My Garter Snake book is finally here!

I am so happy to announce my long awaited Garter Snake book.
It is called "Garter Snake at Willow Creek Lane".
I finished the illustrations a long time ago (almost 2 years). It's been in production for a while.
But now it is out and here is a little trailer I just produced for it.

Book copyright 2011 Palm Publishing, LLC and the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560

Illustration Friday: Scary!

How could one not do an illustration about Halloween if the word of the week is "scary" 

and it is the weekend right before the scariest day of the year?

I certainly couldn't resist! 

Here is my scary illustration:

What do you think is going to happen with Pooch once Pumpkin pounces on him?

Can Vampire-Girl protect him and will Mummy-Boy join forces with her 

or will it be just too scary for him?

Since I have been participating in IF, I have started to play more with a looser style of illustration. 

My main focus in my work in the past had been mostly on the non fiction side and I felt it was time to get more playful. I am quite surprised about how much I have enjoyed the process so far.

I recently bought a video by Will Terry at Folio Academy. It was soooo good, I learned a lot from it. Especially how much fun it is to use some texture in your brush.

The video is called "Digital Painting in Photoshop 1+2"(http://folioacademy.com/). 

I wanted to mention it here, as I feel very grateful to Will to share his incredible knowledge in his videos as well as on his blogs. 

Thank's again, Will!

Illustration Friday - Fuel: Missy Moo Gone Cruising

Life on the ranch hadn't been the same for Missy Moo lately: 

All this pressure on her and her sisters to perform and give more milk! And for what? 

A roof over her head in a dark smelly place and a bushel of dry hay?

"This is not enough", she told herself. "I am ready for greener pastures!"

This said, she fueled up and went for the ride of her life in farmer Joe's top fuel dragster.

She's never been seen on the ranch again.

Occasionally rumors are heard of a cow screeching along at lightning speed, 

leaving burnt rubber tracks all across the country. 

Could that be Missy Moo?"

This is my fourth illustration for "Illustration Friday". I am absolutely loving the process of illustrating just for fun and trying out new ways in my work.
Currently I am saving Friday's to work on an illustration for IF.
Thursday night I dreamed of the next topic. In my dream it was "desert". I saw a cow and a pig sit on a wagon, which was pulled by a poor little donkey across some desert along the Oregon Trail.
I was very surprised to find out next morning, that the theme wasn't "desert", but "fuel".

So I changed a few things and had my cow race a top fuel dragster across some imaginary landscape.
The colors turned out pretty bright and colorful. I am not sure if it is a bit too bright?

But who cares? I am my own art director and I might try and do something more subdued next week.
Or may be just black and white? It feels great to be free to do whatever!
Someday soon I might take a wild ride myself ! Yippee!

An artist's muse about life drawing

I came home late last night from my life drawing class. Usually I am in bed at 8 pm ( I get up at 4 am), so a night out till 10 pm is big for me!
I had such a good time! I have been going to class for about a year now, after putting it off for many years. Always kind of wanting it and finding many excuses why not to.
Working digitally I feel so strongly, that every illustrator absolutely needs to find something to keep on working with the real thing - may it be regularly sketching or life drawing. I tried sketching, didn't work for me. Life is so full, when I am not working I am with kids, house or I just want to relax and not think about having to do anything.
My thursday life drawing afternoon has become like a retreat for me. I am looking forward to it all week long. It is my night out. I get to play in new ways as an artist and hang out with some really wonderful fellow artists. Craig Mullins usually comes to class. Check out his work. It is absolutely amazing!
He is such an inspiration! If you google him and look at his images, you'll get blown away.
Phil Sabado is in class as well. It is his studio that he is sharing with us for class. His paintings are very impressive as well! It is fun to work in his studio, which feels infused by his creativity. A lot of his paintings are hanging on the walls and I often find myself being drawn into them, into Hawaiian mythology and history.

But it hasn't always been like that. In the beginning, I took everything way too seriously. I got super upset, if my drawing didn't come together. I would actually be really mean to myself and beat myself up - at times it felt horrible.
One day though, I had a cool insight. I asked myself "Why am I paying $ 10 plus gas money, plus an afternoon away, when I could be doing some "serious" work? I don't want to spend money on something I don't enjoy, I want to have fun!"
From that moment on, something shifted for me. I am loving every class now, I am having fun and my drawings have gotten way better. Isn't that a funny coincidence?
This is my call to all illustrators (especially if you are working digitally), go and do life drawing. Not only will you improve your drawing skills, but you also might have wonderful insights about life.

I have taken that little bit of wisdom, which I got from one class into my day to day life now. Sometimes when I am bummed, things aren't going the way I like, I remind myself and ask again: "Why am I spending a whole precious day of my life being upset or sad or whatever? I don't want to do that! I really want to feel good, - all the time. It's just a choice I have to make." It is pretty simple!

If you happen to be on Maui or even live here, come and join us. Every Thursday, from 6 - 9 pm, in Wailuku at Phil Sabado's art studio (49 North Market St., Wailuku, HI 96793)

Illustration Friday - Scattered

"Scattered Pox, Doc?"

Illustration Friday - Contraption

This weeks Illustration Friday topic was "Contraption"

My son loves to build contraptions out of all kind of discarded materials. I think one day he will be a great inventor. Wouldn't it be fun if he built a dragon which came to life over night and he could take his big sister and a friend for the coolest ride of their lifes? I think he'd like that!

My First "Illustration Friday" Illustration - "Hibernate"

I have been wanting to do an "Illustration Friday" piece for a long time and it always felt, I didn't have the time.
Now I finally just did it and it was fun!
Especially because it made me work and think differently than I usually do.
The theme of this week was "Hibernate"
And here is my piece: