Blog of the Cold Snap Illustrator

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-22T21:01:00.001-09:00

Just a quick post to wish you all a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year!

My studio will be closed for the holidays, followed by another brief maternity leave. That's right, my wonderful husband and I are expecting another little bundle of joy! Small age gap intended... and we are all super excited! =)

I will be back in the studio on March 1, 2012.

Thank you all for following my blog, even through this slow blogging year. I will definitely try to post more in 2012. In the meantime, have a fun, safe holiday season!

Look What's New!

2011-12-22T14:20:00.000-09:00

So here I am at the end of December and I'm wondering Where the heck did my year go?! My maternity leave ended around Valentine's Day and I have been keeping so busy it still feels like February, just with a busy baby, too many candy canes and a bunch of gifts under the tree (let's just say I take toy shopping very seriously).

Overall I accomplished a lot this year. I've worked on several large projects. The most recent project I finished is a children's book for a wonderful new client who came to me with the sweetest manuscript! These illustrations turned out so colorful and cute I just had to share a few:

My favorite projects involve drawing animals. They are just too cute! This project was so colorful, too. The kids couldn't stop staring at the screen as I worked on these. =)

Illustration Friday: Separated

2011-12-09T11:16:00.000-09:00

The newlywed honeybees can not be separated! =)

This is a cute little card design I created for general romantic occasions, Valentine's Day and Anniversaries. The receiver is usually an adult, but apparently lots of adults also appreciate cute and cuddly!

Thanks for dropping by. Have a great weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T14:01:00.000-09:00

I'm sorry I have neglected my poor little blog lately! I have been so extremely busy with projects, my family and the upcoming holidays! I wanted to wish everyone who celebrates a wonderful Thanksgiving Day! I hope you spend lots of time with family and enjoy your holiday meals. =) I will definitely try to post updates more often as I finish up my current projects and prepare for my little Christmas break!

With Christmas right around the corner, and the biggest shopping day of the year tomorrow, I'd like to invite you to check out my online greeting card store. If you stock up on cards this Black Friday, you can get them for $1.49 each, which is 50% off (Use code BlackFriday2011). Fantastic quality, and last I checked, printed right here in the USA!

DISCLAIMER: If you follow the link to visit my online store and purchase items associated with my artwork, I will earn a commission.

IF: Swell

2011-08-12T20:46:00.000-08:00

This week's Illustration Friday topic is "Swell". Your tummy will swell if you stuff it with popcorn. It will also look bad if the popcorn is stolen.

It might make up for it if you're a super cute raccoon who can't help himself, though. =)

Thanks for dropping by today! Have a swell weekend.

A Treat for All You Lovely Ladies!

2011-07-09T08:01:00.001-08:00

Just a quick post to show off my new dino lady birthday card design! Lots of card options for all the lovely ladies in your life are available at my online greeting card store, so check them out! This piece is also available for licensing on a variety of products, please contact me if you're interested!

Oh - and have a lovely weekend! =)

DISCLAIMER: If you follow the link to visit my online store and purchase items associated with my artwork, I will earn a commission.

Happy Memorial Day!

2011-05-30T12:22:00.001-08:00

Just a quick post to wish everyone a safe & happy Memorial Day! We're enjoying burgers, fries, time with the kids and hot weather in our sunny corner of Alaska.

DISCLAIMER: If you follow the link to visit my online store and purchase items associated with my artwork, I will earn a commission.

Journey

2011-04-16T10:10:00.001-08:00

This week's Illustration Friday topic is "journey". Troy is about to embark on the long journey home.

With the wonderful weather here in Alaska (temperatures in the 60's!) I may embark on a journey or two myself. Probably won't leave in a rocket, though. =)

Thanks for dropping by. Have a great weekend!

The Royal Teddy

2011-03-25T09:59:00.000-08:00

This week's Illustration Friday topic is "Toy", which is perfect because I just finished this piece which I am using on various greeting cards! The teddy bear (in my opinion) has got to be the most popular toy in the world. Just about every kid has had one. How many did/do you have? I've had a few thousand. Well, it sure felt that way when there was no room left for me on my bed!

Did you miss the post where I announced being on Facebook? Drop by and follow me!

DISCLAIMER: If you follow the link to visit my online store and purchase items associated with my artwork, I will earn a commission.

Little Distractions

2011-01-31T08:41:00.000-09:00

Those of you who regularly follow my blog may have noticed that I haven't been posting as much over the last few months. It's not because I'm getting in the habit of not posting, it's simply because I've been a bit ... well, distracted!

Between nursery painting, studio redecorating, visiting relatives and illustration projects, I just haven't had a chance to update you all as often as I would've liked. The biggest distraction came just in time for the New Year: my husband and I had a perfect new 7 lb. 1 oz. baby girl! So, I've taken a few sleepless weeks off to spend time with baby. Don't worry, though, I will be working on new projects and updating my blog more starting in mid-February! =)

Thanks for dropping by today, and for your continued support of my art!

Illustration Friday: Winter

2010-12-24T15:34:00.000-09:00

This week's Illustration Friday topic is "winter". And what says winter better than a cute snowman, hats, scarves & Christmas trees?

Wishing you a magical holiday season & a Happy New Year!

Featured Holiday Card Designs

2010-11-19T20:36:00.002-09:00

It's hard to believe that - after Thanksgiving next week - the holiday shopping season is upon us! Where does the time go?! Seems like only yesterday it was Valentine's Day. I wanted to do a quick post to show off a few of my featured holiday greeting card designs above. I've spent hundreds of hours designing new greeting cards this year, with over 6,000 cards currently in my shop & more added regularly! These cards print GREAT and the best part is they're printed here in the USA!

Also pictured (on the light table I can't live without) are some cards from my most recent order. I like to have plenty of cards on hand - they not only make great portfolio pieces, but you really never know when you'll need one! So don't mail out a generic card (on several occasions I've received the same store-bought card from different people!), if you're looking for a unique card this holiday season, be sure to drop by my store and check out my selection! =)

DISCLAIMER: If you follow the link to visit my online store and purchase items associated with my artwork, I will earn a commission.

Illustration Friday: Sneaky

2010-11-19T12:12:00.001-09:00

This week's Illustration Friday topic is "Sneaky". Timmy the Seacat is a sneaky little guy, and it always gets him in trouble in the end.

Yes, I created these a while ago, but they go so well with this week's IF topic, and they tell a story, too! =)

I've been extremely busy in the studio lately, and I've had some distractions, but I'll be sharing more news really soon. Thanks for dropping by today! Have a wonderful weekend!

IF: Transportation

2010-10-08T09:54:00.000-08:00

This week's Illustration Friday topic is "Transportation". A spaceship is a fast mode of transportation, though most of us don't use one too often. This piece was created for a client as a growth chart (that will explain the #'s in centimeters). It was a blast!

More Hidden Fun!

2010-09-15T20:43:00.001-08:00

I've recently created a fun new hidden picture illustration for a children's magazine! The full-page illustration is titled Stolen Plums and features two lovable, mischievous raccoons! Can you spot 4 hearts, 4 bananas and 4 caterpillars?

New Cards for the Upcoming Holidays!

2010-09-12T20:46:00.000-08:00

I've recently uploaded several hundred new cards to my online greeting card store. I'm quickly approaching the 5,000 card mark - that's a big selection! Not just illustration, either; you'll find Alaskan photography, animals, wedding designs, patriotic cards and so much more! A few of my newest designs are shown above, but be sure to visit my shop to browse my ever-growing greeting card selection!

Thanks for dropping by today. I hope you have a wonderful week & enjoy these last few weeks of summer (or winter, depending on where you are =).

DISCLAIMER: If you follow the link to visit my online store and purchase items associated with my artwork, I will earn a commission.

Look Who's New in the Studio!

2010-08-28T17:33:00.001-08:00

I have a new companion in the studio! We purchased a cocker spaniel puppy a little over a week ago. Here you can see him wearing a diaper the day we brought him home. Can you say Awwww?! =)

He finally got over his shyness and started chasing me around everywhere today. He's a very sweet pup, he sits at my feet and rests his head on his favorite stuffed animal while I'm working in the studio. My 4-year-old Newfie loves him, too, he makes a great friend! And it really helps that my daughter does most of the walking. =)

New work & studio news coming soon, so stay tuned! If you're looking for an illustrator for your holiday or children's book projects, I am available. Check out my portfolio online at ColdSnapStudio.com and contact me!

It's HOT! Where Do I Live Again?!

2010-08-15T17:22:00.001-08:00

Just a quick post to show off my thermometer reading today! It picked up about 102 degrees here in Interior Alaska. For Alaska that is HOT! I wonder if I could fry eggs on my porch?

