Fuzzypillars

two tigers

2011-01-23T21:10:00.003-07:00

Chinese New Year is just a few days away, and this past year was the year of the tiger. So, here are two tigers to say farewell to last year and hello to many happy new beginnings to come.

Merry, Merry!

2010-12-25T12:58:00.000-07:00

Super Cute

2010-01-25T21:29:00.006-07:00

Fact: raccoons are cute . . . and fun to draw.

I was sketching for fun, and I stumbled across this little guy. The sketch has a certain feeling to it that I really liked, but it gets lost in the cleaned up version. So, I'll post him too, since I like both of them for different reasons.

Happy + New

2010-01-08T19:30:00.004-07:00

Here's to a bright and shiny new year. Lately, I've been feeling a bit uninspired, but on New Year's Day, I had a sudden burst of creative energy. Perhaps it's an indication of good things to come in 2010. Happy new beginnings wherever you may be.

Illustration Friday: Renewal

2010-01-06T22:02:00.004-07:00

A much needed sleep

Renewing and rejuvenating

First Birthday

2009-12-07T19:59:00.005-07:00

I designed this invite for my baby's 1st birthday.

Happy Birthday, Lincoln!

Owl Freebie

2009-08-26T14:14:00.001-06:00

Today is my birthday! Woot! And to celebrate, I'm giving you each a gift. This set includes a fun argyle paper and two matching images to make something sweet for any day of the year.

Click here to Download

Shop coordinating "What a Hoot" clipart

Terms of Use
1. This product is for personal use only.
2. Do not claim as your own.
3. Do not resell.
4. Do not share with friends.
5. Do not redistribute.
6. Not for commercial use.

Colonial Days

2009-07-07T10:46:00.002-06:00

This Fourth of July weekend, I got to participate in Colonial Days at the Crandall Historical Printing Museum, part of Provo's Freedom Festival. All the volunteers dressed up in traditional colonial costume and demonstrated some aspect of colonial life. There were blacksmiths, sidewalk chalkers, spinners carting wool, etc. I painted "Patriot Medalions" for the kids to wear and take home. I loved working with the kids. It was so rewarding to see how excited they were to choose their own colors and watch their picture take shape.

During Colonial times, a Patriot might wear a tree round painted with a liberty tree, acorn, or oak leaf to show he was a member of the Sons of Liberty.

Here I am with one of my angel helpers. Each day I was there, someone came to help me and save me from the long line. Can't thank them enough. One person can only paint so fast. :)

to all the dads . . .

2009-06-21T14:50:00.000-06:00

Illustration Friday: Hierarchy

2009-05-06T00:09:00.005-06:00

When I saw this week's IF topic, my mind kept going back to those scientific classification charts from biology class. Must've been when I really started to grasp the concept. Owls are known scientifically as Strigiformes, in case you wanted to know. ;) These strigiformes are for a project I'm just finishing up.

The Shop is now open. . .

2009-03-11T22:29:00.005-06:00

Some of you have asked about any artwork or prints of my work available for sale. I have now opened a CafePress Shop with prints and other items featuring my illustrations. You can find the link in the new "Shop" section of the sidebar.

Freebie: Retro Frames

2009-01-24T13:23:00.010-07:00

Three free 1950's-themed frames: perfect for vintage photographs, party photos, or pretty much anything you'd like!

Click here to Download

Shop coordinating "Nifty Fifties" clipart

Terms of Use
1. This product is for personal use only.
2. Do not claim as your own.
3. Do not resell.
4. Do not share with friends.
5. Do not redistribute.
6. Not for commercial use.

Magic Bunny

2009-01-10T12:38:00.011-07:00

www.funproperlydone.com

Train

2008-12-29T18:23:00.002-07:00

little announcement

2008-12-21T18:49:00.004-07:00

This Christmas Season brought with it a beautiful baby boy, healthy and strong. Couldn't ask for a better gift.

Nifty Fifties

2008-11-22T17:06:00.005-07:00

These are a few of my favorite images from the last clipart set I made for PcCrafter. You can see the complete set here!

