It's bloggin' time

Available for the iPad is A Story Before Bed!  And look whose book is being packaged with the app! What a lovely surprise from the fine folks at Jackson Fish Market.  <3 I'm hearing great things about the app on the iPad--if anyone owns an iPad and is willing to download this app (free!  and my book comes with it kukuku!), please let me know what you think!

I've re-vamped this blog to hopefully be more accessible, and am promising myself to update more often what's going on in my illustrative life.  So many great and wonderful things are happening, and I'm so thankful and grateful for all the people and opportunities that have reached out to me.  I'm working with Orange Umbrella to get my main site up ASAP, but keeping this blog for doodles, in-progress things, and general rambling about the business and lifestyle.  I really feel like a new generation of illustrators and artists is emerging, especially among the community that I am a part of, and I'm genuinely excited and happy to be a part of it.

Graduation was actually in December for me, but the actual ceremony is tomorrow night.  My parents are coming into town and it should be a great time.  I have to say, the two years of internal rage and anxiety and blood/sweat/tears/spray fixatif were worth it. 

A blog? No way!

Blogger blogger.

Still have my job. I'm an in-house illustrator at Brown Bag Marketing and I love it. My boss and co-workers rock, I get free coffee, and I draw for a living. No shit! Could be happier in this department.

I've moved into the bottom level of an old house in Candler Park, my favorite neighborhood here. It has a garden, a side yard, and a beautiful studio space with TONS of light and work area. The price was fantastic for the neighborhood. I've been taking my dog for walks in the morning, and it's been fantastic.

I'm no longer a student at Portfolio Center (getting my book together, shooting for beginning of January) but will be teaching there this summer. The nature of the class right now is super!secret, but it should get approved within the next couple of weeks.

Also, upon the release of my second children's book with Jackson Fish Market's site A Story Before Bed, "The 12 Days of Christmas," and the accompanying iPhone application, I've agreed to work with them again on a series of books for their Hippo Hooray! characters, featured in their iPhone applications for kids.

So, I really couldn't ask for more. Things have been so good lately. I think it makes up for the past two years of soul-searching and sadness and frustration and natural disasters and toilet explosions and car break-ins and general nonsensical...nonsense. I can't wait to show you all my new site--it'll blow your head off, for sure. So, be sure to wear a hat.

Home in Atlanta

After the flood, I'm guessing that the mysterious higher powers have taken pity on me and granted me some good fortune the past few weeks. Mainly, I got a job. Several jobs. Sealing my deal to stay in Atlanta, at least for the forseeable future.

I'm working at Brown Bag Marketing as an in-house illustrator. I've been promised full-time status when I graduate from school (yes, still at Portfolio Center, but taking less classes to accomadate for the 30+ hours a week that I work at Brown Bag), and am working mainly with a client that produces casino games. I am drawing lots of shiny gaudy stuff all day long, and I like it a whole lot. The schedule is fairly aggressive, so I'm always busy, but it feels nice to know that once I graduate, I have a sense of security in how I'm going to support myself / pay off my student loans.

However, during the time after the flood and before I was brought into Brown Bag, I had accepted to work on no fewer that four freelance jobs. A greeting card for a financial group, a header/logo for a financial group, a new holiday children's book for Jackson Fish Market, and illustrations for the Georgia Recycling Coalition, a department of the Atlanta government. So, needless to say, I've been in the business of being very busy.

Also! My children's book is finally on the web. Take a look for yourself at "The Frog Princess" on A Story Before Bed. There are many other esteemed colleagues of mine (haha, guys) who have stories published on there as well. Please let your friends with children in their lives know about this awesome web app. I hope it catches on, because the idea is great. My next book for them comes out before the holidays, so I'll keep you guys up to date with that as well.

I'm going to be looking at an apartment this weekend that's in the neighborhood that I love, and I don't want to jinx it by talking about it, but...it's so cute. I'm looking forward to moving on.

Snow Whites and Rose Reds

Another children's book for Jackson Fish Market is underway.  This is the weirdest version of Snow White and Rose Red that I have ever read, but here's the characters for now that I'm sending to them for review and edits.  Soon, it'll be storyboard and tight roughs time, and it'll be 5th quarter all over again.  Joy.

In other brilliant news, Tania made me a Michael Jackson bracelet, of which upon receipt, I almost came.