Ten Year Plan

On the eve of my thirtieth birthday, I've decided to make myself a plan for the next decade. Everyone knows that I want to be a children's book illustrator, but after going to California, I know that I have a lot further to go. Recently, I've realized that I need a better day job, so I've started studying for the GRE. That's the first step. I have to re-learn algebra. If that goes well, I want to apply to UNT. They have a Master's program in Art Education. The program also certifies you to teach art. If I get a job as an art teacher I will have the same schedule as Wilder, which is also a plus. Of course I can still work on my portfolio and do murals during this time and hopefully find an agent. I know that plans are dumb and nothing goes the way you think they are going to, but it makes me feel better to have a plan.

Shared Art

I was browsing a photographers website, who I must say does beautiful work when I came across one newborn portrait that looked oddly familiar. And strangely it wasn't because of the baby in the picture. It was the mural in the background. I have only seen pictures of Kailynn Bree but I was very intimate with her nursery way before she came into this world. So I was very excited to see her beautiful portrait taken in front on my mural. The photographer was nice enough to allow me to post the photos on my site as well. Please go to her site and look at her other work http://www.apmdesignphotography.com/ and you can follow her on Facebook as well.

It's a Small World

So I just finished the playroom for one of the doctors that I work with. She just built a new house, so we have a couple of projects in the works. The map was originally supposed to have the kids on it, but once I painted it, she loved it sooo much she didn't want to cover it up and we moved them down to the bottom of the wall. I actually like them down there better. I am really happy with it. It's very colorful and fun and a nice idea for a play room. I can't wait to start on the next project.

On a side note, I am going to begin implementing some of the advice that I received at the conference shortly and start up a fan page on face book and also a flicker account, so look for those in the days to come. Also, I am going to start participating in Illustration Fridays because they are supposed to be a good way to get noticed. Thank you for your support, and if anyone knows of someone having a baby or moving into a new house or someone that might need something pretty please pass along my name.

SCBWI LA Conference

Catherine has yet to tell me the names of everyone that contributed to me going to LA for the Children's Book Writers and Illustrators conference, so I can't thank you all individually. However, I can tell you that it meant the world to me that you did. Everyone keeps asking what I learned while I was there, and that's kind of a hard question to answer. Mostly, I learned that I am doing everything wrong. I went to classes with speakers ranging from famous writers to big name agents, publishers, editors and art directors. I now know that I need an agent, most likely a literary agent who handles illustrators instead of an artist representative. I know that the $300 I just spent on marketing materials was a waste of money and that while my website is probably formatted correctly, the content is mostly wrong. So now I have direction and a path to follow and hopefully will not feel as lost as I have been. So thank you all once more for hopefully putting me on track and one step closer to my goal of becoming an illustrator.

new mural

Here are some of the characters I created for the playroom mural I will be doing next week. My favorite is the little boy from Thailand. They are just a quick study so that I know how to have them seated, but I thought they were cute so I wanted to share them.

A new baby!

My friend Chad from work is about to have his first baby. He already had two beautiful step-daughters, but there is just something about your first baby. Chad originally told me that they were going to have brightly colored bird bedding for the crib so I painted him the peacock, but then just as I was about to finish it, he called and told me that they got pink and brown ladybug bedding. So if anyone needs a peacock painting, let me know. Since Chad is the only man in a house soon to be filled with four girls, he said that he was going to make this one a tom-boy. So to oblige him and possibly a princessy little girl, I tried to do both. And who doesn't love glitter paint and sequins?

However, I have realized that I have to get a new camera. In order to take pictures of my paintings, I have to photograph them outside and still do a whole lot of photoshopping to get them right. Today, it was of course raining and I had to take their pictures in my dining room, and they didn't come out as good as I would like. I guess I have to get more orders, and save up for something awesome.

Two More

As some of you know, my family and friends were nice enough to come together and gather up money to send me to a Children's book writers and illustrators conference in California. There will be publishers and agents and writers and other illustrustors all coming together to talk about children's book publishing. I am super excited and more than a little nervous, but hopefully I can make some contacts and hopefully nose my way into this field. Here are two more paintings that I did for the occasion. Thank you again for everyone that pitched in. It's probably the best birthday present I've ever gotten and a good way to kick off my 30's.