I'm working on some cute new art (Christmas themed - wishful thinking I guess) in my nice, relatively cool 70-degree studio. I'll have some new work to show soon so please check back! =)

Star Gazing

2010-08-15T13:35:00.000-08:00

This week's Illustration Friday topic is "Star Gazing".

Alaska's a great place for this, as I've learned Friday night. Saw an amazing meteor shower which included a HUGE turquoise meteor that flew by my window! It's not often I'm actually happy about being up at 1:30 in the morning, but Friday it really paid off! Now if only the moon were as big, the polar bears were around and the aurora were out, that would've made it even more awesome! =)

New Magazine Art: Frog's Pond

2010-06-23T12:21:00.001-08:00

Sorry it's been a while since my last post. I've had a move that has really distracted me and I'm still setting up my new studio. It's been a really busy couple of months and I'm glad to finally be getting back on track!

Above is one of my latest works, titled Frog's Pond. I've created this full page illustration for a new children's magazine to go along with a haiku. If you're unsure what a haiku is, it's defined as "a Japanese poem of seventeen syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five, traditionally evoking images of the natural world." The illustration has hidden pictures throughout: Can you find the 4 pears, 4 oranges, 4 spiders and 4 ladybugs?

Fearless

2010-05-07T11:47:00.000-08:00

This week's Illustration Friday topic is "fearless". Sick of being plagued by itchy little fleas, Marty the sheepdog fearlessly hopped in the bath.

This cute little pattern is available for licensing. Contact me for more details if interested.

Side note: Sorry about the scarce posts lately. I am getting things together to (hopefully) move in the coming weeks, and am spending the remainder of my time on a few illustration projects. More regular posts & updates will resume soon - promise! =)

Thanks for dropping by and have a great weekend!

Short & Sweet News

2010-03-30T09:59:00.002-08:00

Just a quick post to announce that I've redesigned my illustration website, added a new shop and expanded my portfolio! If you have a minute please check it out at ColdSnapStudio.com.

More updates to come. Thanks for dropping by!

Illustration Friday: Rescue

2010-03-27T13:54:00.001-08:00

Looks like somebody doesn't know he'll need to be rescued come November. Or maybe he does, he's just in denial.

Thanks for dropping by to view my Illustration Friday entry! Have a wonderful weekend.

Cute & Cuddly (Alaskan) Animals: In Color!

2010-03-07T15:22:00.001-09:00

Well I've completed the illustration from last post. As you can see above, it came really far from the black & white version. That tends to be the case when I'm developing new art, half the ideas pop up as I'm working in the final art stage. Here's a close-up:

The aurora (northern lights) were tricky & took a few good hours, but I finally got them just right. I guess it takes practice. Practice: That's what art is all about (and I tell my kid this so often, to her I must sound like a broken record =).

I created this image for the Alaskan designs section of my store. Check out some cool polar bear merchandise here. If you'd like you can also get a framed print here or here.

And finally, if you'd like to license this image, please contact me. It comes in a rather large file size (up to about 33" wide). Took 10-15 minutes per save at that size, fun times!

Thanks for dropping by to see how this turned out. Have a creative week!

DISCLAIMER: If you follow the link to visit my online store and purchase items associated with my artwork, I will earn a commission.

Cute & Cuddly (Alaskan) Animals!

2010-03-02T14:03:00.002-09:00

Well I can't quite believe it's March already! I've been busy with plenty of little distractions, and some bigger ones, too. I thought I'd show line art of one of the pieces I'm working on this week for the Alaskan Designs section of my store. I'll be sure to post it when it is completed!

I'm so lucky to live in Alaska. I'm surrounded by not only amazing scenery but some of the coolest wildlife anywhere. It makes for great inspiration! One of my more recent scenic trips was to the Arctic Ocean, where I went for a swim (by coincidence) less than 24 hours after polar bears were spotted there! It was pretty funny because the tour guide who drove us there was too afraid to leave the tour bus. =) I just love large animals & have since I was a teen working with them. Now I draw them (as opposed to feeding & cleaning up after them) and draw them often, sometimes for local clients, others for clients thousands of miles away. Check out another polar bear blog post here and view other Alaskan wildlife art in my store here.

For the time being I can't show any other work-in-progress, but please stay tuned! As a reminder, the March coloring page is up on the new blog. Be sure to follow me for a new free coloring page for your kids each month! Also, I'm offering a discount for a very limited time on children's book projects. View my old post for details! Thanks for dropping by & have a creative week!

DISCLAIMER: If you follow the link to visit my online store and purchase items associated with my artwork, I will earn a commission.

Is it Spring Yet?

2010-02-21T18:02:00.003-09:00

Just dropping in to show the completed illustration from last post. I'm really in a "springtime" mood due to how warm it was in Alaska this week. We've actually had snow melt, which usually doesn't happen until April! Got to love warm, sunny days! Though I've yet to see any flowers spring up. ;)

From start to finish, this took about 3 hours and was created in Photoshop and Illustrator. My daughter spent quite a bit of time in the studio this weekend and gave me some input on the colors and border design. Her favorite part of studio time is giving her "kid's-perspective" advice. She loves, loves, LOVES to watch me work!

I created this design for my Seacats store and thought I'd show some of the cute products I created using this image. Fun stuff!

DISCLAIMER: If you follow the link to visit my online store and purchase items associated with my artwork, I will earn a commission.

PROGRESS: New Seacats Website & Blog!

2010-02-18T19:16:00.002-09:00

Sorry I haven't been posting as much lately, I've just had so much going on all at once. But I have reached a few of my goals recently. I am happy to announce that after years of it being on the "to-do list", and months of development, I finally got the new Seacats website up! I've created dozens of new designs, put up a shop, created online coloring pages (kid tested - they're loved!) and even created its very own Seacats blog!

I also thought I'd share a work-in-progress. It's not 100% complete yet, but this is one of my Seacats designs, he's a little fantasy critter named Rainy. For all Seacats work, I use what's called a "Seacat palette" which consists of "prehistoric" colors. This way colors remain consistent from one image to the next. I love color palettes and I'd say that in total I probably have over 30 different palettes I choose from at any given time. And I am always creating more!

I'll be sure to upload this design when it's completed, to show you how it turns out!

I'd also like to mention that I'm offering a discount on illustration for most picture book projects. Check out the coupon, and feel free to contact me if interested!

Thanks for dropping by today! If you get a chance, please check out the Seacats site and blog. As always I look forward to any comments you may have. And I hope you enjoy your weekend; the snow's melting in Alaska, mine will be a warm one! =)

DISCLAIMER: If you follow the link to visit my online store and purchase items associated with my artwork, I will earn a commission.

Focused

2010-01-29T18:41:00.005-09:00

This week's Illustration Friday topic is "Focused". When hunting a saber-tooth tiger (or maybe when he's hunting you) you may want to stay focused. At least, if you want to stay alive.

The anthropologist in me (it's what I studied in college) did this piece quite a while back. The artist in me says ... "I still like it, so it must be good!" =)

As a side note, as this is my 2nd blog post today, I'd say I'm pretty focused myself... Being focused on business is always a good thing!

Thanks for dropping by & I hope you have a great weekend! With highs above zero, I know I will! =)

Special Offer for New Clients!

2010-01-29T15:27:00.016-09:00

Just a little post to announce that I'm offering new clients a generous discount on my illustration services from now through February 14th! I'm offering 20% OFF my regular fees on most illustration projects over $300.* View my portfolio online at ColdSnapStudio.com and contact me for a free project quote!

And of course I regularly offer various discounts for returning & referring clients - please contact me for a quote and/or more info. =)

If you'd like to receive special offers directly in the future, please sign up for my mailing list.

* Discount applies to my regular fees and/or to my hourly rate (if applicable) listed on my general contract. Discount does not apply to WFH projects. Offer good thru 2/14/10. Additional restrictions apply, please contact me for more info.

Lost (and Found) in the Wilderness

2010-01-15T09:50:00.003-09:00

This week's Illustration Friday topic is "Wilderness". This poor kid was ditched in the wilderness, and he'd be doomed if it weren't for these 3 bears! I guess he's gonna live on the wild side... Grow up, be strong as a bear, etc. etc. etc. =)

Thanks for dropping by today! Have a wonderful weekend!

New Work for the New Year!

2010-01-12T22:07:00.012-09:00

I hope you all got a good start to the new year! Aside from a cold on Christmas Day (which was conveniently gone the next day) I had a great holiday season!

