Trick or Treat Halloween

 For: Adam and Owen
Occasion: Halloween

To help my dear nephews celebrate the candiest of all the holidays, I drew some candies (with metallic wrappers) that read "Trick or Treat". I love how this card turned out and cannot wait to hear all about the candy they collect in their epic costumes! A safe and happy Halloween to all!

Seal Thank You

 For: Jennifer
Occasion: her birthday

To thank Jennifer for being an incredible host for my trip to Astoria, OR, I did an illustration of this sweet seal with a "Thanks!" message in the background. I love the PNW subdued blues of this card! I had so much fun visiting with Jen and hiking around and exploring her new city--I can't wait to go back again soon!

Floral Birthday

 For: Alyssa
Occasion: her birthday

To help Alyssa celebrate her birthday, I did a lovely illustration of wildflowers on top of a teal watercolor wash! I really appreciate the simple beauty of this card and hope Alyssa's year is filled with more of the same!

Manzanita Birthday

 For: Theresa
Occasion: her birthday

Theresa loves Manzanita trees, so for her birthday I got out my cray pas and tried to do an abstract design of the beautiful tree in a heart-shape in the Southwest! I loved trying something new (and knowing that Theresa is here for all kinds of art as an expressive arts therapist!). Where it got silly is that I forgot to take a picture of the original, AND THEN the original card got lost in the mail (temporarily)--so I tried to replicate the design from memory, resulting in this little friend below:

WHAT A FUN EXERCISE, Y'ALL! Look at how different these two cards are! Completely different color palates, spacing, backgrounds and foregrounds -- my gosh, I loved it. The original card turned up before the second was received and I just so appreciated that Theresa unintentionally was the facilitator of this art experiment! 

Iconic Look Birthday

 For: Uncle Jim
Occasion: his birthday

For Uncle Jim's birthday card this year, I did a simple illustration of his most iconic/recognizable features -- his beard and mustache and glasses! I added in a party hart to signify there's a reason to celebrate! Any time I get to see Uncle Jim I am delighted--here's hoping our paths cross a bunch this year!

Good Luck Race

 For: Twin
Occasion: Good Luck!

To wish Twin luck on her running race, I did an illustration of her looking at her watch that is telling her to "Have Fun!" We have such a funny relationship with racing--I hope she did great and was able to enjoy the glorious movement of trail running!

Pumpkin Birthday

 For: Tom
Occasion: his birthday

To help Tom celebrate his October birthday, I made a jack-o'-lantern with the word "happy" carved into it on top of birthday for a Happy Birthday! message. I have really enjoyed getting to see Tom when he comes out to CO for work and hope there are more conferences here soon!

Cake Birthday

 For: Lidia
Occasion: her birthday

Lidia loves cake and delicious treats! For her birthday card this year, I did a watercolor illustration of a sprinkle cake with lovely pink frosting and three candles. I had so much fun watercoloring this and playing with the whitespace in particular. I adore Lids and hope she has a super sweet day!

Bird Birthday

 For: Daissy
Occasion: her birthday

To help Daissy celebrate her birthday, I did a watercolor of a pretty nifty bird in a party hat! I love the colors of the bird contrasted with the simple illustration style of the purple background. Daissy is such an incredible person -- I hope this next year is the best yet!

Writing Birthday

 For: Johnson
Occasion: his birthday

For Justin's birthday card this year, I did an illustration of a happy little guy in a party hat with a giant pencil who is writing out "Happy Birt--" the beginnings of a "Happy Birthday" message. I love the simplicity of this card and hope Johnson has a lovely year!

Aspen Birthday

 For: Marie
Occasion: her birthday

For Marie's birthday card this year, I did an illustration of our iconic aspen trees with some interesting sky panels to add another layer of fun to the homage to Colorado' most famous autumn residents. I think it was a pretty neat idea and hope she has a great year with lots of nature to enjoy!

Mountain Birthday

 For: Conor
Occasion: his birthday

Conor is the papa of twins! For his birthday card this year, I featured an illustration of the entire family unit as mountains--he is of course the one with a party hat. I am so excited for his #twinlife journey, and hope this next year brings all kinds of adventures and a little bit of rest, too!

Goofy Birthday

 For: Krystina
Occasion: her birthday

To be perfectly silly, I made a child-like illustration of Krystina that is all head with stick arms and legs! I appreciate that coffee is still involved, which is how you know these are the drawings of an adult! Paired with a simple "It's your birthday!" message, this card struck me as the way to send birthday greetings to a dear friend. 

Sneaker Birthday

 For: Dare
Occasion: his birthday

For Dare's birthday card, I made a collage of some sweet brightly-colored kicks! I have always been fascinated by shoe culture in basketball, and know Dare is something of a connoisseur himself. Here's hoping that Dare has the very best year yet!

Cake Collage

 For: Aunt Sherry
Occasion: her birthday

To celebrate Aunt Sherry's birthday this year, I made this lovely floral cake collage! I had a great time picking all the colors and cutting out all the shapes, particularly the candle flames. I just so appreciate Aunt Sherry's energy and spirit and can't wait to see her at a family gathering soon--Christmas, anyone?