Creative Alissa

IF: Forward

2012-01-31T23:27:00.000-08:00

I'm still playing around with ink & acrylics. This technique keeps me loose, which I love. Here's my painting for this week's Illustration Friday:

Until next time!

IF: Prepare

2012-01-24T16:02:00.000-08:00

I finished painting this one. In case you missed it, the sketch is here. Enjoy!

IF: Twirl

2012-01-22T16:19:00.000-08:00

So, I was not able to finish digitally painting last week's "Prepare", but it is coming along alright and I hope to finish it sometime soon.

I've been playing around with brush inking & acrylics lately, so I tried out this week's Illustration Friday, "Twirl", in that style. It was a quick exercise for a Sunday afternoon, and I had fun painting it.

Here's the sketch:

Incidentally, the red panda is my favourite animal. :)

Sketch for IF: Prepare

2012-01-14T14:48:00.000-08:00

I hope I can paint this one this week!

IF: Grounded

2012-01-09T17:52:00.000-08:00

I wish I had a more grounded personality!

Happy 2012!

2012-01-05T15:35:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!! I hope everyone in the blogging world has been well. The past few months for me have been a huge game of improv - who knew it'd be so tough to get on the computer while running around after two little ones? Ha!

My new year's resolution is the same as last year, to be creative every day, cherish these early years with my children, and continue to beef up my client list and portfolio. Like always I hope to be around more on my blog, but that would be icing on the cake, wouldn't it? ;)

Enjoy this year of the dragon!

IF: Boundaries

2011-09-12T12:18:00.000-07:00

Quick sketch for this week's Illustration Friday topic, "Boundaries". No further comment. ;)

Have a good week, everyone!

Spark Story Starters

2011-08-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

Last year, I started working with the delightful Tamara Vukusic on a project that would encourage creativity in children. She had an idea for a card game and app that would prompt imaginative answers and encourage parent-child conversation. Tamara and I got along right away, as we are both moms of young children and seek to balance motherhood and creative work. :)

In short, I created artwork for two of her projects, "Spark Story Starters" and "KidCart". Both are apps available on iTunes, and "Spark Story Starters" is also available as a deck of cards. "Spark Story Starters" is a creativity prompt game, while "KidCart" is a shopping list app that encourages children to help with the grocery shopping. I drew over 100 grocery items for that one!

I had so much fun being a part of these two projects, and I am especially happy to see how well "Spark Story Starters" is being received by both parents and educators! I play the app with my daughter quite often. She is now 4, and her answers to the questions have really evolved in complexity since we first started playing. (Check out the Spark website!)

Here is one of my earlier designs for Spark. I liked this version too, but in the end we went with a design that worked as a more recognizable brand. Besides, this version looks a little naked..

IF: Influence

2011-08-19T23:43:00.000-07:00

My 4-year-old copies me when I do yoga or crunches in the living room.

And the sketch:

IF: Swell

2011-08-18T18:48:00.000-07:00

My summer has been very busy! Vacations, family visits, play dates, feeding two growing little ones, losing the baby weight, not to mention.. getting back to work! I've been drawing a few very fun projects this past month and hope to talk about them at a later time.

The busy summer has left me little time to draw just for fun, but I managed to squeeze in an Illustration Friday for this week.. Went with the first thing that came to mind when I saw the word "Swell"!

Note: I have only surfed once my entire life.

Here's the sketch:

IF: Remedy

2011-07-02T16:40:00.000-07:00

Summer is here! I hope you all see as few scraped knees as possible this summer. At least we know the remedy, right?

Here's the sketch:

IF: Swept

2011-06-11T18:01:00.000-07:00

Hello! I've been finding tiny pockets of time to draw while the baby sleeps. My husband also took our preschooler to see Kung Fu Panda 2 this afternoon, so I managed to squeeze in an Illustration Friday piece! And they brought back popcorn! Yay!

