Illustration Friday - "Forward"

Me thinks this young lady and her butcher friend are not going to go "forward" on any level here.

This was a preliminary thumbnail sketch for a book cover. The book is an amusing and informative true tale of the author's travails in attempting to adopt a new diet that included meat (upon the advice of her doctor). This sketch did not go FORWARD and another illustrator was chosen for the project. This was the decision of the publisher - yet another reason why authors should refrain from choosing their own illustrators, since the publisher usually likes to make that call.

I'm glad that I kept the sketch - now I can use it for Illustration Friday!

Utamaro

Look at this - is this not the most beautiful wood block print that you have ever seen? (it's a detail, to be accurate, taken from a worn-out calendar).

The artist is Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-1806), and at the beginning of this month I saw his work in an exhibition here in Minneapolis. I was so enchanted by his work, I almost swooned a dozen times - I was sure security was going to have to carry me out. If only I could have married him, I would have been surrounded by his beautiful art for my entire life. I'm too late, he's been dead for 206 years.

The only thing left to do is to attempt to do beautiful art myself. I think I'll steal his idea of the gold fish bowl. Did I say that? Let me rephrase. I think I'll "reinvent" the idea of the gold fish bowl in my next drawing.

Poppy Tie Lady in Color

Here she is in water color with her fashionable totally modern tie. Yesterday I wondered if photo retouching was done in the nineteenth century. (in other words, was there life before Photoshop?). And the answer is, yes indeed.  Apparently it could be a hellish process!

Here's a quote from the British Journal of Photography dated November 9th, 1894, describing the working conditions of retouchers:

"Sir - ... I should like to inform you that there is a photographic establishment wherein the employés labour under difficulties quite as great as those described by the 'depressed and low-spirited assistant, who so frequently requires the stimulus of 'a cup of tea'. In a room measuring about 11 ft long by 6 ft wide, and varying from 8 to 10 ft in height, seven retouchers and spotters have to work. Three walls and the roof are of glass, rendering it necessary for the retouchers to keep their heads entirely covered with black cloth, besides making it very difficult to spot, as the light comes from so many different directions. In the winter, the room (which would otherwise be intensely cold) is heated by a gas stove, which renders the atmosphere unbearable. Another interesting fact from the employé's point of view is that the proprietor of the concern sits at a another desk in an adjoining room, having full view of the seven assistants, so that, though they may faint in the fumes of the gas or shiver in the cold, they have not a moment's respite from their arduous employment. ... [Signed: HYGIENE, Bristol]"

And to think I complain about sitting long hours at my keyboard!

Poppy Tie Lady sketch

 

As you can see, I'm not really going after likenesses with these cabinet card ladies, although there is a hint of the original within the sketch. I'm more drawn to (did I say "drawn?) the clothes, the hair and the fact that these are real people before the days of Photoshop and retouching. Now that I think about it, I wonder if they did retouching in the 1800's? I'll have to look that one up!

Love the hair!

Now she needs a little color, so that will be for tomorrow's post.

Bershon

In the previous post, I made mention of the young girl's strange expression, saying that I couldn't quite figure it out...was she bored? Annoyed? Impatient? A very kind reader named Heidi wrote in the comment section "I think it's called "bershon". At first I thought she was referring to the little white dog, and I was getting ready to comment back saying no, that's a Norwich Terrier... (haha) but thankfully before I took pen in hand, or hands to keyboard, I used my dictionary. I'm probably the only person in the universe who doesn't know what "bershon" means - but this word fits the young girl's expression just perfectly!

The best definition I found was in an article written by Michael Bierut, and I quote: "Bershon was first introduced to a wide audience by writer and blogger Sarah Brown, who remembered it as a word from her own teenage years. Her definition is still the best: The spirit of bershon is pretty much how you feel when you’re 13 and your parents make you wear a Christmas sweatshirt and then pose for a family picture, and you could not possibly summon one more ounce of disgust, but you’re also way too cool to really even DEAL with it, so you just make this face like you smelled something bad and sort of roll your eyes and seethe in a put-out manner." The article is very amusing, and if you'd like to read it and laugh before you start digging through your own family scrapbook for photographs displaying friends and relatives in various stages of bershon, you can check it out here.

Thanks for the tip, Heidi!

Girl with White Dog

This cabinet card is dated "1927" on the back, in elegant but faded green fountain pen ink. I'm assuming it's a mom and daughter portrait - they even have similar style dresses with the pleated skirt and dropped waistline. The daughter has such an interesting expression on her face, which I can't quite interpret. Is she impatient and annoyed having to stand for her portrait? I think not, judging from the fact that she has taken the time to pose her leg in a fashionable way. Mom is actually smiling, which is very unusual to see in a portrait of that era. I took quite a few liberties with this illustration, didn't I! Artistic license, you know...