For me, 2010 started off busy. I've been a busy little bee in my studio, creating all sorts of little things for my online greeting card store, some of which are shown above. Since January 1st, my store has grown by roughly 1,000 cards - and that's a whole lot of uploading! Between that and studio projects, I've worked 18-hour days many times. I create a lot of name-personalized cards (Valentine's Day, Easter, Christmas, note cards, etc.), so research is a must and it is very time-consuming. In fact I've done so much research on names this past few months I'm beginning to feel a bit like a baby-name dictionary! And of course I don't have a card with every name (that may take the remainder of the new decade) but if you're looking for a particular name on the card front, I do take requests through my store!

I am currently taking on new projects, so if you're interested please view my website for my updated portfolio and contact me.

Wherever you are, I hope you're keeping warm. With temps at less than 30 degrees below zero, I'm already looking forward to Spring! You can probably tell by my colorful new designs - a whole lot of shades of green! =) Have a wonderful, creative week!

DISCLAIMER: If you follow the link to visit my online store and purchase items associated with my artwork, I will earn a commission.

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-19T11:29:00.004-09:00

Just a little post to wish my friends, clients & blog readers a Happy Holiday season! I am off on my winter vacation, but have plenty to blog about upon my return. 2010 will be an exciting year for me & my family, and I hope the same is true for you & yours. =)

~ HAPPY NEW YEAR! ~

IF: Crunchy

2009-12-04T09:11:00.003-09:00

This week's Illustration Friday topic is: Crunchy. As is this little guy's carrot, for which he has great affection.

This image is among many available as a greeting card in my GCU store.

Thank you for dropping by today. Have a wonderful weekend!

Illustration Friday: Unbalanced

2009-11-13T13:25:00.005-09:00

This week's Illustration Friday topic is "unbalanced". The chores at Cinderella's house are unbalanced: she does them all, while everyone else does nothing. (Well, you could argue that whining all day for someone to serve & clean up after you is doing something, but that's not usually considered a chore. =)

This piece (among many others) is available for licensing.

If you haven't already done so, check out my Turkey Time blog post for some cute new Thanksgiving work & a free coloring page for the kids.

Thanks for dropping by and have a great weekend!

Turkey Time!

2009-11-09T11:07:00.014-09:00

Thanksgiving's around the corner. Here's a piece I started out as a coloring page for a children's magazine. It was too cute, so I had to finish it. Titled it: Turkeys in a Barn. These turkeys took about 25 hours to color & detail and were a whole lot of fun to work on!

This image is available for licensing, and in my online greeting card shop as a Thanksgiving card & Thanksgiving dinner invitation. A few of my other tortured turkey cards are also shown below:

All cards (and hundreds more) are available in my GCU store.

I'm busy in the studio into December, working on some great personal & client projects. I'm also excited about the approaching holiday season. The snow's been falling in Alaska (along with the temperature), and it just feels like Christmas! What's the weather like in your neck of the woods?

And finally, before I forget: if you have kids and would like to print the coloring page (for personal, at-home use only), please click here.

Frozen

2009-10-16T10:38:00.003-08:00

This week's Illustration Friday topic is "Frozen".

I'd definitely say this guy is frozen, and it's likely he won't be feeling better any time soon! Luckily, it's not yet cold enough here for me to relate!

I created this piece just last month for a local client. It's the 2nd in a series of ad illustrations on the same theme. You can see the first one here.

Thanks for dropping by today. Have a wonderful weekend!

Autumn's Here!

2009-10-07T09:35:00.003-08:00

So it's that time of year again. The wait. No longer have 21 hours of daylight (unfortunately) but don't yet have 21 hours of darkness (or 60 below temps). Seems in Alaska, you sort of skip Halloween. Because, by Halloween, there's snow on the ground & it's too cold to wear only a costume. What's the point of a costume if there's a coat covering it? So you go from Labor Day into Thanksgiving & Christmas. Which is a shame, because I love Halloween!

Nowadays I'm working on some greeting cards, licensing pieces, and a new website. More news coming soon!

A Lion's Pride

2009-09-02T11:34:00.007-08:00

So I finally found the time to create a new portfolio piece, which I spent countless hours working on this past week. It's titled "A Lion's Pride" though the little guy's roar is anything but prideful - in fact it's painful and maybe a bit embarrassing. Here's a close up:

This image is 48" x 32" and is available for licensing in that size or smaller. To see my licensing portfolio please visit www.ColdSnapGreetings.com and contact with me with any requests!

I hope my art has cheered up your day. Have a creative week!

Illustration Friday: Magnify

2009-08-28T09:24:00.004-08:00

Sherlock Dog needs to magnify his clues or else he might miss them.

If you've been to a Michael's store recently you may recognize this as one of a set of preschool activity book covers I illustrated last year. Always fun to see your work in Michael's. It was a very fun project!

Illustration Friday: Caution

2009-08-22T12:24:00.003-08:00

One should use caution when taking goodies to grandma's house, for one never knows who's lurking in the bushes.

Exciting New (Alaskan) Work!

2009-08-14T15:41:00.005-08:00

I haven't been posting much lately due to the number of ongoing projects I have. Sometimes it can be quite overwhelming but it's fun at the same time! With so many deadlines & happenings my blog has been suffering because I can't show much of the work until it is completed. The good news is, one of these projects is all finished, so I can show it, and here it is:

This cute lil' illustration was done for FEDC (Fairbanks Economic Development Corp.) and used in an ad to be printed in an international magazine. This ad pertains to cold-weather automotive testing, so it's not really aimed at children (despite my being a children's illustrator), though that didn't make it any less fun to work on! The poor little bear is painfully stuck, as tends to happen when you lick a flag pole in the dead of winter. (I personally know of a few people who have tried it, and they felt the same way.)

I am taking this weekend off, as this is Dave's memorial weekend. I'm a bit gloomy so I need some time to myself and with my family. I will have more exciting work to show shortly, though, so please check back soon.

Thanks for dropping by and have a wonderful weekend!

I'm a Superior Scribbler!

2009-08-12T12:43:00.005-08:00

I've just learned that I've received a blog award from my wonderful illustrator friend Nikki! Thanks, Nikki! =)

In turn I am passing this award on to 5 bloggers whose blogs I enjoy, all very talented artists:

Here are the rules for the award:

Each Superior Scribbler must, in turn, pass the Award on to 5 most-deserving Bloggy buds.
Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author & the name of the blog from whom he/she has received The Award.
Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog, and link to this post, which explains The Award.
Each Blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit this post and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky List (!?) at the Scholastic-Scribe’s blog. That way, we’ll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives this prestigious honor!
Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.

Illustration Friday: Modify

2009-07-31T12:42:00.002-08:00

This week's Illustration Friday topic is "modify". Tomas the turkey fears being modified (in otherwords, plucked, silenced, and cooked) into a Thanksgiving feast. This is a spot I did a little while back for a children's ezine.

Thanks for dropping by and have a great weekend!

I'm Still Here!

2009-07-15T19:28:00.006-08:00

Sorry it's been so long since my last post! I have been so incredibly busy with projects and unfortunately I can not show any of the art I am currently working on. But I wanted to drop in and let you know I'm still very much in the business, in case you don't yet follow me on Twitter.

I did want to show a piece I was working on before, done in my alternate style. I guess the best way to describe it is "comic book" style? Though if anyone else wants to "describe" it, I'd be curious what you all think of the look/style.

I really like this piece. The guilty boy, the guilty dog, the ticked off dad... Ah, parenthood.

The style is so different, even my immediate family did not recognize this as mine. Everyone's like "Oh, you drew that?!" Of course I did! Whom else's can it be?

New Baby Art & Special Offer for Image Licensing!

2009-06-19T11:46:00.006-08:00

NEW GREETING CARD ART

If you've been following me on Twitter, you may already know I've been working on new greeting card art. I wanted to show one of my newest pieces today. Don't have so many anthropomorphic animals in my portfolio so I decided to add some, of course with a baby theme. Seems everyone I know is having a new baby or just had a new baby nowadays. =) The above image is in my licensing portfolio. More cute & cuddly art coming soon, so stay tuned.

SPECIAL OFFER ON IMAGE LICENSING (limited time):

I'd love to help the economy a bit. It's a tough time for many small & start-up businesses. If you are new in business (or even if you've been around a while) and need to license some cute children's art to put on your products, I am your illustrator! My files sizes - aside from a few rare exceptions - are HUGE, and that's no exaggeration. Chances are good that I have the size files to fit your needs. My art looks great on puzzles, greeting cards, magnets, postcards & more. If you license from me between now and July 15th, I'm offering 10% off my current licensing fees on the licensing of 3 or more images. I also do custom work so please contact me if you can't find what you're looking for in my existing portfolio. When you contact me for a quote & availability, please give me the image ID #s in my licensing portfolio and mention "Blog 10" to get your 10% discount applied to your quote. (If you see an image you are interested in anywhere other than in my licensing portfolio, please contact me with the title & I'll check availability.)

