Goomie's World

Christmas Hedgehog

2011-12-19T18:43:00.000-08:00

Today I had the luxury of staying home most of the day, and had the time to paint the little Christmas hedgehog. I love hedgehogs, they are just the most curious-looking creatures! Wish I could have one for a pet, but in some states it is illegal to have one, Arizona being one of them. Not sure why...

A little early, but wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!!

Holiday Craft Fair This Saturday!

2011-12-01T21:44:00.000-08:00

This Saturday, December 3rd, I'll be participating in my first ever craft fair! The event is the December MACFest (Mesa Arts and Culture Festival), a holiday arts and crafts shopping fair in conjunction with the Downtown Mesa Holiday Festival. It's an all-day event from 10:00 am to 8:00 p.m. You can read more about it here: http://www.mesaartscenter.com/index.php/events/free-events/macfest
There will be 40+ vendors and music and food as well!

So it's been crazy busy for the past few weeks getting everything ready! Above are some of the necklaces and earrings I'll have on sale. Many of them have not yet been listed on my Etsy shop. I'm hoping to do well, but even if I don't, it will be a fun learning experience.

The table set-up in my living room.

If you live in the greater Phoenix area, come by and say hi! I'll have another post in the days to come to tell you all how it went!

Illustration Friday: Round

2011-11-25T16:09:00.000-08:00

The swirls in the candy went round and round...and my head has been spinning round and round.

It's been a while since I've posted on Illustration Friday. Life has been crazy and busy the past month with deadlines at work, family emergencies, and preparing for a holiday craft show. Aaaaaarrrgghhhh!! But I've survived, and life goes on!

This painting is 3" x 3", just a tiny little thing, painted in acrylics on watercolor paper. It will be on sale at the upcoming craft show (more on that later).

Happy holiday weekend everyone!

Lemonhead Stamps from Memi the Rainbow

2011-10-16T20:15:00.000-07:00

2-part Lemonhead stamps!

Recently I was scrolling through my blog reading list and came across this post on the Memi the Rainbow blog. I've been following her blog for a while now, and just love her hand carved stamps. When I saw the post about the Lemonhead stamps, I just knew I had to have it! As you know, my last name is Lemons, and I've amassed quite a collection of lemon-related items in my 11+ years of marriage. It must have been fate, as I actually had some lemon items going all the way back to childhood. More about that in a future post!

I checked her Etsy shop, and the stamps were not there for sale. But that's what custom orders are for! In short order my stamps were being carved and I received a message that they were being shipped. In just five short days they arrived from Paris, France. The packaging was just as cute as I had expected from her blog and shop:

Inside were the stamps in a small cello bag:

I think I'll keep them in this small Lemonhead candy tin that I bought a few years ago. Perfect!

Can't wait to start using it. Be sure to check out her blog and shop on the links above!

Facebook Giveaway!

2011-10-12T22:27:00.000-07:00

In celebration of reaching 200 fans on my Facebook fan page, I am having a giveaway! It's been a long and steady climb and I am thankful for everyone's support. From now until October 26th, leave a comment on my giveaway post here:

http://www.facebook.com/megumi.illustration

One lucky winner will win a print of their choice (large or small) from my Etsy shop and an extra, secret goodie! Winner will be announced on Friday, October 28th.

Thank you and good luck!

Brooches in Etsy Shop!

2011-10-02T10:47:00.000-07:00

At last! My brooches are in my Etsy shop! Shown above is the Bird Love brooch. Also available is the Owl Reading brooch.

Check them out!

New Jewelry Projects!

2011-09-26T20:17:00.000-07:00

With the holidays coming up, I'm getting ready to stock my Etsy shop with new items. First on the list is jewelry. At the moment, I'm working on hand-painted brooches and pendants. The above two are wood tiles, each about 1.5 x 1 inches. They were both practice samples I made. Painted in acrylic, with glitter pen accents and sealed with resin.

Working with resin is a challenge, to say the least. My first attempt failed, as the resin stayed gooey, sticky and did not dry! Most likely the mix ratio was off, and I didn't stir the mixture long or well enough. Eventually, I scraped off the old resin and started over again. The second attempt was a success, much to my relief.

On the above photo, I attached a pin backing to the bird on the left, and a bail and silver chain to the one on the right. Below are two brooches that will receive the resin treatment soon.

Owls!!

Some close-up shots of the pin and pendant:

Another bird I'm starting on, that will be a gift for a friend.

I start off painting the background in burnt umber, then draw the outline of the bird with a white colored pencil.

Will post again when they're in the shop!

Me and Little Popof (ぼくとちいさなポポフ)

2011-08-09T20:54:00.000-07:00

I've fallen in love ... with a book. The book in question is Me and Little Popof by Japanese illustrator/author Ai Akikusa. I first spotted the book in Moe magazine, the monthly Japanese magazine dedicated to children's picture books. The cover art with the fox and a bird had me intrigued. When I found out the book was about a fox and his budgie named Popof, well ... I just had to have it! I love foxes and I own two budgies, one of which is green just like Popof.

After locating it on Amazon Japan's site, I was about to order it until I saw the shipping cost, which was approximately forty dollars! What!? The book is only 800 yen, roughly fourteen US dollars. Eventually I hit upon the idea of having my mom order it through Kinokuniya Books in Los Angeles, and having her ship it to me from LA, avoiding catastrophic shipping fees.

The book arrived earlier this week, and I was surprised to find it was quite small, about 6 x 7 inches. A cute little book, it's apparently for very young children, probably about 4-6 years old, as it's printed entirely in the Japanese Hiragana phonetic alphabet. Luckily, that means that even a Kanji-challenged Japanese girl like me can read it easily!

The story centers on the fox and his little baby budgie Popof, and their daily life together. The illustrations are simple yet full of warmth. I can tell that Ms. Akikusa must have budgies herself. Every time I turn the page, I keep thinking to myself, "my budgie does that too!" She's caught all the nuances of budgie behavior.

At the end of the book, Popof grows out his wings and flies away. The translated text reads:

You can now fly as much as you want.

Come back and sit on my shoulder once in a while.

A bittersweet ending to a wonderful little book.

Illustration Friday: Stay

2011-07-13T23:10:00.000-07:00

Squirrel's got the right idea! The best way to stay cool in the summer is to eat a big ice cream cone! For this week's Illustration Friday, a quick, small painting (4 x 6) done in acrylic gouache.

Peach and Blue for the Dan Santat Illustration Workshop

2011-06-09T23:19:00.000-07:00

This week has been busy! I'm preparing for an illustration workshop this Saturday, June 11th, sponsored by the Arizona chapter of SCBWI and presented by none other than Dan Santat! Dan is the award-winning author-illustrator responsible for illustrating such children's titles as Chicken Dance, Always Lots of Heinies at the Zoo, The Secret Life of Walter Kitty, and Oh No! Or How My Science Project Destroyed the World.

It'll be an intensive, all-day workshop, but loads of fun as well. What kept me busy this week was a homework assignment that we need to complete and bring to the workshop. There are two, but I'll just talk about one of them here. The assignment was to choose an illustration that we love from a children's book and copy it the best we can.

A couple of titles sprang into my mind immediately, and ultimately I chose Peach and Blue by Sarah S. Kilborne with illustrations by the husband and wife team of Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. Peach and Blue is the heartwarming story of an unlikely friendship between ... a peach and a frog. I know it sounds strange, but it's one of my absolute favorites! Only in a children's book can such a relationship exist! I cried the first time I read it (and just about every other time I've read it). The gorgeous illustrations accompany the story perfectly.

