bunny bath

"Tina," I am sometimes asked, "why are you so tired?"
"The children," I say.
"Oh, but you need to enjoy them while they are young," they say. "Cherish those moments."
And then, I have to use every once of strength not to injure that person.
The end.

Kreativ Award

Oh yes, I am lazy. Shockingly lazy. But sometimes I am so lazy, I will do things I have been meaning to do while I am actually putting off other things I have to do. In fact, that is how I accomplish anything.
So then, one of my favorite awesome blogs, No Smoking in the Skull Cave, gave me a big old blogger thumbs-up with the Kreativ Blogger award, so I have to spread around the blogger adoration. Despite my laziness. Which they totally KNOW ABOUT, somehow.
As a recipient of this award I now get to hand it out to 7 bloggers for their raging unbridled creativity:
1. Persimmons Gal (Hi Kim!)
2. Stickers & Stuff
3. Kristin Elder
4. Eric Barclay
5. Sheree Boyd
6. Pencil Pocket
7. Penguin & Fish

fancy new website

Total overhaul for my portfolio site. Check it out:
http://www.tinakuglerstudio.com

Vagina Monologues poster

At the Bubbler Theatre, Manitowoc. Go see it!
Also, by including the word "vagina" in a blog post, my blog is totally going to get like six million hits. Thanks, Eve Ensler!

house cutaway view for textbook

Ever look at a house diagram in your foreign language textbook, with the rooms and furniture labeled, and wonder, "who draws that?"
I DO.

Textbook Señoritas

Another job I finished awhile ago for Teacher's Discovery. 22 Señoritas! I am just posting three.

illustration friday- "confined"

A quick one for Illustration Friday.

Bookmuncher

A spot illo for the SCBWI Bulletin. I've been so busy I haven't had time to draw anything for myself!

another budget christmas idea/illustration friday "crunchy"

My pal Jessica reminded me of a post from Christmas 2007 with a recipe for homemade hot cocoa mix (a fab budget Christmas idea), so here is another one just for dogs. (Also, a thoughtful hostess gift if your hostess has a pooch!)

Above is a label design (fits Avery 8164) to slap on a jar or brown paper lunch bag or whatever you choose to put them in. If you use it, all I ask is that you link back to my blog or mention me frequently in conversation or send me good vibes or something. (Or, you know, get me a book deal or something.)

Dog Treat Cookies
2 c all-purpose flour
1 c oats
1/2 c peanut butter
about 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 cups hot water
2 chicken bouillon cubes (dissolved in the water)

Preheat oven to 350.
Combine ingredients in a bowl, add enough water for a stiff but not too sticky batter.
With wet hands, roll each blob of dough into a 1-inch ball (or slightly larger), then mash flat with your hands. Place on a foil-lined cookie sheet.
(If you want to be fancy, you can roll em out & cut em with a cute bone cookie cutter, but seriously, who has time for that? Okay, well, maybe you do. Anyway, the dog isn't going to care.)
Bake for 40 minutes. Let cool on a rack before serving/packing. Makes about 2 dozen.

These have been approved by Harryhausen.

illustration friday- "unbalanced"

experimenting with less linework...
p.s. thanks for all the comments! wow!

busy busy poster commissions!

Here are two posters I did for the Holiday Hullabaloo indie art & craft fair (contact Kim at Persimmons if you want "in" as a vendor),
and one for the very new and very fantastic Bubbler Theatre (also home of the Babbling Bubblers improv group).
Yay art & theatre!!

Art opening Friday Nov. 6th!!

7pm Friday, Nov. 6.
Featuring live music by Jeremiah Jams.
At Stumpjack Coffee Company, 1606 Washington St., Two Rivers.
Questions? Call Stumpjack at 553-JAVA.
All art will be for sale. Do all of your holiday shopping in one place!