Here's the sketch I did for it:

And here's another sketch I did for this week's topic:

IF: Asleep

2011-05-29T19:26:00.000-07:00

Playing around some more in watercolours. Sleep is slightly elusive at the moment.. ;)

Baby is here!

2011-05-10T16:28:00.000-07:00

We are delighted to announce that Abigail Akari was born on April 26, 2011! She was a big baby at 9 lb 15 oz. The family is doing very well. I hope this (somewhat) explains the lack of updates on this blog. ;)

IF: Warning

2011-03-10T11:47:00.000-08:00

Helloooo internet universe! How have you been? Everyone in my household has been sick for the past while. I hope you are well!

Here's a quick one for this week's Illustration Friday, "Warning":

And here's the sketch. I imagined him to be shouting, "TEACHER'S COMING!"

IF: Chicken

2011-01-20T21:51:00.000-08:00

Seeing how the lovely Jannie Ho requested this topic, how could I not paint something this week!

This painting took a bit of time, seeing as I was crocheting some baby hats last weekend:

You can see the inspiration as I seem to be in "nesting" mode myself these days!

Sketch for IF: Deja Vu

2011-01-10T21:44:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone!

I'm still digging myself out of my to-do list pile, sketching and painting and mothering and getting kicked in the ribs very frequently!

Here is my sketch for this week's Illustration Friday, "Deja Vu". I want to paint it in watercolour/digital. I will do my best to have it completed by Thursday night, but shall make no promises. ;)

I see many of you writing your 2011 goals. With baby due in April, I don't want to set any soaring expectations that I'm very unlikely to achieve. Once he or she is here, my only plan is to play everything by ear. Until then, my primary focus is to beef up my portfolio and client list. Good luck to everyone - I have good feelings about this year!

Seussical the Musical!

2010-12-16T12:01:00.000-08:00

Earlier this year I was hired by Carousel Theatre for Young People to create the artwork for their 2010-2011 Season posters. This is the first show to kick off the season - Seussical the Musical!

Here's a close-up of the gang:

One particular thrill of doing this job for Carousel was that my artwork was to be displayed very prominently at the entrance to Vancouver's famous Granville Island, where Carousel Theatre is located. I definitely jumped up and down when I saw this:

If you are in Vancouver or are nearby, I highly recommend seeing this show. The cast is so very talented, and the musical is guaranteed to be a great time with the family. My daughter is still raving about it!

IF: Savour

2010-12-02T12:25:00.000-08:00

Happy December! For this week's Illustration Friday piece, I thought I'd try again at digitally painting over a watercolour base painting. It was fun to do. :)

Here's the original watercolour:

IF: Burning

2010-11-13T10:57:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's been a month since I've updated. I've heard many times that freelance illustration work is very much "feast or famine", and true to the saying, my past month or so has been very very busy with projects!

After working long hours on the tablet for the past several weeks, my right wrist is starting to bother me when I'm drawing at the computer. I've ordered a new stylus grip as well as new drawing nibs, and hopefully they will alleviate some of that repetitive strain. In the meantime I'm sticking to a good regimen of applying ice, seeing a massage therapist, stretching often, and using muscle relief patches on my arm. I'm really picking apart the way I draw and sit at the computer, too, so I hope to resolve this issue before it gets any worse.

Anyway, because of the wrist pain I started experimenting with my process (for personal projects only - clients, please don't worry!). Drawing with anything other than the tablet doesn't hurt me, so I brought out my pencils, lightbox, and watercolours. I tried this week's Illustration Friday piece, "Burning Up", using this method.

Sketch, (drawn during my daughter's swimming lesson):

Watercolour underpainting:

And the finished piece:

Ultimately it saved a bit of time on the tablet, but I think that the style is too different to act as a substitute for my fully digital work. Still, I think this process and style have potential, plus it's FUN, so I'll keep playing around with it.. When I have time, that is!