I chose one of the interior illustrations for my assignment and took some progress shots:

Here's what my desk looks like when I'm painting...

The last photo below is a side-by-side comparison of the original interior illustration from the book and my copy. Can you tell which is which?

My version is on the right. Close, but with differences -- most obviously in the peach. I believe the original illustration was painted on paper, I chose to paint mine on canvas. It was a worthwhile exercise, as this is more detailed than how I normally paint my children's illustrations and has given me some ideas on painting future illos.

Looking forward to this Saturday!

Illustration Friday: Asleep

2011-05-27T20:14:00.000-07:00

An earlier piece that fits this week's topic ... mama owl and baby owl fell asleep together! Painted with acrylics on canvas.

Happy Friday to all!

Illustration Friday: Lesson

2011-05-02T23:24:00.000-07:00

For this week's Illustration Friday topic, the birdie practiced the violin for his weekly lesson. Collage background on canvas, painted with acrylics and acrylic gouache. Happy Monday!

Craft Inspiration from my Father

2011-04-22T23:52:00.000-07:00

Three small bears made by my father. Clothes knitted by my sister and I.

Now that I've embarked on my Etsy odyssey, I've been thinking about what to offer in my shop. Little plush toys? Jewelry? When I think about such things, I can't help but think about a person who has been influential and inspirational in my craft adventures. This person is ... my father!

Now 80 years old, my father is retired, after working for decades as a machinist. As a young man, he worked as a carpenter for several years after leaving school at 15. Always interested in photography, he now indulges in it as a hobby. He's always enjoyed working with his hands, and he's made wooden gates and fences for our backyard. When I was in art school, he even critiqued my stretcher-bar making skills! (Not quite perfect he said -- the wood pieces weren't quite flush with each other. I thought they were passable and looked okay.) I often felt that if he had been born in another place and time, he may have pursued something artistic. But those opportunities were not available to him when he was growing up.

What most people don't know about my father are the other things he made -- for my sister and I. The three bears in the photo above were all made by him when I was about 7 years old. Years before when I was about 4, I had a plush frog that I absolutely loved. Unfortunately, I loved it a little too much and before long, it was dirty and the stuffing started to come out of it. Eventually, my mother found it disgusting and threw it away without my knowledge. I was heartbroken, and for years afterwards whenever I was mad at her, I would bring up the frog incident. Well ... my father is a softie, especially when it comes to his daughters. He decided to cheer me up by making me a bear to replace the memory of my lost frog. The first bear he made is on the very left of the photo above. I can still remember that day, and how he drew out the silhouette of the bear on the pink scrap fabric, and sewed it all by hand. He sewed on buttons for eyes and stuffed it with cotton balls! Ever the perfectionist, he wasn't satisfied with his first attempt, and made another (the center bear with black bow tie). At this point, my older sister became a little jealous and wondered why they were all being made for me, so he made another bear for her (not pictured). The final bear is the lavender one on the right. The garments were all knitted by my sister and I. I think the blue one was the one I knitted.

Years later, when I was an adult, he made some rings out of scrap metal he found at work. He took some stainless steel, drilled a hole in the middle and filed it down into a heart shape (second photo below). My mother, sister, and I each received one. I keep mine safely in my jewelry box.

Heart-shaped stainless steel ring made by dad.

When I look at the bears and my ring, I'm reminded of why I have chosen my career path. The joy of creating something with your own hands that didn't exist before is magical. I have my father to thank for planting that seed in my head.

Etsy shop open!

2011-04-11T22:42:00.000-07:00

After weeks of preparation, I have finally opened my Etsy shop! At the moment, the shop is stocked with prints of my illustration, such as the pig and owls above. Prints are 5 x 7 and 8 x 10. In the future I'll also be offering original art, greeting cards, and small handmade goodies.

Take a look here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/GoomiesWorld?ref=pr_shop

I'm excited about this new venture, stay tuned for more!

Illustration Friday: Warning

2011-03-09T21:41:00.000-08:00

Without any warning, the Parrot Pirate appeared! Aaaarrrrrrrr! Feeling a little silly for this week's Illustration Friday topic. Painted in acrylic gouache with color pencil accents on watercolor paper. Happy Thursday to all!

American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell at North Carolina Museum of Art

2011-01-19T22:56:00.000-08:00

The Problem we all Live With, 1963

A Happy New Year to all of my readers! Already it is three weeks into the new year, time is flying!

My first post of 2011 is about an art exhibit that I was lucky enough to catch during the Christmas holidays while visiting family in Raleigh, North Carolina. The North Carolina Museum of Art is hosting a traveling exhibition organized by the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. I have to admit that in the past, I didn't always have the most positive view of Rockwell's work. In my younger, art student days, I considered his work to be cliched and corny. A painter of Americana, I only knew about his Saturday Evening Post covers with the cute kids. As I became older (sigh..) and more involved in children's book illustration, I realized that he was a master draftsman, and there was more to his work. After seeing this exhibition, I have to say I have even more respect for the man and his work than I ever did before.

The traveling exhibition presents 40 of his large-scale canvases and a complete, archival set of all 323 covers he did for the Saturday Evening Post from 1916-1963. There are also numerous smaller paintings and sketches. A short film about his life and painting also runs continuously in the gallery. I was surprised to see that many of the Post cover paintings are actually quite large. Painted in oil, some of them have quite a bit of texture in the white background area. In some paintings the figures are thinly painted in an almost sketchy manner, while in others there is thicker paint application. His ability to depict the different facial expressions of children is quite impressive, as seen in the painting below. Apparently Rockwell liked painting children and older adults because they were less self-conscious and less concerned about how they may be portrayed.

A Day in the Life of a Girl, 1952

Eventually, Rockwell stopped working for the Post, where he was beginning to feel constrained, and began doing covers for the politically charged Look magazine. His most famous cover for them was The Problem we all Live With, seen at the top of this blog post. It was his first assignment for Look, and depicts a 6-year old African-American girl being escorted to school by US Marshals. The civil rights movement was important to Rockwell and the new political direction taken by his work surprised many. Back when he worked for the Post, he was once told to remove an African-American figure from a painting, the explanation from his editor being that they can only be shown in a service capacity. Rockwell complied, although he did not feel right about it. On prejudice he has said,

"I was born a white Protestant with some prejudices that I am continuously trying to eradicate... I am angry at unjust prejudices, in other people and myself."

Southern Justice, 1965

One of the last paintings in the exhibition is Southern Justice, painted for Look, for an article about three civil rights workers murdered in Mississippi. The incident became the basis for the movie Mississippi Burning. A small room contains the large finished painting and numerous sketches. It's hard to believe this was painted by the same man who did all the innocent Post covers, but it shows his growth artistically and politically.

A thought that occurred to me after seeing this show was how much illustration was used at one time in American magazines. Of course, Rockwell worked during the golden age of American Illustration. Sometimes I wish those days would return, but I know that's wishful thinking.

American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell, will be at the North Carolina Museum of Art until January 30th. From there it travels to the following venues:

Tacoma Art Museum, Washington: February 26, 2011-May 30, 2011
Dayton Art Institute, Ohio: November 2011 through 2012
Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA: November 10, 2012-February 2, 2013
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas: March 2013 through May 2013

If it comes near you, it is definitely worth seeing.

