The Voice Actor

My friend the voice actor has asked me to do a little business card character for her.  I was drawing all these singing mouths with a lot of teeth and tongues.  Then I decided my friend with her awesome silliness should wear a TV.  It's weird enough.  

I ordered a SPECIAL sketch book today.  I can't wait to get it in the mail.  I love new sketchbooks- they're like a new chapter.  Fresh, full of goodies soon to be revealed, and always something I look forward to.

Love to everyone!  Make art.

Interview

Hullo friends!  I did an interview recently with a college student over at Orange Coast College.  She posted it up on the school's blog: http://occprofstudies4artists.wordpress.com/2012/11/08/andrea-ruygt/

I had a nice time figuring out where I am right now in my art AND my life.  Enjoy!

"Sacred"

An awesome book has come out- "Sacred". The author, Elana K Arnold had the great idea of having some illustrators do some artwork based on scenes from the book.  There's so many great illustrations that were created- make sure you check out the book and her blog for all the tasty reviews, images, and news about her release party.

reviews and links to buy: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13533688-sacred

Elana's website:  http://elanakarnold.com/about.html

For Tonja

A friend of mine's mother has been diagnosed with 6 months to live.  We held a car wash and raised some money for her- I wanted to contribute and made a painting for the cause.  I sold it to a lovely friend at Java Joe's and the money is on it's way to her and her family to enjoy the last months, to relieve some medical bills, whatever is needed.  I hope everyone can appreciate what and who they have.  Love your family, friends, and even those people you pass by on the street.  Nothing is more eternal, more important and changing than love.

--Annie

Design Inspiration

Sometimes the best places to find inspiration are on days off, walking around with a confidant, and enjoying the scenery.  I loved this chalkboard wall and metal artworks.  

 These colors and retro/modern prints are perfect elements to create that sunny but quiet feeling in a bedroom or living room.  I've gone with a lot of neutrals so far, but maybe I'll add some blues and corals here and there.

We Were Merely Freshmen

These are pages from a short little graphic novel experiment I did my first year of college.  I thought it would be fun to put it up since it's never seen the light of day.  I can't remember the story I had behind it, except the old woman has some sort of Mary Poppins thing going on.  I think I'll have a little "play" time and re-do this comic to see how I would approach it today.  More on that soon, but until then: enjoy some of my very early work!

The Life and Times...

Well, my Christmas card with the crooked tree crooked cat, and crooked furniture was chosen to be a design offered at www.Psprint.com.  I'll be uploading it sometime in the next couple days and you can order it to send out to all your quirky friends. :)

Here's some things I've been working on.

I put together wedding paper decorations such as table lists, name cards, banners, invitations, etc, for my best friend who got married at the beginning of this month.  You can see more photos at http://caitlinoreillyphotography.com/morgan-freddy

More on the way.  Been working on my largest painting ever!

You Ain't Seen Me....

Believe it or not, I have been productive- even if my blog doesn't show it.  I have a new love from something graphic, the largest canvas I've every worked on in progress, and a newly rearranged room.

Cool!

I'll share a couple ditties I've done recently with my new favorite technique- linocuts and print making!!  Below are two things: a business card for a friend who makes jewelry (www.etsy.com/shop/NeyDelaCruz), and a Christmas Card for a little contest I endered.

I just love the idea of linocuts and the way they always turn out.  I'm a sucker for the handmade, old world feel.

The painting I'm working on it a secret because.... it's all about secrets.  I'll share it with you when it's further along but I have to say, it feel GOOD to work BIG!

Happy Dreaming!  Later Gators.

Website website website!!!  Arrrrg.  Months, well, weeks, of frustration, and headaches to present you something rather simple, not resembling any of my time and efforts.  Looked like someone computer illiterate could have put it together but... hey.  I have a strange love for grooming myself and branding my media, but I also hate sitting in front of a screen alll day.

If I signed up for a dating website, I would include that I get cabin fever and act like a 6 year old, banging and whining on the floor.  "I want to go outside!"

But look- here it is, a website for all and especially for me.

You know why I finally put up my website?  To direct all the calls I was getting and emails, asking to look at my beautiful work.

Right.

Actually.... it was to try and get a graphic design job for month while I was desperate, and now it's become quite a nice portfolio website.  Please enjoy and happy art making!

www.annieruygt.com  

Trees, all around.

