Wet Naps

My illustration Five Speckled Frogs is part of a new book! Click here to find it on Amazon. It's volume 3. And I'm in volume 2 too. That's old news, but I'm just saying.

 My colorful frogs are also perfect for the www.illustrationfriday.com theme wet. Frogs seem wet even when they're out of the water. They're soft, glossy and well, down right slimy. These frogs are all based on real life tropical frogs. Can you believe it? Nature is so amazing. And they are also representing a classic nursery rhyme.

I love them all.

Nature at its Finest!

My favorite detail of this piece is the red eyed tree frog. I've posted him before on my blog. He really represents some of my finest detail work. It could be that I was inspired by my love of animals, reptiles, birds and bugs. Well, scratch the bugs. But they do feed my beloved birds and frogs. So I guess they're O.K. As long as they are on the tongue of a frog instead of on me! But it is mostly because of the insane beauty of the tree frog. What a great subject!  I've never seen a red eyed tree frog in the wild. I have seen a blue jean's frog though.

Blue Jean's Frog.  Although,that's probably not his official name!

These images were taken on a night hike in Puerto Veijo, Costa Rica. Shortly after I photographed these little frogs, it started pouring dogs and cats!

Flora and fauna

Dominical, Costa Rica

And since I painted that jungle piece so many years ago, we've actually stayed in jungle cabanas with similar amazing views! This one was breath taking. And you heard all of the jungle noises you'd expect to hear from a location such as this. But, I did nickname this place Casa Construction. It lived up to it's name. Let me tell you. Maybe, I'll fill you in on that next week.

Sunrise and sunset were visually stirring here. Dominical, Costa Rica will always feel like home.

Nature is the theme for www.illustrationfriday.com this week.

Saturday's Critters

My World Wednesday

Small Weddings

Great Expectations

There are a lot of small things in this world.  Thumb tacks, shot glasses (way too small) whiskers, newspaper print, acorns, fairies and frogs.... 

Well, I could go on and on.  But what could be smaller than a fairy wedding?  All of the guests would be small. Hopefully, that would mean the cost would be small as well.  I guess it would depend on how many woodland creatures are in attendance.  There would definitely need to be a vegan menu. But the venue would be free and the flowers could be hand picked. 

 And when the chipmunk proclaimed them man and wife, or frog and fairy, the crowd could pick a dandelion puff and blow seeds over the happy couple.

Small is the theme this week at www.illustrationfriday.com

Jungle Frog

click to enlarge

This is one of my favorite animal illustrations. It is cropped from a much larger tropical scene.  And it is perfect for the www.illustrationfriday.com theme jungle. I've seen a blue jeans frog in the jungle, but never this kind. 

I was able to capture realistic detail because of patience and size.  I can almost feel his sticky little hands.  And I got to use purple.  I hardly ever use purple!

This post also gives you the opportunity to hop over to a great frog blog post at The Smitten Image  Just be sure to hop back to my blog sometime soon!

Here is a quote from The Smitten Image that left a frog in my throat and a smile on my face. 

I went into a French restaurant and asked the waiter, "Have you got frog legs?"

He said yes.

So I said, "Well, hop into the kitchen and get me a cheese sandwich."

Tommy Cooper

 I just couldn't resist re-posting it here.

Imagination

click to enlarge

I finished Great Expectations a few weeks ago.  It is my most ambitious illustration to date.  And a lot of imagination went into it. I was inspired by the art work for the May/June SCBWI bulletin by John Rocco.  He illustrated carp-shaped kite balloons to represent the Kodomo no Hi national holiday in Japan.  It was his kite perspective that I tried to incorporate into my piece with the hovering butterflies. His cover was the best darn SCBWI bulletin art to date.

I worked on this piece all Summer. I had many beautiful drawing sessions outside at lake Harriet. And there is so much going on that it is best viewed at original size.  Sorry, you can't do that over the internet.  My favorite part is the big dandelion puffs in the foreground.  I painstakingly tried to get some realism there.  And look at all my labels.  I guess there were a lot of wedding guests!  I hope there is a happy ending. 

P.S.  Be sure to plant your toes firmly in the ground and read my last post.  You might have won an award!   

Suspend!

click to enlarge

I finally have a reason to post one of my proudest illustration moments.  My tropical frog.  He is actually part of a larger piece.  His sheer size is what made it possible for me to really get good detail.  And nature inspired the rest.  The jungle grows a million mysteries.  You never know what might be hanging around you on a forest hike.  Like a snake silently wrapped around a tree branch over head.  Or a tarantula guarding its hole just below your feet.  Or maybe a naughty monkey perched in a tree top ready to throw a little poop your way.  It happens!  Ha! 

