Vulture Verses

After a full month of nothing but painting, designing, and lots of tea and coffee, Vulture Verses is done and ready to print! WEEE!! Actually, there is still time for small edits before it goes to print, but the bulk of the work is done. I'm really excited to see it all done and in book form. Unfortunately, it doesn't come out until September, but that's ok. I'll just have to be patient I guess. There are a bunch of fun events planned to kick off the release of the book. I hope I'll be available to be involved! The biggest learning experience for me during this project was definitely the printing process and preparing for it. But that just helps me to know better for next time....and I believe there are thoughts and rumors of a second Vulture Verses book after this. Fingers are crossed!

Here are a few of my favorites from the book. There are plenty more to love if  you get the book! Let's love our unloved animal friends!

Vulture Verses Covers

Oh, hello. I haven't seen you in awhile! I've been crazy busy getting work done for a deadline at the end of January. I need to complete a painting a day to finish on time. But since I haven't posted anything in FOREVER and I was so excited to have finished a few paintings, I thought I'd take a few minutes to share what I'm up to.

I'm currently working on 3 books. Vulture Verses, a book from a small publisher in Pasadena is my first one. I started it in October. I just finished the paintings for the front and back cover last night, so here they are. The text colors will likely change, but probably not too much. Next I will start on the interior paintings. I'll post a few of my favorites as I complete them. I'm illustrating AND designing/laying out this book, so it's really exciting but a lot of pressure! The book will be out this Fall!

The oh-so-sweet and creative Diane Lang wrote all the poems in the story. Check out her website!

I'm also working on a middle-grade chapter book cover. I have to squish it into my painting schedule this month. I'll finish sketching it in my in-between times when I'm prepping canvases and such. I'll be posting that as soon as I get the ok.

Comparing Apples to Apples

Yesterday I redid a painting. I sold my original apple painting at a silent auction and the second bidder also really wanted it, so I offered to paint him another original...I personally think the second apple came out a little better.

Project Sketches

Here are a few sketches for the projects I'm working on. Can't reveal too much, but here a few character studies for a story someone is self-publishing. It's more of a classic fairytale type story. The second book is what I am doing for Prospect Park Books in Pasadena. These animal sketches probably wont be in the book, so it's fine to post. But I thought they were so cute, I wanted to at least post them so they didn't just sit in my sketchbook forever. More to come!

Grandma Mary Gallegos

This last week my grandma, Mary Gallegos, passed away. It’s been hard, but at the same time, I haven’t really processed it yet because she lived in Idaho, so it doesn't feel like anything has changed. I’m going up there next weekend for the memorial service and I’m sure it will feel a lot more real once I’m there with all my family. But until then, I’m not even really sure what I feel.

My grandma was a painter and a house-wife and loved her family deeply. Growing up I always saw this painting that my grandma did (I’m guessing it’s more of a study than a finished piece) sitting in her garage. I always liked it and one day, before she moved from Whittier to Idaho, I asked her what she was going to do with it. She didn’t even want it so I told her I wanted it and it’s been hanging in my room ever since. It’s my favorite painting of my grandma’s. I love the spontaneity of her strokes and how she only gives the impression of some of the objects. Plus I love the color scheme, it fits with my room very well! So in memory of her, and her artistic life, I did a study of her study. Mine is a little more polished and “finished”…I don’t know if I would be able to capture the spontaneity of her strokes. But I'm happy with it and I'm sure she would have enjoyed it as well.

I'm so thankful that some her personality and passion is captured in her paintings so I will remember her, always. I will miss you grandma. 

 My grandma's study is about 24x48.

I did a 6x12 study of my grandma's study.

Inspiration: Art galleries, research, and my honeymoon!

First of all, apologies for the lack of posts. Lots has happened in the last month or so, but sadly not much finished art. This is partly due to long projects that I am just starting, but also because I got married on Oct 2nd!! :D I was thankful that everything I'm working on at the moment allowed me to take some time off and now that I am back from the honeymoon (with no sketches to show for it) I will share all the inspirations I've been enjoying lately as I get back to work.

While honeymooning in Monterey and exploring the northern coast of California, me and my husband got to enjoy some amazing waves and rock formations at Point Lobos, as well as picturesque, "fairy-tale" forests in Big Sur, and quaint cottages in Carmel. We also got to visit lots of art galleries while walking around Carmel-by-the-sea. It's the cutest European-style town with lots of wine-tasting, candy shops, and art galleries! So fun! Below are some images of my favorite art from some of the galleries we visited.

Point Lobos had awesome crashing waves.

I loved how the water was constantly churning, crashing and flowing in different directions. Never a moment of rest or stillness.

Pfeiffer Beach is a hidden beach off Highway 1 near Big Sur. There are no signs to the beach, you just have to know where it is. Even the 2 mile road to the parking lot is lush and green and full of trees covered in moss and vines!

 Carmel-By-The-Sea is a quaint little town full of art galleries and apparently live artists. You can partially see the shop in the background that the artist used as reference. It wasn't an exact painting of real life which I enjoyed seeing.

 A cute little cottage we discovered in a back alley behind the shops.

 Big Sur had the best forest area and hikes. It reminds me of The Lord Of the Rings a little...

Julia Burns Pfeiffer State Beach had the best view in my opinion. 

Gilligan's Island?...with an awesome waterfall!

Now for some of my favorite galleries we visited in Carmel-by-the-sea.

Galerie Rue Toulouse: Marc Clauzade and other artists. His art captured me because if it's vibrant colors and active lines! More on the Galerie Rue Toulouse here.

The Garcia Gallery: Danny Garcia. I like his impasto style, subtle colors, and thin lines. These images don't get the colors right at all. They are much prettier... More on the Garcia Gallery here.

My favorite gallery with sculptures was featuring an artist named Richard MacDonald. I didn't realize that I had actually seen this artist's work before at a gallery in Laguna so it was fun for me to see it again and I enjoyed much more the second time around. I love that he does a lot of dancing positions. The lines and angles are so beautiful. More on Richard MacDonald here.

Finally, we visited Gallery 21 with the artist Eyvind Earle. He was a background painter for Disney and worked on Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp (as well as many others), and most importantly was responsible for the stylizing, background and coloring for Sleeping Beauty. I loved how geometric his style was and all the vibrant colors. I couldn't believe they were all done by hand in oil paint! When I saw it I didn't realize who he was but it reminded me of Mary Blair's work. More on Eyvind Earle here.

From Sleeping Beauty

Now off I go to work on all my art at my new creating station in my new (and very small) studio apartment! 

Big News!

Hello everyone,

I've been hinting at some big news lately, so here it finally is! Today I signed the contract to illustrate a children's book for Prospect Park Books! It is a small publisher in Pasadena, CA, who is doing their first children's book and I have been given the opportunity to work on it with them.

My Fiance's grandma told me that she heard about a publisher in Pasadena who was going to do a children's book and was looking for an illustrator. She had heard it through a friend of her's. So I looked up the publisher online and contacted them. They said they were surprised to hear how I found out about their project because they hadn't really told anyone about the children's book project. (haha, oops!) To my pleasant surprise they asked me to come in for an interview with the President and the Author if the book. The interview went great and soon after I got an email saying they wanted me to be the illustrator!

I'm not sure how much I can tell you about it but I think it's going to be really fun! It has an educational element to it, and I get to paint lots of fun animals! It will be released in September 2012. I'm so blessed to be able to do my first book with a real, established publisher! I can't wait for the adventure to begin!