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What to do when your drawers and portfolios are overflowing with original paintings?
You have a flash sale of course! 

ONE DAY ONLY
Friday October 28th
9am - 9pm CST
All original paintings and drawings on www.sarabillustration.com will be hugely marked down!

There's a new chapter in my life coming, and I am pretty certain I will be inspired to make much of it through drawing and painting. I have also been wanting to play with working larger, which will require more room!

So in celebration of the arrival of our son Jaxon (and the crisp cool holiday season! My favorite!), I am holding this ultra rare sale, marking my original art for almost half the price! This is a great way, I hope, for those of you who have been wanting an original piece but haven't been able to afford it, are able to find something that resonates with you and is within your reach.

"Summer"

All of the paintings available demonstrate my progression as an illustrator...

I have original paintings from ten years back when I was still inking my lines with microns because I feared loosing my lines and didn't like getting graphite all over my hand.

All the way through to the most recent, finished just a couple weeks ago. No inked lines but instead using erasable gray pencil, showing more confidence in my values, and creating far more inviting atmospheres that help tell the story.

Each step in the process is vital for the following step. Without experimenting and playing, I would not be where I am today as an illustrator.

"Moon Dance"

Most of my work is small for those little areas of the house that need some magic.

It is very well known that I prefer to work small, usually smaller than 8x10. I enjoy the challenge and quite possibly have always been interested in the miniature (LOVE dollhouses and all things small). Most of the larger works I create are requested commissions, but there will be a range of sizes available at the sale.

From a few of the smallest....

"Lime Pixie" 3 x 2.5 inches

The many in the middle...

"July" 8 x 10 inches

To a couple of the largest....

"Wisdom" 12 x 16 inches

I know each piece has a soul mate, created just for them.

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How exciting to have so much to look forward to!

A new face.
Baby smell.
Cute outfits.
Small toes.
To be needed, ALL. THE. TIME.
Sleep deprived.
Baby shrieks.
Poopie diapers.
Toddler regression.
>_<
I could go on and on.....but that may be TMI.

I have so many mixed emotions about what is to come, but our family has been busy making the most of every moment being together as a tribe of three before there is four. And I can't be more than blessed and thankful!

My art has taken the back seat. Although I have been able to do some drawing here and there, it has been far more minimal than usual. Yet, some chapters in our lives require attention on our relationships than career.

Here is what we've been up to the last couple of months:

In August we traveled to Elgin, IL for the fantastical World of Faeries Festival! This was our first real big family road trip and extended stay. We spent four days there in a hotel and working my shop, Sara B Illustration, in a tent. It was definitely a large learning experience for Brian and I as parents, as a family working a festival together, and the logistics of traveling 6 hours in the car with a toddler.

In September we spent time with good friends playing and working at the Renaissance Festival at Sleepy Hollow in Des Moines, IA. It's a three weekend event that I work selling corsets and dresses for EaGenie's Scots N Knots. I have many friends there that I get to spend ample amounts of time with, including my dad (which I treasure)! Norah also has a blast dressing up and seeing all of the pirates and princesses.

My ladies, Amber on the left, Jess on the right.

Time with Papi (my dad)

In October we ventured to the pumpkin patch at the Center Grove Orchard in Cambridge, IA. I didn't think I could do a day on my feet like this, but I am so glad I did!! We had a blast playing in the corn kernel pool, shopping for pumpkins, eating cider donuts, and feeding goats.



And had a great family dinner night out at the amazing landmark restaurant The Iowa Machine Shed in Clive, IA. This place not only represents all of Iowa in great atmosphere and shopping, but it also has the best comfort food!! It was definitely a treat for all of us. :)


Making Norah feel special, growing our bond with her, and establishing our unit as three has been paramount for us during this waiting period until Jaxon arrives.


As an artist it's challenging to divide myself between parent and creator. 

This in itself has caused bouts of depression for me. I so desperately want to be both at the same time! Keep my house organized, the studio open at all times, painting side by side with my kids, coming up with all kinds of crafts and to dos to share with them. Yet when I think of all that, I freeze and just sit staring at Norah playing puzzles, and do nothing.

Our trials and what appear to be hardships or undesired results can actually help shape and form us for the better if we allow it.

I have learned in the last couple of months that in this crazy artistic life of mine, I have chapters of family, and I have chapters of creating art. For myself it is currently very difficult for me to combine the two. I admire those moms who can with littles running around, keeping some kind of organization and self discipline in their daily routine. I thought I had to be that, but I don't. I can step aside, let God lead my feet, and being willing to do what is called of me every day. One. Day. At. A. Time.

"They're little only once."

I'm told that over and over again. Even by artists I highly admire and are successful. I do not want to make the mistake of regretting my time spent on something that can be done later, and not spending it with my children when they need me most.

