#unexpectedvalentines
weekend news
I was honored to be asked to create event artwork for the Oregon SCBWI Spring conference — registration is now open at https://oregon.scbwi.org/events/between-the-pages-2016-annual-spring-conference/
I did work on my daily sketches over the weekend, but I have decided that from here on out I will accumulate a week of daily drawings and then choose a few to post every Monday. I am finding that while daily posting is good for motivation, it is also a short hop from “a quick post on my blog” over into the crazy time-sucking vortex of social media. Hopefully I can strike a better balance by posting only once a week.
Daily sketch challenge
I’ve decided to give myself a daily sketch challenge. I’d like to create a morning routine that kicks me right into creative work mode (instead of loafing around in social media land), so the plan is to make a sketch first thing when I enter my studio, before I even turn on my computer or check my phone. I’m tempted to post on instagram, but I think I’ll limit myself on that too. I might choose my favorites from the previous week on Mondays and post a couple as part of my new and improved ‘internet presence’ routine. But I will post them here, at least a few times a week — fair enough since more frequent blog posting is one of my goals this year.
The challenge paramaters (for now):
• materials: dip pen and ink, plus one additional color if I want it
• theme: kids and pets
• bonus: a hand lettered word or phrase relating to the image
Here is day 1:
Note: noodlers ink BLEEDS on watercolor paper.
Tater Totter
My dear friend and fellow illustrator Kate Berube produces a zine for kids called Tater Totter. She invited me to contribute to her most recent issue, and I had a great time producing this fun little DIY tutorial for her readers.
Kid Stuff — Stumptown Family Yoga
Last year, when my boy was smaller and we had a little more weekday time together, I sometimes took him to a parent-child yoga class at Stumptown Yoga in SE Portland. For parents out there, I totally recommend it, especially on those rainy Portland mornings when everyone needs to MOVE. The best part was that it was truly kid-focused. Teacher Shannon gently reminded parents that kids should feel free to participate or not, and interpret poses as they wished. Not the thing to do if you’re looking for a classic, meditative yoga experience — it was quite a bit noisier than typical grown up yoga, much bouncier, and, honestly, more fun.
I never actually sketched during class, but here’s one from memory of a bunch of yogic crocodiles, prowling the swamp.