The blurb:
The Portrait Show, a collection of invented portraits in graphite and watercolor by Wisconsin artists Carson and Tina Kugler. Best known for their work for Nickelodeon and Disney, the Kuglers are also accomplished illustrators and have had their work exhibited alongside Caldecott award winners. They also run a logo design company, Handmade Logo Design. In his spare time, Carson Kugler teaches high school art.

illustration friday- "frozen"

you say "frozen," i say ICE CREAM!

Handmade Logo Design!

Announcing Handmade Logo Design!
Just another, uh, handy service offered by your pal Tina (and also Carson, who is working on a really fab one right now)- we do logo design! Warm, homemade, hand drawn, homespun, organic charming logos! Not the slick cold corporate kind, the lovely handmade kind. Well, still on a computer, so you can actually use it.
We also design hand-drawn blog headers (like, um, mine that you see on this blog) and etsy shop headers.
Click here to see some of mine that I've posted on this blog.
Need a logo? Contact us at tinakuglerstudio (at)gmail(dot)com to discuss your project.

another logo design

This one is for a nifty bag-making venture, with a ren faire theme. She makes fab dice bags too. As soon as she gets her website up I'll post a link!

Need a hand-drawn logo or business card design? Album cover? Contact me! tinakuglerstudio(at)gmail(dot)com

Upcoming Gallery Show!

Hey kids!
We (as in myself & Carson, as opposed to the royal "we")
are having another gallery show at Stumpjack Coffee Company in Two Rivers, WI.
The opening will be Friday, November 6th. More details to come!

Sputnikfest 2009!

Had a GREAT time at Sputnikfest 2009!
So nice to see so many friendly faces during the poster signing!!
There are some copies still available for purchase for $20 plus shipping from the Rahr-West, 920-683-4501, but quantities are limited!

P.S. Special thanks to my buddy John (pictured, above) and the Midwest Garrison for their appearance again this year. They were a huge hit!! Get ready for Sputnikfest 2010!

(me & my minions)

My car wash sign is up!!

Get that car washed in style.

storytime helper

from a book idea I'm working on...

Sputnikfest 2009!

Saturday, September 12th! I will be signing my 2009 Sputnikfest poster- a hand-screened edition of 100, 1pm-3pm, at the Rahr-West Art Museum during Sputnikfest-
610 N. 8th St., Manitowoc, WI; ph 920-683-4501. Sorry, no reserves or presales! Please contact the Rahr-West with questions.


And- check this out! Mr. Mike Hynek of Appleton, WI liked the Sputnikgirl design so much he got a TATTOO of it! It was done by TJ Rappel at Oshkosh Tattoo and Good Girl Piercing. Fab!!

new portfolio website!

My new portfolio website is here:
http://tinakuglerstudio.com

Which means this, that you are reading, right here, is now just my blog.

illustration friday- "modify"

just did this lillie lemon gig poster for stumpjack coffee and since it features a modified lemon, thought i'd post it for illustration friday.
cheers.
p.s. why yes, i'll do CD covers too.

Editor's Choice! Me!

Hooray, I was chosen as an EDITOR'S CHOICE & featured on the front page of the extremely cool Illustrationmundo.com with the big kids. I raise my cup of coffee in humble gratitude.

commissions! yes i can!

a very thoughtful pal commissioned this piece for his lovely wife for mother's day.

wish you had thought of that? why yes, i can do one for you too- just email me at thetinashow(at)gmail(dot)com and i can whip up a custom piece of art! no job too small!

illustration friday- "parade"

oooh, had this one done already and oh boy, it works with this week's illustration friday theme! nine am with one jelly donut down and i am SO productive already, look at me.

in which i am kind of a big deal

(from "Ivan the Elf's Christmas Vacation" book pitch)

If you find yourself in the vicinity of Neenah, Wisconsin, please check out the children's book illustration show at the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum. It features the work of Gerald McDermott, Kevin Henkes, Arthur Geisert (whom you may note are all VERY BIG DEAL illustrators), AND (ahem) yours truly and her fantastic husband too!!
So please stop in and check it out! My work is being shown digitally (which is pretty cool) on a screen in the reception area. It will be on display until June. Along with the artwork of those other guys too.

Yay! Consumerist.com used my illustration!

http://consumerist.com/5205528/5-tips-for-getting-unstuck-from-a-miserable-job

Check it out!

introducing the Union Park Project

Between masterpieces I am starting a local citizen's group to help revitalize our neighborhood park that needs some serious TLC. We are hoping to make it a truly "green" park with new energy-efficient outdoor lighting and to add some outdoor sculptures!
If you live in Manitowoc and want to help fix up Union Park, please visit unionparkproject.blogspot.com, or email unionparkproject(at)gmail(dot)com. Thanks!

Gallery opening!

Hey everybody! Come on down (err, over) to Two Rivers for our new gallery show at Stumpjack Coffee. The husband has been doing some really fantastic delicate surrealist watercolors, and I have a few pieces up too (see picture above for my stuff, we didn't photograph his paintings yet since we had to scramble to get 'em there on time).

Carson Kugler Gallery Opening
with live music by Joe LaForce & Mike Retzinger
Friday, March 27 at 7:00pm
Stumpjack Coffee Company
1606 Washington St.
Two Rivers, WI 54241
920-553-5282 (553-JAVA)
http://stumpjack.blogspot.com

preschool storytime

first, the black & white spot illustration...

then, as a free printable coloring page! just click on the image & print it.

now, some REAL art

okay, so my computer died, but duty (well, dave) called, so i did this quick one with actual paper and pigments and liquids. you can click on it for proof.
also, please go to the snorb! show at stumpjack for the best valentine's day ever. p.s. i am up & running again now, thanks for your concern.

illustration friday- "pale"

an experiment for illustration friday: "pale"
an attempt without my usual outline.

Senorita Illustration

For a Spanish textbook by Teacher's Discovery Publishing.

is it spring yet?

first, the rough...

and the happy clean-up.
A header for the SCBWI-Wisconsin spring newsletter.

Attention Tina Shoppers!

Just added a bunch of new stuff for my Cafe Press shop!
Do your shopping here so I can buy diapers and soup!

another book pitch

from another book pitch i am working on for my fab agent and another fab author. cross everything for me.

working through the monkeys

another scribbly one for SCBWI.
(this is what it feels like when i am trying to do ANYTHING.)
also, you can now buy this on a coffee mug at my cafe press shop.

fake CD cover art- illustration friday "vacant"

a quick made-up CD cover featuring a made-up band for illustration friday, "vacant."
p.s. if you have a real band and want a cover illustration for your real CD, let me know!

more spot illos

For upcoming SCBWI Bulletins...

sputnik ink

here you go! it's the line art for my sputnikgirl, ready for your next tattoo! because what better way to deal with the financiapocolypse than to get another tattoo? seriously.
p.s. send me a pic if you get her inked & i'll post it. thetinashow(at)gmail(dot)com

Sputnikfest highlights

my son & his new bodyguard

me & my pal Vader

saucermen! run for your lives!

a giant THANK YOU to kim from persimmons & barb & everyone at the rahr-west art museum for making it happen! it was SO much fun and i hope it becomes an annual tradition! also thank you to the fantastic people from the midwest garrison and everyone who made the event such a massive success!
(and thanks to everyone who bought a poster! i think the rahr-west still has a few if you didn't get yours yet!)

Spotnik for Sputnikfest!

oh! and here's my rough:

Based on the gigantor demand for my Sputnikgirl poster (thanks everybody!), the Rahr-West Art Museum in Manitowoc commissioned me to do a poster just for them to sell for Sputnikfest! Spotnik the Atomic Wonder Dog is a 16x20 hand screenprinted poster, hand signed & numbered edition of 100, exclusively available through the Rahr-West (920-683-4501) for $20. And yes that is metallic silver!

