Illustration Friday: "I Spy..."

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This was a scene from one of my walks with Maggie last week. I stopped when I heard a very noisy squirrel scolding us for walking by his tree. As I usually do when no one's watching, I greeted the squirrel.

"Hello little squirrel, sorry to bother you."

A split second later he had scurried down the tree and approached us, seemingly curious. He moved inch by inch closer so that he was just atop the snowbank in front of us. Maggie didn't notice until I said something.

"Maggie, where's the squirrel?"

Expecting her to lunge for it, I held her leash tighter. But instead of trying to pursue a chase, the two of them just stood there, looking at each other. It was quite comical. After a minute or two of the standoff, the squirrel retreated into the trees.

Sick of Watercolor

Oils Beckon Me
Originally uploaded by Kate Hamilton.

I've been painting almost exclusively in watercolors for 10 years now. No wonder it's beginning to depress me. I've been working on a watercolor of a mountain/ski scene from a photo I took last winter and it's driving me mad. The colors seems so limited and lack a certain substance that the mountains demand. Time for a change.

I have been experimenting a little here and there with water soluable oils since the summer, when I took a plein air painting class in Estes Park, Colorado. I went for water soluable as opposed to traditional oils because there is little ventilation in my studio, I'm not big on solvents and it seems (yes seems) like a gentler transition from watercolor to oil. I haven't created any masterpieces in oil yet, nothing I'm proud of, but then I haven't been practicing as much as I'd like to. There is a constant struggle between doing the work that makes instant money (graphic design) and doing the painting that doesn't feel like work (everything else). It is frustrating and I get very impatient with myself, yet I procrastinate things that are unfamiliar and scary, like using a new medium.

I hope to take more oil painting classes this year when the roads to Estes Park open again. I would also love to paint on location during an upcoming trip to Italy and Greece. But we need to pack light and there is nothing light about my portable easel. Watercolors may have to do.


HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAGGIE



Today is Miss Maggie May's 3rd birthday. She seems excited. She also seems to think that this means she is old enough to drink. Well of course that's not good for you, I told her. Then she insisted that there is, in fact, beer made for dogs. Well excuse me!

So far celebrations have included a flavor-infused rawhide roll for each of the dogs. Maggie is having a hard time sharing though, even when they each have their own treat. When Butters isn't watching she swipes it and runs away with his. Aaah, my Maggie.

Happy Monday.

First Garchinsky in Colorado

Snow Birds
Originally uploaded by Kate Hamilton.

Last week I said goodbye to my "little" sister, Meggie (I put little in quotes because she's now 21 years old), after a 7 day visit from her and her boyfriend, Billy. Meg is officially the first person in the world that I know with the last name Garchinsky to visit Colorado (I would have been, had I not married a Hamilton) and I'm pretty sure she liked it. She and Billy learned to ski, enjoyed tapas at the Shed, played with the puppies and picked up on the local dialect: "right on, right on," "no worries," and "epic." I hadn't even noticed how much we say "no worries" in these parts til they pointed it out to me. I guess it comes with the lifestyle. We like to eliminate worries 'round here.

So there are a plethora of photos from Bill and Meg's visit on my flickr page, as well as lots of new Butters and Maggie shots. I can't help it, they never cease to provide great material. Kodak moments. Or Canon moments, in my case. I still have to upload photos from Andrew's parents' latest visit as well. I don't think I took any of brother Steve, Andrew did.

So who will be our next visitors? There are rumors of nephews, parents and more siblings on my end. We're still waiting for a few Hamiltons as well. The door is always open (though I wouldn't mind a month off at some point, just to catch up on other things). We shall see...

If not, no worries.

Illustration Friday: Wired

Wired, Kate Hamilton

Swallows remind me of penguins. They're just much smaller, lighter, and flightier.

Illustration Friday Blog Opens!

Illustration Friday has a new feature, the IF Blog. Created by co-founders Penelope Dullaghan and Brianna Privett, this new page replaces the "news" page on the site. It features fresh posts from Penny and Brianna, as well as other illustrators such as Rama Hughes, Steve Mack, Josh Sears, Melanie Ford Wilson and Amanda Woodward. Oh yeah, and me. I'm not sure how I was deemed worthy to share the stage with these stars, but I won't complain. For once in my life, was I in the right place at the right time, and prepared even?

The biggest perk in this for me (followed by the inevitable exposure and linkage) is that I am under the gun to produce. To illustrate. Now. Not later. So my lame excuses for not drawing, or not sharing my drawings to the general public now pale in comparison to this new self-inflicted pressure to feel worthy. This should, in theory, kick my arse into gear, as the thought of the general public questioning why I am part of the elite few is far too painful to dismiss. Yeah, so I am an acceptance 'ho. So be it.

Look for great inspiration, the stuff of dreams and maybe a few witty words, hopefully sometimes a few from me. :)

Happy Friday!