Dragon Music

  I was reading this week about Tasha Tudor.  If you don't know of her or
her illustration work I highly suggest checking her out.  She was a remarkable
woman.  Anyway, while reading The Art of Tasha Tudor by Harry Davis
found out something I didn't know.  She burned a lot of her work, including
drawings, watercolors and even oil paintings.
  A few weeks ago I felt like doing the same thing.  Then I read another
illustrator's blog somewhere (if you know pls. post a comment) that said
even if you have a stack of drawings in the trash, that's progress.  Each sketch
is one little step toward something better.   I'm learning from everything I have
sketched and painted.
 One day last week I suggested the kids brainstorm to come up with ideas for
things to draw.  I wrote Animals and Action at the top of a page and drew a line
down dividing them.  We wrote a long list of whatever animal popped into our
heads, then did the same with actions.  Then we picked one animal and one
action and drew the outcome.  Here is mine.
(The kids were cute too but are lost in clutter;(
Mine was Dragon Listening to Music as you can see.

           It later developed into the sketch above.  I think I made the boy a little too old looking to be fantasizing about being a dragon but it was fun to do.  Mistakes clear your vision, and as 

Jake from Adventure Time says, "Dude, sucking at something is the first step 

towards being sort of good at something." 

Sweet dreams...

  Last week I was upset that my design didn't get chosen as 

a top 50 finalist for the Lilla Rogers Global Talent Search.  A big 

disappointment but I am going to keep working, maybe even harder now.  

I realize I need to work on self promotion the most.  If no one knows my 

work than it doesn't matter how much I create.  I have worked on my online 

presence but have not sent out enough postcards/letters/submissions.  

This is the stuff I dislike doing the most so it figures. 

  When I started my studio designing childrenswear prints it seemed so much 

easier than trying to get into publishing.  I already knew so many 

people in the NYC fashion industry, plus had many friends in graphic design.
My biggest clients I found through knowing people.
I have gone to SCBWI conferences (three so far) and feel like a little lost
puppy scampering around for a scrap of food, among many, many brothers and sisters.
Try to talk to some of the professionals at conferences and they sometimes have 

this petrified look.  Everyone seems so desperate to get a connection and the 

editors/art directors know it.  Conferences are a great way to get knowledge 

about publishing, but it can also feel a little humiliating. There are so many 

talented people out there.  I think the key is just knowing who you are, and

that what you do and how you create is your own.  When I lose site of that

I get discouraged...I have only to open my sketchbook to remember.  

               I thought of this the other night, almost got out of bed to paint it, for fear of

      forgetting her.  A dog-like-grass-camouflage kinda gal nestles down for a nap among a

       print backdrop.  I don't know what it means, or who she is exactly, but maybe one day. 

Until then it makes me happy just to watch her sleep.  Good night. 

   

Love One Another

    Yay! A new post!  I feel on the ball but a little bummed.  Post contest blues I 

suppose.  Since I had no project pending I thought of one myself.  I got together

some items I love from my bathroom  and posted the pic on twitter earlier this week.

                      Here it is.  Most items are vintage.  The cute crab my 8 yr. old daughter made!

If you tweet an illustration inspired by it and post under hashtag #illustration 

I will follow you!  I hope you will follow me also.  I plan on doing these photo collage

inspiration sparkers occasionally and may offer prizes someday soon.  

I had done this little sketch in my mini sketchpad.

                                                              

   I decided to illustrate this sketch inspired by the colors, scallopy detail on the swan,

and the butterfly in the photo. 

Here is the final art, done in acrylic and watercolor pencil.
This was inspired by my chihuahua Daisy and our new cat Naya.
They are not the best of friends, so I envisioned a brighter future for them...

I think I should have used bristol board, the watercolor paper was a little rough 

for the pencil, but all in all I like the result.  I sort of freehanded the border (so it's a tad askew) and added at the last minute, inspired by Peter Brown's (@itspeterbrown on Twitter) work and a conference tidbit he gave.  I like how it frames the sweetness.  Happy drawing and life to you all.

Lilla Rogers Global Talent Search Final Art!

    Well, today was the deadline for the Lilla Rogers Global Talent Search.  

I decided to post my finished journal design.  

     It's very different from the other submissions I have seen on 

Twitter, which are all really neat. 

  If you want to check other submissions search #globaltalentsearch or 

@lillarogers.

I read on some one's blog there was something like 2500 entries. 

It will be narrowed down to 50 for the next round.  

The competition is fierce.  I tried to step it up by adding 

some of my craft work on Pinterest 

(http://pinterest.com/rachelbollman/my-sketches-n-such). 

I know Lilla Rogers studios reps artists that are versatile, 

so I am hoping that she will also look at Pinterest, websites,

(I also updated my website), and social media to help make their decisions.  

Maybe a needle in a haystack but had a lot of fun creating this little world.

Lilla Rogers Global Talent Search Continued...

    Merry Go Rounds are wonderful in an excitingly dangerous way, so I tried that too...

Then I thought of how I wanted nature to be a big part of my design.  I thought of teenie tiny 

magical people dancing in the moonlight, taking a break from their woodland chores.

       I surveyed my audience (family) and this was the most popular choice.  I said Really?
"Yes!" Since  I kept returning to it mentally I felt this had to be it.  I worked and worked and
worked.  Then the doubt crept in...those kids on the merry go round were pretty cute, I could do
a hopscotch pattern behind it...Sooo, before the brownie~pixie~fairy journal was finalized I
started on the other.  Here it is, unfinished.

   
    Late last week I realized the magical people had a special place in my heart, plus, I put so much work into the design, I decided and submitted it today. You will have to check back
after July 22 to see my final design.  Follow me on Twitter and I may show a sneak peak!  

Lilla Rogers Global Talent Search - Idea Process

    I have just submitted my design for the Lilla Rogers Global Talent Search.  (You can check
my tweets along the way at #globaltalentsearch or @RachelBollman on Twitter.)
The assignment was to design a journal cover with vintage playground equipment as inspiration.  This was fun for me as I love vintage anything.
    When I got the assignment (July 1, 2013) I started sketching right away.  Here are a few of my first
ideas.

I liked the characters, but for some reason felt a little bored with the underwater scene. Hmmm.....

 One of the suggestions was a tire swing, so I got my country on.  Cute, but still I wanted more...