IF : VOICES

This is another quick post and probably the last one until the New Year. There's just too much going on right now.  I am having a great time though, enjoying my kids, my family and my friends. This is most definitely my favorite time of year. I wish you all Happy Holidays!

I only wish I had more time to visit all my favorite blogs. I am way behind!

I did get a chance to rework the composition of my last IF entry, since I wasn't to thrilled with it. I changed the big bird on the foreground to the dancing girl, and I think she is much more interesting to look at than the bird. I also moved and flipped the pets (thanks to Photoshop) to make the negative space more dynamic, and added some props to the kids. Oh, and the Dad magically aged a few years. He looks more like grandpa, which is fine. I can see grandparents in this type of predicament as well. Oh, and I figured with all the commotion, one could almost hear the voices of the children! There! That's how I link it to this week's IF. I do plan on painting this one, but after the New Year!

IF: Rambunctious

Here's my entry for this week's topic. I tried ink a few weeks back and I really enjoyed it so I tried it again. I am not 100% pleased with this piece. I think it's the composition and some of the line work turned out heavier than I wanted. I've realized I work much better in solitude than with my children around! But these days, I can't find much time for blogging or art.

Oh, well! I may play around with it some more or give it up completely as one of those that didn't quite turn out! 

and the winners are...

This was my first giveaway! Thanks to everyone who participated. I really loved reading all of your stories! Some of the stories that stood out to me:

1. Deborah - Your story about your son being your favorite gift, really brought tears to my eyes. So touching! 
   
2. Kate- I'm glad you still have "Shnoop". My kids still have their favorite 'blankie' and 'bear' but they are still little! We'll see as they get older!
   
3. Eric- My favorite part about the holidays is family gatherings and the warmth and love that comes with it. I've found that now that I have my children, as long as we are all together, my heart is warm even if extended family is far away!
   
4. Alicia- What a great gift! and soooo romantic! travel tickets to Lake Tahoe! wow!
   
5. Chris- A selfless gift. So honorable and caring especially at times like now, where so many families are in need. You have inspired me to give more to my community.  I heard that the Salvation Army ran out of presents for the kids. We all need to give a little more, if we can.
   

...and now to the winners:

My son picks: K. SPOERING

My daughter picks: ALICIA PADRON

My son picks: BELLA SINCLAIR

CONGRATULATIONS WINNERS!!!! Now, please email me your info so I can get the card in the mail asap!

THANKS FOR PLAYING!!!

White Elephant Gift Exchange Party

This past weekend I had a White Elephant Gift Exchange party at my house. It was so much fun!

I wanted to share with everyone a surprise one of my friends had for me. She made a cake for the party and used my card as inspiration for the decoration. I thought it turned out so cute and adorable! She did a fantastic job! The cake was so delicious too!  She is incredibly talented and I am so grateful and touched with her kindness!

 The cake

The Card

IF: Similar

These kids are dressed similar as they prepare for Santa's arrival.

I'm not sure if I still have time to get this illo printed for my x-mas cards, but I will try!

I still need to add some text to it. I'll repost the finished piece at a later time!

If you would like to participate in my giveaway scroll down 2 posts below for instructions.

IF:Balloon and award!

I almost didn't make this week's theme! I have been busy with the holidays, as everyone is, I guess... I  just thought I would not be able to finish this on time. I bought some pens and got to try them out for this illustration. It had been a while since I had done something in just ink. I had a good time. Now that I look at it, I think I may want to color it in Photoshop just for fun.

There's still plenty of time of you want to participate in the giveaway I'm having. Just make a comment on that post. 

I also wanted to mention that my dear friend Nicole awarded me the "Uber Amazing Blog", and I must say that I am so honored coming from her! She is so talented!!! Definitely check out her artwork if you get a chance. She also has some cool jewelry and art on ETSY worth a browse! 

