Illustration for New Orleans Magazine

I had the opportunity to illustrate the education column for the December issue of New Orleans Magazine. After working with Art Director Eric Gernhauser a couple years ago on another illustration project, I was so excited to contribute to the magazine again. The article focuses on a switch in New Orleans' education system, so I used mirrored silhouettes and opposite color palettes to communicate this concept. I love how the grid paper and watercolor textures combine - click the image below to see a larger version if you'd like!

PeaceLoveStudios.com illustrations

I'm so happy to announce that the new PeaceLoveStudios.com has been launched! This process has been a great collaboration between the team at PeaceLove, designers at Studio Pie, and developers at Trestian. To emphasize the artistic and community-building aspects of PeaceLove, I created an illustrated background filled with art supplies and a peaceful little world. I also created illustrations for the rollovers in the navigation bar, and icons scattered throughout the site. Take a look at the new website and let us know what you think!

Bird Christmas Ornaments

New in the shop are these illustrated bird ornaments- each ornament is stitched with care and backed in a coordinating felt. These look lovely on your tree and would also be great perched on a perfectly wrapped gift. Which would you prefer, the Owl or the Chickadee?

Inspired lately

Inspired by these images lately: 1, 2, 3, 4

These and more gathered on my Pinterest and Tumblr

The Learning Garden

I designed this sign for a client who is opening a daycare that will focus on outdoor play in natural spaces. After playing around with a number of ideas, we decided to go with this version that focuses on typography with some playful illustrated elements scattered around. This design will be translated to a 12' wide x 6' high sign that will be mounted to the exterior of their new building.

Typographic Chalkboard Murals

As a member of the art team at Renaissance Church, I've had the joy of working on lots of amazing projects. One of the longest running series (and also the most temporary) has been these chalkboard murals, which typically lasted only a week. Corresponding with whatever was going on that Sunday, the type and illustrations carried a simple message that would soon be wiped away to make room for a new one. Several of of these murals are collaborations  - thank you to the friends who lent a hand.

(The latest mural, showing the core beliefs and structure of Ren, stretches all the way across the chalkboard wall.)

Tidying up

The other night I had an Arrested Development netflix marathon keep me company while I worked on some website edits; I ended up staying up way too late but now my blog is looking tidier and and more in line with my main website. Part of the process involved going back through all my old blog posts - here's how my site looked in 2009 and 2006. Personally, I'm loving this new clean look! Hope you do, too. Suggestions are always welcome. :)

Create Peace of Mind

I'm so happy to be working with PeaceLove, an organization that is a creative voice for mental illness. Amazingly, 1 in 4 americans suffers from a diagnosable mental illness, but 2/3 of them won't get the help they need because of stigma. PeaceLove is building a positive symbol of hope and acceptance for mental illness, fostering conversations that bring this issue into the light, and bringing relief through creative arts experiences. This illustration is inspired by their tagline "Create Peace of Mind", and shows a peaceful scene being created by art supplies.

Lots more PeaceLove work to come - we've been busy!

Hand-Painted Wallpaper Pattern

Sometimes I find a simple, repetitive project is just what I need. This patterned wall wasn't very difficult, but the act of repeating the same brush strokes over and over required focus and patience. It's a nice way to balance too much time spent in front of a computer, and now I have a nice accent wall to look at every time I come home. If you'd like to create one of your own you can follow this tutorial.

(detail)

(in progress shots)

Fabric canopy

I spent a couple days with my friend Stephanie hanging fabric in one of the kids' classrooms at Renaissance to create a fun fabric canopy. We used some lightweight gauzy fabrics in light colors to to make the tall, industrial space feel a little cozier while still letting some light through. Here are some in-progress shots, with a finished shot last: