Illustration Friday: Breezy

Diving into Illustration Friday for the first time! Have a groovy weekend, everyone!

Liver

Liver was the overwhelming winner in the Icky Food poll. Thanks for voting!

Cookies and Cream

While attending a lecture on canine pregnancy at my vet tech convention, I was doodling in my notes and thought I'd post it. Either I am not a very good lecture attendee, or I just can't help myself.... I did learn that you should never deliver puppies pre-term because their bones mineralize right before they are born. I miss helping with c-sections, there is nothing cuter than newborn puppies, especially with the little squeaky noises they make. Oh, cookies and cream ice cream was the winner of our last poll, and looks like liver is winning the ickiest food poll at the moment. I know it got my vote. Eeew, my kid just sneezed all over me. That's all for now.

Sneak Peek!

I cannot remember if I posted this version of Gus the cat in sketch form, but here it is in color! In my attempts to document the cuteness of said cat, I disturbed him the other night whilst he was sleeping to get his markings right (like anyone would notice except for my sister!). He purred, licked me, and then bit me. It was my own fault for bugging him, and he didn't break the skin, so it's all good. That old saying: "Let sleeping dogs lie" should also apply to cats.

Happy Valentine's Day!

And three cheers for Squiggy- winner of the Favorite Guy from Laverne and Shirley poll!!!!

I Heart To Color!

Here is a new coloring page for the kiddies. Enjoy!

Shawn McCann

My friend and fellow MNSCBWI and CBIG member, Shawn McCann, took the coloring page idea and ran with it, creating fabulous Valentines! Aren't they wonderful!?! Wow! He posted them on his blog, too, along with sheets of valentines for you to print at home! Very cool! Shawn has been a illustrating like crazy lately, one of his books just won an award, and he is the 2009 MNSCBWI illustration mentor! Very inspiring, and you'd be hard pressed to find a nicer guy!

Paint

This is the tray of Prang watercolors that I paint with. I have had them since high school. I had retired them because I had decided that I wasn't good at painting. This is exactly the way they are oriented when I paint, too. Black in the lower right corner. I am glad that I decided to give them a try again. I love to paint. I found out today that my beautiful, fabulous, 140 pound hot pressed watercolor paper smells like burned chocolate when it is covered with paint. I kept saying to my kids, "Do you smell that? What's burning?" Oh, man. I figured out it was the paper just as I finished pages 2&3 for the book today. Wish I could show you guys! Here is a teensy bit from the painting that won't give anything away.... Next up: a coloring page for the kindergarten Valentine's Day party!

Sharon Wagner

Hats off to Sharon! She totally rocked my coloring page! Wow! I love it! Ok, here's the skinny on Sharon Wagner: She is an amazing artist, a fellow Minnesota SCBWI member, CBIG member, and one of my wonderful art friends! She is also a skilled baker, cat wrangler, and happens to have the same birthday as me (only 23 shopping days left)! Make sure to check out her website and blog! I feel so honored that she did my coloring page! Thanks, Sharon!!! In other news: I painted the title page illustration for the book, and just finished inking a double-page spread today! So fun! I love it! Though, I must take leave of my work for a couple days as I will be attending the Minnesota Association of Veterinary Technicians annual convention. Though I am not currently working as a tech, I have been one since 1997, and need to keep up my certification (I live in fear of having to re-take that exam. The horror!). I need to be prepared in case a woodchuck has a soup can on it's head, a cat has a toy truck's wheels wound tightly in it's fur, or a hamster needs CPR. Okay, I assisted with the first two examples, but have never done the third....yet. I wonder if they are offering that at the convention this year?

John Lennon

John Lennon was the winner of the Favorite Beatle poll! Dang! I should have drawn a walrus!
Here is a new coloring page of winter animals for the kiddies. I would be happy to post any colored-in coloring pages if kids would like to send them in! Or, we could start a new feature: Coloring Pages by Guest Artists! Ooh! Great idea! If any of my lovely art friends out there want to color in this page... send it to me and I'll post it and have you be a featured artist on my blog! It would be so cool, like crossover tv shows when Laverne and Shirley end up hanging out with the Fonz on Happy Days! Send your image in to nvc@drawnhome.com Happy coloring!!!