Happy Together // Commissioned Work:
I had the most fun depicting this sweet gal & her beau as their favorite animal: The Collie.
(A fun note: That lovely Lassie (sorry couldn’t help myself!) is wearing a designer dress from the most adorable fashion line of prairie dresses by Batsheva Hay recently featured in Vogue, The Guardian & The New Yorker)
Also here are their two donkey friends, Frances & Damascus. They most certainly are, Happy Together!
Be Cool Stay in School 14"x16" watercolor on paper
This original painting is now available in my shop, in case you'd like to give these two a loving home!
So excited to announce that I was chosen to illustrate the first ever fully illustrated edition of The Boxcar Children for the 75th anniversary of its release!! I painted over 30 interior illustrations for this book, and every single one of them was a wonderful adventure and joy for me to work on! The cover art was painted by the talented Anne Yvonne Gilbert.
Thank you ever so much to the lovely folks at Albert Whitman & Co. it was a joy working with you during this project, and to my sweet agent Nicole of T2 Illustrators & Authors (you're a superhero!!) And so thankful to my parents and brother Seth, you guys are my best friends!! And above all thanks to my Heavenly Father for blessing me always and in all things!
Feeling so thankful and blessed for the opportunity!
Happy 75th Anniversary Boxcar Children!!
So you have no doubt seen a lot of little snippets, bits and bobs and pieces of my work lately. Well, all of these little glimpses have been a part of a larger picture, and I have been pursuing my dream of storytelling: I have illustrated a book! I'll share more details in the weeks to come, but until then I want to savor a beautiful melancholy-ness in my heart.
This pile represents all of the days, and minutes, and months, and weeks that I have joyfully poured into my first book. It's a wonderful feeling to actually be able to reach out and hold a piece of time like this! I can not wait until you, too, can hold this tangible form of time.
I am thankful.
I've been using a very limited palette for these silhouettes, and having great fun with the pops of red! I must admit, I love a good yarn... Can't wait to put all of these together!
Another sneak peek: Once again, the love of a true furry friend! So glad I have my sweet golden retriever to keep me company, and she just loves to have an arm wrapped 'round her!
I just adore days like this, that's probably why autumn has a special place in my heart! Warm cups of tea, pumpkins, and the smell of cinnamon. And all the while, the sound of a windy day is an enchantment to me!
A lovely little note: That bouquet that keeps popping up in my recent posts are my Mama's that she has had dried for years (a special thanks to her for letting me carefully borrow them!) I think I love a good dried flower more than the real thing sometimes!
Part Three of "Showing Paintings Without *Actually* Showing Them". Stay tuned for the subsequent sequels!
Pink may be most every little girl's favorite color, but it can also be so sophisticated and elegant. It's definitely a color that will grow up with you. Just an observation as I have been painting through rose-colored glasses lately, and I'm happy to report that I like what I see!
P.S. - Something exciting: This may or may not be end-papers for a little something (but you didn't hear it from me!)
I may be painting many shades of blue, but I've never been happier... Thus, the equation I've just discovered: Blueberries, and blue columbines = this illustrator's happy pink cheeks!
Froggie Went a-Courtin' 8"x10" watercolor & ink on paper
Miss Mousie has a pleasant surprise waiting for her outside of her front door. Froggie has come a calling for her hand, with a bouquet of waterlilies. It seemed so appropriate for a Valentine's theme, and being animals I couldn't help myself.
Wishing you a very Happy Valentine's Day- whether that means sharing the day with a sweetheart, a friend, family, a loyal pet, or extending some love to the natural world around us. Even if there might not be a frog outside your door with a bunch of posies, I hope today has a few special surprises for you as well! ♥ ❤
Happy October my lovelies!
Many apologizes for the silence I have been exhibiting the past month, but there have been a great many things that I have been working on that must remain under wraps. Secrets can be fun, and other times I wish I could let the cat out of the bag!
Anywho, I am getting a late start on Inktober, but am participating none the less! Here is a corner of a bird and floral piece I have been drawing this afternoon. More inking to come in this lovely, beautiful, dreamy brisk month. My favorite of all the calendar year... October!
Here's to the wind, the apples, the leaves, the cinnamon, and pumpkins, each one chock full of magic and full of childhood delights I shall never outgrow!
That time six days ago when this little holiday piece was being inked. ✎ ❄ ❅