Interview on Karin Cameron's Blog

2010-12-27T18:25:00.000-08:00

Back in November I had my first ever Facebook giveaway! The lucky winner, drawn at random, received a print of one of my pieces, and a surprise custom piece of art as well. Unknowingly, participants in the giveaway were asked to list their favorite animal and food. The winner received a small painting depicting their favorite animal eating their favorite food.

The winner of my first giveaway was Karin Cameron, and above is the custom piece she received, of a dog eating peaches! Karin is a children's writer and fellow SCBWI member who has a blog called Karin Won't Stop Talking. As a result of the giveaway, Karin kindly interviewed me for her blog. You can read it here:

http://karinwontstoptalking.wordpress.com/2010/12/22/interview-with-illustrator-megumi-lemons/

I'll be having more giveaways in the future, so check back here on the blog and on my Facebook fan page!

Christmas Foxes on Illustration Rally

2010-12-24T06:48:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy Christmas week! Lots going on and I'm technically on vacation, so this post is originating from across the country from where I usually am.

This past Monday, my Christmas foxes was featured on the Illustration Rally blog!

Illustration Rally is a blog run by UK-based illustrator Natsuki Otani, where illustrators can send in artwork that relates to a seasonal theme. A few months back was a Halloween rally, and currently submissions are being accepted for a Christmas theme.

My illo was posted on December 20th, and you can see it here:

http://illustrationrally.blogspot.com/2010/12/christmas-no-14.html

Check out all the other cool Christmas illustrations!

Illustration Friday: Mail

2010-12-17T21:27:00.000-08:00

Mrs. Fox and Little Fox went into town to check their mail and do some holiday shopping!

Happy holidays to all! This is the image for my Christmas cards this year. Painted in acrylic, acrylic gouache, and colored pencil.

LA Weekend Part 2: Mizna Wada at Gallery Nucleus

2010-12-15T20:55:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite galleries in the Los Angeles area is Gallery Nucleus in downtown Alhambra. Alhambra is a town about four miles south of Pasadena in the San Gabriel Valley and just a short drive from where I grew up. I try to stop by there whenever I'm in town to see a show, or just to browse their gift shop/bookstore. Gallery Nucleus exhibits art by contemporary artists, illustrators, animators, and graphic artists from here and abroad.

Over Thanksgiving weekend was a show featuring two Japanese artists, Junko Mizuno and Mizna Wada. This is the second show for the pair at Nucleus. I like both artists' work, but Mizna has a more whimsical style that is more of my preference. I first saw Mizna's work on a stationary set at the Wacko/Soap Plant in LA. She has a distinctive creepy/cute style. She's done a lot of prints using Print Gocco as in the example below, which I just love! Nice color palette too!

The Nucleus show didn't include any Gocco prints, mostly paintings and plushes. I took some photos of the pieces I liked.

Donut girl!

The show ended on November 29th, but if you're ever in the area, be sure to stop by. Definitely worth the trip!

LA Weekend Part 1: Hollywood Forever Cemetery

2010-12-05T19:32:00.000-08:00

Great view of the Hollywood sign from the main street of the cemetery.

Over Thanksgiving weekend I visited Los Angeles to see my family and get away from the desert for a few days. It was unusually cold but I had a great time nonetheless. Although I lived there for 30+ years, I had never visited the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. It's always been on my list of things to see, but I never got around to it, so I figured better late than never.

Some of you may wonder, why would you want to walk around a place filled with dead people? Well ... I have a macabre fascination with that kind of thing, and I like to pay my respects to those who I admire or liked who have passed on from this world.

Hollywood Forever has been in existence since the late 1800's and is the final resting place of many ordinary Angelenos. But it's the famous and infamous who are buried there that many come to see. The office has a free photocopied map of where it's most famous denizens are buried, and the on-site flower/gift shop has a more extensive booklet and map that you can purchase. More bizarre is the fact that the cemetery hosts cultural events there. Back in October, Belle and Sebastian held a concert there, and right before the concert there had been a screening of "Trainspotting." The things I miss when I move away from LA...

Most of the famous buried there are from the early days of Hollywood, many that I don't even recognize. But there were plenty that I did know and I'll share some of the more memorable ones here.

Mel Blanc, the man who was the voice of countless Warner Bros. cartoon characters, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig.

Bugsy Siegel, the gangster who was instrumental in the creation of Las Vegas.

Johnny and Dee Dee Ramone. Interestingly enough, both deceased Ramones are buried here. I thought they would have been buried in New York. Their graves are on opposite ends of the cemetery.

Edward Bunker -- writer, screenwriter and actor. The man who played Mr. Blue in Reservoir Dogs.

The final photo here is of John Huston's grave. We had the most difficult time finding this one. For those planning to visit, beware -- the maps are not quite as accurate as they should be. For such a world famous film director, he has the most unremarkable gravestone. I was expecting something larger and fancier, but he had this very simple marker. It's very easy to overlook.

Walking around the peaceful grounds and seeing his grave, you're reminded that in the end, we all wind up in the same place whether we're famous or not.

Sketchbook Project Pages 6-7

2010-11-18T21:59:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I posted any Sketchbook Project pages. My book is starting to look a little schizophrenic, as I haven't been real consistent so far in using the same medium on all pages. Acrylic washes on one page, colored pencil on another... This spread was done with Faber-Castell Pitt artists pens and colored pencils. I have a 12 color set of the brush-tip Pitt pens and some fine and medium point Pitt pens in black and brown. They're fun to sketch with and don't bleed through this thin sketchbook paper. I'll probably do some more pages with them.

I have quite a ways to go before I finish the book, but I like using it as a way to experiment in different drawing styles and subjects than what I normally do. It's a good learning and growing process.

The subject of this spread are koinobori -- Japanese carp streamers. Koinobori are flown on a pole on Children's Day (May 5th) by families who have sons, to honor them. The largest carp is black and represents the father, the second largest is red and represents the mother, the remaining carp are for the sons in the family. I grew up in a family of girls, so we never flew any koinobori, but celebrated Hinamatsuri (girls' day in Japan) instead. That will be a subject for another spread. Now back to sketching...

Bag Designer Shoko Kawasumi

2010-11-12T18:52:00.000-08:00

Received the November issue of MOE magazine recently, and it's chock full of great articles! One of them is about Japanese bag designer Shoko Kawasumi. She does these great bag designs with silhouettes. She's been selling bags since 2000, under the name kabott. Check out her website at www.kabott.com. Unfortunately, there's very little English on the site, but take a look around at her work. Bags as art, lovely!

Illustration Friday: Spent

2010-10-31T23:32:00.000-07:00

For this week's Illustration Friday -- she spent the day decorating for Halloween, and I spent the day painting this in time to post it while it still is Halloween! I just made it! Painted in acrylic with colored pencil accents. Hope everyone had a safe and happy Halloween!

Sketchbook Project Page 2 and Illustration Friday

2010-09-30T00:17:00.000-07:00

Second page for the Sketchbook Project. I'm also putting this up for this week's Illustration Friday topic: old fashioned. The foxes had a traditional, old fashioned Japanese wedding! Done in colored pencil.

Foxes are a large part of Japanese folklore and traditions. In the native Shinto religion, the fox god is the god of rice and food. Some Shinto shrines will have a statue of a fox, and I've even seen a little shrine with a fox in front of a traditional Japanese inn with a small dish of rice. I love seeing things like that when I visit there. Hope to go back and visit again some day...

Sketchbook Project First Page

2010-09-26T11:41:00.000-07:00

First page for the Sketchbook Project. I chose the theme "If you lived here..." I'm starting out with some sketches of the first place I've ever lived, Japan. I'll then move on to other places I've lived and visited. At least that's the plan, but things might change as I progress ... you never know!

