Painting with walnut ink

The other day I felt like trying something new with my sketching so instead of using a pen to draw I grabbed a bunch of brushes and some walnut ink. I like the way it layers like watercolor and the sepia tone is really nice. But what to draw? I remembered a yummy looking recipe I saw in my new issue of Sunset Magazine and thought that would be fun to try. I liked how the buns were all lined up in the pan with their little icing Xs on top—it made me think of a game of tic-tac-toe. Plus I could use write out some of the ingredients, that would be fun.

After I painted all of the pieces, I scanned them into Photoshop where I rearrange everything and added the color and fabric. I like the combination of the sepia walnut ink and the orange—I thought about adding more, but liked the simplicity of just using two colors.

Corbis Stock Illustrations

Corbis recently added some more of my illustrations to their Cherry collection. So if you're looking for the perfect petri dish, ice skates or gardening girl check out my selection which are available for purchase. Don't see what you're looking for? Then contact me about creating custom illustrations for you! :)

Spring Has Sprung

It's a little more than a week away until it's officially spring, but here in Seattle we've had record setting warm weather lately. Daffodils, crocus and cherry blossoms have been making an appearance for a couple of weeks already. So I'm going to pretend that it wasn't snowing today (what the heck?) and forge ahead with the belief that my veggie garden will soon be underway.

For this illustration, I sketched the lettering and a few elements, scanned them and then started refining it in the computer where I could play with color. Looking back at a previous spring illustration, it's funny to see some of the same elements pop up—gradation, bird, flowers—but I can see how my illustration style is evolving into a less fussy, more playful style. I hope you like it!

Georgetown Centennial Identity

2010 celebrates the 100th anniversary of the annexation of the Georgetown neighborhood by the city of Seattle—an important moment in the history of this colorful community. Over a period of several months I worked with the Georgetown Community Council to develop this identity which will be applied to materials for upcoming events, fundraising and marketing.

Some of the key words the identity needed to convey were: quirky, fun, historic, independent, gritty and enduring. It also needed to be timeless and evoke the personality of the neighborhood—a unique, rich historical past, along with spirited community activism.

I presented several options to choose from and in the end my favorite solution was chosen. The palette represents the brick of the neighborhood's buildings and the individual elements highlight some of the well known landmarks of the area.

Green Eyed Lady Illustration: In Print

I can't believe it's already February! I hope you all enjoyed Hot Tea Month and have flipped your calendar to settle into Embroidery Month. A couple of weeks ago I got an advanced copy of the February/March issue for Horticulture Magazine and was so happy to see my Green Eyed Lady illustration peering back at me. Pick up a copy, it's chocked full of great gardening advice!