Illustration Friday: Stretch

Limo

Apparently, my proposed method of transportation did not please the High General.  So she came up with a design of her own, one more suitable for her rank.  No carpooling for Generals, no sir.

Illustration Friday: Whiskers

I love to bake.  Breads, cookies, waffles, pies, coffee cake, layer cake, shortcake, cupcakes...mmmmmm.  The house smells so delightful when something yummy is baking.  

My daughter Emma asked if she could join the Baker's Brigade.  I told her, sure.  She asked what position she could have, so I appointed her High General.  She's letting it get to her head.  

I haven't been around the blogs much this week.  Lots of drama here.  But I look forward to coming around soon!

  

Illustration Friday: Tree

Tree:  A loose interpretation.  

Hold on.  I know what you're going to ask.  Hey, Bella, what's that blue one supposed to be?  She's supposed to be a dragonfly, but I just couldn't get the wing pattern right.  

Let's move on, shall we?

Last week, I drew a thingamabob for Shy, but then it ran off and I couldn't find it.  We searched high and low.  Darn, it sure is good at hiding.

Happy weekend!

Illustration Friday: Sky

Taming Cygnus

or

Me and My Friend Cyggy Stardust

Twinkle twinkle in the sky

Fill my wings and help me fly

You are so wonderful!  I threw a little hissy fit last week about not being happy with the outcome of a drawing, and y'all gave me such great support.  Thank you for that.  I feel better now.  I also discovered that Godzilla will improve just about anything.  See what I mean?

Rawr

Illustration Friday: Water

Meh.

What do you do
when what you put down on paper
just does not match what you saw in your head?
All the layers and textures in the world are no substitute for mojo.

Meh.

Illustration Friday: Mirror

     "Give me one good reason why I should not gobble you up right here and now," he growled, his breath hot and putrid.  She locked her knees and prayed that she would not pass out from the stench.
     "I have a secret," she offered.  "It's a tremendous secret, really.  Life-changing.  It would be a pity if it died with me.  If you must eat me, at least let me pass the secret to you."
     "Then tell me, " he said.  He could hardly contain his joy at this unexpected pleasure.  A tasty morsel and a juicy secret.
     "Oh no," she tutted.  "I cannot simply blurt out a secret as big as this.  You'll have to come closer.  I need to whisper it to you."
     Lured by the promise, the monster leaned in closer and closer until she could see her own reflection in his enormous, dark eye.
     "This secret, is it the truth?"  His words dripped in anticipation.
     "Oh yes," she said.  "Cross my heart and hope to die."

Illustration Friday: Book

She went to great depths trying to find a nice, quiet place to read.

My my my, it feels like ages since I've been here, and even longer since I've done a personal drawing just for fun.  Wow, so dusty and empty here.  I can practically hear my own echo.

Hello!

Hello

Hello

Hello

It might take me some time to wipe away all the cobwebs and get back into the swing of things, but it sure feels good to be drawing again.  Hope you've been fantastically well.  Thanks for stopping by!

A Spot of Tea

Photo courtesy of Donna Shepherd

Hello there!  Why, yes, it has been a long time, hasn't it.

I'm just popping up to say that the book I worked on last summer with the lovely Donna Shepherd is finally out.  Quite a charming and fantastical story, and probably what every child dreams of doing.  Donna is a wonderful storyteller and a great inspiration, and I truly enjoyed working with her!

It's been a hectic summer, what with visitors and travel and a home renovation.  I've also begun work on another book project that will be keeping me busy for the next couple of months.  I hope you have had a brilliant and incredible summer so far.  Have a safe and fun and memorable Labor Day weekend!

Anybody there?

Why, hello!  I'm still in hiding, and I'm sorry I haven't been around much lately.  I really shouldn't be here, but I had to pop out for a moment to campaign for my dear friend Björnik.  He is a brilliant -- and I mean BRILLIANT -- pen and ink artist, painter, and customized toy god.  He's also a truly swell guy and wonderful inspiration.  He's in a competition right now for Tiger Translate where the winning prize is a trip to Mongolia, and he's currently in second place.  If you have a few moments, please take a look and vote for his entry before June 26.  It would be fantastic if we could stuff him in a plane and ship him off!

Please click here to vote on Facebook.  Thank you!

And thank you SO much for stopping by and reading.  I hope you are having a marvelous summer/winter!

xoxo

Hello. See you later.

pssssst

Is the coast clear?

Just popping my head up to say that I've gone into hiding for a while.

Have an incredible and fun-filled summer.

See you when it's all over!

Oh wait!

Before I go, I want to wish my dearest sisterfriend Ces

and her Gemini twin

a mighty mighty fine birthday!

Dang, I should have filled the table with donuts for you.

Tsup!

