Double

This one time - I went to a make-out party.

It was what it sounds like. It was just. like. this:

Free love, Bunnies. Free love.

The title of this latest piece of surface design is 'Bunny, Bunny, Kiss, Kiss' <--See? Double. It's a repeat inside a repeat inside a repeat (three doubles). I just bent your mind. Sorry, I've been talking in 'Old Spice' this week and while I'm coming out of it, I'm also going through withdrawal.
Also, it has ALWAYS bothered me that 'double' is spelled with ONE 'b'. What the eff? So we spell 'bubble' which RHYMES with double b's? This was one big, fat opportunity that we have missed as Americans. I'm going to take it that far. We make exceptions for silent e's and wh's that sound different. What the what? So sad. If I was starting this post instead of finishing it, I'd entitle it 'travesty'.

P.S. Here's a close up of the second version of this design <-- DOUBLE DUBBLE AGAIN!

The Most Important Sketch of the Day

I won the FML sweepstakes this week and got to spend 12 hours in the world's prettiest ER yesterday. When they asked me if this was my first time at New York Presbyterian I said "Yes, but definately not my last!"<-- this was pre pain meds. What?!

Any way. I had lunch at 1 and then was in the ER by 3:15. When I got discharged the guy at the front desk was like "CREEPY! You've been here exactly 12 hours!" --"Really, it seems like longer."

I had to have all this LAME testing done, turns out I'm fine-ish. Thank goodness, but in the process of testing, I wasn't allowed a drop of liquid or a morsel of food the entire time I was there. I could feel my cells dying.

When I got home in the wee hours of the morning I chugged water like a fish but it felt weird to eat something before collapsing in exhaustion. So I went to bed all Little Orphan Annie. This morning the boy took me out to the real-ist real breakfast ever. I was so excited about eating that I drew our food.

This was maybe the 2nd best breakfast of my life, not to be confused with the first best breakfast that I take as often as possible with Jen in her hood.

I wish we would have taken pictures at the "Coffee Shop" this morning. They would have made this blog post so much more bloggy. In the meantime here are some sketches to tide you over. I'm climbing back into the covers to sleep off my bed-ridden happiness.

but thought you could do with some food for thought. Ha. Puns. They're the best.

I was half way through this post when I got a FB message saying that the Illustration Friday word of the week is Breakfast! Score! Maybe FML week is officially over! Happy Friday!

This is On My Workdesk Wednesday

So it's wednesday.

Here is some stuff on my desk.

Once I design a pattern I print it. That dolphin paisley up at the top is totally reject for stationary, it'd be fine for a shower curtain, but today we're designing stationary. I'll reduce it and test it again. Everything sitting in the printer tray is good to go and double and triple checked.

It's so fun and exciting and I wish I could just play with paper all day long.

Run by and check out the women who do at Julia's Stamping Ground!
I am loving WOYWW. It's so fun to see what everyone else does to get over this middle of the week funk.

So far my favorite desk this week is Jozarty's warm crafting room - mainly because the colors are to die for and that orginization wall makes me JEALOUS.

I promise that I'll break out my camera next week! Cell phone does her job, but I'm starting to get the hang of this WOYWW and I want to play at the top of my game ;)

Mother of Pearl

Three baby showers coming up this weekend.
Count them. One. Two. Three.

Get Away

So last week a year of prayers were answered. Were these reasonable prayers or were they childish prayers? Let's just say that they fell into the same category of "PLEASE LET THERE BE A SNOW DAY".... in JULY.

Last week job-job decided to give us a five day weekend. YES. A FIVE DAY WEEKEND. Count them: one.... two.... three.... four..... Shut the front door...five!

My inner monologue has been wearing a head to toe trench coat these days. To keep her from going all Matrix on "innocent" NYC bystanders, I fled the city.

Here's a few of my sketches and shutterbugs from my last few days in Stamford. Incedently, if you're a New York City shut-in. You too can have this mind cleansing experience. Metro-North train out of Grand Central. Marriot in Stamford. Hotel Shuttle anywhere you want to go.

My last few days went something like this. Wake-up. Gym. Swim in Pool. Sleep. Wake Up. Shop. Beach. Tan. Sleep. Sketch. Lunch. Sleep. Tan. Read. Swim at beach. Tan. Shower. Fancy Dinner. Laps in Pool. Walk through adorable town. Sleep. Wake up tomorrow and repeat.

Ok that's enough of that. I've got to go get on the F.

Cue inner monoluge. ;) Happy "Monday".

Zoooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Last Thursday job-job took us to the zoo!!! What the what? Yeah. THE ZOO.
Childhood aspiration achieved.

Was it the best day ever?

Most definately.

Did it make me want to kidnap baby animals?

Of course!

Did this trip reveal never before seen wonders, such as finally allowing me to see the red-panda, something that I attempted to do every other weekend for two years?

YES!!

The red panda actually exists!

Did I laugh at Monkeys?

Silly monkeys.

Did I remember how cool giraffes are?

Seriously. they look like aliens.

Did I laugh at more monkeys?

Hahahahahaha.

Did I wish I had stripes?

Just a few next on my ankles. Why can't we have markings too?

Did this guy's face make me forgive him for eating bugs?

Awww, what a face.

Did I squint to see this "leopard's" spots?

Woh, they are so camoflauged!

DId I freak out at this pile of otters?

SERIOUSLY!? A pile of otters?! Soooooooooooo cute. Like cuter than Hello Kitty cute.

Was I totally crazy jealous of this seal?

You bet. How come he gets to live here? It is amazing.

Did I want a pignosed turtle?

Did I sing about it Veruca Salt style?

um.

See, perfect day at work ;)

Dolphin Paisley

is there any other kind?

Every Little Thing We Can

When I was 22 I fell in love for the first time. I couldn't believe the magic that I felt was everywhere around me. When I tried to explain it to the boyish object of my affection, the only way I could describe it was

"I feel the same way about you as I feel about water."

To me that is what love is.

To this day, nothing has driven me in my life and my work more than my love of the sea.

I grew up on the North Shore of Oahu. My bedroom was closer to the Pacific than it was to the living room. My entire adolesence, every frustration and every horrowing (now hilarious) pain was always washed away by ocean waves. The sea has always been one of my closest confidants.

When I came to New York after graduating from Kahuku High School I couldn't sleep at night without the pounding of the waves on the sand. I longed for the Pacific the way I longed for my family. I am always homesick for the ocean.

When 9/11 happened I was close enough to watch the towers in the distance. I walked in Forte Green Park and had ash fall into my hair like snow. I felt the hollowing absence everywhere I went. I felt like nothing could ever be OK again. In my pain I was angry at the nation for feeling like they owned this tragedy. It had happened right in front of me, in my adopted home. How could anyone not watching in person feel the pain I felt?

On September 14th I went to Coney Island and sat on the boardwalk for hours, quietly staring into the horizon. That day my love affair with the Atlantic officially began. Through every heartbreak, and every outside stress, personal or public tragedy, nothing ever heals me like the reassuring calm of the sea.

This spill in the Gulf weighs on me like nothing has in years. I try not to think about it, and then feel guilty for protecting myself from that pain. When it washes over me it feels unbearable.
For the first time, I truly understand National Tragedy. I see how it touches all of us as Americans.

I hurt to hurt the Ocean. I realize that my loss is not the loss of fisherman and families watching the damage happen moment to moment. My home is not immediately threatened but it feels as if my heart is. I love the sea. Nothing is more sacred to me. We can help in little ways though we may be far away.

This Baby Mermaid illustration will be up for purchase with lots of other amazing art donated at
http://ripplesketches.blogspot.com/

later this week you'll be able to find larger prints of it at Etsy's Help the Gulf Coast Shop.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/HelpTheGulfCoast

In both cases 100% of the money raised goes to Gulf Coast charities.
Please pull out your wallets or your paintbrushes and contribute to this cause in your own way. With a problem this big, we all need to do every little thing we can.

Onion Curls

I wish that you could see the way these curl girls started, just a swirl on a piece of paper that needed pants, and then a face, and then hair of some sort.

The duchess of justice leaned over after a small army had started to materialize, "Are those onion girls?," she whispered. Oh yes. Yes, they are.

The insight that someone not holding the pencil can provide when it comes to your drawings can be prolific, well especially when it comes to the Duchess' insight.

Just as I was closing my sketchbook Logan leaned over and said
"Those should be Olympic Mascots."
Oh yeah they should!

If you know a guy who knows a guy they make sure they call me. I can be emailed at info (at) amberalvarez.com.

It's not like it's a secret, there is no greater aspiration I have in life than to participate in the Olympics and since I have poor depth perception, a low tolerance for physical pain coupled with a fear of heights and high speeds, it seems like this would be the perfect match ;) After all, it's not like I haven't been working towards this since I was three years old.

Cow Country

And I'm back.