Illustrations
I'm in the process of illustrating a few kids books, which I hope to share very soon. Until then, here are some past illustration projects I've worked on over the years.
Recipes for a Happy Marriage: Aphrodisiac Insert
For a friend's wedding, I made a gift cookbook filled with metaphorical recipes for a happy marriage, as well as real food recipes collected from her wedding party. I made a special insert with aphrodisiacs. All was handwritten and illustrated with watercolors and pen.
Cape Ann Art Haven Coloring Pages
During school closures, Cape Ann Art Haven wanted to keep providing art activities for children in our community. I illustrated many pages for their coloring books which celebrated what kids love about Cape Ann! Themes included summertime activities; Fiesta; 4th of July; favorite shops; outdoor sculptures in Gloucester; and the Holidays! Most recently, I worked on a series of Gloucester's Public Elementary Schools for the "Countdown to Kindergarten" celebration. They're all hand drawn in pen and ink.
Between 2012-2019, I ran my own Etsy.com shop called "Roboat Books and Muses." I had intended to make handmade books for this shop, however, my muses took over. The ideas for printing ugly-cute animals actually started years before, when I drew an elephant shrew shirt for my partner, in honor of our first date to the Philadelphia Zoo. Later, I drew this same image on a onesie for our son, so that he could have matching shirts with Daddy. When I opened the Etsy shop, one of my first stamps was of this same elephant shrew! My stamps were an extension of my love for printmaking. All stamps were hand carved and then hand-printed on a variety of items, including clothing, bags, dish towels, ornaments, pencil cases, cards, and recycled wrapping paper. I quickly added several animals, which I called the "bizarrely adorables" family. Each item included a detailed information card about that printed animal.
"Bizarrely Adorables" from my "RoBoat Books and Muses" Etsy.com Shop
Annual Family Christmas Card
I began making a Christmas card for our family card in 2013. I draw something that reminds me of the year that has passed, and then, carve this image into a rubber plate. Each is hand printed like a block print. It's a lot of work during the holidays, but a tradition that I've created so that I can incorporate a little of my favorite printmaking into each year! I try to keep a nice print for myself, but usually end up keeping one I've messed up writing inside for a friend. In a world of photo cards, these definitely have their homemade charm! 2017 was a collaboration print with my daughter: she drew the image and I carved it out for her, and unfortunately, I'm missing 2018's card.
Trinity Book
In 2003, I took a printmaking class and a bookmaking class from artist, Kent Manske at Foothill Community College in Palo Alto, California. Tying both classes together, I created a trinity box book about my grandmother, my mother, and myself. Unfortunately, before I took any pictures of the completed book, I gave this box book to an exhibition and it was never returned before I moved to another state.