When I lived in Japan, in the summers we would go to the festival/carnival at Hiratsuka, a coastal town about 35 miles west of Tokyo. My mother would dress my sister and I in yukatas (lightweight cotton summer kimonos) and we would play games, eat cotton candy and watch fireworks.

The above sketch was done pretty quickly in acrylic gouache and colored pencil on thin watercolor paper, then pasted onto some decorative paper, then pasted onto the sketchbook itself. I don't want to think too hard about the sketches or spend too much time on them, or I'll never finish. So some of the sketches may not be of the highest quality, but it's an experiment and learning process. Will be posting more soon.

The Sketchbook Project 2011

2010-08-28T19:04:00.000-07:00

Last week I received my Sketchbook Project sketchbook in the mail. The Sketchbook Project is one of the many projects organized by the Art House Co-op and Gallery. Check out their website and take a look around. There's a wealth of information there. For the Sketchbook Project, each participant is mailed a Moleskine sketchbook roughly 8" X 5" in size. There are 40 pages of relatively thin paper, so you can make 80 sketches. You can choose from a list of themes to base your sketches on, and once complete, you mail back your sketchbook by January and it goes on a tour of several cities. At the time of this writing, over 14,000 people have signed up already. In each city of the tour, people can check out the sketchbooks like library books and go through them. Once the tour is complete, all the sketchbooks will become part of the permanent collection of the Brooklyn Art Library.

I chose the theme "If you lived here..." and pictured above is the cover page of my sketchbook. My plan is to sketch scenes from various places in the world that I have been to and love, and some places that are imagined as well. Should be fun! The cover is a collage that started with an old map of Paris. On it I pasted some patterns, an old French postage stamp, and a mock postcard with my name and theme with a stamp of one of my illustrations. I then laminated the cover and added some teal duct tape (from Target!) on the spine.

Below is a close-up pic of the postcard section before it got laminated.

One of my inspirations for my sketchbook theme is a book I found recently, called Transit Maps of the World which has some incredible maps of subway and train systems from numerous cities around the globe.

I may use some of the maps as background for my sketches. It's great to look at, and makes me want to travel somewhere far away. Hopefully, I'll be able to do that through my sketches. I'll be posting random sketches as I complete them, so be sure to check the blog periodically!

Acrylic Gouache Love

2010-08-09T00:14:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I went to the local art supply store to get a few tubes of acrylic gouache paints to round out my growing collection. I started painting with the acrylic gouache last year when I became curious about them after seeing them in Japanese illustration magazines. I've done several illustrations with them now, and my preferred method of working with them is to start with an acrylic paint base and then work up layers with the acrylic gouache. Acrylic gouache dries to a nice matte finish, thanks to the fine pigments in them. It's less gummy than acrylic tube paints, and comes in a mind-boggling range of colors. You can water them down and paint thinly with them, but I think the colors look most brilliant when diluted minimally with water.

There are several brands out there, but the two I use are the Japanese brands Holbein and Turner. The two tubes on the left in the photo above are by Holbein, the ones on the right by Turner. I use both brands interchangeably, though Holbein seems to be of a slightly higher quality. However, Turner has a larger color range. I love the names like Cosmos Pink and Peacock Blue. Locally here in Phoenix, Holbein is carried by Utrecht and Turner by Jerry's Artarama. But you can order them online from different art suppliers. Turner also has a line of what they call "Japanesque" colors, which are muted tones very commonly seen in traditional Japanese textiles and papers. The tube on the very right above is one such color, Japanesque Deep Purple. The Japanese name for it is "Edo Murasaki" or Edo purple. On this trip to the art store, I was drawn to one particular tube by it's name ... Chocolate!

I'm a chocoholic, so I just had to open the tube and look at the color. It turned out to be a nice, rich, yummy reddish brown. You can see what it looks like, and compare it to other common brown tones in the swatch sample below.

I'll have to try it out soon on a painting. Turner also has a line of pearl and metallic colors as well, which I haven't tried yet. At this point, I pretty much have the same colors in acrylic and acrylic gouache.

Incidentally, all my tube paints are stored in this box on my drafting table. The box comes from Ikea, which I decorated with some stencils. The colors on each drawer represent the tube colors inside as seen below.

A peek into my work area! I'll be posting more about that another time...

Illustration Friday: Artificial

2010-08-04T23:06:00.000-07:00

There were no artificial ingredients in Chef Kitty's chocolate cake! It's been a while since I last posted on IF.

A mixed media piece with collage and acrylic gouache and colored pencils, 5 X 7 in size. I've been experimenting with clear gesso for texture. I like that it's much grittier than white gesso. Will be doing more small pieces like this with it in the future ...

Artistic Reflections on Deepwater Horizon

2010-07-26T21:04:00.000-07:00

A little over a month ago, I was contacted by some graduate students at Emporia University in Kansas who were putting together a website of artwork related to the gulf oil spill as part of their graduate level class in Library and Information Science. They described the project in this way:

This digital collection aims to capture America’s response to the Gulf Oil Spill through art. By showcasing works of diverse artists in various mediums, this collection will present creative manifestations of the emotions, thoughts, and reactions inspired by the disaster.

They had seen my whale piece on the Ripple blog and wanted to include it on this educational website. Yesterday I received an email that the site was now up and running, and sure enough, my whale is there! You can see the page HERE.

Ripple Sketch #3

2010-07-08T00:20:00.000-07:00

It's time again for another Ripple sketch. I've grown rather fond of doing these very small paintings. I like the challenge of creating something so much smaller than what I normally do. This time, I wanted to do a sea animal who is actually smiling and happy, as opposed to the others I've done so far which have been somewhat downbeat. A little change of pace...

As before, the piece is on paper and is 3 x 4. Painted with acrylic, acrylic gouache, collage and colored pencil. A happy Thursday to all!

Favorite Books from my Childhood

2010-07-04T18:42:00.000-07:00

It's that time of the year here in Arizona when the temperature rises to the 110's. On the weekends I become vampire-like and try to go out only after the sun has gone down when the temps are hovering in the high 90's! And since this is a very loooong weekend, thanks to the Fourth of July, I'll be hunkered down at home painting, drawing and blogging...

I was browsing through the children's book section of a local bookstore the other day when I began thinking about the books that I remember fondly from my childhood and have subconsciously contributed to my desire to be a children's book illustrator. Some are still in print, others I remember have definitely gone out of print, as I've discovered online. As a child I was a voracious reader and my friends and I would have contests to see who could read the most number of books in a month. I don't recall ever winning these contests, but I enjoyed the challenge. Somewhere in my parents' home is a big stash of paperback books published by Dell and Camelot in the 70's, and books by Scholastic that we use to order from school. The most memorable ones I've held onto before it disappeared into the big black hole of storage. I'll introduce a few here.

The Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear book is the first English-language book I've ever owned. My mother bought this board book for me shortly after we first moved to this country from Japan when I was 5 years old. The three-dimensional illustrations are just adorable, and were done by Tadasu Izawa. I didn't realize until I was much older, that the illustrator was Japanese as well! Obviously, when it was purchased neither my mother nor I could read English. We just liked the way it looked. I've held onto it dearly ever since.

