grand central
I will be exhibiting at APE this weekend in san francisco! come by and say hello – table 619. ^_^
pre-orders today
i am super excited to share that the pre-orders for Misty, my first kids book are now live (available through Amazon only) AND we’re releasing our 2015 calendar on pre-order as well! it’s a big day ^_^ thanks for all your support!
give what you want sale
We are surrounded by beauty; art has the power to showcase that. Art has an impact that’s immeasurable. Art is for everyone. Of course, artists need to earn and live a comfortable (not starving) life. However, I believe that everyone should be able to enjoy what we create.
I built my career by selling my personal work. I support myself almost entirely from work I want to do  versus work I am paid to do. This has liberated me to pursue what I truly love. As I explore my artistic freedom I think about access to art within our culture. Although my work is widely available digitally (facebook, blog, twitter, tumblr, instagram) only the people who can afford art can have it in their home. I want to challenge this idea of accessibility. I believe everyone should have something that makes them happy.
We piloted this sale last year and were surprised and humbled by the results. As long as our team can handle the demand we want to continue this annually.
For 24 hours (from 11a PDT September 17th until 11a September 18th) this print will be available to give what you want.
music & more
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the hubbahubba wrote the line above and i had to draw it. this is for him on the eve of our fifth wedding anniversary (although we’ve been together for 12 years!) the best decision i ever made was marrying you. happy anniversary! ^_^
meanwhile, we’ve chosen a winner for the canvas giveaway! we had over 100 entries – thank you! if you want to buy a canvas now is the time! zazzle is having a 50% off sale on canvases with the code: GRANDPARENTS through september 7th.
have a great weekend ^_^
canvases!
We now have LARGE CANVAS PRINTS AVAILABLE ^_^
We heard all the requests for larger pieces and we’ve been busy for months adding artwork to our Zazzle shop. Today, we are super excited to announce our canvas prints on Zazzle, perfect for your nursery, modern home, or office! To celebrate this launch we are hosting a giveaway of a canvas: one lucky winner will receive a medium canvas of their choice (over $200 value)!
To enter share a link to your favorite canvas from our shop and tag me in it on twitter, or instagram. Â
One entry per person, enter by 12am (midnight) PST September 4th. Winner selected on Friday September 5th. Open to domestic and international.
rise up
we have to believe that we are the change that’s coming.
burn to shine
I am super excited to announce my solo show at Trickster in Berkeley in November. Burn to Shine: 100 mini wood burnings (all the pieces will also be available for purchase online, each piece will be $65). The opening reception will be November 1st. I am posting my progress on Instagram and Facebook. Between now and November I will create 80 more pieces! It’s the largest number of wood burnings I’ve set out to create to date. It’s incredibly fun to explore different animals, backgrounds, and patterns. I create many with mehndi patterns in mind, but I also love burning waves and using negative space to create a soft and subtle environments.
I also wanted to take this opportunity to share a bit about my materials and process!
1. Wood slices. I obtain these from either Etsy, Michaels arts & crafts or Amazon. I shop for wood that is light in color without any dark marks or knots. If there are marks, I try and incorporate them into the work. The wood type varies from walnut, basswood, to cherry and oak.
2. Colwood Cub electrical unit. This unit heats my pens, it has great temperature control and its portable with a long enough cord so I can burn in my studio or living room (it smells so good!). I usually keep the temperature between 7 and 8, but when I want to create a softer, lighter background or environment I will turn it down to 6. I have never gone past 9, I think I’d burn my fingers!
3. A finished piece for the show!
4. A mechanical pencil. I use this to draw the character on the wood before burning. I never draw in pattern or background, only the central figure. Background and pattern I create in the moment. It’s my favorite part. It feels meditative and organic.
5. My two favorite fixed pens. I use both of these on each piece. One creates a thicker line I use for outlines of shape and the other I used for details like eyes, lips, and sometimes pattern.
6. Replaceable pen and replacement tips. I use these pens less often, but I do love the variety and texture I can get from them. There are two kinds of pens: fixed tips are just that, you cannot replace the tip only the whole pen. Replacement tips have one base and you can switch tips. I prefer fixed tips so I can switch mid burn and don’t have to wait for the tip to cool to take it off the base. Since I switch pens at least twice in every burn fixed tip work best for me.
7. Sand paper. Essential! If the grain on a piece of wood isn’t sanded down enough the pen will get stuck in the grooves and create a funky burn. Nearly every piece of wood can benefit from a quick sand to make sure the end result is pleasing.
That’s all from me! It’s been so much fun to work on the books during the day and burn at night – hope to see you in November ^_^
lamp lights
I created the top illustration 4 years ago. The bottom one I created last week. Why did I redraw this illustration? I don’t love or hate it, but I knew (or I hoped) I could re-approach it and do better. I remember creating that illustration years ago and even now I don’t see much WRONG with it. It contains all the elements I focus on today: character, storytelling, composition, mood and lighting.
The differences between the two are fairly clear. I understand the clothed figure better: arms and necks can be skinny if that’s your artistic style but not so tiny that it wouldn’t be able to hold up that large head. I know that it’s quite rare to see a table directly without any perspective. I am no longer sloppy with my lines and shapes, a trash can has a bottom, top and sides, and the legs of a table and chair have to feel solid and secure. I utilize reference to draw a lamp so it isn’t simply my mental idea of a lamp. My understanding of color has also improved. I know when to make a light warm or cool, I understand better how strong and mild highlights and shadows are depending on the light source. Â I add texture for an organic feel, which I have come to love and appreciate in any digital work.
How did I learn all of these things? I read articles, talk to artists but the way I’ve seen the most direct improvement is by drawing. Sketching from life, with different materials, creating and sharing complete illustrations, comics, and painting. Each time I try something new I am not just nervous – I am TERRIFIED!
Draw a shark – Um, what does a shark look like? Like JAWS?
Draw a crowd of people – No, why!? Whyyyyyy! Can we just change the scene?
Draw a bird’s eye view perspective – Okay, that’s it. I give up. I’m going to pursue a career in kitty cuddling!
Even the idea of a throwback illustration made me nervous: what if my new version looks the same? I was very worried the early version was better. There’s a spontaneity and love that comes with original work – revisiting or copying doesn’t hold the same passion. Ultimately, I am happy with both. That’s not typically how I feel about my work. Those changes are the result of 4 years,1,040 weekdays, and probably 4,000 hours of drawing.
Creating regularly, sharing regularly has taught me that it doesn’t matter if I love it. As the creator I will always wish I could change. I have to get out of my own way. I must focus and produce, even if it means sharing work that I am not pleased with. I used to think that if I didn’t love it, as long as someone ELSE did that was okay. But it’s not about me, you or anyone else loving the work.
It is quite simply about making art.
Making art is joyful and painful. It is an awful feeling when you sit in front of a blank canvas and struggle with your limitations. And when people walk past your art without noticing, or worse yet when they comment negatively. It is the greatest feeling when a stranger can connect with a piece of art you’ve created. It will always make you happy when someone says they have your art proudly displayed in their home. I have been lucky enough to experience all of these things – even the negative experiences help me grow, thicken my skin and push me forward. But I wouldn’t be able to experience any of it if I didn’t keep making art. I didn’t wake up good at art. If I didn’t try and fail again and again and AGAIN, I wouldn’t be able to share either of these.
Keep drawing. Keep making art.
cookies
I’m back in the studio after a few weeks of shows. I hope to be back to somewhat regular posts next week ^_^