San Francisco Sketchbook Pages

A couple of months ago I went to San Francisco. Beautiful city! I tried keeping a sketchbook while I was there. I didn't draw nearly enough but there were too many things to do! I had a really great time. It reminds me a lot of Vancouver, but more awesome :P

Totoro! in little needle felt wool form.

Needle felted a little Totoro! I love the movie, My Neighbor Totoro :) Who wouldn`t want to latch onto a big cuddly fuzzy Totoro while he flies into the air on a magical adventure?

Ichigo. Needle Felting.

I got a small needle felting kit the other day! It's a very satisfying feeling to sculpt felt with the poke of a needle. Poke poke poke... It's also great for releasing stress! ;p

For my first project, I made Ichigo from Katmari Damacy! Love that game.

More tiny needle felting projects to come! :)

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Sketchin'

Sketchin' time! I feel a bit guilty if I don't update my blog so here are some sketches. Most of these are people I've seen in the cafe. Sometimes I wonder if I have ever been unknowingly sketched...

Winter wonderland painting.

Some new art on my blog! Oh em gee.

This background was painted for Toppling Towers Christmas but sadly, the project did not go through. Thus, I shall post it up here so it can get a bit of an audience :) I'm quite happy with this one as I painted it after working on Toppling Towers Halloween and I feel it is an accumulation of all the experience I gained while working on all those Halloween backgrounds. I'm happy with how much I've learned through the process of painting these challenging, and sometimes frustrating, backgrounds.

People watercolour sketches.

I really enjoy sketching people in cafes, on the bus, etc. I cleaned up a few and painted them with water colour. Occasionally someone may catch me looking at them and I'll either look away pretending I was just casually looking around the room, or I'll stare right back. STARE DOWN.

Sneak Peek at Gracie's Got a Secret

I'm glad to tell you that the book will be out in the next month :D Until then, here's a sneak peek at one of the pages and one of the characters Gracie meets in the book. 

Who else does Gracie meet? You'll soon find out. She's definitely a lot more gutsy than me and has quite the adventure. I feel I have gotten quite fond of her after working on this project. I definitely want a chubby cheek goldfish;They are adorable.

This is the test page I did in applying to be the illustrator for the page. I'm happy with how the illustrations progressed and the dynamic improvement from the test page to the finals. 

You can also find the facebook page here, where the author, Heather Conn, will be posting updates and details. 

Stay tuned for details of the book's launch!

Gracie + Family

Gracie and her family from "Gracie's Got a Secret"

I had three beta fishes for pets, and in the following order they were Bubble, Bobble & Spabble. They are not so cuddily, but it's fun to see them scrabble up to the top and follow your fingers around 'cause they know food is coming :P I remember Spabble was very lazy and would lay near the top between the leaves on the plastic plant. I'm afraid I would forget to feed them sometimes..but thankfully they are tough fishies!

Illustrating a children's book "Gracie's Got a Secret"

Above are sketches of characters from an upcoming children's book that I have the pleasure of currently illustrating, Gracie's Got a Secret by author Heather Conn and being published by MW Publishing. The following is a description about the story:

In Gracie’s Got a Secret, an impatient and feisty little goldfish named Gracie escapes her fishbowl and leaves her family, determined to share a secret with the outside world. Along the way, she befriends a weepy alligator who’s stuck in the sewer and a circus elephant with dreams of freedom. By helping her new pals, Gracie learns to slow down and go with the flow, gaining remarkable results and a clear way back to a loving home.
This uplifting story, which comes with engaging questions to prompt discussion, invites children to believe in themselves, support others, and find their inner stillness.


I'm very glad for this opportunity.The process of working with Heather and the publisher has so far been very engaging with great feedback and an enjoyable unfolding in finding the characters and story. I'll keep you updated and hope you'll take a look at it when it's done!