I love this image (above)! Iam starting to get the hang of creating depth, depth, DEPTH! You can see the dark, blurry landscape in the background coupled with the highlighted fish in the forground. The highlights on the fish were created with the use of masking fluid. I was able to add a bit of fluid that acted as a barrier when I applied my wash of greys. As a result, when I removed the fluid, I was able to get pure white highlights from the original water color paper.
Here is another image I drew/painted. Bear finds himself caught in the thorns of a berry bush, and needs help! The image is really supposed to be displayed vertical, but I am having technical issues on this blog. The page following Bear's incident is of the band-aid image below! I really like the fact that the background is pitch black in some areas. It adds sooo much intensity to his 'ordeal'! The monochromatic color adds even more drama to the scene!
Here is a new take on my illustrations for my book Bear's Bad Day. I decided to take on a whole new approach to illustrating where I sketch the images real quick and finish them off with color. I decided to expressively lay down color with the water color pencils without much thought and planning...I guess I will call these 'intuitive illustrations' where everything is just random - not planned out - and totally produced with one goal in mind...listening to my intuition and just going for it! This is an image I drew where Bear fell down and an animal friend offered to help him get a band-aid from the nurse's office.
This is an image I drew where Bear forgot his show and tell and an animal friend offered to give Bear her show and tell...a boot with flowers! I love how the flowers are all wilted and the boot is totally worn in! There is an element of beauty in something old and used!
Yes, I am still laying down color while scribbling with force! I love it! Believe it or not...I finished this piece in 30 minutes or so...at this rate I'll get my book written, illustrated and bound in no time! This is an image I drew where Bear dropped his tray of food and an animal friend offered to share his sardines! How cute!
I just finished sketching and laying down color of an image of a beehive! I was interesting trying to illustrate some detailing of the honey combs while, at the same time, trying not go over board on depicting too much information. It helps to sketch fast! Here, Bear helps another bear reach for some honey!-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is my latest illustration for my book Bear`s Bad Day . It took me a while to finally get back into this project, but I`m up and running again! In the book, Bear continues to have a bad day because he lost his Show and Tell item...his stuffed rabbit! He lost it at the bus stop, hence, the tire tracks...I plan to illustrate an almost exact likeness of this one because I would love to have a background that is softer grey to resemble day time...For the time being, this image will be for the very last page where it shows that the stuffed rabbit is left outside the entire day and into the night (Yes! This shows that Bear still did not manage to find his rabbit even until the end to the story!). Stay tuned for more of Bear`s adventure! Next...he has a bad day at the school cafeteria...Can you guess what happens next to give him a bad day...-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the first image for my book, Bear's Bad Day! I am super excited to begin illustrating the first of my second book I drafted. Bear's Bad Day first came about 6 years ago as a university teacher education project. My group and I were challenged to create a pop-up book revolved around teaching elementary aged students about Social Responsibility.This book follows Bear through a typical school day, but, first, beginning at his morning commute to school. 
The illustrations are intended to only portray Bear in form of his paw prints. This idea is strategic as I am unfamiliar with drawing full figured life forms with ease. Playing off the idea of prints, I decided to portray the school bus that Bear missed in print form too! Through each miserable scenario Bear finds himself in, he encounters a sympathetic animal friend to help him through his troubles. This animal, too, will be represented in paw print form...stay tuned to find out which animal it will be who walks bear to school, so he is not so lonely after missing the bus! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I drew this ducky sponge years ago as part of a portrait of my daughter in a bathtub. This image inspires me to produce more images for potential books! All I can say is that images like these were soooo fun to create! I am seriously looking into illustrating more pages for my potential children's books! I am in no hurry in illustrating human life forms...I'm still a little intimidated. I think I'll stick to still life...this will give my books added character, a sense of mystery, including added depth! Perhaps I will start creating images in color using watercolors...*wish me luck! 
This image reminds me of Little Miss Muffet for some strange reason! I drew this years ago, too. It was not intended for any of my book drafts, but it further inspires me to keep drawing...drafting...and eventually, PUBLISHING!