Tomie de Paola Award 2013

Phew! Feels like just yesterday that I was painting my entry for the Tomie dePaola Award for the SCBWI. But, alas, another year has flown by!
This year the idea was to choose from 3 classic titles and execute a passage in black and white. I was particularly more excited about this year's subject matter than last, and chose "The Yearling" by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings.
While in college I became really comfortable using graphite to achieve pretty detailed drawings, so that's what I chose for this piece.

"Jody settled himself halfway up the live oak... The shade of the oak was cool... A light breeze moved through its leaves. Silence took over the scrub."

Alice's Adventures

I just finished up on a very exciting personal project! I loved being able to illustrate a childhood favorite that has stuck with me into my adult years. I did an Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass combo, using some inspiration from John Tenniel and also early Disney artwork for the movie--an ultra-saturated style that still influences me as well as the story. I definitely had to change up her hair and dress, I am a little tired of the blonde hair and white pinafore!

Some sketches, character studies.

J+K

Here is a painting I did for my best friend's wedding anniversary I'm just getting around to posting now!

 

There Was an Old Woman..

Shame on me for not updating my blog in the last couple of months! I've been busy completing a few pieces...one based on a classic nursery rhyme, and the other is my first real attempt with re-imagining one of my all time favorite stories--Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. I've wanted to do a small series featuring Alice for a while now. That will be posted soon. In the meantime, here is something else!

Holiday Card!

This was the first year I was able to set time aside to make a Holiday Card!

I was influenced by various Victorian Christmas cards and cozy little cottages in the snow.

Happy New Year!

Dinosaurs!

I've loved dinosaurs for as long as I can remember. In fact, they were a big source of inspiration when I was a little kid, along with drawing horses and my blond labrador, Lucy. So I was really excited when I was asked by a co-worker to do a series of dinosaurs for a baby boy's nursery. They look friendly enough for a kid (or adult) to hang out with!

New drawings

I almost forgot entirely about some drawings I had done for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Bulletin back in August, until the email I received from Sarah Stern, art director. I believe my girl with balloons will be appearing in the November/December issue. Can't wait to get it!

Here are some others I did. I'll probably turn a couple into paintings.

Dance of the Dead

Today it is 72 degrees and raining..but I know a brisk and delightful autumn is right around the corner. Fall includes so many of my favorite things, I wanted to try and capture some of it a little earlier this year. I was partly inspired by these beautiful headbands made of flowers I saw on Etsy, and of course the celebration of Dia de los Muertos.

Becca Stadtlander

Here is a really lovely interview with artist Becca Stadtlander from illustrationmundo.

I love how her brushstrokes create such a great feeling of texture and movement. I've also always been very attracted to folk art and especially early American folk art. It is simple, yet exquisite and fragile at the same time. 

Summer is Over!

Summer is over...finally! I love the fall so much I've already completed a Halloween piece!

Here are two pieces I completed in the last couple of months.

Bicycle Girl, July 2011

Red Panda, August 2011

I love the red panda. They're an endangered species living quietly in remote areas of the Himalayas, China, and Nepal. Slightly bigger than my fluffiest house cat, they prefer sleeping on a sturdy branch with their legs dangling down. They are also quite fond of sticking their tongues out, or getting photographed with their mouths open--so cute I just had to capture it! 

Portrait with Horses, Cloth Book

This is a piece that I was commissioned to do in the fall of 2010. It was a gift given by my mom's co-worker to her daughter. That's her with her horses. (They are beautiful--wish they were mine!) It was a lot of fun to paint all that light.

I did a fun little side-project recently for work where I got to decorate a 4-page canvas book. It came with a lot of nice materials and it was a good challenge to figure out how I wanted to incorporate them. I definitely want to keep experimenting with making (and filling) my own books this year.

Yes, those are real leaves I used for fall. And yes, they did disintegrate after a few days :)

Happy New Year!

-Caitlin

Bear for Tea

Newest piece! Self-promotional. 

Barn Owl

Newest piece. Can't say it's particularly inspired by anything, other than the idea of revisiting the subject matter of kids with giant friends.

heARTS show

Here is a piece I just finished for the 2010 heARTS group show hosted by Jinxed/Toothless Cat (February 13th). It's based off of a nursery rhyme that talks about the stars being lambs and the moon being the shepherdess. I threw in the dog star for good measure.

Nutcracker Nesting Dolls

Here is a brand-new set of nesting dolls just in time for the holiday season. I found it a little easier to coat the surfaces this time, but my methods (oil paint) are still a pain! But overall, I'm pretty pleased. I think I might take a break from them until the spring (haha). 

Wizard of Oz Nesting Dolls

Here is something I've been working on for the past few weeks. Where I work, we sell these unpainted nesting dolls from Moscow. There's five inside, the smallest being half the size of my thumb. I knew painting them would be tremendously fun, and I was right! 

I chose (obviously, I think) the Wizard of Oz. I had to include Glinda the good witch so she is sharing a body with the Tin Man. 

These definitely won't be the last nesting dolls I do!

Mermaid

Just a little something to pass the time..

time to update!

I can't believe how quickly the summer is flying by! I've had the chance to unwind from graduating (woo hoo!) and start to really think about where I'm going to take my art. My website will soon be revamped and I'll be posting new work whenever I can. 

To start things off, here is a piece I did based off a photo I took in Wilmington, North Carolina. Two beautiful Brittany spaniels are loyally waiting for their owner to return home. I thought it would make a sweet little card to send to someone you miss.

Also, I'd like to include this photo my dad took during my graduation from the University of the Arts in May 2009. I'm the only one who's looking at the camera! What a fun moment he captured. I will truly miss my experience at that school.