Sales begin today, but!
Saturday, Sept 6th (during Sputnikfest!) I will be doing a poster signing at the Rahr from 2-4pm!
Here is how to get there (and consequently to Sputnikfest.)
Make sure you check out the totally fab Artta This World art fair that will be going on outside too! Plus there will be Star Wars dudes from the 501st Midwest Garrison roaming around! And all kinds of other crazy space stuff! If you are even still reading my post this point you should totally come to Sputnikfest. If Manitowoc was good enough for a chunk of Sputnik, isn't it good enough for you? They are dressing up the COW for pete's sake!

PS. David from Stumpjack took some pics (look at the end of the set) at my Sputnik Girl poster signing at Persimmons. Warning: I do not photograph well, which is most likely one of the reasons I am not a supermodel. Thanks David, uh, I guess...

for everyone who looked at a jackson pollock & said "i could do that"

the husband showed me this cool link he found while prepping for classes:
http://jacksonpollock.org/
(just move your mouse over the screen & click to change paint color.)

then let your kid give it a shot. the 6-year old totally did a much better job than i did.

one- well, okay two for the show

meet a couple of the girls for my upcoming tina show at persimmons...
note i am using actual watercolor instead of digital, and boy is my desk a disaster.

extra! extra!

or something.
hey, i'm the paper today with my sputnik girl poster. read it here.
also, note the photo is me working on a different piece than described in the caption. and i am trying to suck in my stomach, which is my natural impulse when anyone is nearby with a camera. (isn't that what all successful illustrators are concerned with?)

in which i realize i've come a long way

okay, so this is a piece i just finished...anyway, it's a re-working of an old piece (below) that i did in april 2007, which was my very first piece i did on my beloved cintiq with corel painter.
that's, uh, a little different.

My first solo show!

Hey kids, your old pal Tina is having her VERY FIRST SOLO EXHIBITION (and sale) EVER so you had better show up if you know what's good for you. Or so I've heard. Anyway, it will also be the release party for my very fab Sputnik Girl poster (a silkscreened edition of 100, only $18 a pop, yes I will be signing them). There will also be original artwork for sale and seriously, most of my pieces will be recession-priced at $50 or less.
Friday, August 15th from 6 to 9pm at Persimmons Art & Vintage Gallery, 314 N. 8th St., Manitowoc, WI; phone 920-684-3006.

another sketchbook page

stream-of-consciousness. or lack thereof. the baby is sleeping so i get a chance to draw. hence the emptying of the mental lint collector.

sketchbook page*

*okay, i drew it on my tablet. so it's a hypothetical sketchbook page.

(drum roll)...Sputnikgirl poster!

Click for a close-up! This is a limited-edition (of 100) hand-numbered silkscreened 13x20 poster (with metallic silver!) I will be selling for Sputnikfest. Want one? Friday, Aug. 15th I will be doing a poster signing from 6-9pm at Persimmons in Manitowoc, and after that they will also be available at the Rahr-West Art Museum in Manitowoc and Stumpjack Coffee in Two Rivers.

UPDATED UPDATE: (as of 8/21) I am sold out of my personal stash! Please contact any of the above-listed businesses if you want one. They are going fast! (Yay!)

She is a refined version of an older concept I had- with the skirt of aluminum Christmas tree branches, made in Manitowoc.
Hey! Also! In other Sputnikfest news, calling all Star Wars fans! We are totally working on getting the Midwest Garrison of the 501st, a Star Wars costuming group (just click the dang link and look at the pictures, people!) to appear at the Rahr-West on Saturday, Sept 6th from 1:30-4pm. YAY!

promotional me

a self-portrait for promotional purposes. this is me approximately 9-10 months out of the year. here is what i look like during the remaining 2-3 months.
(warning: link not for the faint-of-heart or during breakfast)

4, 3, 2, 1, Spotnik!

