Expressive

I've been a bit rubbish at posting lately as work has really picked up, which is great, although I'm missing my blog too so going to try to be more consistent. 

Tomorrow I'm presenting an illustration workshop for a class of 5-year-olds - last time we talked about expressions, how they show a person or animal's character, and how to draw them. I thought I'd show these as examples to help me explain further. I think I really nailed it in the first one! (Although my expression specifically looks like: "Seeing someone coming in holding a cake")

Disclaimer: they are not super flattering. Of the cat. Ho ho!

Airplane

I'm trying to always have a book I'm enjoying on the go, I've just begun Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson, an author I really like. And I'm getting slightly back into sewing, doing some hemming of a jersey top in front of Entourage last night.

Ho ho

I'm really looking forward to seeing this, especially as it looks pretty (ahem) hammy. I'm a big fan of melodrama!

Cat pattern - a cattern, if you will!

This is my first go at following Julia Rothman's pattern tutorial on Design Sponge by hand, cutting up my paper. My natural impatience with measuring and cutting carefully meant I bodged it a bit, and it came out a bit wonky and join-showing... it's such a great way to do patterns though, I must just be more patient next time!
Contorting cats!

Tattoo you

Trying to get back into the swing of things, I'm not finding it so easy!
Here's a rough picture, I'm thinking about cards again and what might make a nice range. This guy could be from "Cats of the Past" or somesuch thing...

Illustration Friday: Resolutions

Happy New Year!

Resolutions for 2011 include:
1. Practise the guitar every day

2. Run more

3. Do more sewing
4. Have a more consistently optimistic outlook

Number 4 is the one I'm really going to concentrate on this year!

Merry Christmas!

From me and from Liza Pigelli, a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

Illustration Friday: Mail

Posting Christmas cards, hoping they arrive in time!

Piano possums this time

Just me in the studio today, hogging the heater. I finished my Christmas card, which I'll put up next week when I've sent them out. I'm not feeling super Christmassy yet, although I am feeling virtuous, having for the first time in my life managed to do my present shopping before Christmas Eve. A relief to be avoiding that particular freak out next week.
I'd like to go to a piano bar this holiday! And sit atop it, and have a possum accompany me.

Pigs who fly

Have been working on my card for this year - this idea didn't seem to work, though I'm not sure why exactly. I don't think it came out funny. There was a suggestion of "Pigs on earth, goodwill toward men", but it still seemed not ideal...