The second book is that all-time classic, Winnie-the-Pooh. Another book about a bear ....hmmmmm.... Yes, I did have quite a large teddy bear collection at the time, and did until maybe about a decade ago. As you can see from the cover, this was back when you could still buy a paperback book for under a dollar! The Pooh books inspired me to write and illustrate my own stories as a child, an activity that I apparently have not outgrown!

About the same time, I read Stuart Little, by E.B. White. The tale of the mouse-boy was most memorable to me for its illustrations by Garth Williams. I've written about Garth Williams in other posts on this blog, mainly in this post. Stuart Little has been made into a movie, but I haven't seen it. I'm afraid that it will ruin my nice, warm, fuzzy memories of the book.

The last book is The Mouse and His Child by Russell Hoban. This is one of those books that stays with you for a long time after reading. It's not your typical children's book -- it contains many adult themes and some violence. But I think that's what I liked about it, that life isn't always happy or tidy, and sometimes you have to endure a lot of hardship to get where you want to be. I'm going to reread it soon. At one time it went out of print, but in 2001 it was re-released by Arthur A. Levine Books. This is what the current version of it looks like.

There are way too many other books that I love, and not enough space here to write about them. But there are 2 others I want to mention, and wish that I had my old copies of them with me. They are both similar in tone to The Mouse and His Child. They are A Wrinkle in Time and Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. All three of these have been made into films, but I haven't seen any of them, for the same reason I don't want to see Stuart Little. Besides, I already have the movie versions in my head.

Ripple #2 and Illustration Friday: Satellite

2010-06-28T23:16:00.000-07:00

This is my second illustration for the Ripple Project and also for this week's Illustration Friday topic. The sad birds looked up at the satellite in the sky ... Painted in acrylic, acrylic gouache and colored pencils. As in the previous Ripple piece, it is 3 x 4 inches.

If you haven't already, please take a look at the Ripple blog. A $10 donation to either The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies or The International Bird Rescue Research Center and a small art treasure is yours!! Every penny is donated to help the animal victims of this disaster. My last piece is in transit to its new home in Canada, and a piece I purchased is on its way from Japan. A small contribution to help the animals and make new friends around the world in the process ... what a deal!

Ripple Project and Illustration Friday: Paisley

2010-06-19T19:40:00.000-07:00

Today I worked on a collage/painting that will serve two purposes. It is for this week's Illustration Friday -- paisley, as well as my contribution for the Ripple Project.

The Ripple Project is the brainchild of illustrator Kelly Light, who decided to take action against her frustration with the Gulf oil spill by making small sketch paintings and selling them for $10 each to benefit two wildlife non-profits, The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies and The International Bird Rescue Research Center. Every penny is donated to help the animal victims of this disaster. Since the time she began this project on June 3rd, it has grown across the globe, with over 500 artists participating and raising over $3,000 so far. I'm very happy to do my part, however small, to make a difference in this horrible crisis.

Please take a minute to look at her Ripple blog HERE. There's still plenty of unsold art available for a $10 donation! I'm hoping that mine will find a happy home!

My Friends at the Phoenix Comicon 2010

2010-06-11T21:17:00.000-07:00

Over Memorial Day weekend I went over to the Phoenix Comicon. It was the first time I'd ever attended one of these events -- haven't ever made it over to the San Diego Comic-Con either. It was interesting to say the least! The people watching alone was entertaining enough. But the real reason I went was to check out a few of my friends who had set up shop there to sell their wares -- plush toys, prints, original art, and to look at what other artists I didn't know were up to as well. I'll introduce 3 of my friends here and one booth that caught my eye.

First up is Sydney Edmunds of Squidnoodle Plush Toys. That's Sydney on the left. She's an awesome painter, but she also makes some amazing original plush creatures. Most of her toys are on the dark, edgy side, but she can do cute too. Below is a custom piece she did for me.

Of course it's pink -- I'm just that kinda girl.

Next up is Maritza Robles of Ramona Art. Maritza does anime-inspired drawings and paintings, traditional and digital. At the con, she also did sketches on request. Cats seemed to be a popular theme.

Here's a sampling of her work.

Finally, we have Jason Jarava. Previously, I was mostly familiar with his lush, detailed landscapes, but his real passion is in fantasy/sci-fi illustration. Jason was selling prints and originals of his work.

Some pages from his portfolio.

Aside from my friends, there was one other booth that caught my eye at the con, and this probably says more about my personal taste than anything. There were some amazing comic book artists there, but I gravitated to this booth because it was colorful and whimsical.

Giddy Girlie is run by Mia (sorry I don't know her last name!). She paints wooden peg people and does dot paintings and hand embroidery. I bought one of her peg people, one painted like Kermit the Frog! (Okay, so I kinda have a frog fetish...)

This year's con was bigger than in previous years, and I'm sure it'll just keep growing. Check it out next year if you have the chance!

Three Bears Final and Process

2010-05-17T20:37:00.000-07:00

Finally finished my first piece for the Zero to Illo12 Week Challenge! I painted for a few hours each night (after I come home from my day job) to finish this.

I always find that the most difficult part of working on any piece is creating the "final drawing" that comes after the thumbnails and before the final painting. It always seems to take me forever to get this part done. The actual painting portion goes much faster. I plan to continue working on the remaining portfolio pieces through the next weeks and beyond.

Below are some shots I took as I worked on the piece:

I always start with a warm wash in acrylic -- quinacridone gold or raw or burnt sienna on primed canvas. Then I lay in washes of the base colors for each section/character.

Then layers of paint are built up in acrylic and acrylic gouache. In this piece I added some warm highlights with Caran d'ache crayons.

The final finished piece. Suggestions and comments are welcome!

I'll now be off to start my next piece ...

Zero to Illo Challenge Portfolio Piece #1

2010-05-05T22:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I've fallen behind a little bit this past week, but here is the sketch for my first portfolio piece for the Zero to Illo Challenge. This is a sketch I created for an SCBWI workshop that I attended a while back where we had to illustrate a scene from a fairy tale. I made changes on Goldilocks, and if you look closely, you can see what I've erased. I combined 2 scans as the sketch is kind of large, so please excuse the quality of the image.

I welcome your critiques and suggestions. More sketches to come!

Sunshine Award!

2010-04-18T01:54:00.000-07:00

Today I was pleasantly surprised to receive the Sunshine Award from my children's illustrator friend, Juana Martinez-Neal. Juana does some amazing illustrations with colored pencils and acrylics. I've never received an award for my blog, so I'm very happy and excited! Thanks Juana!

Since I did not know anything about this award, I did a little research and found that the "Sunshine Award is awarded to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspire others in the blogging world."

With that in mind, I'd like to introduce twelve inspirational bloggers that I would like to nominate as well:

Cally Johnson-Isaacs
Jannie Ho
Tanja Bauerle
Woody Miller
Leslie Breen Withrow
Tarie Sabido
Amanda Keithley
Mique Moriuchi
Amy Cartwright
Angela Matteson
Katie McDee
Celeste Gagnon

Now it’s your turn to brighten someone’s day by nominating your favs for a Sunshine Award:

1) Put the logo on your blog or within your post
2) Pass the award to 12-well-deserving bloggers
3) Link the nominees within your post
4) Share the news by leaving a comment on their blog
5) Link to the person from whom you received the award

Have a happy day!

Zero to Illo 12 Week Challenge

2010-04-05T20:54:00.000-07:00

Starting today, I am participating in the Zero to Illo 12 Week Challenge. Zero to Illo is the blog of Jonathan Woodward, graphic designer.

The quote below from his blog says it all:

"The time for procrastination, self-doubt and style hang-ups is over – it’s now time to get going and start working towards my dream career as an illustrator…and I’d like to invite you to join me.

