Smells Like Crayons

Tribute to Whitney

2012-02-12T12:56:00.000-05:00

I loved the passion, energy, and nuance in her performances. I loved her voice. I am saddened that her life ended too soon and that she struggled so--like many artists. Every time a young artist dies I ask myself why this is. Why does the turmoil go along with the great work?
The question only seems to raise more questions for me, so I will not go there right now. I am just grateful for her gifts to us. I hope that she knows she left a a body of work behind which has and will continue to inspire for generations. I want to believe that she does.
May she rest in peace.

Working on a new fabric line with Moda

2012-02-06T13:16:00.000-05:00

So the first fabric line I did with Moda was a big hit, so they have me working on a new collection, farm animals! Here is a glimpse of some of the imagery.

Enormous Tiny Art show

2012-02-01T13:56:00.001-05:00

I'll have some of my art in the 11th Enormous Tiny Art show at the Nahcotta Gallery, Feb. 1-29. The Opening is February 3rd from 5-8pm. I will be there with bells and whistles, hope to see you there!

Enormous tiny art show artist page: https://www.enormoustinyart.com/The-Artists.aspx

Ten little things

2012-01-31T16:22:00.001-05:00

I'm thrilled to announce my new fabric line called Ten Little Things, which will be hitting the market this March.

I didn't really think of it until now, but I guess this is more of a boy friendly fabric. I'm not really a "pink" kind of gal, so I just never use it, well maybe peach, but no pink. Anyway, If you want to see more click here to see a PDF of all the designs that will be available. Happy quilting!

Hot Pink

2012-01-13T05:57:00.000-05:00

Ok, I rarely ever use pink, so I went for it.

Vita's sketchbook project continued

2011-12-28T17:40:00.002-05:00

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

Final woodland image

2011-12-22T18:05:00.003-05:00

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

2011-12-19T13:33:00.005-05:00

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

2011-12-14T20:02:00.006-05:00

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

2011-12-12T23:28:00.007-05:00

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

2011-12-12T22:07:00.001-05:00

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

Chris Van Allsburg - lecture

2011-12-07T15:56:00.001-05:00

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.

The Sketchbook Project continues...

2011-11-22T21:05:00.004-05:00

I'm half way though my drawings for the Sketchbook Project (note the staples). I've sketched out a few more pages in pencil, but they're still pretty rough. Any guesses what will happen when Mouse and the Great Blue Heron meet up?

2011-11-21T01:01:00.001-05:00

Sketch I sketched for my sketchbook project sketchbook, but didn't actually sketch it in the sketchbook!
And I know I'm missing the point of a "sketchbook." I don't know why I had to sketch it elsewhere first...

Vita's Sketchbook Project

2011-11-16T14:54:00.001-05:00

The story continues.... I'm really considering adding some color after I finish laying it all out....maybe....

The Sketchbook Project continues...

2011-11-01T17:36:00.004-04:00

I've been carrying around my sketchbook project envelope, trying to find little pockets of time to work on the drawings. I try to do a bit each day while I eat my lunch. Hopefully it won't get christened with various food items. I'm about halfway through at this point, and I have a vague idea of where it's going, but you never know with "uncharted waters".

Sketchbook Project

2011-10-26T15:39:00.002-04:00

Spreads 4, 5, 6 and 7. The story continues!

Poppy Painting

2011-10-24T23:28:00.000-04:00

As part of the decorating step for our living room I decided to refurbish a painting my husband had picked out for our last house. It was a 48" x 48" red rose, close up. I liked the concept of the painting, but the artist used just out-of-the-bottle red and black to create depth. So, although one might think black would do the trick, the painting always bugged me and seemed flat and lacking. As not to upset the hubby TOO much I dove into a roll of primed canvas I still hadhanging around from college and did a little "coverage". I stretched the canvas, primed side down, OVER the existing painting, just in case...

I had never painted on this raw canvas side before so I wasn't sure how it would react. While I was a scenic painter at NSMT I painted nearly every surface you can imagine, and stretched muslin was one of them. This ended up being a lot like that, so soon after I anxiously began putting acrylic to canvas I forgot my nerves and went to town. Most of the piece is in acrylic, but the black detailing is in charcoal. I painted it in a watercolor style over the course of three days for the sheer need for dry time. Once it is dry I've got to seal this puppy and it'll be ready to hang! Personally, I think it's way better than the red rose. Let's just hope the hubby agrees. (Plus, since it's of my favorite flower, the poppy, it pays homage to A) my favorite flower...duh, B) Veterans - a la the VFW and the great little memory poppies my grandmother used to help give away, and C) a running theme from my wedding three years ago.)

Me on HGTV (finally)!

2011-10-23T23:10:00.008-04:00

As most of you (well, Smells Like Crayons members, anyway) already know, four years ago I was contacted by the folks at HGTV’s contemporary craft show, That’s Clever. They had spotted my Etsy shop, were going to be visiting New Hampshire, and were interested in having me appear on their show! Of course I agreed immediately. That summer, they paid me a visit here in my home studio, where we spent the entire day taping me for two segments. In one segment, I showed them how to make one of my plush characters and in the other I demonstrated how to make one of my bumble bee ornaments. I had a blast!

I was told that the show would be aired in Season 5 and my episode number was HCLVR-560. It took Season 5 four whole years to air completely, and for a long portion of that, my episode wasn’t even listed. However, it looks like my time has finally come. At long last, my episode is posted on HGTV’s website! It seems as though an air date has finally been set for my episode of That’s Clever! Get up early, grab a cup of coffee, and sit down to watch me on HGTV November 14th at 7:00 a.m. before you head into work. Or, sleep in and set your DVR. It’s all the same to me, as long as you watch! Warning: the show is a bit on the silly side so if you’re expecting a serious craft lesson, you’re going to be met with goofy puns and me running around like a manic. Informative, yet a little nutty. Which pretty much describes me, so I suppose that’s fine.

