Festive Wedding

For: Marie and Matt
Occasion: their wedding

To celebrate Marie and Matt's wedding day, I did a little watercolor portrait of the couple, looping dapper in their wedding finery. I am a particular fan of the silvery lights on the gray background--it sort of looks like lace! I was so sad to miss their special day, but hope it was a very memorable one to kick off a lifetime of memories together!

Sympathy Flowers

For: Claire
Occasion: In Sympathy

To honor Claire's mother's death, I painted three of the daintiest flowers I could, symbolizing the past, present, and future. I paired the watercolor with a portion of a Mary Oliver poem that Claire had posted with photos of her mother:

 "and I think of each life as a flower, as common as a field daisy, and as singular. and each name as comfortable music in the mouth, tending as all music does, toward silence. and each body a lion of courage, and something precious to the earth." 

There really aren't words for what my Claire has gone through in the past months -- I hope she and Nancy both able to find some peace.

Camel Birthday

For: Mark
Occasion: his birthday

There's a delightful game called Camel Up that I thoroughly enjoy playing with the Currys nearly every time I see them. To celebrate Mark's birthday, I did an illustration of some camels in the style of the game's art with a tiny birthday twist--the camel in the lead has a party hat! I hope Mark had a wonderful day and that all his camels win this year (unless he's playing me, of course!).

Yoga Birthday

For: Aunt Kat
Occasion: her birthday

For Kat's birthday card, I was wanting to create a relaxing chill vibe, and ended up with this energetic yoga watercolor! I love how bright it is and had a great time dotting in the colors next to each other. Aunt Kat is just the coolest and I hope she had an amazing birthday!

Game On Birthday

For: Paul
Occasion: his birthday

For Paul's birthday, I illustrated an arcade style video game that features my very best pixelated cake to date! I can't even fathom how this game work would work, but the concept is delightful. I hope Paul had a great day and got to play as many games as he wanted!

Newsboy Cap Birthday

For: Uncle Jim
Occasion: his birthday

My uncle's signature look includes an awesome newsboy cap, so for his birthday card this year, I did an illustration of one on brown card stock. How cool does this look? My uncle is a really cool guy, and it was delightful to see him over the fall. I hope he and his family are settling in well to life back in Texas, and I can't wait to see him in 2019!

Creative Cake Birthday

For: Aunt Joan
Occasion: her birthday

For Aunt Joan's birthday card, I wanted to paint the most delightful cake I could muster. I ended up with this whimsical yellow cake in three tiers with a lovely chocolate frosting on top and a lot of fun striped candles. Aunt Joan is a really fun person, and I hope this cake painting added to her day!

Marauder's Map Birthday

For: Quam
Occasion: his birthday

Quam is a big fan of the Harry Potter books, and now that I've read them all, I felt I could finally make Quam an HP bday card without feeling like a phony! I created a gate-fold card featuring the Marauder's map! I used some of the imagery from the movies to base my design off, but made sure to use the book's language (I can be a real stickler like that). Of course, I had to tweak the language a bit to suit my birthday purposes. The card reads "Purveyors of Aide to magical mischief-makers Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfood & Prongs proudly wish you A Happy Birthday." 

It opens up and I was able to write my birthday message on the inside. I'm pretty pleased with how this card came out--I hope Quam and Potter fans everywhere enjoy!

Ice Cream Birthday

For: Carson
Occasion: her birthday

For Carson's birthday card this year, I cut up some paper to make this patterned ice cream cone! I particularly love how the cherry came out with the shine mark that matches the cone. Carson had a big year last year, with moving across the country and getting married, so I hope this year she's able to relax and treat herself!

Swimming Bunny Card

For: Rukiyah
Occasion: her birthday

In thinking about Rukiyah's birthday, I had a swimming bunny stuck in my head. I translated that to this watercolor of a bunny in a swim cap and a life vest. I am really pleased with how the image came out, particularly with how you can see the bunny's body through the water. I hope Rukiyah had a lovely birthday and gets some leisurely swimming in this year, if that's what she wants to do!

Colorado Trees Birthday

For: Win
Occasion: her birthday

For Win's birthday card, I did a watercolor of some lovely aspens with their bright yellow color. I wanted to capture the beauty of our state in a more subtle way than a mountain scene. Win is such an amazing feature of my life, and sometimes when we're together in Colorado we remark on how the heck we got here. I hope this year is even more incredible than the previous. 

Ohio Birthday

For: Maddie
Occasion: her birthday

For Maddie's birthday card, I re-created the famous O-H-I-O spelled out in human lettering (akin to the YMCA). (I really enjoy the gentleman in the red baseball hat and birkenstocks as emblematic of a college guy.) I can't believe Maddie is already a senior -- I hope she enjoys her last year at The Ohio State University.