This blog is all about my journey from zero 2 illo, transitioning from full time graphic designer to full time illustrator."

The 12 week challenge was Jonathan's idea to jumpstart his dream to be a working illustrator. He has generously decided to share that journey with others. Myself and about 60+ other illustrators will be given a task every week to bring us closer to our goals of being professional full-time illustrators. I think it's a great idea and exactly the motivation I need right now to get me going. It will be an interesting journey, but I am looking forward to the next 12 weeks and to feel the sense of community with my fellow illustrators in working towards our goals.

Mark Teague at Tucson Festival of Books

2010-03-14T23:46:00.000-07:00

It's not often that I would drive 2 hours to see a person at the last minute, but yesterday was an exception. That's because Mark Teague was speaking at the Tucson Festival of Books. I found out a few days before that he was speaking there, and so I canceled my Saturday plans and drove down to Tucson (my haircut can wait another week!) He happens to be one of my favorite children's book illustrators, so how can I pass up the opportunity to see the creator of Funny Farm?

This is only the second year for this festival, but there appeared to be a pretty good turnout. I arrived a little early and was wandering around the children's book area when I spotted Mr. Teague, so I asked him to sign my copy of Funny Farm, which he generously did.

At the beginning of his one-hour presentation, Mark talked about how he has been drawing since childhood. His father was an insurance salesman, and whenever he changed jobs, he would bring home a stack of stationery from the office for Mark to draw on. After showing a slide of his studio, he told the audience that he still basically does what he's been doing since he was a child -- drawing and painting on paper. That remark drew laughter from the crowd, about half of which were children.

He then focused primarily on his working process, specifically on an image from his upcoming picture book, the sequel to Funny Farm, called Firehouse. Firehouse tells the continuing adventures of Edward, the main canine character of Funny Farm. Through a series of slides, Mark explained how he works, from thumbnail sketches, to dummy, to sketching and painting a spread. In the photo below, you can see a spread from Firehouse on the screen behind him.

He begins his paintings by applying gesso on a watercolor paper block. The block must be fairly large, as he works at the actual printing size. He then transfers the sketch, and paints an acrylic underpainting in burnt sienna. From there he adds the dark tones and shadows in various shades of black, gray and purple. He then adds the highlights. At this point, he basically has a painting with all of the values worked out. He then switches to water-soluble oil paints to add color. He used to paint with acrylics, but likes the vibrant oil colors, and since they're the water-soluble kind, they dry faster than traditional oils.

A spread such as the one above takes him about 3-4 days to complete. An entire book takes about 3-4 months to complete.

So what are his next projects? Firehouse is available May 1st, and another LaRue book is being published next year. Last year, Mark published his first YA novel, the Doom Machine, which he began writing years ago, in the slow periods between picture book gigs. He seemed very enthusiastic when talking about the Doom Machine, and when reading an excerpt from it. There will probably be more novels to come, but I'll always be partial to his picture books.

Illustration Friday: Perspective

2010-03-02T16:56:00.000-08:00

An older piece that fits this week's topic. From their perspective, the toy Mountie was tall and terrifying! Painted in acrylic with colored pencil. Hope you like it!

Illustration Friday: Focused

2010-02-03T22:45:00.000-08:00

The little bird was completely focused on its image in the mirror. A quick painting for this week's topic, inspired by my budgie, who likes to look at himself in the mirror!

Arizona Children's Book Author Byrd Baylor

2010-02-02T19:24:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I had the honor of meeting Arizona author Byrd Baylor down in Tucson. Ms. Baylor has written numerous children's books, some of which have been awarded a Caldecott Honor. Pictured above is her very first book, Amigo, a heartwarming tale of a friendship that develops between a boy named Francisco and a prairie dog that he names Amigo. Illustrated by Garth Williams, Byrd explained that it was common practice for publishers to pair an unknown writer with a well-known illustrator. Her later books were illustrated by Peter Parnall, whom she felt was a better fit for her work.

Many of her books are set in the Southwest and focuses on the relationship between the people who live there and the natural landscape and its animals. It is an environment that Byrd is familiar with herself, living in Arivaca in a location only accessible by 4-wheel drive vehicles. She lives in a house without electricity, and no heat, and no hot water -- she has water in her kitchen, but it is cold. She doesn't own a computer, only a few typewriters. She likes to write on yellow legal pads.

Now in her late 80's, she truly embodies a certain pioneer spirit and feistiness, yet is a very generous and giving person as well. As you can see from the bumper stickers on her truck, she isn't shy about letting her views being known! She is currently working on a book of essays. A truly inspirational person.

Japanese Illustration Magazines

2010-01-17T18:12:00.000-08:00

A Happy New Year to all! Today I've decided to write about some Japanese illustration magazines that I've become quite fond of over the last couple of years. There are 3 that I look at on a fairly regular basis, courtesy of Kinokuniya Books in LA.

The first is MOE Magazine, pictured above, a monthly magazine devoted entirely to children's picture books. Wish we had something like that here! The above issue is from a year ago, January 2009, and features the art of Yuka Shimada, known for her picture book series about Bam and Kero. Each issue typically features an illustrator or two and has lots of gorgeous pictures of their work. They also introduce recent picture books from around the globe, which is something that I think a lot of American illustrators are less exposed to. I see lots of titles that I have never seen in any book stores here. Very eye opening. They also introduce children's book shops from around the world -- so many cozy, fun looking places that I would love to visit!

The second magazine is called Illustration, and is a bi-monthly magazine. This issue is from May of 2009 and features Komako Sakai, best known here as the author/illustrator of the picture book The Snow Day. The magazine focuses on all styles and genres of illustration, and will occasionally feature a non-Japanese artist as well. Each issue will have sections on current exhibitions in Japan, practical business practices/advice, and will highlight an artist's work process.

The last magazine is called Illust Note (an abbreviation of Illustration Note -- the Japanese are fond of shortening words!). Illust Note is a monthly magazine, the above is the June 2008 issue. Of the the three magazines, this one focuses the most on the craft of illustration. Each issue features at least 3-4 illustrators talking about their craft and detailed how-to photos and captions of them working on a piece from start to finish. Covers all genres of illustration, from traditional watercolorists to digital artists. This magazine probably requires the least knowledge of the Japanese language, as it has so many pictures!

It is true that there are art magazines that cover similar territory here, but not too many that focus exclusively on illustration. What really sets these magazines apart from their American counterparts are the sheer number of images featured, and the quality of the printing and paper. It really is great eye candy. There are always great photos of the artists' work spaces, which is something I really enjoy looking at -- where people create. Some of these artists work in incredibly small spaces, others have spacious studios that I can only dream about.

So where can these be found? If you live on the West Coast or New York, your best bets are a Japanese bookstore like Kinokuniya books. Otherwise, they are available on Amazon Japan's website, both new and older issues as well.

Wayne Thiebaud & Frances Gearhart at PMCA

2009-12-29T21:56:00.000-08:00

Just came back from LA for the holidays. One of my goals this trip was to catch the Wayne Thiebaud show at the Pasadena Museum of California Art. He's always been one of my favorite artists -- his ability to make the ordinary look extraordinary. The show included drawings and paintings like the one above. I think his best pieces are his landscapes and ordinary objects.

Also on exhibit was an artist that I was unaware of -- Frances Gearhart. A woodblock artist from the early 20th century, she produced many images of California landscapes. You can see the influence of Japanese prints, but her style is uniquely her own.