One of the items I made for the show was the Plush Diva Pig (posted above). However, the one I made for HGTV was sans cleavage. TV is surprisingly anti-cleavage...even on stuffed animals. (Who knew?)

The timing is great because I (and several other members of our group) will also be participating in Not Your Grandmother's Craft Fair at McDonough School in Manchester NH on November 12. I'll definitely have a chance to get the word out about the show there. Come visit us! (o:

New fabrics

2011-10-17T20:59:00.006-04:00

I just got a bunch of samples from my new line with Moda called "Ten little things". I'm really liking what they did, lots of different color versions!

Back to square one

2011-10-17T13:51:00.002-04:00

Ah thumbnail sketches, don't look too closely, I am just planning my pages. I am taking a great class with Teri Weidner (Illustrating Children's Books) that is helping me get the cart back behind the horse. It is like taking a baking class when you discuss a different ingredient each week and find out what it does to make the cake taste so good. My brain gets ahead of my actions and this class is just what I need to make a mock-up, step by step.

More of the Sketchbook Project

2011-10-12T17:27:00.004-04:00

Here's one of the latest pages I've been sketching for the Sketchbook Project. Only 20 more pages to go before the deadline (or 10 full spreads)!

More Sketchbook Project 2012

2011-10-11T00:11:00.002-04:00

I'm working on a page in my sketchbook. Dharma is meeting her ka.

Sketchbook Project

2011-10-05T17:11:00.002-04:00

I've been so busy lately with graphic design work, that I am grateful for the sketchbook project to keep me drawing. Here is the 2nd and 3rd pages from mine.

Bees

2011-09-30T14:30:00.005-04:00

Hi all! I've been a "busy bee" in the past few weeks. I have an art fair coming up in November and need to start cranking out some work. Some of the items I make are bumble bee ornaments with celebrity faces. I thought I'd share a few images of the ones I've completed so far. They're minus wings and ribbon at the moment. You can see other completed bees (with side-views) in my online shop.

First up (L to R): artist Sal-bee-dor Dali (Salvador Dali), Beeopatra (Cleopatra), and actress Bee Arthur (Bea Arthur)

Next up: pop singer and tween heartthrob Justin Beeber (Justin Bieber) and writer Neil Stamen (Neil Gaiman)

And last but not least, host of Prairie Home Companion host Garrison Beelor (Garrison Keillor) and President Bee-rack Obama:

Happy Friday!

First up

What I'm working on today ...Rolly Pollys

2011-09-28T22:35:00.000-04:00

Our youngest kiddo loves bugs. All kinds. But she is especially found of rolly polly bugs. She even made a little rolly polly house out of cinder blocks (I'm not sure just how effective it is with those big ole holes in the blocks :) ).

That's what I was thinking of when I sketched this little girl and her little buggy friends.

A New Sign

2011-09-23T08:49:00.003-04:00

I just finished a sign for kids' old school. The school is great, energetic, creative, and keeps up with educational standards of children of a preschool age. Every time I would pull into the parking lot I would look at the over 20 year old sign and thought it didn't match what was going on inside so I was able to get a bigger sign and brighten up an old design just like the school brightened up my kids' preschool years.

The Sketchbook Project revisited

2011-09-20T21:14:00.004-04:00

Trying to make steady progress on my drawings for the Sketchbook Project. January will be here before we know it, and I hope not to be rushing to finish at the last minute. Here Mouse has received a message that will start him on his journey on "uncharted waters". I wonder how it will all unfold...

2011-09-19T00:49:00.000-04:00

I finally started my sketchbook for the Sketchbook Project 2012. My theme is "monochromatic."

My daughter and I were reading about the elaborate process the ancient Egyptians followed in mummifying their dead. They even mummified animals! My daughter said, "We should have mummified Dharma (our now deceased dog)." It made me think of a sub-theme for my sketchbook project: "doggie in the afterlife." I don't know where this will lead. Maybe Dharma's ba will guide me.

Magnet Open Art Project

2011-09-14T10:00:00.000-04:00

Labor Day weekend there was some fun art stuff going on in Concord, NH. The Magnet Open Art Project had a call to artists to submit a piece to be turned into a magnet, and left in the big wide world for one night for anyone to take and enjoy (the artist got a copy of their work as well). So I submitted my work..... and heard nothing. Labor Day came and went and imagine my surprise when a thank you mass-email was sent out from the MOAP, thanking everyone for participating and including a link to photos from the evening. I clicked on the link and started perusing the photos, trying to see if I could find mine. The magnets in the photos were so many together, it was hard to tell what was what....then I scrolled down to the bottom and BAM! There's my Robot Love magnet, all by itself, in what I'd like to think is a place of honor :) See for yourself here. A Robot Love magnet of my very own now hangs proudly on my fridge. What a great idea this was, and next time I want to make sure to see it in person! I wonder who got my magnet....

Halloween ideas

2011-09-13T10:42:00.000-04:00

Halloween ideas I'm playing with. I'm playing with some technique ideas.

I think I'm a little bored of digital color at the moment. I might just do these in collage or watercolor... not too sure yet. Hmmmm.....

New Header

2011-09-09T21:13:00.004-04:00

What have I been working on lately? Look above this post! It's the autumn Smells Like Crayon blog header, of course! Nothing says fall quite like crisp days, apples, and little critters preparing for the winter ahead. So, of course I had to paint a squirrel acorn-hunting in best his fall scarf!

My other big news is that I am the winner of the New Hampshire Public Radio art mug contest! My painting will be featured on the mugs which serve as thank-you gifts during the fall pledge drive. I was notified last month that my painting was selected. I went into the NHPR studios to turn in my artwork, get a tour, and do an interview for the week of the pledge drive. I was super excited (especially since I'm a huge NPR fan and supporter). So, if you are a listener, keep an ear out for me on the radio the week of the pledge drive in October. I'll keep the winning artwork secret until then.