Coming to a T-shirt near you, it's my Spotnik design for Sputnikfest!
You ARE coming to Sputnikfest, right?

the horror of running errands

a rough & the color version...

gig poster

here is a gig poster i did for a july show at stumpjack for a band called them damn kids (out of chicago).
what's that, bunky? you need an artist for a gig poster too? or a CD cover illustration? well, i need to buy diapers, so email me!
thetinashow (at) gmail (dot) com

portfolio study- kindergarten class picture

and here is the pencil rough:
I found this great link about building a better illustration portfolio, so I did a study from an old photo (my kindergarten class picture). I'm the one in the glasses.
Also, the girl with the missing front teeth and the ripped tights & band-aid is real.

from The Scroobious Pip

These are from a dummy book i am working on, illustrating the Edward Lear poem The Scroobious Pip (which is one of my all-time faves).
Also, in unrelated Tina news, I am mulling over returning to school to finish my degree. Unfortunately I would have to take Pre-Calc, and all of this gestating & birthing business has reduced my brain to marmalade, so I'm not so sure...

in which i draw myself as a teen-ager, as instructed

and an homage to frida kahlo's the two fridas. i was OBSESSED with frida in high school.
this was inspired by the "draw yourself as a teenager" meme, i saw my flickr pal (aka imaginary friend) john martz's take on it & was duly inspired.
technically, this level of self-ridicule belongs on my other blog, but i couldn't resist doing it as a painting.

illo for logo! (say that twelve times fast)

An illustration for a new logo for the completely wonderful webstore, ThePortableBaby.com.
Check out their fab baby (and toddler) gear. Seriously, I will take one of everything.
Also, thank you Dominic for the referral!

See below for roughs, etc. if you care about that sort of thing.A "final rough" before full color:
A different design rough:
Another different design rough:
Oh! And Ms. Laura (my lovely client) just wrote a really funny post (which is quite flattering, thanks) on her own funny mom blog about her attempts to have said logo redesigned in the first place.

In closing, yes folks, I am available for hire! No job too small! Contact me at thetinashow(at)gmail(dot)com.

the book pitch

Here are a couple images from the book pitch I am working on with my fabulous agent and a fabulous author. It is about an elf that goes on vacation.

illustration friday- "primitive"

Wouldn't she make a fab tattoo?
An experiment in a more primitive style...for illustration friday.com, "primitive."
Also a plug for Manitowoc's Sputnikfest this September! (A piece of Sputnik 4 landed in Manitowoc, WI in 1962, so we are having a big crazy festival...)
(A nod to Lebowski's valkryie with Sputniks instead of bowling balls...and her pose with the two guns is inspired by a Gail Davis Annie Oakley pic above my computer...)
Note also her skirt is made of fantastic aluminum Christmas tree branches (which were also made in Manitowoc- did you know that?)
Update:
I was screwing around in Photoshop and made a screen-print version:

Can't decide which version I like better.

it's promo time again

my latest promo postcard. (phone number goes in blank spot. not putting phone number on blog. no offense, weirdos.)
also, here is what i'm working on that i couldn't post. so everyone out there cross your fingers & whatnot for me...
and get off my back about updating my blogs! ha.

a story

hi. i'm tired and i have some little things i'm working on that i can't post. (this is good, actually.)
anyhoo, in the meantime, my pal kim (hi kim) tagged me awhile back. (like at the end of february.)
so rather than list a bunch of stuff about myself, i will tell you one story. it is a true story.
are you ready? good.
we used to live in los angeles, and went back there when our son was about 18 months old to visit friends. we went to the birthday party of a friend of a friend. there was a guy there with an unusual voice who kept teasing our sweet, adorable, wide-eyed toddler ("look at those blue eyes!" "show me your belly!" etc). he was vaguely familiar. once we got back to the car we talked with our friends and discovered it was the actor who played BUFFALO BILL FROM SILENCE OF THE LAMBS.
the end.

