Happy Christmas 2011.

For the past ten years or so, I’ve made a Christmas/winter music mix as a kind of Christmas card for friends. Every year I think I am out of new music or that people aren’t interested and then someone asks when it’s coming and I get all giddy. I love Christmas music, secular or religious, happy or sad, i like it all. Holiday music, or really just “winter” music. And I make a cd cover for the mix. Almost every year I draw a snowman (there was at least one year, an early one, where it was a tree...oh and a few years ago it was a cardinal) but this year i wanted something different. So here. Happy Christmas. I’d give you the music too, but I can’t quite figure out the best way to do it. Spotify is refusing to play nice and I’ve really got to go. Presents to wrap and all that. Hope you have a happy and safe whatever you chose to celebrate!

The Emotional Cupcake.

I was reading the other day about people who lack the ability to recognize emotions in others. Or, I guess, more specifically, lack the ability to recognize the expressions of emotion on the faces of others. Like, have you seen the test where you are asked to identify a smile as real or fake? Turns out that not everyone can do that. I sometimes think I have trouble with things like this, but I am pretty good at recognizing a real smile. And in thinking about such things, I wanted to try and break down emotions into simple shapes and thus we have the emotional cupcake:

Now, clearly there are more emotions to be considered. This is just a beginning. But once I saw all those little cupcake faces stacked up, I couldn't help myself. Also, Emotional Cupcake is the name of my new band.

Angry Birds and Adventure Times.

Last year I did a series of posts for Halloween. This year...I didn’t. And it wasn’t until Halloween day itself that I even felt moved to doodle. And this is what I doodled...

He was inspired by those cupcakes that use Oreos to make the owl faces but I have no idea why he’s so angry. Maybe because I didn’t post him on Halloween. Sorry, birdie, way too busy!

And just because, here’s a girl pretending to be a boy pretending to have an adventure with a dog who is pretending he cares.

When my friend Jason showed me the pilot for Adventure Time, about a year before it finally aired, we kind of got obsessed. The ringtone on my phone may have been Finn yelling “My hat is AWESOME!” for quite some time...it may have been. Maybe. Possibly. Most definitely.

Sad Mac.

I’m not the first to do this, I am sure. I am also sure I won’t be the last and I am really sure that I really don’t want to draw more tributes to those lost.  But I thought an acknowledgement was in order, since I work on a Mac every...single...day. Thanks for the good stuff, Mr. Jobs.

Marceline the Vampire Queen, she drinks shades of red.

If you watch Adventure Time, then you know Marceline. If you don’t, then all you really need to know is that she is an axe-bass playing vampire queen who drinks shades of red and really likes her french fries (as do I...like my fries, I’d never steal from Marceline).

What you may not know about Marceline is that she is voiced by one Olivia Olson. “Who?” you ask? Why, she was the little girl who sang, “All I Want for Christmas is You, ” in a little film called Love, Actually. Which is also notable for a role played by my one and only Alan Rickman. Know what else is notable about that film? Alan Rickman’s character is married to a woman named, of all things, Karen. Know what else? HER NEVER ONCE SAYS HER NAME IN THE WHOLE DAMN FILM! At least Liam Neeson does. But still...so not fair.

Winter is coming.

First off, let me apologize. I can think of maybe three people who will get this joke. Two of them might think it’s funny. As for the rest of you...I am so very sorry.

I’ve been taking a little break from drawing in Illustrator because I feel like I really need to learn how to sketch properly. But...well, that doesn't make me want to draw. I bought some books, I bought a stylus. I have tons of sketchbooks, but when you take my beloved Illustrator away I am a sad little bunny.

And then I started reading A Clash of Kings, by George R. R. Martin.

And then I had this idea that I thought was funny, like stupid goofy funny:

But other people have had much better ideas of how to use those name tags.

So then, I thought this was funny.

And yeah, I know that it’s not skewed properly, I slapped it together while I still found it funny. And yeah, I know it’s totally stupid. But sometimes... I totally crack myself up.

Dork.

She's Da Bomb, Pop.

Summer has finally arrived in Los Angeles. I know most of the rest of the country has had it for a while now, but our summer tends to arrive late in August and wear out it’s welcome well into October. In fact, I remember one Thanksgiving here that found me in shorts and a t-shirt and wishing I had made pumpkin ice cream instead of pumpkin pie. It happens.

