Last few days, I’ve been juggling photo shoots, end of school year mayhem, dance performances, ER visits and illustration deadlines. All this makes a girl a bit creatively drained. Recuperating from it all, I’m making small attempts to begin sketches for long time client, Grand Rapids Community Foundation. Again, I’m looking back to old illustration I’ve done for their newsletter, Current, to see if I can find what I’m missing. That creative mojo.Here are a few spot illustrations from past issues of Current:

Creating poster artwork isn’t as easy as you may think. Especially today, listening to birds singing out in the lovely sunny spring. Still, I’m expected to create the next round of images for next year’s Opera Grand Rapids. Things are moving along ok, but being that I’m a little distracted, and Mike scored us some sweet tickets to Porgy and Bess this Friday, I thought I’d share some of the color studies and sketches for this weekend’s performance.

Color is always an important element in my work, so when sketching I like starting with color right away.

Sometimes I scan the sketches and play with color and compositions in photoshop.

For opera artwork, I tend to listen to opera cds from the library. My kids do not really appreciate this.

Once a concept is settled, many color studies are made. Pencils and gouache make this process easy and fast.

Art finally gets done thanks to great art direction from Lisa at Square One Design

flight, originally uploaded by yodraws.

love dog, originally uploaded by yodraws.

Cute little Valentine’s day art I recently did for the Grand Rapids Community Foundation.

dots, originally uploaded by yodraws.

Today Mike hung some clothesline in the backyard. Perfect because the painting dries faster out in the sun and breeze. I also like seeing this project become a reality. I have a long ways to go and the end of the tunnel is no where in sight, but seeing the dresses pinned up in a row gives me a bit of encouragement that has been lacking the last few days.

good will, originally uploaded by yodraws.

I’ve been, almost daily, visiting thrift shops and garage sales, posting want ads on craigslist, emailing my friends. The response has been great. I’m overwhelmed by my generous supportive friends and family.

For the month of August, here is what I need:

• old dresses
• any condition
• any style
• girl sizes 6-14

thanks!

dress like the sky, originally uploaded by yodraws.

This painting is inspiring a series of paintings on dresses for an ArtPrize installation. If I secure a venue in two weeks, that is. Today I plan to hit the usual second-hand stores for used girl dresses. I’m thinking size 8-10, so that they’ll fit India. She will be my model for a photography series that’ll document the art process. Now I must breathe.

May 23 - June 5th

The Parlor at Cherry Hill Market – 721 Cherry Street, Grand Rapids, MI

Featuring Flickr photographers Katie Gregory, Nate Umstead, Rudy Malmquist, Jon Clay and me.

I’m digging this illustrator right now. His use of color & crayons make me smile. Today I bought 2 new moleskine sketchbooks to fill with a concept that I have brewing in my head. I’ll follow the dress/fashion themes shown here, here, or here. I’d like to explore creating actual dresses based on these paintings and maybe do a little photography. And, guess who will be my very willing model? India, of course.

Sadly, at 1 AM I’m way too wiggly eyed to post a video. So, here I provide a link to a video. It is the Tulip Time poster interview I did for WOODTV Connecting with Community. Thanks to expert editing I sound pretty good. No stuttering or incomplete sentences. But, what is up with my hair?