judifan

Angels and Cowboys- why not?

2011-11-20T09:10:00.001-08:00

Hello to the season of serious feasting, frivolity and merriment that begins around now and continues through New Year. This illustration appears in Gulfshore Life Magazine's November issue, with the Here & Now monthly column. It's always fun trying to combine several seemingly unrelated events and activities that are happening on Florida's lovely gulf shores (where they really know how to celebrate), and end up with an image that makes both sense and non-sense, if that makes any sense! Here we have the Ritz-y Angel Ball, the Bootstrap Boogie Barn Dance, and Florida Blues Festival all happening simultaneously in my digital parallel universe. Illustration is so much fun :)

Among the many things I have to be thankful for this turkey day, there's having something I love to do, and someone willing to pay me to do it. This is actually J.K. Rowling's recipe for happiness, and I couldn't agree more. Happy Thanksgiving!

MOO!

2011-08-16T07:53:00.000-07:00

Today I'm sending out a batch of new postcards I had printed at moo.com. This image is another from The New Quotable Woman book, illustrating a quote by Margot Fonteyn (whom I actually SAW dancing with Rudolf Nureyev in NYC at the very end of their careers):

"The one important thing I have learned over the years is the difference between taking one's work seriously and taking one's self seriously. The first is imperative and the second is disastrous."

The ballet "Coppelia" lept :) to mind. It's about a doll that comes to life with some silly robotic choreography that makes it a fun ballet to take children to, but for the dancers, it's no less serious work than "Swan Lake".

Back to the postcards- it's not often I see my work in print and it looks better than I hoped it would. A lot better. I ordered 60 using 6 different designs. Now I have to find 60 people to send them to... preferably people who hire illustrators.

Suggestions gratefully accepted!

Quotable

2011-07-11T10:57:00.000-07:00

Announcing THE NEW QUOTABLE WOMAN mini edition, coming soon to a book or gift shop near you!

This is a tiny book with pithy quotes from lots of wise women who have lived large enough lives for their words to rate being collected in a book like this. For me, it will be a nice portable portfolio since each and every illustration in it is mine, and most feature my "ladies".

The cover art is from feminist journalist Rebecca West's quote, "Life ought to be a struggle of desire toward adventures whose nobility will fertilize the soul." I immediately visualized riding an elephant through India, as that is my idea of having a grand adventure.

My very favorite quote didn't make this book, however, as the author is precluded by gender:

"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." Oscar Wilde

What else are you going to do?

Frida

2011-05-17T19:41:00.000-07:00

My first post since Val's day! I've been (happily, gratefully) busy assembling 20+ images for my latest illustrated book, The New Quotable Woman, published by Running Press and due out in September. It was my pleasure to create images as true as I could conceive them to honor the likes of Frida Kahlo, Margaret Mead, Indira Gandhi, Margot Fonteyn, Anais Nin, among other wise women who had much to say, succinctly. Brevity is, indeed, the soul of wit, as Polonius pointed out in Hamlet.

As for Frida, she expressed her soul and wit, love and pain in her paintings, mostly portraits. "I leave you my portrait so that you will have my presence all the days and nights that I am away from you." In my image, Frida is released from her bed, her broken body mended, free floating, at peace. Alas, she's one among many in the arts for whom an early tragic death was a solid career move.

Birdy love

2011-02-09T14:14:00.000-08:00

Happy "Bird's Wedding Day", a.k.a St. Valentine's Day! It recently came to my attention that once upon a time in Sussex, England, February 14 marked the first day of Spring when birds flew about and chose their mates. Chaucer wrote a poem about it, "Parlement of Foulys" (middle English...Lit majors, you know who you are). This sounds like a lovely custom, worthy of celebrating with a loved one, preferably over a glass of something with bubbles. Forever more, my Val's Day will be all about Bird Love- so long, Hallmark and FTD. Come 2/14, I'll be bird watching to see if they really are flocking together two by two, filling the sky with the music of their mating calls. Love is literally "in the air". And it's a LOVELY excuse to welcome Spring a few weeks early.

New Year bluebird

2011-01-11T13:35:00.000-08:00

The new year seems to be in a much greater hurry to get on with it than I am. Already mid-January and I'm still getting organized. I love the New Year holiday for it's hopefulness. That first day or two, it feels like a major transformation is really possible, that the New Year Elf will come in the night and take away the old me and leave a changeling me who is all the things I'm often not - organized, productive, efficient, prolific, articulate, precise, inspiring, energetic. I would call her "Julia". Lots of new possibilities are in the 2011 works, so no reason to be anything but hopeful. If I don't wake up one day soon as the changeling me who gets things done pronto, maybe I'll wake up as the me who takes some time over morning coffee, thinks about the big picture of my little life, tries to be kind to people and is always open to the miracle of an idea. May the bluebird of happiness visit you and me (or Julia, as the case may be) often in 2011.