And in honor of that 107 degrees that my neighborhood apparently hit today, something a little cooler is in order.

The girl riding the bomb image has become pretty iconic. I believe it was used on some nose cones of WWII planes, right? There is also that whole thing from Dr. Strangelove. But here's the thing, I don’t like that whole war vibe. And what could be less war-like than a popsicle? Well, unless you have siblings, because there will always, always be an argument over who gets the last Alexander the Grape. I always liked Little Orphan Orange, myself.

Let's Cuttle.

My grandfather loved mermaids. He collected them. Not real ones, mind you, just images of mermaids. I’ve always kinda liked them too.  Especially the scary ones. Like the ones in that Harry Potter movie...or better yet, have you seen Peter Pan with Jason Issacs? Because you should. Them’s some spooky fish!

Anyway, this one is no spooky fish girl. Let’s Cuttle:

A Khaleesi and her dragons.

So, the clear front runner for sales at SDCC this year was the Khaleesi. Even better, she was purchased by both a girl dressed as the Khaleesi and a girl wearing a shirt that read “Damn, it feels good to be Khaleesi.”

 I have read the first book in George R. R. Martin’s series, A Game of Thrones, and I do plan on reading the rest. In the first book there is very little description of Daenerys Targaryen beyond her silvery hair and her lavender eyes so I went a bit with the TV version of Dany and cutie-fied her dragons a bit.

This was a particularly fun and unexpected nerdy girl to draw. I was kind of thinking that I just needed one more pin-up to round out my sketchbook and looking at a pose I had started working on for another image when I got the idea for Ms. Stormborn herself. I quite like her and it made me really happy to see other fans of the book and the character get a kick out of her too.

Tired Girl Collective.

I guess maybe I didn’t mention that I will be vending at San Diego Comic Con with the Tired Girl Collective. This is our...sixth year, I think and we always try to bring the noise and the funk...or maybe it's the pink and the punk...to comic con. We will have all kinds of art, cards and jewelry available for sale and we will be so happy to see you. Please stop by and say hi.


Please?

Pretty please?

The Saddest Little Cyberman.

Awww...apparently his emotional inhibitor isn’t working properly.

Have I mentioned the Comic-Con thing? Table M-06 in small press? The very pink one? Yeah, I’ll be there. Stop by, say hi. We’ll have prints, cards and jewelry and...stuff. I don’t know. I am very tired. I am sure there will be lots of stuff...pretty sure.

Let them eat...

I wasn’t thinking at all when I posted earlier. Today is Bastille Day and I should have posted this instead:

A few years ago I read an incredible book about Marie Antoinette and I had to draw something referring to her. We all know she never really uttered those infamous words, but there was definitely a baked good involved in the revolution. I'm just gonna pretend it was a cupcake.

Hot on an atomic level.

You know who loves science? Naked ladies love science. Well, this one does, in any case.

The original point of my “nerdy girls” was to celebrate the girl who is a little different. A little geeky. A girl who likes something that is usually considered a non-girly subject. A girl like me, or like you or like your girlfriend. Hopefully the gentle nudge and knowing wink comes across and not just the nudity. Hopefully, people are starting to understand that the real life nerdy girls are here to stay and are everywhere, in every field of science and every aisle of the bookstore. And while most of them are not naked, this one sure is. Couldn't be more nakeder if she tried.

Tattoo You.

I am a big fan of GOOD tattoos. I am not saying I design good tattoos nor am I saying that all tattoos are good. Heck, I don’t even have a tattoo, I am too chicken. But I like me some tattoos and some tattoo flash and whatever other tattoo words I can sling around here.

Most notably, I am a fan of the work of a man called “Sailor Jerry.” I am pretty sure that if you have seen his work, it’s everywhere these days. I can't tell exactly why I like it. It’s a really unique blend of crudeness and sophistication. Of simple lines conveying interesting ideas. Sexy girls and cheeky monkeys. I don’t know. But it appeals to me on a lot of levels.

Some years ago, I wanted to draw something that was kind of a nod to the Sailor Jerry style, and I made my first nerdy girl tattoo...no one is tattooed with this, it's just my little homage to an artist I like. But, in truth, it didn't work for me. So I polished it up and ended up with the second image, which I’ve used for several years on jewelry, shirt and bags. It’s getting to be time for a new design, maybe I should go back to my old inspiration and revisit my concept.

