Invitation to the SCBWI Illustrator's Show, Meet the artists, refreshments art making and fun!

I'll be there doing art with whoever joins me!

I'm signing up for Piboldmo this November 2014!

Can't wait to join in the inspiration and energy!

taralazar.com

Illustration Friday

Illustration Friday

Wish

Illustration Friday: Wish

ink and colored pencil

I am really excited to be included in the 2nd Annual SCBWI Illustrator's Exhibit!

I am excited to announce that my Pet Parade, Port Townsend, illustration will be included in the 2nd Annual Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) exhibit at the Washington State Historical Museum in Tacoma, Washington. Follow this link for directions:  http://www.washingtonhistory.org/visit/wshm/directions/
The exhibit will be on view from November 19th, 2014 through January 18th, 2015.
Please come to the show and see a variety of exceptional work from noted Washington State artists!

Port Townsend Pet Parade

ink and guache on paper

(On view at the SCBWI Exhibit at the Washington State Historical Society, Tacoma, opening November 19th, 2014)

Getting Ready for the Port Townsend Pet Parade

ink and gouache on paper

Sketches of Musicians

These are from last winter but I just found the little 4 x 6" sketchbook when I cleaned up  my room.

By Andrea K.Lawson

By Andrea K. Lawson

By Andrea K. Lawson

Creating a Butterfly Mural for a California Home

Monarch Migration

acrylic on canvas 48 x 72"

detail of the Butterfly Mural

I just got  back from completing a 75 square foot mural for a private  home in San Raphael, California. It was hot work but very gratifying. My intent in creating the butterfly mural was to extend the garden space  and expand the feeling of sky while bringing more vibrant  color to the enclosed garden space. It's a dialogue between art and setting, as now the garden is being redesigned with the mural's color palette in mind. Susan Amanda who commissioned the  mural told me that  it makes her happy to wake up and  look out her kitchen window each morning to view the mural. Since my other goal was to create a painting that would bring a feeling of joy and happiness to the owner for years to come, I consider the project a success.The butterfly images relate to my Monarch Migration series which call attention to the environmental challenges facing the monarch butterflies. My most recent piece Monarch Migration Flight seeks to give the viewer the feeling of being surrounded by the  flock of butterflies.  www.andreaklawson.com/gallery

The images in the mural  vary from large close up butterflies  to abstractions creating a sense of movement and space. After extensive research about monarchs, I definitely took artistic license in their execution to create interesting designs and color variations. Another challenging aspect of the project was that the mural was to be painted onto four doors.  Because of the doors, the surface was not flat.  I chose to deal with the space as one  and to incorporate some of the hinge shapes into the butterflies.
I thought it would be fun to share the process of creating Butterfly Mural:
One of the most time consuming  parts of the process was the surface cleaning and preparation.

 During the heat wave,  I had to work in the early morning before it got too hot!

I used Golden acrylic paint with GAC 200,  goldenpaints.com and did a lot of research to make the painting archival for outdoors. I selected the most color fast  pigments which included many earth tones but also lots of bright oranges and blues, for instance,  Phalo blue for the sky. First, I painted the entire   surface shades of sky blue. Each color had to be painted in two coats to make it color fast.The idea is that in the face of sunlight two coats are better than one!
 Next I created a grid to  translate my small painting design to full scale.
Luckily, my brother Jeremy dropped by to help me with the chalk line and level! He sneakily let me climb up and down the ladder multiple times before realizing that he was tall enough!

Me and Jeremy making a grid

 Drawing the design and honing it to go with the actual wall/door area.

Outdoor painting table

Detail of Completed mural with the Artist
(before final msa varnish to protect the  mural from weather and UVA)

This was an exciting project and I'd love to do more. Please contact me if you would like to commission a  mural or painting for your home or garden.