Thanks for your continued patience with the sporadic updates on my blog. :)

Bump in the Night

2010-10-15T08:53:00.000-07:00

A while back, I spoke with the illustration coordinator at our local chapter of the SCBWI. She mentioned that she wanted to create a monthly illustration challenge with a blog to showcase our local talent. This month is our first challenge with the theme, "things that go bump in the night".

I confess I'm not Halloween's biggest fan, but this piece was really fun to do! Check out our group blog at Go Bananas Illustration!

Edit: I just noticed this week's Illustration Friday topic and decided to use this piece for that, too!

IF: Beneath

2010-10-03T14:02:00.000-07:00

I don't look much different on the outside, but beneath the surface...

I announced my big news on Twitter last week, but in case you missed it, I am PREGNANT with my second child! We are absolutely thrilled. I am due at the end of April, 2011.

It seems that many children's illustrators out there have very small children. How many of you are freelancers who worked while pregnant and/or with a newborn? I'd love to hear your stories!

IF: Proverb

2010-09-16T11:44:00.000-07:00

Hello folks! It's been a while. I had family visiting me, and then Bean and I went on a trip to Japan!

Here's my Illustration Friday piece for this week. I didn't sketch much while on vacation, (travel is so different with a 3-year-old!) so I'm easing back into drawing every day. :)

Hope all is well where you are! As a bonus picture, here we are in Sapporo:

IF: Caged

2010-08-11T10:42:00.000-07:00

(Something I wanted to do when I was little!)

IF: Artificial

2010-07-31T15:13:00.001-07:00

Another monochromatic illustration for Illustration Friday this week. :)

Picnic

2010-07-27T10:46:00.000-07:00

A lovely and very talented group of illustrators have launched their website, We Love To Illustrate. Their group theme for July is "Picnic", and are welcoming other illustrators to join in the fun.

I chose my favourite food-related subject: bento boxes! I often make little lunch boxes for Bean:

When I was little, I was embarrassed about bringing Japanese bento boxes to school and demanded that my mom only put my lunches in brown paper bags. I hope Bean grows up in a community where people of all backgrounds bring their bento boxes for lunch!

IF: Double

2010-07-23T11:11:00.000-07:00

Ah, summer! Time flies! I'm keeping busy with a few projects and am going away to a friend's wedding this weekend, so I chose to go monochromatic with this week's Illustration Friday piece.

At first they were two.. then they had four! Double the kids, double the love - at least with meerkats!

IF: Breakfast

2010-07-21T08:53:00.000-07:00

When I was sketching ideas for this Illustration Friday topic, I was on our balcony. The instant I thought of a hummingbird, a hummingbird flew by! Here's to cheerful sunny mornings!

IF: Diary

2010-07-12T16:53:00.000-07:00

I was definitely over-protective of my diary when I was little!

Relevant Relephant Theatre

2010-07-01T18:35:00.000-07:00

Last month I was delighted to team up again with the ever lovely Jessie van Rijn, who hired me to do some line art for a new theatre company she has launched with the very talented Steven Greenfield and Julie McIsaac. I love the company name - Relephant Theatre! Check them out at this year's Vancouver Fringe Festival.

This project was fun and reminded me that I like doing line art, so I should do more of it! :)

PS. Happy Canada Day, everyone!

IF: Ripple

2010-06-15T15:22:00.000-07:00

Many blessings to Kelly Light for uniting a community of artists together to help the animals affected by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.

To the birds and marine life, I am so, so sorry.

IF: Early

2010-05-25T23:06:00.001-07:00

I'm more of a morning person, though not as much as this mom.

IF: Equipment

2010-05-18T15:40:00.000-07:00

(Sorry this was double-posted on the Illustration Friday site, my link wasn't right the first time.)

We took our 2-year-old fishing on the weekend. We didn't catch anything, but there's always hope for next time, right?

My Posters in Bus Shelters!