It will be hard. It will be a struggle. It will be crazy. It will be WORTH IT.

We may not see the outcome of our hardships right now, but in hindsight we will and have no regrets. ♥︎

How can you relate?
Share in the comments how you manage your time between life and art. 

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** Alex Haley's Roots,

as a kid, got me interested in my own family's ancestry. Although, it wasn't until about 10 years ago, around the time my son was born, that I finally started digging on my mother's side of the family tree. If you've ever done any digging yourself you know how exciting and time consuming it can be, but in a short amount of time I made decent progress.

Then a couple of years ago, my aunt gave me these two portraits of my great-grandparents.I'm guessing the photos are about 100 years old. 

Their daughter, my grandmother, Blanche, was born in either 1916 or 1917 so I estimate the photos were taken around then, give or take a few years. These portraits are a part of my family history. And until seeing them and delving into my family's ancestry online, it was a family history that I was not too sure actually existed let alone connected to a larger American history.

Part of what fuels my art (and illustration) is the desire to shine a light on those who have been forgotten by history, underrepresented or misrepresented. My goal is not to merely tell their stories but to reframe them and their lives. By reframing, I mean looking at people and events from a different vantage point and thereby changing the way we perceive them, reminding us that identity is perception and therefore malleable, not static. The first piece of work where I consciously used reframing was A Brief History of Sambo.


For me, the portraits of my great-grandparents suggest that they were people that mattered, even though their names may only be a small piece of a larger historical record. Often times African-American history is linked to the history of oppression, poverty, brutality and blight, as though they are all synonymous. In terms of success, names like CJ Walker, George Washington Carver and Frederick Douglas are important and familiar but by no means the whole story. There are countless people who we learn about during the 28 days of February, many  who were part of the Civil-Rights Movement but still that's just a portion of the picture. Industries such as law, medicine, art, invention, publishing, hospitality, real estate and apparel are all areas where numerous African-Americans made a name for themselves. People like Arthur Gaston, Jeremiah G. Hamilton, John Coburn and Chloe Spear are just a few names but their success defies the perceived norm and that success was not confined
to just one era but was a truth, for some, throughout the history of Blacks in America. Given the circumstances of how we arrived here, our presence in America today conveys a success that pervades all of American history.

Back to this week's piece. In the spirit of those industrious people who's stories remain untold (and the portraits of my great-grandparents), I created this week's piece-"Black Business 1890."

The portrait is of no one in particular and the date arbitrary but the objective of the piece is to emphasize my previous points. The print is 10x10" including 2" borders on all sides. Printed on heavyweight, ph-neutral, cold-press watercolor paper with archival inks. Just respond here or email me [email protected] with Weekly Painting #9 in the subject if you would like one.

I apologize to anyone who has been waiting for these updates. It's been awhile, I know. I have more to share so stay tuned!

Oh,one more thing. 

This Sunday, May 15th in Brooklyn, 


I will be at the 5th Ave Street Fair, 5th Ave between 1st and 2nd Street in the artist area. I may have one or two proofs left of the Black Business 1890 and a Brief History of Sambo. Hope to see you!

Sean


============================================================
Copyright © Sean Qualls 2016, All rights reserved.

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Roxie Munro was one of KidLit TV’s very first StoryMakers guests. On this episode of Ready Set Draw! She is back to teach you how to draw a wise and strong owl from her book, Hatch!

Roxie is the author and illustrator of more than 40 books for kids and develops apps based on her books. Each book is filled with Roxie’s signature detailed style.

SUPPLIES YOU CAN USE TO DRAW WITH US

• Alex Rainbow 60 Piece Marker Set
• Strathmore 300 Series Drawing Paper – 9×12

Did you, a child, or student draw their own owl using this video? Please share your images with us via Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Use the hashtag #KidLitTV on Instagram and Twitter too. We can’t wait to see what you’ve drawn!

Watch Roxie’s episode of StoryMakers to learn more about her books and apps!

 

LIKE IT? PIN IT!

 

ABOUT BOOK HATCH!

Hatch!
Written and illustrated by Roxie Munro
Published by Cavendish Square Publishing

Crack! Who is inside the eggs? All kinds of baby birds! Can you guess what kind of bird is like a superhero and can fly as high as a jet plane? Or which bird builds nests that can weigh as much as a car? Or which bird sleeps on the water with one eye open? Read Hatch! and find out. Hatch! gives young readers a bird’s-eye view into the fascinating world of birds and their unique eggs and nests.

ABOUT ROXIE MUNRO

Via RoxieMunro.com
Roxie is the author/illustrator of more than 40 nonfiction and concept books for children, many using “gasification” to encourage reading, learning, and engagement. Her books have been translated into French, Italian, Dutch, Chinese, and Japanese.