A Flamingo For Bella

I have been trying to make new things to pad my portfolio for my trip to California in a couple of weeks. So, I asked my neighbors daughter what she would like a picture of and she responded with a flamingo. I think she likes them because they are pink. Heath had the idea to do the scene from Alice in Wonderland where Alice is playing croquet with a flamingo and a hedgehog. I have to admit that my hedgehogs came out ridiculously cute. When I told Bella that I had a surprise for her, she asked if it was a princess dress. I think that she was a tad disappointed that it wasn't a dress, but she seemed happy with her flamingo.

Congratulations

My friend Kellye jumped over every hurtle that life has thrown at her and still kept a smile on her face. I am very proud of her for graduating from college, even though it took her awhile. I asked her what she would like to commemorate this special occasion, and she requested an owl. Today is also her birthday, the big 3-0. I love you Kellye. Hopefully life with get easier from here on out.

Website

It took me four days but I finally finished updating my website. It's still not awesome, and everything I wanted in a website, but it looks a lot better than it did. I think some people take for granted all the work it takes to put together a website because they've never had to do it. But trust me it's a lot of work and very time consuming. Let me know what you think of the new look.

Old stuff

Awhile ago I had sent some stuff off to Highlights, the children's magazine to maybe get published. I never heard back from them, so I'm guessing they didn't like me. Here is some of what I sent them.

Happy Father's Day

Last year for my Father's birthday, I asked him what he would like me to paint for him. He said that he would like a portrait of all the grandchildren. This painting is done from seven different photographs. I am not super comfortable doing portraits, so this was a challenge. It took a while to get all of their faces to look like them, but I think that I got pretty close.

Karate Logo

This is the logo and mock-up business card that I made a co-worker who is trying to start his own karate studio. Ka is the Japanese word for the element fire. He hopes to open next year.

Nursery Mural

One of the nurses I work with is having a baby in September. Once she knew she was having a girl she was so excited to have me come out and paint her nursery. It took me 12 hours and got a crick in the neck, but she is uber happy with it.

Crane

I finally finished the crane version of my origami painting. I want to put it in our living room but Heath says that there shouldn't be a painting over the tv and that they will compete for attention. I like how the brown on the foil makes them look like leather, though it is hard to tell on the photo.

Singing logo

My step-brother asked me to make a logo for his wife so that she could brand herself and have a theme for her business cards and website and blog. She picked the one with the purple guitar. (I was secretly hoping she would pick that one. ) The one with birds came in second but I'm posting it because I thought it was cool. You should check out Beth's website and listen to her sing.

Aprons

Here are the ladies wearing their aprons for the bake sale/cookbook sale. They apparently loved them and hopefully they will make a ton of money off their cookbooks. Thank you Mother for sending me the picture, it made me smile.

Cookbook

My mother asked me to design her a logo for the cookbook of Copper Canyon, the city where she lives. She needed it in a week and a half, I did it in two days. I was a little proud of that.

New Stuff

I have been posting on Facebook and not on here so I thought I would put some new things up here as well.

The butterfly painting was done for my friend Sarah for her 30th birthday. She owns several of my paintings and this year I let her pick what she wanted me to paint. She couldn't decide so a week before her birthday I called her and asked her crane or butterfly. She picked butterfly. Then I told her to pick two colors. She picked blue and red. This painting acctually looked completely different, and I stripped it down and started over because I wasn't happy with it. The butterflies are made out of foil so that they can be shaped, but I have to admit that I was a little obsessed with fluffing them.

The bee I did as a plaque for a bee hive that my friend Christy recently purchased. The hive is painted sea foam green. Kind of different. I can't wait for the honey to come rolling in.

Promotional photo

I have to have a picture of me to promote my classes at Michael's. So far this is the one I have chosen. I am not entirely sure it will be the one I use.