December 20, 2012

IF Topic: Snow


Biggles is enjoying the new winter snow while he looks up at the stars!

December 19, 2012

Enter to Win!!....deadline to enter is Dec 21st

Don't forget when you purchase My Shiny Light to Enter to Win on the Biggleton Books 
website!!!....deadline is midnight this Friday Dec 21st for a chance to win a $25 Furture Shop Gift Card!







December 2, 2012

New LOOK INSIDE feature for my book!

Please check out the New LOOK INSIDE feature for my book My Shiny Light on the Biggleton Books website.....Happy Reading!

Biggleton Books website...


November 26, 2012

November 24, 2012

NEW BOOK RELEASE!

Announcing the new release of my children's picture book now available on Amazon & Kindle!
An insightful children's picture book that explores the idea of a special & wonderful light each child possesses and shares with others. The book is written in a generalized way as to not be discriminate. Written in the first person and meant for all children regardless of religion, colour, gender or sexual orientation. A message that says all children have a special light within themselves.  

Happy Reading!


Also available now on my  online book store at the Biggleton Books website!

AMAZON







November 23, 2012

Will Terry's New Video

If you haven't checked Will Terry's Blog out yet... I strongly suggest you do. This amazing award winning artist has a NEW video up recently and it's always worth having a look!!






IF Topic "Whiskers"

My cat Phelix had plenty of white whiskers

November 5, 2012

New cover design





Working on a new cover design for a project I am hoping to finish this in the new year...well one can hope anyways :)

October 31, 2012

Beautiful Blogger Award




















I would like to thank The Back Door Artist, the wonderfully creative Mary Livingston for nominating my blog for the Beautiful Blogger Award.  It has been inspiring and a pleasure to know Mary Livingston through my art group critiques and connect through our blogs and social networking. Mary is one talented artist and I have come to learn so much from her as an artist.


7 facts about myself:
My husband is my biggest supporter and he is the most loving and inspirational partner I could ever have!
We have a wonderful, creative & artistically talented son who lives in Toronto.
I am a writer and freelance Illustrator at home.
I love to paint with acrylic, illustrate while listening to music
Love working in my garden,
Love dining out or cooking at home, entertaining with our amazing friends
Go for long walks or drives 
I would like to nominate and thank the following artists & bloggers who have inspired and influenced me to tap in to my creative side encouraged me in  pursuing my art! Thank you!

Helga Harrumphs
Matt Clement - Clement Art
Art-By-Amy
How to be a Cildren's Book Illustrator - Mark Mitchell
Will Terry
Folio Academy
Back Door Artist
Artistic Expressions by Felicia Lilley
Mary Flynn
Lisa Thompson
Elaine Comeau
Ian Jeans
James A. Brummel
Illustration Junky
Karl Schutt











October 29, 2012

IF topic this week - Haunt

Haunting eyes look on through the dark forest at children sitting around a bonfire.

October 24, 2012

IF Topic this week: Sky


Biggles the bear likes to look up at the night sky and stare at the stars!

September 3, 2012

IF topic this week: Identical

These bears look identical....but why is the bear in the mirror waving back?

August 29, 2012

IF Topic: Tall

One bear trying to look very tall.....but I don't think he's fooling anyone!

August 15, 2012

IF topic: Freeze

 The marmot is trying to save his friend from a deep freeze!

July 27, 2012

Illustration Friday Topic: Lonely

This bear is feeling rather lonely on this tiny little island all by himself.

July 26, 2012

Illustration Friday: Carry


The bears carry on their summer time outings by stopping by the Berry Delicious Shop for a treat!

July 20, 2012

Illustration Friday: Lost


A bear lost his kite in a wooded area. Hope he doesn't get lost himself!

July 11, 2012

Illustration Friday: Suspend

 This daring bear decided to suspend himself by bungee jumping while the others look on cautiously.....

June 1, 2012

Illustration Friday: Hurry



The kids are playing a game of ball and he needs to pass it in a hurry to his team mate if they're going to win!
Taken from a children's book I am working on this year. Am almost finished but not quite as  there is much editing to do yet. Hopefully I can get it completed by early summer  :)

May 31, 2012

IF: Faded


Both Fuzzmo and Biggles faded off into a deep, deep sleep. They were exhausted after a busy day of endless adventures. 

Finally after a long stretch off being away I was able to submit some artwork for Illustration Friday's topic this week "faded".

May 14, 2012

Back to the drawing board!

