Happy Thanksgiving!

Tuesday Tea Time

Tea for two? Or, maybe it's coffee for you? Isn't it nice to take time for a chat with a friend over a hot cup of your favorite something. I did just that the other day and felt renewed when I got to the studio. When was the last time you did that?
Today's cup is a continuation of my geometric cup series and will be in my shop soon.
"Two Cups", digital illustration

Music for the Soul

This coming Sunday afternoon my husband Mikel and I are going to the first NOVA Chamber Music concert of the season. I love going to these concerts because I am almost always introduced to something new. Often I find that while I might not enjoy listening to certain contemporary chamber music as a recording I thoroughly enjoy hearing it played in concert. All music is better heard live while watching the musicians play their instruments, don't you think? Good music, like all good art feeds the soul. T. S. Eliot said, "You are the music while the music lasts." I look forward to that this weekend.
Above is my painting, "Violinist", acrylic on wood, 18 x 24 inches

Tuesday Tea Time

My shop is now open on Etsy with a selection of sixteen limited edition signed prints. Included currently are food related illustrations and lots of tea cup prints—or coffee, if you prefer. The photo above shows how great they would look in a simple frame. And more of my work is coming to the shop soon!

Opening Soon!

Ever wanted to purchase a print of my art or illustration? In a few days you will be able to! I have been busily working behind the scenes preparing the images and information to open my shop on Etsy (a retail site for artists and craftspeople). For starters, my shop will offer beautiful limited edition prints that are numbered and signed by me. They are printed with archival inks on luxurious 100% cotton fine art paper. In the future I might also add small original paintings and other creations to my shop. This week there will certainly be lots of food oriented art prints for your kitchen or dining area. So get ready to shop! I'll supply the print. You provide the frame. And voila! Your spirits and your room get a colorful lift!

Tuesday Tea Time

I just discovered the iPad app called Paper by 53 which is simple and pretty great. This was the first thing I drew using my finger. Since it happened to be a cup and saucer (surprise!) I decided to share it with you. In the app you use the accordion fold paper notebooks to sketch, draw, write down ideas, or blend watercolor with your finger.

You can add new notebooks, add pages and even customize each of your notebook covers with one of your images. The accordion fold book appeals to me because I like to paint handmade artist books that fold this way. So now I have a new digital sketchbook to work in. I can't wait to get my stylus so I can draw with it...but my finger seems to work pretty well for a rough, quick sketch. See more about the app here.

Tuesday Tea Time

Fall is a wonderful time of year, flowers are still happily blooming in gardens, leaves are beginning to change color, and the weather cools enough to make long walks extremely pleasant. On my daily stroll through the neighborhood the other day I noticed the autumnal routine of leaves and their little twig branches beginning to fall out of the trees and all over the lawns and sidewalks. That inspired me for today's cup and provided the materials.
"Twig Cup", photograph

Tuesday Tea Time

Just looking at these two stacks of jaunty cups and saucers I created for today's tea cup image puts me in a cheerful mood. And, this quote by writer George Gissing seems to say it quite well for me...
"The mere chink of cups and saucers 
tunes the mind to happy repose."
"Stacked Cups", digital illustration

Tuesday Tea Time

Each morning during the warm weather months I take my tea and breakfast into the garden. Honeybees buzz busily from blossom to blossom, our two cats tiptoe around exploring, and birds thirst for a quick drink from our water fountain but decide to wait for a more private time. The mornings are getting a little bit cooler each day so I sit and read, write in my journal or sketch, savoring every last minute of patio time.
"Drinking Bird Cup", digital illustration

Tuesday Tea Time

Here is a nice quote that is quite appropriate for today's tea time image. It was written by an unknown author...short and sweet but kind of profound in a way.
"Tea is a cup of life."
"Blossom In Cup", digital illustration

Our Boy Bob Illustrations Completed!

I just finished all of the illustrations for my children's book "Our Boy Bob" (boy does that feel good)! I have been refining my drawings and then digitally painting at my computer for these past six months.  I had already written the book and sketched out all of the illustrations years ago, so I was optimistic in thinking I'd get finished before now. A huge part of my goal has been reached--the next part is to get it published and available for purchase. This is a happy day for me and I wanted to share it with you!

Metamorposis 6

The Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (UMOCA) recently held it's annual fundraiser which was an elegant and fantastically successful event. My acrylic painting above, from my new "Metamorphosis" series, was among the art sold in the art auction.

All of the invited artists created work that was 12 x 12 inches and signed their name on the back so that the patrons would purchase art without knowing who the artist was--meaning that they would be guided by their aesthetic reaction to the art rather than look for a famous name. Since this painting was from my new series that hasn't had much public exposure it was exciting for me--and I was pleasantly surprised by who ultimately purchase it.
"Metamorphosis 6", acrylic on board, 12 x 12 inches

Artist Signed Prints for Backers

This is the 5 x 7 inch signed print.

Just starting week two of the funding campaign for "Our Boy Bob" and I wanted to share these incentives with you. These are the images for the limited edition signed fine art prints from illustrations in "Our Boy Bob" for backers who have selected these incentives on Kickstarter.

This is the 13 x 19 inch signed print.

Keep spreading the word about "Our Boy Bob". And thank you so much for all of your support!

The Creation of a New Series

Do you ever feel like doing something different? I have been doing some exploring with my painting lately. A new series called "Metamorphosis" where I allow myself to paint intuitively whatever comes up rather than pre-planning my composition. The work is currently evolving and I am really enjoying it. These paintings were in the annual fundraising show at Art Access (which ends on Saturday) called "300 Plates." All the artists are given the same size metal plates (with two holes in the top) on which to paint or create.

"Metamorphosis 4" gouache

"Metamorphosis 5" acrylic

These two were my paintings and both sold at the opening night event. I am excited to see where this series leads and will keep you posted.

Our Boy Bob on Kickstarter

Exciting news! I just launched a Kickstarter campaign for my children's book project "Our Boy Bob"!
I wrote the story and sketched the pages years ago and it lingered in a folder waiting for me to finish it. The time has come. My resolution this year was to finish this book and get it published, and after lots of thought I decided to self-publish and fund it through Kickstarter.
I am so happy to share this with you!
Please check out:
"Our Boy Bob" on Kickstarter.
If like it please share this with everyone – facebook, blog, tweet it, etc. to help me get the word out.
I truly appreciate your support! Thank you!

Tuesday Tea Time

I guess I have been dreaming of warm weather lately. My recent paintings in acrylic have got me using a summery palette of colors. Today's tea cup is my second small painting in acrylic on gessoed handmade paper...only a few more sheets left.
"Orange and Pink Cup", acrylic on paper, 6 1/4 x 8 14/ inches

Send a Kid to Camp

It's nice to daydream of summertime fun when it's cold outside and there's snow in the mountains. I just finished illustrating and designing the invitation to this year's fundraising gala for the Kostopulos Dream Foundation, home of Camp Kostopulos in nearby Emigration Canyon. This event raises funds for underprivileged children, teens and adults with physical and intellectual disabilities so they may experience the pleasure of Summer Camp (think cabins, swimming, horseback riding, fishing pond, and canoeing at a nearby lake). Sounds wonderful, doesn't it? You can find more information about it here.

Tuesday Tea Time

The other day the air was clear and crisp. Across the valley you could see the lake and the mountains beyond. It left an impression in my mind's eye and inspired today's tea cup image.
"Landscape Cup", digital illustration

Tuesday Tea Time

Wishing everyone a very Happy Valentine's Day! Tea for two and love that's true. Today's cup is a continuation of my geometric cup series.
"Lovebirds", digital illustration

Cheers to 2012