Tiny Jewels

A friend once said my drawings are "jewel-like treasures" when she saw one hanging with four other art works that were full color paintings. She said it stood out in it's black and white richness from all the color. That made me think about creating some "tiny jewels"--2 1/2" square drawings. I've loved drawing a variety of subjects (I always like the challenge of drawing something I haven't drawn before); and look forward to creating more such as the crab I'm working on now. I also thought these small, less expensive drawings would be a good way to help people interested in collecting original art to get started. These are the first 11 that I've drawn.

Whimsical Numbers

I’ve finished illustrating numbers 0-9. These were as much fun to do as the alphabet. Since I did the numbers based on alliteration (words that start with the same sound are used close together in a phrase or sentence. The sound is usually a consonant), it was a bit harder to decide what images to use. I thought an image of a zeppelin was perfect for zero. They don’t exist anymore and certainly were never zippy. Zeppelins were named after German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin who designed these steerable balloons with metal “skeletons”. They were used during WWI and routinely made transatlantic flights. Zeppelins were so popular that the spire on the top of the Empire State Building was designed as a docking mast for zeppelins. (That proved to be impractical due to serious updrafts.) Here they are:
 

                0 Zippy Zeppelins
                1 Woeful Wolf
                2 Tipsy Towers
                3 Thriving Thistles
                4 Frisky Foxes
                5 Flamboyant Flamingos
                6 Scrappy Scarecrows
                7 Shapely Sheep
                8 Ageless Angels
                9 Nifty Neckties

It's not too late to sign up for my online workshop with Artful Gathering. One of my students in my online workshop for Artful Gathering Art Retreats: "Thanks for taking the time to put together this course. It is something I have needed for a long time. I am getting started tonight." It's not too late, you'll be able to sign up for the course for the next two weeks. If you're a beginner and learn from the very beginning about values, you'll find that things move along more quickly for you. That's why I start off with exercises using pencil, which is easier and isn't as intimidating as pen and ink, so you can concentrate on learning to see the values. Then we go to ink so that you can see the difference in using just lines as opposed to shading with pencil. So, whether you're a beginner or have drawing experience, you'll get a lot out of this class. See you there!

The Value of Values

I'm thrilled to be one of the faculty members for Artful Gathering's Online Art Retreats for 2015. I'll be teaching about values--how to see them, how to draw them. If you'd like to learn how to bring your art to life by using values that will make your work pop with depth, please sign up now for the workshop. I'd love to work with you. The workshop is set up with an online classroom and we'll be able to communicate and post work as it progresses. I'll be able to answer any questions you might have. I'm looking forward to having a great time with all of my students. There are two sessions of workshops and mine will be in the first session from June 6th-July 17th. You can go at your own pace! Click here to see the catalog and get all the information you need. Look forward to seeing you soon!

Illustrated Alphabet

I've just finished creating an illustrated alphabet, something I've always wanted to do. I had so much fun creating the drawings. I wanted it to be whimsical, being appropriate for children and appealing to adults. Also, I didn't want to use the typical "A" is for apple, "D" is for dog images. My only homage to such an alphabet is the cat I used for "C".

"X" was the hardest to decide on an image for and I was determined not to draw a xylophone. Happily, I discovered that cactus is a xerophyte in the botanical world. It's a plant which grows in dry places and can live on little water. Who knew?? So, here's my whimsical alphabet for you to enjoy. Prints (two sizes), individual letter prints and note cards are available at my Etsy Shop. Twenty-three of the original drawings are available. 

Review Video of Sketching 365 Book

I love the way this review video has been made "thumbing through" Katherine's new book with my drawing in it! It's been wonderful to see my drawings published in books and there's still the same thrill each time I see one. You can see my drawing "Shadow Palms" about the 1:04 minute mark. Click here to see the video.

Another New Book with My Drawing in It

New Book: Sketching 365 is a book about building your confidence with a tip a day for drawing and sketching by UK artist and writer Katherine Tyrrell. It’s available in three versions: UK, USA and Asian. Each version has a different cover, a different title and a different publisher, but everything inside is exactly the same. My drawing “Shadow Palms” is included in the book and is one of the images featured on the back cover of the UK version, above. The USA version is available in book stores now titled 365 Days of Drawing and Sketching. The UK version can be purchased on Amazon UK. Read more about the book, its author and all the artists included at Making A Mark. I can't wait for my copy to arrive. Thank you Katherine for including me in this wonderful book!