Remember to follow my blog (option to the left), sign up for my mailing list, and follow me on Twitter for news & more special offers.

Thanks for dropping by today. Have a great weekend!

Some Exciting Studio News

2009-06-11T21:08:00.011-08:00

Okay, so I have several new things to announce today:

SWITCH TO ZAZZLE

I made my way over to Zazzle this week and decided I really, really like their products! For many items (mugs, totes & apparel, for instance) the product options are just far more diverse than at CP, so I decided to do a bit of a switch. If you head over to www.Zazzle.com/ColdSnapStudio* you'll see what I'm talking about. You can get a good close up view of each product while you shop, what a cool feature! I love their image protection and how easy it is to design and personalize everything! Their payment methods aren't bad either. =)

NEW GREETING CARDS!

I have birth & pregnancy announcements at my GCU store - about 300 new cards (lots of name personalization). I think for about a week all I did was research baby names to put on these cards. I have the most popular and some uncommon ones, too. If you're expecting a baby or know someone who is (seems everyone's expecting these days), head on over and have a look!

NOW ON TWITTER

For those of you who don't know, I'm also on Twitter now! Follow me for exciting studio news & to keep in touch.

WRITING SERVICES WEBSITE

My writer's site - ChrissyFanslau.com - is finally up. I decided I need a separate site for writing services. On occasion I have people requesting my assistance for proofreading, editing and writing projects, and now they can get all that information in once place. It will also come in handy when I get around to pitching my YA novels - one of which should be ready by the end of the year (fingers crossed). If you're wondering what's up with the tiger look, I'm going with the theme of one one of my YA novels (I have 3), and that's pretty much all I can say for now. =)

BTW, I worked with a tiger once, got my head literally stuck in her mouth for minutes and lived to tell about it! She was supposed to only give me a hug but I guess she had different plans. Most amazing experience of my life! So that's a little-known fact about me that you get just for visiting today, lol.

Thanks for dropping by and have a great weekend, everyone!

Illustration Friday: Craving

2009-06-05T09:34:00.003-08:00

You can tell these guys are craving a thing or two... Well, at least it's not the junk food most kids do. Though that's the point. =)

Thanks for dropping by and have a nice weekend!

Now on Twitter!

2009-05-29T12:36:00.004-08:00

So I decided to give Twitter a try. You can follow me here! Found a few (very few so far) illustrators on there and even some cool YA authors. But, I only spent about 5 or 10 minutes browsing so I'm sure I missed a lot of people ... Are you on Twitter?

For the sake of having something to show in each post (feels wierd otherwise), here's something from the vault:

It's a study of one of my YA characters when he was younger. I did it forever ago but surprisingly I still like it. Always a good thing, I guess it's a keeper. =)

As always, thanks for dropping by today. Have a great weekend!

New Greeting Cards at GCU!

2009-05-24T15:46:00.005-08:00

I wanted to announce that I've uploaded more designs to my GCU shop. Some are shown above, but I have nearly 100 greeting cards to chose from now (and adding more regularly). Visit my shop by clicking here.

I hope everyone has a great Memorial Day weekend. Stay safe if you're driving and thanks for dropping by today!

Rockin' Memorial Art

2009-05-18T14:31:00.024-08:00

This will be a very strange post, but I assure you it's art-related, so please bear with me. =)

I'm not sure if I mentioned it on my blog - I know I mentioned it in emails to some of my illustrator friends who were checking in on me - but as the only artist in the family, I was plagued with the task of designing my own brother's headstone. Our father had no idea what to put on it, and we wanted it to mean something, to have something special to remember Dave by. Not only did I have to come up with a design, but I had to do it in under 48 hours, because we'd put it off for months (too depressed to even discuss it - I guess it sort of finalizes things?). It was something we needed to get done. Stone needed ordering, and the granite company needed a plan.

The first day designing did not go so well. I wasted most of the first 24 hours crying about how unfair it was that I had to design my little brother's headstone. The best way to describe how I was feeling is to say I felt tortured. I hated every design I came up with. As an artist, I often times hate the art I create by the time the year is up, and I kept thinking people are going to look at this stone for the next hundred years!!!

Yes, I was throwing a huge fit, and I'm thankful to Joe for coping, telling me to take a break and start over later. On the second day, I really started thinking about what Dave would've wanted. For starters, his favorite picture - his "hero shot" as he called it:

Since this was his absolute favorite picture (taken a bit too late to be in his high school yearbook, unfortunately) it made the most sense to start with that. Next I thought about his favorite place, the place he'd told me just last July he'd wanted to return to someday - Gates of the Arctic National Park in northern Alaska:

Dave was such a huge astronomy buff (wanted to work for NASA), so of course I had to add planets and stars to my list. And a compass rose, because after all, he did get that B.A. in Geography at the ripe old age of 19. I'd also decided the compass should point north from the grave, so if he's still around in spirit, he won't lose his way home.

So I made up a sketch and described what I was thinking the best I could - leaving the lettering & final details up to them - and to give credit where it's due, I sent it along to the kind folks at Stroudsburg Granite in NE Pennsylvania. And here's what they did:

We are all so happy with how it turned out! I can't believe the amount of detail they could get into stone! As an artist I am just marveled by how they can do this - I mean there is practically no difference between him in that photograph and him etched in stone! It has to be one of the best-designed and best-etched rocks in the cemetery, it literally "rocks"!

I would prefer, of course, to never have had the need to design it at all. This was absolutely the hardest design I ever had to work on. But I'm so proud of the result, I wouldn't have it any other way!

Spring Brings a New Look!

2009-05-12T18:27:00.004-08:00

I hope all the moms who read my blog had a wonderful Mother's Day. I took Sunday off, made a special breakfast and watched several fun new movies. That plus my darling husband Joe showered me with chocolate! =)

I haven't posted in a while, but I've been busy working on a variety of things. Woke up last Monday and I was really in a writing mood for the first time since Dave passed, so my YA novel has been getting lots of attention lately! When I'm not busy with that, it's illustration projects and developing that second style I've been telling you about. The cute little spot illustration above is a new look I'm experimenting with, and I'd love your feedback on it!

All the snow is gone from interior Alaska (you can probably tell by my color choices above how that has me feeling). We're even getting some hints of green on the local birch - a very welcome sight after a long winter! What colors are outside your window?

New Designs @ Cafe Press!

2009-04-27T22:30:00.004-08:00

I wanted to announce that I've recently added a bunch of new designs to my CafePress store. In addition to children's illustration, I also added some cool Alaskan designs and photography. Here are just a few of the new items & designs available:

I've literally worked all weekend and I'm still adding designs and merchandise. There's so much to do and only so many hours in a day, unfortunately. I'm actually really excited about the photography as I've been getting some great feedback. I'm glad I live in Alaska where there's so much to picture! And for that very reason I am seriously considering getting a new camera and taking some more scenic pics. The ones currently in my shop were taken on a trip up the Dalton highway in 2006, and are of the ANWR/Gates of the Arctic National Park region. Literally the most awesome place on earth, in my opinion (I know at the very least Dave agreed, so I'm not alone). I'd love to go back up north one of these summers, and I'd encourage everyone to take a trip to the north slope at least once in their lifetime! =)

Thanks for dropping by today, and I look forward to any feedback you may have. Have a fun, creative week!

Illustration Friday: Impossibility

2009-04-17T08:23:00.004-08:00

This week's Illustration Friday topic is "Impossibility." The impossibility of doing all those chores in one day! Can you imagine doing them every day?!

I had lots of chores as a teen. I guess I can relate to some extent. =)

Thanks for dropping by and have a nice weekend!

Web Design Update: New Art Licensing Website & More

2009-04-14T08:19:00.008-08:00

I said in previous posts that I'm putting new studio websites up and I'm happy to announce that I've made a lot of progress! I created a separate new website that's now functioning as my Art Licensing Portfolio. I also made huge changes to my Cold Snap Studio website, which now links to all of my other sites/domains. It was a lot of work, but it's more organized, connected, and has a cleaner look. I created the Art Licensing website because with my ever-growing collection of images, I'd run out of room in my old portfolio, and this makes it much easier for perspective clients to get licensing information and contact me about licensing my work specifically. On it you'll find lots of cute art - with much more coming soon - such as the itchy little pattern above.

I've been working like mad on this redesign, over twelve-hours most days. And I still have other sites in-progress but I think I will take a few days off and focus on art projects. It's getting very warm and bright here in Alaska, with temps in the mid-40's every day. Once all the snow melts it's officially summer. Which I am looking forward to for a change!

As always I look forward to any comments. =) Thanks for dropping by and I hope you're having a creative week!