Spark, Illustration Friday

Spark

mixed media on paper

Edge of Day Paintings on my website gallery

Hi! If you are out of town you can still see many of the works in the show on my Edge of Day Gallery on my website!

www.andreaklawson.com

Edge of Day catalog is available for $20.Catalog features paintings from my  Edge of Day series and a new essay by Carla Aurich. http://www.carlaaurich.com/

catalog is available at the Max Grover Gallery in Port Townsend Washington or by contacting me through this blog or my website.

Thanks!

Edge of Day Photos of the Art Opening

Andrea and Monarch Migration Flight, acrylic on canvas, 48 x 72"

Andrea and her dear friend

Canine Art Lover
Obviously the art was hung too high!

Andrea with artists Stephen Yates and Richard Jesse Watson and lovely Carol Yates

Interview with KPTZ - this was a  surprise interview so I have  no idea what I actually said!

Looking in/out the window

Yellow Chair

Thank you friends and art viewers for such a fun lively opening! The exhibit remains on view through March, 2014, daily 11AM-5:30PM. Please stop by. Be sure to see the new Edge of Day Catalog available at the gallery. Max Grover Gallery located at 630 Water St., Port Townsend, WA 98368 (find Max Grover Gallery on facebook for more information).
Max was there but he got stuck pouring wine so wasn't in view of the camera! Sorry Max, not to get your photogenic persona on record!

Spirits soar at Gallery Walk March 1, Monarch Migration

Port Townsend Jefferson County Leader Article features my Monarch Migration Painting:

Port Townsend Jefferson County Leader  This Week  Feb.26-March 4

Monarch Migration ll  acrylic on canvas   48 x 72 "

 

 "Monarch butterflies that once covered 50 square acres of forest during their summer layover in central Mexico now occupy fewer than 3 acres, according to the latest census.
The numbers of the orange-and-black butterflies have crashed in the two decades since scientists began making a rough count of them, according to Mexico's National Commission of Natural Protected Areas.
At a news conference Wednesday, the commission said the count was down 59 percent from December 2011 levels, when the insects filled 7.14 acres of fir trees in central Mexico."
See entire article by clicking link to kuow article.

http://kuow.org/post/monarch-butterflies-population-falls-record-low-mexican-scientists-say 

Edge of Day Exhibit at Max Grover Gallery

 please Click this poster (above) to view more info

Please join me at the reception of my upcoming exhibit of landscape paintings at the Max Grover Gallery in Port Townsend, Washington, Saturday, March 1, 2014, 5-8 PM. My new series of paintings: Edge of Day  observe Northwest light from dawn to dusk. 

 Visit the gallery Mon-Sun   11 AM-6 Pm Show on view through March 2014.

for more info:            Link to Max Grover Gallery on Facebook

Edge of Day Exhibit at Max Grover Gallery!

My new series of Northwest Landscape Paintings, Edge of Day, will be on exhibit at the Max Grover Gallery in Port Townsend opening March 1, 2014.

More info about this coming soon!! Please stay tuned!

2013 SCBWI Tomie dePaola Award

This was my entry this year for the Tomie dePaola Award.
Tomie's directions were to  illustrate the poem, Sneeze  with  an 8 by 8"inch composition
using any color or medium. The illustration was to target the 2 months to 2 year age group!
You can find the other entries in the Unofficial Gallery of the Tomie dePaola Award 
and see the winners at http://www.scbwi.org/winner-of-the-2014-tomie-depaola-award-is-announced/

Sneeze

My black and white  illustration of Little Women won an honorable mention from Tomie dePaola last year. It was a challenge to have to use only black and white!

 

http://www.andreaklawson.com/page/httpwwwandreaklawsoncomillustration

This is the 2013 First Prize winning illustration from Akiko White :

Here is my friend Rowena Russell's entry, I love the simplicity and idea of the sneezing snowman!

Paintings Drying on my floor

 Waiting and waiting for them to dry so that I can find room to walk around and  paint some more!

Holiday Cookies

I missed the SCBWI meeting this time, but we still had an inspiring time making cookies at our house.
Cookies are works of art, but I am told that they have to be eaten!

My daughters holiday cookies.

Time

Time and Timepiece Flies!

Hope your new year is a blast!