Workbook page up and running.

So, is it hot enough for ya?

It's perfect for me. I've been living in mostly kitty bliss mixed with a bit of kitty hell (damn you, fleas) all the while sanding and priming frames, and conceptualizing some cool paintings. Fun stuff!


I just wanted to give you the heads up on a new promotional gig my wonderful reps at Three in a Box have organized. The Workbook has been a staple in advertising your art for ages and ages. Their website now houses a portfolio of my illustrations for viewing and (hopefully) inspiring some new jobs. Here is a link to my part of the site. Stop by and have a look if you'd like.

Now go have a popsicle!

Meet my big surprise!

I am very happy to make an amazing introduction...


This is our new kitten, Ramona!

She's as sweet as can be, but is SUCH a kitten right now. She can play with anything, but enjoys our legs, under the covers, in bed, at 3 AM, when we are sleeping, the most. It was instant love.

I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of inspiration she will have on my work!

There are literally 5 boxes left to unpack at our new place, and have fulfilled my bridesmaidly duties and intend to be working like a mad woman from now on. A big freelance gig is under negotiations right now, the days are ticking down to the Queen West Art Crawl, new promotional work through my reps, and a new show is in the works.

Can't wait to share all the upcoming artwork!

New season, new home, new news!

Happy belated Canada day and Fourth of July! I hope that where you are is lovely and summery and full of fresh picked strawberries!

So, it may have seemed as though I was gone for good. Perhaps I had thrown in the towel? Not so much, my friends. I took a small hiatus to pack all my belongings and hightail it out of my old studio apartment and in to a beautiful new 3 bedroom. If I could please note that when you read the number three imagine that there are fireworks and stars shooting off around it. This is HUGE!! In 5 years I have not lived in more than one room. The addition of three glorious rooms means that I won’t have to sleep where I work where I sleep. Seriously- there were days where I would wake up to the vision of tubes of acrylic and pizza crusts. NO MORE!! WOOHOO! I can now have what every artsy girl dreams of... a studio space! Though I will be posting more pictures of my place when the boxes and mess has been put away, here is a shot of the room that will be my studio (be sure to focus on the fact that there is a door. A DOOR!!)

As a browser of many a craft and design blog I have had lots of studio space inspiration to pull from to make my space a true haven of illustration wonder. Here are a few of my favourite shots.

This beautiful studio belongs to Natalie Zee Drieu found on Apartment Therapy. LOVE the blue walls and the dueling work/computer spaces. This would really be a convenient layout for a gal like me!

Danny Seo's studio (also found on Apartment Therapy) is so cozy looking I could work in it all day. My inner 60 year old adores the plates on the wall. My outer 29 year old also does.

This is Angela Hardison's work room, found on Design*Sponge. I envy someone who can live clutterless like this. I love the layout. Alas, I have too much stuff. A girl can dream though.

I cannot wait to get started on this project so that I can get started on my next big art project. My new news is that I have been chosen to participate in a large outdoor art exhibition and sale here in Toronto called the Queen West Art Crawl. I have always loved going to this show and am super excited to be sitting along side the talented people whose work I oogled in years passed. I have a whole plan to create a load of new work and lots of fun ideas for themes. I will keep you in the loop on all my progress. I have one more bit of new news as well... it’s extra amazing and I want to tell you now but it still feels like a dream that it’s happening at all and I want to make doubly sure that it is before I share. Wish me luck with unpacking!!

June is busting out all over.

It really is! It's fully exploded and it's great. With the Ronaldo's sister's wedding coming up soon and our moving in to our new place at the end of the month I'm anticipating the rest of it will be a whirlwind. It seems like June is always my most social month of the year. I thought I might post some photos from the past few weeks (from my shiny new Lumix camera!) to highlight the explosion's aftermath.


This is the first photo I took on my new camera. This is a boat on a bike ride I took. I'm looking forward to some dazzling pictures in my future. Rest in Peace, old Sony. Your blurry days are over.



These are wedding shower cookies. I know. As you may or may not know, Ronaldo's family is of Italian heritage. I, as you may or may not know, am fifth generation south western Ontarian, or a "caker". A tradition at an Italian wedding shower is to offer tray upon tray of homemade Italian cookies. Apparently people bring their own tupperware and load up on them in a free-for-all style. Linda, Ronaldo's sister, wanted none of this, and decided to pre-pack the cookies so everyone got some. Let me just say that I have never seen so many cookies in my whole life. It was magic.





