IF_Savor and They Draw and Cook!

Here are two of the illustrations I did for They Draw and Cook, the second one is for the Christmas Contest. I did the first one but it turned out to be not very Christmas-y.  I guess I wasn't in the Christmas mode yet.  The second one, I did in about three or four hours.  They were fun, but I will now savor the fact that they are done!  Thanks for stopping by and for taking the time to comment!!! It's beginning to feel a little like Christmas season now. : )

IF_Sneaky

 

So, I turned the illustration I was doing for my critique groups prompt into an illustration that would work for Illustration Friday, because I haven't done one in a while.  Wow, it feels so good to be creative again.  I'm planning on adding another squirrel on the bench, stealing her sandwich, but I don't have time right now,  so it's still a work in progress.  I want to spend the next couple of days working on an illustration for the new competition on the "They Draw and Cook" blog, and I really want to do Will Terry's Hansel and Gretel project. I'm having so much fun I may not want to cook Thanksgiving dinner. I'd like to do nothing but create.

LOL, but I don't think my family would be too happy about that idea.  Thanks for taking a look and for taking the time to let me know what you think.  Happy Thanksgiving if your celebrating it!

A little time to breath again...

updated WIP pt 3

update WIP pt 2

Yay, it's officially Thanksgiving break and I can breath again.  So, this is an illustration that I had tried to work on for my critique group, but I couldn't find time to get beyond the sketch. The prompt was Cup.  So, I finally started painting it last night.  It's a work in progress. 

...and these are Maura's most recent pieces, from her drawing class, for her series on Asperger's. She is working on a really cool piece right now.  I can't wait to see it.  She described it to me and it sounds really great.  So this is what they mean, the one with sand is about the sensory issues she has. She hates the feeling of sand especially,  so it was really challenging for her to do this one. The one with the train is about obsessions and fixations.  She rocks often, even while she is driving or riding in the car.  As a child her spine was often bruised, because she rocked so much. But hey, she has some killer abs. The train is about her obsession with trains as a child and a fixation with the number 13.  She also loves circles and curves.

Come One, Come All...

 

Welcome to the newest, revised version of Under the Circus Tent (or was it Beneath the Circus Tent? I can't remember, I should look, but I am too tired) Silly, I know. I am in a silly, happy mood! My daughter was invited to attend Oxford University for her graduate program in the fall!!! I didn't even know they did that. Because, she is in the top ten percent at the University she is attending, they asked if she would consider continuing her education there! See, I know she is amazing, but it's really cool when other people realize that she is amazing too. I've been doing a little happy dance for hours now. So, I'm full of silly exhaustion. I just can't help but brag, I seem to be doing that a lot lately.  I wanted to call everyone I know, but I didn't; I restrained myself and I only called half the people I know. So, now I'm blabbing about it to all of you!

Anyway, silliness and bragging aside, what do you think, is it better? too dark? too much? (Andrew, does the slight vignette shadowing work to replicate the curve of the flags in reverse?) I could add a row of lower lights, but this would cause a change in the lighting and shading. 

On another note, my blog was a year old in September and it has been a great year. I didn't even realize it had already been over a year until I was reading Andrew's and Amalia's blogs and realized we started blogging at about the same time. I won't name all of my lovely friends, you know who you are. I have enjoyed meeting all of you and getting to know you. It has been a year full of kindness and support. You have all helped me to grow as an artist. So, thanks for putting up with my bragging about my children. I appreciate all of your comments and input. You all are the best!

Finished work

 

Well, I finally had a chance to finish this piece. Do the flags add to it, or take away from it? I can't decide. I was thinking of using this piece as part of a promotional mailer, so let me know what you think. I'm also posting my daughters newest piece for her art class. Thanks for stopping by and thank you for taking the time to let me know what you think. I really appreciate it. Maura has enjoyed reading your comments about her pieces too. So, Thank You, Thank You!!!

Sooooo last minute!

I'm soooooo last minute! I have been meaning to do an illustration for the website They Draw and Cook since they first started it. It's such a great site with recipes from artists all over the world. Well, I had done this overly complicated, way too realistic layout and I just didn't like it, so I started from scratch. Thank goodness I found out Friday night that the deadline was today!  I didn't even have time to start on it until yesterday afternoon, so I worked feverishly to complete it on time. I saw that Linda Silvestri on her Sketched Out blog had finished hers today too so, I don't feel too, too bad.  I don't know Linda so I hope she doesn't mind my mention of her.  I just love her work. It's always so much fun and her recipe looks great.

While I am confessing to my last minute, procrastinating nature let me give a shout out to Ces and to Marion. They have both given me awards and poor Ces, I have been so busy that I haven't even posted about it and it's been a while. Amalia did the sweetest acceptance for it and I wish I had time to do something equally as sweet and clever, but alas, I only have time to post about them both for now. I will post them in my side bar, but I will have to get back to the passing it along part later ladies.  So,  thank you Ces and Marion you are both too sweet and I appreciate the awards and kind words.

Thanks for stopping by and for your kind comments. You all are great!

IF_Beneath

 Illustration Fridays prompt this week is Beneath. I started this one for last weeks prompt, but I didn't get it finished in time. I decided to add some things and now it is Beneath the Circus Tent. It's still a work in progress, but I may not get much more done before the end of the week, so I decided to go ahead and link it. I just haven't had time to participate lately and I'm trying to get back to it. Thanks for stopping by and for taking the time to comment!