2010-05-17T08:18:00.000-07:00

In the winter, I was asked to do an illustration of a flapper girl for a poster of an upcoming Shakespeare play. It was a super fun project. Then, a few weeks ago I was told that the poster was going to be displayed in bus stop shelters around the city! I couldn't believe it! Last weekend we drove around town looking for them, which was quite a thrill. :)

IF: Cocoon

2010-05-03T16:01:00.000-07:00

Textures

2010-04-12T08:40:00.000-07:00

As the daughter of a computer engineer, I grew up around a lot of computers. I loved drawing on the computer with a mouse as a kid, because it made me feel really cool (in that "budding art geek" sort of way.) But, as my training as an artist developed, I realized that I also have a strong love of tactile materials in art. While I admired ultra-polished digital art, I also swooned over canvas paintings that were thick with paint, texture, and collage elements.

I think my current style is starting to reflect both of these two admirations. I love Painter 11 on my Mac for its versatility as a digital tool, but also for its enormous library of simulated art materials (especially the pastels!). In my latest work I have been creating textures with traditional paint mediums, then scanning them and incorporating those textures into my digital pieces.

For example, this is the texture I created for the cereal O's for my "IF: Rescue" piece:

And this is the earth texture for "IF: Subterranean":

I love painting these textures and have a few that I did "just for fun", like this one:

Happy painting, everyone!

IF: Dip

2010-04-08T14:11:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd post the sketch this week. The girl was angrier in the sketch but I decided that realistically, she would be a little envious of her little brother, so I softened her expression in the finished piece. I doodled the sketch directly in Painter (using a baby blue canvas) and worked directly over the sketch to make the finished painting.

IF: Rescue

2010-03-31T22:17:00.000-07:00

The Ladies of Carousel Theatre

2010-03-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

Now that the announcement has been made, I can talk a little bit more about what kept me busy for February and March. I have been working with Carousel Theatre for Young People here in Vancouver to create the posters and promotional images for their 2010/2011 season. They are taking on five major mainstage productions beginning this fall. I have been a fan of their productions over the years and am excited for the upcoming season!

The above pics were done for the director and managers of the theatre, to be used various brochures. Artistic and Managing Director Carole Higgins gets a crown, of course!

It was a delight to work with Carousel and I am so excited to see the shows. If you're in the area, I highly recommend their productions!

IF: Expired

2010-03-25T13:51:00.000-07:00

3 things are expired: an afternoon without a nap, her dad's patience, and her sugar buzz.

IF: Subterranean

2010-03-18T00:02:00.000-07:00

Again, I apologize for my time away from this blog. I've been wrapped up in a very lovely project that I can't really talk about just yet. It has been a lot of fun so far.

I am VERY pleased to participate in Illustration Friday this week, however! My attempted participation in the past few weeks has sadly become a pile of thumbnails and unfinished sketches. Not this week! Yippee!

This time around, I painted a bunch of textures and swatches with gouache and acrylic paint, then scanned them in to play with in Painter.

IF: Propagate

2010-02-26T13:06:00.000-08:00

This one didn't make the deadline. :( Better late than never, right? A mix of work & watching the olympics took up my time this past week. As a side note, I would like to try to make my art look less vector-y in the future, even though it's not painted in vector!

IF: Adrift

2010-02-17T20:52:00.000-08:00

Go Canada!

2010-02-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. :) The excitement has been steadily growing in Vancouver for the past year, but has completely overflown this week! Go Canada!

IF: Muddy

2010-02-09T18:53:00.001-08:00

Or, as my kid likes to say, "splashing in the muck-muck"!

Flapper Sketch

2010-02-05T11:00:00.000-08:00

I was asked to help with a project that featured flapper girls from the 1920's. Doing the research for this was so much fun! Here is one of the sketches I did. This wasn't the sketch that was approved, but I still like the fun feeling I get from it.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Process for "IF: Focused"

2010-02-02T10:00:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd post some process pictures for this week's IF piece. I like seeing other artists' process posts, so maybe mine will be of use to somebody.

First, I drew a few different thumbnails of ideas in my sketchbook, then I went straight into Painter and drew a rough sketch.

