Illustration Friday: double

When I paint illustrations for cards, calendars and stickers I often have to make 2 of the same image and sometimes 4 if it is a seasonal item. I have a game I play with myself to see if I can make them look identical. Sometimes I have to make the same item in reverse and I enjoy this as well. Here are some examples of my submission for Illustration Friday's "double" theme.

1. Love Grows (greeting card)

2. Homes for the Holidays Stickers (spring/summer)

3. House Paint stickers (LOVE & Happy Birthday)

Illustration Friday: diary

I got quite excited about this word :) What sprang to mind is "Diary of a Mad Housewife" so I decided to make a moleskine into a house and use the idea of the text viewable through the door and windows ( I have done this before and loved it!) This helps the diary resemble the cover for Sue Kaufman's book. My version and my writings are modified from the original of course and illustrates the madness that plagues me in my constant creating of buildings and homes. My submission for Illustration Friday's " diary" theme is a journal called "Diary of a Mad HouseMaker.

photos and art valerie walsh 2010

Illustration Friday: Giant

When you live in LA you tend to get asked to do a lot of unusal jobs. I have had my fair share of unique opportunities and I welcome them :) This illustration is from one of those very times. This took place in 1990 at Sunset Tower Hotel in Hollywood. It is a landmark hotel and in those days The St. James Club of London and Antigua bought it and operated it as such. My friend was the head doorman and asked if I could make a special remembrance for Whoopi Goldberg because she loved the hotel and had been staying there for some time and he wanted me to make a quick valgal version of the hotel to make her feel special. I only had a day to paint and I wanted it to look like the work I was into at the time. I was making 10 layered dimensional towers and castle-like structures for a show in Santa Monica. This illustration was mounted on a lovely thick piece of paper that I made. This place is considered a giant among the old art deco buildings and many wonderful people have stayed here including my mom and me :) we had a delightful and memorable time there.

Please watch this short film about Sunset Tower Hotel.

valerie walsh 1990