Here are the rules:

*Put the logo on your blog or post.
* Nominate at least 5 blogs (can be more) that for you are Uber Amazing!
* Let them know that they have received this Uber Amazing award by commenting on their blog.
*" Share the love and link to this post and to the person you received your award from."
Here are my uber bloggers who I think might follow the rules- check 'em out:

- Vanessa

- Deborah

- Alicia

- Kate

- Candace

- Diana

- Jannie

My First Holiday Giveaway!

I had some of my work printed on cards just because I wanted to see how it would look… and I thought it would be good to have around to send to clients or friends. Then I thought, why not have a giveaway? Everyone loves giveaways! Besides this is the season for giving.

So, if you would like one of my cards, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post saying what has been your favorite holiday present ever. I will announce 3 winners on Monday December 15th. 

Good Luck Everyone!

Also, if you are looking for a gift idea for this holiday season, think ‘art’. I have museum quality giclee fine art prints  for sale in different sizes with different fine art papers and cards available at reasonable prices. Visit my ImageKind gallery for a list of available illustrations.

I am back!

I had such a wonderful time in NY! The people, the energy, the places, Broadway, the shops, and the food make NY one of my favorite places to visit. It can’t get any more cosmopolitan than that!
I first want to thank everyone that left comments wishing me a good trip. I really enjoyed reading them when I checked my email in NY. Thanks for not forgetting about me while I was gone. I really appreciate all of you and all of the connections and friendships I have made through this blog!
I will only mention some of the highlights of my trip that relate to art (really everything was fabulous!). I may dedicate another post to highlighting some of the other places I visited, some of them recommended by you.

First I visited the Society of Illustrators Museum and was delighted with the ‘Original Art’ exhibit featuring children’s book art. It was a great display of talented artists. As someone that is trying to get in the business, I was very inspired by the quality of the art and the fact that most pieces were mixed media. It made me realize that the end justifies the means… in other words, you can start digital and end up with pencils, or vice versa. There are no limits or rules as long as the end product is great! I could not leave without a book about the history of illustration (not too many of these out there) and another great find, Show and Tell, a book about children book illustration.

My next stop was the MOMA. The only thing that I can say is that if you are visiting NY City, you must definitely make a stop at the MOMA and expect to be there a while. You need a minimum of 2 hours. To see so much original artwork by so many masters is invigorating! We went on a Saturday and there were soooooo many people! It was truly amazing!

The picture below is next to a Gaughin. He is one of my favorite artists!

We then went to SOHO, which is known for artists displaying their art on the sidewalk. I bought this small original for my daughter who loves horses. The picture below is with the artist (I'll have to get the name later as it escapes me now).

The last part of my trip was really special. I got to meet one of my blog friends and inspiration, Jannie Ho from Chicken Girl Design . When I found out I was going to NY, I thought of meeting with a professional illustrator or an editor to have an informal review of my portfolio. Other than the feedback I have received here (which I always appreciate) I wanted a more in-depth review. I wanted to find out if my style was suitable for picture books or if I have just been wasting my time. I also wanted to find out more about the industry. When Jannie agreed to meet me I was so excited for the opportunity and I must say that she is so nice in person and so down to earth!

I took her book with me ‘The Penguins Perfect Picnic’ and she was kind enough to sign it.

We had a great conversation about illustration as a career, how the economy is affecting the business. Self-promotion and a few other things...and yes she did look at my portfolio and had some really great suggestions! I am glad I ended my trip with Jannie. She is such a warm and nice individual. I felt really blessed to be able to meet up with her.

Well that was my trip in a nutshell!

More Thanksgiving Cards!

Here is the rest of the card designs I put together for friends and family. The colors and lighting are not that great (sorry). Anyway, I thought they turned out nice, and most importantly, I enjoyed putting them together!

Away ...

It is my opinion that I need a break!

I will be away for a little while my blogging friends. This week was our anniversary and to celebrate, we are going to New York! 

I have been planning this trip for the last month. Last time I visited New York I was in college ... and that was a loooong time ago! This is also the first real trip my husband and I are taking without the kids. We are both very excited and really need this break!  It is also a great opportunity for me to go to museums and galleries and fuel my creative brain.

