AEO - A Creative Journey

Illustration Friday!
Topic: Cars...

This is my entry for this week's Illustration Friday. The topic for the week was "Cars". 



I know that I have a lot of explaining to do. Like where I've been hiding for the past 9 months.
I'll explain all shortly... but in the meantime enjoy the doodle!

I've been on a knitting kick lately and just finished my very first sweater. While there are some things I would change if I were to do it again.. shaping under the chest, a little bit more length in the torso, etc... I am pretty happy with it!

Ok.
I've been promising more work in a new style so here it is!
I created this illustration as a entry for the SCBWI illustration contest. I haven't been able to post it until now because I didn't want anyone to see it before the contest deadline. They still haven't announced the winners yet, but I'll keep you posted.

For the contest you were supposed to illustrate what you believe is REALLY at the end of a rainbow. My thoughts led me to ideas about the power of a child's imagination and I figure this image of a boy playing in his room is a good enough thing to find under an arch of color as any. :)
I would love to hear your comments and critiques. I hope to continue building my portfolio in this direction. While it is a messy and time consuming process to create in chalk pastel, I find it very rewarding. I think I had forgotten how wonderful being covered up to my elbows in dust and smudges really can be. I challenge you all to step away from your mousepads and tablets if you haven't in a while. It reminds you how involving traditional media really can be.
Enjoy!!!

Illustration Friday!
Topic: Speed...

This is my entry for last week's Illustration Friday. The topic for the week was "Speed". :)



I missed the Friday deadline by quite a bit but decided to finish it and post it here since it was already started. With a little imagination he will gallop into the sunset on his trusty steed. I miss the days when my imagination worked so well...

As promised I am working on a few projects. One is a website that I am putting together. Once it is completed I will be changing it over to a more appropriate domain name... the one I am using right now is some free space I get for being a student at MSU... so don't get too attached to the URL. Click HERE if you would like to check it out.

I am also working on an entry for the current SCBWI contest. I am delving back into some traditional illustration techniques that I used during college and have been too lazy to go back to. It tends to be a messy process and is not easily transportable... but I tend to get some really fun results. The deadline for the contest is next Monday... so I will probably post it then if you want to check back.

Oh... and a very late Happy Easter to everyone!

I've been on the DL lately but have been working on some interesting things.

I've finally started putting together a website of my work so that I can begin marketing myself a bit more. (The link is posted to the left).

(**edit** sararae pointed out that friends can only view the link to my website if they visit my profile... so here's a link to my website to save you the trouble!).

It is definately in the beginning stages and is fairly simple since I am still working on my web design skills. I still have a few pages to work on and am going to be adding more images over the next couple of months. In the meantime I will continue working on some projects that I have in the wings. I am fairly happy with the digital work on the site but really need to step up the quality of work I have posted in the traditional section... which (oddly enough) is where I tend to shine. I haven't really done much traditional illustration since college... and what I did then isn't really appropriate for children's illustration submissions. So... hopefully I can merge some of those techniques I learned in school with subject matter that is more in line with my goal. These other images just aren't cutting it for me.

After I get a few strong pieces together I will be tranferring the site to a more appropriate domain. Right now I am using the one that I get from MSU as a student. I would like to get a more permanent domain before I really start marketing myself. Any suggestions for domain names?
I would love feedback... what you like, what you don't, what I should change or what I should improve on.

Also, you may have noticed that a lot of my old image links are broken. My journal images were being hosted on my wedding website domain and I lost it all when my membership ran out. I may get around to updating them eventually... but it doesn't rank very high on my list right now. I'm sure you all understand.


Have a happy Thursday!

Illustration Friday!
Topic: E is for...

This is my entry for this week's Illustration Friday. The topic for the week is "E is for...". :)



Mmmm... E is for.... Embrace.
Looks so cozy, I wish I were back in bed... Ooooo.... the joys of working 8-5. :(

Also... since I didn't finish it in time, this is a double entry...

Last week's IF topic: Sea


Life has been hectic lately with work, school and the holidays among other things. It is starting to slow down a bit... so expect more frequent updates. I have a lot of plans for the next year and will look forward to lots of feedback from everyone!!!

Let me know your thoughts, suggestions, criticisms of this new technique... all comments are appreciated and welcome!!! Enjoy!

I just received an email from The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators informing me that my "Bully-Proof Boy" illustration was chosen for Honorable Mention in their "Old School, New Year" contest! If you missed my entry you can check it out HERE. My entry and bio, along with all the other winners, will be posted to their WEBSITE within the next couple of days.

Yay Me!

I decided to play with another style a bit. This frog was done in Dark Umber colored pencil and shaded in Photoshop. Let me know your thoughts... yay or nay? :)

Illustration Friday!
Topic: Escape.

This is my entry for this week's Illustration Friday. The topic for the week is "Escape". :)

Hopefully no explanation is necessary on this one. :)

Another new illustration...

I've been working on updating my portfolio in the hopes of securing some work in children's illustration. Here's a peice that I just finished. C&C appreciated as always! :)

I think that THIS is just about one of the coolest things EVER.

It reminds me of high school. During that time there were a select group of "popular" kids that would hang out in the front hallway of the building. We referred to them as the "front hall crowd". I was a band nerd and our entire marching band would schedule times where we would go to the front hall in a big mass, stand in a huddle for a few moments and then yell "BREAK" and run off in various direction. Usually we just got a lot of eye-rolling from the "populars" but we felt like we were making a statement... which is cool I guess.

In other news... I'm eating Cheetos and they are yummy. :)

Illustration Friday Revision!
Topic: Depth.

