Last week I went and did an Earth Day project with the Woog's kindergarten class and we made Junk A Doodles®.

Labels: junk-a-doodles, kindergarten, old school

This week is read Across America week in celebration of Dr. Suess's birthday. The Woog had activities all week at school and today they were to come as one of his characters so, I sent her off with a wocket in her pocket. It was so cute to see little Cat in the Hats, Cindy Lou Who's, and Thing 1 and Thing 2 running around the Kindergarten hall.

We also worked on a Woogie Wednesday/Weekday/Weekend project of the Cat in the Hat. We made a Junk A Seuss-le:



As a creative person I have always loved Dr. Seuss and his weird and wacky world. I love the rhymes and his playful use of made up characters. When I was in Orlando once I saw one of his taxidermy pieces and thought they were awesome. I've always thought I would make my owe sometime with my art. I found another artist who did one here. I found a cool flickr stream with pictures from the Seuss exhibit at Fresno Metropolitan Museum:



My favorite book of his has to be The Shape of Me and Other Stuff. It was one of the books the Woog always wanted me to read her so I have it all memorized plus I love how Suess-like the simple shapes are. Amazing! What's your favorite Dr. Suess book?

Labels: Dr. Seuss, junk-a-doodles, woogie-wednesday

First off, thank you so much for the nice emails and comments on my last post. I really appreciate it and feel so much better getting it all out.

Since the past couple of months have been crazy, I'm just now getting a chance to show teacher gifts from December. I didn't get a picture of it all packaged up (I did good just getting them out the door) but this is what we gave:


I took one of our countdown to school projects and made notecards for all the teachers along with their own rubber stamps. The cards were printed at Overnight Prints and the stamps made at Simon Stamps I highly recommend them both. Great prices, quality and fast shipping!

On another note, I've had to switch my comments over since Haloscan move to a new product. I'm still getting used to how it works and looks.

Labels: junk-a-doodles

My new year started off great when I found my work up on Oopsy Daisy's site - even in cute styled shots (see the mermaid on the beach?). I licensed a few Junk A Doodles® with them and can't wait to get my hands on the actual canvases. They have been on my client wish list for quite a while and I'm glad my persistence and follow-up paid off. So excited about this new relationship!

Tomorrow I'll show you a detailed look at the Valentine's placemats I did for them - super cute! I blogged a sneaky peek here.

Labels: junk-a-doodles, licensing

I've been working recently on a ton of licensing and children's illustration projects (guess people are back to spending money again before their budget year is up). So above is a sneaky peek of 2 projects. Yeah, I know you'd love to see the rest, but I think I need to hold off for a while.

Labels: junk-a-doodles, licensing

This is an older Junk A Doodles® piece but thought of it when I saw this week's illustration Friday topic "flying."

Here are other "flying" pieces in this style:

Labels: junk-a-doodles

Labels: junk-a-doodles, pumpkin-junkin

One last piece of art to wrap up the countdown. This has been in my sketchbook for a while and thought it was a perfect piece for this little series.

Labels: junk-a-doodles, kindergarten, school

Still in Sutex catch-up mode but wanted to post this. Candi commissioned this piece for her daughter's graduation Saturday. Her initials are "AND" so her artwork signature is an ampersand (pretty cool huh?). The Dilhoffs now have 3 original Junk A Dooldles™ in their home. Thanks Candi!

Labels: junk-a-doodles

I've made a little video to show my Junk A Doodles™ process (where I recycle junk) in celebration of earth day. The Woog painted the earth blue and helped pick out and suggested pieces. Can you find her peeking her hands in the shot and my red pj pants? It's around 9 minutes and worth the watch if you have the time. Hope you like it!

Labels: junk-a-doodles, video

The above is a thank you postcard I designed last week to send to clients after I work with them (this is for my licensing clients - I have a different one I use for my children's illustration clients). I am getting them printed through Overnight prints since they did an awesome job with my business cards. I hope to get them early next week and I'll show the final product then (along with my Surtex postcards!).