Merry and Bright

2010-12-13T07:23:00.000-08:00

The season of good cheer and celebration is upon us, ready or not. Time to pry ourselves away from studio interests and obligations, dust off social skills and do the HoHoHo dance! Here's my 2010 Santa, partying away in very cool ankle boots. This is obviously pre-Christmas Eve, as he would be too tired to kick up his heels for quite awhile after the big night. So wishing to one and all a merry happy bright festive Christmas, Hanukkah, Feliz Navidad, Kwanza, what have you! And hopes for some peace on Earth in 2011.

Listen

2010-11-03T06:53:00.000-07:00

Listen. It's different from hearing. Listening involves...involvement. And attention. And concentration while your brain processes meaning from sound, then chooses an emotional response. Working in the studio, making this image, I was listening to (in no particular order): Etta James, Bright Eyes, Otis Redding, Edith Piaf, John Lennon, La Boheme, Bruce Springsteen, Cat Power, Django Rheinhardt, Elvis Costello, The Ventures, The Corrs, Charlie Hayden, Cocteau Twins, Lou Reed, Rufus Wainwright, U2, George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Bach, Thelonius Monk. Thank you, iTunes, for playlists and genius mixes, for freeing us from the tyranny of complete albums (apologies to certain purists who consider this musical blashemy). Listening and responding emotionally while painting is one "multi-tasking" function I happily embrace.

I thank all my studio musical inspirations for "listen".

It's always something...

2010-09-30T02:47:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I attended a Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators conference here in my fair city. Writers outnumbered illustrators by about 10 to 1. Luckily, I am equally interested in words and pictures. Scribbling furiously, I tried to capture every spoken word, piece of advice, do this, don't do that, offered so generously by the excellent faculty: Laurent Linn, AD at Simon & Schuster, Alvina Ling, Sr. Editor at Little Brown, and Liz Waniewski, Sr. Editor at Dial. Now, back in my real world, sitting alone in front of the blank page (or screen), what will I be able to make from all of this? Surely something finer than before. What I love (and sometimes hate) about this life as an itinerate creative is... everything you produce comes straight out of your brain. You go out into the world and look, and listen, and gather information, relationships, experiences, places, characters, dialog, stories. Then you bring it all back to the studio, sit with your blank page and see what, if anything, you have to say today. Jasper Johns said "Do something, do something to that, and then do something to that." It's the only way I know to begin anything.

Yesterday's News

2010-08-20T09:14:00.000-07:00

If a picture is worth a 1,000 words, I offer this one to express my dismay over the massive "plume" of oil still below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico. The operative word is "below". As long as the surface looks better, happy days are here again. Except for the destroyed marine life. And the livelihoods derived from it. For who knows how long.

I remember swimming in the clearest most aqua blue salt water, walking on the brightest white sugar sand beaches of the Gulf, imaging I could almost see Mexico on the turquoise horizon. (sigh). So before this turns into 1,000 words, I'm going to hold that thought and go for a walk with Daisy-the-dog, to enjoy this beautiful late summer Friday afternoon.

Darjeeling

2010-07-03T17:26:00.000-07:00

The Picturebook directory arrived in today's mail. It's quite a bit thinner than in past years. This is my image that appears in the book, inspired by a painting workshop I took last summer with Jane Filer. I like her approach to landscape, which magically tips perspective and stacks space in a flat picture plane. When I took the workshop I wasn't thinking about how it might inform my illustration. It was, in fact, a surprise that this image began to take shape soon after. Good example of how important it is to suspend expectation and stay open to creative winds of all kinds blowing our way.

As for the subject matter, it's a memory from a past life when I had tea in the Himalayas with two cats and a violin-playing mouse, who was pretty darn good.

Jade Buddha for Universal Peace

2010-05-13T12:18:00.000-07:00

My city is host this week to a touring gentle giant, Jade Buddha for Universal Peace, at Vietnamese Lien Hoa Temple. It's 10 ft. tall and carved from a boulder of jade. I went to have a look this morning, unprepared for the total sensory and soul soothing experience I received. Arriving after too much coffee, world news, and a bout of creative angst, my jangled nerves and tangled emotions accompanied me as far as the seat I took. Then, sitting under bright banners fluttering in a fresh breeze, the spectacle of Jade Buddha surrounded by flowers and fruits and the rhythmic chanting of devotees banished all worries. I found myself in a little cocoon of beauty and peace. Just breathing in, breathing out. The chanting goes, "May all beings take care of themselves happily". What a revelation! Why do we have to be reminded to do the simplest, most satisfying things??

New illustration representation

2010-03-24T16:00:00.000-07:00

I'm thrilled and delighted to announce that I am now represented for all things Illustration by Morgan Gaynin Inc! Check out my new portfolios at http://www.morgangaynin.com/stead.

My double life as a landscape painter:

2010-03-24T14:37:00.000-07:00

This painting was sold in the "Surfacing" show! Goodbye. Nice knowing you. I know you'll be happy in your new home. Thanks for all you taught me as I toiled away hour after hour balancing shapes, adjusting color and contrast, pushing and pulling foreground and background. And then someone came along, saw something special enough in you to take you home- amazing!