Here's an illustration for a short story I did with my friend, Brent.  Check out what we do together at www.brentandannie.com, a nice little blog that will encourage both of us to work off each other and stay current with children's lit and illustration.  I really love how this piece turned out, and can't wait to do more.  I'm going to LA SCBWI convention this summer and want to build up a strong portfolio.  Here's to working hard...AND overtime!!

The Blue House

The Blue House.

     I was walking on a path lined with wildflowers and brush in San Diego one day, I started to force myself to tell a story- just to see what came out- to see if my brain could let out a little color. It's good exercise you know- walking for one, and storytelling.  It works the bod AND the brain.  No matter how silly or under developed the story might feel, it is always good practice.  I thought of something far from forgettable in my opinion, because it caused a whole spur of plots and was worthy of an illustration.  

     It's nothing more than a blue house in the middle of a valley, surrounded by skinny trees and silent hills.  It appears to those who need to understand something about each other.  It happens to be there when two children meet for the first time, when they fall in love, when they fight, when they get lost, when they can't find their way home.  

The Blue house is where all those things happen that change you.  

Where you feel like life is happening and nothing can stop it.

Find your blue house and visit it often.  Or, let it find you.

Although I will always post here, I have started a blog with my dear friend Brent.  It's a blog that will allow for portfolio practice, story and idea development, and building a following.   Please take a look inside!  www.brentandannie.com.

Happy dreaming!

Your Old Things Remind You....

Was drawing last night.  My sketchbook is my visual diary.  Thanks, sketchbook, for being there for me!

Orange County Music Academy Rock Show 2012

The rock show is here again!  I just love being asked back to do artwork for people- means they liked what they received!  Here's my sketch for this year's design and the final product.  I went with the organic look with a mix of funky and japanese pop elements.  It was fun and made for an interesting piece.

One Sunny Day....

Been noodling and came up with this:

Sometimes the art classes wont have enough students so I'll stick around and paint for a while. It's always lead to interesting products, and this one in particular, will go on the wall. It's fun, I think!

In more news, I'm finally getting my act together and working on "The Three Things". Here's an illustration idea for one of the spreads. I'm narrowing down my style and mediums for the artwork. I like this illustration so much but I had a couple ideas for some changes and awesome additions so I'll need to do it over.

The best thing you can do for yourself is do what you love. It's a struggle of mine every day but I feel like I'm finally getting through and making it happen! Yeee!

Acrylic, pencil, and charcoal on hot press paper.

Mural!

The mural is finished. Just a fun little ditty I completed for the preschool, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time out in the sunshine painting. Plus, kids make you feel like a rockstar when they say, "Miss Annie I like your paintings, they're awesome!" or "Miss Annie, I love you!". They're the best.

When you're busy- you disappear!

That's what I've done- disappeared! But in the BEST way possible! I'm enjoying where my art is taking me.

First: A great experience. At the "Art Crawl" in Anaheim, I met a lovely lady who ended up getting one of my paintings as a birthday gift from her fab boyfriend who bought it, and also had me teach an art-lesson/birthday party. It was so much fun, and I'm interested in doing something like this in the future with other people. It made for a creative and relaxed night, and the art pieces turned out great! I realize my style is quite different and very fun- anyone's artistic touch turns out nicely.

Their lovely art works:

One of my pieces/a.k.a. the birthday gift:

And now, a little mural I'm painting at the Preschool! It's nice to sit outside in the warm sunshine and just paint. I don't listen to music, I listen to the birds and the elementary schoolers in the distance. I love listening to kids- they're loud and fun and happy.

All of the illustrations in this mural are of each class's "mascot" or class name. The Precious Pandas, the Smiling Sunflowers, The Carebears....

I'll post more pictures when it's finished. Until then happy art making and love to all!

My Sister Loves Fairies

So.... my sister loves fairies....

She also loves theatre and magic, and all things of old lore. She gave me this "quote" from the play Gypsy and a few key words, and this is what I came up with. I love you, Jenny!

The BogWheezum...

Eeeek! It's a BogWheezum! Watch out, kids! This is a little illustration for a book I'll be working on in a couple months. It's a sweet story about assumptions on one's character based on appearance- which can be misleading.

Wonderful Wheezums- keep an eye out!

Sneak Peak into a new project!

Edinburgh, Scotland

Visited the Elephant House, the famous cafe where J. K. Rowling wrote most of the early Harry Potter books. It's custom to leave a drawing there if you like (there's a bulletin board of little drawings up). So I did just that!