I just received the files for 2 illustrations I did this past summer for wine and cheese tasting events posters for Publix Supermarkets. This is the third project I have done with Publix and I always enjoy working with them!
I am so excited to announce the opening of my new Etsy shop The Curious Kitchen! I have always had a soft spot for anything anthropomorphic and have been painting these retro illustrations inspired by my own collection of vintage collectibles for years. Since they are such a different style than the work in my Curious Portraits shop I decided to give them a spotlight all their own. The images here are from my archives but I am working on a new series of paintings to continue the tradition. Now I have so many more items in my collection to inspire me, I hardly know where to begin.
I am so happy to finally be able to start my portrait of Pieps the mouse (by Steiff). I won him on Ebay back in June and I knew already how I wanted to paint him. I love how his arms are outstretched, it gives him so much emotion! I decided to leave the little hole in his ear left by the Steiff button that is lost, I think it gives him character. This is the underpainting done in burnt umber and white but I imagine the final won't be far from this as he is all beige with just touches of pink in his ears.
For some reason I didn't post these in progress. Probably because they are a little different in style and I wanted to see where they were heading. I sketched these out over a year ago and even converted them into needlepoint charts which I'll probably be working on for the next year. The sketches have been hanging on my wall of ideas waiting for me to decide how I wanted to approach them and finally a few weeks ago I just dived in and began. I am very happy with them; they are a little whimsical but I think they convey the warmth and dignity of the humble mourning dove which is after all my favorite bird.
I am very happy to have finished Mousy this week. He was a challenge as he is so old and worn but what character he has in his face! I just love him.
I am very happy to finally have my new ETSY shop Curious Portraits up and running. It has taken a lot of work but I think I finally have all the little details ironed out! I've already made a few sales and have been featured on 4 different treasuries (2 of which I've posted below) so I am very encouraged. I hope you will take a look and let me know what you think.
This weekend I was determined to finish this series of Barbie portraits. The more I paint her the more I see differences in her expression and mood. I think for the next set I will work larger and on canvas. (These and the Bubble Head Barbie series are painted on 6" x 6" wood panels). I am toying with the idea of background or even clothes. The fashion possibilities are endless, so many favorite outfits I remember from my childhood. ..
I managed to put some time into the portraits of Daisy this week and here are the preparatory drawings on the boards. Hopefully I can begin painting this weekend!
Last night was my first experience with Dr. Sketchy's Anti-art figure drawing evening at the Slipper Room. It was different from any life drawing workshop I've ever attended because the models are all burlesque performers! Last night we had a contortionist in the spirit of the Olympics. She was amazing. I've never been so challenged by body positions in my life. Following are a few 1 minute sketches just to give you an idea of this woman's abilities. The long poses naturally were much more classical. It was great to be drawing from life again, it has been awhile and I was rusty but I look forward to improving. The place was packed and it wasn't very easy to see but next time I plan to get there early, have a glass of wine and secure a spot near the stage!
I am very happy to announce that Publix Supermarkets has premiered their new pumpkin-pie ice cream this month for which I did the package illustrations! I am a huge ice cream lover so when they offered me this job I jumped at it. The art director was pretty clear about what she wanted; a slice of pie for the front and a dish of ice cream for the back but she gave me lots of freedom to develop the overall look (within limitations of course). I do these in a combination of media beginning with a black and white sketch, followed by a color layout then and underpainting in gouache and finishing with layers of oil glazes (after sealing it with acrylic). 
I like to present the client with all the stages of the image so they can make changes as it progress and not be surprised at the end. I know some artists don't like to have the client too involved in the process but I actually enjoy the interaction. I first began working for Publix a few years ago when they commissioned me to create a series of 
illustrations for their tea packages. I loved that job as well. I am an enthusiastic tea drinker and tried to capture in these images the warm, cozy feeling a hot cup of tea offers. This collection of tea packaging won Publix a 2008 ADDY so I was extra happy to be a part of it!
So back to the word Bubble Head... I’ve been busy working on a new series of lighthearted illustrations the past few weeks done exclusively with stock in mind. As an illustrator I’ve always had a love / hate relationship with stock illustration. I hated it for changing the industry as did everyone else but once I realized it was an evil that was here to stay I wanted to get in on it myself. I have made several attempts over the years and even though I’ve made some money it never really took off as I would have liked. I have a friend who does enormously well with it and he advised me to treat it as a business. He encouraged me to adopt a distinctive style and stick with it. A few weeks ago while I was walking my dog Bingo out along the river I was thinking about my pumpkin men paintings (which I will talk about later) and had the idea to put that same innocent and friendly face on a human head instead of a pumpkin head and so the idea of the Bubble-Head men was born.
I wanted them to be fun and fairly quick to produce; 2 criteria that I think are essential for stock. I also wanted them to look hand painted to seperate them from the majority of stock that is computer generated and in my opinion somewhat stale. They are completely painted in goache which is a medium I am very comfortable with as I do all of my textile design work in it. I got busy straight away and in a frenzy of production finished the first series of 25 and sent them off to Images.com. Since they are a completely different style then my other illustrations I decided to create a new portfolio for them called Planet Bubble-Head so they would stand on their own.
Usually when I am working in the studio I listen to Coast to Coast Radio through Streamlink (more on that later). Lately though I’ve been tuning into 70’s new wave music through iTunes. My favorite so far is Radio Nigel but Woxy is pretty good as well. I am finding it so inspiring. It brings me back to a time in my life when I was so creative and despite working 9-5 at an art supply store I seemed to be painting all the time. It was a time where all I had ahead of me were possibilities. I’ve been free-lancing now for nearly 20 years and I always thought that a flexible schedule would allow me endless time to devote on my painting. However doing design and illustration for a living tends to be all consuming and so often I find I am just too creatively spent at the end of a day to begin to work on my own ideas. Listening to this music has reminded me of the person I was when I first moved to NY and has inspired me to keep that thread of ideas going. I’ve even been keeping a wall (or rather closet door) of ideas and sketches right here in my studio so I am looking at them all the time.
