Illustration Friday: similar

They are different and yet similar. My submission for Illustration Friday's "similar". A line of greeting cards called Flower Garden Girls.
copyright 2001 Valerie Walsh

Illustration Friday: balloon

I missed everybody last week because I had to go out of town and I hope everyone that celebrated Thanksgiving had a very nice one. Have a wonderful extended weekend as well. My submission for Illustration Friday's "balloon" is another die-cut gift tag for a happy birthday greeting.

Homespun Gifttag copyright 2002 Valerie Walsh

Illustration Friday: pretend

Let's pretend we are small enough to walk into this box and help ourselves to some chocolate, fun clothes and surf and sun. Wouldn't that be swell? My submission to Illustration Friday's "pretend" theme is a store-shaped candy box for Fred Segal Fun Style. They are located in Santa Monica and specialise in casual beachy fashion and accessories.

copyright 2008 Valerie Walsh for Fred Segal Fun Style
Ilustration on Canson Airbrush paper

Illustration Friday: wise

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counsellors, and the most patient of teachers.
Charles W. Eliot, The Happy Life, 1896 US educator (1834 - 1926)

My submission for Illustration Friday's "wise" theme are some diecut gift tags that feature teachers in the doorway of an old-fashioned school house.

copyright 2008 Valerie Walsh

Illustration Friday: vacant

My submission for Illustration Friday's "vacant" is this vacant haunted house. I made both of these little illustrations for a traveling journal called 29,000 ducks a few years ago. It was started by Bek from Australia and she was inspired by a cargo of 29,000 ducks that were lost to sea. Some wonderful art was created by several artists and I received it during October so part of my pages are devoted to the ducks arriving in Los Angeles and their adventures here. They visited a vacant haunted house and went trick or treating by the beach. This is what it is like to Trick or Treat in LA :)Then I sent the journal to Italy. The book made it's way back to CA but I am unclear on what happened to it... It probably got ship wrecked and is floating out at sea. Have a safe and fun Halloween!
copyright 2006 Valerie Walsh

Illustration Friday: repair

Flowers or a bouquet can repair or help to say "I'm sorry". My submission for Illustration Friday's "repair" theme is a greeting card from my Applesaucey Kids line.

copyright 2000 Valerie Walsh

Illustration Friday: Late

Late at night the fun begins! My submission for Illustration Friday's "Late" theme. A greeting card and gift tag for Halloween. I started my blog 3 years ago yesterday, the time flew by...


copyright Valerie Walsh 2008

Illustration Friday: strings

My submission for Illustration Friday's "strings" is an image that was used on a postcard for a woman named Lisa and she has a freelance hairstyling business in Santa Monica. She sends cards created by me for her clients at different times of the year. This was used for birthday greetings to let her customers know that she is thinking of them on their day. She is a smart cookie.

Illustration Friday: sugary

Do you think it's possible that when we drop little pieces of sugary sweet candy on the ground and under the couch that bugs might consume the interior as their food source and live inside the hollowed out shells of candy corn and tootsie rolls? My submission for Illustration Friday's " sugary" theme is a little original spot illo that is a used for a gift tag. Upcycled candy corn with licorice stovepipe and crumb from a hershey kiss that makes up the chimney. Front door is the crust from a graham cracker. For rent or lease in your neck of the woods.

But for the real goop: National Candy Corn Day (October 30th) is only one of many sweet holidays recognized by the National Confectioners Association which was founded in Chicago in 1884. The NCA is one of the oldest, most respected trade associations in the world.
Candy Corn was originally created by George Renninger in the 1800. The tri-colored candy caused quite a stir when introduced by the Wunderlee Candy Company. As the process to make these bite sized candies was labor intensive, Candy Corn was originally produced only from March to November each year as a seasonal favorite.
In the 1900's, the Goelitz Candy Company started to produce this confection and continues to do so to this day as the Jelly Belly Candy Company.

Illustration Friday: packed

Packed, Wrapped and Ready for Shipping. My submission for Illustration Friday's "packed" theme. This is a spot illustration from one of my HomeMade calendars.

