Method to the Madness

Lately I've been fielding a lot of emails about my process from people who are interested in having a fabulous life where they can have it all and still have fun while they "work". I thought that this might be a good opportunity to show you how I start thinking and using my sketches for good (or evil) depending on a client...

One of the really fun things I've learned from years of doing this and finally getting the hang of things, is that you should always start off like you don't even have a client. Sometimes I like to pretend the client doesn't exist. Sorry lovely clients, you get better work out of me and you know it, if I ignore you for a tiny bit at the beginning.

I'm working at expanding a jungle or rainforest line of surface design this week. I did this page of sketches this morning on the F train in red felt tippy pen.

I think part of the reason it's good to ignore your client a tiny bit at the beginning is that you're allowed to brainstorm. These doodles are just crazy and silly, but they're going in the right direction. I know that penguin kid in a hat isn't going to do anyone any good but I got to draw him without thinking that at the time.

The key to happiness in everything I do is allowing myself the freedom and room I need to create. I don't ever tell myself something is awful. I let it breathe a little bit and I usually come to the right decisions. Don't beat yourself up if something isn't working. Just put it down and draw something else or take a break. One of the great keys to success in life is breaks... speaking of which, I'll get back to this some other time.

Let them wear hats!

So let it be written. So let it be done.

That Disingenuous Creature...

Some call him 'Fox'.
mediums: Construction paper, Bic ball-point Pen, White-Out, Boredom

Ain't No Routine Like an Olympic Routine!

Ah hem... so like I mentioned....I've developed what you might call an unhealthy obsession. Luckily it's for watching extremely healthy people. The Olympics have reminded me that I am actually an animator, that I have my BFA in FILM and that I should be paying attention to MOTION. I sketched this series out rapid fire last week during the Olympic diving trials.
Go USA!!!

It's best seen in scrolly vision, meaning start at the top and on your mark, get set, go!!!

I Cannot Possibly Be Expected to Create Art....

I'm in Olympic mode. My world has been dominated by trials for weeks and now it's dominated by actual events. I'm inspired and I'm sure you'll appreciate the aftermath. I'm sketching like a fiend and you'll love the "women's" gymnastics sketches that I've been pulling together. I'm too busy to post now, as the majority of my time not watching the Olympics is spent daydreaming about Michael Phelps. I hope you're soaking up the sports. I'll be back soon. I'll be back with Vampire art and Sporty drawings in a week or so, as all my time has been divied up between the Micheal Phelps and Stephenie Meyer. It's been a long time since I've been so greatly influenced by the outside world. As I'm swept into my own radical fandom, I appreciate my loving audience even more. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you. I'm excited about this upswing. Have happy days and check back soonish;)

Time for Pie!

I've always dreamed of being a domestic queen. As of today I am not yet Queen of all things Domestic. Sadly, as I creep further into my twenties, it's becoming clear that perhaps I never will be. Gasp!

In my teens I was always floored by my mom's ability to bake up a storm without ever taking out a measuring cup. I thought, and she assured me, that once I left the nest and had my own home and my own kitchen these things would just come to me. Looking at a bowl full of flour and knowing that it was filled with a cup and three-quarters of unsifted would be as inherent as my abundant beauty marks, flippy earlobes and embarassingly flat feet. . . . As the years slip by it's becoming clear that someone missed the boat when they passed out the "complete knowledge of measurements" gene. I've been living it up on my own for eight years now and my domestic goddess abilities still haven't kicked in! Pammy Kay is as me as the image in the mirror. I figured if I don't know how many apples it takes to bake a pie, Pammy wouldn't know either. It just wouldn't be fair!

I hope you enjoy this little sketch. I'm off to pack, queen of the kitchen, never. . . queen of travel, handmade sketchbooks and white sand beaches, always :)

Unicorn at 200 Fifth

I did this last night at '200 Fifth' it's one of those perfect fancy restaurants/sports bars that you find in New York. Scott got back from Switzerland so we went out to celebrate. In his honor, and also because I can't ever keep my hands still, I drew this fairy riding a unicorn while we were waiting for dinner. Luckily all the tables had crayons. I judge a restaurant by two things it's water service and it's ability to keep me happy while waiting for service. The unicorn happened first and then of course he needed a fairy riding his back. I didn't have any intention of packing it up and I was going to leave it. Sweetly enough the men in my life support me enough to fold up table paper for my blog :)

I didn't arrive in fairy princess unicorn mode. Birthday Frog happened when we first got to the restaurant and I was still ticked about my subway ride. Party mode and commuter mode are like oil and water with me the last couple of months. This summer my NYC tolerance has been at an all time low. It was a really happy evening and I was only peeved long enough to finish my angry little sketch.

This "elbow snail" was a collaborative work between me and Garrett Rose. It's his elbow and my brilliant crayoning. When I begun it was meant to be an alien but sometimes you have to let a piece of elbow art be what it wants to be. Obviously Garrett's elbow was meant to be a snail.

Anyway we had a blast and ended up at Haagan Daz for dessert. I had Baileys Ice cream, the way it was intended to be consumed, frozen and in mass quantities. If you've got some fun that needs to be had I totally recommend 200 Fifth. You might want to bring your own crayons though, there was a shocking lack of color variety. If you want to draw a bunch of Ninja Turtles you can leave your own crayons at home, they have every color you'll be needing for Leonardo and Michelangelo.

Happy 4th!!!

Here are some rubber stamps I designed way back before Christmas. I'm not designing stamps anymore, but I still love peeking at all the genius things that people make with them.

Bird Brain

I've got birds on the brain, on my little itty bitty brain. These are most likely going to end up as textiles. I'm off to a party at the Chocolate Factory in Union Square, then somehow, I don't know how, I've been talked into seeing "Love Guru." I'm hoping the Chocolate party will inspire fun sketches.

Sidetracked by Life - but Back with Pumpkin Bread

Hi lovelies! I know it's been awhile. . . but man have I been busy! I'm developing a new line of sketchy goodness - drawings to be sneak peeked sooner rather than later. I'm working like a maniac in my other life in full time animator/story boarder/lover mode. I'm busier socially than ever, which means that I'm way busy socially and deserve a butterfly medal. I had a stellar beach weekend and I have the sun burn to show for it. I look like a cheetah all over my back where the spray sunscreen most likely needed to be rubbed in.

My computer went fried egg on me, but luckily I had a lovely boy around to fix it. Now I have a factory new-old computer and I promise to never, ever say a bad word about poor Ruby Computer ever again. It would be impossible for me to ever express my complete and utter thankfulness to God/Technology/Karma etc. . . that Ruby Computer didn't decide to pull down the curtain over Surtex. The nice thing is that without a computer at home I've lived a semi-normal life recently and have taken the vacation from the computer that I have long promised myself. Now I'm back - with a vengeance, and with Pumpkin Bread.

My friend Kristen is getting married in a couple of weeks and so the perfect group gift turned out to be recipe cards. Smiling Pumpkin Bread is the tops and so I thought I'd send her off to her huge fancy house in Long Island with a map for making it. I thought you'd probably like it too, even though I'm sure it tastes best in the Fall in a big old house on Long Island :)

My illustrated recipe card collection/calendar is going to be available on Etsy in the next few weeks. If you must have your hands on them check back next month and they could be yours!