another change-of-address postcard

for our pals in milwaukee...congrats & good luck guys!
i may need to do one of these for ourselves- the husband is finishing school in spring and looking for job placement this summer & it's not looking like there's going to be a full-time opening here. aaargh...

hey, it's the stumpjack

I did this as a little coloring page (and then I colored it!) for my pals at Stumpjack Coffee Company in Two Rivers. Have you been there yet? You like coffee, don't you?
In case you are wondering what a Stumpjack is, here is their description:

The Stumpjack is one of those critters, not unlike Rhinelander's Hodag, that once (and some say still does) occupied the deep forests of the great northwoods. It's a fairly small creature, with physical attributes common to other well-known animals. For example, it has a body and tail like a raccoon, the hooved front feet of a deer, taloned owl-like hind feet, a fox-like head, small antlers and a face partially covered with a hard scaly skin like a fish or perhaps an armadillo.
The Stumpjack is by nature a secretive little beast, with rather unusual habits. Catching one (yes, they have been caught and at least partially domesticated) requires not only a thorough knowledge of their habits and haunts, but also a fair amount of luck.The most well-known account of the capture and domestication of a Stumpjack occurred in the mid-20th century in the area of Ladysmith, Wisconsin by a man named Lester V. Smith.

Stumpjack's is just down the street from Element American Bistro, another totally fab establishment and quite possibly my favorite place to eat when I can get out of the house. Those crab cakes with chipotle mayo are the bestest.
Oh man, I'm hungry!!
PS. Also, if you car is dirty while you are going to these wonderful places, please patronize the Two Rivers Super Wash at 1611 16th Street in Two Rivers, the best car wash in the whole world.
Seriously, I have seen your car.

"happy campers" t-shirt

Birmingham Parent commissioned me to do a version of my previous illustration to silk-screen on T-shirts for their 2008 Camp Expo.

illustration friday- "leap"

another quick quick experiment for illustration friday. click to enlarge.
also, note it IS FRIDAY, and i actually DID illustration friday. today. dang.
i'd like to thank the baby for his five-minute nap.
uh, if you leave a comment, thank you. i do read them & they warm my cold little heart. briefly.

new illo for Birmingham Parent!

For the March 2008 issue of Birmingham Parent, cover for the Birmingham Senior insert.

technical difficulties

it has come to my attention that i am not receiving some emails sent to my sbc global/yahoo address. if you have emailed me (like for a JOB) and i haven't responded, i didn't get it (or i'm a jerk who is ignoring you). so if it's important: either leave me a comment (i will delete the info), contact me through facebook, or i suppose the alternative is me posting my home phone number on this blog. (um, no. not that i don't trust you guys.)
has anyone else had this problem? should i switch to gmail?
update! new contact email is thetinashow (at) gmail (dot) com

faux gocco hodag

sooo, okay, i drew this in photoshop and thought i'd bust out my still-in-the-box-from-four-years-ago coveted print gocco machine (!!!) and make some cute little rosemaling hodag prints...uh...okay, in a nutshell i am completely inept and i wasted a ton of materials and they came out looking dreadful. (and the baby cried the ENTIRE time.) long story short (too late) this faked one looks wayyy better. uh, video killed the radio star, right? enjoy!

meet Spotnik

It's Spotnik the Atomic Wonder Dog! Soon to be featured in the kiddie activity book I am designing for Sputnikfest.
You guys ARE coming to Sputnikfest, right? Well at least keep up with the blog. Sheesh.

free coloring page!

calling all librarians and teachers and parents! print out this free coloring page for use in your school library or classroom or public library's youth dept. or use it at home for your own kids or what-have-you. just keep my name on it! think of it as a valentine for book people.

illo for Birmingham Parent!

finished piece

pencil rough

Check it out, here is a piece I did for the February issue of Birmingham Parent.
It's the cover for their 2008 Camp Guide!
You can see it if
a) you live in or around Birmingham (and if so, hello there)
b) you go to this link and view page 33 (or click on the totally cool "view current issue" thing on the main page)

that darn hodag

If the Hodag works in the forest and there's no one around, does he still hate his job?

