Artwork

Grounded for IF

2012-01-12T20:50:00.001-08:00

Somebody's grounded

Highlight

2012-01-04T15:20:00.000-08:00

The highlight of the trip was the camel caravan...

Messenger for IF

2011-12-28T09:18:00.000-08:00

This was the perfect theme to paint one of my dove sketches. The messenger of peace and hope.

Sink

2011-12-28T09:14:00.000-08:00

Take a moment to let the beauty of nature sink in. I wanted a simplified version of a complex scene, with a quality similar to silk painting.

Round for Illustration Friday

2011-12-01T14:30:00.000-08:00

Hibernate for IF

2011-10-06T17:38:00.001-07:00

Ferocious for IF

2011-09-28T08:50:00.000-07:00

I resisted the urge to draw lions and other beasts for this "ferocious" prompt, and instead followed my interest in birds. How could a bird be ferocious? Roosters can be pretty mean, and there are plenty of people who are afraid of birds. Having recently read about cassowaries I could have gone that direction. But some doodles later, this sketch of a bird over a city emerged. My son calls it a phoenix.

As I was posting this, I heard a terrible frightened sound from our parrot in an outside cage. A Harris's hawk was sitting on top of the cage trying to figure out how to get breakfast. Ferocious!

Pigeon

2011-08-09T08:17:00.000-07:00

We searched for the owner of this escaped pigeon who landed in our yard, but without more identification on the band, one couldn't be found. So we have a new bird!

Perennial for IF

2011-07-26T14:46:00.001-07:00

My perennial view of Daisy Mountain

Remedy for IF

2011-07-06T10:43:00.001-07:00

Beginner for IF

2011-05-09T16:48:00.000-07:00

Constantly distracted by birds, I am thrilled to have a nest of babies over the patio. I happened to look out one day and see them picking just the right place to build, and watched as they added pieces to the nest. I tried not to disturb, but couldn't resist setting up the ladder for a pic of the eggs and later the babies. They were just little fuzz balls then, but I imagine now they're beginning to look more like birds.

Lesson for IF

2011-05-07T13:39:00.000-07:00

No more rats...no more children...no more music... Did the mayor learn his lesson?

Bicycle for IF

2011-04-27T21:31:00.001-07:00

Bicycle and Bottle

Toy for IF

2011-03-30T07:48:00.000-07:00

Why did I make it looked stitched? I've been trying to figure that out. I had a dream I was working on a picture created with little lines, so I've been playing around with different ideas. This is today's version for Illustration Friday's theme, "Toy".

Stir for IF

2011-03-14T15:00:00.001-07:00

A spring breeze stirs the air. I feel very distracted now by the garden and sunshine, and all the birds and creatures that visit. This was a little sketch I began at the park while my children played. It started with leaves that became butterflies, then a mysterious bird landed nearby and invited himself into the picture.

Dusty for IF

2011-01-27T18:40:00.000-08:00

As usual, I made a few sketches of ideas and presented them to my children. Dusty old book was the favorite. Seconds later I heard a story of the girl who found a magical book found in an attic.

DejaVu for IF

2011-01-13T20:18:00.001-08:00

This one came to me in the middle of the night while thinking, "how does one portray an image of "deja vu"? I guess you could say this is what happens in my brain, my head spinning back and forth in different directions trying to figure out if it's a real memory or just that my mind stepped out for a minute and is catching up. The kids talked me into finishing this one, partly because they are very encouraging and partly because they got to stay up late and draw while I worked. In fact, I even borrowed their oil pastels. It was a good night.

Phenomenon for IF

2010-12-16T22:42:00.000-08:00

It's a week that includes meteor showers and preparing for the Living Nativity. My thoughts are heavenward.

Prehistoric for IF

2010-12-15T07:42:00.000-08:00

I love watching dragonflies, and I'm fascinated by the idea of them having two foot wingspans in prehistoric times. Nothing in this picture suggests that this one is large, as some of my earlier sketches, so it turned out to be more of an exercise in drawing a dragonfly.

Savour for IF

2010-12-02T20:02:00.000-08:00

Coming in just under the wire, Savour for IF. I struggled with this one, but my thoughts kept returning to cats or dogs, so I finally gave in and worked it out. It is inevitable that the young cats will find their way to the table and make themselves at home. I tried to make the painting playful and fun, even though it felt like work in the beginning.