All Business, All the time.

Sometimes I get asked to design business cards and I really do enjoy that. I like trying to condense an idea into a very small space. I try to convey the personality of the person or the feel of their website, and I think I am reasonably successful. Here are a few cards I’ve designed. Some have been used, some are “rejects” (awww, poor things) and some I am kind of holding onto for another day. Funny how everyone seems to have the same phone number and email....

Cutie Pie.

I honestly don't have much to say about this one. She was kind of a last minute sketch that ended up in a sketchbook I sold at San Diego Comic Con last year. I like her, but I was truly pleased when a handsome boy dressed as Han Solo told me that he really liked her because he was a pie baker. How awesome is a pie baking Han Solo? Pretty awesome.

Novel Ideas.

I always forget about this girl. Don’t know why. So...here she is.

Spring Fiber Fest.

Sometimes I get to design for friends. And sometimes, those friends are far away. And it's all done through the magic of the internets. And then, in some place like Tulsa, Oklahoma, a poster with my art suddenly appears on a wall and it's like being an international celebrity. Except without the international or the celebrity part. It's still really cool to think that people I may never meet will see my art.

So, if you find yourself in Tulsa this weekend, please do check out the Fiber Fest. And say hi to Andrea for me. And pet an alpaca. How could you resist?

My favorite things.

I almost hate to post this picture because it feels like this kind of the best I will ever do. Which may or may not be true, but this is one of my very favorite girls ever (I know I say that all the time, but this time I really mean it). THIS nerdy girl, is my FAVORITE nerdy girl for sure, because she’s me. Well, clearly, she’s not ME. That's not what my bum looks like at all, but this girl is representing for my very favorite comics. The comics that have meant the most to me over the years and that I go back to time and time again. Except...well, I forgot Goodbye,  Chunky Rice and where is Buffy? And how could I forget Books of Magic or the Unwritten or...or...


Clearly, I need to do a sequel to this girlie. Clearly.

So, can you tell what they all are? And can you tell me what else I might be missing?

For Nerd Eyes Only.

I’ve only played D&D a few times. The whole thing is a little dramatic for me. But when you make a pinup book for nerdy types, ya gotta acknowledge it, right?

Bunny peek.

He sees you when you’re sleeping...He knows when you’re awake...

Wait, that's not a song about the Easter Bunny, is it?

I love bunnies, even disapproving ones. Sadly, I am allergic to bunnies, so I suppose that I do find them a little menacing.

Hoppy Easter (OH YES I DID DO THAT) to all and to all a good night.

Good-bye, Sarah Jane.

I was going to post a Doctor Who nerdy girl today, but it didn’t seem quite right. Whovians everywhere are sad today.

Cover girl.

Last year I did a little pin-up book for San Diego Comic-Con. It was my first time doing an ashcan style book and...I liked it. It was fun. And even better, people bought it! I actually sold quite a few and that was all kinds of awesome. The book was a collection of many of my nerdy pin-up girls with a few crying girls thrown in.  It was a nice way to show off the evolution of the nerdy girl and come up with a few more.

And here is the cover of the book...

Now, obviously, I look some liberties with the female form so that I could add the type on top. But that’s what we do with pin-up girls. Stretch them out and mold them to our will. Luckily, these aren't real girls so I don’t feel too bad if they get a little odd in their proportions. 

Anyway, I enjoyed doing this ashcan enough that I am attempting to do another. Hopefully I will have enough nerdy girls for this year’s book...it’s getting to be that kind of panicky time again...we’ll see how it goes....

Lambs are Precious...my Precious.

This morning I was watching this video:

...and I thought, “I should totally draw some lambs.” And then I remember that I had drawn at least ONE lamb a while back.

This was for my first little “zine” sort of booklet...extended greeting card...thingy. It was a collection of illustrations of “pet names.” Not the actual names of pets, but the kind of sweet nicknames we give to one another, our kids, our...pets. Whatever. It’s a lamb. Because lambs are kind of cute.

But I earned some real nerd cred when I added an illustration “precious.”