Pumpkin Faces

2008-10-31T20:46:00.006-06:00

This year's collaborative jack o' lantern effort by my husband and me. Personally, I think his turned out the best. Any guesses as to whoo's is whoo's and witch is witch*? Happy Halloween!

*Nothing wrong with a little creative spelling for festive purposes now and then.

Change-of-address postcard

2008-09-08T21:15:00.005-06:00

A few things have been keeping me pretty busy around here, including moving to a new home! Amidst the packing and cleaning, I got a chance to make this change-of-address postcard. Good thing, too. I can only go so long before experiencing serious drawing/creating withdrawals. It was so refreshing to get to do something just for fun.

Freebie: Music Papers

2008-07-24T10:16:00.009-06:00

Here are three free music-themed papers for you to enjoy! They coordinate with my Music Lovers set available at PcCrafter. Each paper is 12"x 12" at 300 dpi.

Please review my Terms of Use below. Then click here to download. Have fun!

Terms of Use

1. This product is for personal use only.
2. Do not claim as your own.
3. Do not resell.
4. Do not share with friends.
5. Do not redistribute.
6. Not for commercial use.

Freebie: Pet Notecards

2008-05-29T07:42:00.016-06:00

My first set of digital clipart is available for purchase today at PcCrafter! It's called "Pets Make the Best Friends" and it's all about kids and their pets. In honor of the occasion, I am offering these coordinating notecard designs for free! Hope you enjoy!

Please read my Terms of Use below before clicking here to download.

Terms of Use

1. This product is for personal use only.
2. Do not claim as your own.
3. Do not resell.
4. Do not share with friends.
5. Do not redistribute.
6. Not for commercial use.

Primitive

2008-04-19T15:35:00.007-06:00

I've been wanting to try something with a more primitive style, and this week's Illustration Friday topic gave me the perfect excuse. I think I'll call this one "Mondrian Circus."

Save

2008-04-10T15:13:00.003-06:00

Ah, saving a little nest egg. There is such a nice sense of security just knowing you are there. But what about the day you grow big enough to turn in? I think I'll miss you.

Me at the Show

2008-03-04T21:19:00.013-07:00

Here I am standing by my art at the BYU Illustration Alumni Show which was on display during the month of February. I had a fabulous time at the opening reception viewing all the great artwork, connecting with former classmates and professors, and meeting a few new faces as well. And thanks to all the family and friends who came! Here are some close-up shots of the "Little Monster" frame.

I was really happy with how this frame turned out. I found the frame for $5 at a thrift store less than a week before the show, and it just happened to be the perfect dimensions! Am I lucky, or what!? I added some dings, dents, and paint, and . . . Voila! The perfect, Halloweenish/monstery frame. Thank-you, thank-you to Nadine for all your help. I wouldn't have been able to finish everything in time without you.

You can read more about the show in this article by the Daily Herald. And here is a complete list of all the artists who participated.

You Make My Day

2008-01-30T12:04:00.000-07:00

I received this lovely "You Make My Day" award from Sheree Boyd. I always love to visit Sheree's blog; lots of super cute illustrations there.

"You Make My Day" award works like this:
1. Write a post with links to 5 blogs that make me think and/or make my day.
2. Acknowledge the post of the award giver.
3. Display the "You Make my Day Award" logo with a link to the post that I wrote. (Optional)
4. Tell the award winners that they have won by commenting on their blogs with the news.

Here are just a few of the blogs that always make me smile:
1. Shawna JC Tenney (her style: enchanting and whimsical)
2. Katie McDee (lots of delightful characters)
3. Eli Edmundson (Cute and clever comics. Great for a pick-me-up.)
4. Dani Jones (a very talented illustrator with lots of great art tips)
5. Alicia Traveria (darling designs and an entertaining read)

BYU Alumni Show

2008-01-28T20:08:00.001-07:00

For anyone in the area, there is a Brigham Young University Illustration Alumni Show in downtown Provo at the Health and Justice Building (151 South University Avenue) from Jan 28 - Feb 23. I have a few pieces on display and will be selling prints (framed and non-framed.) A lot of great artwork is on display and for sale. Check it out! Opening reception is Friday, February 1st, 6-9 pm.

