IF: Winter

I miss white winters sometimes after making the move from northern New Hampshire to northern California... there is something poetically beautiful about white winters and a white Christmas.... and for me it's surely a novelty being used to southern hemisphere Christmas days spent by the beaches of Australia!

Illustrator Profile

I am now featured on IllustrationMundo and might soon be featured on Nisha John's blog about artists of Indian origin... Hoping to raise the profile and shamelessly self-promote!!!!
http://www.illustrationmundo.com/wp/
http://ofindianorigin.co.uk/

IF: Mail

Around this time of year, family takes the spotlight... so for my mum's upcoming birthday, I made a card out of leaves from the nearby park which I will pop in the mail.... It's amazing to think that it will fly all the way to Australia.... wish I could mail myself!!!

On it goes...

I'm as proud as any mum would be. My son and I just did an 8 week art class for toddlers.... He had a blast and here are some pics of his work (assisted by mum!)....

Above: Ceramic Book-end with double-decker bus, and cars coming out of a tunnel.... all his favourite things! Below: Acrylic on canvas swirls and handprints...

Sketchbook Project.... Phenomenon (IF)

Hopefully, this project will soon turn into a phenomenon! I'm making serious progress on my 'story' - "Kavya's Magic Blanket Ride" and sketches. Come in, take a load off... The last one and most of them will still get worked over some more... hope you like it!

IF: Sneaky

She is sneaking around an old crypt..... Its a sample sketch from my Sketchbok Project entry... It's on it's way to completion, and I'm dying to see it finished... so I hope I don't lose this momentum. Only 15 more sketches to go!

The 2011 Sketchbook Project - Update

Here's an update on my progress for my Sketchbook Project entry.... I've been late to get going, but now I'm happy to say I'm on a roll! It's a story about a little girl who travels to many places in the world in her magic blanket, but finds that being home with her mother is what she likes best in the end!!

The latest - Time is at a premium...

Things have been a bit busy lately.... I have a lot coming up to challenge me. I have yet to get a good start on my 'Sketchbook Project' work and I only have one month to submission... Yikes! Also have another project I'm working on which may or may not end up being published.... plus some personal projects are on my mind... which means time is at a premium these days! Focus, Focus, Focus!

IF: Transportation

Gosh, it's good to be back after what seems like an eternity of moving madness! This week I was inspired by a certain Indian Goddess who rides upon a fierce tiger. Something subconscious may also be manifesting.... I am woman, hear me ROAAAARRRRRR!

 Even though Sabina had shrunk the fearsome tiger to the size of a big dog which made him fun to ride, he still scared her with his bright silvery eyes... but she was not new to fright as many others had been frightened by her own jewel green eyes! Tiger transportation was what got her out of places that scared her far more...

IF: Diary

Sometimes you're all 'butterflies & rainbows' and sometimes you're about as much fun as a wet & windy day!

I won't be doing another IF for a few weeks, as I am moving to the San Fransisco area... will miss the relaxation... but on the upside, I got my 'moley' for the 2011 Sketchbook Project...Yay! Can't wait to get sketching! See you in a few weeks...

IF: Giant

Flower Power: "Becky, did you put all that plant food to grow your flower? ... and where are my sunflowers?!"

I've been meaning to read 'Botany of Desire' and so I just could not get away from the giant flowers and foods idea - it seems fun and fantastic! So I went with a giant flower idea.... and then I thought about what would be a real nightmare for kids... the thought of having to eat a giant vegetable!!!! Funnily enough, my kid loves Brocolli, but other veggies are a hit or miss!

I'm trying out aquarelle/water soluble pastels - Its fast and fun, but I have yet to work on my neatness! I wonder what kind of paper would work best though... anyway, had tons of fun!!!

IF: Satellite

All the things that orbit her life, are there because of Satellites! Hmmm...... either that makes you feel totally 'zen' or totally like your head is spinning! (All puns are intended!!!)
I had a pretty tough time thinking of something for this week's challenge.... but here tis....

The 2011 Sketchbook Project

I will be participating in the Brooklyn Art Library's 2011 Sketchbook Project. I am super excited about this, as I get to illustrate one of my own children's stories and have it tour around the country. Hopefully I will get to visit the show when it comes to San Fransisco!

IF: Paisley

This little Indian fairy sprinkles 'paisley dust', not 'pixie dust'....

OK, so the reason for this feeble attempt is my feeble energy-level as I drown in tissues from this cold I have as well as caring for a sick toddler... the smell of Eucalyptus will linger in my house for the next week but on the upside, this is one of my prettier pictures of late.... Must be the meds!!!!