a major award

Hot damn! I received the "You Make My Day" award from artiste extraordinaire Sheree Boyd (a fantabulous illustrator) which made me feel all warm & fuzzy inside! (which is quite impressive in itself considering the wind chill was minus 40 this morning, PLUS my shriveled, bitter little heart is cold & difficult to warm, but I digress)

The "You Make My Day Award" works like this:
1. Write a post with links to 5 blogs that make me think and/or make my day.
2. Acknowledge the post of the award giver.
3. Display the "You Make my Day Award" logo with a link to the post that I wrote. (Optional)
4. Tell the award winners that they have won by commenting on their blogs with the news.

My list of bloggers that make my day:
(in no order, because I can't, like, put them in numerical order, okay)
Jessica Price, a new friend & fellow Lynda Barry attendee who has a fantastic blog chronicling her children, read it, I'm serious
Sharon Spotbottom, who I used to work with when she was a real person (hee hee) and now keep up with her in very strange blog form
Kim Geiser, who is a great artist & lots of fun & patiently listens to my angry rants, and I enjoy reading her very creative blog
Rob Hale, who I have known for like a thousand years and has a very funny blog (see "Why Daddy Drinks")
Carson Kugler, my favorite spouse and coincidentally a great artist but never updates his blog (and never checks mine either) BUT what's on there is really great!

And to everyone else out there, you ALSO rock and I salute you!!

self portrait on a snowy day

it was zero when i walked to work the other morning.
ZERO!

donut triptych, now with text

these were done for an advertising student's project for a donut chain, showing the many choices available to customers. oh man i love donuts!!

thank you card!

this thank-you goes out specifically to my pal susan (whose website i intended to link to but can't find, crap); i have also added the design to my cafe press shop so YOU can order a pack of 20 for yourself! hot dog! everyone loves to get mail!

sharon goes to school

for my old pal sharon spotbottom's blog. i have a picture just like it!
o when will i be a swan?

i heart lynda barry

i went to lynda barry's writing workshop, writing the unthinkable, this past weekend in chicago and it ROCKED! i posted a pic on my tina comix blog.

a very lebowski new year, man

so we are going to a new year's screening of the big lebowski for a friend's birthday (note: happy birthday, jason!) which is one of our favorite movies ever.

illustration friday- "horizon"

click to enlarge...

mermaid

she's actually a frantic holiday gift....click to enlarge.

the abominable snowman....

another quick one for art jumble. i'm supposed to be doing 6,000 other things but couldn't resist the topic, the abominable snowman. i was holding the baby when i drew it, so i'm still multitasking, okay?
ps. happy holidays everyone!!

a budget christmas

(spoiler alert! okay, if you normally come to our house for christmas, don't read this one, because you will be getting this for your gift!)
okay! so we are on a super-tight budget this year, so i am making homemade hot cocoa mix (in a jar!) and homemade marshmallows for everybody this year. and as a gift to YOU, my invisible pretend internet pals, i give you this label design to slap on a jar (fits avery labels #8164) plus my OWN fabulous hot chocolate recipe. all i ask is that you link back to my blog or mention me frequently in conversation or send me good vibes or something.
tina's super rich homemade hot cocoa mix
4 cups nonfat dry milk powder
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup "best quality you can afford" unsweetened cocoa
(the dark chocolate kind is best)
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup powdered nondairy creamer
1 cup malt powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
dump it all in a big bowl and mix thoroughly. it's 1/2 cup mix (8 tablespoons) per one mug hot water. this makes about 9 cups mix, or enough to nearly fill 3 one-quart jars.
this also makes a very nice hostess gift...unless you are coming to my house, 'cause i'm dishing it out!
also, dear friends in the los angeles area who want to send me a present: next time you go to hollywood & highland, please check if there is still a mold-a-rama machine outside of the chinese theatre. if there is, please buy me one & mail it to your old pal tina.

