I'm Back!

Subtract. Illustration Friday's prompt for March 20, 2009.
Ahhhh Spring! Focusing on one aspect of a sign of spring lead me to think about the bigger picture...subtract the robin, subtract the city, subtract the continent, subtract the planet...how small the first sign of spring seems now!
Don't forget to check out some of my "catch up" pieces below!

Breezy. I-Fri prompt for Feb. 27.
Intricate. I-Fri prompt for March 6. An intricate Aboriginal piece
Celebrate. I-Fri prompt for Feb. 13. We celebrated the birth of our new granddaughter...Sarah!
Sorry it took me so long to come back to the blogosphere, a lot has transpired in my life! I'll save you the details and tell you the most important part...we are grandparents again! Sarah Elizabeth was born 2-18. She is so adorable and VERY tiny. We are very excited and so is her big brother, Dylan!
So...here are some pieces I have been working on since the last post. More to follow!!

Time- Extinct Dodo

Illustration Friday- Challenge for 2/6/2009- "Time."
For my challenge I tried a little something different. I painted a piece of 20" x 24" slate (plaster cast) with acrylic Liquitex paint and then used Sakura archive ink to draw detail. This is the first in a series of slate pieces entitles "Extinct-guished." Here I reflect on the "time" that was taken from an entire species...The Dodo.
dodo n., an extinct flightless bird, once a native of the island of Mauritius. Discovered 1598, extinct by 1681.In the year 1598 AD, Portuguese sailors landing on the shores of the island of Mauritius discovered a previously unknown species of bird, the Dodo. Having been isolated by its island location from contact with humanity, the dodo greeted the new visitors with a child-like innocence. The sailors mistook the gentle spirit of the dodo, and its lack of fear of the new predators, as stupidity. They dubbed the bird "dodo" (meaning something similar to a simpleton in the Portuguese tongue). Many dodo were killed by the human visitors, and those that survived man had to face the introduced animals. Dogs and pigs soon became feral when introduced to the Mauritian eco-system. By the year 1681, the last dodo had died, and the world was left worse with its passing.

source: http://www.davidreilly.com/dodo/

Flawed

Illustration Friday challenge for January 30, 2009. "Though he definately had his flaws Henry still managed to blend in a crowd!"
I want to start a club..."Artists that have never been picked for Illustration Friday's 'Pick of the week!' 5 years now. Sad, I know. But, then again I usually don't win contests either! LOL!! Just thought I would post this for all you artists out there who say to yourself, "how come my work never gets picked?!" Feel better?!

Climbing

Illustration Friday prompt for Friday January 23, 2009- Climbing. Here I give you the male Parson's Chameleon. His nose might not be attractive but boy can he climb!! I actually have pics for the last two challenges but cannot post this evening...too tired! *yawn*

Resolve

Illustration Friday Challenge for Friday, January 2, 2009- "Resolve"
The lizard is an ancient heraldic symbol signifying good luck. With symbol meanings of renewal, vision, enlightenment, and rebirth I thought lizards were the perfect topic for "Resolve." I did them with my new gel pens in an Aboriginal art style. The other is more Mexican Folk Art called "huichol."
Of course the scan does not do it justice, as usual, so please feel free to double-click for detail!

Clandestine

Clandestine- Illustration Friday challenge for the last friday in 2008!
This would have been a "cake job" if Stanley didn't leave the dog bones sitting at home on the table!!

Voices

Illustration Friday challenge for Friday December 21.Voices.

Rambunctious

"Sally was a little more rambunctious in her plans for the day; that is, until her lack of sleep caught up with her!" This is for Illustration Friday's challenge- Rambunctious (12/12). I have to post this 'partially done' because I have been a tad busy lately. Just received the new book I have art in and it is just as exciting to see your work in print every time, it never gets old!

Similiar and Balloon

Illustration Friday for both November 28 and December 5. "Balloon" and "Similiar" respectively.

This is the third idea I came up with for Balloon.