Nothings!

2008-01-14T13:01:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, my mother-in-law decided she had acquired enough things in her life, and requested "no more gifts" for birthdays or holidays. Instead, she would prefer a written memory, so she could collect them in a book. I figured my husband's childhood memories were probably more valuable to her than my own, so for this past Christmas, I contributed by illustrating the memory he chose. Here is the memory that this picture illustrates:

"It was morning, and we were at the parking lot of the elementary school. [Brother] was in the very back seat of the van throwing a screaming tantrum. Mom was being a good mother and ignoring him to let it run it’s course (which always seemed to take a long time). Then Mom asked what kind of treat we would like, and [Brother] screamed, 'NOTHING,' over and over. Eventually, Mom cheerfully agreed to get us “nothings.” I'll never forget the confused look on [Brother's] face when Mom agreed with him. A short while later, we were munching on coffee cakes. The name stuck, and we have referred to coffee cakes as 'nothings' ever since."

Happy 2008!

2008-01-01T08:51:00.000-07:00

This is a holiday card I designed this past year for a local computer security company. Happy new year, everyone!

Naughty or Nice

2007-12-22T22:31:00.001-07:00

Thanks to all of you who stop by this blog. Here is my holiday card to you! Hope you have a wonderful and joyous season!

5 Things

2007-12-11T14:14:00.000-07:00

Well, looks like I, too, have been tagged to share 5 random things about myself. I was tagged by Lesley Withrow; a very talented artist with some great designs. I can't promise interesting, but they will most definitely be random.

I originally had five wisdom teeth; four have been removed. Obviously, the fifth is there to hold all that extra wisdom I have. ;)

Growing up, I competed in Scottish Highland Dancing. I learned that kilts are actually quite comfortable. And dancing over swords? Less comfortable.

I have always liked Sanrio (aka Hello Kitty) stuff. My grandma used to take me and my sisters to the Hello Kitty store once a year. She would patiently wait while we circled around the store numerous times with our piggy banks carefully deciding what to buy. This would literally take HOURS.

When I have extra energy to burn, and it is too cold outside for a walk, I play Dance Dance Revolution for Xbox.

My first spoken word was "kitty." I suppose this explains a lot about #3 as well as half the stuff that shows up in my sketchbook. I wouldn't call myself a cat lover; I just happen to really enjoy drawing small mammals of the cute and furry variety.

The End

The Venue

2007-12-06T16:53:00.001-07:00

For IF topics "little things" and "excess." An excess amount of little birds living an excessive lifestyle.

Window Shopping

2007-11-30T12:00:00.001-07:00

Illustration I did for a winter promotional mailer. Any comments or suggestions are welcome.

edit> I received some helpful suggestions for this piece. (Thanks, Nadine!) So, I made some color adjustments to help the girl stand out from the background a bit more. Much improved, I think. Do you agree?

Some Fuzzies

2007-11-21T13:19:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since my last post. I've been busy putting together some promotional materials and, among other things, organizing my studio space. Some clutter can encourage creativity, but too much will most definitely stifle it. I feel like I can finally breathe again. So, here are some fuzzies. :)

Evening Stroll

2007-10-31T18:36:00.000-06:00

Nice night for a walk, don't you think? Happy All Hallows' Eve, everyone!

Little Monster

2007-10-26T22:21:00.000-06:00

It's that time of year again. . . time to make sure all the cute little monsters in the neighborhood get spoiled rotten, or at least spoiled appetites and rotten teeth. :) Happy Haunting!

A Halloween Book from the Past

2007-10-18T17:18:00.000-06:00

I was looking through some of my old Halloween books yesterday, when I stumbled across this one.

Here is the cover of the book:

And here is the title page with my OWN version of the cover:

When I was really young (age five in this case), I had a thing for drawing in "nice" books even though it wasn't allowed. The way I saw it, blank pages needed pictures and black-and-white illustrations were asking for color. I should really thank my parents for being patient with me instead of hiding all the crayons in the house. Otherwise my drawing abilities may not have progressed much past this.

