Illustrated birth suite

Hello everyone! After meeting some major design and print deadlines, I took yesterday off to recoup (after working through 2 weekends in a row). Today I will do a small bit of work...but I will also be sure to have some relaxing time too! The other day I mentioned some freehand illustration work I did from memory to create some child-like drawings with a sea theme. After drawing several sea creatures, my client chose a starfish and a seahorse to star in her projects. Her friend threw her a baby shower and wanted the invitation to relate to the birth announcement (which was already being designed). But she didn't want to TOTALLY make it the same, so we changed up the colors. Overall, they related together but still felt different enough. I took the seahorse and put him on the baby's stationery...with a rope-pull tugging the baby's name...much like an airplane pulling a sign across the sky. In the end, we were all pleased. These were not letterpressed...they were traditionally flat printed and ended up being quite affordable which is always a good thing! I hope you all have a great weekend! I'll be back Monday with a new notecard design!

Illustration love

Hi! I can't believe it's Thursday already. I don't understand where the time goes. Anyhoo, today I was thinking about illustration. I used to draw all the time (studied it in college even!) and I just don't make time to do it anymore. Not too long ago, I had a project for a birth announcement, baby shower invite, and baby stationery project that had an ocean theme where the client wanted it to feel babyish and whimsical. So, I drew little sea-life characters from memory (no visual aids) and was really happy with how they came out (they have a childlike quality to them). (I'll take pictures and show you tomorrow)I noticed that I have a very particular style when I draw from memory like that...it's neat to see it come to life. I was perusing Anthropologie a few weeks ago and saw this book. It is HUGE and has a slipcover and everything. I sat in the store and paged through for quite a while...lost in the colors and forms. You may recognize some of Charley Harper's work from childhood science/biology books. He had a huge career and did so many things. He passed away last year and left the world to enjoy his huge breadth of colorful and whimsical illustrations of creatures great and small.


Well I just LOVE this book and plan to save up and own it myself. His work is so inspirational for me...it reminds me that illustration comes in many shapes and styles. Harper's work is so clever and creative. To have your own unique style and look is a way to truly forge your own artistic path in the world-thus adding your own value and mark on things. (All images shown are Charley Harper's illustrations as shown in the book "Charley Harper, An Illustrated Life" by Todd Oldham)

Seahorses Abound!

Hey everyone! And now for my next print....I introduce "The Seahorses." This is a limited edition of only 60 prints. For sale on my etsy shop. It's illustrated and letterpressed by me in a turquoise sort of pool blue ink...but light in color. It's printed in soft and pillowy Crane's Lettra letterpress paper. It's very thick and almost feels like fabric; and I got a pretty good impression in the paper with this. This is inspired by the beautiful shapes of the bodies of seahorses amongst the coral. I like the soothing calm that I feel when I look at this print and I think it would look nice in a bathroom or child's room. But it could work anywhere I guess. Now I'm off to get cleaned up and we're off to a barbecue this evening! I hope you're enjoying your weekend as I am!