Exactly one month from today I'll be on my way to NY for Surtex. Things are coming along great and I have yet to freak out (but there's still time). I finally figured out what I will show in my booth and how it will all look. That was the biggest stressor and now I feel like a load has been lifted off. I'll be posting tomorrow or Friday on part 5 of my Surtex Planning.

Labels: junk-a-doodles, licensing, surtex

I can show this now since it's at its new home. This was a way overdue baby gift for my cousin and the picture isn't the greatest because I forgot to photograph it before I framed it. I hate when that happens!

I'll be posting more SURTEX planning updates this week and also be working on a new venture that has been on my to-do list for a couple of years and it kind of all came to fruition this weekend. It's going to be BIG, BIG, BIG!! I'll give you a hint, it has to do with my (abandoned - so sorry!) Living the Creative Dream site. Stay tuned!!

Labels: junk-a-doodles

We didn't have enough snow for a standing snowman today so we made a 2D one. The Woog's is on the left and mine is on the right. Her's is much better!

Labels: junk-a-doodles

Thanksgiving is next week!! This is a poster I did over the summer for Scholastic.

***UPDATE: This was pretty cool...My aunt emailed me today and said she got this in her Nov/Dec bundle from Scholastic, so I guess it's hitting teacher's mailboxes now!***

Labels: junk-a-doodles

The above is my full color logo that reflects they type of work I've been getting ready for my licensing portfolio. It's nice to do something a little different from drawing kids :)

I have totally engulfed myself in the licensing world and what I've been finding out is that there are a gazillion companies out there that license work and there is this air of secrecy that surrounds the entire industry from both artist and companies. It's really hard to explain but it's become very evident to me. I understand that some artist have to keep their licensing partners confidential due to specific contract agreements but when you can't see any of a companies or artist's work unless you are a manufacturer, that seems a little weird to me. I totally get why they do it that way, but I'm wondering if people are hurting their business by being so hush-hush (visually and informationally). I'm in no way telling people how to run their business (I still have secrets under my belt) and maybe they've been burned in the past? I think I feel this way because I've always had an "open" portfolio and freely talk about my experiences in the illustration field. It has gotten me thinking if I should be secretive with my work and information. I don't know the answer yet... Anyone else get this vibe about the licensing industry?

I had a great, awesome, long-overdue, meet-up with an old professor of mine from college. She was my absolute favorite and I had lost touch with her after graduation. Over the last 8 years I've been periodically googling her seeing what she was up to and couldn't find anything. When I started thinking seriously about licensing, I thought about how great it would be to pick her brain since I remembered she had dealt with licensing and product development for a company. Well, low and behold, while doing my research on licensing, I happened to find her on the staff page of a licensing agency. Serendipity? Serendipitous in deed! So I was able to pick her brain last week and my brain hasn't stopped firing since.

I've also been reading a lot of blogs from licensing artists and since Christy (love her!) tagged me, I'll share some of my recent licensing favorites:

Tara Reed's Art Licensing Information Blog
Heather Bailey's HELLOmynameisHeather
Paula Prass' Show + Tell
Amy Schimler's Red Fish Circle

And here's a fun piece I did this weekend. It's been on my to-do list for a while. Now I'm working on some things to compliment it:

Labels: junk-a-doodles, licensing

Here's a snipet from what I was working on yesterday. I'm please with how the entire piece turned out. I see myself going more and more in this direction for licensing and children's work. There's something so relaxing about making 3-D art :) Now, off to the two, 2-D projects due today...

Labels: junk-a-doodles, licensing

Pumpkin Junkin' starts soon! I'm accepting entries now so get junkin' and send them in. I've added prizes for kids too! I'll be doing a bigger announcement mid-September or so.

Labels: junk-a-doodles, pumpkin-junkin

I did a poster for a client a while back and this is how it looked:


After they sat on it for a while, they ended up not liking it for the age group it was geared towards so they wanted something a little simpler and more straightforward. This is what they went with:


Things like this happen from time-to-time as an illustrator. I can't take it personally. I'm actually happy with both of them and obviously the first one was more fun to make.