More Party Invites

2007-10-16T18:59:00.002-06:00

Here are a few more kid's party invitations I did for Red Letter Days. You can see these (as well as the lion and rocket) all put together at the Red Letter Days official website www.funproperlydone.com where the products are sold.

Halloween Bat

Witch's Hat with Spider

Winter Party Penguin

Baby Bird

First Birthday

Illustration Friday: Open

2007-10-11T14:25:00.000-06:00

"It was all very well to say `Drink me,' but the wise little Alice was not going to do THAT in a hurry. `No, I'll look first,' she said, `and see whether it's marked "poison" or not.'" - Lewis Carroll

-----------------------------------------------
This piece is entered in the Illustration Friday gallery contest (Long Beach, CA.) Please vote for it by registering here, and then voting here. (polls close Thurs. Oct. 18 11:59 pm)

*edit* Once you reach the linkviewer voting page, click where it says, "Vote here for entries on the theme: Open." Then click the star by the 5 pieces you would like to vote for.

Friend Birds

2007-10-05T14:44:00.000-06:00

Some happy little birds for The Friend Magazine.

New Look!

2007-09-29T22:05:00.000-06:00

Ta da! This blog finally got the face lift it so much needed. Even got a banner and everything. What do you think?

Cheese!

2007-09-02T15:09:00.000-06:00

Here's a little picture I did for The Friend Magazine. It illustrates a page of recipes that kids can make. All the recipes have to do with . . . you guessed it . . . cheese!

Alphabets: "Q" is for quilt!

2007-09-02T14:14:00.000-06:00

I did this a while back for Imagine Learning. The difficulty was coming up with an animation where the shape of the letter "Q" could be made out of a quilt. This seemed like a good solution . . . a bit 'a la Sesame Street.

Captain

2007-08-22T22:02:00.001-06:00

Baby Monkey

2007-08-19T19:26:00.000-06:00

I painted this to hang in the nursery of my now 2-month-old niece. Any excuse to do something super cutesy is reason enough for me. For the texture, I primed the paper with resin sand texture gel and then drybrushed the paint over the top. Once I got the hang of how much paint and pressure to use, it was a pretty fast and fun way to paint.

and framed. . .

Kid's Party Invites

2007-07-05T13:30:00.003-06:00

I did these a while back, so I figure it's probably safe to post them now. They were for a company that markets children's paper products for themed birthday parties. The lion's muzzle flips up to show the party invite information inside the lion's mouth. And next to the lion is a thank-you card with a cut-out window for a photo. For the rocket, the invite information is on the reverse side of the spaceman. The spaceman is attached to the rocket by a string, and he can also be tucked in the slit cut along the bottom of the door. I think the basic idea is a party invitation that can double as a toy. Done in Flash and Illustrator.

Goha

2007-05-23T10:44:00.001-06:00

Goha's Dream
10" x 10"
acrylic

This is a commission piece I painted for a friend. It depicts Goha, a foolish wiseman, in the following Middle-Eastern tale:

"Goha had a water buffalo whose horns were far apart. One day the animal sat down near him. The night before, Goha had dreamed he could mount between the water buffalo's horns and pretend he was sitting on a throne. With the water buffalo so near, Goha could not resist the temptation. He sat on the buffalo's head. The water buffalo immediately stood up and tossed Goha to the ground. His wife, who had seen the accident, began to cry. 'Weep not wife,' groaned Goha, 'I have had my suffering, but at least my dream came true!'"

Bobbleheads

2007-05-18T22:57:00.000-06:00

The current Imagine Learning challenge is to do portraits from the NBC comedy "The Office." As of yesterday's season finale, it appears Ryan and Kelly's time together has come to an abrupt end. I suppose it just wasn't meant to be. ;)

The Rambling, Rambling Boris Wander

2007-04-12T12:41:00.000-06:00

Another Imagine Learning Artist Challenge. The topic was to illustrate one of the 700 hoboes from John Hodgman's book, "The Areas of My Expertise." Here's #500, The Rambling, Rambling Boris Wander, yakking away.