Illustration Friday: Jump

*Thank you to my mini IT support, Emma, for showing me the PIXLR program that created the effects and for telling me how to grab a screen shot.  Tsup!  (She is making me give her credit, hahaha.)

Illustration Friday: Heights

Whut?  What the heck is this?  Toast is not even my favorite.  I don't know where this came from.  Maybe my subconscious wanted breakfast after looking at all of Ces's eggs.

Well, like toast, I had to resort to something quick and easy this week.  My brain is on hiatus and all that's rattling around up there are random dregs, so that's what I'm serving.  Don't you feel special?  I'm on jury duty and also dealing with a colossal tax mess.  It's not pleasant when you get a love letter from the IRS saying they are seizing your property because you owe over $415,000.  Yes, I managed to pop my eyes back into their sockets, thank you for asking.  No, no, don't feel sorry for me.  I only mention it because I think it makes for a great story.  I can only laugh about it at this point.  It all has to do with identity theft and so on and so forth. It will all get sorted out.  So no worries.

Happy Thursday!

Illustration Friday: Puzzled

Puzzled....puzzled.  Thinking about the word this week made me think of

interlocking pieces

and then Tom Cruise telling Renee Zellweger, "You complete me."

Which then made me think of one of my favorite children's books,

The Missing Piece by Shel Silverstein,

about a circle who rolls around in search of his

missing piece.

Which is kind of ironic, since in the end (spoiler alert) the circle

decides that life was more fun when he was

incomplete.

And so this image came to mind.

In honor of Mr. Silverstein, whose pen and ink illustrations for this book

were stylistically minimal yet so full of charm,

I decided to leave things simple.

Incomplete.  

:)

Hope you are having a wonderful week!

Illustration Friday: Vocal

This is a story of a girl who liked to send messages

to her friend who lived on the faraway hill

by blowing clouds

and filling them with stories and song

and then sending them across the valley on a breeze

and the clouds, being heavy,

would sometimes sprinkle her thoughts on the valley below

upon the villagers who rejoiced at the bounty.

Sometimes her messages to her faraway friend would be filled with sorrow and gloom.

But today, there is nothing but love in the air.

Illustration Friday: Return

Yay Hooray!  Friday, April 6, is my beloved and beautiful sister's birthday.  Ever generous with her wisdom and love, all I have to do is think of her gentle smile and warm hug and the thousands of miles between us disappear.  Happy birthday, S.  I love you.  High five.



Thank you for popping by.  Over at ASecretTeaParty, Donna Shepherd has put up an Easter coloring page.  If you would like, please click the link to get a download of the page.  Go ahead, color outside the lines and tell 'em Bella said it's okay.  Have a wonderful Passover and Easter weekend!

Shadowland

Eye candy

is dandy,

but life in the shade

is where real fun is made.

Illustration Friday: Yield

"Did you hear that?"

Yielding to the irresistible siren song of

Girl Scout Thin Mints.  Mmmmmmmmm

Yup, got my year's supply, and now I'm a very happy girl.

Sorry, I could not finish a decent drawing this week.  Got...um...sidetracked.  :)

*Andrea asked me to please draw her enjoying the treasure.

This one's for you, Andrea!  

Illustration Friday: Capable

Behold!  'Tis the great warrior Umlabo and his trusty steed Cynisca, leading his army of furry grimlots to victory.  He is a very renowned and capable warrior, able to capture entire nations with just a mere flash of his pearly whites.  Hurry, shield your eyes!  He's at it again!

Happy March!

Illustration Friday: Fluid

Just keep swimming.

For loved ones lost.  

Tsup.

Illustration Friday: Popularity

Unfulfilled

Little Nikita kept a board of wishes.  Every time she blew a wish on a dandelion, she would write down what she wished for and pin it to her board.  She vowed to only take it down when the wish came true.

Illustration Friday: Suspense

The suspense was killing him.

Hey y'all, it's February!  You know what that means.

Yeah, me neither.

Illustration Friday: Forward

Once upon a time,

there were three little sisters,

Elsie

Lacie

 and Tillie,

and they lived at the bottom of a treacle well,

making treacle pies and treacle cakes

and all sorts of treacle delights.

Because what else do you do with so much treacle.

Now, everyone knows that Elsie and Lacie and Tillie

loved to draw things that start with the letter M:

like monsters,

and maggots,

and meerkats.

But what they don't know is

that every afternoon,

they would draw mustaches on their faces

 and sneak topside

with their basket full of treacle goodies

and leave it at the doorstep of a random house

with a note that read:

Got Milk?

*Inspired by the Dormouse's story from Alice in Wonderland.

Illustration Friday: Prepare

Once she had moved into her new home, Haruki came to the chilling realization that she had not prepared a way to get down.  It looked as if she might be stuck there.  Forever.  Until she came up with a plan to lure in some unsuspecting birds....