Illustration Friday: focused

My submission for Illustration Friday's " focused" theme is a cropped portion of an illustration for the book "Return of the Matador" that I painted over the summer. Happy Friday! Have a lovely weekend ;)

2009 valerie walsh

Illustration Friday: clumsy

At first glance this might appear to be a very silly and clumsy painting but it is actually very sweet and tender. My sbmission for Illustration Friday's " clumsy" theme is " a celestial life."

I painted this in August of 1992 for friend Tracy Walsh because she was about to marry her longtime love Shep Lonsdale. Tracy loved my art and has been quite a wonderful and supportive collector of my work. When she came to me and asked me to do her invitations I was happy and tickled because this was my first wedding card. I have done quite a few now but this was my very first one and she wanted a child like image using all the things she loves! This is my favourite kind of client, someone that tells me what they enjoy and I get to do whatever I want :D Tracy wanted the sea, the stars, the moon, and the feeling of infinity, love and the universe. Not your traditional invite to be sure, oh and the best part she wanted all valgal colours featuring their dog Jade. In order to make multiples I had the image offset printed and then I made cotton rag paper in my studio, dyed to compliment the painting and I added this beautiful old glitter to the batches to make it sparkle. We printed the typeface on a see through vellum and it was a limited edition art card for all the guests. I framed up some for her bridesmaids gifts and the gift that went to the person that married them. The funny thing about the man that performed the wedding Cliff Potts, he is Johns best friend for 40 years but I did not know him then and had not yet met John. I live on a street with 3 houses now and he lives in one of these houses and has been my neighbor for 13 years! Tracy is a travel agent, her mom was a very well known British travel agent who's clients were Elton John etc. and Shep is a musician and was in the band Gaelic Storm which you might have seen in the movie Titanic. When Leonardo Dicaprio takes Kate Winslet downstairs to where the real people are hanging out, this is the band that is playing. Shep is a very cool dude and Tracy is a very cool lady. I am happy to say they are enjoying their marriage to this day :)

btw: The wedding was at the Hotel Bel Air and it was the best wedding I have ever been too. They have swans floating in ponds there!
valerie walsh 1992

Illustration Friday: wilderness

My submission for Illustration Friday's "wilderness" is a doodle piece on a scrap of arches paper notice the deckle edge. I call this "leave a little light on". I have lived in a lot of little houses that look like this :)

2010 valerie walsh

Illustration Friday: confined

Most of the time artists have to create in a confined perimeter. But I usually try to go beyond the boundaries any way I can get away with ;) My submission for Illustration Friday's "confined" theme is one of my dimensional paintings titled "Oriental Evening". My bridge paintings are quite popular so I have done them many ways for many people and each one is unique and yet similar. I think bridges help to break out of the confines and going outside of the frame helps too. I always put in details of life inside the windows in the form of glimpses of men and women, instruments. birds in cages, cups with tea or coffee in them and books, paintings, kitties and dogs. This one I even made some clothes on a line created from handmade paper and all the flowers are dimensional. I hope you enjoy!

Speaking of enjoyment I went with my friend Trish to see her daughter Katherine in her music group tonight at the Apple Store in Santa Monica. The name of the group is Sonos and they are so good that I want to share this with the world!!! We live on the same street and have been neighbors for years. I have watched Kath grow into a beautiful young woman so I had to go see Sonos tonight and give my support before they go back out on tour again. They have a deal on Verve Records, these kids are kicking butt! Because I know Kath so well I asked if I could have a picture with the band, a kind of "I knew them when" and I was the only one to have my pic with the band, YAY!!! They are amazing and you must click on to this word: kings of maybe and you can see what I am talking about. There are no instruments only voices in this group. Awesome!

sonosings.com

Illustration Friday: Renewal

You might be wondering where the house is?
This is the big blue house, home to wondrous
things, mystery and big time beauty.
Where life and death swirl in the icy depths.

I made this painting for the program when John's brother Phil Hartman died in 1998.

John asked me to create this painting quickly so it is not the greatest work of art but I tried to
make it about the content and focus on the message. Phil loved the sky, he had a plane and he loved the ocean and he had a boat. He adored Catalina and went there often. This image is what I thought his children would like, the idea that we all come together and swim and play in the big ocean as a family with abandon and until then, we join each other in the sea of mind. The father, mother and children all together jumping and feeling joy, the oneness. The children are grown now and they are so beautiful it hurts my eyes. All of our hearts are joined forever. They will live and grow and the renewal is taking place within and without. Sweet Graham Nash played two songs for this beautiful and small private ceremony. I have included the song "Simple Man" that he played for us. My submission for Illustration Friday's "Renewal" theme is the circle.
When it makes no sense we must find the beauty in the aftermath.

We had a drink to Phil last night and he was with us.

1998 valerie walsh i am a wave ;)

Crosby Nash- Simple Man - Marrakesh Express