Chasing Away the January Blues

Reflection of a Promise

Cleveland winters are known to be filled with gray skies and snow. Today is no different. However, it is great down time to start on a few more illustrations. 

Here is my latest, where the picture tells the story. 

Only 69 more days till Spring!

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. 

M is for Mountains and Moon

M is for Mountains & Moon

Every time I do a show, I realize I need to expand my offering in various letters. The Letter M became a new candidate for a new design. The moon was a request from Carol Mason who politely suggested I could add another M to my collection.

So here is the latest letter M with Mountains, Moon, Moose & Maps!

Those maps being one of the stars in the background and the state of Montana in the foreground!

 

On the Bright Side

 On the Bright Side

The blue skies of summer are quickly passing. Because I have a birthday during the summer, this time of year is a reminder of getting yet another year older.

In youth, I could not wait till I became an adult. Youth gives one the promise of the wondrous journey ahead. Age gives you the lens of time to see what you have learned along the way. 

Now that I have seen 64 summers, I have come to appreciate the miracles in my life and have come to know and appreciate what God has tried to teach us through so many people over time. What few commandments that God has given us while honoring his gift of free agency, I have come to find to be protections out of His love for us, rather than restrictions.

 

J is for Jaguar

J is for Jaguar

Yep, it is another letter J. I figured since J is a popular letter, it was time to design another one.

So what should this Jaguar's name be as he resides in the jungle? 

Why Joshua of course!

 

Owl & Cat

Owl & Cat

This one is inspired by my grandson, Oliver. He is 2 1/2. He has lots of stuffed animals, among them an owl and cat. He hands them to me and says "Make them talk, grandma!" and of course, I do.

A little over a month ago, I started to do a sketch of Owl and Cat on an adventure. The sketch stayed dormant for a while, until at my husband's insistence, it came to life. 

F O R   O L I V E R

P is for Penguin

P is for Penguin

 Every time I do a show, I see a need to do another version of a letter.  In this case it is the letter P.  The other two P's were more feminine in nature. 

So for the last week or so, I have been racking my brain to come up with another P.  

I had thought penguin, but to make the P seemed problematic.  

Finally, another P word came to mind: pennant! 

A patterned pennant at that!

Y is for Yellow Bird

Y is for Yellow Bird

The Letter Y is a tough one. Don't believe me, just check the dictionary. Okay, Yak, maybe, but I was not in a Yak mood. 

My husband calls me Yellow Bird sometimes. That is a long story in itself. So here is a yellow bird standing in the shape of the letter Y.  A stretch, I must confess, but I have only one other Letter Y and I thought it would be nice to have some variety there. 

Signs of Spring!

Hello! 

Blue Bird and Ladybugs

The nicest part of April is hearing the birds sing when I work outside clearing the debris of winter. Who knew such little ones could bring so much joy after winter.

The Letter H for Henry the Horse

The Letter H for Henry the Horse

In my preparation for up coming shows in 2015, I figured I needed another H. Here is a lower case one featuring a horse I call Henry standing in a H shape in the country hills.

The Letter L is for Lighthouse

L is for Lighthouse 

I have always liked lighthouses. They are a beacon of hope. So suitable for the letter L.

You could add other L words like Lunar and Lake to describe

 this Lovely illustration of this  

 Little Lighthearted Lighthouse.

The Letter C for Cat & Canary

C is for Cat, Canary & Cup

I don't know if the C is obvious as the handle on the cup, but I was trying to avoid bending a cat into the shape of the letter C. I wonder how others will receive it. 

Each one of these is a fun exploration design. Of course there is another C word in the design. 

The word Chevron describes the pattern on the cup.

 

Tea Cup Wisdom

Tea Cup Wisdom

I've started collecting quotes here and there with the thought that some of them might inspire a design or two.

So here is a little wisdom on a tea cup I'd like to share 

with all of  you. 

 

T is for Tiger, Tea, & Toucan!

T is for Tiger, Tea & Toucan!

 

Yes, it is another T. Since I have been making alternatives to my original letters in my alphabet series, it was time to illustrate another T.

 

Meet Ted the Tiger who is giving a Tea with Tessa the Terrific Toucan.

By the way, Ted is standing on a Tile floor as he balances Two Teacups while Tessa holds a Tea bag over the Table with the steaming Teapot .

 

 

The Letter P for Peas in a Pod

P is for Peas in a Pod

Here is a new P to add to my collection of illustrated letters.

P is not just for Peas in a Pod, 

but a Pink Papillon, 

as the French would might call a butterfly,

on a yellow Paisley Paper.

I might add the ladybugs are Precious!

I do hope this is Perfect for some People!

N is for Nessie

N is for Nessie

I have been puzzling over what to do for another letter N. 

It has been difficult. I mean I had a brain freeze. I was looking through the dictionary to see if I could get any inspiration, but all I got was a headache. So then I just started making different letter N's. Upon doing a lowercase script N, I saw it. NESSIE! Phew! These are getting harder and harder to do!

Have a great weekend! Tomorrow I rest!

I Was Here First!

I Was Here First!

It is back to the birds! They seem to become a secondary theme!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Three Cheers for the Red, White, and Blue!

Thinking of those that have served to defend our freedoms as we start this weekend. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

The Letter K for Knitting and Knitters

K is for Knitting and Knitters!

This is dedicated to all my knitter friends. 

I use to knit as well as sew, but drawing and designing took over. I was always amazed at those that could knit a sweeter and have all their rows even. If you ever receive something knitted by a friend, treat it with care and reverence for it was made with love.

The Letter M for Mermaids

M is for Marvelous Mermaids

Finally another idea for the letter M. 

My last approach with the letter M was M is for Mustache. Although fun, it seemed a bit limited as to my only M offering. 

I thought of map, but I have done the map theme before with C is for Compass and G is for Globe, although I may do one yet in that as it could become a theme. Thought of mountains, morning glories, and marigolds as well, but mermaids won out.