Illustration Friday - Winter

It's getting pretty cold here, and I am looking forward to our first snow.

Illustration Friday - Mail

Many of the neighborhoods where I live have mailboxes that are behind the sidewalk and I have wondered how the mailman delivers mail if he is not walking. The other morning, my question was answered...


Below are some of the mailboxes in my neighborhood that I illustrated a couple of months ago.

Holiday Recipe - Rudolph's Red-Nosed Pasta

The recipe I submitted to They Draw and Cook posted to their website today. Go over and check out all the fun recipes and great illustrations. Happy Holiday cooking!


Correction from their posting that I live in Arkansas, not Alaska ; )

Simple & Easy Hummus

So Michelle over at culinography told me about this great website called They Draw and Cook.


I illustrated and submitted this recipe for Simple & Easy Hummus back in November. We make this hummus just about every week and it is such a nice snack to have in the fridge.


I hope that it will be featured on their site, but It wouldn't post until next year because the entire month of December they are having a holiday recipe contest. Judges vote on their favorite illustration/recipe which is then posted to the Food Network Blog (The FN Dish). Each day, Salli and Nate at TDAC also post additional holiday submissions that they like to their website.


I illustrated a holiday recipe and submitted it to TDAC for the contest, so we will see if it is featured this month...

Illustration Friday - Phenomenon

The toys of their times that became a phenomenon...

Illustration Friday - Prehistoric

We have come a long way!!

Back to bottles - Shiner Bock

Here is the first of my beer bottle series and it just so happens to be my beer of choice. Maybe it's the Texan in me, but I'm a Shiner girl.

Illustration Friday - Savour

OK, so here's the deal. It's not that I love Ketchup and want to savour it, although I do like Ketchup quite a bit. For much of my life, I thought it was normal to put it on pizza since this is what my dad taught me until I was informed several years ago (mostly by the horror on others faces) that it is, in fact, not normal to put Ketchup on your pizza.


When I thought of "Savour", I first thought of red wine because I do savour every sip. But then my mind went to Ketchup and body lotion because these are two things that I attempt to appreciate every single ounce by turning the bottles over and placing them into a measuring cup and using every last drop.


It is more about not letting anything go to waste and being frugal, really: "Use it up, wear it out, make do, do without". I learned this way of life from my mom who almost sliced her finger off when I was in high-school by cutting off the top of a bottle to scrape out as much as she could.


Savour every last drop!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

We are about to head to Dallas to see my family and run the Turkey Trot. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!

Illustration Friday - Sneaky

My sister coordinated a surprise birthday party for my brother-in-law and husband this weekend. It took a bit of sneakiness to pull it off, but it was ultimately a success!

Nature's Magenta

I typically eat a salad everyday, and sometimes I throw in beets. I am always amazed by the natural color they produce. I love to cook fresh beets, but in the interest of time, I always have a can in the pantry.


The other day I was draining the liquid from the can into my sink, and thought that the contrast of the magenta color against my white sink was a pretty cool visual.


I am taking a vacation day today and heading to Dallas to see The Weepies in concert and then going to The Handmade Bash on Saturday. Happy Friday!

Burning

So I decided to do a digital illustration for this week's Illustration Friday theme: BURNING.
Burning doesn't always have to be a bad thing. As a matter of fact, I need to experience a little more of this kind...


Click here to return to my blog.

One man's trash...

So, last night I went to empty the trash in my workspace and realized that my paint test pages are too interesting to be thrown away.

Then I decided to cut them into strips and weave them together. I like the way it turned out. This would look cool on a side or coffee table under glass (my husbands idea).

Afterwards...

Illustration Friday is a great website that provides weekly creative challenges based on a word that someone submits. This is my first week participating, but I hope to make their challenges a weekly post.

This week, the word is "afterwards" and the drawing above is what came to my mind.

Click here to scroll down and see my posting on their website.

While we are on the subject of Bears...

My grandfather (Papa) was a wonderful man and incredibly creative. He would carve the most amazing, detailed Santas out of blocks of wood and also woodland animals and paint them colorfully.


I once asked him to make me something for my birthday and he carved me a family of bears which I treasure. I quickly sketched and painted them about a year or so ago and thought I would post them today.

                                      

Meet the Honeybears

One of the things that I love about winter is that I can drink herbal tea (with honey) during the day and at night. Even though I know it is good for me, I just can't drink it during the summer because it is just too dang hot outside (although I always have my morning cup of coffee - go figure). Therefore, the Honeybear is a constant winter figure on my desk at work and kitchen countertop at home.

I think that the Honeybear is smart packaging. It's simple with a bit of humor. I remember when I was young, I had one emptied that I would play with in the bath tub.

I suggest keeping your honeybears and using them for bath time toys for kids, or use for containers to store your homemade salad dressings.

