Say it, create it ( a day in the life of me.)

The Sketchbook Project is here in Chicago!

2011-07-13T10:23:00.002-05:00

Check out my sketchbook at The Hyde Park Arts Center

July 14-17

www.hydeparkart.org

Sketchbook Project

2011-01-13T16:12:00.002-06:00

Well, the deadline on the Sketchbook project is tomorrow, so I have to scurry to finish and mail it off. This project has been a lot of fun and more work than I thought it would be!
I realized how much I missed just sitting and drawing like my son does, just for fun. And I realized how fast time flies when you are really into an illustration; I actually spent 6 hours on the couch coloring. When was the last time I was able to do that?!
Hope everyone will be able to visit the Sketchbook project tour where ever you live.
For my friends/family- the tour hits Chicago in July! Can't wait to see what everyone else has done.

IF: BURNING

2010-11-17T09:23:00.002-06:00

I love fall and seeing all of the leaves turn beautiful colors. They are like fireworks in the trees.

This tree was so vibrant, it looked like it was burning and on fire.

IF: Spooky

2010-10-21T08:40:00.003-05:00

This mummy is just waiting for someone to come trick or treating so he can make a friend. He's too cute to be spooky. Happy Halloween!

Transportation

2010-10-14T08:40:00.002-05:00

This is a drawing from my "Sketchbook Project" sketchbook. When I think of my favorite mode of transportation I imagine myself driving cross-country in an RV! There is nothing like driving through the plains with the gradual scene of the mountains coming into view.

Beneath

2010-10-07T17:02:00.004-05:00

Beneath the surface of earth lies a world of wonderment. I am exposed to this magnificent world every weekend I watch the discovery channel or animal planet with my son. It reminds me every day how lucky we are to have the ocean and the mountains and the forests. Last year with the freezing weather and this year with the oil spill, Florida Manatees have suffered greatly. They have lost a large portion of their population. You can help. Sign up for Save a manatee at savethemanatee.org. Thanks!

Proverb

2010-09-10T10:57:00.002-05:00

Don't Rock the Boat- Proverb

This is a color pencil drawing of the gondolas in Italy during an incredible sunset. I went to Venice when I was 18 and took a ton of pictures. If I were to visit now, I would sit among the pigeons and draw and paint for days. Ahhh...Venice!

Dessert

2010-09-09T12:47:00.002-05:00

Illustration Friday Subject: Dessert

Pretty excited about this subject since I work for a chocolate and pastry company!

This is a marker rendering of Custard dripping in Raspberry Sauce. It makes me hungry. I thought it might make you too, so I added the recipe. Bon Appetit!

immovable

2010-09-02T09:04:00.004-05:00

Emily went out to her garden to pick some vegetables for fresh salsa and was greeted by a monster-sized tomato plant.

Here is my first post for Illustration Friday!

When I saw the subject was immovable I immediatly thought about all the tomatos my family and neighbors are being buried by in the their gardens. This was created with color pencil in my sketchbook.

Hello Girly Girl!

2010-09-01T11:18:00.003-05:00

Drew this fun, little cartoon of myself. I wish my hair was this full and floaty!

Cannot Wait!

2010-08-25T14:00:00.002-05:00

Signed up for the Sketchbook Project and have been counting down the days until it arrives.
I signed up for the theme: capture the flag, because I am going to caputure my youth, my son's hysterical creativity and my favorite memories that make me feel good.
So far I have thought of tomatoes (from my dad's garden growing up), camp fires, playing cards, and lemonade stands. Let's see how it all turns out in art. I'll keep you posted!

2010-07-23T17:01:00.003-05:00

Found this fantastic Birdhouse on Etsy! I think it' super cool and wanted to share it.

What do you think?

So, the challenge for myself is to come up with something cool and fun that makes me think of summers growing up. Follow along to see my progress or upload your own cool creations that remind you of summer. Summer is closing fast (at least in Chicago) and I want to make sure I do everything I set out to do for the summer. So, my summer bucket list is as follows:

Go to a drive-in movie

Take a road trip (anywhere!)

Go to a beach

Camp

Bike through the woods

Have a summer party at my house

Let's see if I can check these off in the next month. Would help if I had more days off from work!

Fashion As Art

2010-03-24T16:02:00.003-05:00

Shopstyle.com has this really cool feature, where they post Community Looks. It's this slide show of Clothes, accessories and shoes placed into these really artistic compositions and sorted by color. I have attached my favorites. I am thinking of blowing up the pictures and framing them. What do you think?

I am going to start, but need a push!

2010-01-22T12:50:00.000-06:00

I am going to start creating again. Not sure what...or when, but I am going to do it and instead of giving them as gifts, or storing them in a box ( I have 3 large ones now) I am going to sell them on Etsy. I have tried doing this before and it seemed really hard to get started and keep up with it...so I am going to try again.

I need help with the logistics though..how do you set up credit cards and paypal accounts?
how do you set up fedex accounts?

Help would be appreciated.

Stuck

2010-01-12T17:13:00.003-06:00

So, I can paint and draw and craft and I always see these great paintings in Better Homes and Gardens, Pottery Barn, Target, and think...I can paint that.
And...I don't.
Why?
Many reasons...don't know what I would do with the painting once they were done, can't decorate my house on my own because my husband is a designer as well and has his own ideas, can't seem to get started...

Anyways, I am on HGTV's rate my space and someone has posted this amazing kitchen that they had renovated (see kitchen to the right) and someone in the comments keeps asking about this chef picture in the background and where he can get one. And I was thinking to myself, I should just email him and say, I can paint him one...but I didn't.

Because, what if it is not as good as the one on the post and what if he thinks I am a crap artist, and what if he just simply laughs at me.

Ahhh...the life of an artist, we are so much harder on ourselves than we would be on anyone else.

Maybe, some day I will get over myself and just do it.

I'm all over the place

2010-01-08T16:42:00.000-06:00

So, I don't know if you are like me, but I am all over the place.
With everything- creative ideas for crafting, gift ideas, home decorating ideas, what to make for dinner...it never ends! I am constantly searching for new ideas, new inspirations to fuel my creativity but never have time to make it all happen.

Sound familiar?

So, I decided to blog. Okay, you might say: "isn't this just one more thing you will never have time to do?" and I have an answer for that: Yessss, it is, but it is also a catapult into doing something... something creative, even if it is just talking about it. I am hoping that if I put it out there, someone will support the idea and it will then propel me to create it. My blog- Say it, create it was created for this reason.

Maybe there are more of you that feel this way and need an outlet. Here is your outlet. You already have one listener to bounce ideas off of- me!
And so it starts, my endless thinking and planning has a place to land. Welcome!