Many miles away there's a shadow on the door of a cottage on the shore of a dark Scottish lake. --Walter Scott

OK, so we're not in Scotland . . . and we don't live next to a lake. But, we do live next to a pond, and there is indeed a shadow on my door, and that door is, you guessed it; on a cottage.

So, obviously, we moved.

We packed one tiny dog, one very disgruntled cat, and all our worldly possessions into a moving van, said "tra-la and goodbye" to the pink house and brown cockroaches of Georgia, and ascended to the wilds of . . . New Jersey.

It was a long trip and it deserved a long sentence.

I've literally been too busy painting our new house (as in slapping gallons of green paint onto ancient, once white siding) to take the time to paint our new house (as in, well, you see).

But, I finally sat down and did it. Yay me.

Post Cards

           

They're here! My first official postcard samples have arrived. The edges are a bit raw, but I'm not fussed. I used Vistaprint and went with their standard paper and a gray-scale backside. As far as I'm concerned (and I've been known to be picky) the color and saturation look pretty much like the files I uploaded. 

A warning: Vistaprint is a little wacky. You have only two size options; 5.47"x 4.21" or  8.52"x 5.47". Oh, you already have a design in a standard 5"x 7"? Fuhgeddaboudit. They at Vistaprint go in for no such tomfoolery. Also, printing quantities are 100, 250, 500, 1000, 1500 or any multiple of said options. So, your agent specifically requested 350? You'll have to upload your image(s) twice and purchase one set of 100 and one set of 250. In the end, I would say the image quality for the price is well worth the fanegalin' if you ain't rollin' in the green. 

A big Thank You! to my super SIL Meghan Molumby for her graphic design advice.

Pop! Snakes

Last time, I posted about the Pop! Owls and my original intent to do a series. Well, I got all pumped-up over the idea again and lit a little fire under my own tush. Here's the next installment! I have several more ideas. Let's see if I can maintain my own interest.

I went ahead and put this one up on society6 as well. You can find it: HERE

Pop! I'm new on society6

I originally did this piece for my sister. I hear it's hanging merrily in her kitchen in Oregon. I had plans for a whole series depicting a variety of creatures "popping" into life. If only the pictures popped as effortlessly into existence as this little owl did. 

The hubby, Brandon Keehner has been very successful selling his work on society6. It has something to do with the type of work he does, the type of shoppers on society6, and also with his general awesome-ness. I've always felt that most of my work was too illustrative and child-oriented to be very well received on the site, but I recently got a wild hare up my---well, I just decided to try it out.

Check it out HERE 

 

 

 

More Coloring Book Pages

From: Police Dog Hero Coloring Book

From: Wise About Water Conservation Coloring Book

From: Wise About Water Conservation Coloring Book

Busy Busy

I've been too busy with my coloring books to post. Yes, I realize that sentence conjures images of a five year old, sprawled happily on the living room floor, surrounded by an explosion of Crayolas. Twenty-three years ago, that was indeed me. I still play with coloring books but these days I'm drawing instead of coloring them, and it really has been keeping me very busy.

From: Braces Making Faces Coloring Book

From: All Hallows Eve Fun Coloring & Mask Book

From: Your Healthy Bones & Body Coloring Book

Yep, I'm rep'd!

This has been a long time coming. I've been holding back for over a month, but now I'm thrilled to officially announce that I am exclusively, undeniably, and indubitably represented by Cornell & McCarthy Artist's Representatives. Oh! Can I get a WHAT WHAT!?

Listen folks, amongst the illustration crowd, it's often murmured that it's just as hard to get an agent as it is to find a publisher. Can I say I'm tickled pink? Why yes, I can. 

The Ms.'s Cornell and McCarthy do their trade from the great state of Connecticut, and from what I can tell, are a delightful pair.

You can take a look at my portfolio page, and check out some of my fellow represented artists on their site, here.

I'm particularly liking the work of one Mr. David Wenzel. He has illustrated a graphic novel adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, which fact, in and of itself, must prove excellence of character. In other words, he's probably a pretty awesome dude. 

Here's to a long and fruitful (and possibly fruity) relationship with my new agents. TOWANDA!