Lil' Red Riding Hood and the Dumb-Lookin' Wolf

2009-04-04T21:47:00.024-08:00

I don't know about you, but I love dumb, goofy villains. One of my absolute favorite animated movies is Disney's The Emperor's New Groove (anyone with me?). Evil villains are fun, but they're all - well, evil - and it's good to have something different once in a while. I've wanted to retell a fairy tale for some time now, and I decided to do a more mellow version of Little Red Riding Hood. Here's what I came up with:

Lil' Red is taking a picnic basket to grandma's house, complete with strawberries, sandwiches, apples, grapes, and even a chicken leg (my husband & daughter thought that idea was cute), when a dumb wolf sticks his head out of the bushes. Putting myself in Lil' Red's shoes, I really couldn't decide what's better - an evil, hungry wolf stalking me, or a dumb, unpredictable one. =) The final is about 24" x 36", so it's a huge file. These size files are just exhausting to work with. I spent over 25 hours on the final art of this piece alone - that doesn't include sketching, inking, or scanning time.

Currently I am working on several projects, and keeping busy with work for licensing, so I'll have more to show soon. =)

Marshmallows on Fire

I wanted to add a short clip that I'd created while taking a Maya animation class in 2006. I had it on my website briefly when I first started my business, then took it down and kind of forgot about it for a while. Found it the other week and decided it should be seen, so I decided to put it on my blog. It's really cute and I'm happy to say, I got a high grade for it back in the day. I hope you enjoy it!

Thanks for dropping by today. As always, I look forward to any comments you may have. If you need any information about licensing an image, please don't hesitate to contact me. I hope you have a creative week!

The Old & The New & What I've Been Up To

2009-03-15T13:32:00.009-08:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've just had so much going on lately, and it doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. In fact, I suspect the opposite will happen shortly, as I have a few upcoming things on my plate. In the meantime, I wanted to post a few of the things I've been working on that I actually can show. New images and patterns for licensing:

The bears below are actually a derivative of an image I did my first year or so in business. I love recreating images and I recommend that others do it, too, if only on occasion. Why? You can clearly see how much your style has improved in a relatively short period of time. I actually dislike the old one so much now that I wondered if it's even worth posting, but I decided to. My daughter sometimes complains about how she's "not good at drawing" this and that, and I always tell her that in art - like so many other things - practice makes perfect. And it's true. The longer you do something, the better at it you become!

Here's the older, far less attractive version:

You can clearly see a difference, and I'm thrilled that I've made so much progress in just two years' time. And it taught my daughter a lesson, too; she loves the cleaner, more colorful new bears. =)

In other news, I've been putting together new websites for my studio (sorry, not up yet) and I also recently updated my Cold Snap Studio website with new work and news. Although it's not quite spring yet in Alaska (-6F currently), we do have considerably more sunlight now, which puts me in a more energetic and much more creative mood. So I'm on a roll creating new things. Best part is, it's great for business.

As always, thanks for dropping by. Have a great, creative week!

IF: Instinct

2009-02-22T18:48:00.004-09:00

This week's Illustration Friday topic is "Instinct." Lions like to eat other animals, and it's not to be mean, it's just instinct! =)

Thanks for dropping by and have a great week!

3rd Place for "Jungle Babies"!

2009-02-11T20:31:00.009-09:00

My latest (and greatest) news: I've just recieved an email from Editor-in-Chief Virginia Grenier at Stories for Children Magazine informing me that I've won 3rd place in this year's Preditors & Editors Reader's Poll for Best Magazine Cover Art for their May 2008 issue! =)

I actually tied for 5th place in 2007's Poll for "Thanksgiving Teddy", featured on the November 2007 issue of SFC. Moving up a spot or two makes me more confident that my work has gotten better - at least by a bit - over the past year. =)

My congrats to the other winners, and I'd like to thank everyone who voted for me - for their support, readership, and confidence in my artwork!

Recently I have not posted because I am working on a few things I can not show yet. So it's great I had a reason to post today, so many of you don't start wondering where I've vanished to. =)

Illustration Friday: Flawed

2009-01-30T08:37:00.003-09:00

He may have his flaws, but he's still a loch-ness monster! And despite his cluelessness, I feel sorry for whoever will be reeling him in (not to mention for the poor worm). Just finished this piece up today, so it's great it goes so well with this week's Illustration Friday topic.

Thanks for dropping by and have a great weekend!

Fun New Work!

2009-01-16T09:06:00.006-09:00

I've actually been rather busy lately, and look forward to being even busier in the coming weeks (figures - just when the weather warms up!). I wanted to share some of what I'm doing with you all. I'm working on a second style, still similar to my regular stye, but lighter and "sketchier" if you'd call it that. I'm not very comfortable with the process yet, since it's completely different from what I usually do and the sketch is a pain to color. The medium is a mix of pencil & digital. I'd love your input on the look - please let me know how you like it, compared to my other work.

Right before the heat wave (it went up from 40 below zero to 40 above in under 72 hours!), I was working on a spread featuring my Seacats characters. Although the setting of the story is on an island to begin with, I couldn't help but laugh that I live in Alaska, where it's anything but tropical nine months out of the year, and here I am in the dead of winter - 40 below zero outside - illustrating characters on a beach! What wishful thinking that is! Well, at least it helps me stay warm, being on a beach, if only in my mind.

The Seacat named Tattle (left) is always ticked off about something. Every party has a pooper and he's guaranteed to be it in this gang. :)

I hope everyone's having a good start to the new year. With the temperature now in the low-to-mid-30's, I'm having a blast. Went to the store the other night and everyone was in a t-shirt! If only it'd stay like this til summer! But I know that's wishful thinking and it's most definitely not going to happen.

I look forward to any comments you may have, and thanks for dropping by today! :)

IF: Contained

2009-01-10T14:11:00.006-09:00

This week's Illustration Friday topic is "Contained." The heat is not allowing his poor snowman to contain his form - he's literally falling apart. What a Springtime Tragedy!

I actually wish we had this problem where I live. I've been living with -45 to -65 degrees below zero since before New Year's. There's no end to this cold snap (pun intended =) in sight. While they say it will warm up, day after day they're proven wrong. And it's killing my car!

I hope everyone's having a great start to their new year. Thanks for dropping by today and enjoy your weekend!

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-26T19:44:00.007-09:00

I wanted to wish all of my blog readers a wonderful holiday season, and a great 2009! I hope you all enjoy the cute little critters above, illustrated over the past few days, and titled (what else?) "Holiday Friends."

I would also like to thank Nikki for the fabulous blog award! And I'm passing it on to a few of the wonderfully talented illustrators I follow: Scott, Alicia, and Crystal. I'm also supposed to list a few of my addictions, aside from art. Well as long as you don't tell anyone, here they are:

1. Ice Cream (on a cone)

2. Writing (I write YA Fiction =)

3. Monk (great TV Show)

4. Tigers (I used to work with one)

5. Time with family & friends

Thanks for dropping by, for all your comments (which I absolutely love reading BTW), and for following my blog this year. Have a safe and awesome New Year's Eve! =)

Illustration Friday: Similar

2008-12-05T09:04:00.004-09:00

The cute artist bug is painting something similar to himself (though obviously he'd prefer to be pink instead =). This one was a lot of fun to do! I created it as a greeting card image for artists and art teachers. Thanks for dropping by today! Enjoy your weekend.

Winter Fairy Tale

2008-12-04T10:55:00.008-09:00

I don't know why, but despite the holiday season, I've been thinking of princesses, frog princes, and fairy tales a whole lot lately. And although I sketched this months ago and let it sit, I couldn't stop thinking about it, so I decided to ink and finish it this past two weeks:

Like my other work, file size was huge, and I also played with some new brushes, so it took much longer than expected. But I like how it turned out, so it was worth the time and headache. =)

And to change the subject completely, I seriously can't believe how warm it is outside today -a whopping 16 degrees! And to think it was 30 degrees below zero just 48 hours ago! I think I'll take some time, go out and enjoy the warm weather. I hope you're keeping warm (or cool) wherever you are. Have a great weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-25T15:48:00.004-09:00

Well I don't recall if I mentioned it, but I've decided to open up a shop on Greeting Card Universe. Really soon I will have about 40 or 50 cards up, so if you have a chance, do have a look! I've sold some cards already and am happy to see some cards are getting great results!

Since turkey day is so near, I wanted to share one card that's packed with humor, and the inside verse below:

Here's Hoping all of that Thanksgiving Day cooking isn't a nightmare!

And I wish all of you cooking a very pleasant experience! I know sometimes it can get exhausting, but keep in mind ... the holidays come but once a year! The image above is available in print, as well as as an e-card (free) through Thanksgiving. You can view it by visiting my GCU store.

