Favorite Things Friday: Party City

This week has flown by. Here are few of my favorite things from this week. My once a year helping of Extra Crunchy Cheetos I ate at my kiddos birthday bash. The half-finished stretch Geo Metro I saw driving down the road. The leftover chocolate birthday cupcakes we enjoyed all week long (while watching Mad Men Season 4). The 100 kraft folders that arrived in the mail that are part of my new organizational system - I know, it doesn't take much to excite me these days. The Japanese stamp set that I am eagerly awaiting (to stamp the kraft folders). It comes in a tiny wooden suitcase, need I say more? And the two gray haired clowns driving a minivan behind me the other night. They were just driving along, having a conversation with their fake plastic noses bobbing, like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Favorite Things Friday: Green

Happy Friday! Here are my favorite things from this week. A lady I saw at my local bookstore & cafe wearing an entire neon green outfit, sipping a Diet Mountain Dew. The three-pack of new Pink Pearl erasers I scored at the grocery store. Drawing with pencil. The crazy 10 person tent we just bought for summer car camping trips, absurdly huge and absurdly comfortable. Getting up at 5 - still making the list for this week. And these shoes from Israel: making me green with shoe-envy.

Sketchbook: The Brain Dump

 

Part of my new early riser mantra is spending the first 30-40 minutes writing a 3 page stream of consciousness style entry in my journal followed by one page of stream of consciousness drawing. Neither produces my best writing or art, but my head feels so much clearer when I do this. Here's a sample from yesterday. I am really starting to love 5:00 am.

Sketchbook: Barcelona

Part of my recent trip to Europe included a one-day surprise visit to Barcelona. It was lovely! I'd been to Barcelona once before for a quick 48 hour stay back in 2003. Here are the sketchbook pages I made for each visit (2003 on the top, 2011 on the bottom). Both trips had a lot in common - lots of walking, delicious food, good friends, and sun. On the most recent trip I was horrified at some of the new fashion I saw, like the high waist baggy-crotch pants I saw on so many ladies - yikes!

Favorite Things Friday: Summer Begins!

 

Is it already Friday? This week has been a good one. We got our new van which I think is going to double as my new mobile studio it has so much space inside. I discovered Dave's Killer Bread SinDawg, like a healthy gooey cinnamon roll bread log thingy. We had a fun summer play date with a friend, lists were made, iced coffee consumed (even though the weather here was as cold as the drink). I also succeeded at getting up at 5:30 am for some early morning quiet time after reading this article on becoming as early riser. 

Happy Friday!

Favorite Things Friday: Canada!

Last week I was lucky enough to get out of the country with three friends to Vancouver, BC. It was lovely - there were long talks and longer walks, high tea in the middle of a park, lots of winegums and Cadbury Mini-Eggs consumed, and I added another Canadian - made sweatshirt to my growing collection. I think I have a bit of a problem. 

Favorite Things Friday: Sketchbook Style (again)!

I can't believe it is Friday. My kiddo was on spring break this week and we packed it full of fun (shopping, drawing, hanging out) and not so fun (dentist, vaccines, work) stuff. It went fast. I spent a large chunk of time trying to draw attractive corn stalks for an upcoming project but finally let it go, ate a donut and had a much better idea. I love when that happens. In other news, I'll be traveling to Holland in May to see my loved ones. Am I excited? Hell yes.

Favorite Things Friday: Sketchbook Style

Happy Friday! Here's a new twist on my Favorite Things Friday posts - a peek into my life and sketchbook this past week and some of the many things that made me happy. The most memorable moment this week? On Tuesday I witnessed 20 preschoolers devour 150 mini pancakes in about 60 minutes. It made an impression to say the least.

The Woo-Hoo-Ha

Just looking for inspiration in my sketchbooks of yore and found this. I have no idea what I was thinking about here, but it made me smile.

Billy Beer

 

I've been laid up with a bad back for two days. I hurt myself cleaning off the crusty play-doh table at my kiddo's preschool. Nothing heroic or exciting, just proof that I need more exercise and that I am getting old, my friends.

So I've had some time on my hands, laying here. Instead of watch hours of mindless and fun TV I decided to finish watching the American Experience documentary "Regan".  I followed that 3 hour joy-fest with the documentary on Jimmy Carter.

In the Carter documentary they talk about his hard-drinking brother, Billy and showed a huge close up of the beer he endorsed - called Billy of course. I had an instant flashback. Back in 2005 I went to a vacation house on the Oregon coast with some pals. Stuffed in the back of a forgotten cabinet was this unopened Billy beer can. I thought the design was pretty stellar (I'm a sucker for orange and blue together) and I loved the tagline. I went rushing (in a slow, painful way) to my shelves of sketchbooks and found it.

I drew this after reading and enjoying Everyday Matters by Danny Gregory. I lovely book if you have the chance. 

As for the beer, I'll stick with my snooty Northwest microbrews like the yummy Avatar Jasmine IPA I enjoyed last night with a side of ibuprofen.

Sketchbook: Meow Mix

 

The other day while sitting down for some drawing time with my littlest assistant, I drew these cats. It was fun. This is the loose wackiness I want to see come through more in my work. Maybe you'll see a print of these guys soon.

It feels weird to be blogging about something so light and fun in the wake of the horrible news and images coming from Japan. I'm hoping to take part in an art auction put together by illustrator extraordinaire Meg Hunt. You can check out her Art for Japan page if you would like to participate.

over & over

 

Just getting my bearings after the past two weeks, so hello blog! It always takes me a while to get back on the horse after a time away. I had a few quiet moments with my sketchbook on Saturday and here's what came out of my pen. I have no idea were these things come from.

I'm working on a top secret poster project, and when I was brainstorming about it, this werewolf popped up to say hello. I can guarantee you the poster project has nothing to do with werewolves. But someday, I will make a print based on this song that has everything to do with werewolves. Maybe soon.