Sneaky for IF

2010-11-27T18:25:00.000-08:00

He tried to be sneaky when playing "hide and seek" with the dogs, but it didn't take long for them to figure it out. I played this game when I was a kid. It was fun to watch the dogs run back and forth under the tree the first time I tried it.

IF: Mistake

2010-11-21T19:18:00.000-08:00

This picture is based on a true story. My dad had a very bad experience with a cholla cactus, and was sure to warn every one after that to STAY AWAY! Shortly after that, on a walk with the family, I glanced back to be sure the youngest was still with us. She remembered Pop's warning, but was determined to try it herself. Fortunately nothing happened to her hand, but eight feet further and her shoes were full of cactus spurs! And yes, she hikes in dresses.

Burning for IF

2010-11-15T17:38:00.000-08:00

I had so much fun working on this illustration, partly because I proved to myself that I could do it, and also because it became a family project. Everyone gathered around the kitchen table to draw dragons. I learned a lot.

When the Illustration Friday topic was announced as "Burning", a fire breathing dragon was the first thing that came to mind. It was something I've never tried before and had been wanting to add to my repertoire. I saturated my brain with images of dragons, saw them in my mind as I fell asleep, filled pages and pages of sketchbook paper. Even my son took pity on me and let me borrow his dragon figurines.

When I was restocking at the art supply store I found a book on painting mythical creatures in watercolor. Perfect timing! I followed the author's advice and worked in glazes of color, but eventually my own instinct took over.

I am pleased with the result: my first dragon painting.

Afterwards

2010-11-12T06:55:00.001-08:00

"Hush," whispered the cat, "we'll take care of everything."

For Illustration Friday. This is just watercolor and ink on sketchbook paper. I struggled with three or four different versions of this theme and this is the one I was able to get as far as a color sketch. It's about how I was feeling, as I worked very late one night and the cats climbed onto the table and started walking in the paint.

Halloween cat

2010-11-04T12:57:00.001-07:00

Halloween cat, from Illustration Friday's theme: Spooky
Still playing with shapes and colors to alter an ordinary drawing.

Spring

2010-07-16T16:45:00.000-07:00

Having recently been reading about Van Gogh and Cloisonnism, and studying the illustrations of Christina Balit, I was inspired to color a butterfly picture I've been working on. I wanted to make it different from every other painting I've done of a tree and create the branches with negative space. It was fun playing with the design and adding the details to the mourning cloak, one of my favorite springtime butterflies.

Rose Beetle Man

2010-06-11T15:27:00.000-07:00

Summer is here, which means lots of trips to water parks, splash parks and pools with the kids. I've been reading on of my favorite books again, by Gerald Durrell. It's called "My Family and Other Creatures". One of the passages is a long description of a curious person called the Rose Beetle Man. In trying to picture what he looked like I decided to work on an illustration of my interpretation. I kept finding I needed bigger and bigger paper to work on. I still have some other ideas, but this is a start. I will play with some color next. This is a work in progress.

Focused for Illustration Friday

2010-02-05T15:32:00.000-08:00

Focused, on being the one to eat her food.

Clumsy for IF

2010-01-29T13:27:00.001-08:00

There are doves in the garden that try to land on the smallest parts of the fence. They are not very graceful about it, trying to get both feet in a place where they don't fit. Sometimes they get one foot on and step on that one with the other. They look so clumsy about it, I had to do a little sketch of one falling off. Ink.

Wilderness for IF

2010-01-18T13:16:00.000-08:00

This is a painting I completed recently and submitted to a show in Glendale, AZ. Geocaching leads us to so many wonderful places that we wouldn't find otherwise, and this is one of those spots. We came here to look for a cache (didn't find it) but enjoyed walking around the river, throwing rocks in the water and identifying a new bird. "Invitation" Jan.2010 Casein on board.

Renew

2010-01-08T14:35:00.001-08:00

Renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

Unfold

2009-06-16T16:07:00.001-07:00

The idea of what Heaven might look like unfolded in my mind as we talked about it in class. I played around with some different ideas and came up with a "street of gold in a crystal city". The kids really got interested in it, so I re-worked the design and made copies for them to color too. This was the final one that inspired them to begin telling stories about the people, and apparently mermaids, that live in the Crystal City.
We cannot see the flowers that the little girls pick, or the fountain around the corner to the right. Those are pictures for another day.

Craving marshmallows sketch

2009-06-11T19:28:00.000-07:00

The topice at Illustration Friday was"Craving". My family had recently been camping and that's the only time the kids are allowed to eat marshmallows, or the only time I buy them. S'mores! After roasting one of two, and making the whole chocolate/marshmallow/graham cracker sandwich, they still just want to eat marshmallows. And the next day, they still remember the marshmallows are there, and want to eat them right out of the bag. Such a yummy, sweet, soft treat they crave when we are camping.

Puppet theatre

2009-04-29T13:37:00.000-07:00

I've been working on other stuff, but finally have something for Illustration Friday. The theme this week is "theater"! I got the idea for this a long time ago while watching my nephews put on a puppet show for their little sister.

Read a book

2009-03-13T15:19:00.000-07:00

I seem to be taking a little vacation from the Illustration Friday topics, but that doesn't mean I have stopped painting. I have several ideas of my own that I've been working on. This is what I did today. I like reading books outside when the weather is nice, and I love to see kids enjoying stories together.

Summer bubbles

2009-02-18T15:29:00.001-08:00

This time I thought I'd post a work in progress. The topic this week is "Celebrate" so I picked some kids who were out of school for the summer. Bubbles and barefoot is a great way to start!

Time

2009-02-11T17:59:00.000-08:00

This is a piece I've been working on, and I'm learning to sing the song as well for an event this weekend. I'm finding it surprisingly difficult. The Illustration Friday topic this week is "Time" and I thought since roosters are the ones who announce that it's Time To Get Up!! this would be appropriate. And if this boy can finish his chores quickly, he will have more time at the lake.

Flawed

2009-02-04T16:03:00.000-08:00

How about a girl who suspects that the gem in her necklace is not real because she sees a flaw?

Climb for IF

2009-01-31T13:37:00.001-08:00

Well, here it is a little late. "Climb" for Illustration Friday. My scanner decided to take a vacation without warning, but it seems to be working fine today. Maybe I ask too much and it's just getting tired. The idea for this picture all started with the cat and I just kept adding to it. I don't think I've ever painted a squirrel before. I had lots of fun with this one.

Voices

2009-01-22T10:29:00.000-08:00

In thinking of what I might draw for IF's theme "Voices", I kept thinking of all the creatures who make demands in the house- the dogs, the birds, the cats (not to mention the children and their friends). It's very rare to find me sitting alone. There is usually a curled up something nearby. I sketched this man while watching a movie, and it didn't take long for me to imagine what kind of voices he might be hearing if he had pets.

Contained

2009-01-14T15:28:00.001-08:00

For Illustration Friday's topic "Contained". I know some people would prefer not to even look at tarantulas, but I've held a couple and still feel happiest when I know they can't go wandering.

Rambunctious

2009-01-10T09:20:00.000-08:00

One day in December, both the kids and the animals got a little too excited at the same time. I don't know who started it, but it did involve them all vaulting over the sofa. The house is much too small for such energy. I don't remember anything that happened after that.

Similar

2008-12-11T15:27:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed these characters so much, I wanted to put them together in a different situation, after they became friends.

Balloon

2008-12-04T14:55:00.001-08:00

I took a long break from drawing and painting while playing Mrs. Bedwin in the musical Oliver. Now I'm back! We also have a new puppy who is very playful. Anything looks like a toy.

Sugary for IF

2008-10-08T17:36:00.000-07:00

I remember making Kool-Aid with a friend of mine when we were little. I don't know how much sugar we were supposed to put in, but we added scoop after scoop after scoop. I have no idea how it tasted but the memory of pouring so much into it stuck with me forever. Joseph had an explanation for each one, too. One for you, one for me, one for Jen, one for Tommy, one just because...

Packed

2008-10-01T17:35:00.000-07:00

Clique

2008-10-01T16:46:00.001-07:00

Little Rocky just wanted to fit in with his new friends.

Island

2008-09-17T20:26:00.002-07:00

I recently saw an old picture of my sister and me. When thinking of ideas for 'Island' I remembered how we used to sit on the couch and pretend we were surrounded by water and couldn't touch the ground. Sometimes we looked through a catalog, picking out the items we would have with us on our island. We chose crazy things that didn't make any sense, but since it was our imagination we could have anything we wanted. I know there were diamond necklaces, emerald earrings, and gold bracelets. It had nothing to do with survival but everything to do with fantasy.

