in the studio - reina

you guys know reina. she's been very patient while i sew other kitties and puppies. it's finally reina's turn.

dave + meg + reina. threeeee best friends that anyone could have.

a familiar pose.

this is why i need all the colors! one isn't quite right. but all four together is about right.

she has an adorable milk spot on her leg.

sssshhhh. it was a long project. must get some rest.

tucson cacti - learning illustrator

the cacti sketches i showed last week are for a wedding tote bag for my future brother and sister-in-laws. they live in tucson, and are getting married in southern california in june.

a friend of mine did a quick illustrator demo for me last week. i spent a few hours playing around today...well, i played later in the day. the first part of my practice was mostly me grumbling and pounding my desk. anyway - i powered through! the sketches are still rough, but i can successfully make varied width curved lines. progress!

draft 1

 estimated time to completion for the first seguero line? ~ 60 mins.

I know how to work with layers, so the fundamentals of constructing the drawing were there. but i had no idea how to create the varied line width. actually, i had no idea how to use the pen tool at all. after meeting up with graham, i turned to youtube. I like Philippa Berry Smith's tutorials a lot.

I've got a good base now. I plan to refine the cacti and add more succulent behbehs this week. Yay to new tools!

in the studio - cacti sketching

Future brother and sister in law are getting hitched in a few months. I'm working on the illustration for their tote bag wedding favors.

California desert cacti ~ baja and mojave.

They live in Tucson. These bushes are regional.

Oh hello, iced coffee season! Though a storm is skimming past us tonight. I'm trying not to add to the collective grumbling about the weather....forget it. GRUMBLE GRUMBLE GRUMBLE! In 3 months we'll be soaking in the warm california sun, and toasting to mike and annie. xoxo

in the studio

finished two pieces today ~

jade explorer ~ 9x12 water color, gouache, pen

outer sail ~ 9x12 water color, gouache, pen

she forages for herbs

in the shop soon!

in the studio

the story of aly and henry

I gushed a lot about one of my besties, Aly, and her becoming a new mom in tens of thousands of stitches of love. I'll try to limit the gushing. BUT, now that I have met Henry, it's hard to keep that to a minimum :). He's so gorgeous.

My Babci knitted him the mint green blankie.

And Aly is managing her new role in stride; so comfortable and confident. Humble and lovely. It was a pleasure seeing her hold her baby boy this past weekend.

I made these things for Henry. They're tokens of things that will surround him in life. Things near and dear to mom and dad, and someday near and dear to him.

For reference, the frame is 16"x20".

Aly's parents are part owners of Tunnel Bar, a place we frequented as youthz.

Aly loves horses. And now she lives next door to them. Henry will see them about as he grows up.

Home! Home actually needs some minor modifications. It was undergoing construction when I started, so I'll have to bring some brown thread and finish the porch next time I visit.

Martha's Vineyard where the fam vacations every summer.

Rudy!

Star light, star bright.

Fleur de lis! Aly dons a fleur tat on her foot, and her family has ties to New Orleans. This one, and its colors, are my favorite.

Henry's dad owns a trucking business.

And a shooting star to usher in the arrival of baby Baker! Can't wait to see you grow up, sweet boy! Much love and health to all.