Roxie was born in Texas, and grew up in southern Maryland, by the Chesapeake Bay. At the age of six, she won first prize in a county-wide contest for a painting of a bowl of fruit. She has been a working artist all her life, for a while freelancing in Washington DC as a television courtroom artist. It was great training for life drawing, concentration under pressure, and making deadlines. Clients included CBS, the Washington Post, and the Associated Press. Fourteen of her paintings have been published as covers of The New Yorker magazine.

She also creates oils, watercolors, prints, and drawings, primarily cityscapes, which are exhibited widely in the US in galleries and museums. Roxie’s work is in numerous private, public, and corporate collections.

Roxie Munro studied at the University of Maryland, the Maryland Institute College of Art (Baltimore), earned a BFA in Painting from the University of Hawaii, attended graduate school at Ohio University (Athens), and received a Yaddo Fellowship in Painting. She lectures in museums, schools, libraries, conferences, and teaches in workshops.

Many oils and watercolors are views from the roof of her sky-lighted loft studio in Long Island City, New York, just across the East River from her home in mid-Manhattan. Roxie is married to the Swedish writer/photographer, Bo Zaunders.

CONNECT WITH ROXIE MUNRO
Website | Facebook | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Twitter

CONNECT WITH KidLit TV
Facebook Group | Facebook Page | Instagram | Newsletter | Pinterest |  Twitter | YouTube

The post Ready Set Draw! | Roxie Munro Draws An Owl appeared first on KidLit.TV.

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These are from the 2 books by Yuichi Miyoshi

I could not find the crown in either book but I have seen it across the internet.
He has an ETSY store where you can have him make them for you:
The store is called PaperAndArts

https://www.etsy.com/listing/220885960/semi-customised-365days-birthday-card

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 My family and I went to New Orleans for a family vacation Jan 2-9. It was fun. Not a place on my "go back to" list, but a great family adventure which was the whole point.

For my artistic curiosities in New Orleans, I looked up and visited a few pottery joints and the Ogden Museum of Southern Artists and the Scuplture Garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art. I went into quite a few galleries and an artists co-op in the French Quarter. I'm sorry, I don;t usually like to be unkind about other art makers but my daughter Jo and I about gagged at how much truly bad art there was for sale on the street however, I did manage to find one talented young man and bought a print of his charcoal drawing of a parade on Royal Street.

We walked 30 miles around the city that week so we were pretty tuckered out when we got back to Pa. so we came home, layed on the couch and watched almost every previous episode of Downton Abbey with my daughter each night, drank a lot of wine and lamented that she would be going back to school within days.


My awesome niece Suzi came to visit and she and I and my daughter visited Isaiah's Magic Garden in Philadelphia. (ok, they call it Philadelphia's Magic Garden now because it became a non profit to save it from the bulldozer, but the city didn't build it, Isaiah did, so I'm still going to call it that!)



I bought clay while I was in Philly and a new glaze at The Ceramic Shop that I have never used  called "Magic Glaze" (how fitting) and that allegedly produces different results with almost every firing. Hmmm, can't wait to use it. I bought a gallon. $49 bucks! Hope I like it!


We spent the rest of the weekend binge watching more Downton Abbey with my daughter and niece drinking a lot of wine (did I say that already?) in our pajamas and  only surfaced into the world to take my neice to the movies for her first Dine-in Theatre experience, where we ate food and drank martini's and wine.

You may be wondering, since this is a blog about my artistic life, where does the art part come into this post?  Well, sadly for me, my daughter went back to school, my niece went back home to North Carolina, my husband went back to work after his long vacation and I have been at home again alone just  starting to rekindle the momentum of producing art and letting ya all know what I'm up to through the cyber world.

Now that all is quiet and I have returned into the studio, I have:

 *begun work on a new painting for that show in March which  I mentioned in my previous post.

Cat at Cafe du Monde in progress

 *spent a couple of afternoons making some cute little miniature houses which I intend to add to my wholesale catalog

These are not fired yet. I will post next week with the WIP

*Designed and printed postcards for upcoming March show

*Designed and printed new business cards.

* I've also begun a new relationship with Mala Galleria in Kennett Square where my pottery will be available for sale.

 
We got snowed in for a day during the great northeast Snowmageddon, so I did some baking and cleaning and purging of some closets and rooms.

My studio after round one still looking like springtime

My burnt pumpkin cheesecake. It still tasted good.

So there. See. It was action packed and I did do a lot despite the languishing around in pajamas watching television. (Sometimes a body just has to take time to rejuvenate) !

Today, as I work around the studio on my current painting , I am going to start another one as soon as I figure out what it will be. 

Next week, I will post some works in progress in painting or clay or both. Gotta keep it going!

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Ever feel like your head is swarming with the busyness and buzzing of a bee hive?? That's me, today, present.

