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!

Illustration Friday: fierce

Did somebody say fierce?

My submission for Illustration Friday's fierce is a small 2"x 2 1/2" rough for Walrus Pictures and an improved version of this was used for their videos and films.

I mean " fierce" in the snap your fingers and "You look fierce" kinda way :)

Illustration Friday: hoard

My submission for Illustration Friday's "hoard" is a School House candy box I made for a confectionary company in Boston last month. It is for students to give to their teachers at the end of the year as a Thank You for all of their hard work. I painted the original on Canson Airbrush paper and then they were printed, diecut, scored ,folded and glued. You can hoard a nice amount of sweets and treats in these candy boxes. I put a quote that I love about teachers: "No bubble is so irridescent or floats longer than that blown by the successful teacher" ~William Osler. I hope that all the teachers I know and those of you I have met on IF have a very nice summer!

Illustration Friday: Punchline

My submission for Illustration Friday's "Punchline" theme. Happy Friday :)

House of Mirth 2007

If you have not seen this then you are in for a wonderful story with a great punchline. You will need to turn off the Playlist stereo so that you don't have competing sounds playing.

Illustration Friday: Forgotten

I have always loved the story of the little boy who loves his Teddy Bear and his bear loves him and they are inseparable. Then the boy grows up and leaves Teddy behind. A bittersweet story that always touched me deeply and it reminds us to not let go of that child-like part of ourselves. Please do not forget the joy, the feelings and smells of your childhood as they will serve you for a lifetime. My submission for Illustration Friday's "Forgotten" theme is one of my Marisol greeting cards that offers a big hug and some snuggletime. Sounds pricless.

Illustration Friday: baby

My submission for Illustration Friday's "baby" is one of my Home Town greeting cards and it is a little storefront shop that displays wares for a new baby/babies. It is a die cut card and perfect for a baby shower gift for a new mommy. When you collect them all it makes a small town and a fun display.

Illustration Friday: worry

Sometimes when I get ready to leave the house, my dog Rat seems to worry. Once he realizes that he will not be coming with me he looks sad and let down. This can cause me a little guilt but I promise him I will be right back with a walk in his future and I leave him with a few cookie bribes. He seems to look a little less worried...

My submission for Illustration Friday's "worry" is a small layered dimensional painting "House Sitting" and it is made with Foam board, clay, wood, acrylic paint and resin.

Illustration Friday: wide

My submission for Illustration Friday's "wide" theme is a work in progress and one of my signature "Houscapes". This seems like a very wide house to me, I would not want to have to clean this place... it has a lot more detail that will be added such as total landscaping, everything on the house will be detailed out with scroll elements on all the railings and front door, light fixtures, etc. When I initially draw the house I delete all the landscape and add in the dirt and cement even if it gets totally covered up by plants, shrubs, trees, flowers and pottery. I just like it to all be there. So this will be totally different when I post it again. There are two very tall and phallic cypress trees that adorn each side of the doorway and lots of beautiful bushes and trees flank the home. I am working on a few jobs at once, I designed and painted a School House diecut candy box for a confectionary company, it will be filled with candy and given as gifts from students to teachers for the end of the year Thank You's. I will post it soon. I enjoy working on one type of work for a few hours and while that one dries I move to the next one.

I did see this guy and 4 of his buddies moving towards my neighbors garden... and I saw a beautiful young bobcat making it's way through the yard. Rat always lets me know when there is wildlife in our vicinity because he has a unique muffled bark reserved for wildlife and all the hair on his back stands up, it is hilarious!

Illustration Friday: electricity

My submission for Illustration Friday's "electricity" is from a greeting card that I made for Marisol. It has a gift certificate to "Come over to my house for holiday cheer" it was rejected for being to dark. Candlelight versus electricity is an easy choice for me because I am usually painting pretty detailed work so I need good light. I have 365 halogen lights in my studio and they are the best purchase I ever made. It is like daytime in my studio late at night. Here in Topanga several times a year somebody driving up Hwy. 27 hits a power pole and suddenly no electricity. I am super prepared for this situation, I have lots of candles, alternate light sources, batteries, a portable dvd player, a radio with cd player that runs on batteries, etc. We have a big-time disaster preparedness program for all residents having been faced with fires, floods and earthquakes, you can see them here and here.

Illustration Friday: seed

My submision for Illustration Friday's "seed" is one of my Marisol greeting cards and the interior is a gift certificate that promises love and friendship.