It was John's birthday this week so we went out to dinner with some wonderful people to celebrate. One of those people was JD Souther and he gave us his new album "If The World Was You", his 1st album in a very long time and it is so great! Here is a picture of me, jd and johnboy :) I leave you with a wonderful tune by JD.

Illustration Friday: clique

I used to belong to a clique of women that would get together every Monday night for years, we would make and glaze pottery. It was way more of a social gathering than anything and I could even walk to the clay studio, but we did create a lot of wonderful things too. For me, making and painting pottery is one more way I can satisfy my love of houses and buildings but it can be a frustrating creative pursuit. The firing process doesn't always provide the desired outcome. You can spend as much time painting clay as a real painting and end up with nothing. I don't appreciate that aspect of clay but when it does come out beautifully you know why people love it. I really enjoyed these get togethers with all the women, some from Topanga and some from other parts of LA. We even had a few celebrity guests such as Lisa Bonet and Patty Smyth. Most of the ladies were long time friends and we would laugh, tell stories, listen to music, eat food and candy and paint our pots and plates.

My submission for Illustration Friday's " clique" theme. There are cliques going on in these buildings :)

Illustration Friday: island

Last week I mentioned that I was back

from my trip to Martha's Vineyard.

It is a beautiful and amazing place and I hope you click on to the link to read about it because there is much to know.

You can only get there by boat or by plane so you really do get the island feel and you can go to all the towns in one afternoon although it is best to take your time to explore the charm of each town and beach. This was my 4th visit and each time it get's better and better. All the houses were dressed a little more patriotic this year, lot's of flags and symbols of love for the soldiers in the war. This is my work in progress for Illustration Friday's "island" theme. I had to work on another painting this week so I will continue to update it and hopefully finish over this weekend. Please click on to my link to see some of the highlights of my trip if you have time :)

my photos

Illustration Friday: clutter

I had the most wonderful time on my holiday and I got home and had the flu all week :( This is my submission for Illustration Friday's "clutter" but it is really for ""memories" which is my kinda theme but I just didn't feel well enough to participate. My desk is always filled with clutter and from the clutter comes memories. This is one of my memories from Martha's Vineyard, I have much detail work to do on it but you get the gist. I will post the final version when I'm done. Here are a few memories from my trip and I will put some on flickr soon.

photo 1. Edgartown MA, 2. My mom and sis 3. Gayhead Lighthouse 4. The Animal Fair

Speaking of clutter "on my desk", "Linzie Hunter"is participating in a groovy show in London and would like y'all to come :) If you are there please do, I would love to go!

Thank You to all who came by even though I wasn't home :)

Illustration Friday: routine

For many people gardening can be a relaxing routine and a wonderful hobby. This is one of my valgal greeting cards that is called "Love Grows" and my submission for Illustration Friday's "routine" theme. Love could be a nice routine :) We are on holiday at Martha's Vineyard and are having a wonderful time but I couldn't not post as it has been almost 3 solid years of posting on IF every Friday. I probably won't be able to visit every one this week but I hope you all have fun and I might miss next Friday but I will try my best to find something for the theme. I am fortunate to use my sister's computer, Thanks Dee Dee! We started our trip in New York, drove to Connecticut stopped in Mystic where there are some charming houses and buildings! I took some amazing pictures but accidently deleted them :( Drove through Rhode Island and then to Massachusetts. Rode the ferry and now we are in Martha's Vineyard, Yay! My family rents a house here every other year. I will take lots of pictures and post them when I am home. Have a great weekend, your pal, valgal.

Illustration Friday: detach

Here is my submission for Illustration Friday's "detach" theme and I suppose in most places a detached house is either a guest house and or a garage. This is one of my houscapes of a garage where the band "Lode" rehearsed here in Topanga. They made an album called "Legs and Arms" with Geffen Records and I did the logo and lettering for this debut album. When they started out they spelled their name Load but they changed it to Lode.Wonderful music was made in this little detached house. Some of the members have gone on with their music like Robin Moxey with his latest cd "One Big Song", Gabe Cowan created more bands and films and Inara George who has put out "All Rise" and is one half of the "Bird and the Bee". This song is a cover of the Bee Gee's "How deep is your love" and it was on the Sex and the City Sound Track. Please watch this hilarious video of the "Smallest House" it will make you smile :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h70WhcHSom0

Illustration Friday: Sail

My submission for Illustration Friday's "Sail" is a diecut greeting card that says: I wiped away the weeds and foam, I fetched my sea born treasures home ~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

Liquitex Acrylics on Canson Airbrush paper

click here if you would like to see some amazing sand sculptures:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euL6RB6BXY0

Illustration Friday: poof !

