Wine totes

I put in an order for wine bottle totes...this is extremely exciting. I have been super slow on my tote reordering this year as I have been so busy. They are super affordable and its a place that does their bags and printing in house. If all goes well I might put in two orders. I have to decide what is going to be printed on the next grocery tote. Suggestions are welcome, of course.

Chicken Sausage Stew

Last contest entry image! I did this one while at home. I happened to make up the recipe last week. It was getting really cold again and I wanted to make a stew and behold! It was really really good. I might even need to eat some right now....

wish me luck. They will start to be posted on they draw and cook December and the winners will be announced at the end of the month.

Sneaky Frenchy

Had no time to do an illustration for IF this week; however, I am currently stuck on a bus with nothing to do but play on my computer. So, for a departure from my usual gouache illustrations here is a little digital adventure. If I have time I will do a little something in gouache, but for now enjoy the frenchy!

IF: sneaky

They Draw and Cook contest Judge info

This judge line up is amazing! It kinda makes me wanna puke a little actually...ok, maybe there will be time for one more illustration submission; if I can swing it it would be so awesome. I think 3 submissions for this contest is pretty solid and so far I am happy with the work even if it does not place.

Actually, our new art show is half up at 13th street Joe and it looks so great. I printed the recipes at 13 x 19 with frames and they look so nice really big. I will have pictures when I get back from DC for the holidays. We are having an opening on Dec. 2nd from 8:30-10 so if anyone is in town and wants to come shmooze, drink a lil 3 buck vino, and buy some holiday stuff it will be amazeballs.

My favorite recipe

Another Recipe!

Cannot wait to be home to make this for Thanksgiving

New Mugs!

Roasted Root Veg. process drawings

Sneak peak at the newest illustrated recipe! Color is on the way and I am excited to have moved out of the kitchen and into the back yard.

Squirrel of a time

Squirrels! Tags for Xmas/Hanukkah presents down to the wire and behind schedule as usual. I feel overwhelmed, but hopefully it will work out well. Also, I made some awesome mugs that I will put up on etsy tomorrow....or saturday. They look great and I will try to get some other ceramics done with enough time to mail for the holidays.

The circle of awesome

I updated the calendar to make it easier to understand the hemisphere devisions (does that even make sense??) and I figured out how to label the countries. It makes sense to the countries labeled at the beginning of the growing season. The X axis determines how I positions the type. I wanted it to be easy to read. I am sure there will be other adjustments and corrections before all is said and done, but the final goal is to make this into a poster that can be sold to coffee shops and through the SCAA. I want it to be perfect before I send it off. Ok, off to make some more illustrations...and maybe start thinking about a new tote design....a bit late for christmas, but its been a busy couple of months.

Avra illustrations are up!

Here is the work I did for a real estate company in Vancouver! Its finally up and it looks really awesome. I am interested to see how they used it for the collateral.

A shout out from theispot.

Take the Cake

The final logo for a client who is starting a cake business. The idea is that the logo will have a bunch of different color options so for her business cards, packaging, and collateral she can use any of the marks above. Her cakes are customizable so I wanted to create a mark that reflected that. I have the complete logo with type done, but I am going to wait until she has a copyright on the name before I post it.

I have been working on this for awhile because the client has lots of things going on, but I think we are finally there. Next will be business cards, letterhead, and hopefully package design and interior work. She would love to have the cakes as a pattern for wallpaper. I would love for this project to evolve into environmental design so I can have a full scale suite. If it does happen it will take while, but it will be really fun.

Application Elation!

Its done!!! Yes, the big huge massive application for the contest I was applying to is done! I am so excited to have finished and submitted I do not even care if I win anything....almost true. No, really I think half the battle is finishing the applications. You can be an amazing artist, but if you do not apply then you will never win. It was hard because I decided to do the maximum number of illustrations (20) which is a lot and for each you need a statement about the significance of the piece. It is hard to do that many illustrations on very specific themes, but to write about them as well....kill me now. I am an artist because I cannot write, enough said.

So, now that that is done I can do more illustrations for They Draw and Cook. Their contest continues until the 30th so I will see what I can crank out before then. I love doing the drawings for them. In fact, it gave me a book idea. I actually believe the book could sell. I have been struggling with that lately. Writing something that a publisher could place in the market. The books either have to be a series and/or have to strong moral at the end. Its a really hard market right now so I think I will send it out to publishers and do digital publishing (if I can) or maybe print to order.

Oh, the Haystacks recipe was the one chosen for the book! I am super excited. When it comes out I will tell the world to buy it. Below is the repost of the recipe. All my friends want this kitchen....that is what happens when you live in NY, you long for a real kitchen...this kitchen is the size of our apartment.

Burning marshmallows

IF: Burning

Illustration Elation!

Remember this illustration?

So, we left yesterday for Atlanta, and before we left I received a call from my agent saying that AIA wanted to use one of my illustrations for a ad in Architect Magazine! I do not know the issue yet, but it was great getting paid for an illustration that I already made. Additionally, its an illustration I made for fun...gasp!

What happens afterwards

oops.

IF: afterwards

Even more Patterns

Bicycle Pattern

Another pattern for tomorrow.

Patterns

Going to a local artisanal company tomorrow after work to see if they want to hire me to do some package design. I might not fit their style, but its worth a shot. Fingers crossed.

They Draw and Cook Book

This message is going out to all artist contributors whose recipe has been selected to be in the upcoming book - YAY - Congratulations!

It was NOT easy to only pick 100 recipes from a field of so much amazing art. This book is going to be beautiful, thanks to all of you. And, thanks to our publisher who is sparing no expense to produce a very high quality book - your illustrations will be printed at FULL size and cover an entire spread.

-----


yay!!!

Stuff'n Recipe!

Submission 1 for They Draw and Cook recipe contest! I love this stuffing and it can totally be vegetarian which is always a plus.

Will update if it wins anything!

Blog Log log slog!

SO many things going on right now.

I am in the midst of working on illustrations for a competition for a Jewish Org. It is extremely outside out of my box so the work is a bit clunky. I am unsure if I will win anything, but even if one illustration wins it is a huge chunk of change...so I am maximizing and doing as many as possible. There are 20 possible illustrations that can win so I am trying to do 20 entries....we shall see its a lot of pressure.

I also received an email from They Draw and Cook about their contest so I am feverishly work on illustrations for that. It is really exciting, but extremely time consuming and detailed work. It also involves me spelling well...which I do not.

I am gearing up for my partnership with RM&G! That's right, I am part of a design firm....its very unreal. There are so really exciting projects that might happen. My partner in design crime Kevin had a second meeting with a possible client and I have all my fingers and toes crossed for this one. I am trying to get the contest work done; I have a feeling this is the quiet before the storm.

I have to get my holiday inventory ready. I usually have a bunch of hand painted ceramics for the holidays and I have not started on them yet. They do not take too long, but it involves sitting down and coming up with designs.

Lastly, my blog will soon be part of my website...like woah. Charrow.com and this blog will be one and more updated. My site is stand alone, which is fine, but really isn't a one stop shop kinda better? I think so. That will take longer than I think it will, but when it happens it will be amazeballs!

I am really really excited about all the projects, but I am also feeling like I have misplaced a couple hours of the day...is it possible? If you happen to find a few please send them my way.

Also, I appreciate all comments! I do not always comment back because its not like FB, you have no idea if I respond. Anyway, thank you thank you! Its nice to know that I am not just writing this stuff for myself. Its silly I know, but I am shooting to have 50 followers by the end of the year...maybe there will be a lil gift for the 50th person to follow me? I am shooting low so I do not feel like a failure if it does not happen.