Yeah, I’m a dork and yes, I have a cat named Mithril. But in my defense, I didn’t name her. But it was totally her name that attracted me. Dork.

That one lamb that looks directly at the camera and yells cracks me up.

The Last Snake in Ireland or A Day Late and a Dollar Short.

Yep. St. Patrick’s Day was yesterday. Yep. I am behind schedule, although I DID start working on this yesterday. Even worse...he’s clearly not done. And although I guess I don’t mind showing “sketches” or WiPs...I sometimes wonder if that’s such a good idea.

This guy was more about an idea that struck me as funny. Yeah, weird stuff strikes me as funny, but I was thinking of the legend of St. Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland. And I thought about that last snake, kind of trying to lay low (ha! snake...laying low...nevermind) and fit in with the crowd. Nope...no snake over here...just a very long leprechaun...nothing to see. Like I said, strange idea, but kind of funny, no?

He’s kinda cute though. Maybe he’ll get a little polish later (that’s polish, lowercase, not Polish...he’ll always be an Irish snake)...

Hey, do you know that other legend about St. Patrick? They say he carried a walking stick made from ash wood and when he would preach, he would stick it in the ground next to him. As the legend goes, he once spoke for so long that the stick had taken root by the time he was done. Now, I have had to sit through some pretty long sermons in my time. Heck, I thought I might have taken root at a few of them...but that’s a pretty good story.

WiP.

WIP is a radio station in the Philadelphia area. It is also the common abbreviation “works in progress.”

Works in progress are always a problem. I want to show them off, and in some instances, get some advice. But I also know they aren’t yet finished and I am not ready for any criticism concerning them. Do you show them or play it close to the vest? Well, I guess in this case, I’ll show you what I have.

These are some of my WiPs this week.

This cutie is actually a mermaid, which you would know if I was willing to show you the whole thing. I’m not. So there. She’s titled “Let's Cuttle” because, as you can see, she’s wearing a cuttle fish for a hat. Is it a cheap gag. Oh yes, yes it is. Do I love that cheap gag? Oh yes. Yes I  do.

And here is a lovely French lady. When complete she will be framed in gilt and standing before a damask papered wall...when complete.

Both these girlies will be in my next little collection of pin up girls, which I hope to have ready for San Diego Comic Con. Hope is the operative word.

Moroccan influences.

It’s not always ostriches with galoshes and naked ladies. Sometimes it's just patterns and colors.

I’ve never been to Morocco, although I think I’d like to go someday. I had a good meal at the Moroccan pavilion in EPCOT once. There was a belly dancer and lots of handsome men and my chicken pie had powdered sugar on it. It was nice. And I once bought a pair of shoes in that same area that were really cool.

I am guessing that EPCOT Morocco isn’t the same as MOROCCO Morocco, but it will have to do for now.

Ostrich in galoshes.

I’ve been working on this picture book for nigh on...oh...forever now. I am pretty sure I will never finish it. I drew this ostrich quite a while ago and I was thinking that I didn't really like her. But with a little time apart, I suddenly like her again. I think it's the rain bonnet that really makes it for me.

Hang one.

Found it. 

Hang ten...or two.

I realized that I haven’t posted anything in a while, and it’s totally not because I haven’t  been working on stuff...totally...not...working...

Yeah, I haven’t  been real productive as of late. Not on original drawings, anyway. I have a lot of drawings kind of...working...but not well or efficiently or...look...you can’t force...you...there are...

I think it’s just that time of the year, lots of idea, lots of super awful sketches, but no real finished work. Gotta get on that...

So, for the moment, a quick thing I did a while back. The original request was for a surfing whale. He’s around here somewhere, I’ll have to find him and post him later. Then a request for a surfing boy instead. This, I imagine, is the same frustration that any designer-y person faces. The “I have a great idea, draw what I say...Oh wait, that's not right...draw this instead...no...wait...” thing. There’s probably a better way to describe that though. You know what I mean, right?

The Doctor will see you now...

In honor of the Gallifrey One Con this weekend, here is the first Doctor Who girl, who is proudly representing for my long time fave, number five.

I will not be attending the con because...well, I am lazy and it's cold and rainy and I just want to sit on the couch and read a book this weekend. But if you are going, send my regards to Peter Davison, the fifth doctor (and All Creatures Great and Small’s Tristian!) who I have adored for lo, these many years. 

