I drew this today while thinking about the production of bras, apples with peanut butter, the thickness of felt tips, and 1930′s silk underthings.

Ink, marker, & watercolour.

Here is the very beginnings of a romantic sketch of a woman with lavender braided hair. Dreamy, yet alien.

Pencil, Pencil Crayon, Ballpoint Pen.

I’ve recently moved and had a lot of changes going on…
But I’m drawing and painting again and so excited to share things I’ve created that really make me happy.

Below is an instagram snap-shot of a sketch I’m in the middle of, but I got carried away and started experimenting with colours in Photoshop right from the photo.

This image is me experimenting and indulging in my fairy tale impulses. Eventually I’ll add more pencil detail to the sketch and layer watercolour and acrylic on top… but for now, playing around on a mess-less Photoshop canvas is perfect. Once I’ve figured a way to store all of my supplies in my new place (and get some ventilation going) I’ll be doing a lot more on real canvas.

I love her floral crown and beautiful lips. It reminds me of a memory that would be found in the mind of her summer lover.

Have a great weekend!
Amy

Pencil, Instagram, Photoshop

I’m currently adding the finishing touches (accessibility and interactivity) to a big ‘corporate’ Annual Report project that has been in the works for a few months. I’ve been the illustrator, graphic designer, and ‘multi-media specialist’ on this one… and I’m really enjoying being able to make all of the elements come together.

Above, is one of a dozen pieces I created to accompany various ‘Success Stories’ throughout the report. This is meant to (subtly) convey youth and their collective use of smart phones for daily communication.

It’s interesting to be able to contribute to many different projects and explore different styles. This project especially needed a professional, corporate look, while overall avoiding that ‘yet another blah report’ look. Hopefully I’ll be able to show you more soon.

Have a great week all.

Illustrator

You know it’s true.

Silly poster made by me.

InDesign

I posted this on My Twitter a few days ago. But I thought I would share it here too. It’s an unfinished sketch of a ‘young dude’… not sure where I want it to go, but it’s going.

I’m really itching to paint more, but the potential mess (A palette, two dirty brushes and newspapers) is holding me back. Now that is just silly… Dear self: JUST GET OFF YOUR BUM AND PAINT SOMETHING! People don’t expect artists to be minimalist OCD cleaning machines anyway.

I am quite partial to art materials that stay put, that don’t rub off on things, and that won’t fall off later on. My favorite materials are ink, watercolour, acrylic, guache and marker. From time to time I’ll experiment and throw in embroidery, pencil crayon, lead, or paper… but I’ll hardly ever use charcoal or pastels. ‘Too-messy’ materials (I find) are not as enjoyable to work with. Sometimes I’ll even look a work created with my ‘too-messy’ materials and I start to hate it because I know it’s going to rub onto something or I’ll find bits of it later all over my work clothes…

Have a great long weekend, and in the words of Ms. Frizzle, “Take chances, make mistakes, get messy.”

Ballpoint Pen

I started out creating nothing. I was putting shapes together and then all of a sudden they reminded me of visiting my Grandpa’s farm. When he was younger he had a much larger farm, but the only one I remember going to was just large enough to keep me entertained during a hot summer afternoon.

There were chickens, potatoes, vegetables, tractors and corn. There were a few cars and farm vehicles in storage and/or rusting in the middle of the front lawn next to a tiny pond and a giant flag pole… I don’t think he sold anything commercially during his later years, but he definitely kept busy and traded with his neighbours. The farm was up a small hill just off of a rural road in what felt like the middle of nowhere. The animals, plants, and wind ensured it was never too quiet.

One day he and my father were talking about the local economy while a train passed by. Grandpa said, “Count those train cars Amy, I want to know how many cars that train is bringing!”. Apparently, the train was bringing barely one quarter of what it used to.

He told me to marry rich and to always remember to put sunscreen on the tops of my ears.

Thanks Grandpa.

I’ve been really inspired by patterns and letterpress and Mexican textiles recently. Well, that’s what I was thinking about when accidentally making this rabbit-cyborg (Rabborg!).

It’s probably obvious now that I love to experiment and that I’m not afraid to try different styles… why should you have to box yourself in to one ‘style’ as an artist? I think artists are flexible and constantly evolving. Sometimes I’ll draw a doodle, and in the time it takes me to get the doodle recreated on my computer I have completely lost interest or have already moved in a new direction.

Today, try something new.

Illustrator

I laugh because he looks so sad. Oh that blue blue Henry, what a cutie. That noodle soup looks delicious, cheer up old chum!

Illustrator

Hi!

I’m excited to keep creating things, but I’m losing a bit of momentum… stifling jobs, beautiful weather, and wonderful friends pull me in so many directions. Really though, this is a practice of just ‘trying to make something, anything, to get going again’. And here is an ‘anything’!

I hope you are having a wonderful, wet, hot, neon kind of July!
Thanks for looking.

- Amy

Illustrator & Photoshop