After some good comments and critiques on my last version, I decided to make some changes to get the octupus to feel more underneath the girl. I also made it a vertical piece as to portray "depth" rather than "shallow-ness". Let me know what your favorite version is and why. :)



XPosted

Illustration Friday!
Topic: Depth.

This is my entry for this week's Illustration Friday. The topic for the week is "Depth".

I missed the last two weeks due to the SCBWI illustration contest and my jet ski accident so I really had a good time working on this piece. I always enjoy silly animals, children and fun colors... this piece allowed me to include all 3!

Anyways... this girl is enjoying some fun in the sun totally unaware of the 8 legged creature below her. I don't know what he's listening to... any thoughts???



Glad to be back! C&C Appreciated!

Just a little update for those that haven't heard from me in a few days and are a little worried.

I went to the lake this weekend and had a great time. Spent my birthday on the water and the evening having cake and beer with some family and friends there... always a good time.

Sunday we all went to a local cove to swim and relax. Some friends asked us to ride their jet ski the half hour back to their house because they had been drinking (we hadn't been drinking due to a bad night on Saturday). Long story short, we ended up getting into a pretty bad accident. We were behind another jet ski (a tad closer than we probably should have been) and a friend of ours cut in front of us on his jet ski. We ended up crashing into him at about 45 or 50 mph. From what they said, I flew about 6-8 feet into the air, over both skis before landing on the other side. I have a huge knot on my chin from hitting something.
I've been pretty sore today. I can't move my neck and my back hurts a lot so I will be going to the doctor tomorrow to get things checked out. I took some vicodin and some muscle relaxers and that doesn't even seem to be helping much. I just can't seem to get comfortable.
Luckily, I seemed to get the worst of it. No broken bones and no blood... I figure I can handle some whiplash and muscle pain.
Jason is fine and so is our friend Ryan. Unfortunately, the jet skis didn't luck out so well. The one we were riding got a three foot gash in the bottom and nearly sunk. We feel horrible and will probably have a big deductible to foot.
Ryan's jet ski went underneath ours and only had some damage to the control panels and plastic trim so hopefully it won't be as big a claim.
Anyways... I'll probably be home for a couple of days but am lucky to be in as good of shape as I am. Thank you for all of your support and sympathy... hopefully I will get back to normal in a couple of days.

Be safe... love and miss you all!!!

Bully-Proof

This is my entry for this month's SCBWI Illustration Contest. The topic for the illustration was "Old School, New Year". The directions were to:

"Illustrate a scene showing a child or teen getting ready for the new school year. This is a kid with BIG PLANS for the new term. You decide what the plans are and show his or her preparations."

I think I accomplished the task quite nicely with my geek in his homemade "bully-proof" vest and "boxing defender" headband. Oy! Lets only hope that the judging panel feels the same way because I could really use that free SCBWI membership. :)

This illustration was fun because I really enjoy drawing geeky kids. I toyed with some layers of texture but it didn't look quite the same as the clean color and line that this version has, so I left it as is.

Anyways... this is my geeky (yet confident and well protected) student. Enjoy!



C&C Appreciated!

I'm inking an illustration for a 6:00 deadline and my hand won't stop shaking.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Professional wedding pics are finally in!!!

If you want to check them out go to
this album website.

Our event is the Brown.Osiek wedding and the password is BO1120.
Let me know what you think!!!

I was attacked by a German Shepard when I was 5 and almost died. Some nerves were crossed during healing and now I sneeze if anyone brushes my hair and hits the scars.

I love lima beans but I'm not a big fan of chocolate.

I collect vintage metal lunchboxes. My two favorites are my Fraggle Rock lunchbox and my Disco Inferno box.

My grandma dated John Gotti. She loves to tell about the time that he bought her her first lobster for dinner. And no... she didn't know that he was a mob boss at the time.

My grandma was also a carni. To make extra money when they lived in Cali, they would follow the circuses and carnivals and do odd jobs. Yes. She's an interesting old lady.

I love tap dancing... and I'm very good at it. (I danced competitively for over 13 years.)

And yes... I love the "So you think you can dance?" show. I'm a big dork.

I'm obsessed with bean burritos from Taco Bell. Love em. Sorry.

I am cold all the time. Right now I am sitting in my office at work with a blanket and a space heater. In the middle of August.


What are your secret quirks???

Illustration Friday!
Topic: Reflection.

This is my entry for this week's Illustration Friday. The topic for the week is "Reflection".

I had a lot of fun working on this week's entry. I have always had a soft spot in my heart for walruses. In fact, when I was growing up, I had a pewter walrus charm that I often wore as a necklace. I think I still have it somewhere...

Anyways... this walrus is a little vain. He has proclaimed himself the "Ice King" and it disgusts his penguin friends. Enjoy!



C&C Appreciated!

Well... I guess I did ok at the show. Unfortunately I didn't place, but the ones that did weren't my favorites of the show. It's all so subjective. I did however, get several comments from some of the Board of Directors members that attended the show. The gallery director made a point to introduce me to them and they all said that they were impressed with the strength of my work... said that they are looking forward to seeing more in future shows.

I also had really good placement in the shows. It was fairly obvious that they gave the strong work prominent locations in the rooms and the "less than great" work was shoved somewhere in a corner on the second floor. Mine were both placed on the main floor on the entrance walls... so that was pretty cool.

I'm looking forward to entering more work in some local shows. I'm also hoping that the art community becomes more active. There was some discussion by the members about getting a monthly nude drawing session set up... so hopefully that will come about.

All in all, it was a successful and fun evening. I met a lot of new people and got some really good critiques and comments. Gave me a little push to keep on creating which is always nice. :)