Heliopsis

Another attempt at watercolor - I think I bit off more than I can chew at this point! Too many decisions here, not enough practice to make my hand do what my brain sees. But that's OK, it's all process and the faster I make my mistakes, the quicker I can get to where I want to be.

Vintage Sewing Pattern Girl

I thought I would try something new - watercolors! I found my old tin of watercolor paint which must be at least twenty years old - I think I used it once or twice and abandoned it. I'm in the mood to try new things, so here goes. I find watercolors really hard to master, and posting them on my blog will provide me with a a visual diary and a means of discipline to prompt me to continue. It will be fun to see the evolution, don't you think? This is an interpretation of a Simplicity 50's sewing pattern cover. Love those retro kids!

Cabinet card lady

I have a collection of cabinet cards that continue to fascinate me. They were very popular in the last part of the nineteenth century, until Kodak came out with their Box Brownie Camera in 1900. At that point, families began taking their own photos instead of relying on professional photography studios, and these intricate and carefully posed scenarios of people and props gradually ceased to exist. I thought it would be fun to translate them using Photoshop (first image) and watercolor (second image).

Sublime Stitching

My pencil sketch above

I was asked by Jenny Hart if I would be interested in creating a pattern of belly dancers for her fabulous company Sublime Stitching. I said YES YES YES - I was thrilled! Jenny has pioneered to transform the traditional craft of embroidery into a contemporary art form - "This ain't your gramma's embroidery!" is her motto. It certainly isn't! One look on her website and you will see what I mean. Her efforts to revolutionize needleworking has earned her media fame and a loyal following of fans from all walks of life. Her website features over 50 (often edgy) patterns, textiles, tools, all-in-one embroidery starter kits and entertaining, now-I-understand-it instructions to bring embroidery back to life for a new generation of needleworkers. Be sure to check out her shop. After you order your supplies and settle in to embroidery these belly dancers, you can listen to this belly dancing music and really get in the mood!

Illustration Friday - Prepare

If ever there was to be a time to prepare, this is it!

If you know someone who is busy preparing, she might appreciate a note from you to remind her to slow down and enjoy a lollipop now and then. This mom-to-be can be purchased as a set of hand-glittered note cards at Darcy's Pretty Girl shop.

Dooley

When I was a kid we had this wonderful terrier named Dooley. He loved nothing more than to entertain us with his tricks of sitting up, rolling over, jumping through a hoop, and escaping out the back gate when we weren't looking.

Character studies

I thought I'd share a couple of sketches that I created while thinking about a future illustration project. I was hoping she looked a little bit French and a little bit American, since that is how she is described in the story I will be illustrating.

Stare into my eyes

I just love the way dogs will study their owner's face to pick up clues as to what their big buddy is thinking. Like, is she going to give me a hug? A treat? Like, what's up? Is it dinnertime yet?

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY - Sink

There is nothing like sinking into a reverie to refresh your day!

Holiday rush

Can someone please tell me how it got to be December 12th? Where oh where is the time going? Apparently I'm not going along with it, I got left behind at the Thanksgiving dinner table. Well, I'll just get in my car and get shopping and decorating and soirée planning. First I'm going to get my dictionary and find out what a soirée is so I can have one.

Sweater Girl

It's definitely sweater weather around here. In fact, it's becoming heavy coat weather - snow is falling this morning, but not in earnest. Just enough to coat the freeways and make the commute miserable for folks with jobs outside the home. On days like this, I count my blessings for my in-home office/studio! Now I'm going to commute to the kitchen and make a cup of coffee.

The Quick Brown Fox

I was sorting through sketchbooks and came across this page. I was beginning to work on a painting of a fox in a surreal landscape and I wasn't sure how I wanted to proceed. These sketches provided a starting point and a way to loosen up. Sometimes I just need to get my hand moving, and then my brain says,"Hey, wait for me!" and kicks into action.

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY - Vanity

This week's Illustration Friday's theme of "Vanity" brought to mind an illustration I did a while ago - a perfect match for the subject!

Blazing Trees

Oh awesome Autumn! From the top of the world to the bottom, it is a captivating sight! The tree in front of my house is illuminating the gray skies, and in the backyard, Suzi-Q blends in with the leaves. It's the "Where's Waldo" effect! Hope you are enjoying the fall wherever you are.

