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.

R is for Raccoon and Rake

 R is for Raccoon and Rake

Will escaping the cold of winter it was fun coming up with yet another letter R for my whimsical letter collection called Alphabet Soup.

R is not only for the raccoon and red rake but robin as well.

You can fine this illustration and many others on my Fine Art America site.

P is for Panda and Parasol

 P is for Panda and Parasol

Returning to creating more illustrated letters for my alphabet series called Alphabet Soup.

This past summer a mother confided to me how her son loves pandas and his name started with the letter P.  So here it is finally! Was fun creating it as an escape from these past gray January days.

You can also find it on Fine America

Here it is as a pillow!

J is for Jack Russell

 J is for Jack Russell

J is for Jack Russell is new addition to my collection of alphabet letter illustrations called Alphabet Soup.

 J for the Jack Russell Terrier which forms the letter J includes other elements that begin with the letter J such as the jug with the Jack Rabbit on it, Jasmine blossoms and the Blue Jay, the journal book, and finally the color background of jade green.

Have to say J is a challenge. A fun one at that!

 Makes a great pillow too for all you dog lovers out there! 

Check it on on Fine Art America!

D is for Dinosaur

D is for Dinosaur and Disaster

Finally got around to illustrating another letter D.

I think my grandson had a lot to do with it and his love of dinosaurs.

Threw in a couple of dragonflies to connect with the letter D.

Hope to see if this is a hit with the kids.

Updating Older Artwork

T is for Table, Tabby and Tea Kettle

Every once in a while, I look at one of the digital pieces of art that I created with a critical eye and see room for improvements. In the past painters would repaint a composition several times, but with digital illustrations you do not have to start at the beginning. 

As you can see in the original, it was more of a simple design with only the table and table clothe connecting to the letter T.

I though to spice it up a bit with more interest as well as make the cat a tabby and add more objects that connect with the letter T such as tulips and tea kettle. When designing at American Greetings, it was not uncommon to go back into designs and change them. We use to refer to the changes as reworks. 

It seems the art of the rework is still a habit.  

X Marks the Spot

X Marks the Spot

Just finished a new letter X to add to the collection called Alphabet Soup.

S is for Swan: New Look

S is for Swan

When I would sit in my both at art festivals, I become my worse critic. I start to pick candidates for updates and revisions.

I started to look at my original below thinking it could be better, juicier, tweaked to look better. I use to do this as a designer when I lived in greeting card world. It is an old habit. 

Better? I hope so! 

Check out the new look on pillows and tote bags!

Check them out on by clicking on this link:

https://valerie-drake-lesiak.pixels.com/featured/s-is-for-swan-valerie-drake-lesiak.html

Have a Beautiful Day!

M is for Mouse, Map, and Motorcycle

M is for Mouse, Map, and Motorcycle

Here is the latest for all those who love the letter M and are on the move!

Have a fun day!

Revisiting and Tweaking an Illustration

C is for Cat & Cockatoo

Still go back from time to time to revisit and tweak an illustration I created. 

I went back to change the background to a more pronounced check, tweak proportions, and a touch more green, and add more contrast.  

The beauty of working digitally is I can always go back to change it up.

R is for Rose and Robin

R is for Rose and Robin

One of the things about working in greeting card world for several decades was learning to change art and repackage it for the better.

Initially the above piece was just R is for Rose, no robin, nor raspberries for that matter. 

So after staring at it over the spring and summer I thought to warm it up a bit tying into more R words. 

It gives it a new life like a new hairdo or dress. It needed a little more live interest and whimsy.

And it makes for a more interesting T-shirt you can find on my Fine Art America Link.

       R is for Rose and Robbin as monogram T-shirt.

B is for Beagle

B is for Beagle

Coming up with ideas for the letter B is a tough one. What works to make that shape?

I also get many requests for dog illustrations. 

So I stepped up to the plate to give it a try. 

Here is B is for Beagle, Balloon, Ball, and of course Bird too!

Below are other letters I have done that feature dogs.

A is for Airedale

D is for Dalmatian

Who knows? Maybe I am on to something!

H is for Hummingbird

H is for Hummingbird

Wahoo! A new letter H!

H is for Hummingbird and Hyacinth too!

Have to say, I had to strain my brain on this one!

The newly created design is available as a pillow and more on Fine Art America.

N is for Neptune - Update

N is for Neptune

Yep, I am at it again.

I looked at a design I did a while ago, as shown below, and it did not look quite finished. 

It did not quite pull together for me.

I guess that what happens when you gaze at one's creations while sitting in a tent while doing an art festival. We become our own critic. So I set about to add a bit more drama as well as pull the color story together a bit more.

It will be interesting to see if this one will get a better response with it's new update.

M is for Monkeys

M is for Monkeys

Here is my new creation that I added to my letter M collection and for all letter M fans.

M is for Monkeys and Melon too! 

Inspired by the fun of Summer and monkeying around.

Below are some Letter M's I have created in the past.

M is for Mountains, Moose, and Moon

M is for Mermaids

M is for Mustache

Have a MARVELOUS day!

Restyle! The Letter S

S is for Seal and Starfish

Part of my job in my career as a greeting card designer was to give fresh looks to older designs that still had good bones. It was to give new life or a second wind as well as increase sales. Not unlike rearranging the furniture and painting the walls of one's living room to give it a new spirit.

So while looking at my art on the walls of my tent during art festival season, the older design below became a candidate for a restyle.

While I still carry this version on Fine Art America, I thought to produce another with a different color look.

Now I also offer this cute seal as a cute summer T-shirt.

You can find this cute T-shirt here: https://fineartamerica.com/products/s-is-for-seal-and-starfish-valerie-drake-lesiak-adult-tshirt.html 

Whether a seal fan or the letter S fan, or just love the sea, this seal is a real cutie for all that need a little fun in life. 

T is for Train and Train Trestle

T is for Train and Train Trestle

I listen to potential clients. 

TRAINS. I heard it more than once.

So here is a new letter T that features a Train that hopefully appeals to those who have sons and grandsons that love trains and whose name begins with the letter T. 

Evolving Design

P is for Pretty Poppy

When sitting in a tent at an art festival selling my art, my art falls under my ever critical eye. This design has now gone under a second change. It was like I had not finished the first revision.

As you can see below I had changed color of the back ground and revised the poppy, 

but it stopped there. 

The butterfly and the background pattern stayed pretty much the same from the original.

The middle piece was only a transitional piece. It still needed to finish evolving to its new look as I stared at it in the tent. I hope for now that it is done. But who knows. Maybe a year from now, you will see yet another new version. 

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!

New Letter K!

K is for Kayak and Kittiwake

The letter K is not easy letter shape that lends itself as an idea for an illustration. But then I thought of Kayak with its oars, and a newly illustrated K became a reality.

I  discovered, to my welcomed surprise, that there is a seabird that looks much like a gull called a Kittiwake that would be a nice addition to creating this illustration.