Hello, NYC!

Friday morning, we flew to NYC for the menswear show. Remember when we came to Mrket in January? This trip has been a lot of fun and oh-so busy! James will be working Mrket for the next few days, and I’ll be visiting it as well as a couple other shows while we’re in the city. I’ll blog a full report but here are a couple of shots I took yesterday before things were up & running.

This trip, I’m trying to pay more attention to the details. One way I’m doing that is: less pictures, more doodles. I’ve been thinking a lot about memory since I read this article in the NY Times about some performance art Oliver Jeffers has been doing.

What we see as individuals is so interesting because it’s often different from what others see. What our brains remember is a totally different story that’s even more exclusive. Fascinating, right?

But there’s one place k haven’t been able to resist the urge to take more than a few photos. We’ve gotten to take a couple of boat rides, including one that went all the way around Manhattan and right by Lady Liberty. Thus, the rad views in the photos below…

As i said on Instagram, we did pose for some photos, but somehow this felt more realistic 😉

I love this city!

Reclaimed Book

Last week, in Video 002, I shared a peek at this reclaimed book I’ve been working on. Today I thought I’d give you a closer look. It’s a library book that was withdrawn after years of wear & tear and left in the free bin at a local book store.

I started on the page with the Random House logo, and ideas proceeded from there. If you look closely at the dedication page, it reads:

Dedicated to the memory of my dear home life.

Happy coincidence, no? Now with the help of pens, paste, and colored pencils, it’s slowly becoming a book about our home, our favorite objects and activities.

Sketchbook Haiku

In the wintertime
Blue scarf I made from his yarn
I wrap myself up.

Snow Days and New Work

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times: “If it’s going to be cold and grey, the least it could do is snow!” Well this has been one of the snowiest weeks I can ever remember, and I’ve been trying to soak up every second of it! Snow days have been particularly welcome because I’ve been working on a couple projects for work that require lots of illustrating. Truth be told, it is much easier for me to make pretty things from my home studio with it’s perfect light, a cup of coffee, and Dexter. So on this snow day, I thought I’d share some new work that I’m pretty excited about.

First, a peek inside the sketchbook. I’ve started reading T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets (as part of this challenge), and that second page is covered in some of my favorite quotes. One in particular that has been on my mind…

What might have been and what has been
Point to one end, which is always present.

The doodles above represent 4 different styles of some concept art I made last week for DIY Network. It’s so much fun to try different techniques and styles, and I think what we landed on will be pretty rad. You’ll see it this Spring.

Below are some doodles I did for another video I’m working on with HGTV. This one is all about decorating your walls, and it’s been really fun! (You can see the first two videos here.)

The silhouette also makes a return in this video. Below is how one of the silhouettes evolved into just the right character. It always takes a few tries.

I guess I should get back to it. Hope you have some lovely snow to enjoy wherever you are too!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Click here to see the original doodle.

As we mentioned on Fox 43 Morning’s, we really don’t make a huge deal about Valentine’s Day around our house, but we do send out Valentines! The drawing I did for this year’s card is what you see above.

Here are a few Valetines-y links from around the interwebs to enjoy:

Jim Gaffigan and I basically share views on this holiday, and his monologue on CBS Sunday Morning this week was amazing.

“I know I make you nauseous.
Here’s a Tums with “Hug Me” written on it.”

Designer Marisa Seguin made Parks & Recreation valentines that you should really check out. Orin even makes an appearance!

Please take note that you may be doing this wrong…

Life Magazine, 1942

If you’re interested, last year Husband wrote about our Valentine’s Day traditions.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

NYC Sketchbook

If you have been on Instagram in the past week, you may have noticed that we’ve been in New York City for Mrket. Anytime we travel, I fill my sketchbook with doodles of where we went and what we saw so I thought I’d share pages from my NYC Sketchbook with you!

Click here to learn more about Leonard Lauder’s Cubism Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

I’ll post more about Mrket (& Husband’s new gig) tomorrow.

Read ‘Tales of a Madcap Heiress’ | Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs at the Museum of Modern Art

From My Sketchbook

05 Pigma Micron pen, colored pencil, cut security envelopes

From My Sketchbook

“These are a few of my favorite things…” as doodled in my sketchbook over the weekend.

Southern Summer Solstice

A page from my sketchbook this week.

Today is the Summer Solstice, and I know that in other parts of the country you’re still wearing a sweater on your nightly strolls… But y’all summer has already come to East Tennessee! It was 90°+ all week complete with those familiar, short summer storm bursts as more heat rolls into the valley.

So please accept my wishes for a happy Summer Solstice with this little playlist. It is best enjoyed sipping a gin & tonic (says Husband) or a sparkling water (says me) on the front porch.