This is the second that came to mind.Sorry these took so long to upload. A lot has been going on in our lives - AND I ended up with three ideas for "Balloon" that I just HAD to finish. This is the first one.
Finally...the prompt for last Friday is "Similiar." This cartoon is based on our recent trip to Disney. The caption should be, "My grandson and I do NOT have similiar energy rates even in Disney! Did you notice the thought process for when we also bring our new granddaughter in a few years? (I added glasses because my eyesight just isn't the same as it use to be...and gray hair because I found a white hair the other day!)

Opinion

Opinion- Topic for Illustration Friday 11/21. Oh, this was way too easy...I am tired of the Republican friends I have telling me how "sorry I will be" when Obama screws up the world. Hello? Can you say George Bush boys and girls?!
I mean really..."Talk to the hand, 'cause the rest of me don't care!"

Pretend

Pretend- Illustation Friday prompt for 11/14.
I am "pretending" that this is what my future grandchild will look like when she pretends. We just had a baby shower for my step-daughter at her mother-in-law's house yesterday so I had little "Sarah Elizabeth" (due Feb. 26 I cannot wait!)on my mind all week end.

Wise

Illustration Friday Prompt- November 7. Just in the Nick of time! WHEW!

Tom was WISE to have purchased those peacock feathers on Craig's List! He would be safe for yet another Thanksgiving!

Vacant

Illustration Friday...Vacant, for Friday Nov. 1.
"Mildred had that vacant-deer in the headlights look. Could she blame it on sleep-eating again? Or had that excuse worn itself out?"
Sorry...an oldy but a goody. Almost figured out the scanner glitch. I actually had two political cartoons to add...one I see was the same idea of two others. The other was the same idea of one other entry. I thought for sure at least one would have been an original thought. Oh, well. Guess it's all in the difference of the art! I will post them when the scanner is up.
Meanwhile...I think Mildred here will do.

Repair- Illustration Friday prompt for 10/24.
Well, I sincerely hope none of you get the flu I had for the past two days. Flat on my back for two days! When I wasn't wretching in the bathroom that is. I'm better now though my stomach is a mess still.
The two cartoons below came to me almost immediately after I thought about the word- repair. Upon researching I did come across a really awesome artist who does the skeletal structure of cartoon characters. Check out Michael Paulus.
Yes, I really did try to repair my own laptop and now it's dead. Well, until I take it in for repairs.

Late

Late- Prompt for Illustration Friday 10/17. "It's never too late to learn something new,like...GeoCaching or Letterboxing! Check out those sites to learn more. We just started last week end and we LOVE it!!!!
This is a pen and ink on collage of a hiker looking at her "cache find." I did it from a photograph. I think it came out pretty good since I haven't a lot of time this week. My parents are trekking down from NY to visit.

Strings

Strings- Illustration Friday challenge October 10.
This one had me in many directions. I started researching and thought ...maybe the old fashioned string lights. Then I thought, maybe halloween string lights. Upon further research I stumbled on that string art we use to do as kids. So I googled String Art...and I found the most AMAZING art! It is string (and bead) art by the Huichol Indians in Mexico. Check it out here Huichol Art you won't be sorry!
Below is the my attempt at it with my prismacolours representing the string. As you can see I am having scanner issues again and had to photograph it instead. It really does NOT do all the work that went into it ANY justice. Trust me it is awesome in real life! (click on the pic to see detail)
Thanks for stopping by!!

Sugary

Sugary- Prompt for Illustration Friday October 3.
Agatha wished she hadn't put so much eye of newt in that last potion. Now everything in the castle seemed to be enchanted. Take the tea pot, for instance...now there is a sugar goon living inside always putting too much sugar in her tea!

Packed

Packed- Illustration Friday prompt for 9/26.
This year Agatha thought she would win the pumpkin contest for sure. She carefully packed her pumpkins on top of one another to make a giant pumpkin totem pole.
Just as she was putting the final touches on her creation the Wizard's owl flew in through the window and perched on the very top. The weight of the large bird was too much for the pumpkins and one by one they tumbled to the ground.
"Oh, Dear!" Said Agatha,"Now I will have to start from scratch and the contest starts in an hour! What will I do?!"

Island

Illustration Friday prompt for Friday September 12- Island. I couldn't possibly let an awesome prompt go by even on vacation. This is a sketch of the Goddess Pele. Goddess of fire. This was inspired by my recent visit to the Enchanted Tiki Room at Disney World.

...and some more....