Adapting to Fall

Today is awesome. It's a "freelance day," a day where I work on client assignments, the administrative things associated with freelancing, and portfolio projects. I usually get a couple of these each week, but this one is special, and not because I worked in my pajamas until 1pm. This is the first November 22nd since moving to Boston where I've gotten to work on my own art the whole day. I have a long way to go before I'll be the illustrator I want to be, but this feels really good.

Here's the first finished comic I've done in, I think, three years. It was time consuming--seven times the drawing of those cute paintings I've been doing for sales--but it's going to have such a good home in my portfolio, and drawing, inking, and coloring this guy was just a lark.

So: "Jessie Makes Jam:"

 

Edited: I replaced the original version with this one. Josh delivered one of his truly surgical crits: short, to the point, and utterly right. So, I've brought back some black for the line-work. I think it has a better depth and punch now, but feedback is always welcome.

B Season

Objective achieved, maybe! I've been busy since the last blog post, preparing for back-to-back holiday sales on December 3rd and December 4th (YIKES). I'll be in Longmeadow, MA for the third annual Brunch & Buy:

This is a super fun, intimate sale. It's in my parent's (cool, mod style) house, and includes some fabulous Western Mass artists who are, I can testify, amazing craftspersons and fab people. Plus there's a ton of food, and champagne. Tell your Western Mass friends! After the sale I'm hopping a bus and going back to Boston for Bazaar Bizarre! Erica Henderson and I are sharing a both! We're buying banners, we're dressing up, and we're preparing to just rock out all day. I've been doing these little paintings (each is 4.75" by 6.75") in batches for the last few weeks. I'm hoping to have another ten before Double Sale Weekend. If you see one and want me to bring it or save it for you, drop me a line.

Construction equipment puns!

This one is called "Mew Blood," unless someone things of a better name...

The phrase "Small Business Owner" is inexplicably enchanting to me when applied to an aardvark.

I think the rest of these are pretty self-explanatory.

Lastly, a series inspired by Harry Potter and an awesome Hufflepuff I met at the RISD alumni sale. (Do you know what Ravenclaw's animal is? Hint: not a raven.)