if: Deja-vu

Illustration Friday really challenged me this week with the topic Deja-vu. I had to think of how to illustrate a feeling that is by nature vague. I think for me deja-vu has to do with behavior patterns, and the feelings of familiarity that they bring. I did some reading about Deja-vu and I learned that people with epilepsy sometimes get a strong sense of Deja-vu right before a seizure.

I wonder if this bunny knows that he is in a maze? So often we wonder around in circles without noticing...

Enjoy!

IF: Resolutions

I don't make new year resolutions. I have a hard time sticking to my plans within one day, so I try to be present with what is actually happening in the moment.

But I really wanted to play Illustration Friday, so I thought of this baby deciding that 2011 will be the year when he/she finally reaches the door handle and goes out.

Maybe in some profound way this will also be true for me...

Happy New Year!

Good Night, 2010

Good night, 2010. It's been great getting to know you. Thank you for everything.

No, I won't...

I'm so happy with this painting. It is really a departure from what I normally do. I drew the girl on my sketch book one morning when, as you can imagine, I was feeling a lot of resistance to what was happening. I found the wood a few days later and decided to paint on it. I applied and removed several layers of paint from the background until it started to look transparent. It was really fun.

Oh...

This poor little creature looked really hard for the most beautiful flowers to take to his friend. On his way there, he came across this giant flower. I wonder what he'll do...

Red

Red is quickly becoming one of my favorite colors. This little girl started as a pencil sketch, but I couldn't stay away from the paint. The brown ground is a mix of brown acrylic and red watercolor. It was really smooth to paint with and I like that you can see some red in all that brown. I also used ink to outline the drawing and for the details.

Quail

I've seen a lot of quails lately. They are so cartoony, with their little feather hats. I really enjoyed painting this illustration. I hope you enjoy it, too.

Proud

This is the second page in my new journal. I have started painting with acrylics and I'm having a lot of fun.
When I've shown this painting to my friends, the first thing they ask is "What is he carrying?". It can be anything, whatever works for you. All I know is that he is really glad to have it, and he is marching on with it, feeling proud.
Enjoy!

Artificial

This week's Illustration Friday: This little cat is so surprised that his toy robot actually works! He is also a little scared...

I painted this on a textured board that I bought at my new neighborhood's art store. I really enjoyed painting on a board! It allowed me to scratch, and paint multiple layers of watercolor without ripping the paper. Enjoy!

The Gift

He finally had the gift, right in front of him, yet he couldn't open it...