Halloween is tomorrow - still can't decide what to wear!

Art Attack 2011

It's time to open the doors and share the art! If you are in Minneapolis next weekend, come to the Northrup King Building for an afternoon, and an overload, of art! There are over 200 artists working in a wide variety of media, from fine arts and crafts to furniture, fabrics and more. I'm in studio 350 - stop in!

Here's more information about the event, directions, and the artists.

Cup 'O Tea Sketch

There's a bit of a chill in the air these last few days, time to throw some wood into the pot bellied stove and have a cup of tea!

Happy Birthday Mary Blair

Today would have been illustrator Mary Blair's 100th birthday. What a prolific and dynamic artist! She began as a water colorist with a naturalistic bent, but her style soon evolved into the more abstract and colorful forms she is known for today. She worked as a color stylist and concept artist for the Disney Studio in the 40's, a time when there were few women animators, and almost none in managerial positions. Her influence can be seen in such well-loved animated films as Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan.






Disney's animated films were enhanced by her bold ideas about composition

and mood


and color.


She was so versatile. After resigning from Disney, she worked as a freelance graphic designer, and her vibrant colors and stylized designs could be found in TV commercials, murals and children's books.





I loved how she was not afraid to use black to enhance her colors, but I think what I love the most about her style is it's utter simplicity, and how she streamlined all her line work into such harmonious proportions. A great example is this illustration for a product called Choco Milk. I mean, how sweet is this!



For more information on Mary, you can visit the website created by her nieces: here.

Fashionista and her Hoover

If you believe the ads in the magazines published in the fifties, housekeeping was a stylish affair! Swirly dresses and high heels were the standard outfits for cleaning the house, or so it would seem.

I am paying homage to West Elm's gorgeous rugs with this print. I would love to purchase this rug but since I can't afford it at the moment, at least I can look at it in my print!

This print is available in my online shop Graphitegirl.

Sketch

I'm vacuuming in my high heels today, tralalala lah! This happy homemaker is probably wondering what to do with that floating lamp.

Seriously, I have a Hoover vacuum cleaner that is older than the hills, but I will never trade it in because according to the repair shop, "they don't make 'em as good as this old model anymore!"

Walking the dog

Today, while walking my dog, I lost my house keys. I got home and discovered this fact, and fortunately I was able to get into my house because I had forgotten to lock the back door. It didn't seem to be a good beginning for my day! I wondered if the key had fallen out of my pocket while I was pulling the plastic doggie "pick-up" bag out of my pocket. Every morning before our walk, I say to myself, "Don't put the key in the same pocket as the doggie bag, because your gonna lose it some day when you pull the bag out." I never listen to myself! For some perverse reason, I always stuff the bag and the key in the same pocket.

So I went back to the big open field, covered in fall leaves, and walked around. Within five minutes a sparkle caught my eye, and there lay my key! Amazing!

Just so you know, I was not wearing high heels and Suzi is not a Poodle, but it makes for a good beginning to this story!

Happy Birthday Laundress

All you birthday fashionistas, take a LOAD off your feet and celebrate! This cheerful lass is now a birthday card in my Etsy shop here.

Laundress sketch

Here's a smudgy beginning of a birthday card I'm working on for the fans of the fashionistas. She going to wish you LOADS of fun on your birthday, get it? get it?
I thought about reversing her position to face the washing machine, but it didn't work as well as I thought it would. Here, take a look:



In this version, the washing machine becomes more prominent in your sight - since she is facing it, our eyes tend to take it in at the same time we view our lovely subject. But that is just the point, I don't want that washing machine to share the limelight, I want her to be the star. So for me, the first version works better, where she turns her back to the machine and it becomes less important. It's just one of those things where you ignore the rules and do what you wanna do - it's called "artistic license"!

Green grape catastrophe

Yesterday my dog Suzi-Q gave me such a scare! I came home to find her eager to see me, but she had vomited greenish puke all over the floor - and a single green grape lay underneath the coffee table. Yikes! Grapes are toxic, lethal, to dogs. On my way out the door previously, I had been carrying a bunch of grapes in my hand, and one (or more?) must have fallen to the floor where she found it and ate it in my absence.

She is fine today, but I think I may give up grapes (and chocolate) so I won't have any more accidents like this!

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY - Hybernate

What a perfect theme for this time of year!

Fall grasses

Every year I wait for the tassels to sprout on top of the prairie grass in my garden. From my window I can see them swaying in the autumn breeze, highlighted by a sun that is slowly backing away from us Northern climate folks, soon to abandon us to winter's austere presence. I love fall....winter, not so much!