Clutter - for Illustration Friday

2008-09-17T20:26:00.001-07:00

What a frustrating image to consider. Aren't we all trying to avoid clutter and simplify our lives? The inspiration for this picture came from things I saw around my house. My test audience said it was hard to look at, and discomforting. Well, that's the point.

Memories

2008-09-04T12:44:00.001-07:00

This is very different from my original idea of opening an old trunk in an attic, but I think I like this one better. The easy, care-free life of a young girl in the country, in the sparkling color of dreams.

The Routine

2008-08-30T16:19:00.000-07:00

This is what Saturday morning looks like to me, plus bird cages, and vacuuming...

Detach

2008-08-20T10:36:00.001-07:00

detach: disengage and remove something; avoid and put an end to any connection associated with it.

Sour

2008-07-10T17:24:00.001-07:00

After pages of sketches I came up with the idea of a lemonade stand. He's either really impressed with their "World's Best" or is a little suspicious of what goes into it.

Fierce

2008-07-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

After chasing him all day, Michael saw a new side of his beloved cat "Little Mew" when he tried to take the toy mouse.

Forgotten

2008-06-21T16:42:00.001-07:00

"We'll be best friends forever and I'll take you with me everywhere," she told the new doll, forgetting those were the same words she said to her old favorite doll.

Seed

2008-05-21T16:05:00.001-07:00

Electricity

2008-05-19T17:11:00.001-07:00

My son kept telling me to just draw a whole bunch of lines. Well I took those lines and I put them in a little globe and made his hair stand on end!

Wrinkles

2008-05-19T17:09:00.000-07:00

Hey, if you stay in the tub too long, you'll get all wrinkly.

Primitive

2008-04-27T11:52:00.001-07:00

A sketch for Illustration Friday. Outhouses are something real from my past. When I moved to New Hampshire as a child, we lived in an old cabin that was fascinating to me. An outhouse, a hand pump well, a wood stove, lots and lots of mosquitoes, and giant luna moths at night on the screens. After that we lived in another cabin with an outhouse (always fun in the middle of the night). As we built our house, we upgraded to a "new" fresh wood outhouse, with a deeper hole into the earth. What a treat!

Fail for Illustration Friday

2008-04-17T12:52:00.001-07:00

-couldn't put Humpty together again- they failed

Garden

2008-03-13T21:08:00.000-07:00

For Illustration Friday's topic, Garden.

Leap

2008-03-12T11:12:00.000-07:00

Jumping for joy. After all those boys, it's a girl born in a leap year.

Multiple

2008-03-12T11:08:00.000-07:00

I've got little seedlings planted just about everywhere - inside and out - and it's a daily activity to check on them with the kids.

Theory: Pigs Do Fly

2008-02-22T11:52:00.001-08:00

Another one for Illustration Friday. He had a theory about whether or not pigs could fly. If he could only get them up into the air he was sure they would make it.

Choose

2008-02-14T16:04:00.000-08:00

Draw your own conclusions. Is he going to save the girl? Is he going to pick which one will get to her first? Will he choose to buy one to bring home? My son has had enough of his sister's little dolls and thinks this picture is quite funny. "Faster train, faster!" he shouts.

Blanket

2008-02-08T12:15:00.000-08:00

The theme of blanket can be taken any number of directions, but I settled on one that is familiar to me. One of the most common places to find a blanket in my house is in the form of a tent

The Anti-Valentine

2008-02-05T10:42:00.001-08:00

Tales and Legends

2008-01-31T11:30:00.000-08:00

This one was created with little girls in mind, and judging from my daughter's reaction, I was able to reach my audience!

Spaghetti, plain

2008-01-23T15:26:00.000-08:00

The first thing that came to mind for the theme "plain" was spaghetti, as in the request from a child who doesn't like all that fancy sauce and meatballs

Zoo for IF

2008-01-15T13:18:00.000-08:00

Open for Illustration Friday

2007-10-11T15:20:00.000-07:00

The door is open to the world outside.

Wedding

2007-10-05T09:52:00.000-07:00

The Alphabet

2007-09-12T10:14:00.000-07:00

Little Rabbit

2007-09-11T17:28:00.000-07:00

"Momentum"

2007-09-11T16:32:00.000-07:00