Happy Holidays

A Holiday card for you!

Over coffee this morning I decided to create a Holiday card.  Hubby strolled in my studio and asked me, 

"Where did a blue-beaked penguin come from?"

"I don't know, he just appeared."

"See, that's the difference in you and me.  Ask me to create a card and you'll get Santa and reindeer.  You. You come up with this."  he laughed.

Penguins are endearing.  Penguins wishing to be a part of Santa's team, well...  I was just in that kind of mood I guess.  You had to be there.  

I hope that you and yours have a very Happy Holiday. 

 

Love, Laugh, Share, Be Kind, & Enjoy! 

Wish I could show this to my students. A great movie short using logo designs that I discovered on David Airey's website

Two of My Truest Loves

My loves!

I didn't take this photo. The credit belongs to the contracted photographer at the hospital. It is a beautiful photo. Every time I look at it I remember the little boy who I used to cuddle and hug this way. If WeeGran is as delightful as her daddy was when he was a baby, well, we are truly going to be very blessed. I'm sure she'll will be, just look at her expression here! She is only a day old here.

I'm already blessed to be the mother of such wonderful sons. I am constantly amazed and sometimes startled by all their intelligence, their compassion, and their talents. Everything else can fall apart as long as I know they are healthy, happy, and thriving. Their happiness and joy is what has always driven me. Still drives me.

And now I have this wee little girl to watch grow-up. My happiness and joy are refilled every day, every minute, I see her, hold her, and think of her. I know all grandparents are well aware of that feeling as you wait for the news - "They're here!" Holding her brings back the flood of emotion I felt when I first held her daddy. Soft as velvet and exquisitely beautiful. Her features are so tiny, but-oh-so perfect.

Lucky little girl for having such wonderful parents. For I not only have a wonderful son, but he found a perfect wife to share his life and to bring more gratitude into my and hubby's life. We continue to be astounded at our blessings. Thank you both for creating such a beautiful little one to share with us.

Daddy, Mommy & Baby

WeeGran we are so happy to welcome you to the world. We will promise to love, protect and nurture you to the best of our abilities.

GranMumsy with her newest love

Me, Drew (the new daddy) and the twins (days before their birth)

Sketchbook: Victoria's Paintings

Sketch: Goldilocks & the Three Bears - Sandi VanWinkle

 Goldi confronts the Bears, explaining her views on the comfortable bed

Sketch: Three Little Pigs - Sandi VanWinkle

 The Pigs begin their gathering and building in an effort to fend off the Big Bad Wolf

Sketch: Red Riding Hood - Sandi VanWinkle

 Red timidly begins her trek through the dark woods in order to deliver tasty goods to Granny

Sketch: Goldilocks & Bears - Sandi VanWinkle

 Closer view of Goldi, Mama, and Baby (angry baby)

Three Billy Goats Gruff Sketch - Sandi VanWinkle

Ogre yelling at Billy on the bridge.  One of my favorites as a child

Yesterday I finally had the time to sit and sketch.  It feels so good to be back at the drawing board.  These are a few of the concepts for paintings for my granddaughter's room.  As I worked, I found that I wanted to paint them all.  There is not enough wall space to do this, so, I think I will do a book for her with all the characters from Grimm to Celtic Faeries.  

On my easel right now is my version of Puss in Boots, which I will share with you later.  I don't have a good photo yet and it's too big to scan.  Most of the tales above will be on 12"x12" canvases.  I worked on two pencil versions of Red last night.  I have now decided to paint her on an 18"x24" canvas with the forest looming and darkly creepy all around her.  Maybe the silhouette of a wolf hidden amongst the understory of the forest.  If I can channel the detail and atmospheric quality of a Daniel Ridgway Knight painting and the delicious darkness of Arthur Rackham's watercolors, I may be able to pull off what I'm attempting. 

Cutting Roses - Daniel Ridgway Knight

Red Riding Hood - Arthur Rackham

More later as I progress through these works.  I'm also working on a comic book with a teaching colleague for release late summer.  I'll share bits of that project later also. 

Tech: Kinect Hackers

Okay, so technology is really cool.  And we love our gaming systems.  However I don't believe I'll be hacking into my Xbox Kinect anytime soon.  Ah yeah, mainly because I don't have one yet. Hope you enjoy this.  Just be careful hacking your Kinect, okay?

The Year of the Bunny!

V is for Victoria  - Illustration by Sandra VanWinkle 2011

Hubby thinks my son & daughter-in-law will be trying to find my off switch later.  While I have very limited time at the moment - I've still taken some time to sketch a few quick bunnies for Victoria.  Why bunnies?  It's the year of the Rabbit, of course!  WeeGran is a bunny baby.  I love bunnies.

"What are your plans for those?" hubby asks.
"Paintings, dolls, screen-prints, maybe a coloring book.  I dunno, we'll think of something." I say.
"They're gonna look for an off-switch on you at some point." he smiles as he walks away.

He also whispered that Victoria was going to think I'm the coolest gran ever.  Secret wish #1 - OH, I hope so.  At least for a few precious years anyway.

P.S. I was honored to be asked to help with the nursery.  When L. brought the image references over for my thoughts, I nearly fell over.  They were Arthur Rackham illustrations.  My very favorite children's book illustrator from the early twentieth century.  He was part of the Golden Age of Book Illustrators.  The VICTORIA-N Age. 

Be Creative!!