Angel

"Angel" is the one feature that changed the most from concept to completion of this year's cards. Up through coloring she was supposed to be a muse, a personification of inspiration. 

However it occurred to me that notion wouldn't be clear to most people and that a floating woman in a loose fitting garment might be unintentionally suggestive for my mostly family-friendly output. 

From there I was going to make her a fairy with a magic wand and butterfly wings but instead settled upon bigger, more easily readable angel wings.

Everybody Gather Round: Christmas Cards 2015

The concept of an artist being surrounded by their creations is nothing new. I had tinkered with this same notion last year. After my summer at Cedar Point with people looking over my shoulder every single day the idea seemed ripe to revisit.

Whatever apparitions the new year has waiting I'm proud to be surrounded by all of you, my friends!

Angels on the Airwaves

This is the cover for a Christmas card I sent out to some of my college friends and artistic peers this season. (Hopefully all recipients have gotten it by now) Facebook and the internet are great communication tools and all, but I feel like I've lost touch with a number of fun and influential as a result of the growing years and miles. I figured this would be a good way to reconnect, let people know how to reach me, let them know what I've been up to and planning on doing in the next year and find out what they've been doing too, etc.

I'm hoping for a spark in establishing a stronger community and maybe even build some traffic for this very blog.

I had been cooking up the notion of doing the cards since Thanksgiving time, but it took me quite a while to come up with an idea for the cover. I was shooting for a "scene" like something out of the old Saturday Evening Post covers, but wanted to avoid Santa imagery, feeling it would come off as trite. That and I already did Santa for Sleep Care last year. In the end, I fell back onto my strengths; heavy darks and a mid century period setting.

Here are some of the works I found particularly inspiring. Consider them your online stocking stuffers!

 

Edit: And wouldn't you know it, after everything is all done, that when I discover an image that I have never seen before that looks almost identical to the end result. Go figure.