This is the first September in 4 years that I'm not going back to college. (All graduated!) So, of course I signed up for weekend web workshops instead. Yep, I must be crazy. Other than that, I've been revamping the look of my Etsy shop and brainstorming my next illustrations. In the meantime, I hope you're all enjoying your September. Wishing you cool days and warm cider!

What's on my drawing board today

2011-09-06T15:08:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone!

The kiddos are at school, errands/cleaning are done, and here I sit with my cuppa. A little sketch that captures the kind of quiet I'm feeling right now.

IF Mysterious

2011-09-02T21:04:00.002-04:00

These big friends find the little flying creature very mysterious.

The Sketchbook Project continues....

2011-08-31T08:42:00.002-04:00

My main character has arrived on pages 4 and 5. It's time for him to begin his adventures on "uncharted waters!"

In other news, I've finally opened an Etsy shop! It's still a work-in-progress as I post more items for sale. The shop's name is JGTentas. Stop by and take a look!

Good-bye Pancake

2011-08-30T23:00:00.003-04:00

So if you've read my blog, you know that the name was inspired by my dog. Sadly, my poodle, Dharma, passed away on August 12. It was her time to go and I saw it coming. She was buried this weekend at the Humane Society.

Shortly after she died, I started a new job, teaching art to elementary school students. I am glad to have a new job as my dog was with me in my studio when I worked. If I wasn't so busy right now, I would miss her even more so.

Now the task at hand is to update my blog. I have already thought of a new name and am in the phase of sketching ideas for a new header. It will still be devoted to my faithful companion. I plan to have it up within the next two weeks. Stay tuned. And R.I.P. my little pancake.

Vita's Sketchbook Project

2011-08-24T14:20:00.003-04:00

And so it begins! Here's the title page - obviously my theme is "In 10 Minutes". Funny enough, this was the 2nd page I drew. The first one you can see here. Now that I'm back on track and ready to do my pages in order, I think it will go along very well! I'm excited to try some color on this paper.... cray pas? Colored pencils? cut paper? Who knows! For this project I'm allowing myself to play and try anything.

What I'm working on

2011-08-18T21:24:00.000-04:00

Here is a rough sketch of an illustration I'm doing for Stories for Children Magazine. It goes along with a poem entitled "Where have all the heros gone?" It's pretty deep, and kind of serious for a kid's mag, but I thought this illustration kind of lightened it up a bit.

I got the OK from the Art Director on the rough. So now I'll clean it up and then I'll move on to the painting stage.

Pretty messy, huh? Yup, it's definitely the rough copy.

Magnetic garden

2011-08-15T11:07:00.006-04:00

Working on a magnetic garden kit for Mudpuppy. I have to do a few backgrounds (this flower vase, a trellis, window box, and a garden) and then a bunch of interchangeable flowers.

As well as flowers I was thinking of adding in a little bee, a bird, or maybe even a little beetle. Can you guys think of any other little critters or objects I can add?

Illustration Friday, imperfect

2011-08-12T22:35:00.002-04:00

Poor little Sally, she's finding it hard to fit in.

Sketchbook Project

2011-08-10T05:43:00.000-04:00

I've made some progress on my "Uncharted Waters" this week. This is the first spread after my title page. I used a black Prismacolor pencil and watercolor. There will be a little bit of wrinkling with these materials, but I like the way it looks. It reminds me of a sketchbook that one would take out into nature to do field studies. It might be fun to press some leaves or other real objects and include them in the finished sketchbook. I guess I'll figure it out as I meander through the pages over the next few months. And since this is really for next year's tour, I should probably add 2012 to this page. I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else is working on.

Girl and Duck Are Back

2011-08-08T09:39:00.002-04:00

Remember the sketch I posted last time? I decided to use Photoshop to add color. The sketch was done with a Micron pen.

I keep wondering what the story is here. Duck seems to be trying to get her attention. What is up with these two unlikely friends?

Final Art

2011-08-03T12:22:00.002-04:00

Here's the final art of my cat and dog wood tiles that I showed the sketch for a couple weeks ago. They came out pretty cute, and I even sold a set at the last craft fair. Now I gotta go make more!

IF: Obsession

2011-08-01T07:16:00.002-04:00

What person (or monster) wouldn't be a little obsessed with a cake like this?

He's a friend of the other monsters I sketched and posted on my blog here.
Maybe now I'll be able to get over my color commitment fear and get them finished!

In my sketchbook

2011-07-22T09:12:00.003-04:00

I am in Cross Lake Maine which is north of Caribou, you may be thinking there is somewhere north of Caribou? I wish I could say my son was frolicking like the boy in the picture but after 5 minutes in the water his foot was covered with one big leech and a ton of babies. He acted like a superhero when his dad poured the salt on his foot and shriveled them all up.

Uncharted Waters

2011-07-20T14:24:00.003-04:00

At the Smells Like Crayons critique group meeting last night, one of the things we talked about was the Sketchbook Project sketchbooks we had all ordered. We all had different themes and ideas, but agreed how hard it is to make the first marks on our pristine books.

I decided this morning to jump into the "uncharted waters" and start my first page. Due to the thinness of the paper, I think I'm going use mainly colored pencil. I tried a little watercolor wash to see what the paper could handle, and it wasn't too bad, just a bit wrinkly. I'm excited to keep drawing, and to discover where this sketchbook tale will take me.

In My Sketchbook

2011-07-18T19:29:00.003-04:00

Girl and Duck

In My Sketchbook

2011-07-13T08:00:00.002-04:00

Right now I'm doodling some things - hoping to get some more art to make my wood tiles with. While doing the art fair this summer I've gotten requests for dogs and cats (how do I NOT have a dog image?! Sam is so disappointed in me.) and ducks and turtles. I will turn these guys into full color illustrations soon, and hopefully have some new wares to sell for the next fair on July 24th. See you in Portsmouth!

