SO happy when I get news that my sold art makes it safely to its destination. I'm getting the hang of wrapping and shipping. Many of my friends ask why I don't pay to have it wrapped, and I tell them that I want to be the one that makes sure it's wrapped super well while also adding a few thank you "goodies" into the box. I also love decorating the outside of the box with hand drawn art to make it even more special for the buyer.

A stylized impish tattooed wide eyed girl with her kitty at her waist in a Christmas stocking makes for an unusual Christmas card. I love to create art like this as well as paint. I enjoy trying different styles, while still maintaining my own style through it all. I was inspired by a hairstyle in a fashion mag, and the rest of it was drawn from what was in my mind, clothing and all. Click on the picture which will take you to the link for this card at my Card Gnome store. See you there!

I always feel behind the eight ball when it comes to designing for Christmas. Hopefully next year I can get my act together earlier! Here's my one of my latest holiday creations. Who doesn't love giving an adorable dog a little kiss for the holidays and everyday. Available on my Card Gnome store.

In continuing along the same Napa Valley theme for Christmas, my wine grapes Christmas tree continues to be a favorite on Greeting Card Universe. One hundred cards of this design sold today. It's nice to be able to design for a customer's needs and then have it become a successful card. Thanks for popping by out of your busy day! Greatly appreciated! ( Click on card to visit it on GCU )

A few years ago a customer requested a Napa Valley Christmas card on Greeting Card Universe. This request was sent out to the artist community where many artists got busy designing for the requested card. I don't always jump in on these requests, but I chose to do so for this subject as my in-laws had a second home in Napa Valley and I felt I had the experience of the region that I could easily convey for the card. I quickly sketched out this scene with pastels on Canson's pastel paper. I think my quick sketches are sometimes loved more than the art I spend more time on. Maybe it's the feeling of spontaneity in a quick sketch that adds to the excitement and emotion. My Napa Valley themed Christmas cards continue to be a great seller on GCU. Click on the card to see more information. From there, you can click to my store. Thanks so much for your visit!

With a little snowy sky and hand lettering in a box, the illustration has taken on a life for the holidays. A little bit of Christmas love now on my Card Gnome store. Click on picture. Thank you!

I'm an artist that loves to play around with different mediums. I feel it keeps your work fresh when presented with creating in a variety of mediums. It's an emotional endeavor as every material you create on along with varying the medium challenges your brain to create  for that particular medium. I thrive on change, so I embrace the challenge. My latest illustration for my upcoming 2013 Christmas card, makes use of colored pencil and the fabulous Copic markers. Granted, they are a serious investment, but over the years of having experiences with all sort of brands of markers, I feel these are definitely worth the investment. I will post links soon of this art on a variety of products as well as a link to one of my card stores. I also continue to paint, with two easels up with works in progress. One may say I have art ADD, but I thrive with all these projects begging to be finished around me. It keeps me inspired!

Ask and you shall receive. Sometimes. And definitely this time. I needed to channel Klimt with his double easels in his studio back in the day, and expressed to my artist girlfriend how much I would love another easel. As fate may have it, her artist boyfriend finds a bunch of easels on a curbside that were being tossed. He grabs the best one, and brings it home. A little refurbishing and it's good to go. Not one bit of paint on it. New painting coming up.

A friend of mine gave me a canvas with some old gray paint on it. It's perfect to experiment on. I wondered if I could draw on acrylic with charcoal, so I drew on the paint that already existed on the canvas, sprayed it with a fixative and was able to paint without the charcoal smudging. The charcoal drawn directly on the paint yielded a beautiful line quality. I then smudged pastel over the paint with a little extra charcoal smudging. Face drawn from visual memory.

I absolutely love the world of fashion and often wonder what direction my life would have taken if I never moved from NY to Los Angeles. Late last night I searched the net for some fashion illustrations and got so inspired that I whipped up this little sketch from my head with a Sharpie marker and pencils. I love the blurred photo on the left of the original drawing on the right. Not at all intentional. Just a rush to get off to bed after being up so late. Why does the most inspiration come in the wee morning hours? Promising myself a decent bedtime hour tonight.