When I was little, winter was all about snowballs and snowmen. Getting older, it's less about those playful times involving white fluffy stuff falling from the sky. Now it's more about shovels and road conditions. I know, not quite as romantic. Once in a while I have to think more artistically about this barren season. Taking pictures of frosted trees and sculpting or drawing snowmen can inspire that romantic view of winter again. On the most blustery days even curling up on the couch with a … [Read more...] about Snowballs and Snowmen
Illustration
Uses For Baling Twine
Life on the farm not only takes creativity but also inspires it. You find unique and useful ways to make the most of all that is available to you. This was true of my father who acquired his farm through a rent with option to buy set up. He scrimped and scraped to make the dream of owning his own place a reality. It was also true of us children. We learned to use items in ways that were not always how they were intended to be used in order to keep the place running, as all the latest gizmos and … [Read more...] about Uses For Baling Twine
United In Story
Some days the world can seem so big. Occasionally we feel like we're biting off more than we can chew. Most of the time, to address these feelings, we simply need to take a deep breath and settle in to how we want to present our own story. We all have our own stories to tell. Sometimes it can be hard to find the best way to share them. And it's just as important to listen to the stories of others. I'd been feeling a little overwhelmed by some tasks in my life recently. To quiet my anxiety I … [Read more...] about United In Story
Colored Pencil
For my most recent submission to the SCBWI Illustrator's gallery and competition; prompt words "Two Truths and a Lie", I did a drawing using colored pencils. How to illustrate this abstract concept in a three paneled piece without using words? My mind went immediately to the Lies told by fishermen. The only truths are: that the fisherman left to go fishing, and the reality of what's in their fish basket when they return. What is expounded upon by the fisherman about the events of their adventure … [Read more...] about Colored Pencil
Being Drawn Into Stories
At a recent SCBWI Illustration Workshop I had the opportunity to get tips and advice from inspiring illustrator Eliza Wheeler. Her presentation left me eager to get back home and experiment with watercolors some more. Watercolors are tough. They require a lot of patience and planning. These are two traits that I have a limited supply of and always need to work on integrating into the illustrator part of my life. Watercolors however, are one of the beauties in life that can inspire me to give … [Read more...] about Being Drawn Into Stories