My Latest Creation

2011-07-12T22:07:00.001-04:00

So I've been feeling like a slacker lately, but in my defense, I have been creating something, just not a lot of illustration work...

Little Pecorino #2 will be making his/her entrance around Christmas.

I'm just now getting my energy back so maybe I can start doing some more artwork. Last week I finished a companion project for a book I illustrated, "For the Love of Emrys". That weekend I had a visit from the author herself, Barbara Ann Simone. It was great to finally meet her in person since we had been corresponding through email and phone for almost a year.

I've gotten preliminary information about an artisan show that I am invited to for a second year, Artist Collective. I wasn't able to make it last November because of an overlap in deadlines, but I'm starting to get some ideas moving so that I can be part of the show this year. I should be fine traveling six weeks before the baby is due, right?! :)

promo card from 2010 show

The Sketchbook Project

2011-07-10T23:38:00.006-04:00

I have decided to participate in this year's Sketchbook Project (if you don't already know what this is, click here.) And just received my sketchbook in the mail! I know Smells Like Crayons members have participated in this in years past, but so far I have not been one of them. This will be my first year, and the topic I picked to sketch about was "Fill Me with Stories". The possibilities are endless. Can't wait to post what I'm working on!

What I'm working on

2011-07-06T06:00:00.002-04:00

As you may have seen on my blog, I've been working on sketches for my sketchbook project/picture book dummy. Here is another I've added to the bunch... what do you think? Are they working? Do the characters look consistent? Would love your thoughts...

Art show at the Black Bean Cafe

2011-07-03T06:42:00.005-04:00

Smells Like Crayons art is on display. Taintor Child ,who brings and hangs all the art to the Black Bean Cafe in Rollingsford, hung our show with a little help from me Thursday night. It is a small little show but looks really great on the brick walls. The restaurant serves breakfast and lunch and is delicious, so check it out for the art and food.

Summer Studio

2011-06-29T05:15:00.000-04:00

I'm out of school for the summer break and have moved into my "summer studio" aka, the screened-in porch, which basically consists of a card table and the chair from my indoor desk. I love being able to work outside while observing all the birds, and the view of the yard and gardens.

The print that I'm posting is one I've been working on this week, of a Ruby-throated Hummingbird . It's a black and white print painted with watercolor. I'm hoping to get some new pieces done for the next Open Market, where Vita and I will be selling our wares, on July 24 in Portsmouth.

Monster Sketch

2011-06-22T14:58:00.000-04:00

Hi all. So sorry I've been absent from my posting duties. I'm hoping I can get myself pulled back together soon. Here is a monster I'm working on for a birthday card concept. I'm sort of playing with a new drawing style, though I'm not sure if it is a fluke or something I'll stick with a bit longer. You can see a few other monsters I did in the same style over at my blog.

I have to say, though, I am totally anxious about putting color to him. I have a couple ideas of what I might want to do but it's that first move, that first color decision, that often holds me back. Does anyone else deal with this?

ETSY!

2011-06-22T07:00:00.000-04:00

This week I finally accomplished one of my goals for the year (though I've been thinking about this for a lot longer) - I have an etsy shop, lifewithsam! There are a few items up there now, with more to come. I've got gorgeous archival prints, great for babies and kids, and pretty cool letters that you can spell your child's name out with, or any phrase you please. Stop by and take a look, maybe add me to your favorites. I'm really excited about this, and of course nervous as well. Yay for summer adventures!

This concludes my shameless self-promotion for the day. Thank you.

Website Launch

2011-06-19T22:55:00.004-04:00

I missed my turn to post on Friday because I was a bridesmaid in an out-of-state wedding. We left early Friday morning and just returned today. Everything went off without a hitch. It was a gorgeous day for our friends, and we couldn't be happier for them. But boy, am I EXHAUSTED!!! If I thought life was going to become peaceful and relaxing after I graduated from school, I had another thing coming!
I had some exciting things happen for me this week in the design world...but I'm keeping hush-hush on that for the time being. Additionally, I've been very busy getting my personal portfolio website designed and functional. I'm sure many of you have heard my rants while I was wading eyeball-deep in the world of web design. I am proud to announce that my website is complete at long last, and is up and running (smoothly too, I might add!).
If anyone would like to take a tour of it, you can visit me at: http://www.nicolehuot.com
Of course, I have included my illustrations as well as my design work. Yeay!

2011-06-12T21:00:00.002-04:00

Ah that super feeling when you feel like you can accomplish anything. It doesn't come around often and you can be so caught up in it that you don't realize it is happening. This is not how I am feeling right now. The end of the school year is upon us and all the craziness that comes with it. We've been busy and since I am not someone to keep a date book it all swims around in my head with all the other clutter in there. I knew I needed to post but I have not been inspired of late and need our group to meet to get those juices flowing. Looking forward to meeting ladies!

Geranium print

2011-06-08T05:21:00.000-04:00

I finished this 7-color reduction print just in time for the Portsmouth Open Market that's coming up this Sunday, June 12th. It's been a busy month preparing my work for the event, but I'm excited to be sharing a booth with Vita, as we try out a new venture. We'll be at Strawberry Banke from 10-4, so check it out if you're in the area.

Painted Sketch

2011-06-06T23:48:00.004-04:00

In the past I used to think of painting as "final." To map out ideas, sketch, doodle, or draw I would normally use a pencil, sometimes pen, sometimes crayon. Rarely would I use a brush. Until lately. Now I think about sketching in paint. It's quite liberating, really. I get to play around with color and line and form. Ideas happen that can be carried into "final" work.
I highly recommend this time for playing and experimenting. It usually helps me move through creative blocks. I often wonder if others do this too and how often? If not, how do you get through times when you feel stuck?