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving and a great shopping day after! Thanks for dropping by!

Illustration Friday: Opinion

2008-11-21T08:42:00.004-09:00

This week's Illustration Friday topic is "opinion." Penelope's opinion is that Pluto is a small, wimpy planet compared to all the others she could have been assigned for her school project. I created this spot for a children's magazine.

Open for Business at Cafe Press!

2008-11-11T16:26:00.008-09:00

I just wanted to let everyone know I have opened a Cafe Press shop and have added some of my designs to a whole lot of merchandise - from mugs to baby clothes, greeting cards, sweatshirts, holiday ornaments, and even thongs! Above are just a few of the cool things you'll find when you visit. If you have a moment, check it out, and of course I'm open to any comments you may have. I'm always adding new images, so do check it often if you like my work!

I hope everyone's having a great start to the holiday season. Have a wonderful week!

Getting Ready for the Holidays

2008-11-03T18:30:00.006-09:00

I've actually had quite a bit going on lately, with the holidays drawing near. (Get it, drawing near?) Mostly I've been setting up shops: I've set up an ImageKind shop, as well as a CafePress Shop (which actually looks quite promising, so I'm really going to add to it the next couple of days and test that out.)

At the beginning of the year I licensed some of my holiday card designs to Blue Turtle Greetings, an environmentally-friendly greeting card company. And I saw my cute little penguin "On Thick Ice" on their front page today! I'm showing "Christmas Deer" below, because how can I post and not show something?

To be quite honest I did little more than read the news all day today, I am so caught up in this election. Hopefully by Wednesday morning I will be able to peel my eyes off the news site and focus more on my drawing table. Probably will be a good idea as I don't get paid to read the news (though I do it so often I probably should be. :)

Thanks for dropping by today!

Illustration Friday: "Vacant"

2008-10-31T18:37:00.006-08:00

There you have it - a completely vacant stare! Is anybody home?

This is "Goofy Puppy" and he is just so painfully cute, I wish he'd just pop out of the page! Definitely one of my favorite art pieces, and I created this back in February, so you know if I still like it after so long, it's got to be good!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-30T22:04:00.009-08:00

Well, it's that time of year again. Above is our pumpkin, which my wonderful husband carved just last night! That's right, I'm a digital artist, not a sculptor - but I think he did a fantastic job! It's sitting on our porch, lookin' angry!

I also wanted to share the video below, in case you haven't heard of the issues with powdered milk being used in Halloween candy, sold in the U.S. and made in China. It's made many children VERY sick, and there's a lot of it out there, so you may want to double check the ingredients of what your kids eat, just to be on the safe side!

I wish you all a safe, happy, and spooky Halloween. See you in November!

IF: Late

2008-10-20T13:30:00.005-08:00

This week's Illustration Friday topic is "Late." And it seems she's already got the phone out, so it's too late for apologies! Typical sibling rivalries ...

This is my second post for the day - can you believe it? The work just never ends.

Have a great day and thanks for dropping by!

Art, Life, Halloween and Politics

2008-10-20T09:28:00.007-08:00

October was my brother's favorite month, which makes my life especially stressful right now. I think the most upsetting thing is that I recently read his journal, and last October he wondered what this October would bring. I think about him so much, and not being able to talk with him is not getting any easier. So I've decided that, to distract myself, I need to work ... a lot. I'm not sure if distraction is good or bad, but it creates art that I can license, so there is a pro. I've been able to on average create one image per day this past week, so that's quite a bit of work nowadays.

As I've previously said, I decided to go with a birthday or party theme with similar poses but different animals. I really don't have many birthday or party-themed images for licensing, so I decided to start there. I'd love your opinion - which is your favorite?

The black cat I could not help but to make a Halloween theme! Here's a close up, and I really like this one:

I've discovered a sort of glitter-effect brush, and used that for the eyes and nose. In college they called me "Glitter Girl" because I always used glitter in about all of my art projects. So figure it's about time I learn how to create the same look digitally ... Oh joy!

I can't believe it is October 20th. Halloween is around the corner, and a few days after that, the much-anticipated results of the election. I don't know about you, but I'm beginning to wonder what the news stations will have left to cover after this election is over. It seems that's the topic of absolutely everything lately! I really don't recall a race this intensely covered in the past, but then again, I was still in high school at the beginning of Clinton's last term.

Well, I guess I about covered everything today ... art, Halloween, life, and even some politics. Thanks for dropping by - I hope you all have a great week!

Finally ... More Birthday Cards

2008-10-14T13:36:00.005-08:00

So I am currently working on birthday cards for licensing. I realized with my last one (Birthday Bear) that I really have no birthday themes, so I decided to start there. For starters, I'm doing a theme of several cute animals wearing birthday hats. This one is a ferret. He kind of reminds me of one of my ferrets (I've had three in my life), though the one I speak of doesn't have blue eyes. This one does, and I think it adds to his cuteness.

Of all my projects, I think the ones I enjoy most are book projects for publishers, and licensing. With licensing there is so much creative freedom, and a lot of opportunities. I am lucky to have stumbled upon some of them, but there are so many other possibilities out there I would like to seek. Which is where I am heading with my work, I think.

Things are still pretty slow getting back on track. Life is pretty tough. It has started snowing here September 27th, and we've gotten about 6 inches so far. Over the weekend it basically snowed all day. It's a beautiful, peaceful time of year. Though the problem with Alaska is it doesn't feel like Halloween - it already feels like Christmas. So we are essentially missing a month.

Thanks for dropping by today. Enjoy the colors of Fall, if you still have them.

Birthday Bear - IF: "Sugary"

2008-10-08T08:52:00.008-08:00

Here is my image for "Sugary" - this week's Illustration Friday topic. As depressed and unmotivated as I've been for the past 7 weeks, I had to sit down and force myself to do this one. My friend's little girl has just turned one, and she needed a birthday card.

I chose to do all my work in the evening, to distract myself from the fact that David's no longer calling me. It doesn't work every night, but it works sometimes, so at least I can accomplish something and keep myself occupied. And some work is better than no work.

This is the first piece I've finished since August 14th. My husband says it's very good. I guess I like it, and I may send it. I have a few other designs which are possibilities, too.

Thanks for you interest, and for dropping by today.

My Bad News

2008-10-02T20:44:00.010-08:00

Everyone has been wondering where I've been and what I've been up to recently, as I haven't been posting very much. I did say in the last post I had some bad news, and I couldn't announce it at the time. It's really bad, depressing news, the kind where you just think you're living in a nightmare and hope to wake up any minute. And then you realize you're not going to wake up, no matter how much you want to. On August 15, David - my 21-year-old brother and best friend in the entire world - passed away. It was so unexpected, it still feels unreal to me, even to this day, so I had to take some time off from work. I am so fortunate to be self employed, to be able to take off the time I need during times like this.

I had spent some time out of state for the funeral, and when I got back I found I was really depressed and had very little motivation. David was very close to my family - me, my daughter, and husband - he lived with us in Alaska in his teens, he even went to college with me and we took classes together. Since he graduated college and moved in 2006, he'd called me nearly every night, and we'd talk for a few hours, and it's what I looked forward to each evening - telling him about my day, the good and the bad. Something I can no longer do, which makes this an even harder time for me.

Although I have not been doing much illustration, I have been using my creativity in other ways. I've learned how to use movie-editing software (which will certainly come in handy when applied to creative work later) to take clips of home videos and make presentable movies for David's Memorial Website, something I created for him as a remembrance.

It's been a very rough six weeks. I'd like to thank those of you that knew for your thoughts, concern, and kind words these past few weeks. My brother was such a special person. He was so funny, kind and exceptionally smart - he had a college degree at age 19 - and it is so hard without him. I will miss him every day for the rest of my life.

I'd like to thank you for dropping by today. I hope you have a happy and safe first weekend of October. I'll be sure to share my upcoming work and creative progress with you, so check back soon.

Back After a Break

2008-09-07T20:13:00.005-08:00

Well, I have not posted in a while because I have either been out of the state, sick, or taking a break to sort some things out. A lot has happened in such a short time. I have some very sad news which I can not mention as of yet for several reasons, but I will be able to do so in several weeks, I suspect.

I do have some news I can report, and that is that I've been published in the Sept./Oct. issue of Wee Ones Magazine. The story is about a little girl named Penelope who has a report to do on Pluto, the smallest planet (and she's clearly not enjoying it):

I had fun illustrating this cute lil' image, and I'm happy to have gotten the opportunity to work with yet another wonderful new editor! It's always so much fun to meet and work with new creative people. It's amazing how you can communicate with people thousands of miles away, do business with (nearly) no problems at all, learn so much about your colleagues or clients, and yet still never meet them face-to-face! Makes things more interesting, as I never know who I'll meet next, without even leaving my Alaskan icebox!