Miss Five here is wearing the good Doctor’s hat and a tattoo reminiscent of detail on his coat. Of course, she would never leave the galaxy without her celery...her pants are another story.

Happy Valiumtines Day!

Personally, I am a fan. I like pink, I like red, I like hearts (both anatomical and graphic), I like candy and cupids and all that stuff. I don’t insist on gifts of diamonds or roses, but I do insist on a card. Handmade is preferable, but being a lazy person, I do not object to fueling the Hallmark beast because, let’s be honest, card designers need to make a living too. You can tell me that you don’t need a holiday to tell the people you love how you feel...but I bet they’d like it if you did anyway.

May cause dizziness, swooning and heart palpitations indeed.

Bee Mime.

It’s the subtle differences that are important.

I happen to love Valentine’s Day. Not for any particular reason. I just like hearts and candy and pink and red. And bees.

Happy Bunny Year!

It is Chinese New Year and while I am not Chinese, I am all for happy, new and rabbits. So Happy Year of the Fluffy Bunny!

Badger, badger, badger, MUSHROOM, MUSHROOM!

Oh, that song! How I love it. (Short version to avoid annoyance...ha!)

Flying sharks and library cards.

For the moment, all I have to show are a few library card designs I did a while back. I still don’t know if they used any of my designs, but I think these two are rather cute.

And in the meanwhile, there are so many things in progress. I sometimes wish that I could draw all day long...but then I wonder...when would I ever make cupcakes?

Here’s a little sneak peek at some sketches of the stuff I am working on at the moment...

...can you guess the theme? (Hey, no peeking at the tags!) Hopefully, these will be complete well before comic-con. Hopefully. 

Récamier Velvet...and mutant gingerbread.

I’ve been working on this book about cupcakes for a while now. I don’t know if I will ever actually finish it (surprise), but the whole thing that started it was an idea I had about a red velvet cupcake on a Récamier couch.

Have you ever heard of a Récamier couch?  I hadn’t until I was in college and studying theatre history. I fell in love with this painting of Madame Récamier reclining on her couch:

Portrait of Madame Récamier by Jaques-Louis David

...and I filed it away in my tiny brain for future use. And like I said, one day I just had to draw a cupcake on a Récamier couch. Weird. Even weirder? I don’t actually like red velvet cupcakes. Too much food coloring. Although I believe that originally, the red color was only from the reaction of the “un-dutched” cocoa with the acidity of the vinegar and the buttermilk. It wasn’t that crazy red we see now. I make brown velvet cupcakes and just leave out the dye. I’m a rebel that way.

Know what’s even weirder still? Mutant gingerbread men.

I have my hands full being bad.

Ok, so here’s the thing. I MAY have had a crush on Doc Ock well before Spider-Man 2 (Electric Bug-aloo) (…or…The Spidering)…I’m neither confirming or denying that one. But I will most vehemently assert that whatever may have existed before was amplified ten-(nay, ten-thousand)fold with the brilliant performance of one Mr. Alfred Molina as the disturbed doctor (I so want to call him a cephalo-clod but that’s really pushing it). I’d take that cold metal cuddle (cuttle? no? too much?) any day…well…more or less. Still, I have a fondness for the old evil genius and although I probably think every girl I draw is my favorite, Doc’s girl ranks right up there at the top of my list for all time fave. Her actual title is “I have my hands full being bad” but she’s a good girl at heart…I think. I mean, look at her, how evil can you get with a cupcake and a teddy bear?...Please don’t answer that. I totally DO NOT want to know what you get up to on the weekends.

Sometimes, I flounder a bit.

It’s a totally random joke and only a few people really get it. I think I have also used it in the past for Valentine’s cards. In fact, I think they  said, “It’s no fluke that I love you,” which is an even worse joke. And if you don’t know your Atlantic fish, they make no sense. Which is probably why I love them.

Mellow Cupcakes.

As long as I am posting random cd covers, here’s an old one for a cupcake loving friend.

The last snowman of 2010.

Well, he was the last for 2010, but the first posted in 2011. The cover for this year’s Christmas mix for friends and family. I thought it was a pretty good mix but got complaints of  “drunken hobo” and “broken toy piano” music from...certain people. Personally, I really like Tom Waits and R.E.M. So there.