Space Poster

2011-06-01T07:00:00.000-04:00

A long time ago my friend Benny commissioned me to do an A-B-C space poster for a young friend of his, and we racked our brains coming up with space-related words for all the letters. (Thankfully Benny is very smart). I brought the sketches in to a Smells Like Crayons meeting awhile ago, but haven't shown you guys the final piece - here it is! I'm really happy with it, and was so inspired that I created a whole licensing collection around this theme, which you can see here. And I'm told little Miles loves his poster. Yay!

Graduated!

2011-05-27T19:37:00.005-04:00

Well folks, it's finally happened. At long last, I have officially graduated from my graphic design program! Yeaaaaayyyy! This means a couple things. First, I have to figure out how to be a human being with a life once again. Second, I'll actually have time to spend on my illustration work. But where to start? I think I may try keeping up with Illustration Friday once again. We'll see! In the meantime, here's a little ACEO I did ages ago in the time before school took over my life. I feel like it's appropriate for today's weather. Have a happy Memorial Day Weekend, everyone!

What I'm working on

2011-05-25T16:12:00.000-04:00

What am I doing these days? Well, glad you asked. I've been working on a poster idea for the Scholastic Read Every Day. Lead a better life. campaign.... and you can too. Check out Scholastic's site to find out the specifics. This is what I have so far.

Graphic designer pals - what do you think about the text? Suggestions? Also, I'm debating whether I want to go over the image with black prismacolor for the outline, or leave it as is. Undecided at this time. Any thoughts are welcome!

New puzzle

2011-05-23T09:39:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! Sorry that I've been missing in action lately. I've been working on organizing my new office and trying to clean up the house. I can't believe how much junk I have.

Speaking of having too much stuff, I just got some samples of a puzzle that I did for Mudpuppy. The puzzle is six different scenes: dairy cow, hen and chicks, goat, horse, sheep, and pig.

Lots to learn

2011-05-21T16:00:00.004-04:00

This is the amount of information I feel was presented at this years SCBWI-NE conference. It's is going to take me a while to absorb it all.

Rain, rain, go away!

2011-05-18T05:14:00.001-04:00

Anyone tired of this dreary weather?

NESCBWI Conference 2011

2011-05-16T22:35:00.010-04:00

Jane Yolen, Richard Michelson, Nancy Garden on the panel for Library of the Early Mind

Jane Yolen and part of Steve Withrow's head

This weekend my inspiration battery was recharged by another brilliant NESCBWI conference. The 2011 conference was the 25th for New England and so the theme was Celebrating Milestones. (You can see my poster submission here.)

Keynote speakers Jane Yolen, Tomie DePaola, Stephen Mooser, Lin Oliver, and Harold Underdown delighted the audience with their ribbing and teasing all the while celebrating this anniversary and encouraging us to persevere through rejections and industry shifts.

Stephen Mooser giving a keynote speech on Sunday.

Harold underdown acted as Mr. Optimist and Mr. Pessimist

I attended many excellent workshops that will keep me savoring my notes. The highlight of my weekend, though, was the Intermediate/Advanced Illustrator Academy. In this workshop a panel of four: Dani Jones, John Lechner, Kerry Martin, and Nicole Tugeau gave feedback on each participant's web presence. Casey Girard facilitated the workshop. I loved that the panel was diverse in areas of expertise. Dani and John are both tech savvy illustrators. Kerry is a designer for Clarion Books and Nicole is an artist/author agent. Getting their input on my own site and blog was extremely valuable. Also, it was helpful to see how other participants presented themselves on-line and to hear tips from the panel.

So I have a couple of things to change on my site for now, but I have lots of art to make.

Jane Yolen is known for the phrase, "Butt in chair" (BIC). In other words you must sit down and do the work. This idea was echoed by other presenters. It's probably because the nature of creative work seems to require fending off distraction a lot of the time. Even Tomie Depaola talked about doing everything but what he was supposed to when faced with a blank sheet of paper.

The weekend was busy. I have a pages of notes to digest, quotes to ponder, and lots of work to do!

Robot!

2011-05-11T07:00:00.000-04:00

The printmaking class I've been taking has come to and end, and here's the last print I did - a robot! It is my first screenprint, and out of all the techniques I learned in this class, screenprinting is my favorite. (And I smartened up this time and used fewer colors.) I'm seriously considering investing in a screen of my own, though the only place I have to clean it would be in my bathtub and I'm not crazy about the idea....

Playing with a new medium

2011-05-10T00:25:00.000-04:00

So I'm trying to step away from (mostly) digital illustration for a bit and have dipped my college-era paintbrushes into some gouache. I have only dabbled in the medium in the past but can't consider myself remotely experienced. This is a quick piece where I was playing with gouache, colored pencil, and ballpoint pen on bristol. I really like the texture of the paint when I went to draw on it with the pencil. So any suggestions on the medium and tools? I can't wait to play more!!!

bunny and chicky

2011-05-03T07:44:00.003-04:00

Here are a couple of stuffed animals I made my kids for Easter. I always have high hopes of producing much craft when I go to my studio once a week but there always seems to be a gift to make for one occasion or another.

Floyd

2011-04-27T05:29:00.001-04:00

My latest reduction print was inspired by Jenn Ski's handsome cat, Floyd. I used one 4" x 6" "easy cut" block and Akua inks. The white areas were cut out first, and then I printed the light orange tones, followed by layers of deeper orange, green, and brown. It's a labor-intensive medium as compared to making a drawing and adding watercolor, as I usually do, but I really enjoy the process and the unique qualities of a print.

Cultivate

2011-04-26T14:26:00.009-04:00

Eep! I have been so busy I neglected to post yesterday! I have had my nose to the grindstone editing images for my website (expected to be up and running by May 1) and preparing for an upcoming NESCBWI conference and a teaching stint. Also, last night I was invited along with three other colleagues Alexandra Endsley, Alissa Hendricks, and Laura Dorson to present work and speak to Glenna Lang's portfolio prep students at SMFA.

