Out with the old...

New Years Eve from George Cruikshank's 'Comic Almanack' 1838

Saying Good-bye to 2012! Dreaming about the possibilities of 2013! Happy New Year Everyone! Here To a fabulous New Year!

Blackeyed Peas are cooking on the stove and resolutions will be over mulled over tomorrow. As for tonight, a nice relaxing night with my husband. (Boring,I know, but I am a bit under the weather).

What will you do I ring in the new year?

Meet Olivia.

Here's another custom portrait I did over the holidays. This is Olivia, my friends daughter. Isn't she super cute?



 If anyone would like me to do a custom portrait of them in the new year, I would be happy to do it. Just contact me here ( just leave a comment) and we can start a conversation.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! I sure did. Now it's time to finish up everything in time for New Years Day. Here's to new starts and bright futures...

Thinking too much (again).

“Albert Pritchard Root Asleep by the Flag”, Marcus Aurelius Root via Tuesday Johnson

 Getting a little personal here...

The last couple month has been pretty interesting, I got into a gallery show, a art fair, started working on a book and got commissioned to do some custom portraits. This is all good and wonderful but truthfully it is not enough.

I'm not in dire straits or anything, my husband is having a pretty good year with his sign shop but I hate not being able to support myself yet. I'm not sure what to do.

The big deal is that we have to move. And San Francisco is so expensive. (It scares me how expensive it is, I mean $2000 for a studio?) I have panic attacks. None of this is our fault. Our landlord is retiring and selling our place. Sometimes I think just should get a stupid 9 to 5 job and then I remember that it is just not so easy these days.

Then it gets me to wonder how do successful illustrators do it? How does one do the freelance thing and make a living? How do you make this thing work?

There has to be a way! Really...Christmas shopping should not cause so much worry. Anyone else in the same boat? Are you ever wanting to say "fuck it" to your dreams because they lack security?

These last few days have been filled with so much worry and sadness with the shooting in Connecticut and overall craziness of the world right now. I'm just hoping people don't go even crazier on Dec 21st. (I know its all stupid and the world is not going to end but damnit I will be happy when it is Saturday comes.)

I guess like a lot of you I'm just tired and feel heavy. I know it will go away and my life will feel normal again. But do you think in these dark times the questions that arise need to be examined? How does one achieve their dreams?

What will I do next year to change things? Expect more, do more, be more. What will you do?

New Custom Portrait

Here's my latest custom illustration. It was really fun to do. I really enjoy getting to know new people and their families, even if it's just through pictures.


I've got one more custom portrait to work on for the holidays and then I can take a tiny little break. I better get back to it now.

If you are interested in a custom portrait. Check out my shop for more info.

My First Art Fair!


Meet Carl & Hazel

 It's going to be a crazy week this week. First of all, my husband is having a gallery show at Subliminal Projects down in L.A. I'm so excited to go. And from what I've seen the show should be amazing! So many amazing hand painted signs!

I haven't spent much time in L.a. but I'm always up for an adventure. I'm also kinda excited about meeting Shephard Fairey (he owns the gallery). He is a art hero of mine. Damon and I saw his gallery show at the ICA in Boston a few years ago and I was really impressed.

I'm also have my first art fair next weekend. The Vagabond Indie Craft Fair at Urban Bazaar in the Sunset. I've been working hard getting this thing together. I have a few new pieces done, prints ready to go and a bunch of pendants. I'll be there on Sunday, December 9th! Stop by and say hello!

Today's Inspiration: Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Just a quick little post. I was so inspired by this I thought I'd share it. It got me a little teary-eyed...



I just love watching the joy he gets from creating. Jarrett is pretty amazing. And his work is so full of life and love.

As an illustrator, I must always remember to keep the joy for creating going in my heart. That joy is why I (and so many others) do this crazy drawing thing. We must not forget why we started this dream in the first place and remember all the people that encouraged us along the way... and be thankful to do what you do.

On the up and up...

Vintage painters via Boston Public Library

  So busy these days. But busy is good right? I've been working on so much stuff. I am currently collaborating book (woo hoo!) and getting ready for my first art fair in December! It is really exciting but I'm trying to figure out all I need to get ready. I'm gonna have a bunch of prints, a few originals, and some of my Victorian Pendants.

I'm also working on a bunch of new stuff for the shop too. I'll post it soon...

Also, the opening for Tiny Show at Studio Gallery is Sunday November 11th from 2-6. I have 3 tiny original portraits in the show. Stop by if you can...
STUDIO Gallery
1815 Polk Street
(between Washington and Jackson)
San Francisco, CA 94109

It's pretty amazing what can happen in a year, don't you think?

 Oh, quick question...I am going to be bringing a lot of my prints to the art fair but I can print them all. Which is your favorite?

Wishing You A Happy Halloween!

Victorian Witches c. 1875 via Tweed Life Tumblr
Haunted Organist via Tumblr
Dem Bones at the Piano via UK National Archives




Boo to you all! Hope you all have a wonderfully fun Halloween evening! Hoping you can forget a little of the crazy world for an hour or two and have a good old spooky time. This year, I must confess, seems a little harder to let myself relax enough to play...but I'm going to try. Hope you do too.

This NPR Halloween music stream is helping me a bit too. Enjoy!

Tiny Show!

