POWERED BY 'MAGINATION...

Watercolor paintings and illustrations are beautiful.  And though I've tried, I never quite mastered traditional watercolor.  In fact, I never even came close to the images I saw in my head.  My color mixes were muddy and my brush hand felt clunky.  I took another route and started using colored inks, mixing them with colored pencils, markers and hand-drawn ink lines. Fast forward to the present.  Digital painting makes experimenting with watercolors fun again.  There are many, many watercolor brushes in Photoshop that give realistic results.  This is good news for someone like me because it allows me to play...and delete...or add...without the stress. There is fun in the practice!

This illustration is part of an assignment for our upcoming SCBWI Carolina's Spring Conference.  The assignment was to choose a stanza from Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (or other selections) and create a double page spread. We were given feedback on the sketch and we are to bring a final version to the conference. My original sketch does not look anything like the final version.  The original was "sweet" but it didn't create the emotional connection that I wanted it to have.  I was given clear and very good art direction on the first illustration, but it still was not working for me.  Rather than keep working on a piece I didn't like, I chose to go with my gut instinct and redo the drawing.  And I'm glad I did because I like this one so much better! I was happy with the first illustration below, but was given a suggestion to add color to the mom and baby.  This is where I give a thumbs up to digital painting!  Color comps are so easy in Photoshop and make

I had a little down time this afternoon, so I started a sketch of a toddling kiddo in the yard.  She reminds me so much of my daughter at that age, in particular the hair "fountain".  As I painted, she seemed to smile back at me.  She waved and begged me to go outside to see the beautiful flowers in our yard. She even stopped to pick a few.  Hmmm...goosebumps... So, I let her take my hand and we stepped outside to oooh and ahhhh over the explosion of vibrant colors blooming all over the yard.  Wow...and to think I might have missed it!  It made me pause and reflect...I am thankful for a husband who's thumb is way greener than mine.  And I am truly thankful for the gift that God gave me that allows me to create.  I am even more in awe that HE connected with me through a sketch!  HELLO SPRING! The following images represent the steps I took to complete the illustration "Kellie". Digital Pencil Sketch Background gets painted in several layers.

When I started my illustration career, about 427 years ago, I worked traditionally.  I could tell the difference between hot and cold press bristol board and papers.  Canson Mi-Teintes was my favorite paper and, when paired with my Prismacolor Pencils, it was a marriage made in heaven for me!  I did lots and lots of pen and ink...3 complete sets of Rapidiograph pens bit the dust not to mention countless single pens.  Running out of india ink in the middle of an assignment was horrifying (many late night runs to Pearl's art supply!). Usher in the 2000's and a switch to digital media 16 years ago...how on earth did I survive all those years on pencil and paper alone?! There was no CMD Z to undo my boo-boos. Texture actually came from real paper, not an overlay layer set to multiply. Color studies were done separately and I could only hope the final art looked the same.  There was no eye dropper tool to keep the colors consistent. My list could go on and on about the benef

I am fully embracing the start of 2016!  It feels good to shed my 2015 experience and step into a year of intentional and inspirational challenges and grow from there; both professionally and personally. 2015 had it's share of awful stuff...things I didn't plan to encounter.  After working for months to get ready for the SCBWI LA conference, I had to cancel at the last minute because I contracted C-DIFF.  It's not something you can travel with and it's highly contagious...and yeah, people die from this stuff.  The (usually quiet) rheumatoid arthritis that I've had most of my life woke up in the middle of the C-DIFF nightmare.  Life halted.  Everything changed in the matter of a few weeks. That unwanted call at the end of July meant I had a choice to make.  Do I give in to the temptation of feeling sorry for myself? Get angry at God because I didn't deserve this mess?  I can tell you that I didn't choose either one of those options.  Instead, I cho

All writers and artists need space...a quiet place to create...right?  I don't know about you, but that rarely happens at my house.  And that's okay.  Through the years, I have shared my studio space with the most important people, and pets, in my life.  Each conversation, every interruption, the floating pet hair and dust bunnies...they are moments that inspire and make this illustrator's heart happy and full.  Some of my favorite memories are when my daughter was a teenager...she would come in to my studio, flop down on the floor, and start telling me about her day.  One day, I hope to live close enough and let my future grand-kiddos (or her) do the same. I always find the quiet spaces when I need them, but for now, I'll embrace the snoring dog and count my life blessed.  My art is, after all, a reflection of my heart.  Let's keep it happy.