I'm not sure how connected I will be, but if I cannot post pictures while I'm there, I'll post some pictures when I get back. I also plan on having a 'give away' in December so stay tuned.

I will miss Illustration Friday for the next couple of weeks, but hope to come back recharged and with more ideas!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!!

I've been tagged!

I’ve been tagged by the very talented Alicia Padrón to reveal 7 facts about my self. She just completed a really sweet story about a Little Lost Fox that you can watch on video. Definitely check it out when you get a chance.
I have to say; this tag is not one of my favorite tags, only because I don’t think I’m that unusual. I try to simplify mi life and not have a lot of drama or chaos, so most of my days are pretty regular! But here it goes anyway…

1. I love Middle Eastern culture. Love the food and the music!
2. I think I have mentioned a few times on my blog that I am Colombian. However, I don’t think I have ever mentioned that I am part Lebanese (like ¼). I think that explains why I love Middle Eastern food and music. I have learned a few recipes and make them from time to time, and I still hope to learn how to belly dance one day!
3. I took up knitting when I was in college. I’m not a great knitter. In fact, last year I started a scarf that I have not finished and just looks like a giant rectangle. However, I find that knitting relaxes my mind when I’m trying to unwind, but still feel like I have to be doing something.
4. When my daughter was 9 months old, I went with her to Michael’s and gave her my car keys to keep her entertained. 45 minutes later, after paying for my supplies I was in the parking lot frantically looking for the keys. I realized she had lost them. She had a wet diaper, was hungry and I was late for her nap. I thought of calling my husband, but I was embarrassed (now I laugh about it). I went back inside the store and re-traced my steps a few times and finally (30 minutes later) found the keys on the bottom shelve behind some scrap-booking tools. I’m still not sure how I managed to find them. After that, I NEVER gave my keys to my kids!
5. I am a caramel girl. No chocolate or vanilla for me!
   
6. I don’t smoke or drink … (see, I said I was boring)
7. My anniversary is today! 9 happy years!

…And that makes 7 !!!

Now, I get to pass it on to some lucky and talented bloggers

Nicole
Krisztina 
Lil Kim
Deborah 
Diana Evans
Senta 
Nina Seven 

IF:PRETEND

I wasn't going to participate this week because I don't have time to make anything new and I didn't want to recycle an old illustration. Then I thought, 'what the heck' (This is my son's new phrase...I hear it about 50 times a day, and now I'm saying too)  Anyway, here it is...one of my witch series. This little girl loves to pretend she is a witch!

Have a great week everyone, and thanks for stopping by!

Some Thanksgiving Cards

I mentioned on a previous post that I was working on hand-made Thanksgiving cards. I finally had a chance to make a post with some of the designs.  No two cards look the same. It was fun!

I tried to incorporate some of my kids' artwork. My daughter drew and painted the turkeys but became tired of drawing the same thing rather quickly, so we ended up with only three.

The pictures came out dark and with a lot of glare from the flash. The embellishments and pop - up stickers that I bought at the craft-store were really cute! I will post the other designs before Thanksgiving

    

Check out Tenengo.com, I just updated my portfolio with all of my latest pieces. I am trying to have everything ready for my portfolio review in January. I will post more about that later.

Thanks for visiting!

Just Added: Blog Followers Widget!

I've seen this widget on a few blogs and finally decided to add it to my blog and try it out. In other words, if you like my blog and want to see what I've been up to click on 'follow this blog' right above the widget to stay up to date.  ;)

Here's a good question: How do you make the background black on the widget? Also, I can't import my subscriptions from my Google reader to the Blog's I'm Following ... it keeps telling me I don't have any subscriptions on reader... Has this happened to anyone?

Oh, and check out my new header!

White Elephant Gift Exchange Card

Ever since I attended an Elephant Gift Exchange party at my friend's house some years back and had so much fun, I decided to host my own every year. It is a great way to get into the holiday spirit and share some great laughs! We keep the gifts small and inexpensive ($5 to $10 max) and I usually have some extra in hand.

