down the street…

and around the corner for breakfast this morning at Java @ 10:15 am

i had an americano & cranberry scone

self portrait

Today marks the 100th day of the photo collaboration of an online group called ten:15am.  To mark the 100th day, they decided to do a theme of self portraits….so here is a glimpse of me @ 10:15 am this morning.

doodle

just a few flowers…

japanese maple tree

20″ x 20″
acrylic

drawing day 08

Today is Drawing Day 08! A “worldwide drawing event encouraging everyone to drop everything and draw for the sake of art”. Pick up your pencil or pen and draw something and join others to help reach 1 million drawings today, in order to raise awareness and boost online art communities. You can upload your drawings to Flickr, You Tube, Facebook, Myspace, and many other online communities.

dior dress sketch

not really loving this sketch, but love the dress!

french dress sketch

a sketch based on a French dress in the Met’s costume institute collection

veggies sketch

some vegetables that I have been sketching

cherry tree painting

cherry tree
桜
acrylic
30×40

I finished the cherry tree painting on Saturday. I was waiting to post in order to take a better photograph, but this will do! I am very pleased with this painting, it turned out exactly as I envisioned it. It’s not the typical idea of a covering of cherry blossoms, this is more simplistic and minimal. Also, perfect timing for this week’s Illustration Friday topic, Seed.

I think this painting has significant meaning to me. A cherry tree is the first tree my husband and I ever planted, so it reminds me of our new beginning.

Spring is a time of renewing and starting over. The dead of winter is now history, the trees, flowers and grass are all awakening and renewing life. The cherry blossoms, or Sakura, is a beautiful metaphor for life. Cherry blossoms burst into life as quickly as they disappear, an interesting thought on how we may choose to live our life. Life is all about living each day to its fullest, doing the best we can with what we are given. For me, the cherry tree is this important reminder about life.

painting update…

Here is an update to the painting I am working on.  I have the tree almost finished, I need to add more finishing details.  Hopefully, I will have time to work on the blossoms this weekend!

background

I’m working on an asian inspired painting for our bedroom. I love cherry trees, so this painting will be a simple tree with impressionistic blossoms….at least that is what I’m going for, let’s hope it turns out!

For now here is the background:

cartooned!

I have started to cartoon some of my friends, which has been such a fun process. Here are a few illustrations:

homage

Illustration Friday’s theme this week is Homage. Here is my homage to Renoir; a charcoal copy of one of his drawings. I have always loved his impressionistic paintings and his simple, lovely etchings. His drawings and paintings portray such a beauty of women.

“Why shouldn’t art be pretty? There are enough unpleasant things in the world.” Renoir

charcoal
22″x 30″

1920’s inspired sketches

I love the 1920s! The vintage clothing, hats and style… Here is a page from my sketchbook:

earth hour 2008

On March 29, 2008 at 8 p.m., join millions of people around the world in making a statement about climate change by turning off your lights for Earth Hour, an event created by the World Wildlife Fund.

Earth Hour website