Illustration Friday: LOST

Wowza, it's been a long time since I created and posted any new artwork.  Lucky for me, when I went to Illustration Friday to look for some warm-up ideas, I found a word with immediate inspiration.  Lost was my favorite TV show when it was on, and it involves some iconic imagery that lent itself pretty easily to an illustration.

Considering I haven't drawn anything in so long, I was surprised at how quickly this one came together--just about 2-3 hours from idea to finished artwork, not counting a lunch break and a little book reading.  Here's hoping that bodes well for continued creative output!!

FABULOUS!

And while I'm at the blog, I totally forgot about a "Your Blog is Fabulous" award I got from Nikki way back in December. I've been tagged to share five obsessions of mine.

1) I'm not a random TV watcher, but I do get quite involved in the shows I take the time to watch. My obsession with all things The West Wing is already well-documented here. My current TV obsession is Lost. It's mind-bogglingly fabulous these days. I like my television like my acquaintances: literate, witty, and with a big heart.

2) The Cincinnati Reds, of course. Pitchers and catchers report on February 14th, and, meanwhile, football season ends TODAY. I am a happy camper.

3) Anytime I get the chance to go to a garage sale or a thrift store, I take it. I love treasure hunts, bargains, and one-of-a-kind finds. Right now I'm wearing a church sale blouse, sitting at a Goodwill desk, with a garage sale mug holding my pencils, and with my back to my World's-Longest-Yard-Sale art desk.

4) The library! Cincinnati has one of the best systems in the country, and I take full advantage of it. There are many things I miss about living in Washington, DC, but their library system has got nothing on ours here. I'm definitely a regular at my neighborhood branch (where, recently, I spotted the back of Sarah Jessica Parker's head. Long story.)

5) I really, truly love grocery shopping. I live around the corner from an IGA, so I go several times a week, for a few things here and a few things there. I also make special trips once in a while to Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, and in the spring and summer, I can't get enough of the various farmers markets near me. I love reading labels, exploring new foods, seeing what's on sale or in season, and thinking up recipes.

Thanks for thinking of me, Nikki!

My blog's namesake moment

In case anyone was curious...

VOTE!

Some sketches while I waited for a certain candidate to visit Cincinnati yesterday, here in this swingin' swing state. Below is my cousin Emma studying for history.... while experiencing history.




"If our job teaches us anything, it's that we don't know what the next President's gonna face. And if we choose someone with vision, someone with guts, someone with gravitas, who's connected to other people's lives, and cares about making them better... if we choose someone to inspire us, then we'll be able to face what comes our way and achieve things... we can't imagine yet." -Toby Ziegler

Yeah, that's from my favorite TV show, which I named my blog after, which I'm just a little obsessed with. Now go VOTE!

West Wing scribbles

If you're going to laze on the couch on a Thursday night, watching your favorite TV show on DVD, you might as well do it with a pencil and sketchbook in hand, right?
For the uninitiated, these are characters from The West Wing. I had particular fun, as you can see, with Toby (the floating scowl in the center of the page.) He has a wonderfully expressive face. Also, in case anyone's wondering-- that's Margaret next to Josh, not CJ. It's CJ's eye in the bottom corner. I hope the rest are identifiable to those who know the show (despite the fact that Sam looks like a woman). Cheers! Happy Friday!

Illustration Friday: SUPERSTITION

"I'm not superstitious. But maybe I'm just a little stitious." -Michael Scott, loosely quoted

It's a holiday week, so I'm being lazy and recycling an old sketch.

Illustration Friday: MOMENTUM

The momentum here is both the apple gaining speed as it falls (hurray for gravity!) AND the momentum gained in the middle of a job you enjoy doing (here, both the girl's apple picking and my drawing!)

In other news, congratulations to Irene Ng for correctly identifying the source of my blog title:
"My guess is a quote from an episode of West Wing where Josh has just proudly finished a project and is commending himself and declaring that he should get 'the finest muffins and bagels in all the land.' Loved that episode."

The full quote (with apologies and appropriate groveling to Aaron Sorkin) is, "Victory is mine, victory is mine! Great day in the morning, people, victory is mine. I drink from the keg of glory, Donna. Bring me the finest muffins and bagels in all the land." So, Irene, enjoy a big gulp from the keg of glory and don't spend your ten and a half points all in one place. Thanks for playing!

Not my regular Tuesday suit...

1. Note, if you will, the new header designs, both here and at my portfolio site. I'm quite proud of them, actually, but feel free to tell me if you're not.

2. I've also been busy this week and last finishing up two illustration projects. One: a piece for St. Anthony Messenger magazine's October issue. Check it out if it crosses your path! And two: for a holiday art contest for a local card company. I'll post both pieces once I have good scans of them.

3. This week's Illustration Friday entry may become my next postcard mailing-- and because it may become my next postcard mailing, it may not be finished in time to be my Illustration Friday entry. Quite the paradox, eh? If nothing else, I'll post the sketch or color study. And I'll be very interested in feedback on this one!

4. Got my new Children's Writers and Illustrators' Market yesterday! It's beautiful and informative, as usual. And there's a fantastic piece about self-promotion for illustrators. Worth a look.

4. I want to reiterate that I'm eager to give out ten and a half points to whomever can identify the source of my blog title. I'm sure there are literally dozens of you out there reading this and pondering it, so I'm going to up the ante... the winner will not only be awarded ten and a half points (don't make me cave and give eleven!) but he or she will be invited to "drink from the keg of glory." [That's a hint. In case you didn't recognize it by the quotation marks. Also the title of this post comes from the same source. C'mon, somebody out there's got to have the same taste in television as me!]

And that is all. Until next time...

Another Dundie Doodle...

Jim Halpert gets his own post because he's read the Newbery-medal-winning children's classic From The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler*.

:)

*according to the season 2 episode "Take Your Daughter to Work Day." I told you I've been productive!

Dundie Doodles

I've been very productive in my month and a half of unemployment: I've almost caught up with the past 3 seasons of The Office (US version-- UK version is next!). I was watching an episode of season 3 online a few weeks ago and it was taking aaaaaages to load. So every time I had to stop and let the video load, I whipped out my sketchbook and drew some of our favorite Dunder Mifflin-ites: