An Illustration Collaboration

©2018

My dear friend, who is also a pretty incredible YA author, is collaborating with me on a new project. I can't share the details just yet, but here's a little sample of my art to get you through...

Most wonderful time of the year

Pretty much every part of the year from a work standpoint is the most wonderful.  And right now I have a few exciting projects in my mental crockpot, but they are not quite ready to share..yet... So in the meantime, here's some art I completed this week about a super-fun camp for the animal lover kids in my community. 

To be continued...

Winter Wine, Stein & Spirits at Potter Park Zoo

Seven swans a swimming

My design clients always keep me a few months ahead of the holiday game. Here's a sneak peek at this year's big Winter Wine, Stein & Spirits at Potter Park Zoo.

I paid tribute to the trumpeter swans that grace the zoo and also the 12 Days of Christmas carol.

Hope takes flight in Herbert-Herman Cancer Center

Inspired by the poem "Hope is the thing with feathers," by Emily Dickinson my piece "Hope takes flight," was created through papercut illustration and community participation.

On survivor day, I was joined by cancer patients, families touched by cancer and cancer caregivers to paint their loved one's names or a bit of inspirational messaging. I took the precious notes back to my studio and sliced them into free-flying colorful birds that float through the piece on fishing line. 

This was such an incredible experience from start to finish! I am so thankful for all of the people who helped make it happen: Kelly Gmazel, Chris Tyler, Marsha Cosgrove, Sparrow Women's Board of Managers, Arts Council of Greater Lansing, Image360 - Plymouth MI and Marybeth Swan. 

For those interested in viewing this artwork eyeball to eyeball, it is now installed in it's permanent home outside of Conference Room A in Sparrow Hospital's new Herbert-Herman Cancer Center.

Cowman & Horse

©2017

Extras for a new book I've been hired to illustrate. I labeled them so you could tell the difference...

GIANT Anteater

Lots of fun projects in the pipeline that I can't quite share. But here is a cool new exhibit sign for the zoo.  The GIANT anteater just moved into Potter Park and I for one would like to give him a great big welcome!

Research for this guy sort of blew my mind!  He can weigh up to 90 Lbs and his claws are so long and sharp and fierce, he can rip a jaguar (or person...Gulp!) to shreds.

EEK!  Much respect to this toothless bug-sucking warrior. If you are in the neighborhood, stop by and say "Hey Buddy..."

HOWWWLLL at the Moon

Howl ©2017

After a busy bee summer, (lots of new art will be posted very soon!) my favorite time of year is near! Here's a little digital doodle to celebrate my excitement!

Hope is the thing with feathers

#PapercutIllustration

I love making every slice for this piece. It's truly been a joyful & meditative experience so far!

And any type of work that slows down my brain is a welcome project!

Cut cut cut

Something new & big is happening on my table.  Here's a peek at the beginning.

Investigate Art

I continue to be inspired by the characters of books.  In fact, Nancy Drew needs to be a whole series, dedicated to my sister who read a giant box of them the summer of her eleventh year and then suffered from nightmares and then continued to read the rest.

#BraveGirls #BraveBookReaders

One for you & one for me

I don't usually keep my own work, because well... Mortgage, food and heat. But I've decided to hold onto Secret Garden.  At least for now.  She's my fave from the show and a nice reminder of that month when a gallery in Lansing let me turn their walls into paper vines.

Owl be seeing you at the zoo

New signage at Potter Park Zoo 

I'm working on some new owl signs for Potter Park Zoo, and loving how the design and photos are coming together.

On a personal note, I love owls - the zoo let me pet one a couple years ago.  It was so exciting for me, but the owl seemed pretty disgusted with our entire interaction. Oh well.

Scroll on by

I'm still sifting through the wonderful photos that patrons of my installation at Lansing Art Gallery have sent my way.  But I promise to have a highlights reel soon.  Until then, let these great shots of my arch and my favorite scroll wet your whistle!

Check it out... Literally

The Purple Pussycat, aka, the book I illustrated is now available at the library!

As a nerdbird who loves the stacks, it's kind of a dream come true to see my art attached to a card catalog.  So dust off your library card and check it out! 

Free Art Event

Classics Storytime at Capital Area District Library

Secret Garden of Selfies

Keep sending me pix of you enjoying my exhibit Heroically Ever After at Lansing Art Gallery from now through March 25th, because it makes my heart SWELL into obesity of love!!

Thank you Lansing Art Gallery, Barbara Deming Memorial Fund & Capital Area District Library for helping me put on this celebration of women authors and strong girl heroes!

#LittleWomen #SecretGarden #AnneOfGreenGables #ALittlePrincess #JaneEyre

Heroically Ever After

Art inspired by Anne of Green Gables & A little Princess 

My big papercut illustration show is now installed and waiting for your eyeballs!

(THANK YOU Sara Pulver for your help with the installation!!)

Visit Lansing Art Gallery now through March 25th to celebrate strong girl heroes, women authors and March is Reading month!

This show is sponsored in part by the Barbara Deming Memorial Fund. It could not be possible without my partnership with Lansing Art Gallery and the Capital Area District Library. #WomensHistoryMonth #MarchIsReadingMonth #SecretGarden.

  

Think Spring: Crested Wood Partridge

I illustrated a Crested Wood Partridge for this year's spring Wine & Stein.  They are such cute little birds with amazing hair, so it's their turn to have the spring spotlight.  

Ticking clock

The framing has begun for my big show! Hope to see you at the Gallery!

A little over a month to go

This is what my house is looking like these days... A cobweb of paper vines and I'm one exhausted spider.

The live show hangs at the end of February, so until then my callused fingers will be clipping and snipping and slicing.