After getting the composition worked out, I went back and changed the size of the camera lens to emphasize this week's theme:

The rough drawing was turned into a transparent layer. I then picked out my colour palette and created all of my paint layers. (Each element in the image was divided into several layers.)

From there, it was a matter of creating texture and depth to each layer using the dry chalk, pastel, and airbrush tools. I also brought in a photographed texture for the floor. I love Painter and all of the art materials available in it!

IF: Focused

2010-01-31T21:22:00.000-08:00

A Website!

2010-01-28T21:53:00.000-08:00

Lately, I have been feeling envious of all of you awesome artists and illustrators out there, not only for your fancy talent but for your fancy portfolio websites! With the new year, I am pushing myself out of my 'shy' comfort zone and am focusing on getting my work out into the world. It has always been my dream to be a freelance illustrator, particularly in children's publishing (like many of you), and I finally just asked myself one day, "what are you waiting for?" Last fall, I attended an illustrators conference for my local chapter of the SCBWI, and received much encouragement from the wonderful people there. I've officially decided to follow my heart!

So, I am very proud to announce:

www.alissastaples.com is officially open!!

I also painted up a little logo to put on my letterheads for illustration-related correspondence. The subject matter came easily:

I know that the road ahead is long, but is so totally worth the effort. Thanks for your support thus far, and I'll keep you posted as my journey develops!

IF: Clumsy

2010-01-27T23:50:00.001-08:00

It would be so nice..

2010-01-24T13:44:00.000-08:00

..if I could hire a little sidekick to dig through my sketchbooks and recent artwork, scan them, and get them ready to post on this blog! I am trying to be more organized.

I found this in my sketchbook from last summer. I swear I had scanned it, but had forgotten yet again. It was done in watercolour while our family took a little weekend road trip.

Happy painting!

IF: Renewal

2010-01-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

Gramps needs a glasses prescription renewal.. and quite possibly a driver's license renewal too!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-04T11:15:00.000-08:00

Hello! I apologize for not having posted in a while, my muse ducked away for some fun holiday festivities! I hope everyone out there had a great new year. :)

While I get organized again, here is a painting I did in the fall for a small dog rescue foundation's fundraiser. Furever After is a rescue organization on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, that finds homes for some incredibly cute dogs!

Acrylic on mounted wood panel, 12 x 12

Happy painting, everyone!

IF: Hatch

2009-12-16T08:26:00.000-08:00

Not my favourite piece, but Bean loves dinosaurs! It's been busy around here getting ready for the holidays. Maybe Santa will bring a dinosaur toy?

IF: Entangled

2009-12-02T08:59:00.000-08:00

Mutually entangled. :)

IF: Music

2009-11-25T21:17:00.000-08:00

I got to try my sister-in-law's koto once, and it was so cool.

The koto is a Japanese zither with 13 strings, and can be heard in traditional Japanese music. :)

IF: Unbalanced

2009-11-19T10:25:00.000-08:00

Made it just in time for this week! This one was super fun to paint.

IF: Blur

2009-11-10T20:59:00.000-08:00

I swear, I see funny things too when I'm not wearing my glasses...

IF: Fast

2009-10-28T13:44:00.000-07:00

I was rather SLOW to do this week's Illustration Friday topic, "Fast", because I have been sick!

Little guy pays for his curiosity - even macaques get nervous at the speed of ziplines in the trees. ;)

Gouache doodles

2009-10-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

Now I'm playing around with gouache on watercolour paper. Sometimes it's hard to commit to a medium, isn't it!

IF: Frozen

2009-10-18T16:03:00.000-07:00

Frozen musical instruments! I don't like the cold, but I'll make the most of it.

Run Bike & Wagon

2009-10-14T16:51:00.000-07:00

Back in April, a friend commissioned me to draw two pieces for her son's bedroom. I finally completed them last week! Procrastination is a frightening thing. I'm pretty happy with the end result, however, so I hope the wait was worth it.

