NEW UPDATE

 Y IS FOR YELLOW BIRD

Above is a new version of an older illustration I created for my letter art series below.

After reviewing sales, thought to redesign the bird to be a more obvious Y shape with more appeal.

Will see this summer if this has a better response.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

HAPPY 2023!

Wishing you a Happy New Year!

Thinking About Spring!

Bird on a Clothesline with Lilacs

Tired of winter blahs, I decided to redo and revise an older spring illustration of Bird on a Clothesline as seen below.

I liked the subject matter of my original illustration, but decided to make some changes like changing the bird and adding less rigid lilacs. The project helped to put the gray winter blahs at bay.

I also decided to create a pattern from the lilacs that you can find on some of my offerings on Fine Art America.

As you can see I love lilacs and thought they would be fun on things like shower curtains and tote bags. 

You can check out more here by clicking on the link below:

Fine Art America

 

 

O is for Ocelot

O is for Ocelot

Started to look at the letter O again, and thought it was time for a new design. Ocelot came to mind, not to mention Oriole. This quarantine is keeping me busy...lol! 

Flower Fun: Red Bird with Flowers in Vase

Red Bird with Flowers in Vase

Creating new designs like this newest one above is a wonderful remedy to gray skies and snow on a spring day. 

Here it is as a pillow!

And a carry all pouch!

Check them all out and more by clicking on this link:

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/red-bird-with-flowers-in-vase-valerie-drake-lesiak.html

Home is Where You Blossom

Home is Where You Blossom

While stuck indoors during the pandemic, I am taking my time to create. update, and add variety of color options. 

Here below is another version from years ago.

I like this one, but I thought to do another color option for customers and see which one has more appeal. If you like leave a comment as to which one you like better.

Peekaboo Bunny and Bird

Peekaboo Bunny and Bird

While on quarantine due to the coronavirus, I have more opportunity to design. 

Here is my newest illustration to uplift us into Spring. Sending out love and prayers to all as we work to get through this. 

I have also design it for a throw pillow.

Check it out by clicking here: 

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/peekaboo-bunny-and-bird-valerie-drake-lesiak.html?product=throw-pillow

Hang in there my friends.

An Attitude of Gratitude

Begin Each Day with a Grateful Heart

I came upon this sentiment and thought to illustrate it. I don't know who said it, but I do know when I practice it I feel better. 

Live! Love! and Laugh!

Live! Love! and Laugh!

Here is my newest illustration to brighten up the gray days of winter. Taking a break from letters of the alphabet, I looked for a sentiment, oh how greeting card designer of me, or quote that was uplifting that I could use in a sketch that I was working on. Then during a snow storm, words and art came together and I finished it.

You can find this and other words of wisdom in a collection I called Tea Cup Wisdom on Fine Art America.

Q is for Quail and Queen Anne's Lace

Q is for Quail and Queen Anne's Lace

Here is the newest illustration for the letter Q to start the new year! 

Q is not easy to come up with ideas, but finally after several sketches, using a quail finally started to work. 

I think using Queen Anne's Lace helped to make the Q shape a reality. 

Cultivate Kindness

Cultivate Kindness

Here is a new one to celebrate the month of April! 

You can find many versions of my latest illustration for sale on

Fine Art America

Hello Spring!

Hello Spring!

Once again I looked at one of my older pieces to liven  up a bit for spring.

In the greeting card industry, we called it a "rework".

Will see this year if it will make a jump in sales with a fresh look at the festivals this year, however it simpler version is also available on Fine Art America.

It is available as a framed print where you can pick your choice of color.

Or as a pillow.

Adding a touch of spring to one's home decor certainly helps to chase away the grayness of winter. 

From the Garden - Adaptation of Autumn in the Air

From the Garden

 During my time as a greeting card designer, I learned to take seasonal art and make it more versatile.

As you can see below, the original illustration I created was more limiting with the pumpkin in a piece I call Autumn in the Air.

It was a challenge to think what would look good in place of the pumpkin, but then I am a fan of birds. That design element also comes from greeting card design 101; adding live interest to warm up the design. 

Old habits die hard...Lol...

F is for Flamingo

F is for Flamingo

Years ago, somewhere in the early seventies, I found out that it was common place to see fake pink flamingos decorating lawns in places like Parma, Ohio.  

It was a common butt of Cleveland humor along with the chrome balls that decorated the lawns of many Cleveland suburbs. This was an odd sense of Cleveland humor that a girl from New Jersey found somewhat baffling. 

When my soon to be boss in the creative department at American Greetings turned 42, plastic pink flamingos appeared in his office and I soon started looking at the pink flamingo in a different light other than a tropical bird one might see in Florida. 

Naturally after all these years, when thinking of illustrating another letter F, a pink flamingo came to mind, even though one would not likely see a plastic one as a lawn decoration today. 

However, with tropical looks becoming hot, now is surely the time to revive the PINK FLAMINGO.

Review and Fix

Life is a Bowl of Cherries

I have noticed  when looking at my work at an art festival that I'm doing, I start to pick apart my artwork. I start to think...could I have done this better...would changing a color make it better...and so on.

Believe it or not, the green stems on the original kept bothering me. They seemed out of place.

But then of course I started changing and spiffing up a few other things.

Let me know what you think.

Review and Update: G is for Goose and Grasshopper

G is for Goose and Grasshopper

It must be the spring cleaning urge...the urge to not only to clean, but re-arrange the furniture, paint a room, change and shake up the decor a bit...only I have been doing this to my artwork as well. 

Home decor has been featuring many hues of gray. When reviewing the original below, I though gray would be good for an update. By adding some more flowers as well as adding soft pastels, it gives my illustration a whole new look. 

I am always curious as to how these changes will be received. 

Your comments are welcome!

Review and Update: B for Birdcage

B is for Bird and Birdcage

Yep, I am at it again!

Maybe I just can't help myself.

But looking at my old design below, I just felt the need to update.

Of course on second look I thought the background needed to make a more BLUE statement.

And of course the bird needed to be more BLUE.

It needed more. Maybe more B words, so I added BLOSSOMS to the background as well as two BEETLES to add a bit more fun.

I guess this is like looking at the paint on the walls of your home. After a while you think a change of color and moving the furniture around, plus changing out the drapes gives a new look to a tired setting.

Always Do Your Homework!

Always Do Your Homework!

 

I have to say I do love animals! This if for all pet lovers out there!

 

 

Home is Where You Bloom

Home is Where You Bloom

A while back I did a piece that was about home. It was an early piece and though I sold one, it really did not blow up my skirt, as my husband would put it. Because I have always thought of home as a blessing, whether it was the home I grew up in or the home I live in now, I thought to take another shot at it.

Inspired with the feeling that spring is upon us as well as seeing the birds starting to visit the abandoned birdhouse outside my window, this is new illustration I created.

 

 

N is for Nightingale

N is for Nightingale

Every time I do a show, I realize I need to expand my selection of letters. A friend named Nelly had stopped by at one of my shows early this summer, and needless to say, my letter N selection of two options was not blowing up her skirt. 

So this is my new stab at another option of the letter N.

N is for Nightingale,  

nest,  

nasturtiums, 

 and the newspaper pattern in the branches.