Well I have been missing in action recently due to an extensive physio rehab program I was able to participate in to get more mobility with my left leg which has given me problems these past couple of years, so it's been a number of weeks since I posted or drew anything but am back home and trying to get inspired once again. So this week I am going to look at what the Illustration Friday topic and tap into that creative energy once and for all. Plus surf through all the wonderful illustrations on here that I've missed in the last month and a half!

See you all around, cheers Susan :D

March 26, 2012

Illustration Friday...Swamp


Finally managed to do an illustration for this weeks IF...this scene is of a swamp and everything is buzzing with activity and life. Tried doing it digitally using some techniques to give a traditional watercolour look.

March 12, 2012

Illustration Friday....Yield

Two rabbits make their way through the snow to go sliding on the ice....

March 8, 2012

Illustration Friday.....Intention



This is an illustration taken from one of the pages of my book "My Garden Friends ....after a long cold winter and the frost has lifted this robin intends on building a new nest in order to lay her eggs.

February 24, 2012

Capable......Illustration Friday

The little brown bear decided he was quite capable of getting the meal ready himself. The white bear cheers him on and expresses how proud he is of his friends accomplishment!

February 19, 2012

Fluid...Illustration Friday


Well this bear is a little confused as to how the bucket of wash for his egloo tipped over and spilled it's contents. But somebody appears to be looking on with great interest....could he have knocked it over and doesn't want to say anything?

February 10, 2012

Popularity....Illustration Friday

This weeks Illustration Friday is about a bear who likes to sing and perform for his little friends which makes him rather popular among the crowd. They look on with great interest as he sings some of his favourite songs!

February 6, 2012

Bear decides to go diving





I was thinking maybe I should try and illustrate a bear diving into water to look at the coral on the bottom of the sea.

February 5, 2012

Biggles has to think of something....

Working on the character Biggles now for my story and this particular image is portraying him thinking. He needs to think of a clever plan to find a way to make Ms. Briddle happy. I find painting a black bear is hard when it comes to showing highlights and shading of the fur. Will have to keep experimenting with it till I get the right effect.

February 3, 2012

Suspense....Illustration Friday!



The suspense is building as the bears try to perform their tightrope act.....careful now ...will he make it?

January 28, 2012

Forward...Illustration Friday



There's nothing more fun than bear bobbing down a hill on a wintery day! Going forward is safer than bear bobbing backward.

January 24, 2012

Fuzzmo heading to Biggleton....

The first illustration is the Fuzzmo character heading down the road to the little town of Biggleton, wearing his Roche hat with his backpack.

The second illustration is when Fuzzmo arrives at Biggles house after deciding to answer the ad in the Biggleton daily newspaper.

January 21, 2012

Twirl - Illustration Friday

This weeks IF topic "Twirl" inspired me to come up with a bear showing off.. how he twirls a baton!

January 14, 2012

Prepare..Illustration Friday




Bear in preparation of a fish feast!

Well first time trying out the Illustration Friday  so created this image of a bear stocking up on fish in preparation of a feast, but... Are the other bears included in his findings? It does seem like a fun challenge to get your creative wheels turning. Look forward to seeing all images from the other illustrators as well!

January 10, 2012

Fuzzmo


Finally after many sketches might have come up with my bear illustration for the Fuzzmo character. Its so hard to get an idea or vision in your head of an image onto paper but I think this might be the one I chose to go with in the future! Will see.

January 9, 2012

Creating a banner...

Decided I wanted something for a banner on my blog so designed this bear one! It was fun and may play around with this design to see what else I can come with up.

January 7, 2012

Biggles sitting under the town sign

Well just finished working on this illustration and thought I would post it. Still looking at ways to improve it. But will leave it for now and start working on another image. Its so tricky trying to get the look and feel in digital painting that I want. Trying to experiment and give the illustrations as much of a traditional feel, if that is possible. Oh well back to the drawing board!

January 4, 2012

New image


I just posted a new image of the two bears sleeping in the house where they live. I recently finished this piece not too long ago and am not sure where it might need improving or not. Maybe it needs more texture or lines? Thanks for looking and any comments you have would be kindly accepted. Enjoy!

January 3, 2012

Welcome to my Children's Illustrations blog!

I am in the process of creating illustrations for a children's book that I am working on at the moment and decided to start a blog so I can post some of the illustrations I have been working on this past year. Most of them have been sketched first and were painted using acrylics. I then scanned them into my computer and have repainted them using Photoshop with some of the techniques I studied from taking Will Terry's online digital illustrating course which was extremely helpful. In the new year I hope to improve my technique and skill in illustrations through Mark Mitchell's online children's illustration course which uses the traditional approach. 

I look forward to receiving feedback and comments on my work so let me know what you think!