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?

a secret something (part 1)

I started a little project months ago, for one of my fiance’s best friends, Teddy; he wanted to get something meaningful for his daughter Autumn’s second birthday (not just another pile of toys that would eventually get left behind). After seeing my grizzly portrait that hangs in my family’s cabin, he knew he wanted to commission a large graphite drawing from me. The other two points of inspiration, came directly from his daughter: her nickname “squishy squirrel”, and this stern look that she often gives her dad (reminiscent of a very serious owl). We talked a bit about imagery, but Teddy basically left things up to me… Since we were staying with his family for the OOAK show, I decided to double to size of his commissioned drawing, as a thank you for hosting us. Today I am sharing a couple process photos, and tomorrow I will share the finished piece, along with Autumn’s reaction!

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!