Banner Birthday

 For: Mark
Occasion: his birthday

To help Mark celebrate his birthday, I did a watercolor of a floating banner in blue that reads "Happy Birthday Mark!" It's simple, but effective and I hope it rings in a banner year for my brother-in-law!

Sparkly Cupcake Birthday

 For: Emma
Occasion: her birthday

For Emma's birthday card, I illustrated a cupcake with the sparkliest frosting I've ever seen! I paired it with her name in sparkles and added a 3D cupcake liner to make this card extra fun. It was so fun to see Emma for a birthday celebration and I hope her year is amazing!

Arty A Birthday

For: Anna
Occasion: her birthday

In my mind, Anna is the first real artist I ever met! She was an art major in college and is just talented beyond all get-out. To help her celebrate her birthday, I used my brightest gouache colors to create a happy spring sun with her initial in it. I really dig how this card came out and hope Anna had a wonderful day!

Learning to Ski Birthday

 For: Maxwell
Occasion: his birthday

Maxwell learned to ski this year, so to help him celebrate his birthday, I drew Pizza and French Fries hitting the slopes! The characters are using their skis according to their teaching methods and this idea just tickles me. I hope Maxwell had a great birthday and is looking forward to another year of adventure!

Golf Birthday

 For: Dan
Occasion: his birthday

To help Dan celebrate his birthday, I did a simple illustration of two golf clubs crossed in that classic design with a golf ball and a "Happy Birthday Dan" message. I love how classy this card turned out, and hope Dan gets lots of time on the green this year!

Fancy Birthday Table

 For: Aunt Helena
Occasion: her birthday

Aunt Helena has the very best desserts and and beautiful celebratory table decorations, so to help celebrate her big day, I did a simple illustration of cakes and pies and macarons along with a plate of cookies that spell out "Happy Birthday." It's always a treat to see the Rings and I hope the next year is full of fun! 

Cheese Birthday

 For: Dad
Occasion: his birthday

My dear Dad turned 60! He is a contender for the world's most interesting man, as he has several unique hobbies. One of them is cheesemaking! To celebrate him, I featured a hunk of cheese with the tag "Aged to perfection." I adore my dad and had such a lovely time being home to help celebrate his big day!

Get Well Soon Tea

 For: Grandma
Occasion: Get Well Soon

To help with Grandma well in her recovery, I drew a simple mug that reads "Get Well Soon" steeping a hip, hip hooray teabag. The steam is hearts, because of course! Hip surgery can be really tough, so I am so happy to hear that she is doing well!

Balance Birthday

 For: Joel
Occasion: his birthday

For Joel's birthday card, I painted his name in an interesting style. Readers of the blog will know/can see that I have been interested in depicting names in a unique way, and I was struck by the potential for symmetry between the J and the L in Joel. I had a wonderful time coming up with this design, and I really like the style that it turned out to be. Here's hoping Joel had an awesome day! 

Bee Birthday

 For: Mom
Occasion: her birthday

My mom's has been into having her garden be bee friendly, so for her big birthday this year, I did an illustration of a bumble bee to complete a "Happy Bee Day!" message. I added in some honeycomb shapes and a few orange flowers, since orange is mom's favorite color. I hope she had a wonderful birthday and I can't wait to celebrate with her soon!

Letter Birtday

 For: Kasicki
Occasion: his birthday

To help Kasicki celebrate his birthday, I drew some graffiti-style letters of his name (RJ), and then used some different color thin pens to mimic the lines. I really love the shapes that it created--so cool! I hope Kasick is doing great and looking forward to a summer of fun!

Pajama Birthday

 For: JP
Occasion: his birthday

For JP's birthday card, I drew some PJs that have a JP pattern on them (whew, hard to keep up!). I remember being young and curious about JP's name being initials, and so this card just tickles me pink. I hope JP had an awesome birthday and I can't wait to see him soon!