The bike has no pedals, because it is a "run bike", a relatively new invention for toddlers to develop their sense of balance and, theoretically, skip the training wheel phase. Our own Bean wants nothing to do with bicycles and things with wheels, but the 2-year-old boy for whom I drew this picture is very skilled on his run bike, zipping down the sidewalk at top speeds!

IF: Flying

2009-10-10T00:16:00.000-07:00

I'm playing around with textures this week. I usually end up gluing my fingers together when I attempt real, tactile collage, so moving pieces around digitally is a lot less clumsy!

IF: Germs

2009-10-04T17:40:00.000-07:00

Washing hands frequently will keep you safe from germs!
(I can't wait until Bean can reach the sink by herself.)

Sharing

2009-09-30T21:50:00.000-07:00

My writer friend heard that I was feeling stuck for ideas this week, and gave me the prompt: "sharing, in a rainy setting." The prompt was exactly what I needed! Done digitally, using Painter.

IF: Pattern

2009-09-26T15:00:00.000-07:00

Here is my Illustration Friday piece for this week. I am completely in love with my new Painter software!

I attempted a husky puppy this time around but the little guy just ended up looking like a grey shiba inu.. Hehe!

IF: Infinite

2009-09-21T14:55:00.000-07:00

Another Illustration Friday piece! I am having a blast with these.. Can you tell? :) Thank you for the continuous comments of encouragement, they are very much appreciated! This drawing was done in pastel and coloured pencil.

My dog, a shiba inu, celebrated her 4th birthday on Sunday. (That's why there's a shiba in the picture!)

Come and Play

2009-09-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

This picture was drawn last week for 09-09-09 - my husband showed me a website that invited people to celebrate the connection we all have to one another, especially on that particular day. So, I chose to share my love of drawing, and was inspired by the theme of connecting with others.

If my more frequent blog posts aren't an indication, I am finding that listening to my heart is helping me overcome my major creative blocks lately. I'm remembering the joy of drawing for fun, and can get over my fear of the 'blank page' a little more easily when I think about sharing this joy with other people. So, I thank you.

Kids in Pencil

2009-09-16T08:30:00.000-07:00

I'm really having fun drawing in pencil lately! I go rather light, using 2H, HB, and B pencils. These were drawn on cream-coloured paper.

IF: Welcome

2009-09-13T20:22:00.000-07:00

I was playing around in Painter 11 for this one. I went up a steep learning curve this weekend! Hopefully next time I will be a little more familiar with the workspace.

Hooray for three Illustration Friday submissions in a row!

Jeyo

2009-09-11T10:00:00.000-07:00

My daughter loves to have red Jell-O as her dessert. She pronounces it, "Jeyo." Done in acrylic on canvas paper.

My Bundled Baby Bear

2009-09-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

I started this drawing in May, and forgot about it until I found it in my pad of pastel paper. I just needed to fill in the pink stripe on the girl's dress and the background. I'm having fun playing around on coloured paper.

IF: Strong

2009-09-05T22:16:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd try another submission this week to Illustration Friday. I had fun last week, and am super grateful for the encouraging comments I received. :) This one was painted in gouache.

Little Snooze

2009-09-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

The children are back in my drawings again! They're so fun to draw. My daughter thinks that they are all portraits of her, even when I draw boys. Of course, though, they are all inspired by her.

Sketch of a girl

2009-09-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

A classmate in university observed, "girls always draw girls, and guys always draw guys." I totally agree. Girls and women come very naturally for me when I'm doodling.

IF: Magnify

2009-08-28T23:49:00.000-07:00

Being brave! This is my very first submission to Illustration Friday. I have been a long-time fan, and I really admire the artists who submit to the site each week. So, yeah. I'm being brave.

The topic for this week is Magnify. I don't think I've drawn fairies in at least ten years. It was fun!

