Happy June, friends. The Sun is no longer shy, the roses are on their way out, and the swimming pool is looking mighty tempting. I’ve always been a Spring and FALL kinda gal but here in Mendocino County is near Summer, and I kinda like it. I feel closer to my 11 year self, who loved playing in sprinklers and eating popsicles. She wants to come out and play now, so I pray it won’t be 100 + degrees all June and July so she can have at least a little fun in the sun.
I’m working away at my newest collection of short stories for children. The working title is B. Tull, Private Eye: All in a Day’s Work. I’m loosening up my line work this time, staying in a 2 color palette, and letting the book be as simple as possible. Some moms wear Mom Jeans, I wear my “KISS” hat (keep it simple, sweetie). This has been crucial to my “getting things done” and staying sane.
Some inspirations for this book are the Frog and Toad books by Arnold Lobel, Dr. Seuss, and Quentin Blake. If you look at these artists, they don’t try too hard. They let it flow. Quentin Blake is known for practicing his line work over and over, so that it’s nearly effortless when he has to use it for real. I’ve always been pretty tight when drawing- I like my lines nicely curved and very strait, shaky lines make me nervous. But now, if I’m too nervous, my lines are MORE shaky, so if I loosen up, I can find a happy middle ground.
I’m also on the hunt for commissions. I’ve been out of the social media game for a while, which means I’ve lost most of my threads to folks who might be interested in projects with me. It’s a struggle to build something back with good boundaries, and I think I’ll have to humble myself and start asking folks to help me spread the word. That’s what people did before computers, right? We talked to each other in person or on the phone.
That said, here are my current offerings while I also work on my kids book:
Custom Storybook Character Artwork (available as a commission through my webstore)
I’m also doing pet portraits! I used to do a lot of these but had to pull back when the baby came. I’m back at it, though, and boy is it fun. My favorite part of the cats and dogs are their eye balls. If you’d like one, just send me an email.
I hope you all have a wonderful Summer. Stay cool, get outside, eat lots of melons, and I’ll see you in July!
-Annie