Little Dragon

My friends Kay and Nat had their first child this past September. Meet Sage…

THE cutest. I was very honored when Nat commissioned me to create a piece for Sage’s bedroom. It was also a surprise for Kay. 2012 is the year of the dragon, so Nat requested I make a little dragon to celebrate Sage’s birth year. She also wanted a Japanese theme. Of the pieces I’ve already made, Blossoms is Kay’s favorite, so I used that as a jumping point.

Here are some of my early concepts for the character.

Nat and I talked about what she liked, and I created a dragon that pulled each of her favorite attributes from the concept sketches.

Then came the composition studies.

I worked on the drawing, and then delivered several color options.

We both agreed that A was the winner. So, I prepped the file, had it printed and framed, and here is our Little Dragon for little Sage…

I am so happy that this special little person is going to grow up looking at my art. Now let’s all look at the happy family and have a big old AWWWWWW!!!

A Devilishly Delightful Project

One of my latest commissions was a birthday present for my former boss, Jeremy Irish, from his wife, Samsy.

I used to work for Jeremy at Groundspeak, the company that owns and operates Geocaching.com. Jeremy has always had a thing for angels and devils. He had these geocoins minted many years ago as good and evil Jeremy. This is where I drew inspiration from for his present.

First, I went back and forth with Samsy to finalize the composition.

Then I used my lightbox to trace the sketch on quality paper with a pen brush. I added color with colored pencils.

It’s been a while since I created a finished original. Here it is all framed and shiny! Happy Birthday Jeremy!

Stu-Stu-Studio Tour

An artist’s work space is much more than a room; it is a snapshot of how they work and a glimpse into their personality. I thought it might be fun to give you a little tour of my art studio! (cue Mister Roger’s Neighborhood theme) I am already wearing my cardigan and have changed my shoes. Here we go!

The studio is very tiny. When the landlord showed us the apartment, she called it “the nursery.” Now it’s where my art babies live 🙂 I don’t always have my laptop in here, but this room has the best light in the apartment, so I move here from my “design desk” when I feel like I’m in a cave.

The art studio is my sacred space. When you walk into the room, you actually have to walk up two steps to get to the desk. I love it; it feels like I am ascending to my altar. Making art is akin to a ritual.

Here’s the view of the street below. I like watching the passers-by. There is also a charming older gentleman who delights in feeding the crows. Notice how we live on the corner of Bellevue, Bellevue, & Bellevue. Cab drivers don’t believe me when I tell them where I want to go. The hanging ball is a gift from my friend Mo. It’s a good luck charm from Turkey, and I think the “rope” is made of horse hair.