As I was finishing up my daughter’s costume for her school parade tomorrow, I found myself short on time to complete an illustration for this Halloween Countdown. When short on time, zoom in. I had a concept or two prepped but no time to finish so I remembered a local ad for Halloween portraits which I thought was such a great idea. So I drew a young girl dressed in costume having her headshot taken, so proud of her creation. My daughter is named after a bird, so birds are a typical theme in my repertoire, and in this case, the design for her mask. She is a fictional superhero. I’m thinking there’s a story buried in this image.
Edit: I decided that upon looking at the art again, the audience could use another “photo proof.” An open smile made all the difference in adding to her story. It’s a good study in character design, and building visual interest. It’s those “imperfections,” or in this case, missing front teeth, that tells us a little bit more about her.
#5 Construction
For my daughter’s costume, we are taking found materials and a bought cape but making some adjustments that will mainly include glitter and glue, but not sewing this time. This piece is inspired by our yearly experiences and by my own childhood experiences, particularly when my mom sewed Batgirl costumes for both my sister and me. We are not twins but are very close in age. She often dressed us the same, I presume, because it was easier. At least that’s what I project (haha)!
I used watercolor brushes once again and looser finishes and textures. I find them to be very freeing as I tend to get caught up in the details and making things perfect, because often times that will sap the life away from the work. I really enjoyed this one.
#6 A Town by Any Other Name
I live in a town synonymous with Halloween. It oozes Halloween and it is bustling with visitors looking for either the ideal fall experience or a wonderfully frightening one. The school mascot is the Headless Horseman. We are reminded of this holiday all year long. For day 6 of the countdown, I decided to render a place that is delightfully mysterious, yet not so dangerous that a little girl can’t be caught running playfully down the street alone. I made it using Adobe Fresco at the start, then finished it in Photoshop. I have been playing a lot more with the digital brushes, really experimenting with the way they behave. I’m a big fan of the watercolor brushes and the organic way in which the color moves. I am often inspired by contemporary artists like Júlia Sardà, Yas Imamura, and Victoria Semykina.
Of course, this piece is also inspired by my town. I wonder if you can guess where it is.
#7 Halloween Countdown
An opportunity to prepare for Halloween and anticipate its arrival is a small luxury for me these days. I welcome and relish in it. In my household, we are managing to make the costume building a little less last minute (but at least no longer the night before), in true artist fashion, from the creative indecisiveness of the almost 11 year old girl that resides with me. We are also anticipating another year trick-or-treating with my step-children, which is often a rare treat, but has come twice in a row after six years together!
In this luxury called time, I decided to make pieces for the season, that bring a bit of light to larger parts darkness. Seven pieces for a Halloween countdown, starting with the “strange family” trope, inspired by the works of Edward Gorey and Tim Burton.
When I look around social media, I see photos of “perfect” families in matching sweaters with gorgeous, sunny backdrops. Instead, I rendered a family of questionable intent, or perhaps they’re simply tired from a sleepless night with a newborn in the house, infused a few patterns that infer luxury in a brooding gothic space, and costumes that confuse time and place. I also decided to include my rescue hound, Penny, as herself. That heart shape mark is her own! She is certainly part of this fictional, and our very real, perfectly imperfect family.
Introduction to Bits & Pieces
Halloween 2021 is fast approaching. I love this time of year—the changing season and fall colors, cable knit sweaters and tall boots, costumes and spooky stories. It’s a curl up in a cozy nook reading and writing time of year, when the kids are settled into school and there’s a little more space to create. So I thought this would be a good time to refresh my blog. But first, let me backtrack a bit.
The past nine years marked dramatic shifts in my personal and professional life. I went through a divorce, single motherhood, a full-time job designing Halloween costumes, dating again, a new romance, followed by a beautiful wedding, which ushered in a new title of step-mom. But wait. To top it all off, the world faced a global pandemic. Through it all, illustration was ever present, but my enthusiasm for it was waning. Extra-curricular activities like drawing, writing, and blogging, took a bit of a backseat, new posts were sporadic.
In 2020, I had this overwhelming desire to stop and reset. The opportunity came when I was furloughed from my job, and I was so grateful for it. I used that time to take in what was happening, to breathe, mother, think, and illustrate. I drew a lot. I played around with media and application. I tried redesigning my approach in any way I could, so that art making was fun again.
When my job was reinstated in July of 2020, I could hear the hissing of a pressure cooker. Applying what I learned in my downtime, I started illustrations on a new book from NCYI by Jenny Simmons called, I Can Say No, about using the word “no” to create healthy boundaries (it should have been a reminder to me as gentle as an Acme anvil falling from the sky). But I thought, “Many people are out of jobs. I should be grateful.” Yet the reality was ever present. My daughter was remote learning, managing a blended family was challenging, the pandemic was raging, and the political climate was uncertain. The stress of my new workload was…worrisome.
As months passed, my 8-5 became more demanding, especially because it was virtual. While creating art was finally starting to feel more like a positive outlet after some self-discovery, virtual work, school, meetings, and appointments, made it hard to see a beginning and end to each day. Making time for anything was hard. In February 2021 we adopted a 2-year-old coonhound mix. Did I say we had trouble with time? While taking on a dog meant more responsibility, Penny was a welcome bundle of furry cuddles that eased our mental and emotional stress. Walks with her were mostly welcome, sometimes reluctant, but always necessary retreats.
Come February, I signed on to illustrate a really exciting book (of course I will share it here once I’m allowed). In March, I Can Say No was released and met with high praise by school teachers and counselors around the nation. With a wave of momentum building, I stopped fighting the worry. Something had to give. I realized I needed to halt the survival mode I had been on at the start of the last nine years as a single mom, and trust more in the current living mode. I also learned to truly lean on my wonderful husband. In early Spring of 2021 I finally decided to quit my job. It was bittersweet saying virtual goodbyes to coworkers I had a fondness for. It was also odd no longer having to think about next year’s Halloween trends before my own child’s current costume.
Now as October 31st approaches quickly, all three kids have no idea what they will be for Halloween, but I’ll be ready with any last minute cut and sews or purchasing of ready-made costumes. I’ll also have time to savor and share illustration treats, perhaps a few tricks of the trade, all throughout the rest of October and beyond. Thanks for reading Bits & Pieces. I’m grateful you are here. Please stop by every now and again for a new post. In the meantime, what are your Halloween 2021 plans?