spring sketchbook snaps

Last week consisted of a lot of spring cleaning, but it also yielded tons of much needed creativity. Because of this, my sketchbooks saw a lot of love. I’ve been trying to just doodle and sketch more, as I tend to over work a lot of drawings due to my obsession with detail and texture. Simplifying my illustrations has been fun. Although of course, I can’t stay away from meticulously drawing animals, and so a few more excessive renderings have started to emerge. Some new pieces in my ongoing collaborative sketchbooks with Anika Starmer, Patterns & Paws, have started to come together. Stoked to finally have a bit of time to devote to these beauties so I can mail them back to Maryland soon. What have you been drawing in your sketchbook?

ephemera from across the pond

The beautiful Holly Trill was doing a clean-out and was asking on twitter if anyone was interested in a collection of vintage cigarette cards. She was happy to give them away for free to any loving and excited home, and as someone who constantly collects little pieces of paper ephemera (either as wall art inspiration, as collage material or as mail art goodies), I was all over the offer. Inside the fat envelope, all the way from the UK, was over 140 cards in collectible sleeves, and about 30 other unsorted ones. It was such a bonny pile, that I only had room to share some of my absolute favorites. A few will find a place on my inspiration walls in the studio, and the others will most likely find suitable places in future outgoing mail art parcels. Thanks again for your generosity Holly!

animal myths

I’m still awaiting confirmation that my sketchbook project for 2013 has arrived safe and sound at the Brooklyn Art House Library, but I’m hopeful it will make it. I refuse to have another disappear in the post after the 2011 debacle. I hinted at what my project would consist of here; my Art House book was themed “Creatures” and upon its arrival last fall, I was reading a book by Warner Shedd called “Owls Aren’t Wise & Bats Aren’t Blind.” Although a naturalist, Shedd writes a very conversational book, proving wrong many of the fallacies society has created about the animal kingdom. Some of these myths I also had long believed to be true; even an avid animal lover like me was still duped by common misinformation! Naturally this newly acquired knowledge had stuck with me, and it was impossible not to translate some of it to artwork. My sketchbook, titled Animal Myths, is a collection of black and white illustrations that feature some of the favorite fallacies I came across in this fantastic read written by Shedd. I hope you are both surprised by the information, and delighted by the illustrations. I used the original sketchbook pages and a black fine liner pen for the drawings. Covers were hand cut and bound with a grey suede leather. And finally, a video of my sketchbook being read. (music by Grimes). Videos of my previous sketchbooks can be seen here and here.  Want to see more of my Art House Co-op submissions?! SBP 2012 here,  SBP Limited Edition here, and a zine of my SBP 2011 here.  If you are lucky enough to visit one of the official exhibitions on tour soon, do take a picture of you holding my book in your pretty little paws. I’m thinking these new illustrations may be spawned into a zine like my other books, or perhaps even a new screenprint series? Please let me know your thoughts about Animal Myths; your feedback and comments mean a lot!