Even though I'm asked to present, it's always a learning experience for me. Listening to my former classmates, I gain insight to their styles and the types of work they do. I get to know Glenna's students and the markets they are interested in. Usually I get to participate in a critique of a current assignment which allows me to see student work and approaches to solving problems.

I also learned about Slow Food USA--the antithesis of fast food and factory farming. Hallelujiah!

One valuable aspect of Glenna's class is that student's have the opportunity to complete "real world" assignments. In other words, there are opportunities to get work published. Occasionally there are paid assignments, but often the work is pro bono, usually for worthy, non-profit organizations like Slow Food USA.

And so, I had this sketch above that I had done for Illustration Friday's prompt "cultivate, " but never posted. It was done from photo reference and I hoped to take it a step further. I think it works for this post, though.

Here's to cultivating healthy plants, animals, and ecosystems. Here's to cultivating informed and influential creatives.

Shameless Self Promotion

2011-04-20T15:25:00.003-04:00

Hi Everyone! For the past several months (well maybe more) I've been working with a new invitation company, creating birth announcements, party invitations, wedding invitations, and everything in-between, called Look Love Send. It has been an exciting process and I've learned a lot, and had a great time using my art - and they are almost ready to go live! Our launch date is May 1st, but if you go to our website now and sign up for the mailing list, you'll get 20% off your first order... what a deal! Go now! What are you waiting for?! You can also read about the designers involved, and see whats coming soon. Yep, thats one of my baby collections thats on the splash page.

Here are a few sneak peeks of some of my baby stuff.

Final Projects

2011-04-19T23:18:00.004-04:00

Another late post from yours truly. I apologize. Aside from working full time, I've been using every second of my day to finish all my portfolio pieces for class. The end of the semester is coming up fast. This should be very good news. However looking at the workload ahead of me, it feels ominous.
Tonight, I just wrapped up working on the design for a 3 CD set. The artist is my best friend, a musician who is currently living in Seattle. He's a singer/songwriter and pianist. I just sent the work off to my teacher for a critique. If you have any feedback or suggestions in the meantime, it would be much appreciated. I think that I've reached the point where I can't even judge my own work anymore. Here are my layouts. I had to shrink them down quite a bit, so the colors are looking off and the images are grainy. But I think you get the idea:

First CD

Second CD

Third CD

Can't wait to return to the living and see you all again once I graduate!!!

Betrayed with Color

2011-04-15T07:00:00.009-04:00

As I mentioned on my blog, I found some time to play with my style a bit today. I wanted to draw a more serious, intense image with an older subject. I love drawing kids, don't get me wrong, but it was a lot of fun working on this illustration. I'm not sure what this guys story is, but I may need to spend some more time exploring it.

In my sketch piece of paper I found between a recipe and note from school

2011-04-11T09:58:00.002-04:00

I wrote up a post for this blog but accidentally sent it to found marbles my other blog instead (go check it out!). This is from an illustration Friday prompt and many moments in my house this morning.

Work in progress

2011-04-08T05:42:00.001-04:00

I am currently working a new Spring header for my blog. Hopefully it will be finished and up before the weekend is over. I guess it's time to start thinking about my garden, and what kind of flowers I want to plant this year. Fortunately, most of the flowers around our house are perennials, so all I have to do is watch them grow.

In My Sketchbook

2011-04-06T11:52:00.006-04:00

Above is a sketch for Illustration Friday's "duet."

I did a few other sketches after my initial sketch which you can see below (middle image). It's always difficult (maybe impossible) to reproduce the feeling of the original sketch.

Subsequent sketches always feel a bit stiff to me:

What are your thoughts on this? How do you resolve this?

In my sketchbook

2011-04-01T11:19:00.003-04:00

Inspired by last week's Illustration Friday topic of "Stir" (or was it the week before?) I've been working on a little sketch. For the color version I'd like to incorporate the phrase lunch time into the soup.... I think this will be a good new portfolio piece.

A Day Late

2011-03-31T20:26:00.004-04:00

Hi everyone! First, my apologies. I know I've been a deadbeat blogger. I forgot to post two weeks ago, and I'm a day late this week. (Better late than never, right?) My head is full to capacity just trying to deal with my Final Portfolio class. The workload is crazy (and just getting crazier) as we roll towards the end of the semester mid-May. In any case, that still means no illustrating for me for a while. I figure I'll keep posting what I am working on right now.
Right now, it's a "calls for entries" packet. The idea is for people to submit ideas about designing affordable housing for urban areas. We have to design a poster (front and back) that will fold into a self mailer, an invitation, and an awards certificate. I'm still plugging away here, but I figured I'd show you what the front of my poster looks like so far. (I was inspired by Edward Hopper-esque light). I'll have to post the final project once it's done. In the meantime, here's a little taste of what's been keeping me trapped in my studio slaving away over Adobe Creative Suite:
Wishing you all a creative week! -Nicole

What's on my desk? (or in my case, the couch)

2011-03-28T22:49:00.003-04:00

I haven't done a postcard mailing in a really long time. I'm due to send one again. Can't let those Art Directors forget who I am. Postcards are such an easy way of giving them a little reminder!

I'm still at the sketch phase right now. My plan is to have the dog on the front of the card, and on the back side: the girl.

Still playing with marbles

2011-03-23T08:45:00.004-04:00

I got really got into the marble painting and wanted to make it into more. I even built a special cardboard box for rolling marbles on different size surfaces. I ended up making 5 of these pieces and I hope to have them showing in the next 100 Market Street show if I pass the jury. I built the frame/canvases like the ones I saw at fellow member, Jenn Ski's, house. I love when ideas have lives of their own and you wait for them to tell you the next steps and when they are finished. This little bird tells me he is not finished, he needs to be attached to his frame and get a few coats of matte varnish.

