new work

This illustration has been a tiny pencil sketch in one of my many scrapbooks filled with thumbnail drawings, sketches, magazine clippings, ideas and inspirations. I was going through one of these books yesterday looking for something to scan so that I could show you more of my work. And thank you very much for asking. Red dog Yellow dog, was/still is an idea, possibly, for a series of simple early learning (colours, alphabet etc.) children's' books. Another in my long, always growing, list of big ideas. Yesterday I decided that it was finally time to turn that tiny pencil sketch into an illustration.

The image itself came from a stormy, freezing rain, night years ago that a friend found this teeny tiny black kitten by the side of the road. She couldn't take it home herself because she had a dog who really hated cats and not knowing what else to do - she brought the kitten here. The kitten was so small - I'd never held a kitten so young and so tiny and it was squawking that weird high pitched squeal-ey meow that tiny kittens have. As I held the kitten in the palm of my hand Em & Jake were looking at me with cocked heads and very puzzled looks, as if they were saying "What issss that"? Finally I placed the little kitten on the floor between my two dogs and this little sketch was born. Bleet (a misspelling that I decided not to correct) decided, that very night, that the big handsome red dog was his new mama.

I have over the months included some of my illustrations sprinkled throughout this blog and I would be very happy to show more. In fact, I'm reminded that that was an original goal of this blog. I will post more of my work, at least once a week, beginning with today. Maybe all of you will help me with my struggles to create more of my own new personal work/projects. Kind of like having a new customer. An audience and great incentive to get some new, all mine, Etsy ready things created. Thank you !