Until next season Project Runway...

The Project Runway finale tonight did not disappoint. I am sad it is over, but I did enjoy this season. Out of respect for those who have not had the pleasure of watching the finale, I will say no more. I decided to sketch a form while watching.

Pumpkins Galore

Every year, this house near where I live places stacks of old and faded plastic jack-o'-lanterns with twinkle lights in their screened porch. I think it is a really cute idea.

My decorating efforts? Well, we purchased two real pumpkins from a local pumpkin patch but have not had the time (or maybe the energy) to carve them yet. Hopefully tonight will be the night, but I am thinking it will be more like Friday since the Project Runway finale is on tonight! Priorities : )

Fall Finds

Today was a beautiful Fall day. The wind was blowing and leaves were on the ground. We went for a walk and collected some of the colorful pieces that had fallen to the ground. They made great centerpieces for dinner.

Little things that make me happy...

Ah, Words with Friends. You play at your own pace and when you feel like playing. Love it!

Pellegrino

Last bottle posting for a while...

TGIF!

Don't worry - It won't be all bottles all the time.

I am going on a little trip this weekend (not to FIJI). I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Throw back

I miss Gatorade's old school packaging.

Drink up...

I gave myself a project: to illustrate and paint a series of drink bottles. V8 juice is the first. More to come including water, more juices, energy drinks and beer!

Jump into Fall

Back in July, Smashing Magazine used the illustration that I submitted "le Tour de France" (posted below) for their monthly desktop wallpaper offerings.

This month, they are using another illustration that I submitted for October (posted above). Click here to go to the website and scroll down to download to use for wallpaper (I think it is like 23rd from the top). The 320 x 480 resolution is for iphones. Also, you can download both of the my wallpapers without the calendars. They have some really fun ones to choose from this month.

Now with color

Oh these are the mailboxes in my neighborhood...

While strolling around my block, I was inspired by the unique choices people make with their mailbox selections. I am starting to think that mailboxes are like shoes and cars in that they tell a lot about their owners.


I will paint these tomorrow night and I will have a round 2 later this week because, yes, there are more...


Note: All mailboxes illustrated above are truly from my neighborhood. I did not imagine them, not even the train.

Oh, Crickets

I am not sure what I did to offend the cricket community? I should start off by saying that I love the outdoors. I practically lived outside growing and really did not watch much TV until I was 15-ish.

Because of this, of my favorite sounds are the honking of geese flying overhead, tree frogs and believe it or not, crickets. What I have learned most recently is that I prefer listening to crickets that are a bit further away than say, OUTSIDE MY BEDROOM DOOR!

Seriously. Why did one cricket decide that right outside my bedroom door would be a perfect place to make his home? A home without a bed, because this cricket never sleeps, or maybe he has that restless legs syndrome... And how long is a crickets life span, really? Maybe they procreate really quickly and do not let their cricket babies leave the home.

Please go away, Mr. Cricket. I need sleep. I even left off the little hairs on your legs in my illustration because I thought it looked a bit buggy. I might just have to change my iPhone ring that I selected months ago: Crickets. Is that irony?

Now with color

Back from New York...

Well, I'm back from New York. It was a business trip, but I managed to walk around the city for an hour the morning that I left to take a few pictures of the city.

I loved this brick church. It was really beautiful. I think I will try to paint it tomorrow or Monday.

I love the energy of New York and that you can walk everywhere. I think that I could have lived there for a couple of years. Having said that, it is SO nice to be home.

New York

I have been in New York since Sunday for work. I will post this weekend when I return!

Doodle, doodle, doodle...

What can I say, Top Chef makes me happy.

There are about five shows that I would prefer never to miss, and this is one. I like the creative aspect, the challenges, watching the process and seeing the final product...

Project Runway is another show that I try not miss. Would anyone like to doodle "Project Runway" or "PR" and email to me to be posted?

Black beans with cinnamon?

Weird, right? Or have I just been kept in the dark?

We made shrimp tacos with sauteed red bell peppers, onions and garlic. For a side dish, I emptied a can of black beans into a sauce pan. Maybe it was the Mojito, but I decided that soy sauce, onions, ketchup, and cinnamon would be the perfect addition. Oh my goodness! If you like cinnamon, I recommend

trying this. However, I would suggest starting sparingly because you can always add more.

Below is a sketch of the cinnamon that I used. I love Simply Organic's spices. The little bottles are so cute. I am trying to think of a way to reuse the empty ones. Any ideas?

Oh, to live on the water...

Please can I live here and take my canoe to the local marina to buy my milk and eggs? Ok, if I am being honest, I would probably have bad dreams knowing my house was sitting on little wooden stilts.

A quick sketch finished in ink and watercolor - I think I will send to my grandma (gaga). My love for watercolor came from growing up admiring her beautiful paintings.