Vita's sketchbook project continued

Almost done with the story! Now its the giraffe's turn to dream.

Final woodland image

Ok so replaced the bear silhouette with a dear, added in an owl and changed the fox's head. I think this thing is done!

Woodland Growth Chart - Update

I'm working on a new growth chart for a client. They only gave me a week to get this done! Yikes! Was about to work on the bear, but after showing them what I had done so far I was told to replace the bear with a buck and some how stick an owl in there. I didn't realize deers were on the hot list. Note to self, make more deers!

Mountain View

In the winter, when the leaves are off the trees, I get a pretty good view of Mt. Uncanoonuc from my studio window. Several years ago I made a scratchboard drawing of that scene.

This year, in my printmaking class, I used the original drawing to create a reduction print using an "easy-to-cut" block and Akua inks.
My next turn at posting on this blog will be after Christmas, so I'd like to wish our followers and friends a peaceful holiday season and a successful and creative New Year.

Forest animal finger puppets

Just got some samples of animal puppets that I did for Mudpuppy. You can buy them on their website for only $6, ah, the magic of printing in China.

Any who, woodland creatures are super popular at the moment, and I'm sure they will be for a while. Currently I'm working on a growth chart that has squirrels, birds and other critters, still a work in progress.

ATC's

My fourth grade students loved creating Artist Trading Cards. And I had fun creating these examples!

Chris Van Allsburg - lecture

Last night at the New Hampshire Institute of Art in Manchester, fellow SLC member Ann Marie and I saw Chris Van Allsburg give an inspiring and entertaining lecture. Chris is a multiple award winning children's book author and illustrator, who's most famous books have been turned into movies (Jumanji and The Polar Express). I didn't know much about him, only that his work is very exact and precise, yet with a soft quality at the same time, and I've read the most famous books of his, and seen Jumanji (filmed in NH!). Since we were at an art school, he spoke a lot about his college experience at the University of Michigan, and later at RISD, and I learned that he started out as a sculptor, and worked as one professionally and successfully before sitting down one day to draw and then reluctantly letting his wife peddle his sketches out to publishers. When asked what he likes to do more - sculpting or books, he surprisingly answered sculpting.

He has worked in a variety of mediums for his books, and is always trying something new.

My favorite quote of the evening came when someone asked him what HIS favorite book was that he has done - not necessarily about the book's success - and he answered "The next one".... meaning that as an artist he is always hoping that the next piece of art is better than the one that came before it, and that we should strive to learn and improve with each project that we do. Smart words! You can learn more about Chris and see those sculptures of his on his website here.

All images used here came from amazon.com.