T-Shirt Design

Last week, I designed a T-shirt sketch for my husband's company. They do it once a year for their Scientific Advisory Board Meeting. Each employee gets to submit a design and the winner (chosen by employees) gets to have an extra day off... I designed it for my husband, and it won!!! Yay! Now I've just got to clean it up a bit...
The two curious gents on the bike are the two founders of the company.... Go Adimab!

Draw and Cook Project

My first attempt at posting a recipe on the fabulous Draw and Cook blog. Unfortunately, I need to work within much narrower dimensions. So maybe the next iteration will fit better. It has been quite a challenge, but I think I may have to choose a simpler recipe! :-)

IF: Ripple

This week's IF challenge is to raise awareness and money for the wildlife affected by the Gulf Oil Spill. Kelly Light has taken on this wonderful initiative. Read More at http://ripplesketches.blogspot.com/ I  didn't want this entry to be neat - I wanted it to be messy like the slick. I used pastels and got my hands dirty but it didn't feel good... I was angry as I drew and finished it in record time because I think the cause is most important. I am going away this weekend and I didn't want this one to slip by....

"Ripple" by Mohita Iyer
When will we feel the ripple?
When the sky and salt are soaked with the blood on our hands?
When the sun shines red?
When the parched earth is ripped to bands?
When oil-stained life takes it's last breath?
When we see existence come to its death?
Why wait? We are not small, not voiceless, nor unfeeling...
Why not give our gift a whole new meaning?

IF: Trail

 
For this week's IF challenge, I attempted a sort of play on words and a trick with eyes! I wanted to portray the way a trail of a beautifully made couture dress sometimes takes my breath away just as a beautiful and lush wooded trail does... and in this sketch, one image blends into the other... Maybe a bit more of a conceptual exercise than my usual children's book images... I had fun!

Quintessential Sydney Sketch: Luna Park Larrikins - Updated

Quintessential Sydney Series: Luna Park Larrikins
9"X12"
Mixed Media (Gouache, Chalk pastels and pen)
Here it is - I think it still looks unfinished, but it's getting me off to a good start. Also proves, my painting skills could use some brushing up... onwards and upwards!
Love your thoughts out there...

IF: Slither

 
"Talk about a bad hair day!" sighed Medusa to the stylist. "So, do you want it slithery or straight?" she asked in her usual monotone voice...

Hai!

Has anyone used Hire an Illustrator? If so, how quickly did you get work and was there anything unexpected about the experience?

Quintessential Sydney Sketch: Luna Park Larrikins!

This is from a story I thought up about the adventures of two kids in a cancer care children's hospital who become friends and teach each other how to have fun again! Maybe I should write some of it down.... I think it needs more content on the right side of the picture... looking a bit bare and boring!

IF: Early

 ...It was the story that was told over and over... what happened? She was early!

Getting Crafty, Staying Green

Just had a blast with my kids at the AVA Studios teaching the Sustainable Spring Crafts class! Making fun stuff out of household 'junk' was not that hard.... especially when Spring finally made it's appearance to inspire us all!

Goddess or Villainess?

Thoughts out there?

'Quintessential Sydney' Sketch: BONDI BABES

I have an idea that sprung from my helpless desire to visit Sydney again... ahh, Home!
Anyway, so I am going to do a series of sketches for my portfolio called 'Quintessential Sydney', inspired by all my memories of one of my favourite cities in the world!
Rough Sketch first.... I will post pictures to track the progress as I add shade/colour etc..

IF: Equipment

It seems like babies these days can work out how to use a laptop faster than you can say 'generation gap'!!!

Kudos!

Found this cool Aussie Artist - Loved the style - OnyaMatie!
http://www.jessicasingh.com/j/home.html

Oldies But Goodies

Some of my older pieces...

True North Gallery Submission

Something I worked on recently... The inspiration comes from the Inuit deity of Polar Bears, Nanook/Nanuk. It is a story about a little polar bear who is afraid to stray away from his big sister, but is curious about something he sees in the sky. Later, when his sister is asleep, baby bear sees the apparition of Nanook in the sky and follows it. But the next morning he returns to his sister who is upset and worried - only to tell her about his exciting adventure! To be fair and balanced - my critique is that the snow should have been made to look darker - more blue, like snow looks in the dark... oh, well - there's always tomorrow!

Today is a new day!

Today is the day I have chosen to begin this blog. I used to have one a long time ago, but I am newly charged by the SCBWI Conference where I met some great children's book authors and illustrators and am determined to put some time into posting an illo of mine every week. Let's see how I fare....