Studio rearrangment

Working at home can be a great joy, but sometimes spending so many hours in one room makes you want to mix things up a bit. I have collected vintage children's books for years and thought it would be both fun and inspiring to have a kids corner. I put the book display beside an old school desk that I restored recently. Just looking at it brings me back to being little tot. LOVE the indentation in the desk for the pencils.

A leaf within a leaf

I was working out the other day, staring out the window down at the whirling fall leaves on the sidewalk, when I noticed these odd, two toned gems. It's as though one leaf left its mark on another. I ran outside and collected a bunch. I am sure the other members thought I was nuts, but the kid in me came out. I have always been a big fan of autumn and these leaves were inspiring. Hope you like them too! (Note: the colors were much more brilliant, but I left them in my handbag overnight.)

Too cute packaging!

One of my favorite things to do when I can't really travel is to go to Chinatown, Little Italy or somewhere that is filled with new sights, smells and sounds. I love going into markets and looking at the packaging. I came across this box of biscuits recently and feel in love with the design. So cute. and tasty too!

NY Fashion Week

I recently sent out a new promo for my illustration, focused entirely on New York City. I love just 12 miles away from this wonderful city and have become quite the fan. It has an energy unlike any other and I find myself drawn to it more and more. This is a piece about Fashion Week. It was inspired one day while sitting in Bryant Park eating lunch with a friend and watching the tents go up.

Cape Cod

I just got back from a wonderful week in the Cape. We rented a big beach house to celebrate my father's 70th birthday and it was a blast. From swimming in the ocean, to grilling out, biking around Nantucket, gallery hopping in Provincetown and having cocktails at night up on the home's Crow's Nest, each and every day was special. I spent a lot of time searching for shells, sea glass and cool little speckled rocks. I love the smells and sounds of being near the ocean and will miss hearing those waves at night before sleep. One day I will live in a cottage by the ocean.

Renegade Craft Fair

Hit the Renegade in Brooklyn this weekend. It took place in the McCarren Park pool. Yes, in a pool. It had just rained Sunday when I arrived, so the pool was fast a sweltering vat of concrete once the sun shined.

But the fair was great with so many talented artists and crafters selling their wares.
I purchased a glass squirrel pendant from "Happy Owl Glassworks", a cute print from "The Small Object" and a typewriter key pendant from "The Weekend Store".

Here are some shots from it. Love the dog!

Chelsea Market

I discovered the coolest place in the city this week with my friend Karin, who was visiting from Austin. She is quite the gourmet enthusiast and was delighted to find that the Food Network was housed in this building. There were all kinds of great shops, foods, wine, and bakeries. Always so inspiring to see new places. Made me want to buy kitchen tools made of olive wood and ramekins the size of kitten paws. (?)This is a shot of one store's cheese selection. I thought that sheep was so cute in the midst of so much frommage!

The Fox and the Raccoon

This is an illustration I did while taking Monica Wellington's Children's Book class at SVA this past fall. I am still trying to get a children's book project and have recently submitted a dummy to a publisher in NYC. She saw the dummy during an interview and asked that I resend it to her after making a few tweaks. Keep your fingers crossed!

Le Poulet

Here is a little chicken I did recently. Been playing with some images for possible licensing.

Bemelmans

I absolutely adore Ludwig Bemelmans (most famously known for the Madeline series)Not only was he an amazing illustrator but also a gifted writer of works of fiction. One of my favorites is Hotel Splendide...a series of short stories, little vignettes of life in a five star hotel banquet hall. He has such light prose that evokes old Paris and Europe. This image is an ad he illustrated for an Italian Cruise line. Enjoy!