Selfie for the Sixty

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! I wanted to create another self portrait for my mom this year with a fun celebratory theme that included my sister Tyanne and my mom's furry creatures Thor and Ginger. Celebrate! Celebrate!

On a side note: I must always remember to just be inspired - not completely influenced. I love it when the more natural, unafraid me creates from the heart not just the mind. I tend to over think my pieces and I truly believe that was drilled into me as an illustration student. Perhaps that is the clear divide between illustration and fine art - the freedom to completely express yourself without a definitive  meaning behind the piece. I tried that freedom this time - when creating my mom's 60th birthday gift. To have a fun theme but not let that concept totally rule over the process.

"This Started Out as a Cat Painting" Series

These pieces all have secret cat names on the back to know what cat I started with in each. These are painted on reclaimed wood that were originally used in an installation piece in Atlanta. They are 15x15 and made out of vintage paper (some dating back to 1890), handmade stamps, graphite, acrylic and house paint. They were made for a show that The North Face puts on every year to raise money for the Bay Area Wilderness fund. I was proud to be part of the show as a The North Face artist.

The elements...to a start

All the pieces but where to start? Trying to push myself to create my pieces for the "Moonlighting" TNF artshow.

See Me For Who I Am

A piece I did for Illustrating a Point for the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. This piece was done for their mental health theme, directed by Mary Campbell.

Thom Yorke...will you marry me

This is a piece I did to try to make it into Imaginary Million show this year. Unfortunately, I was not picked to be one of the 100 artists. But I love this piece all the same!

Draper for Skateraid

Well - there are all the stages of Draper. I was given a deck by my friend Sally and asked to be one of the artists for Skateraid.net. It's for an awesome cause and it'll be auctioned off at the end of September but in the meantime, it will hang on the walls of the Brick Store Pub in Decatur. I had so much fun painting it. I was inspired by artist Rich Pellegrino with his wonderful since of color and character. I found a great picture of Jon Hamm and so it began. I love the way it turned out. I also rewatched so much Mad Men I think I'm in the 60's.

The beginnings of Draper

Tana - The Persian Princess

A quick little painting I did for my friend Lauren, for her birthday. Graphite and water color.

Big Cranium

This is a little piece that I did for Neil and Lauren on their wedding day.

The Ultimate Concert

Here are some band poster designs I came up with to show my illustration students. I did them mainly for color study to show the students how far I wanted them to take theirs by the next class. I had such a great time and spend all weekend holed up to work on them. They are done in gouache.