A sketch for IF "cultivate"

2011-03-21T05:56:00.001-04:00

Been working on this week's Illustration Friday theme---cultivate. Here's the black and white version before I added watercolor. The finished piece is on my blog, "just pencil on paper."
Hope everyone is enjoying the first day of Spring! Too bad a little bit of snow is in the forecast here.

A Day of Transformation

2011-03-19T00:17:00.011-04:00

Cotting School in Lexington, MA invited me to speak on March 17 for their career day. I didn't remember to bring a camera, so I pulled the video above from their website so that you might get a sense of the school. Cotting services children with (as quoted on their website) "a broad spectrum of learning and communication disabilities, physical challenges and complex medical conditions." Established in 1893, and founded by two orthopedic surgeons from Children's Hospital, it was the first free, private day school for children with disabilities in America.

When I was asked to speak, I thought it would be in a classroom, but later I found out the event would take place in the auditorium. Eep! There would be over 100 people in the audience...an audience I wasn't quite sure how to interact with. And I would be observed by people who were experts at interacting with them.

My friend, Cotting's art teacher, once showed me assistive devices she created for students who were not able to hold a pencil or brush for example. Her students have produced remarkable works...works that so emanated love, I struggled to fight back tears during one occasion when I visited the school's annual art show.

So I began to prepare a presentation, on my work and illustration in general, not quite sure how to approach this. They were middle and high school students. Could I arouse their interest and encourage confidence in illustration as a viable career choice?

The day arrived and though I had spent countless hours preparing, nonetheless, I felt as if I wasn't ready. A nagging feeling surfaced that I would have to adapt as I went along. Much of my preparation may have to go out the window.

From my seat in the audience, I was able to observe three speakers that came before me as well as students, and staff. Some students, unable to use speech, had to type their questions and comments into assistive devices attached to their wheelchairs. Students with muscular control issues, had an added challenge. Teachers were at the ready to help if needed. Speakers stood quietly by until the question or comment was delivered. Success was consistent. Good will was palpable. Exchanges were thoughtful, insightful, and humorous. I was swept away by all of it.

After the three speakers finished there was a snack break. Wheelchairs zipped out of the auditorium and I had to watch my step. I was to speak next and somehow I knew everything would be so much more than ok.

Edward Gorey inspired!

2011-03-14T07:00:00.000-04:00

This weekend I went with a few friends to see the Edward Gorey exhibit at the Boston Anthenaeum and got inspired. My work is normally so cute and sickly sweet that I think its good for me to break out of my bubble and look at work that is not like mine at all - thus the melancholy and sarcastically witty world of Edward Gorey is just what I need. The exhibit is small, but packed with work throughout his career, from pencil sketches to final pieces, and I highly recommend it. It runs through June, so you have awhile to check it out. Here's a little something I did today, after getting this dose of inspiration!

Dress-up party

2011-03-09T05:00:00.001-05:00

Oh she's so dead when I get a hold of her. Maddy seathed as she stood in front of everyone in her chicken suit. It was one thing when Tanya pranked her at home, another when she did it in front of all of her friends AND their parents. Sure, Tanya did say Maryann's Bah Mitzvah was a dress up party, but her jokester of a sister never stopped her when she obviously misunderstood "dress up party" to mean "costume party." She was going to pay for this little joke.

New project

2011-03-07T01:17:00.000-05:00

I'm attempting to get some placemats sewn and silk screened by a local company here in Bedford, NH. To get the price break, I need to get 500 made. I stuck a poll on my blog to see what color combo is most popular. The pink and green is on top, but the all green version is a very close second. If these do well I'd love to to different colors and designs.

snow day art

2011-03-04T10:24:00.003-05:00

There was an unexpected snow day on Monday and after being winter vacation's sole entertainment committee member I was tapped out so I looked on a blog and was reminded of painting with marbles. The activity only lasted 12.5 minutes but these pictures will hang on our walls for a long time. To see more of the images that my daughter made (this was mine) go to foundmarbles.blogspot.com. The marbles look great after too!

Spring Header

2011-03-01T20:21:00.002-05:00

I may be overly optimistic, with piles of snow still outside my door, to post the Spring-themed header for Smells Like Crayons. Hopefully, we will see some green grass and dormant bulbs emerging from beneath the snow in the near future.

Sketchbook Project Opening in Brooklyn

2011-02-28T18:17:00.008-05:00

Last Saturday night, I attended the Sketchbook Project opening at the Brooklyn Art Library. Check out those shelves. More than 9800 artists submitted sketchbooks!

Art House Co-op certainly generated a lot of buzz. There was a line out the door when I arrived. And there were lines inside as well for viewing sketchbooks. (If you are a participating artist, be sure to bring your library card.)

Next stop for the sketchbooks is is the Austin Museum of Art. For more tour info check here.

My Studio

2011-02-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I went to Ikea and picked up a couple new lamps for my studio.... I needed more light in there, and the arm-lamp thingie attached to my drafting table broke awhile ago, so it was time. The new lamps inspired me to clean clean clean, and do a little rearranging of some items and I thought I'd take a few photos and show you what it looks like. My studio is the 2nd bedroom in my tiny condo, and its kind of cute. As you can see from the pics, I have my big beautiful mac, a desk, a drafting table, my printer, dog toys on the floor, and inspiration and other paperwork all over the wall...hmmm I've got to clean those bulletin boards... Not shown in these pics is a large bookcase filled to the brim, and pretty messy so thats why I'm not showing it, and an armoire filled with art supplies. Oh, and I ordered a new chair, since the one I currently have is old and uncomfortable... I can't wait for the new one to arrive! All in all I like my space, but of course dream of the day when my studio is in a renovated barn in the back yard, with many many cupboards and counter space, skylights and a comfy couch...sigh.... one day.....

