Tangled

I had to smile when I read that this week's Illustration Friday topic: 'Tangled.' I've been working on a short film project with a friend and have a folder entitled 'Tangled' on my desktop, which contains several tangle-themed sketches. So, I thought I'd take some time today and finalize one of them. This will eventually be a still frame in the movie. When the whole thing is finished of course I'll let you know.

Fitness Magazine

I did a full page illustration and two accompanying spots for the Nov/Dec issue of Fitness. Was sort of a dream job, because they chose a sketch for the main art with a cityscape in the background (always a favorite of mine), and I also got to paint the headline.

Blur

"Blur' is this week's Illustration Friday topic. Unfortunately it was not difficult to find inspiration... all I had to do was take off my glasses.

I made the image blurry by printing the line work twice, just a bit off-register. You can see it better at my website:

http://violetlemay.com/artwork/1059701_Blur.html

Trippy Dippy Hippies

Anna Goodson does a super-cool thematic coaster promotion every fall. This year, each of us submitted art inspired by the 60's-70's. I couldn't decide which one of my hippie sketches I liked the best, so I lumped them all together.

If any of you, like me, were young in the 70's, perhaps you remember carrying a big plastic comb in your back pocket, like the one the guy in the background has in his hand at the ready. We needed those combs to keep our feathers in place! (I say 'we', as if I ever had feathers. Alas, despite endless hours spent blow-drying and shellacking with spray, my hair would never cooperate.)

Today's Parent: 'We Surrender!'

Over the summer I made this image for the November 2009 issue of Today's Parent. The article poked holes in the myth that stay-at-home moms and mothers who work outside the home are at war with each other. Very uplifting and interesting article. The author explained that plenty of stay-at-home parents actually work from home, and those with brick and mortar jobs strive for flexibility in their schedules so they can spend more time with their kids. The boundaries between the two are blurry at best. And, in the end, each is supportive of the other.

Vegan Carrot Crisps

'Skinny' is this week's Illustration Friday topic.

Huh.

For two days or so I mulled over various ideas, but to me, all were so boring... the problem with skinny is that there's not much to draw, you know? Fat covers a lot of surface area. Skinny, not so much.

Then I remembered illustrating an article for Modern Bride years ago, about how newlyweds tend to gain 10-15 pounds in their first year of wedded bliss. I did tons of sketches for that assignment, so I dug through the file cabinet until I found the pile of rejects. I love the way the guy's shirt in this one hangs on his skinny frame. The only change I made was the product name, from 'Marital Bliss Chips' to 'Vegan Carrot Crisps'.

A Violet at the North Pole

This year's Bologna Children's Book Fair is honoring author Gianni Rodari with an illustration competition. Here is a study for my submission. If time allows, I'd like to make an actual painting, or a lino print... we'll see how it goes.

Finding his books here in the states was difficult. I was able to order a CD, however, on which a narrator read seven of his stories. I had to pick the one about the violet for obvious reasons. :-)

You can read about the competition and the book fair at the Bologna Fiere site:

http://www.bookfair.bolognafiere.it/bcbf09_internal1.asp?m=107&l=2&a=&ma=366&c=4114&p=1072009