Peace on Earth and goodwill towards all creatures- not just those who walk on two legs, but those who run on four, who fly through the air, who swim in the sea, and who reach roots into the earth and leaves towards the sun. All life deserves respect and all beings deserve love. 

Happy Holidays!

"The lovely thing about the unsayable is that it is unsaid. As soon as it is said, it is sayable and loses all its mystery and ambiguity. Art exists so that the unsayable can be said without having to actually say it. We cloud it in secrecy and obsfucation. The mid is free to roam and all things can be imagined, under the cover of darkness. How nice that is. How tired we are of having things explained to us. Of having things said."

-Nick Cave

"The mission of the artist in an over-technologized society is to call the old magic back to life." 

-Tom Robbins

Good morning world! Here is a new 7x8 ink drawing titled, "Sancta Simplicitas," Latin for sacred simplicity. 

"What I want to say is

that the past is the past,

and the present is what your life is,

and you are capable

of choosing what that will be,

darling citizen.

So come to the pond,

or the river of your imagination,

or the harbor of your longing,

and put your lips to the world.

And live

your life."

― Mary Oliver, Red Bird

Happy belated Valentine's Day everyone! Here's a little cut paper illustration to celebrate the day. Xo.

Oftentimes when I tell people I'm an illustrator, they're a bit confused about exactly what that means. Am I a graphic designer? A fine artist? What is the difference anyway? 

The answer is that illustration is an art form defined not by its medium, but by its context. Illustration combines the masterful creation of art with a practical application, and you can find examples of it all over the public sphere of popular media. Illustrators make images for advertisements, editorials, consumer products, children's books, clothing, movies, video games, comic books, and much more. Illustrators use their ability to visually problem solve and create striking images to manifest their client's ideas and needs.  

A recent job I just finished offers a perfect example of what an illustrator does. I was approached by the lovely and talented Renee LaLonde of Denver's Bakin' Bakery to bring to life an image she had in her mind. She wanted a woman with a rustic homesteading feel to her, wearing an apron and holding a basket full of peaches. Oh, and she wanted the woman to have a pigs head!

Delectable creations by Bakin' Bakery. 

Concord Grape Rosemary Donut... Yum!

Bakin' Bakery does weddings too! 

This offers a perfect example of what an illustrator does because I would have never come up with the idea to draw this image on my own. It was entirely her vision and quite different than anything I'd attempted to draw in the past. With her approval, I added in a wreath of flowers and foliage, comprised of ingredients she often uses in her baking- lavender, sage, prickly pear cactus, and dandelions. It actually proved to be quite a challenging assignment, but in the end I came up with an image that Renee was extremely happy with, which in turn made me extremely happy. 

The pen and ink part, in progress.

It's really rewarding when a client loves the work you've done for them. For me, there's something really meaningful about offering this skill I have for visual problem solving to help bring other people's visions to life. I feel really blessed that I have such wonderful clients like Renee who come to me to create the images for their business. If you're in the Denver area, definitely check out her food truck- she's a delightful lady and her food is not to be missed!

The finished image! 

I'm excited to share my first entirely digital illustration, which just happens to be for a beer label. Beer is in my blood- my father co-founded Boulder Beer, the first microbrewery in Colorado back in the 70s.

My dad (center with his hand on the motorcycle) and his unruly friends, around the time of the founding of Boulder Beer.

I have vivid memories of being a small girl and touring the brewery, walking beneath the towering shiny metal cylinders and inhaling all the mysterious earthy and rich smells. I hope a sense of that magic and wonder was communicated in this image.