Since I usually hand make all my cards, this year I had to do the same, but I went with an illustration instead:

I gave this Elephant a tint of pink to make him cuter and more lively! I also thought to make this image available over at my IMAGEKIND gallery, this way if you want your own White Elephant Gift Exchange cards, you can purchase them there!

I am also adding the kids on the playground image from my previous post to IMAGEKIND. I think this lively and joyful illustration would make a great card or a wonderful giclee print as a gift for a child's room! 

IF: WISE

I would say these kids are WISE for choosing to play outside and enjoy a beautiful day instead of sitting all afternoon playing video games. At least that what I would want my kids to do .... and they do for the most part!

I posted the sketch for this painting a week or so ago and here it is completed. I am pleased with the results! This was a larger piece and I had to scan it in pieces and then assemble it in Photoshop.

Below is a closer view of one area:

Thanksgiving is right around the corner!

I am working on Thanksgiving cards and Christmas cards at the moment. When I get a chance, I'll post some pictures, but in the mean time enjoy this Turkey that will appear on my Thanksgiving envelopes!

I VOTED TODAY

I voted today! It took me all but 5 minutes to go in and cast my vote and I felt very good about it! 

Look at these birds!

I'm not sure where these couple of birds came from, but they have been visiting every day  for about a week now. I don't know what kind of birds they are, but they are as tall as a flamingo. They are really beautiful! 

IF: VACANT

Here are two quick drawings for this week's IF. I was waiting at the hair dresser's and finished them both under 30 minutes. They are not great technically, but I just wanted to convey the idea since I won't really have time to do a full illustration this week.

This one was inspired by the situation that many Americans are facing having to leave their houses because of tough economic times.

This second drawing is more of a literal interpretation... 'empty nest' or 'vacant nest' - and I'm glad I'm a years away from living through this milestone! 

Happy Halloween !!!

I woke up this morning to find that my son had re-arranged the paints in my studio. Now he's 3 1/2 and I just found his organizational accuracy and attention to detail almost disturbing! Now, if he would've arranged them by color, maybe then I would have something to worry about.

I had so much fun with my family this week! I usually don't post any pictures of my family, but I couldn't resist!

Here are the pumpkins we carved the day before Halloween. By the way, the electric knives are so worth the money! It makes carving the pumpkin so much easier!

Now these are some shots during trick or treating. I really liked the ghostly effect of the pictures!

My daughter dressed as a horse and my son as a firefighter

Illustration Friday: Repair

This teddy is beyond repair!

I used this for another IF, but it seemed to work. However, here's some of my latest work:

I have been working on completing a few pieces for my portfolio... 

This is a little mouse I sketched on an  evening while watching T.V.

This week I'll be busy with Halloween parades, parties, cupcakes, trick or treating and more! On that note, here's a piece I just finished to complete a character study that I started a while back:

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!!!

Thaks for stoping by... comments are always welcomed!

New Logo

This is a logo I recently created for a local furniture design place. It was fun to work on graphic design for a change!

Sketch :: Kids Running

This is a work in progress. I am not sure yet if I will paint it or not.  As I look at my portfolio I see that I may need more 'action' pieces, and this may be one that I include. I also need some adults. I'm realizing that most of my work is children... I guess I just love children!

I have one character study, but that may be the next thing I tackle ... a character study of an animal...maybe...

I've had a ton of ideas and not enough time! I've been writing my ideas down, not even having the time to sketch them. I guess it's better to have ideas, than to be wondering what to do next, right?

Illustration Friday: Late

This boy is upset because his play-date is late and he was looking forward to racing cars on his special race track!

Let's hope the other boy shows up!

Illustration Friday: Strings

This week I'm submitting a quick black and white sketch with gouache for illustration Friday. I have been on the road a lot and away from my studio, so I've only had time for sketches or graphite work. I miss my paints, but I really enjoy pencils.

This little girl was inspired by my oldest daughter.