Color Me! Sleepytime Coloring Page!!

Just for fun a coloring page. Who are the models for this Sleepytime Coloring Page you may ask? Well this is Hanzel (the kitty) and Zoey (the shih tzu). Zoey got a new bed from Santa this year and Hanzel can not seem to resist the coziness of her present. Maybe next year Santa will bring them a bigger bed!


Click the image and select print! Send me your colored version and I'll post it on my blog, Happy Coloring!

AHH I haven't posted in so Long!

I am over due for an update! I am happy to say I joined a fantastic critique group. It has a lot of energy and constant motivation flow. Everyone is so helpful and there is such a unique and diverse style to everyone's work as well as their experiences. Through this critique group we are in the process of starting up a Showcase of all of our work as well as some other fabulous illustrators that would like to post. Hopefully every week we will be posting new illustrations and once we officially go live will be sending the link to editors, art directors, schools, and other organizations. Just a little tool to help with exposure. Lately I have found myself in a bit of a creative funk and really need to get the ball rolling with new ideas. I have a sketch due soon for the second cover of the Desert Magic Series written by Cindy Davis and John Richters and would like to "bust out" a new portfolio piece, possible postcard before that. I am also waiting to hear back on a publisher about a possible book contract, more on that later. I will also be sending out a newsletter sometime in the near future so if you are not already signed up feel free to do so by submitting your email address on the right of this page!

Happy New Year!!

Well 2008 just flew by!!! 2009 should be a good year if I stick to some of my resolutions which includes getting a gig that I can be happy to boast about (like a book cough cough). I have been keeping myself pretty busy through Christmas, mostly painting and making presents for clients, family, and friends. Most of them were dog portraits, which I hope to add a link to on my website. I also created a wall plaque for my sister who is a hair stylist which was a lot of fun and something different. I definitely would not say that sculpting is one of my strongest points by any means so I rarely take an opportunity to "play" with sculpey and acrylics. I molded hair dresser supplies to spell out her name....can you see what it says???? Well everyone have a Happy New Year, and here's to sticking to resolutions in 2009!!!




Don't forget if anyone is interested in having a personal painted portrait of their favorite pet or child that I am open for business!!! I will be soon to post these examples and hopefully others on my website along with rates!

Online Interview

I am this month's member spotlight on the website for the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles!! View it here.

New Shop!

I just opened up a shop at Cafe Press. I included a link on my website so now everyone may buy little trinkets, coffee mugs, and T-Shirts with my art work on them! I'll be working on it for the next few weeks and adding more art work to the site so people can shop for more goodies!

New Postcard!

I decided to use my latest paintings for my new postcard. I was having trouble fitting the spider illustration on the back so that I would have room for the address labels, a stamp, and the post office bar codes, so I decided to do what I wanted anyway and then just have to use an envelope.

NJ SCBWI Illustrator's Day

I was able to go to an Illustrator's Day in Princeton yesterday. My favorite part was having my most recent piece critiqued by other members in the field and by Patrick Collins, art director for Henry Holt Books for Young Readers. I am pretty happy with the results and the reaction Patrick had to my piece. I was also given the opportunity to have Laurent Linn give me a in depth portfolio critique. He was so helpful and pointed out what was good and bad about almost every piece I had. I really know what I have to work on now and have a clear vision of what I need to do when I create new pieces so I can slowly work on weeding out the weaker pieces. I also loved that I was able to browse through other members portfolios. I recognized some work through childrensillustrators.com and am so happy I was able to meet their maker! I saw many familiar faces from previous conferences and love how everyone is just so friendly! Overall a wonderful day and I can not wait until the next one. I give major props to Leeza Hernandez for making this all happen! Here is my finished assignment. I also brought the preliminary sketches I had posted a few posts ago.

Happy Halloweeeenn!!!

Trick or Treat!
One of my favorite Holidays!!

I love seeing all the fun and creative costumes at my front door!


This is my little Zoey, she has a few costumes. She has been a witch in the past which I took here with my cell phone, but this year she is a pirate.

SCBWI Conference Assignment

So I was going to wait until I was finished with these paintings to post anything but I am really excited about it and can not wait. I am going to the NJ SCBWI Illustrator's Conference next month and everyone had a choice of manuscripts to pick a double paged spread to do. I sent in my original ideas to Patrick Collins, the art director for Henry Holt Books for Young Readers and with his comments I revised my sketches, almost completely and am so happy with the result. I am currently working on both paintings now and bring in the finished pieces for a critique at the conference. Here is my original sketch and then beneath it the revised version which will be translated into paint. Yay can't wait for the conference!!!

I just finished a painting for a YA book cover!

Here is my finished painting for the YA fantasy Desert Magic. Cindy Davis and John Richters team up to create a young adult fantasy trilogy starring a 15 year old boy named Narle, his mysterious friend Laan and his favorite companion, a black horse called Storm. Adventure, magic, and beasts fill this desert air and Narle uses the power of his jade bracelet for protection.

This book will be published by LL Dreamspell and will be available online and in some bookstores. Hopefully I will be able to have some pull to have it carried in some of my own local bookstores as well.

On a side note talented illustrator Holli Conger is holding a Pumpkin Junkin' Contest. Use some of your favorite household "junk" to decorate your pumpkin. Prizes include original illustrations and signed prints by the illustrator herself!!