Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Merry Christmas Mom!


      As is the experience of many other artists, my interest in drawing and making things began as a child.  And, I feel lucky to that my interest in visual design was encouraged and supported by my Mom is trained as a graphic design and a fantastically creative person.  In my childhood, my Mom undertook many, many creative pursuits, including the design of many beautiful cards and invitations, working as a volunteer to assist students in designing the yearbooks at our school, creating stunningly beautiful signage for our pre-school, knitting, weaving, and quilting.  
     In addition to the all the projects she undertook, she taught my sister a lot about design and craft.  I'm sure that it was those early lessons which sparked my interest in drawing and painting, which remains strong today.  For that, I am tremendously grateful.  

     In her current work, my Mom employs her graphic design skills and on my birthday I almost always receive a card, which she has custom designed.  After I began selling paintings and invitations on Etsy a few years ago, it struck me that Etsy might also be a good place for my Mom to sell her beautifully designed cards.  So, for Christmas this year, I have printed a run of one of her hand drawn birthday cards and opened an Etsy shop for her.  I hope that she will enjoy the opportunity to share some of her design work with a larger audience and that she will consider creating additional designs for her shop in the future.  Visit her new shop, Papel y Lapiz on Etsy!  
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Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Painting Water & Light

On a recent vacation to the Trelawny Parish of Jamaica, I continued my exploration painting water and sky.  "The Color of Light" the title given to a 2008 Winslow Homer exhibit at the Art Institute came to mind in making these paintings.  The clear reflective water of Jamaica seemed particularly expressive of the bright sunshine and billowy clouds.  Not only that, the experience called to mind the beautiful paintings that Homer himself made on visits to the Bahamas, Cuba, and Bermuda.  Homer who loved to fish and paint out of doors, took to wintering in the tropics starting in 1884.  For me, it was a delight to spend many hours on the beach, alternatively painting, reading, dipping in the water, and napping.  Check back next week to see another painting in the series. 

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Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Painting Water & Light

On a recent vacation to the Trelawny Parish of Jamaica, I continued my exploration painting water and sky.  "The Color of Light" the title given to a 2008 Winslow Homer exhibit at the Art Institute came to mind in making these paintings.  The clear reflective water of Jamaica seemed particularly expressive of the bright sunshine and billowy clouds.  Not only that, the experience called to mind the beautiful paintings that Homer himself made on visits to the Bahamas, Cuba, and Bermuda.  Homer who loved to fish and paint out of doors, took to wintering in the tropics starting in 1884.  For me, it was a delight to spend many hours on the beach, alternatively painting, reading, dipping in the water, and napping.  Check back next week to see another painting in the series. 
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Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Holiday Cards 2012


This design for my 2012 Holiday postcards features a Chicago snow globe, with a "sweet home Chicago" banner below. The image of snow globe reminds me of one of my favorite times of year in Chicago: I delight in the early months of winter, the twinkle of Christmas lights, and the delight of the first snow! 
Check out these 5x7 postcards at my Etsy shop.  These postcards are professionally printed on 100# cardstock, semi-gloss front and matte back.
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Painting Water & Light

On a recent vacation to the Trelawny Parish of Jamaica, I continued my exploration painting water and sky.  "The Color of Light" the title given to a 2008 Winslow Homer exhibit at the Art Institute came to mind in making these paintings.  The clear reflective water of Jamaica seemed particularly expressive of the bright sunshine and billowy clouds.  Not only that, the experience called to mind the beautiful paintings that Homer himself made on visits to the Bahamas, Cuba, and Bermuda.  Homer who loved to fish and paint out of doors, took to wintering in the tropics starting in 1884.  For me, it was a delight to spend many hours on the beach, alternatively painting, reading, dipping in the water, and napping.  Check back next week to see another painting in the series. 
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