sweet revenge

a quick little one for the very cool art blog art jumble. this week's topic is "gingerbread man's revenge."

little cookbook drawings

these are for my son's kindergarten cookbook. i did them all holding an extremely heavy sleeping baby and now half of my body is asleep. i'm going to painfully shuffle off to bed now, if i can get out of my chair. oooch.

illustration friday- "little things"

for illustration friday, "little things." click to enlarge. another experiment with a limited palette.
and yes, the children have been exceptionally naughty this past week. even for them.

sketches

i still have trouble with watercolor, even painting with the computer like this...but a fun experiment anyway. (and digital watercolor is much easier to work with while holding a baby.) these are doodles from a local project that a friend and i are doing.

illustration friday- "excess"

for illustration friday, "excess."
from the classic "clever frances." (pause) i'm kidding. i just made that up. anyhoo, a quick experiment with a limited palette.
(limited time=limited palette)

illustration friday- "zoo"

Another one for illustration friday. From a nonexistent book. Click to enlarge.
P.S. Keep your eye on that monkey.

happy thanksgiving!

Public Service Announcement:
go here & play this: http://www.freerice.com/
do good, and also lord your superior vocabulary over your friends at the same time.
thank you.

hello!

made this for a notecard. (which, conveniently, you yourself can purchase in my groovy cafe press shop!) bring back the written word! write a letter to someone!
(click to enlarge. it done come out purdy! sorry. i've had too much coffee. or not enough. is there more in the kitchen?)

and happy thanksgiving everyone! i am supposed to be baking pies right now.

Holiday card UPDATE!!

Public Service Announcement: NOW you can buy this card at this fine shop! (In packs of 12 for all of your recipient-based needs!) Persimmons Art & Vintage, 314 N. 8th St., Manitowoc, WI 54220, 920-684-3006. Yes, I'll bet you can do phone orders too! Groovy! Spread some nice warm hipster holiday cheer and help Tina buy groceries! Thanks! (P.S. It's been taken off of my Cafe Press Shop so you can order it from a real live person! And if you have an independent shop somewhere else & want to sell 'em too, drop me a comment!)

the best laid plans...

...demolished by a 2-year-old wearing daddy's shoes. if i would have had the video camera handy, he'd be the darling of youtube right now.

illustration friday: hats!

my first attempt for illustration friday. click to enlarge!

eat like a bird!

this is my day. one of my children will often eat only noodles. plain. and then sometimes he won't.
p.s. i put this one on a bib in my cafe press shop.

the monkey & the mermaid

Another offering from the unpublished Alphabetica Nonsensica. Click to enlarge. Here is the accompanying text:
M
A monkey climbed down from his tree
To woo a mermaid by the sea.
She was covered in scales,
And smelled like a whale,
Yet she still disapproved of his fleas.

Bride of Xmas!

Public Service Announcement: It's not too early to order your holiday cards from my Cafe Press shop! Just $20 for a pack of ten! Everyone on your list will think you're the coolest, especially ME because I will be able to buy groceries! Yay! (Why yes, I will be putting more of my stuff in the shop, thanks for asking.)

This is based on a design I did in gouache about 6 or 7 years ago...I am mildly obsessed with the Bride of Frankenstein. (P.S. Fun fact- did you know Elsa Lanchester is in Mary Poppins?! Katie Nanna! Colliding obsessions!!)

moving postcard

i made this change-of-address postcard for my sister-in-law & her husband. (moving to minneapolis! jealous!) it's a little different than my usual style but a fun experiment.
no job too small! email me & i will make moving postcards for you! or thank-you cards. or hello cards. whatever.

new header!

i have been marginally obsessed with baurenmalerei (rosemaling) lately & thought it would make a funky header. digital rosemaling! or, uh, rosemauling, being a first attempt & all. ha.