After an amazing weekend at the World of Faeries Festival -

Where I got to meet so many followers, see first hand how my work impacts others, hear the stories that come with learning people, making new friends, and watching little children in awe of fairies in the flesh walking about (adults dressed up of course). Not to mention all that Brian and I learned as vendors, the time away from Norah, and seeing old friends on our way back home...

- I am so full of ideas and have the feeling of NEED in regards to getting my business into order. We are on a new path, one I never thought I'd do. One that has changed many things. Including what products I sell and which ones I need to provide.


So to the buzzing in my head I say this, I need to get you out.

I will be taking a time of leave, starting next week, and returning August 24th. I need to have time to sit and give my business some serious attention. I am always scattered in a million directions, and I am overwhelmed with this sense that I should just sit down, write it all out, and make a plan for the rest of the year. To do this I need my other busy bees to visit a different garden.

With the holidays right on the horizon, and with so many ideas to execute by then, including two more shows (Oy!), it hurts now, but will be well worth it later to take this time off. It's so scary to leave the social media for two weeks, processing orders, and connecting with my followers. A lot of "What ifs" begin to fill my head. Fear. Lots of fear that my business will suffer for it. But the doubt and fear only makes me want to do it more, as I know that is how it usually works.

The more I'm afraid of it, the more I want to go through it. Things will always be hard, things will always turn out unexpected, but if I just fly and keep my eyes on the light, I can not fail. 

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Visit My Page to Browse the Store

Lately there has been so much information on how to run a business, so much to read and prepare, that I feel like I'm falling behind while moving ahead. Crazy how it works eh?

I haven't forgotten about my blog or my newsletter, or Facebook for that matter, but working out new schedules, system for what I offer where, and how to find "me" time in it all. Because let's face it, when you can't take care of yourself, what you give out is no where near what you hoped it would be.

Wings are getting a bit clipped over on my end, but all for the better. Thank you for all of your patience and support. :)

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"moonlight mavens" 11x14 acrylic on canvas

to one year ago yesterday...and this painting, "moonlight mavens".

hard to believe this piece (and the newly designed website, by me) are exactly one year old! how do i know this? it was website renewal fee day yesterday (squarespace is awesome, by the way)....and, i have a memory like an elephant. ;)

here's the story behind this painting as well as a bit more about me (in case you didn't already know)...

{and, just because it's throwback thursday, well i thought i'd share a picture of a very small Nicole with lots of dreams behind those big brown eyes of being the bestest children's artist she could be! :)}

a little Nicole...circa. 1975/76

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Yay for Le Tour De France being on!

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This is Florence- a commission I did for a lovely couple. Yay for pugs!

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Henri!, Character design concept.

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Check out the Chun-Li Artist Series Card I made for Fangamer: Also, don’t forget to take a peek at the other cards, they all turned out awesome!  goo.gl/0aUSNm

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Here's one of my forgotten books - the Easter Surprise! It was painted in real paints on gessoed paper (for all you hard-line real media folks). And it featured idyllic scenes of baby farm animals frolicking in pastoral locales. I think it does have a nice painterly aspect to it. And now I'm much more forgiving of it's innocence, all these years later.  I think it's sweet... loving kindness.

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there's always room at the top...for a hug! ©the enchanted easel 2014

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I believe this Martin Luther King Jr. quote is as true for the inside of ourselves as it is for the outside to others. We must drive out the darkness within our minds, and love ourselves. Thank you Dr. King for so many inspiring words and faith.

This past weekend was a whirl wind of a time! We did so much, that by Sunday I was tired enough to sleep through Norah waking up from her nap. Who knows how long she was in her crib playing before she finally started to let me know she wasn't happy there. I find these are the times I learn the most about myself, because they are also when I'm my weakest, most vulnerable, and busiest. Do you ever have weekends like that?

It's a new week though, with new thoughts, new perspectives, and new schedules! I have discovered that every week is different with my schedule, time to  E • M • B • R • A • C • E  it! 



I tried something new this morning, I tried some meditative prayer. Like most women, my mind is always moving. Surprisingly it stayed pretty clear, and I think I caught myself drifting to sleep a couple of times (sitting up in the studio). Since then I've been very calm, and I knew I needed to get it down on paper, so I began this drawing. I look forward to working on her throughout the week during these times of peace every morning.

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After that first nap I give Norah all of my attention. We played around and got to ride on the dragon in the studio. It's so special to have her in the studio with me, even if I'm not working. I remember spending many days and nights in my dad's studio, and I wish the same for her.


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I struggled with my daily sketches these last few days. To find the joy and the motivation to draw when so drained is like pulling teeth for me. I feel like Tinkerbell, only able to handle one emotion at a time, except it's more than just emotions, but actions too. I did it, and I'm proud of myself for getting them done. It's okay to not be elaborate, or detailed, or whatever else I think I HAVE to be. Sometimes, just a simple sketch is all there needs to be.

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