IF: Hidden

Just barely squeaked this one in for this week's Illustration Friday topic: Hidden

Is it really only Thursday? Yikes. 

Pumpkin Spice

Although I'm sad to see Summer take it's final stride before disappearing into the cold doom that is Winter, I can't help but get excited for the brief period where Buffalonians like myself get to enjoy the crisp week or so of Fall. Yes...it's very brief; we have a window of roughly 2 weeks before all of the trees are bare and we're sporting winter coats until June. 

What's your favorite part of Fall? The sweet smell of orange and red leaves in your back yard? Pumpkin-scented candles and pumpkin-spice-everything? Leggings with thick knee socks tucked into brown leather boots? 

The turn into a new upcoming season makes me want to kick into gear with my work. I was stuck awake for hours last night with marketing ideas swirling throughout my head. Exciting things to come! 

Portfolio

I won!

Short story shorter I take a hula hooping class, and my hoop instructor posted a Facebook contest. "Whoever can draw me my best hula hoop castle with rainbows, dragons, turrets, and hoops wins a free hula hoop!"

Um, duh! Of course I got in on that! 

I've been listening to piano Christmas music all day today, but that's beside the point..

Anyhoo, I drew a castle and had a blast! I entered my drawing and found out today that I won! I get to pick up my spanky new hoop tonight! I feel electric. 

I also finished my wedding invites, which will be printed tonight and sent out shortly after. One more step towards tying the knot! My 2nd bridal shower was this past Saturday, so thankfully I'm officially done awkwardly opening presents while everyone stares and takes pictures. *whew* 

Cleaning Dust Bunnies

The fact that I haven't posted in months really takes me by surprise, but this Summer has been going by so fast it's no wonder. I'm clearing out the cob webs of this blog and will try to be a little more consistent...

Wedding plans are in full motion with the big day just short of 3 months away. I have so much to do and so little time.

I wanted to design my own invites for the event, so I'm currently working on the actual invites but I'll add the shower invites below:

The wedding will feature the these two characters, Oxford the owl and Perry? Patrick? Percy? I still haven't decided on the pigeon's name yet. 

I'm looking forward to the wedding stuff being done so I can focus on my illustrating again. It's hard to go to work all day and sit in front of a computer as it is, and the last thing I want to do when I get home is fire up the computer again. 

Something's gotta give.

IF: Farewell

I feel like I've been in a drawing rut lately. It may be because of the bathroom reno Justin and I are doing but I just haven't felt like doing Illustration Friday themes or even drawing in general. Work's gotten really busy after a girl left and I was given all of her duties on top of what I already do, so that could be it too.

Either way, I'm excited to have finally gotten back to IF and I'm happy to submit this hot-off-the-wacom illustration for this week's theme "farewell".

I've been doing black & whites lately, partly so I can submit more to the SCBWI bulletin and partly because I want to expand my b&w portfolio. It all works out in the end.

Finally some nice weather this weekend, I think I will go for a jog. Last week Justin and I ran for 45 minutes straight. I didn't even know I could do that!  *fist pump*

I hope you enjoy your weekend and get something productive done! Don't fall into the cave of no return by playing Candy Crush Saga all evening like I started to do! Eek!

IF: Eyeglasses

Since attending the SCBWI conference earlier this month I have made a lot of decisions and tuned into a never-ending list of "to-do's".

I feel like it's been forevs since I last updated this. When I make journal entries and this happens I usually do bullets of key events that have occurred since the last entry, so without further ado...

• I've discovered the wonders of podcasts. In particular, the channel that has ended years ago but I've never listened to it so therefore it's spanky new to me: Big Illustration Party Time, by Kevin Cross and Joshua Kemble.  Oh my gosh I have learned so much and I've only listened to 10 episodes!
• Upon listening to said podcasts I've come to the conclusion that it's okay to have more than one style. By more than one I mean I will have two. Therefore I need to get my a$$ in gear and expand my portfolio to create more paper cut-out pieces like my mouse in the hot air balloon:

Therefore this week for Illustration Friday's topic "eyeglasses" I have made this little monster motherhood of sorts:

• I have also discovered the usefulness of twitter. I never really thought of how useful it can be as a marketing tool. I'm listed under @pigknit so follow me!
• My all-natural dog treats brochure design was approved quickly so that's a nice relief! 

