The word of the week for Illustration Friday (Friday Feb 22) was “Whisper”. I was inspired by my latest batch of students from Brookline Art Center’s ARTVentures Winter Vacation Program, and decided to use them as models for some new characters: (top: with background. bottom, original) 
I’ve been working on a new book project (a self-publishing endeavor with a writer, inspired by Martha’s Vineyard), but sometimes I need to just draw something else. Different. Get an idea out. These paintings are little scenes on my to-do list, and here’s one of them. Sometimes you just want to be in your Radio Flyer:
This is a self-portrait of myself and my fiance. It was done using traditional watercolors, then refined and finished with collage via Photoshop. It depicts Little Red Riding Hood and the “Wolf” as a young boy.
What can I say, its Valentine’s Day and I’m in love with my best friend. He looks so cute as a little wolf too!
Hey everyone!
In the past few weeks, I’ve decided to shift gears in my career path and pursue a Masters of Art Teaching. I’ve loved my entrepreneurial spirited work at Pinwheel Books, and will continue to help grow the company while I earn my degree. I’ve realized while working here through part-time teaching how much I just love working with kids.
So on that note, I’m excited to share my Student Artwork page now on my website! It’s nearly as important as the work in my traditional portfolio, and I hope you enjoy their work as much as I do.
Other news includes:
1) I’ve launched an ETSY site for stationary featuring my characters! There is a button at the top of my website. I have cute designs for Christmas, Birthdays, Thank You’s and more. The first few designs to be uploaded are for sale now at a great price!
2) I will be attending Judy Sue’s final critique for the Senior Seminar “Picture and Word” tomorrow in Providence. I’m really excited to be heading back to RISD for the day.
3) I am going back to Singapore to see Aaron at the end of the month, after Christmas. I will be bringing my paints and I hope to get some prime art-making time while he is at work.
4) I’m midway through my next book, which will be self-published by author Amy MacDougall called “The Pagoda Tree”. Here’s a sneak peek:
More to come soon! I’m so excited with where the journey will take me next!
This is one my most unique pieces in my portfolio. It’s the first time I have combined serious digital work with my watercolor work. AND it’s the first time I’ve used shadows in a piece of digital collage work. When I collage freehand, the shadows appear naturally. I am so excited with this new direction. This was such a fun experiment!
Just to change it up today, while I was taking a break from working I decided to do some digital drawings of Darwin and Emma. Way back in early 2012, I was working on designs for mailers marketing my work, and this was a sketch for one of the designs. I tweaked it a bit, and here are the results. If I had more time, I may have colored things more detailed or differently, but this was how I was feeling this afternoon. I gave myself a time limit of 1.5 hours
I sometimes forget how much I love my tablet pen. I taught myself how to use the tablet in Fall 2010, after I realized while applying for jobs how valuable a skill it could be. Now I’m glad I’ve gotten so used to it!
***Updated to add a new version of this piece, with a more warm color scheme. If anyone knows my work, I tend to prefer to work in warmer tones. What are your thoughts?
Today is Election Day. Which means please PLEASE PLEASE go vote! Don’t know who to vote for? Well, there’s always Bo. Trust me, when the results start pouring in, and nerves are high, you may wanna switch over to Cute Animals on Animal Planet later tonight. (Or now, via this live cam of cute kittens).
Here are Darwin and Emma to help inspire:
So Hurricane Sandy update – 1 week later …..
I did NOT lose power. No drama, no tragedies here for me in Brookline. In fact, we had such a low percentage of power outages. The same does not go true for my family in Long Island, and for them I feel terrible, and wish that the power comes back as soon as possible.
Since I did not go to work in the office, I had some downtime to reconnect with Darwin a little bit. I had quite a good time putting him in some raincoats and the like. Here are the results:
It’s October, and Fall is my favorite holiday to paint. This Halloween is dedicated to Darwin and Emma. Here they are in a few quick sketches I’ve done in between other projects:
It feels like the “Dog Days of Summer” are quickly approaching. July (gasp!) is coming to a close, and summer is flying by. Darwin and some of his friends decided to strike a pose and stay cool and fresh in these shades at the park. Who’s your favorite?
Nicole Gsell 