I studied oil painting for a couple of years at Braitman Studio here in Charlotte and this is some of my work in oil and cold wax:

I hadn't painted with oils since college, a really long time ago. I love the squishy juicy textury blendy feel of it, especially with palette knife and wax medium. And the COLORS! You can mix practically every color in the universe with just 7 tubes of paint. Who knew?

Valentine month goodbye

2010-02-26T10:14:00.000-08:00

As February closes up Love Shop 2010, a last valentine to the Universe, and lovely weekend to all!

Surfacing

2010-02-26T08:40:00.000-08:00

Yikes. Where did 2 months go?? The broken wrist (mostly mended, thanks) definitely slowed my pace, but I managed to "get by, with a little help from my friends"- you know who you are! This was the January blitz:

The opening was a success with wonderful attendance and SALES! Hilda Spain, Nadine Buckinger and I have been painting buddies for the past year, supporting each other on our painting paths, and this is our first group show. Note that it's still up through 3/20, if your find yourself in Winston-Salem, NC. Next day, back in Charlotte, I presented a program for teens exploring art careers at The Mint Museum- all about keeping a sketchbook as a visual diary, and the exciting life to be had as a professional illustrator! Then, back to WS to give a gallery talk with my art pals (below) on our collaboration. It's been busy, nice.

sports injury

2009-12-28T04:55:00.000-08:00

i'm reduced to all lower case after breaking my wrist while ice skating on christmas eve. 2 things to be grateful for: it's my left wrist, so i can still draw, and it really is a "sports injury", which is way cooler than just falling down the stairs. what an enormous treat it was to come into the kitchen christmas morning and find zoe and nicky making breakfast! wearing antlers! husband jim made the entire christmas dinner (with a little direction from me on the veggies) and i realized how ... superflous i am. in a good way. now that i know how resourceful and capable and generous my dear little nuclear family is, i happily relinquish the key to the holiday cabinet.

isn't the best christmas gift always the intangible, the sublime, the epiphany?

Gypsy waiting

2009-11-08T22:15:00.000-08:00

This is our dog, Gypsy, waiting impatiently for the light to change, all a-quiver and alert with the usual one ear up one ear down. Waiting is really hard when you have ideas and the energy to follow them-- and have to wait because of all the other stuff on list and calendar. My solution is to always have a painting on the easel and an image on the mac- something in progress that's all mine. A few minutes thinking about nothing except "does this acid yellow work with this periwinkle blue?" puts a smile on my face. Better than chocolate.

Bird Hair Day

2009-10-19T15:02:00.000-07:00

What a week. I was invited to appear on our local Fox News Rising tv show. This was really nice publicity for my new book, THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS IN NORTH CAROLINA, and for the book signing event at Barnes & Noble Morrison last Saturday. I was a little distracted, wondering if I should rush out and get a haircut, but decided that even if it was a "bad hair day", viewers would barely have their sleepy eyes open at that hour and wouldn't notice.

The Restless Chair

2009-10-12T12:06:00.000-07:00

She is waiting. Waiting in a green chair. Waiting for what? Is the book not interesting? Is someone late? Is the light too bright, too cold? I don't know. But I do like the black shape against the green shape against the red background.

India

2009-10-08T08:13:00.000-07:00

Most of this month I'm working on new portfolio pieces, taking advantage of some good creative energy that came my way via my August Skirt! Magazine cover. It's a virtuous cycle: you create something, it gets a bit of notice, which gives you more ideas, from which you create something new, and on it goes. This week, India is on my mind- all the rich color and pattern. Since I can't go right now, I'm arm chair traveling, looking at photos from those who have traveled there. Have you ever noticed how vibrant and varied the colors are, in clothing and objects, in some of the hardest places to live? I think it's a basic human drive to make something beautiful out of whatever is at hand. Color nourishes the soul.

2009-10-04T14:52:00.000-07:00

The bio-illogical clock tick tocks loudly! Strong men turn and flee at the dreaded sound!

New images around the theme of "family noise". More on the way....

Bliss

2009-09-25T09:43:00.000-07:00

This is how I would always like to feel: calm, centered, focused, blissfully detached from all the noise and distraction in life. Just breathing in and breathing out. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.

My new book!

2009-09-12T13:49:00.000-07:00

It didn't take long for something else to happen- a big box full of my new book arrived this week! This is the eleventh children's book I've illustrated, and the FIRST I've authored, so yes, it's something to "chirp" about! After researching all the terrific places cousins Abby and Mike could go over Christmas vacation here in my home state, I feel like a NC tour guide. This book will be out in bookstores in early October. Book signings coming up- Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Nice Shoes

2009-08-26T09:26:00.000-07:00

This seems as good a reason as any to begin my little "hey, world, it's me, doing some stuff here" blog. Last week I discovered that I was on the cover of Skirt Magazine. This is a painting from awhile ago, which they found on the Laughing Stock website. I was, of course, delighted, and I can definitely see how a great skirt calls for some "nice shoes"!

More another time, when something else happens to me.