Both shows will be on until January 31st. Highly recommended!

Illustration Friday: Entangled

2009-12-03T00:03:00.000-08:00

For this week's topic, a painting in acrylic gouache. Hope this situation never happens to you! Though I've come close a few times. The original quick sketch is below. The final piece is pretty close I think, more than usual.

Nathalie Lete Live Painting

2009-11-25T19:27:00.000-08:00

Saw this great video of French artist Nathalie Lete on Gennine's Art Blog. She's painting in a Tokyo shop using acrylic gouache. I like her decorative style!

Japanese Snoopy Calendar

2009-11-11T22:04:00.000-08:00

On my recent trip to LA for SCBWI's Illustrator's Day, I made a stop at one of my favorite bookstores in LA, Kinokuniya Books. Located in Little Tokyo, it's the LA branch of a chain of bookstores in Japan.

They not only carry Japanese books and magazines, but a nice collection of English language books as well, especially art and design books. I like to browse their children's section as well, to get an idea of what's being published in Japan.

One of my favorite parts of the store is the large stationary section -- I'm a sucker for colorful pens, notebooks, etc. The pencil cups on my desk are filled with so many of them, many I'll probably never get around to using ... but I digress.

What I found on this trip was a small mini-calendar for 2010. The kind that comes in a case similar to a CD jewel case. It's only about 3 1/2 inches square, but it's a calendar with vintage Snoopy images! I'm kind of a Snoopy nut, so I was really excited to find this. Above are 4 pages from the calendar, one is for January, the other 3 are signs you can use to let co-workers know where you are.

Translated they say (from top right going clockwise):
I'm in a meeting
I've temporarily left my seat
I'm out of the office (he's literally out in the field!)

I thought these were really cute and sooooo Japanese. It'll sit on my desk for the next year and maybe beyond.

SCBWI Los Angeles Illustrator's Day 2009

2009-11-09T18:34:00.000-08:00

Just came back from Illustrator's Day 2009 in Los Angeles over the weekend. Held on Saturday, November 7th at the Clairbourn School in San Gabriel, CA, it was a day filled with speakers, portfolios, contests and promo cards galore!

Presentations were given by:
Chad Beckerman, Art Director of Abrams Books for Young Readers
Mary Peterson, Illustrator
Adam McCauley, Illustrator
Erika Howard, Art Representative for Shannon Associates

All the presentations were informative, but the ones by Chad and Erika stood out in my mind. Both gave good insight into what they look for in an illustrator, and what they expect once a relationship is established.

All attending illustrators were free to display their portfolios and promo/business cards. So many talented people were there ... I picked up a stack of cards for inspiration.

The day included a promo card contest -- attendees were encouraged to submit a print-ready file about a month before, and the winning entry would receive 250 printed postcards of their submission. My entry didn't win, but I did receive an Honorable Mention! Woo hoo!

I also had a portfolio review with Laurie Young, former Creative Director for Intervisual Books, and she gave me some very positive and encouraging feedback. Thanks Laurie!

All in all, it was an awesome day!

Illustration Friday: Flying

2009-10-09T20:35:00.000-07:00

Wonderdog went flying through the air! A new portfolio piece I finished recently, painted with regular acrylics and acrylic gouache, which I've taken quite a liking to.

This is the 2nd piece that I've used the acrylic gouache on, and while it took some getting used to, I like the matte finish and the smoothness of the pigment as I paint. Not gummy like acrylics. The color is also the same wet and dry! The brands I used were Holbein and Turner. The Holbein seemed to be of a slightly higher quality, but Turner has a larger color range.

Will definitely be doing some more with it. Happy Friday!

Illustration Friday: Modify

2009-08-05T23:09:00.001-07:00

The mouse modified an orange juice carton into a home! Just a quick sketch for an illustration idea I'm developing.

Garth Williams in ku:nel Magazine

2009-06-15T19:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I made my weekly trek to the local Japanese market for the week's groceries, when a magazine caught my eye. It was the July issue of ku:nel magazine, a Japanese lifestyle magazine that focuses on the quiet pleasures of life -- crafts, cooking, healthy eco living.

On the cover was a book illustrated by Garth Williams, one of my favorite children's book illustrators from my childhood. I have many fond memories of reading the Miss Bianca books, Stuart Little, Charlotte's Web, and the countless other books he has illustrated. After purchasing it along with my groceries I rushed home to read it.

The article inside was 14 pages long and was a profile of his life and work, from his early days in England to moving around the world -- New York, Italy, Mexico. He married just as often, 4 times! For his first children's book assignment (Stuart Little), a mouse he found in his apartment was used as a drawing model.

His affinity for animals is apparent in the photo and the drawing shown here. There is always a feeling of warmth in his drawings. A fascinating read ...

Flaming Lips Rock Scottsdale!

2009-04-27T22:56:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, April 25 2009, I was lucky enough to see one of my all-time favorite bands, the Flaming Lips, headline the McDowell Mountain Music Festival in Scottsdale, Arizona. As big a fan as I am, this was actually the first time I had the opportunity to see them live. The show lived up to my expectations and more. It's one of those you gotta see it to believe it kind of shows -- with confetti galore, giant balloons, dancing Teletubbies and Lips singer Wayne Coyne rolling over the audience in a giant plastic bubble.

After the show, Wayne greeted his fans and I had my copy of Yoshimi autographed. It definitely made my week, my month, maybe even my year!

Children's Book World In West Los Angeles

2009-01-14T18:19:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all!

During my recent trip to LA over New Year's weekend, I had the chance to visit Children's Book World in West LA. If you have never been to this bookstore, I highly recommend it. It has a very large selection of children's books, from board books to picture books, to teen lit. They carry many titles that the larger chains do not. It has been in existence for about 20 years, although I did not know about it at all until recently when I read about it in MOE Magazine, a Japanese magazine entirely devoted to children's picture books and characters (more on this magazine in another blog entry).

If you attend the SCBWI summer conference this year in LA, you MUST stop by this bookstore. It is a short drive from Century City where the conference is held every year. I could easily have spent sooo much money there, but I restrained myself and bought only 3 books. Check it out!

Chihuly Exhibit at Desert Botanical Garden

2008-12-06T17:11:00.000-08:00

Today I made my first visit to the Desert Botanical Garden here in Phoenix to see the Chihuly glass exhibit. It was a beautiful day and the glass sculptures looked awesome against the blue sky. It's the first time I've seen any of his pieces up close so it was a new experience. There were roughly 15-20 pieces installed throughout the gardens, and some smaller pieces in a gallery, which was also continuously showing a 90-minute video of his work process. I think my favorite pieces were the ones that seemed to work naturally with the desert environment.

Here are some of the sculptures on display -- some of them are quite tall.

The show will continue through May 31st of 2009. Check it out if you have the chance!

New Website!

2008-11-23T16:44:00.000-08:00

After a month of working and tweaking, I've finally finished my website. It was created using software from Homestead, which is very easy to use and they also host my site. I found Homestead in an article written by Jarrett Krosoczka in the 2008 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market about the importance of having your own site. Thanks Jarrett!

And now, my website ... www.megumilemons.com

I'll be changing it up as my needs grow, adding a section on news and possibly a shop. Stop by and visit!

Illustration Friday: Enough

2008-07-19T09:38:00.002-07:00

Here's a recent portfolio piece that fits this week's topic. You can never have enough iced tea! It's one of my favorite summer time drinks. The lady in the back looks like she's seen enough too. I'm planning to do a series of illos with the 2 main characters. Time to get back to work.