I am psyched to be part of the new show "Tiny" at Studio Gallery in San Francisco in November. All pieces have to be under 7 inches (framed) to be part of the show.

It was a bit of a challenge to work so small, but I actually enjoyed creating little things. You really get to concentrate on the tiny details and that was really fun to do. I think I'll do a bunch more in the future...

Here are my new pieces...

Introducing Leticia

Here's Levi

Meet Lulu


If you would like to meet them and me in person. Stop by the gallery opening on November 11th from 2-6. Hope to see you there!

Studio Gallery
1815 Polk Street
San Francisco, CA 94109

Super Creepy & Wonderful Vintage Halloween Masks Ahead.

Halloween is just around the corner. I can't wait! I better get working on my mask. I'm not sure what I'll be. It is an under water theme amongst my friends this year. (They do an haunted house in SF.) I better get thinking...

What do I like in a mask? The creepier the better... no pretty things for me.
I think the best masks are handmade, a little off  and usually pretty old. 

Here's to the lovely, vintage and weird...


Spooky Edwardian 1910 via national geographic

Creepy Skeleton mask from 1938 via Boston Public Library

Dog Masks via Graves and Gouls

The Lovely vintage witches via Always Halloween
too cute to not include...Vintage kitty costume via Maudelynn
A little music with your spooks... via My Heart is a terrorist
Creepy Halloween group of musicians from 1920's via here
The baby scares me more than the mouse.... via My Little Time Machine
When costumes weren't so obvious from 1905 via Vintag.es
Little ghost...via national geographic archives

Sisters/masked cowboys from 1950's via Shorpy
What has been your favorite Halloween costume? I've been going with a semi-victorian theme the last few years, but this year, I wanna do something new.

I hope you got some inspiration from my old masks and costumes. What will you be this year?

New Illustrations...

It's been pretty busy around here. Do you believe it's October 8th? Crazy. I am happy to report, I have a bunch of new projects. Woo Hoo! I'm feeling pretty blessed to be so busy these days...A little freaked out, but blessed. So, I must apologize  the lack of blogging. I just wish there were more hours in the day...I should be back to normal soon.

Here's a bit of a update...One of my new projects is working on a book. I'm pretty excited about collaborating with someone and designing a book together from scratch. I'll post more on it as it progresses...

In the meantime, here are a few brand spanking new illustrations...

First a couple new "Ladies & Gents" pieces...

Meet Mary Elizabeth. Age 33, Eldest daughter of the Manor House.

Still waiting for Mr. Right...but has she waited too long?

Then there's Dr. Orville, a scientist that is a bit mad. He may be experimenting a bit too much on himself...



 I also did a few new pieces for my series, "The Foundlings".

Meet Anne, age 14, a sweet young girl hoping that someone will help her learn to really read. She prays that a family will help her get an education before it gets too late and she ends up in a working in a factory.




And Clara, age 11,  a not so sweet girl...  She is so cute, how did she get so evil? It's just something about her eyes? What has she seen that made her go so bad?

I'm thinking Clara will be my Halloween mascot. She's one spooky kid.

 


Of course all of these prints are available in the shop!

Hope you are all doing well! And you enjoying the nice crisp fall days.


Here's to new work!

I've been working on a bunch of new projects these days (more news on that soon!). Here a a few of my latest illustrations:

Here's a few animals for the kiddos. First of is Frankie, the sly little fox...


and then my momma owl and her babies...


I also created a couple of new Victorians. Here's Craig, the very manly town butcher looking for love, from my "Ladies & Gents" series.


 And introducing, Tom, a young teenage orphan forced to work in the coal mines to survive. He is part of my series, "The Foundlings". 


Of course, you can find out more about these in my shop!

Hope you like them.

A Night of Vegas Type

I took a quick trip last week through Yosemite, to Bodie & Las Vegas. It was so fun and a bit nice to be unplugged for  few days. I will admit Las Vegas was a bit overwhelming to me. I found myself getting lost in the huge buildings...but I really loved the old part of Vegas, Fremont Street. It was a bit dirtier and naughtier than the fanciness of Caesar's Palace where we stayed. And I was pretty fascinated by all the neon.  Here's a few pictures that I took....













So fun. I love vintage neon. Too bad the Neon Museum was closed last week(it moved). Maybe next time.

If you're interested, you can check out my Bodie (an Old West Ghost Town) flickr set here. Also, I've been working on a bunch of new illustrations and I will post them soon.

Creative Confidence?

In the last couple of years since I quit my dead end job, I go through certain phases. "Yes, this illustration thing is awesome" and the "Damn it, I'm not making even close to a living, I need to get a real job". The latter sort of sucks all the energy I have and pushes me into a bit of panic driven crying and journaling. But when I stop and look at the big picture, I know that I'm on a good path and everything takes time...

I've never been that confident of an artist. I always loved drawing and painting but getting my work out there?  Even when people are interested in my work, I seem to let things fall through the cracks. That is a problem I need to get over...now.

I was inspired by this wonderful Ted Talk about creative confidence. It reminds me that the more confidence you have as a creative the stronger you get as an artist/person. 



I know this is a lifelong journey for me. But I have to imagine what it would be like if I did have confidence. Who would I be? What would I be doing? It makes me want to live the saying, "fake it till you make it". Humm...that's is a lot to think about, isn't it?

Who would you be, if you freed yourself of your fears?