This is what I was working on in my last post - little paper swans with movable wings!  Oh, these were fun to make and very satisfying.

It has been years (literally) since I played with gouache paint and I was quickly reminded how tricky of a medium it can be.  It doesn’t seem like it would be but I had gotten so used to painting with watercolor that applying paint in this fashion felt a little uncomfortable.  But you know what they say about discomfort and growth!

Anyway, do they look familiar?  I based the design off of my Leda the Swan (sewing pattern).   I really love vintage-style soft things and characters and I tried to capture that  in this paper birds with their thick lashes, simple design and sparkly-ness.  (Isn’t glitter the best thing ever?)  After I took these photos I punched holes at the top and added some gold thread so that I may hang them up.

They like to hang out (ha!) with Peter Rabbit, for now.  I might need to make a flock of these, yes?  That’s a distinct possibility.  And once I got started making these swans,  I thought such things might find themselves quite at home in le shop.

Hee hee, can’t you tell I had fun taking pictures of these?

A lovely Tuesday to you!

It’s rare that I get to share works in progress with you;  I don’t usually think to snap pictures while creating new things.  And in the past month or so,  for one reason or another, I haven’t been up to a lot art-making.  But recently I started to play around with some ideas I’ve been wanting to get to for a while and I think that creative spark has been reignited!

Oh, and thank you for the comments of kind words and things lately.  I have been a little behind in my blog-reading and replies but I think of you often.  Have a lovely mid-week!

Sometimes I’m posting every couple days.  Sometimes every couple weeks!   Oh, to be consistent.

Let’s see, what has been happening around here lately…I changed up my blog header (Dear RSS feed readers, have a look!).  I acquired 2 lovely pieces of vintage rayon that I’m in the middle of de-stinking.  I also mistakenly painted the breakfast nook a pale lime sherbet rather than the pale sage I intended.

If you’ve painted a room before, you know the paint looks lighter on the wall than on the chip.  That’s what I kept telling myself as I painted in the afternoon Sunday.  Then I woke up the next day to find a huge container of lime green sherbet had barfed all over my breakfast nook.  As it turns out, the lady at the store mixed the wrong color (off by 1 digit).  When I went back to get a replacement she told me I gave her 2 chips, remember?  Yea, lady, I remember.  I remember giving you 1 paint chip.  (Why would I give someone 2 paint chips if I wanted 1 can of paint?)  Never fear, I did get my paint - in the intended color - and now I just have to get motivated again.

New blog header, new wall color and new swimsuit!  I guess I’m looking for change, maybe some spring weather.  Gosh, the weather in L.A. is tricky in the winter.  It may look warm and sunny outside but then you dash off to a meeting without the proper layers and you are freezing!  (Ok, not really freezing.  Freezing in SoCal is code for 58 degrees.)

Anyway, back the swimsuit, the reason for this post.  (I’m rambling a bit, I know, it’s late!)  I’ve been looking high and low for a one piece.  I’ve always liked the “old lady” ones with the skirts (like the one my Grandma used to wear) but they never come in my size.  I found the one pictured at Target.  It’s not really a one piece: it’s a tankini that’s really long and ruched with a wee little ruffle at the hem.   So you have to wear a bikini bottom with it.  (I guess you don’t HAVE to, but I’d highly recommend it.)  It comes with a removable strap too.  It’s so cute and actually fits me!

Although I’ve known about the site for quite some time, this is my first submission to Illustration Friday!   Deadlines are my friend and I’d like a reason to do more drawing and on a more regular basis.  This week’s topic is “entangled” so I updated my tree girl silhouette to fit the topic a little better.