MORE FUN – BOY STYLE!!

Last week i posted a cutie patootie tutorial i helped create with my friend, Ashley, at Lil Blue Boo. Ashley had asked me to illustrate a coloring-book-style backdrop for her adorable “Box o’ Princesses.” And NOW, we have a version for boys all ready for you as well. My illustrated download will again be a freebie. i hope your kiddos have a great time with it! i was inspired by my own little guy who has been peeking over my shoulder asking lots of excited questions as i created.

Just click here for the B&W, letter-size download that you can print at home. It includes a label for your box, the color-able BOY-VILLE backdrop, and some cool extras; a treasure chest, swords and shields and the requisite telephone booth any self-respecting superhero needs to change his persona.

Hope your little ones have a great time personalizing their own set!
Ashley’s super-cool example is shown below and tutorial is here.

This piece was commissioned by a customer who had seen my “imagination” print in my etsy shop.

With a little modification and help from the customer, who was designing a big-kid-room with a moroccan flair for her daughter, we came up with the art above. It depicts the owner of the new, fanci-fied room doing what she loves best – dancing. Bold colors, textures and a hint at a Moroccan arch are added to make the theme POP!

This piece will be a surprise if mom can hold it in!

Drop me a line via my contact page if you’d like to work with me on your own project for a special occasion or special someone.

Since he was teeny tiny, i’ve always told my 5 year old “i love you all the way up to the moon and past the stars.”

Today as he was standing in the light of the windows in my studio striking a sharp silhouette, this image just popped into my head.

i snapped his photo….

and i turn it into this.

i filled his silhouette with one of my scanned watercolors.

Man! i love that kid : )

i don’t know why? Maybe i got distracted by other work, maybe i needed a breather from all the close, detail work? i think maybe i ran out of ideas for patterns to draw in each state!

Anyway, the map popped up in the background of another photo i blogged earlier and got quite a few comments, so i finally decided to finish it already!!

Each state is a bright color, hand-drawn pattern or a snip of one of my other artworks. It’s a happy map. i hope it inspires happy travels.

You can find it in my etsy shop at 11×14.

The above illustration is one i recently completed for Ashley over at Lil Blue Boo. You may have read my recent post about how we collaborated on some kids dresses featuring one of my art prints.

Anyway, Ashley asked if i’d do a little illustration of a girl wearing an LBB in a fashion-y, sketchy style for her new business cards. i created this drawing with her beautifully curly-headed Boo in mind. And since i had SO much fun sketching this little lovely, i thought i’d offer this style of “simplified portrait” in my etsy shop as well.

The idea is to capture your little one’s essence and fashion sense. To freeze a moment in time. To create an original and fun piece of artwork for her room, and maybe someday, HER little girl’s room. Here’s how it will work and some basics on pricing plus a link to my etsy shop where you’ll find the various listings!

You Color It Option: A B&W illustration in ink on Vellum finish Bristol illustration card stock for you and your little one to color yourselves. Its a work of art they can contribute to! And it’s economical too.

- 8×10 B&W = $95 /  9×12 B&W = $100  /  11×14 B&W = $105 / *custom sizes available upon request, just email me!

Digitally Colored Print Option: An original ink illustration, scanned and colored digitally (like LBB’s) then printed on archival, heavyweight art paper with genuine Epson Ultrachrome inks for long life .

- 8×10 Digital Color = $145 /  9×12 Digital Color = $150  /  11×14 Digital Color = $155 / *custom sizes available upon request, just email me!

Full Color “Original” Option: An ink illustration with mixed media color on Vellum finish Bristol illustration card stock. You get the original, signed artwork. An authentic artwork created just for you!

- 8×10 Original Color = $165 /  9×12 Original Color = $175  /  11×14 Original Color = $185 / *custom sizes available upon request, just email me!

Sibling orders are eligible for an overall 15% discount. Convo me on etsy for a custom listing

i am also very open to custom orders on canvas or possibly 3 “looks” on smaller stock for a runway feel when framing. The sky’s the limit! Nothing makes me happier than creating truly one-of-a-kind artworks that have special meaning for the recipient.

i’ve been working my little fingers off lately! Here are 2 designs recently sent off to Green As Wee Grow for screen printing on their organic baby tees and onesies. You may recognize these pieces from their original appearances in larger artworks in my etsy shop. GAWG has licensed these two excerpts and i also have one original design in the works for them as well. Hint: it’s and animal with a lonnnggg neck interpreted in swirly stephanie style! Just a few more ways to give a darling baby gift of a nursery print and a onesie or tee with the coordinating design.

Happy Sunday Everyone!

This piece is really reflective of me as an individual. i’ve never been the best at zero-ing in on one interest, one field of study,  one art medium or one lifelong dream. i bet i would have written something like the above artwork when i was 6 years old, and then again at age 12 and maybe again as a young adult. You can see it in my artwork. It’s in the clashing of themes and colors and chaotic calamity of it all. But i think there is also a calm to it. i know who i am now. And rather than say i am “scattered”, i prefer to think of myself as appreciative of beauty in many forms. Yep. i like it. That’s me. Today i’m pretty much feelin the  cupcake sprinkler. Tomorrow maybe i’ll slip into my tap shoes.

Why a dog? i have no idea.

Why rainclouds instead of white fluffy ones? i really don’t know.

Maybe i could have this drawing analyzed to see what’s actually brewing in my brain? ……nah! i think i prefer to leave it a mystery. I’d rather hear what you all might make of it. Tell me some stories as to what you see going on here….leave your ideas in the comments if you like!

At any rate, i am going to be offering this B&W version, ready for coloring, as a free download here on the blog over the weekend. If anyone colors one and sends it to me, i’ll be sure to add your interpretation to this post! That’d be super fun!

i will also be doing a full color version for sale in my etsy shop.

Here is a new piece i’ve been playing with. I’ve had a lot of interest doing drawings by hand and then coloring, texturizing and embellishing them in photoshop. This one is my idea of of how my imagination-land looks in my noggin….full, saturated color and crazy pattern. It’s like my imagination is exploding all around me and i just skip my way through it plucking this bit of inspiration here and that bit of color there. Prints available in my etsy shop. Cheers!