Our first bike ride on the Toronto Island. We picked a beautiful day to go. It was warm enough to dip your feet in the water! We packed a thermos of wine and some of the cookies seen above and had an awesome afternoon. It's nice that there is a place to get away from the craziness of Toronto, and it's only a ferry ride away!


I am a HUGE Dave Matthews Band fan. Big. I go see them every year. This year's Toronto show was extra special as not only were we FRONT ROW, but I was with the whole of team M, better known as my sisters. Between the three of us we've seen Dave Matthews over 30 times, but this is the first time we've seen them all together.

Best. Show. Ever.



You may be thinking that I've abandoned my art, but I saved the best for last. Yes, I am still working away! I finished this year's D.I.Y. cover for Broken Pencil Magazine. I thought I would give you a sneak peek at the inking. You'll have to stay tuned to see the final piece.

I hope that you are enjoying your Junes so far too!

On newstands now!

Good morning!
Happy Victoria Day weekend to you Canadians! Got to love a long weekend. I'm heading off shortly to help prepare for a bridal shower for Ronaldo's sister (hence my being awake before 9 on a Saturday) but I thought I'd take a sec to upload the work I did for Today's Parent. I did this piece back in March so I've been waiting on pins and needles to see it in print.

Here's the cover...


Here's the interior...


And here's what I sent the art director way back in March.


What do you think? Ronaldo insisted that I use a Les Paul as inspiration. He also felt that I made the characters' hair too short and that they weren't tattooed enough. I told him that this is for Today's Parent. Enough said.

Exciting news! Ronaldo and I found our new home!! We'll be going from a smallish studio to a 3 BEDROOM! With a JACUZZI TUB! It really is only a matter of time before my dream comes true and I get myself a little kitten.

Off to Stoney Creek to pack cookies for the shower. Enjoy your weekend, wherever you are!

Oh, the joys of moving!

Yes! We finally did it! Our notice was sent and Ronaldo and I are outta here on July 1st. Our little place in the distillery has been great, but more so than anything it has been little. I know that both of us are yearning for a place to work on our own and hopefully we will find just that. Our hunt has only been on for just over a week and we've already found a few cute places that piqued our attention. Hopefully it will be over shortly, as the running home from Mississauga to run out to a viewing is starting to cut into my blogging time. Funny, as I actually have some things to write about! I'm going to keep it short.

Last week while on a trek to an apartment viewing I stopped at a local drugstore to pick up some stuff. I was walking down the multivitamin aisle (clearly on the way to something way cooler and less healthy I'm sure) and found this popping out in a little tray:
Normally this would cause me to shriek with happiness as I love seeing my stuff in print (I still think it's SO COOL) but I had no idea that the work I did for Multibionta was being used for anything other than the commercial, which I did shriek at. Though I know it happens a lot in the illustration and design industry, this is the closest I'd ever been to having my art published without my permission or rights usages and it made my stomach sink. After a quick email I found out what the scoop was and everything is fine. I thought this was the perfect opportunity to tell all you awesome artists out there: MAKE SURE YOUR WORK IS PROTECTED. That's what contracts and waivers are for- to make sure your intellectual property is safe. After my little scare I will be sure to read through information thoroughly from now on.

More later this week- I can now talk about my piece in June's Today's Parent Magazine and I surely intend on doing so.

Getting the itch to stitch.

Hello.

I make no excuses this time. I should have posted, I didn't post, I apologize.

That being said, I really haven't been up to much to do with my own art. A project fell through, my phone has been pretty quiet, and I have been working much too much in Mississauga (which is to Toronto what Jersey is to the big apple).

On other people's front, a very talented friend of mine, Ben Sellick, had his very first showing (not his last) yesterday evening. I am envious of his ability to work big. Let me tell ya folks, it ain't easy. I love the energy in each piece, the colours he uses, the composition.... there is a reason people have been bugging him for ages to show. Here's a shot of one of the pieces.


This does zero justice to how awesome (and huge) his work is in real life, so if you are in Toronto in the next month, you should pop by Insomnia , a restaurant and bar at the corner of Bathurst and Bloor. His work is on display until the first week of June.

On another note, it's been months since I last embroidered and I am starting to miss it. Badly. I'm going to have to get back to it, or else. Here is an embroidered piece I did last year-

I will post new embroidery as it happens!