Forgotten Pages

2009-08-27T15:23:00.000-07:00

I recently found a sketchbook that I had started back in January, but only coloured in a few pages, then got sidetracked with something else. I liked two particular pages, so I thought I'd share them here!

I've been spending my summer doodling in my sketchbook. I feel very stuck with painting on canvas, but I'm happy to be scribbling away. My daughter recently turned two, and enjoys scribbling also. :)

A Confession About Scribbles

2009-07-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

In case you didn't know, my art process is slowww. I keep thinking that I am suffering from a creative block, and that I'll become more prolific once I overcome said block. However, I've been trying to master my process for over a decade and a half, and so far, um, still "blocked"! I'm starting to think that for me, personally, art just doesn't work that way. My inner painter does what she wants, when she wants, and however she wants it done!

Any form of discipline or schedule causes my inspiration to flee almost instantly. Seriously, I've tried. Oh lord, have I tried. I love reading about drawing or sketching every day, working out a system to create a sketches of a finished piece, then following through the blueprint to get to a beautiful finished work of art. I get rather excited when I hear about a discipline of painting for even a few minutes per day. But deep down, I know there's very little I can do to control my painting.

I believe that my painting practice is an act of faith. I show up to a blank sheet of paper or palette, dive in, and hope that something comes out that fills my heart with joy, and is possibly something nice to look at - but that would be a bonus. Many days, most days, it is just scribbles. I'm not kidding. Scribbles that look like I was wondering if my pen was running out of ink, then realized that I'm drawing with a pencil. Scribbles that looked like I was working out some anger while arguing with someone on the phone. Scribbles and streaks and swirls. Swirls of madness, more like.

The other day, I was doodling with my 1-year-old daughter's crayons. These scribbles turned out okay, but still, they are what they are:

Thus, I have a confession to make. Instances where my paintbrush behaves, where form meets colour, where passion meets expression, are very occasional at best. I have a nice, satisfactory painting streak once every few months. I am coming clean with this confession so that you as a reader don't lose complete faith in this blog, and can be there with me to rejoice when my muse actually comes back after a very long drought. Maybe I can even get your help in praying with me so that I figure out this process thing eventually, like, before I leave this earth.

Thank you for your support. :)

Pastel Drawings

2009-06-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more children drawn in pastel and coloured pencil. Blending is fun!!

A Softer Medium

2009-04-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

This past week I've been playing around with coloured pencil. These children started appearing in my sketchbook, so I'm trying to find a medium that suits them. Here are a few 'experiments' in technique.

Painting: Lime Dreams

2009-04-01T16:01:00.000-07:00

Mixed media, 10 x 10 canvas, 2009.

At last! Something completed for 2009! This is a sister piece to "Strawberries."

Sketching

2009-01-19T09:23:00.000-08:00

There has been another natural lull in my creative productivity. I've been quietly trying to coax some ideas out into my little sketchbook. My muse clearly does not want to oblige any sort of blogging schedule!

Thank you for your patience.

Painting: Teacup

2008-11-19T09:00:00.000-08:00

Acrylic, 16 x 16 canvas, 2008.

For me, a nice cup of tea brings me many happy thoughts.

Painting: The Little Gatekeeper

2008-11-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

Acrylic, 16 x 16 canvas, 2008.

I like to think that this little guy protects my dreams when I'm not asleep to be near them.

Painting: I Will Protect You

2008-11-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

Acrylic, 28 x 22 canvas, 2008.

The lighting wasn't great when we photographed this painting. It is also larger than my typical paintings. Like the others, this sat as an unfinished underpainting for months before I started adding the foreground elements, and the girl with the cat sprang out to complete the image. This painting depicts the most closely how I've been feeling lately towards my family. Happy happy!

Painting: Adorable

2008-10-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

Mixed Media, 12 x 12 canvas, 2008.

Like many of my paintings, this one sat as an underpainting in my closet for about 6 months before I decided to add the foreground elements. My process is sometimes frustrating because it requires a lot of incubation, then sudden impulsive action. The painting asked for a leaping figure, so I happily obliged. This is one of my favourite paintings at the moment.