Speaking of iceboxes, Fall has arrived in Alaska, and now everything is orange. That's right, 50 below is right around the corner! What's it look and feel like where YOU live this week?

Thanks for dropping by today. I hope you have a great week!

Blog Awards Make Happy Days!

2008-08-13T14:04:00.004-08:00

Hi everyone! Been working some very odd hours lately, and with so much going on in my life, it's been a long week (and no, it's not over yet). BUT Lisa M. Griffin cheered me up today by giving me a blog award! Thank you Lisa! I totally love your blog & check it daily. Lisa does such wonderful work, if you haven't done so already, you must visit her blog! :O)

Okay, so here are the official rules for the "I Love Your Blog" award:

1. Choose 7 of my favorite blogs to nominate and link to. If I must pick only 7, well here are my top choices: Nikki, Crystal, Steve, Kelly, Franfou, Aja, and Rachelle. Thank you all for sharing your wonderful work with me! :O)

2. Link the person you received the award from (Thanks, Lisa. :O)

3. Leave a message on the blogs that were nominated.

Now that I have an award-winning blog ;O) it's back to work I go! Thanks for dropping by, and I hope you have a wonderful day!

Illustration Friday: "Poof!"

2008-08-04T13:46:00.004-08:00

They opened the magic book and "Poof!" out came the fairies!

Hope you like what I had to show. :O) Thanks for dropping by today - have a great week!

What I'm Up To ...

2008-07-27T11:52:00.006-08:00

I know, it's been a little while since I last posted. I have a lot of things going on and on my mind, but I thought it'd be nice to post again today.

These days there seem to be babies everywhere, so I thought why not draw another baby? I wanted to combine the baby theme with the peace theme, and here's what I came up with, titled "Peace, Baby!"

Babies are peaceful (well, when they're not crying :) as well as fearless. I think the idea that they are fearless came from watching "Baby's Day Out" with my family recently. So I guess this piece is inspired by many different things.

I've been assigned work for a new children's magazine, so that's what I'll be doing next week, along with more illos for licensing. Plus I have a few other things I need to get accomplished, though I can't talk about those. Not yet anyway. :)

Thanks for dropping by and have a wonderful week!

Enough!

2008-07-18T17:36:00.004-08:00

This week's Illustration Friday topic is "Enough." I think she's had enough of winter.

Living where I live, I often relate. About another 5 weeks or so until winter visits me again ...

Flower Friends

2008-07-09T14:58:00.004-08:00

I announced a while back that I am working on new greeting card designs for licensing. So far this year, a large percentage of my inquiries were regarding licensing my artwork out to various retailers and greeting card companies. I'm trying to keep various themes in mind while I illustrate these, and the theme for this one is Friendship. I think it works especially well because, well, elephants and mice are HARDLY friends in the real world. :O) Apparently these two are, and that happens rather often in cartoons.

Happy Independence Day!

2008-07-02T20:38:00.003-08:00

I'd like to wish all of my clients, friends, and blog readers a safe & Happy Independence Day! Have a great three-day weekend! :O)

I've Spotted Them!

2008-07-02T06:44:00.007-08:00

Okay so I've FINALLY spotted my coloring books in my local Michael's Arts & Crafts store. I've been told by others nationwide that they've seen the coloring books in their Michael's store, but ... well, you know how long it takes to ship stuff to Alaska! :P

These were done back in January for Playmore Books, one of several projects I've completed for this publisher. I just loved Playmore and was thrilled when they called because I always loved their stuff when I was growing up - it's always been everywhere, and they have such nice and colorful artwork! And now that I think about it, it's weird that as a kid I actually CARED who the publisher was, or that I even checked! Must indeed be my destiny. :O)

Yes, it is VERY difficult nowadays to pick up any children's book or product without checking who publishes it. The habit kind of rubbed off, so now my daughter is doing it, too!

It was fun seeing my work in a chain in-town for a change, it's something that not very many people can experience in their lifetime (not everyone's a professional artist, after all). And it's a wonderful experience indeed. I love being able to hold something printed by the tens of thousands and say "I illustrated this!" and it's great knowing more about it than anyone else - knowing it's entire history, like how many times I had to start over, how any given cover looked as a concept sketch, what concept drawings came before it, and so on. Just an attachment to the work that others can't have, because they didn't slave away over it. :O)

Even though it's this grand "work of art" for me (funny as that may sound), I'm very well aware that somewhere out there, some kid probably tore the cover, maybe soaked it in water (you know, for fun!), or wrote all over it in black crayon, to the point where it's BEYOND recognition ... but hey, at least the kid liked it in the first place, and that made me successful as a commercial artist! If they print tens of thousands, and they sell, then I did my job well!

You know, often times I think I think too much! :P But I know you creatives out there know what I mean, or at least have an idea!

Illustration Friday: Fierce

2008-06-30T07:36:00.005-08:00

Here's my image for this week's Illustration Friday. This monster looks pretty fierce!

This was originally a spot for a kids magazine. Now it's a whole lot more. :O)

Saying GoodBye

2008-06-24T17:17:00.004-08:00

As you may have (or may not have) heard, June was (well, still is) my last month as art director for Stories for Children Magazine. Leaving was a very tough decision to make, but it was one I made due to an increase in illustration projects, a need to do more marketing, and to free up the remainder of my time for family. It was so much fun working with the editors at SFC, and so many talented illustrators from all over the world - as far away as Syria! I'm glad I got to meet so many new artists, gain some experience in art direction, and make a few friends along the way! :O) It's been really fun, and something I'll miss for sure!

On the up side, I have a lot of things going on - including projects I've put aside for a while, so I also look forward to progress on those, in the near future. I'll let you know what else I'm up to shortly.

Thanks for dropping by!

Odd Little Habits!

2008-06-19T14:36:00.012-08:00

I wanted to update you on my new puppy, as I know so many of you have been asking about him. He's grown quite a bit since I got him last month. And, like my Newfie who laughs in his sleep, this guy's got some strange habits! For one, he sleeps (and lies down) like a bear. Here's what I mean:

Another weird habit - he sleeps with his head under the dishwasher (at least he did when his head fit there - now he just tries). It's his favorite slumber spot.

And, the absolute funniest and weirdest of all ... every time I take him out, we walk through the woods and he gathers sticks! Sticks of all sizes. And once even a log (no success there, it was attached to the ground). He brings them home where I make him drop them, and the next time he goes out it seems as though he's counting them! He is literally obsessed with sticks!

It's strange how so many people can think animals DON'T have personalities. All of mine do. How about yours?

Sign the petition - opposing the Orphan Works Act!

2008-06-18T11:46:00.006-08:00

Please take 30 seconds of your time to sign this petition against the Orphan Works Act of 2008:

www.PetitionOnline.com/Stop2913/petition.html

It doesn't matter if you are a professional artist, a hobbyist, photographer, or if the only photography you do is for your family photo album - if this bill passes it will make it easier for people to legally use your creative work without your permission! This is very important, especially to professionals making a living at this - please read, sign, and pass on the link!

Growth Charts

2008-06-17T14:51:00.006-08:00

Not so long ago I told you about the children's growth chart project I've been working on over the past month or so. Well, it's all finished up and off to print! Lots of 2 to 8 year-olds will be growing up with my work (they measure up to 55"), which makes me very happy! :O) I'm showing one of the charts below (plus a close up), though you can see most of the others (though not all as of yet) on my website.

This was a great project for a great client! Tons of creative freedom and ideas to sort through. A few late nights up, lots of thought over color palettes, some challenges with measurements, but it's finally done and I can't wait to see them printed on canvas! And I think the color choices were wisely made, nice and bright where bright is appropriate.

As always thanks for dropping by! Hope you like what you see. Now back to work I go ...

IF: Forgotten

2008-06-07T12:20:00.003-08:00

With all these little bunnies around, this Daddy Bunny never feels forgotten! I illustrated this for Stories for Children Magazine, and I'm also using it as a father's day card, among other things. :)

Jigsaws!

2008-06-03T13:46:00.007-08:00

I wanted to show you some of those jigsaws I've been telling you so much about! Just got some in today (10 different images worth) and it was like Christmas in June! Four are magnetic, and the rest are standard jigsaws. Only put two of the standard together considering they arrived in the middle of the day (while I was working on projects). Here's what they look like (sorry about the flash - it's a quick pic!).

The first two are actually nearly 2 x 3 feet and only 48 piece for kids. So they were quick to put together!

This one is magnetic so it's sitting on my fridge! :) Brightens up the place.

