I was asked by Pier 1 Imports to create this collection of illustrations that will be used on plastic gift cards for this Autumn. They were inspired by a personal piece I have in my portfolio. We collaborated on using elements from their patterns and textiles from products they will have in their stores, along with icons and textures I created from my illustrations in my personal piece from my portfolio. We were really pleased with the results and think they turned out as warm, rich, and inviting gift card images. The one with the large leaf with be a unique die-cut, and the top portion will be in the shape of the leaf. It makes me want to break out the Fall clothes and go for a walk in the crisp Fall air and look at all the colorful leaves. Hurry Autumn! I"m ready for the hot Summer to be over with!
Tuaca Poster
I was honored to be one of the artist's chosen to create a poster for the Italian liquor Tuaca as part of a national promotional campaign. I was asked to interpret their bottle in my illustration style and added whimsical frames and different mixes of cocktails incorporating notes of citrus and vanilla and other botanicals surrounding the bottle.
Thrilling Your Customers !
I was recently asked by Success Magazine to create a full page editorial for an article about impeccable customer service. The lady in the center is being treated like a queen from the sales staff as if she is sitting in her throne! Kind of like the scene in the movie "Pretty Women" when the character Julia Roberts played was shopping in that fashion boutique on Rodeo Drive.
"Shrimply Delicious"
I created these fun editorial illustrations for the April/May issue of AllRecipes magazine to accompany several recipes featuring shrimp as the main ingredient. Each of the shrimp characters are dressed in outfits relating to each dish and their country of origin. They look as if they are floating underwater and proudly swimming by each of the dishes they represent! It was a fun project. I also made all the hand writing text for the titles and headlines for the article.
Detail close up of the individual shrimp characters.
"Merry Christmas Eve"
Here's a wrap up of the holiday items I designed this year for Pier 1 Imports. Including a forest gnome nutcracker, a winter snow queen nutcracker, and another scene I illustrated and designed for their hand painted Li Bien ornaments showing a group of fun and festive penguins ice skating around central park.
I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday this year! I'm blessed to have so many amazing clients and get the opportunity to be involved with so many excited holiday projects! I will have lots of exciting new holiday designs to share next year that are already in the works behind the scenes.
Here's to a happy and healthy 2015!!
Forest Gnome nutcracker for Pier 1 Imports
original artwork for gnome design
Winter Snow Queen nutcracker for Pier 1 Imports
original artwork for a Li Bien ornament design for Pier 1 Imports
" 'Tis the Season of the Ugly Sweater"
The ugly christmas sweater seems to be everywhere this season! What used to be an object of ridicule and embarrassment, stored in the back of the closet, is now being embraced as a cool and trendy fashion choice. People are even throwing "ugly sweater" christmas parties. I even got to design an "ugly sweater" nutcracker for Pier 1 Imports this year! They wanted it to depict a slightly frustrated looking typical Dad entangled in christmas lights and wearing his ugly sweater.
I've designed dozens of nutcrackers for Pier 1 over the years, and this was a fun diversion from the usual more stylish and sophisticated ones I have done.
"Ugly Sweater Dad "nutcracker for Pier 1 Imports
original artwork for the Ugly Sweater Dad nutcracker for Pier 1 Imports
"Let It Snow"
I was commissioned by Neiman Marcus to create the artwork and design for another exclusive snow globe for their annual Christmas Book. This is the third snow globe I have been honored to design for them. It's always so exciting to see the finished product come to fruition from the beginning stages of rough pencil sketches, to final color artwork, and then the finished design from one year ago from when I first start designing them .
This years theme was to use rich jewel toned metallic colors, and they wanted to have their iconic signature butterfly featured in the design. I have them swirling around a small christmas tree inside the glass globe. And for the base I came up with a unique shape and had larger ones perched around a base of layered magnolia leaves. The result was a non traditional snow globe that you can leave out and enjoy all year long.
It's always a blast to design these. And I'm happy to announce I was commissioned a 4th time and already finished next year's snow globe! it's already in production and will be available early september next year, and I can share images of it at that time.
exclusive design for the annual Neiman Marcus snow globe for 2014
original watercolor and colored pencil artwork for the snow globe design