Painting: The Blue Roses

2008-10-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

Mixed Media, 16 x 16 canvas, 2008.

This painting is the completed work featured in a past entry, Process 1. I added some rice paper near the bottom left, then painted in the roses and an enlarged tree. Then, I let the painting sit atop my piano for several months, deliberating whether or not it was done. A few days ago, I put my signature on it and decided that it was complete. It did not ask for anything more to be added!

Painting: In the Afternoon

2008-10-15T20:13:00.000-07:00

Acrylic, 14 x 11 canvas, 2008.

This one had been completed about two months ago, but was sitting in my closet. It was my first time experimenting with separating layers using gloss medium. I think it makes certain elements 'pop out' from the surface.

Painting: For You

2008-10-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

Mixed Media, 10 x 10 canvas. 2008.

(I decided to do away with the watermarks, because they were putting me off from updating this blog. Not like that's my only excuse, but it didn't help!)

Painting: The Cat's Wish

2008-08-12T19:01:00.001-07:00

Mixed media, 16x20 canvas, 2008.

Painting: Strawberries

2008-07-27T12:23:00.001-07:00

Mixed media, 10x10 canvas, 2008.

In Progress

2008-07-21T08:27:00.000-07:00

Huge apologies for not updating in so long. Summer is always a busy time socially, and while I have been painting tons, I don't have much to show for it because I've just been painting layers to add depth to my pieces.
This is the state of my living room on nights when I have time to paint. I paint the large pieces on the floor, which means I wait until my 11-month-old goes to sleep. Those are her toys in the background.

I hope I have a bundle of new artwork to show you soon. They all seem to come into bloom at the same time.

Painting: The Bliss in Not Remembering

2008-05-18T11:09:00.001-07:00

Mixed media, 10x10 canvas. 2007.

Sketches: Shiba Puppies

2008-04-22T16:25:00.000-07:00

(We have a shiba inu and are partial to the breed.)
Out of drawing and painting mediums, I'm the least familiar with coloured pencil. Actually, pastel. But coloured pencil is a very close second-to-last.

Coloured pencil. Moleskine 3.5x5.5 sketchbook.

Drawing: Baby

2008-04-22T09:20:00.000-07:00

My daughter at 7 months old.

Graphite, 9x12 watercolour paper

Painting: Ronin

2008-04-20T09:30:00.000-07:00

This was a wedding gift for one of my best friends, who had been asking me to draw or paint her something for the past 13 years.

Acrylic on canvas, 18x24

Sketches

2008-04-19T11:00:00.000-07:00

Here are some sketches from my moleskine sketchbook (3.5x5.5) this past month. I wish I had more free time to draw. (Who doesn't!)

Drawing: Tea Breakfast

2008-04-18T10:16:00.000-07:00

Gouache and ink on watercolour paper, 12x9. 2006.

Another old one. Between paintings, I build up some momentum by doodling. I liked the way this one came out.

Process 1

2008-04-17T11:09:00.001-07:00

I thought I might document the process of one of my paintings in progress. Lately, my work is not planned out beforehand. I work quickly and paint the elements in as they feel necessary.

For this painting, I quickly filled a 16x16 canvas with an underpainting of wet blends and spattering. At this stage I paid attention to colour balance and how I felt in the moment.

1 hour into the painting.

Once the canvas was filled, I continued to layer spatters and washes, and added several texture elements. Most of this stage was done with a round #2 brush. I stood back from the painting several times and paid attention to the balance of everything. The dark patch in the left-hand side of the canvas started to look like trees, so I brought that out.

3.5 hours into the painting.

At this point, I glazed the entire surface with gloss gel medium. I've never done that before but wanted to accentuate the 'layered' effect of this painting.

To be continued...

Painting: Untitled

2008-04-16T11:45:00.000-07:00

Acrylic on canvas, 8x10. April, 2008.