My new cactus, also from Ikea. His name is Fluffy. I figured a cactus would be good to have, since the plant I used to have on my desk didn't live too long...mainly because I'd forget to water it.

This is whats on my drafting table - I started sketching a new everyday floral collection for licensing.

More graphic design

2011-02-21T13:55:00.005-05:00

This past week has been strangely eventful for me, illustration-wise. Especially seeing as how I had to put my illustrating on hold ever since I started taking classes for my graphic design program. A woman contacted me online, interested in hiring me for custom work. She's looking for a cute painting for her family with the members each being different animals. I sadly had to inform her that I am unable to accept any illustration commissions until after my program ends. Fortunately, she was more than happy to wait until after May 14th to work with me. (Hooray!) Then, a friend of mine mentioned that she'd like to commission SIX paintings for her family. I'll also have to give her the May 14th news. We'll see if she wants to wait for me too. When it rains, it pours I guess! Until then, I'll probably just be posting my graphic design projects. Hope no one minds. (It'll all be over soon! Or so I keep telling myself...)

Last time I blogged, I posted the very beginning designs for my marketing folder project. We had to make up a company and design materials for them. Mine is "Good Boy", an eco-friendly dog supply company. Below are the developed spreads for the booklet (also included in this project were a folder design, letterhead, business card, etc) But I won't include those pics right now. Enjoy:

Achoo!

2011-02-18T04:53:00.008-05:00

I've been working on this kitty the past few days for a client. The top one I hope is close to finished, below are cats I started off with that didn't make the cut. Client: "I want cat sneezing into elbow". Wasn't sure if I could pull it off since my work is so flat. I think it looks decent, should I make any changes?

It's already over?

2011-02-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

Valentine's Day is the new Christmas and Halloween put together. Christmas because you kind of have a small let down feeling when it is over and Halloween because my kids almost got as much candy as they did in October. Whatever happened to a simple valentine? I remember looking at all my cards over and over and reading them knowing that that person picked out that card just for me.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T06:08:00.000-05:00

A Valentine's Day homage to Wayne Thiebaud. Hope everyone has a sweet day!

Out for a Walk?

2011-02-11T23:10:00.003-05:00

This week's prompt for Illustration Friday is "sweater." Here is a sketch for one idea I had of doing a family portrait in sweaters.

It's Printmaking Time!

2011-02-07T07:00:00.003-05:00

Jane's prints are amazing. And I'm so impressed with the work she's been creating, and it looks like SO MUCH fun, that I called her up and asked if she would mind if I pulled a "single white female" and join her in the printmaking class she takes at the New Hampshire Institute of Art. She's so sweet that she said "please do!" and now I'm enrolled in the continuing education part of the printmaking courses at NHIA, and our first class was last week. I never took any printmaking classes in college, my only exposure to it was in high school or elementary school art classes, and I'm really excited to be doing this. Since I'm new, I've started with a basic relief print, on linoleum. I sketched it out and started carving in class, and the next day went to the art supply store and bought my OWN speedball tool (yay!) and kept carving at home. At the next class I will try printing with it, and see what happens. I might have to go back and touch up some spots on the linoleum, I might think its the worst thing ever created in the history of the world, or I might think "hey, not terrible, but let's try again" and pick up a fresh piece to start carving. (I'm sure some touch ups will be needed.) It's hard to think backwards and keep in mind that the image will be reversed and that what I'm taking away will not show on paper.... yikes! Maybe I'll try copper next. This is fun :)

Graphic Design

2011-02-04T19:00:00.003-05:00

It's official - I've started my LAST semester of my graphic design program. (Woooo!) Final Portfolio. Already, I'm swamped. My illustration work has fallen to the wayside once again, so I figured I'd share what I am working on at the moment.

Our first assignment was to invent a company then create a logo and marketing items to go into a pocket folder. (Brochure, letterhead, business card, etc). I created a company called Good Boy which is an all-natural dog product company. Upon class review, it was decided that I should change the name to Good Dog so as to not turn off owners of girl dogs. I think that's a bit funny, but oh well. In any case, here's the very first draft/sketch for my cover and interior spread. Just so you know what I've been up to and where my head is these days:

Have a good weekend! Stay warm!

Cat-bird

2011-02-02T03:40:00.000-05:00

I came up with a strange mix recently... a cat-bird. I was thinking of maybe making a series. Cat-fish? Could be awesome!

Also I started doing something on my blog called doodle of the day, I'm trying to get myself to make more stuff. It's actually kind of fun!

Also I've been redoing my studio, all the paneling has come down. It's been a major pain since I'm doing it all myself, but it will be such a wonderful space when I'm done. I'm keeping one large wall complete empty so I can start painting my paper/acrylic paintings again.

"I Wish I had their Energy"

2011-02-01T19:51:00.003-05:00

Is something people often say when they see my kids bebopping around. I wish I had my daughter's creative energy. She has been drawing circles around me or hearts rather. A couple of days ago she began cutting and coloring in notebook paper hearts and she hasn't stopped since and there is a trail of paper in her wake. I know I didn't get as fired up about these things at her age (which is 5 going on 6). It is only a matter of time before I need to convert her bedroom into a studio. Which reminds me I need to be getting to mine!

2011-01-31T08:47:00.003-05:00

Out of Character
Please excuse my blog crashing...I'm adding a short blog today to make up for the blog I missed posting
while I was working in
New York.

Lately I've been thinking about capturing
a likeness in a subject and all that entails.

That's inspired me to practice what I used to do on a regular basis-caricatures. Boy, am I rusty! Never the less, I'm posting one of my brother Razz that I did a few days ago. FYI-The side appendages are his hat flaps, not his ears. Last I checked, he's still speaking to me:) (A fringe hazard for the caricature artist is ticking people off)
- Just a quick hello from my drawing board to yours! May all your pencils be sharp and your paper Fabriano.
Ciao Amici! Angela