trip to New York!

It was an unbelievably amazing time filled with art, walking, food, and people. Seriously one could spend a whole week there and still not see everything on their to-do list.

I took about 250 pictures and oddly enough I felt like I should've taken more... I feel like I missed a lot of what we saw!

Anyways, here is a miniscule selection of photos from the Art Out Loud event at the Society of Illustrators. Simply stated, it was mind blowing. 5 major illustrators just worked at their easels/drawing tables and painted away like they were in their own studio (with 100 guests walking around them, touching their paint supplies, asking them a zillion questions). It was truly incredible to watch them work away so effortlessly... I felt like was back in my studio painting classes.

Here is a pile of Gregory Manchess' work just sitting on a table... it eventually got spread out to the floor!

awesome find + NYC

2009-09-10T15:09:00.009-04:00

I'm quite excited about this awesome find today- ultra fine point Bic colored markers!! I've been on the hunt for some colored pens... I have some microns, they seem to work well but I have very limited color options. I only own the typical black, blue and red. A week or so ago I picked up some Prismacolor pens- the colors were fantastic (a fun seafoam green and a lovely tangerine-ish orange)!! but when I got home, the pens felt like they were already dried up. Needless to say I was pretty disappointed and ended up returning them.

But finally (!!!) an awesome set of beautiful Bic markers. I'm anxious to use them. Look at the wonderful array of colors!

In other news I gave my website a little update. I took out the new handwritten section and replaced it was a pattern page! Right now there are only 4 patterns but I promise to update is again soon with more. I love making these patterns and feel that it's definitely something I want to pursue/keep on creating.

And more BIG news this weekend September 12th and 13th I'll be spending in New York. I am beyond excited to be there! Its going to be an art-filled weekend. First on Saturday we will be attending the sold out Art Out Loud event at the society of illustrators where top illustrators will be demonstrating their skills and techniques. Then Sunday is the long awaited trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art !!! It's going to be a fantastic time. Stay tuned for some pictures!

playing with pattern

2009-09-03T14:43:00.006-04:00

It's amazing how different both of these are even though it's the same leaf image repeating, same size and even color palette.

The opportunities are endless and I love that.

patterns galore!

2009-09-01T13:27:00.006-04:00

Hello september!!! I can't believe its almost fall.

the past week I've been toying around with some ink drawings I've been doodling and turning them into patterns. it is so. much. fun and easy! just scan, edit, copy, repeat, and color.

I know I know... I just said it's almost fall (it certainly feels like it with these super awesome cool temperatures we've been having) and my patterns are summer related (starfish, barnacles, and schools of fish!) so please forgive me.

These are just a few of the patterns I've been creating.

2009-08-25T18:04:00.003-04:00

Due to my recent fascination with cacti and succulent plants I decided to purchase and plant some of my own! I find so much inspiration in plants that I'm always doodling my own oddball flowers in my sketchbook and on scrap pieces of paper (I always have so much laying around that I put them to good use!)

framed!

2009-08-21T15:58:00.002-04:00

this print measures at a whopping 2.5 x 2.5 inches.

super tiny (almost always)= super cute.

I love it!!

poor bunny wabbit

2009-08-20T20:27:00.002-04:00

This was originally just a pencil doodle in my sketchbook from a few months ago (I'm thinking March when spring was just arriving and I was in full bunny-mode)

I feel bad for the guy, but think it's utterly adorable! I may make a print for myself and put it in a teeny tiny frame.

Illustration Friday- wrapped

2009-08-19T19:47:00.006-04:00

All wrapped up and ready to go!

Just a quick drawing for this week's illustration friday... I started drawing lots of tiny presents with fun bows on top but of course I ended up with one that included a feathered friend.

I would love to receive a cute little present with such a happy bird on top!

2009-08-18T22:03:00.002-04:00

more super fun ink drawings.

I'm really loving these. Normally I like my drawings to be simple, light, and airy; but I'm enjoying the heaviness (or maybe busyness?) of them.