Little Helpers

  Apologies for my late post. Insanely busy weekend for me including
Halloween parties and school fundraising dinner which equals costume
making, chauffeuring kids to parties, cake making, and volunteering.
Now that I can breathe I will take a moment to share a couple sweet
friends who have come to life with quality soft suede-like and vintage fabrics,
fringe, yarn, needle and thread...
  Are you ready for Christmas???  No?  Here's your solution!  A little helper.

Copyright 2014 Rachel Bollman 

Meet Ernie and Eve.
Remember my post/sketch?  Fairy Obsessed was the title, though these are elves.  (If you are interested in purchasing an elf they are a steal at $50.  I have invested eight hours and my precious vintage fabrics... Contact me via email at raradesign@yahoo.com)

This craft show I am doing has served as a distraction from my illustration which was my fear.  Sometimes I think I need that however.  It gives me a chance to step back and look at where I am.  My illustration work is really coming along and I am really happy with how I am progressing.
  I am going to finish the elephant shrew illustrations next week and concentrate on work for the show this week.  I really wanted to do some little paintings on wood, those will most likely be spontaneous and happen naturally.  Tired of over thinking(=overworking) and know it will be liberating to just have some fun with my art this week.
I will let you know how it goes...

You Gotta LOVE an Elephant Shrew

    Hi friends!  Looks like I'm going to have to go back to Saturday
posts, those Fridays are tough.  This week I have been scrambling to
sew and also work on a few watercolors.
  I decided I really need to work on a promotional piece.  This idea has been
floating around for months.  Had it penciled out on paper and I think
subconsciously I was afraid to start painting for fear of messing up.
  Determined I am going to take a Photoshop class.  Most illustrators can scan in
work and add dramatic lighting, neat textures, and even erase little goof ups.
This ability would add a whole dimension to my work.  I use Illustrator for my
digital work but it's not the same.  Really enjoying working traditionally and it would
ease that tension I feel if I know I can rework paintings digitally.  There is a night class
coming up soon which will be tough on my family but I think we can work it out.
  These watercolors are in progress, but I wanted to show you how I am painting
step by step.  In order to create consistency I decided to work on all of them at
once.  I started with just watercolor.  The next step is using washed out India ink.
I love the way it looks, but it is way permanent so be careful if you try it.
Building up layers in watercolor is important.  Everything is very light now and
I am holding my breath every time I take a step.  I really want to use some brown
India ink with the calligraphy pen but am very scared.  They can be tricky and spit ink.                                        

This is the story of Joey Sengi, (an Elephant Shrew) and his for love Enid.  
Oh no, Enid is late.

"Forgive me.."
"Don't worry, it's ok."

"Happy Birthday Enid."

Creating these characters seems so necessary.  They want to be out of my head and into the world.  So get ready, here come Joey and Enid!

Color me Merry

  Gee whiz.  I forgot about you all.  Had company this weekend and completely 

forgot my blog post.  Besides going nuts decorating for halloween I am thinking

Christmas thoughts.  Maybe I mentioned I am doing a Christmas craft show 

in November.  To summon up the spirit I leafed through my holiday files to 

find some cutesy little elves to inspire me.  (Sorry for the iphone quality, 
my scanner finked out on me.) I had done these elves a few years 

ago and think they have some potential.  My daughter colored and added the 

sweet words.  They inspired a coloring page I finished Wednesday.  I 

submitted it for consideration for a coloring book project.

Really excited to have found this fun site (via twitter @doodlers) called http://www.doodlersanonymous.com.  They print these incredible coloring 

books that include the work of 60 different artists. Not sure about

their "sharing policy" so I will hold off until I know if my 

illustration is selected.  Better safe than sorry.  

You should definitely check out the books they have out now, four I think so far.   

Here is volume three.  http://doodlersanonymous.bigcartel.com/product/coloring-book-volume-3

They also started a collection of drawn Netflix envelopes on Tumblr that 

are so neat.  http://doodleflix.tumblr.com  I don't have a Tumblr 

account but was so inspired by this and the most current 

movie I rented. Just for fun mind you.

If you have not seen My Neighbor Totoro and you love cute, strange,

awesome Japanese animation you must check it out.  Directed by 

Hayao Miyazaki who also directed Kiki's Delivery Service.

Have an inspired week!

Execution of Willie Nillie

      This inner beast is killing me.  Perhaps a bit dramatic but I mean really,

how does one do it?  I have probably 10 or more books "in the works" and yet still

struggle.  Which one should I concentrate on?  Are any of them good enough or 

should I start over?  Do I really want to continue that style?  What is my style?  

Always questioning myself.  

  I had a professor once who said to pick one thing and do it well.  Yet something 

inside me screamed "Nooooo!"  I want to do it all!!!  The realization I've come to is

maybe he was right.  How do the greats of kid lit do it?  Looked at Mike Lowery's 

work the other day.  He is so CONCISE!  What about Jannie Ho?  Dr. Suess?  

They picked one thing and we know them for it. (If you don't know Mike Lowry http://mikelowery.com and Jannie Ho's  http://chickengirldesign.com work check 

them out...and you know Seuss, right?)  Hear the name, picture the style.

    

Fighting to tame the Willie Nillie beast 

that lives inside my brain.  Who am I?

What line quality, color, mood is me?  

Woe is me.  

I love soft soothing color but

maybe it's too subtle!  

My characters look similar but how do 

I execute them?

                       

 I know my work can be great.  I'm on my way, almost there, narrowing it down, practicing.

                  
So Willie Nillie is holding my hand, running and pulling me through the briars 

                  with a brush...soon we will reach an open field...see you there.