I realized after I finished my Sleeping Pandas drawing that I skipped a piece of the story! A little girl can’t just go sleep with giant pandas (that would just be silly), she has to meet them and become their friend first. Then they would let her cuddle up on their fuzzy belly and sleep. After all, you only have sleepovers with your best friends…
I had so much fun painting tigers lately I decided to continue the storyline and follow my little girl as she meets other animals and tries to find a good place to cuddle up and sleep… But that bed was too hard, and this bed is too soft! Leaving the bamboo forest she climbs to the hilltops and curls up with some giant fuzzy pandas…
I had so much fun painting my original tiger that I decided to keep working in that direction. Taking the story one step further, the little girl befriended the tiger and followed her home for the night….
Not long ago I had the opportunity to visit Korea. The green that grows there in the spring is like no other green I have ever seen. The art that I saw there was so beautiful: sweeping strokes by brushes loaded with ink, so vibrant and fresh. I was inspired to bring those textures, lines and colors with me when we left. I wanted to bring some of the bright colors and strong lines to my own artwork. And when I picked up my sketch book, tigers sprang to life. I’m not sure where the tiger idea came from. Maybe it was their brilliant orange coats that drew me in, or the silent graceful way they move. Either way, the idea stuck, and suddenly my studio was a virtual tiger habitat.
Inspired by my two year old rascal who gets into EVERYTHING, and her companion in crime (that would be the furry sidekick in these sketches) I thought I would do a little sketch story to commemorate her and her antics. Although no cake has been stolen (as of yet) she has managed a whole stick of butter, an entire plate of food and a number of cooling cookies, all without being able to reach the counter yet. So I can only imagine what will come next…
Recently while I was in New York city for the SCBWI conference I spent some free time wandering through the Marketplace in Grand Central Terminal. I came across a vendor selling fresh fish—the type where the whole fish are laid out in decorative rows for potential buyers to peruse. I found myself drawn to a beautiful red and silver fish displayed on the ice. The vendor, always looking for a sale, asked if I wanted to purchase the Red Snapper. Now, I’ve never been much of a fish girl myself. I’ve eaten a few fish—filets all thoroughly doused in sauce and crab meat (the only proper way to eat fish as far as I am concerned. I can’t seem to enjoy food that still has eyes and stares at me while I eat it). I’ve even caught a few as a girl, with leftover pancakes and a homemade soda can reel. But I made my father do most of the fish-touching and hook-removing once the minuscule sunnies were pulled from the water. I’ve never had the opportunity to admire their beautiful colors without the barrier of glass and water. It got me thinking of a painting I had seen of goldfish, and that of course got me sketching fish…
“Write a blog? Who, me?” was my reaction at the latest SCBWI conference when the speaking Art Director suggested that we all have blogs. It was quickly followed by my second reaction: “But I’m an illustrator, not a writer!” Sure I have dreams of being a famous writer/illustrator (don’t we all?), but let’s face it, ART is my strong suit, NOT spelling or grammar or sentence structure. I tell stories with pictures, not words. I’m one of those strange people who carries a sketchbook in her purse and whips it out anytime I’m standing still to capture the expressions of the people unaware around me; one of those people who can be found on a park bench with a giant notebook during the warm weather drawing pictures of trees. THAT is me. And yet here I am, blogging my little heart out to anyone and everyone who wants to hear. So hopefully you’re listening…
Here are a few quick sketches from my moleskine to whet your appetite.