Over Rainbows and Down Rabbit Holes

2008-07-19T09:38:00.001-07:00

During my vacation in California I was disappointed to learn that I had just missed seeing an exhibition of children's book art at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. If I'd known sooner, I would have arranged my vacation to coincide with this exhibit, but alas, I was too late.

However, I was able to get a copy of the exhibition catalog which is pictured above. The exhibit is from the collection of Zora Charles and the artists represented roughly spans about 100 years of children's book illustration, from Beatrix Potter to Chris Van Allsburg. I would have loved to have seen all of these original illustrations.

The show will be traveling to one other museum this year, the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. If anyone out there has seen this exhibit, please leave me your comments on this blog!

Fun with Cabazon Dinosaurs

2008-07-14T23:58:00.000-07:00

As you can tell from the date of this post, I have seriously been neglecting my blog. Time to crack that whip and update it. I'll start with some fun posts from my vacation. Just got back from California, and on the way to the Central Coast I stopped in Cabazon to look at the famous dinosaurs by the late Claude K. Bell.

You've probably seen them in Pee Wee's Big Adventure and other movies. It's visible from the I-10, and although I've driven past it many times, this is the first time I've actually stopped to get a closer look. Unfortunately I got there too late to take a look inside, but still had time for some silly photos.

Illustration Friday: Backwards

2007-12-16T08:06:00.001-08:00

The tree started to fall backwards from the weight of the ornament! A little Christmas card I painted this year. Happy holidays!

Amanda Shepherd Introduces New Book with Friends

2007-11-05T15:22:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of seeing children's book illustrator Amanda Shepherd introduce her new book, "Fiona Loves the Night" at Changing Hands bookstore in Tempe. Amanda painted an owl during the presentation and explained her working process on the book to the many children (and adults) present.

She also had some friends from Liberty Wildlife attend -- 2 beautiful owls! Amanda auctioned one of her paintings with all proceeds going to Liberty Wildlife. The event concluded with Amanda signing her books for her fans and friends.

Illustration Friday: Alphabets

2007-08-31T21:02:00.000-07:00

Here's a piece from earlier this year for this week's topic -- D is for dinosaur and donut! I always thought it would be fun to do an alphabet book. Maybe that's a project for the future. A happy Labor Day weekend to everyone out there!

Illustration Friday: Twist

2007-07-01T15:57:00.000-07:00

There's a twist in the piggy's tail! This is a recent piece I completed. I'm experimenting with textures and a heavier, yet softer painting style in acrylic. Let's see where this goes ... Hope you all like it!

Illustration Friday: Citrus

2007-05-14T08:11:00.000-07:00

I was on vacation in the Central California coast when I saw this week's topic and just knew I had to post this when I got home. It's the image on my business card, playing on my last name, which is Lemons. Done in acrylic and colored pencil. Happy Monday!

Illustration Friday: Polar

2007-04-24T21:33:00.001-07:00

Here's an illustration from my past for this week's topic. This was a Christmas card that I drew in colored pencils and sent to family and friends. You can see the texture of the paper. It was one of those greeting card packs made by Strathmore with the deckled edge. The bottom has a red deckled edge which I didn't include in this scan.

Looking at this made me think that maybe I should resume the handmade cards this year ... hmmm.

Ladybug Bag -- Any Good Sewing Books, Magazines, Hints?

2007-04-24T21:33:00.000-07:00

I recently completed this little ladybug bag. The body of the bag (not including handles) is about 5 inches tall. It was supposed to be a gift for my niece who will be 6 years old soon, but I decided it didn't look quite as professional as I'd like. I was trying for something similar to the bag in the back, which was store bought. But I guess it's not too bad for a first try. Live and learn!

I welcome any suggestions, comments, or if you know of any good sewing books or magazines on this topic, please feel free to let me know!

First Friday Gallery Show

2007-03-14T20:32:00.000-07:00

As mentioned before, all this month I'm participating in a group gallery show by the AZIF (Arizona Illustrators Forum) at ArtStageSound here in Phoenix. Opening night was Friday, March 2nd. Lots of friends and family stopped by. It was great to see all of our work together. We hope to make it an annual event. Here are a few photos of the night ...

Molly Idle, Julie Gissler Barry, Mikela Prevost, and me.

AZIF members and friends.

Some of our cool work!

Some prints and books for sale.

More members and friends ...

Sprout Ward

2007-02-16T19:39:00.000-08:00

The final version of Sprout, now called Sprout Ward. This piece will be included in an upcoming gallery show by the AZIF -- Arizona Illustrators Forum, at Artstagesound in Phoenix during the annual Art Detour the first weekend of March.

Illustration Friday: Sprout

2007-02-07T20:23:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I posted on my blog, or participated in Illustration Friday! The months have flown by. I shouldn't be making any excuses (the holidays, etc.). But one of my resolutions this year is to post regularly to my blog. For this week's topic, the sprout ward in a vegetable hospital. I'll be doing the final painting for another project as well -- more on that later.

Stay tuned for the final piece ...

Smitten Part 2 and Black & Orange

2006-10-30T06:45:00.000-08:00

This is my entry for the Black & Orange contest, and also the final version of the Illustration Friday topic "Smitten" from a few weeks ago. I changed it a little bit from the original sketch. Spider love for Halloween!

Illustration Friday: Smitten

2006-10-18T23:36:00.000-07:00

Just sneaking in an illustration this week. I knew I wouldn't have time to finish the painting, so I'm posting the sketch. This will be completed for another project, and I will post it again when it is finished. Until then ... the spiders were smitten with each other!

Illustration Friday: Quiet

2006-10-02T12:30:00.000-07:00

For this week's topic -- mama and baby octopus quietly read a book together. A slightly heavier paint approach, in acrylic.

Art Geek - Illust Friday: Safe

2006-09-06T07:11:00.000-07:00

The puppy was not safe from the Art Geek's paint drips. Yes, I know this one's stretching the topic a bit ... but I had this image in my head and wanted it to fit somehow! It started when my friend called me an art geek last week. He meant this as a compliment. We were discussing the difference between nerds and geeks and he thought geeks were cooler and had more going on. Then he said I was kind of an art geek. The words stuck in my head and I wondered what does an art geek look like? Well, she looks kind of like this, which looks kind of like me ... except I don't own a beret, or a puppy.

Illustration Friday: Match

2006-08-22T20:30:00.000-07:00

For this week's topic, I did more of a sketch than a full illustration. This is what I imagine the life of a match might be ...

Illustration Friday: Clean

2006-07-29T23:20:00.000-07:00

Here is an illustration done late last year that fits this week's topic. Later this week (8/4/06) I will be in LA for the SCBWI summer conference. Maybe some of you out there will also be attending? If so drop by and say hi during the portfolio exhibit! -- Megumi (Goomie)

Illustration Friday: Sticky

2006-07-05T08:10:00.000-07:00

It's been a few weeks since my last entry. I tried using a more subtle palette this time, and painted on canvas instead of the usual watercolor paper. Sticky pancake syrup ... yummy!

Illustration Friday: Cake

2006-05-28T23:39:00.000-07:00

Here is my first posting for Illustration Friday, hope to make this the first of many! Cakes are yummy... Enjoy!

Welcome to my blog

2006-05-21T08:41:00.000-07:00

I've decided to start a blog to keep myself motivated on new illustration projects and chart my progress. I welcome your comments on my artwork or any other postings. Thanks!