It seemed like an average day when suddenly a whirring noise occurred and poof! a flower shaped contraption flew into view. It was perfect for a ladybug picnic :)

My submission for Illustration Friday's "poof" theme is Liquitex Acrylics on Stonehenge paper.

Illustration Friday: canned

My submission for Illustration Friday's "canned" is a layered dimensional painting of a little town called Red Bluff, CA. It reminds me of childhood and small town life. Notice there are canned cherries in the window :)

This is a poster from my husband John Hartmann's concert hall "The Kaleidoscope" and you can see the Jefferson Airplane,Grateful Dead and Canned Heat played 3 consecutive nights in 1967. John's friend Gary Essert disovered them playing in a fraternity house where they were a huge hit. So John and his partner Skip Taylor signed the band on the UCLA campus. Skip still manages the band to this very day. Bob "The Bear" Hite lived in Topanga as well as "The Blind Owl" aka Allan Wilson. They played at the old Corral in Topanga.

If you have a moment please watch this gem of a short film and you will have a better day :) click on to the link "The Story of a Sign" Oddly a tin can is featured in this short.
http://en.zappinternet.com/video/nilSqaMboM/HISTORIA-DE-UN-LETRERO-THE-STORY

Illustration Friday: enough

My submission for Illustration Friday's "enough". Painted on Canson Airbrush paper.

Illustration Friday: foggy

My submission for Illustration Friday's "foggy" theme is one of two wine labels I painted for Justin Vineyards. The grape Nebbiolo is sometimes associated with fog so the owner of the vineyard, Justin Baldwin asked me to feature a soft fog through the rolling hills.

Thank you for all the beautiful comments that you left for Ratty boy. It means so much :(

Click on to Ratdog and you can see his life: Ratdog

My little Rat boy 1995-2008

Rat (Ratty boy) Hartmann July 1995- July 5, 2008.

Our little sweetheart brought us joy, laughter, companionship, love, hope, contentment, strength, worry and he gave my small world a deeper meaning. He landed in my life by way of a little barn where my mom rode her horses in Washington. I brought him to Topanga and we have had the most wonderful times. Every where we went, people say " Hi Rat!" because of his memorable name and his happy and loving spirit.On December 1, 2008 he went into heart failure and his life was saved by Dr. Steve Weinberg, Viagra and the amazing Docs at City of Angels Animal Hospital. It gave him 6 more months and I will forever be grateful. My only regret is we had to part but I know we will meet at the Rainbow Bridge . I love you forever Ratty Boy. I always felt lucky because of you.

Illustration Friday: sour

It's always good to have a little sweet mixed in with the sour or you could end up with sour grapes. My submission for Illustration Friday's "sour" theme. I have painted and made a lot of pieces with a valgalized version of Italian and Venetian scenes. This is an illustration on Canson Airbrush paper.

Here is the finished version of my "wide submission". I really enjoyed all of your comments about this house. Many of you thought it was a new McMansion but in fact it is an old 1930's home in Pacific Palisades, California. They did add on to this house which is noticable from the photo. In fact it is so hard to get a good photo of this place because everyone puts up big fences and walls now. I can't get a clear shot of the full house because of it and I have been coming up with this problem for quite a while now. It's a bummer because I like to show the photo and my painting together in my portfolio but it is becoming impossible to get nice views now. Everyone has gone fence crazy! This house sits on a bluff and from the backyard you can see the ocean. It is an outstanding property and would be fun to paint from the back as well. I always make a custom frame which I am working on and then I present to the owner and they can simply hang the finished piece :)
Have a swell 4th of July!