the little painters

One of my latest paintings based on some of my childhood memories and wishes (I always wanted a doggie!). My initial sketch for it too...

Owl and Mouse look at the moon

one of my daily mini paintings out of my 4x3" sketchbook (tiny!), but I liked it so much I kept going with it... harvest crescent moon out tonight and it feels very fall...

Painting time-lapse

"they explored the treetops"

Here's a fun time-lapse I did while painting the finishes for my book. It was pretty fun to see afterwards! The only part that was hard was trying not to move my board, and racing my daylight! It took a total of 6 hours.

daily painting #1

Ive been trying a new exercise, doing a painting a day in an ity-bity watercolor journal! Sometimes there is so much to do in a day, errands, emails, other work that I never get to painting anything, so I decided at the very minimum I would paint one small thing. Here we go!

Bella & Luci's book!

The last six months have been spent working on a secret book project, that I've been dying to share for forever! I finally finished the illustrations in July and had a couple copies printed. It was a surprise book for friends of ours (and awesome photographers at Bellalu Photography!) Lindsey & Nathan Freitas and their adorable daughters Bella & Luci. The idea was planted in my head last December, when Lindsey mentioned to me how she would love to have a storybook about her two girls. I had so much fun writing, and sketching out the thumbnails for the book trying to figure out the flow of a full 32 page book (and trying my hardest not to mention anything to them the whole time!). And finally after months of multiple dummies and redrawing, I tackled the final step: painting 34 watercolor illustrations! Whew it's done, and I'm pretty proud of it!

heres a couple in-progress sketches from my book dummy:

and the finishes:

new work: "Go Fish!"

New Illustration: The Summoning

The Summoning

A newer painting I did for a novel cover concept. Its watercolor & digital, although Im trying not to overuse the digital aspect. I love the bright translucency of colors you can get with watercolors alone, but my photo/ scanning looses some of that. (Time to get a larger flatbed scanner!)

Beauty and the Beast cover illustration

beauty and the beast

I did this illustration for a young adult novel cover concept. The first sketches were too much like a girl and wolf, so I added horns and pants to make the beast a little more human and beastly at the same time. Beauty wears a locket with a mysterious picture of a handsome prince, but she has yet to find out that its the Beast himself.

( first sketch, and revised final sketch)

Edwardian Beetles

Edwardian beetles! Luke and I went to the Edwardian Ball in January and it was such a magical festive night! So many great costumes, and creativity everywhere. Plus dancing in a fancy dress and top hat? yes please! We will have to go again next year.

Happy Christmas!

The first snow

Gingerbread bugs