Or maybe just a simple frog suspended on a leafy frond beside you.  Suspend is the theme of the week over at www.illustrationfriday.com 

The Red Cedar Trail

I think I can honestly say that I have returned to my college town more than anyone else in history.  Except for those who might actually live in their college town.   At the top of this photo you can see the U.W. Stout bell tower in Menomonie peeking over the tree line.  But it is the Red Cedar River and all of the other natural resources that keep bringing me back.  Thank goodness it is not the bars! 

 But happy memories of the drinking establishments the Log Jam and the Buck remain.  Sigh.  And they are still up and running after all of these years.  Not telling how many! The Spot where my Rugby playing college boyfriend liked to hang is now called Ba Da Bings.  My now husband and I laugh at that name change every time we drive by.  The Flame where I danced to Meatloaf and drank Mind Express is a new and smoldering Sport's Bar.  And the dance club Off Broadway where Vanilla Ice would blast from the rafters is now called The Pickle.  But most importantly Ted's Pizza is still cranking them out.

Now we enjoy life's simple pleasures.  Like a nice hike on the Red Cedar Trail.  Instead of sleeping till noon and awaking with an all day hangover, we rise out of bed by 7:00am.  The morning Sun warms our backs as we walk quietly.  We spot frogs sitting silently. We hear birds singing a million songs.  And after all that one sense remains.  The scent of humidity and wild flowers fills the air.  

Dean's feet.  

My feet.  

The Red Cedar Trail is like a lot of River trails that are actually an old Rail line.  Flat, scenic and great for biking. You'll regularly see eagles in the trees.  But not today.  And there is an area of Limestone rock formations where water drips down all Summer long.  But the best thing is that we've left one stone unturned.  We haven't canoed along this river yet.  Thankgoodness.  Another weekend getaway is in order.

P.S.  For more great blogs and beautiful photos visit the blog hop Sunday Best!

Creature Feature

The trail cam captured a beautiful moment in black and white. The deer is posing in such a graceful way.

And since I'm wrapping up my trail cam photos, I've added a bonus piece of art to accompany today's pick. I painted this piece back in 1998. It pairs perfectly with all the creature features that have been popping up over the last week or two. But don't forget to check in tomorrow for one more photo and a little Halloween surprise. Spooky...

Disney is perfect.

Snow White may be perfect. But Snow Sharon and the unlovable animals is not. And that is exactly what I intended. Instead of the cute little creatures Disney created. I surrounded myself with some questionable and less respected ones. How imperfect of me. That's the theme over at http://www.illustrationfriday.com/ today.

I painted this for Art House Co-op's Sketchbook project. But I didn't really need much of an excuse try Snow White's shoes on for size. And her perfectly little size 2 dress.

Zoo Boo

"You painted what on me? Surely you jest," barked the Moose. The Beaver boldly raised his arm and proclaimed, "I dared and I did. And don't call me Shirley!"

Gesture is the theme of the day over at http://www.illustrationfriday.com/ I've actually been thinking of this illustration lately. Because last weekend was supposed to be our annual MNSCBWI Field trip to the Zoo. I illustrated this piece for the promotional flyer last year. But between the State
Government shut down and our beloved illustrator coordinator moving away, http://christinarodriguez.com/blog/ Zoo Day was a bust. Nadda. Maybe it is being scheduled as we speak. Zoo Boo Hoo.

A calendar year of photos

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Every year I make 2 calenders for my husband and me. It's always a year in review from our travels. These beautiful photos were from 2009 in Costa Rica. And this Christmas will cover 2010's trip. The only surprise is the choice of photos for each page. And as far as 2011? It's an empty page just waiting to be filled! I can't wait...

This is where the wild things are.

I illustrated the painted moose art for the Minnesota SCBWI's Summer field trip to the Zoo. To see the flyer visit http://www.minnesotascbwi.org/ I like to think that after the beaver finishes painting the patient moose, the moose decides to kick the beaver sharply in the be-hind. The paint and the beaver fly into the shallow water. Unfortunately the poor beaver is forced to swim away through a swirl of paint clutching the paintbrush tightly between his two front teeth. The End. In honor of Zoo Day (which I missed, darn it all) I decided to create a HUGE post of animal photos. Have fun at my Zoo!

Corn chips.

This fawn was photographed in Hatfield, WI.

A Howler monkey at Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica.

Standing tough.

Baby

My pet bat...not.

Owl butterfly.

I'm talk'in turkey at Fort Snelling.

Akua

White faced monkey.

Monster Hummer.

It's a Kinkajou raiding the hummingbird feeder. At Monteverde.

This behind belongs to a Coati.

We like to think that we saved this frog from the volcanically heated pool. He didn't say thank you.

This sloth dared to cross a busy highway. Luckily a local gentleman stopped his vehicle and escorted him safely across. Near Fortuna, Costa Rica.

A Red-lored Parrot perhaps?

This is the extremely rare White-throated Magpie-Jay. Ha!

This is a beloved house cat. Hana! To see more beloved house cats visit http://www.gattinamycats.blogspot.com/