I've been feeling very inspired lately. I'm anxious to get my site up but I have to create an illustration for a business webpage first. I plan to get some sketches done this weekend to get the ball rolling.

I feel like I have much more to say but I'm very scatter-brained right now so I should probably just quit while I'm ahead!

SCBWI Regional Conference Summary

Is it bad that my throat was killing me on Sunday morning because of all the singing I did in the car on the way to and from this Saturday's conference?

Saturday morning I woke up to my alarm bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 4:20 AM. Don't ask how I was feeling so peppy because to be honest, I don't even know myself.

Fast forward about 2 1/2 hours and I'm sitting in my car across the street from the church where the conference would be held, 30 minutes early! I didn't want to be that creepy lingerer who shows up way too early and then isn't sure what to do until it's appropriate to enter the building. So what'd I do? I found a Starbucks in my gps and decided to use their bathroom. It seemed inappropriate to go there just to pee without buying anything...so I opted for a small organic apple juice box accompanied by a blueberry scone.

Fast forward to the end of the conference and my head is just spinning with excitement. Am I rambling? I had a great time, and I can't wait to go to another conference! I loved how clearly the writers stood out, with their thick framed glasses and wild hair. Everyone was super nice, and most people had never been to a conference either! The speakers were wonderful, but the breakout session was my favorite. The small handful of illustrators met with Simon and Schuster's very own Art Director Lucy Ruth Cummins to review our 2 best pieces.

I submitted the following:

I let this third one linger around because I had a feeling there would be more time to look at an extra here or there, which I was right to think.

The critique was very intimate and that was great because we really got a lot of feedback with time leftover at the end. Everyone's work was awesome, I loved all of the different techniques used. Lucy said that she liked my thinner, wispy lines more than the thicker black ones. She also said to try to figure out what I want to do with my shadows. She said that she wasn't sure about how much they were softened and that I should go for a vector look more.

I certainly absorbed a lot of information during my time in Syracuse, much of which is still whirring about in my head. At the end while everyone met to say their last goodbyes I was at the drinking fountain refilling my water bottle when Lucy Ruth Cummins approached me. She wished me luck, shook my hand and said "you're going to do great things, I'm excited to see."

Now technically, she could say that to tons of people, to nearly everyone she speaks to who's an aspiring illustrator. I like to think that maybe it wasn't like that...I mean she did approach me after all...a girl can dream can't she?!

Here is a small list of things I took back with me from the conference:

1. I need to draw multiple poses of the same character.
2. I need to draw BIGGER. What was I thinking making pieces that were only 4x6 to begin with!?
3. I should make b&w pieces to add to my portfolio, perhaps a middle grade book would be open to letting me draw their chapter breaks.
4. I should make a book dummy.
5. I really need to get my website up and going.
6. ^ Plus business cards & postcards to send out.
7. I need to draw MORE. Period.
8. I need to learn how to use Twitter finally. Seriously? I'm 23 it should be already programmed into me.

Two Steps Forward

I submitted my latest IF drawing to the SCBWI bulletin "art spot". Every month a b&w illustration is selected to be featured, along with contact information about the illustrator. Sounds exciting, I hope to submit more soon! I also added the IF drawing to my portfolio on the SCBWI site.

No matter what I do, I can't keep my calender clean for work. It's like the doodles draw themselves.

On another exciting note, I went to Justin's work to help out with a deadline last night. Justin works at an animation company here in Buffalo, and their latest project involves a lot of 2D drawing. I think his boss was really impressed and therefore will hopefully consider me again for future illustration projects.

That's two steps forward in the illustration world for me, plus another big step this Saturday when I attend the annual conference for my region of SCBWI in Baldwinsville, NY. I want to absorb as much as possible, and make some new friends along the way.

IF: Talent

This week's theme should be anxious because that's all that I am today! I just got an email confirming my registration for the annual SCBWI conference in my region this Saturday. I've never been to one so I'm very nervous/excited/anxious/curious/adfgefxsrh.

Anyone have any ideas for something I can get printed quickly to bring instead of business cards? I literally joined SCBWI last wednesday and signed up for the conference Friday so I am totally unprepared because I had been holding off making business cards until my website is finished coding. Business cards and post cards can't be made in 4 days so I'm limited to some other option...

My drawing for Illustration Friday was inspired by my growing desire for warmer weather. I love when Easter's around the corner and all I can do is picture little bunnies hopping around in my head..

