IF: Highlight (Good Night, 2011)

Happy New Year everyone! I greeted 2012 on an airplane somewhere between Chile and Peru, and didn't have a chance to say goodbye to 2011. So here she is, sleeping, resting over some of the highlights of the year.

Be well!

if: Bottled (Bunnies in a bottle)

Sleeping bunnies in a bottle

like to rest and then to cuddle

after jumping and running free

in a bottle they rest and sleep.

if: Toy :: [Tango & Teddy]

Ok, so this is a bit different from what I normally do, but that's ok, right? Tango really loves toys, and has a number of them. Sometimes we line them up for her and tell her to fetch. She always goes and smells each one, and then picks her favorite, the yellow ball. 

I started this watercolor with a pencil sketch, inspired by the art of Penelope Neal. (You should definitely check out her blog and website. She does the most beautiful sketches and paintings.) When I was done with the drawing I scanned it and printed it on watercolor paper, and then I smeared the printer ink and added black watercolor. 

Below is the original image, before I cropped it. I'm not sure which one I like better. What do you think?

if: Cultivate (Listening)

I painted this image a few months ago and named it "Listening". When I was working on it I was thinking about cultivating deep listening, both internally and externally. It is painted on wood with acrylics and color pencils.

if: Stir

So...here it is my latest attempt at watercolors. I find them so difficult to use and yet I love them so much! I'm thinking that I'd like to do this piece over, but the weekend is almost over and I'm away on business all week, so this is it for now. Enjoy!

if: Warning

Stop right there! - this ballerina girl tells it like it is.

I had a lot of fun painting this. It actually took me three paintings to get to this final one. I started with acrylics for the background and tutu, then I switched to watercolor for the background because I was really enjoying the look of the wood and didn't want to completely cover it up. Luckily my friend Bill who is a furniture maker gave me a ton on plywood in January, so I have lots of wood to play with. Thank you, Bill!

Enjoy!

if: Swarm

This week at The Weekly Creature we witnessed a rare sighting...a swarm of deer bunnies flew right above us. These mythical creatures are said to feed on random thoughts, delusion, and ill will, leaving in their wake a clear blue sky. I hope they are heading your way!

if: Sweater

This week at Illustration Friday the topic is "Sweater". So here it is our own Weekly Creature fashion show! It is a strict policy at The Weekly Creature that all sweaters must have ears and must be made of very soft material. Stay warm!

if: Reverse

Here is my interpretation of Reverse for Illustration Friday. It may not seem obvious, but I was thinking of reversing gender roles, so I drew a girl playing with a toy car and a tool box. I used to see this all the time when I taught preschool. Girls with trucks, boys dressed in princess costumes and I loved it. Everyone was totally authentic and still untouched by the pressure of gender roles. So here is a tribute to all those three year-olds who are still free!

if: Surrender

This week's topic for Illustration Friday is Surrender, something I actually think about quite often. It is so easy to go about my day wanting something different. It would be so much easier to surrender...