Space Monster

2007-04-11T16:54:00.000-06:00

A family member of mine asked me to draw this for her. To give any explanation as to why would be much too complicated and confusing.

So instead, I will give a list of things it is not, although it may remind one of such things.

1. a muppet
2. a "Greatful Dead" dancing bear
3. 80's Saturday Morning Cartoons
4. a unicorn
5. a Teletubbie
6. a future Olympic Mascot
7. a koala
8. Big Bird (see #1)
9. a marshmallow
10. Hello Kitty in the year 3652 A.D.

Cute Ray: Just for Fun

2007-04-07T12:11:00.000-06:00

I made this for last year's Imagine Learning company conference held in July. The task was to create something within an 8-hour workday that introduced yourself and what you did. So, here is a story about me, featuring some unsuspecting co-workers and lots of cute bunnies just in time for Easter. Happy Easter weekend everyone!

Music: Pee Wee's Playhouse Suite by Danny Elfman

King Arthur

2007-03-26T08:44:00.000-06:00

This reminds me of some of our celebrities today. I guess not a lot has changed over the past 1600 years. I wonder if the Camelot Times would refer to them as Guin-a-lot (or is that Lance-evere?) This was for the Imagine Learning Art Challenge.

banshee

2007-03-14T17:49:00.000-06:00

In Irish folklore, the banshee is a fairy woman that appears as an omen of death. I suppose it is appropriate for the upcoming holiday . . . in a dark sort of way. This was done for the Imagine Learning Art Challenge.

Illustration Friday: Communication

2007-02-24T22:44:00.000-07:00

Sometimes body language speaks louder than words.

Illustration Friday: Crash

2007-02-14T22:18:00.000-07:00

Well. . . hope to get this in color by the end of the week. Either way, someone's little brother better watch out.

Happy St. Valentine's Day!

2007-02-14T19:37:00.000-07:00

Illustration Friday: Red

2007-02-01T14:34:00.000-07:00

Poor little guy thinks he's red. Someone should tell him dogs are color-blind.

Clocks, Gears, and Birds

2007-01-23T23:11:00.000-07:00

This was for the Imagine Learning challenge topic. I thought it would be a fun fantasy piece to show a pieced together, man-made hummingbird with tiny mechanical parts. (and a quirky personality.) And I got to experiment with Painter which I am really starting to enjoy.

Sketching

2007-01-21T16:05:00.000-07:00

Some random doodles

Illustration Friday: Buzz

2007-01-09T22:44:00.000-07:00

Here's a little fly.
His name is Melvin.
He's often found buzzing in window blinds.

Animals

2006-12-28T13:10:00.000-07:00

In one of the games at work, the players are ranked an animal depending on their score at the end of the game. No one wants to be a "one-star slug." What a loser. I created the animal icons using Flash.

Paper Pixie

2006-12-10T17:24:00.000-07:00

Just having fun applying Photoshop effects to shapes I created in Flash.
Warning: Paper pixies will break into your home and night and finish your scrapbooks.

Shooting Gallery

2006-12-02T10:57:00.000-07:00

These were for a shooting-gallery-type game at work (with nerf balls of course. No guns.) The little critters pop in and out from behind the scenery. Lots o' fun!

Illustration Friday: Thanksgiving

2006-11-21T23:15:00.000-07:00

Mmmmmmmm. . . . . pie. My favorite.

Baaaaaaa!

2006-11-19T21:09:00.000-07:00

Here's one I did for work. (I work at an English-teaching software company.) The assignment was to create a scene using three rhyming words. Can't figure out the three words? That's because they are in Haitian Creole. Sheep, chin, and truck rhyme in that language, or so I'm told. I had a lot of fun using the Photoshop spatter brushes.

Here we go!

2006-11-18T19:00:00.000-07:00

Here's the first official post. It's a Goodbye Fall picture because Winter is almost here. (sniff)