IF: Whisper

This week's Illustration Friday topic had me thinking of a common occurrence at work. I have a horrible sweet tooth, and lately I've been trying to be really good about what I eat. It's not easy when coworkers drop cookies on your desk and bring in dozens of donuts for the office to share! I swear I can hear the donuts calling out to me sometimes...

I can normally resist a donut but if there's a cookie in the room it's mine.

IF: Wool

This week's Illustration Friday topic was a fun one to participate in, not to mention appropriate considering the weather conditions this week. In Buffalo it's been crazy windy and bitter cold; the kind of weather you just want to lounge around in pj's all day and never leave the house in.

Although it's still mid-winter and warm weather is far far away, I can't help but get excited that spring clothing lines are coming out as well as commercials advertising preparations for summer. I just miss getting Vitamin D. I like to sit outside on my lunch breaks and read; it's something I looked forward to every day...so I can't wait until I can go back out there again!

IF: Wheel

For my Illustration Friday post I have decided to post the cover photo I did after closing on my new house.

Ever feel like you have a million ideas bouncing around in your head that you just need to do something about? It's hard to have that going on when you're sitting at a desk for 8 hours straight..

IF: Wings

Just popping in to post my illustration this week for Illustration Friday!

Wednesday Morning Mantra

Is it really only Wednesday? This week has been oddly slow, but every time that thought comes to my mind I just stop and remember to myself "a week from today, you're going to be sunbathing on the ocean", and suddenly I feel much better!

I have the oddest urge to listen to 80's music today...

Another random piece of info, I've got a fitness/dance hula hoop on its way to my house. Apparently "hooping" is a great cardio exercise that works your core. I'll try anything that can keep me off a treadmill!

Oh, and this happened.

Manatees in Love - IF

Certainly by now the Valentine's Day committee has flooded the aisles of stores with hearts and chocolate.

My illustration for this week's IF topic involves an underwater romance. You may need to sip water for this one, it gets awfully steamy.

Pretty soon Justin and I will be sailing on an "ocean" ourselves. I don't know why I put the word ocean in quotations...we're quite literally sailing on an ocean. Next Sunday we will be setting off to the Bahamas on a cruise; our first vacation that's just the two of us, and I am beyond excited! Especially since he promised to take ballroom dance classes with me on the boat.

California Coastin'

Happy New Year! It feels funny doesn't it? 2013? I'm not sure how long it will take for that to sink in.

I always have New Years resolutions, and I like to keep them pretty realistic. I would say "lose weight and eat better" but I don't really think of that as a New Years resolution because it's something that I'm constantly working at...that's more of a lifetime goal that I don't think I'll ever stop chipping away at.

This year my New Years resolutions are:

1. Become a "morning workout person" - To be honest, I've already achieved this one. My hope was to just not fail, but I've been working out before I go to the office instead of after for the past two weeks and I've already decided that there will be no more going to the gym after work. It's before, or nothing.
2. Drink more water on the weekends - I'm really good about drinking a lot of water. I drink two 24 oz bottles at work every day, plus more if I go to the gym. However...on the weekends I drink literally zero water and end up groggily arriving to the gym on Monday morning and wishing that I wasn't incredibly dehydrated.
3. Eat better on weekends - Weekends are always the point where I fall off the wagon. I do great all week, I eat in a calorie deficit, I don't eat bad things, I don't eat when I'm not hungry. Then Saturday rolls around and I somehow find myself at McDonald's...

With the wedding just 10 months away, these 3 goals can only work in my favor. 

I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays, I know that I had a great time. It was really nice to get some time off of work to spend with the family and to work on the house. For Christmas, I gave my mom, sister, and best friend each a music box that had a frame on the top. The frame had a lame picture on the inside that said "sister" or something, but I bought those boxes because I wanted to draw a comic for each person to put into the frame instead. 

Here is the drawing I did for my mom, it's the only one that doesn't really involve an inside joke that none of you would understand. Basically, she and her husband did a bike trip a couple of years ago where they rode from the Canadian border down the coast of California and ended on the Mexican border. I drew this as a joke that they really didn't do any pedaling, and just had their cat hauling them the entire time. My mom is a knitter so she's knitting in the back and her husband is a very active architect who loves to be on his laptop and making phone calls.

Anyone have an interesting New Years resolution that doesn't involve money or weight loss?