So now I can't say my fridge is boring anymore! It's funny how my art seems to leave my studio and take over my house! I can't imagine what it'll be like another 5 or 10 years into my career! Something to look forward to. :)

What I'm Up To

2008-05-30T23:07:00.008-08:00

I know some of you are probably wondering what I've been up to as I haven't really posted much in the way of updates in a while. With the new puppy, family, and business I've just been swamped! But I'm having fun, which is always good. :O)

Here's what I've been up to this month:

Growth Charts

I've been working on growth charts for a client and will show some of those when they're ready. A few are completed, and I still have two more to go, still in the final art stages. Final art takes so very long! It is fun but often exhausting (especially when I'm sitting at the computer all day, switching between paintbrush and digital eraser, hour after hour after hour). The growth charts are 55" in height, so they take a good week or more to complete final art alone (doesn't include sketching or inking, or scan time).

With the sketches I ran into some issues with paper size - no way can I scan in 55" paper! So what I did was take the width and height and calculate how small I can go and scale up from there - which was to 22" high paper (2 sheets of 11" paper, taped on the back). To accomplish this and properly ink, I had to buy a new light box (the 18" x 24" size)- and in a hurry - because I really didn't see this project coming, and it was an absolute necessity. Living in Alaska it's so easy to need things NOW and so hard to get them without the wait; one of the few down sides of living way up here! And truthfully I didn't have much room in the studio for a new light box (the place is shrinking by the minute!), but it's made its home on my drawing desk, where it is happy. I'll definitely show you some of those when they are ready - shouldn't be too long now. :O)

Greeting Cards

I'm in the early stages of creating new greeting card images for licensing (as well as some other licensing projects).

Vet Appointments

Have definitely had a few of those lately, and will have one more next month. Been working on house training the new puppy and keeping him from chewing. Seems like no matter how many toys one buys, they still play with what they are not supposed to! He's still a cutie though.

That's not ALL I've been up to, but at nearly midnight that's all I can think of. Been a long day, and I see some work spilling over into the weekend. Until next time ...

Baby Hugs

2008-05-30T23:00:00.004-08:00

This week's Illustration Friday topic is "Baby." This image is currently in use on jigsaw & magnetic puzzles in Europe. :O) Lots of fun!

IF: Worry

2008-05-23T20:02:00.003-08:00

This week's Illustration Friday topic is "Worry."

And I think this prehistoric kid's got plenty to worry about!

Important Link - Orphan Works Act

2008-05-09T20:11:00.004-08:00

I know I've mentioned the Orphan Works Act of 2008 and how devastating this bill can be to professional artists, allowing legal theft of artwork.

I found a site - Illustrators Partnership - full of templates that can be filled with your contact info and can be emailed to senators & representatives with the click of a button. It includes templates against the Orphan Acts bill for photographers, illustrators, anyone licensing their artwork, supporters of visual artists, and the image-making public (pretty much ANY image you put online can be taken and used commercially, even your family photos!). There's also a link for international artists, as this will affect everyone. Please take a moment to visit the Illustrator's Partnership website and send an email opposing this bill - ask your friends, family, and everyone else you know to do the same - it only takes a minute, and it may save you a lot!

I've Made the Front Cover!

2008-05-01T07:15:00.009-08:00

My artwork has made the cover of Stories for Children Magazine's May 2008 issue!

No, this isn't the first cover I've illustrated for SFC, it's actually the third. BUT - as art director - with this one I decided to try something new with the cover design. If you compare it to the other SFC covers, you'll notice this one has a more "official" magazine look.

I did quite a bit of research on other children's magazine covers, and I noticed some covers are so full of words that the cover art is barely over the size of a magazine spot - maybe taking up 1/3 of the page. I feel the more art for the eye, the better. Kids love art - they love color! I wanted the cover to have plenty of that, as that's the first thing you see when you pick up the magazine. So I came up with the new layout, leaving the whole body of the page for the cover art. For comparison, here are the other 2 covers I illustrated for Stories:

This one is the April 2008 cover (SFC turned one on April 1st):

The one below is SFC's November 2007 Cover (this one also made the Top 5 in the 2007 Preditors & Editors Reader's Poll, Category: Best Magazine Cover Art):

So as you can see, the May cover is quite different from the rest. And the layout probably will change somewhat with time - but I think we're really moving forward. I was very excited to work on the new design with the help of the editors at SFC. We all really like it, and we hope our readers do, too.

Stories for Children Magazine has only been around for one year, and it's SUCH a fast growing magazine, one of the absolute best on the web. Be sure to check out the latest issue by clicking here.

New Domain! Chrissy Fanslau (dot com)

2008-04-30T14:02:00.008-08:00

I just wanted to take a moment out of my snowy day (yes, and it's practically May) to announce I've registered a new domain name, ChrissyFanslau.com. This currently links to my illustration website, though I have additional plans for it. I wanted to make it easier for current and perspective clients, customers and everyone else - who know me by my name rather than studio name - to find me. This is also a good idea because I've licensed a lot of artwork out for use on merchandise, which is marked with my name and copyright info. If someone buys merchandise because they like my work (and it's safe to assume they like the art if they buy it - I for one don't usually buy products if I hate the picture), they can type my name into their web browser and find me instantly!

No worries, you'll still be able to reach my website by visiting ColdSnapStudio.com or ChildrensIllustrator.net.

Orphaned Works Act - Legalized Theft of Artwork

2008-04-19T19:19:00.004-08:00

I was just notified of a Bill that may be passed in the UK and USA - it legalizes the THEFT of your creative work! Please visit here to learn more about it, and pass this link on to all the artists you know! Also contact your Senators & Representatives when this bill comes out by clicking here.

Cold Snap Studio - Where Everything is New!

2008-04-18T20:32:00.010-08:00

Well, ok, not everything is new, the studio's still the same, but here's what I've been up to:

About 2 weeks ago my computer crashed. So I ordered a new 24" iMac - delivered to Alaska the day after I ordered it - what a surprise! Must've been flown here on a rocket ship, because NOTHING makes it to Alaska in under 3 days. At least, not in my experience! I've played around with it for a while, and I love my new workstation! Everything is so much easier to use. To go with it I got a wonderful new Kodak printer/scanner/copy machine. Already had a printer, but the scanner was not compatible, so I had to fix that. Living without a scanner is like living without the internet - it's just not going to happen!

The weather's been miserable - we got over one foot of snow in the past week. It's finally melting again, but I'm not convinced spring is here. It was -3F the other day. Kind of ironic, as it's late April already! It's never like this (at least it hasn't been in the past half-decade) so this is very surprising!

On the business side of things, I got some fantastic posters in the mail from a client in the United Kingdom who has licensed my images for use on posters, puzzles and window stick-ons in Europe. I'll have to link to her site when she is up and running, but she's been so wonderful to work with and her printing is fantastic! Here is one of the images available as posters and window stick-ons (I may have more up shortly):

I've also done some other licensing which I'll have to announce in a little while, as I'm just not ready yet.

And while I'm at it with all this NEWs, I might as well announce that I've created myself a new logo. This one I meant to be simple but fun and playful, and to scream cute (my studio's all about cute, might as well stop trying to deny it! :)

I've updated my bio on my website, as well as a few other little things.

And that's what's new!

Snow, Snow, and More Snow.

2008-04-07T21:43:00.004-08:00

It's snowing again - been snowing for the last few days, and according to the weather forecast it'll snow for a few days more! It's nearly mid-April - what's up with this?! I have a lot going on this week, so I'll have to catch up on all my announcements later. At least it'll keep my mind off the weather!

Who Won the Granny Awards at SFC?

2008-03-31T20:21:00.005-08:00

Who won the 1st annual "Granny" awards at Stories for Children Magazine? Well, I'll tell you this much - you don't have to be a Granny to be in the race!

As Art Director for Stories for Children, I was privileged to review literally hundreds of illustrations from our 2007 contributors and pick out the best of the best - a hard job for sure - to award 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place Granny's to! And our illustrators aren't the only ones getting Granny's - this April Fool's, on SFC's 1st birthday, we're celebrating by awarding Granny's in all of the following categories:

Fiction
Poetry
Young Author
Non-fiction
Artwork/Illustrations
Comics

This is no April Fool's Joke - these are real awards, with real winners! Visit Stories for Children Magazine this April Fool's for the winners! Sign the guest book and show your support! Then gather up the kids & look through our wonderful magazine, filled with fun stories, activities, recipes, articles and more!

It was so difficult to pick only 3 - three! - out of so many wonderfully done illustrations! I'd like to thank all of our contributing illustrators (and writers) for such a job well done, and for making SFC succeed! I so enjoy working as both an illustrator and an art director and collaborating with so many amazingly talented artists! :O)

Hope to see you there!