Labels: junk-a-doodles

Pumpkin pie to go with my turkey from the other day.

RECIPE:

1 vintage milk cap
1 swirly button

Paint center of milk cap orange and paint silver inverted scalloped edge. Top with white painted swirly button.

Serves: Smiles :)

Labels: junk-a-doodles

Working on turkey today for an educational poster about Thanksgiving. Whenever I sit down to create my junk a doodles pieces, it's instant relaxation for some reason.

Labels: junk-a-doodles

Our Woogie Wednesday that turned into a Woogie Weekend (yes, it is Friday but we try to have 3 day weekends every weekend) is finally done!

Labels: junk-a-doodles, woogie-wednesday

This is a piece I made and donated for a Memorial Day Charity Walk that will appear on posters and t-shirts. I'm under the gun with a huge deadline this week but I can't wait to do some more junkadoodles pieces like this. It just puts me in a good and energized mood but my hand sure do get dirty!

Labels: junk-a-doodles

It's Wednesday again and time for Woogie Wednesday. This is where we make one of my found object (Junk A Doodles) pieces.

Here's what we started off with:


I then asked her, what should we make out of all this?
"Diamonds" she said with a smirk on her face. She was wearing a "diamond" ring and she wanted something to match.

I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do, so it took me a while to figure it out and in the meantime she lost interest but did check on me from time to time and hand me pieces of junk to use.

The best thing I could come up with was a cat with diamond stripes and diamonds on the collar. I also did a few stitch lines and am calling it Illustration Friday this week too.

Here's how it turned out:



I'm still working on the Woogie Wednesday site, but prints should be up for sale over the weekend if not before.

And, now some Link Back Love for today:

doobleh-vay.blogspot.com
gailmakiwilson.blogspot.com
danidraws.com
artgirlatl.blogspot.com
donnadoodles.blogspot.com

Labels: junk-a-doodles, woogie-wednesday

It's Wednesday again and time for Woogie Wednesday. This is where we make one of my found object (Junk A Doodles) pieces.

Here's what we started off with:


I then asked her, what should we make out of all this?
"How 'bout a DUCK!"

OK. I guess we both have birds on the mind today.

She starts picking out which parts will be what and paints the head, beak and paper punches random bits, while I paint the background. She them turns her attention to doing one all by herself and confiscates 2 of the pieces. She made a mouse and thought it was hilarious that I took a picture of it:

And here's how it turned out:



And then here's out finished product. more of a chick than a duck. It would make a cute Valentine's Day card I think.



I'm launching a Woogie Wednesday site next week and we'll be selling prints of our pieces, so stay tuned!

Labels: junk-a-doodles, woogie-wednesday

Just a little something I did for this month's Highlights Magazine.

Labels: junk-a-doodles

The past several (SEVERAL!) Woogie Wednesdays have consisted of deadlines for me or the Woog helping me measure, paint and whatnot in the new studio. We didn't do pictures of those days because it really wasn't all that interesting. But now, since the studio is done, this is the first Woogie Wednesday and really the first kind of art (besides those 60 illustrations I had due yesterday) that was done in the studio. And, since we've started late in the day it will continue into a Woogie weekend.

Today, we are working on our Christmas card. We're making a Junk A Doodles snowman:



And the Woog is loving her new studio space. Here she is while the paint is drying:



And I don't like to show a room that's not yet fully decorated (hopefully I'll be able to do that some tomorrow in between projects), but here's a sneak peek at one wall:

Labels: junk-a-doodles, studio, woogie-wednesday

The judges have spoken and the winner of the 2007 Pumpkin Junkin' contest who gets an original Junk A Doodle piece is..... Kris Bordessa! Congratulations Kris!

This is her pumpkin (so cool!):



And the two runners up were Meghan Templehof and Leeza Hernandez!! They both get one signed print of my Junk A Doodles piece. Here's Meghan's pumpkin and here's Leeza's pumpkin. Thanks to all who participated!!

Labels: junk-a-doodles, pumpkin-junkin