Monday, February 28, 2011

Dazzled by Owls and such...

Here I am again with another quick update from the studio of all things whimsical and fun! My artist hand has been busy at work, illustrating and designing some fun new characters for my new line of products this year! I FINALLY finished my owl illustration that I introduced to you earlier this month. He is complete with a set of mesmerizing eyes and slated for various products SOON to hit my Zazzle Shop! I have been playing on my computer and have made various versions of this owlicious character, some for ALL seasons and some for my favorite holiday! Can you guess which one that is?? I am including a few peeks below, and I hope you return when the doors open to my new online store! I have ordered a few samples for myself for final inspection. Once those pass the test, I will let you know! Enjoy the peek and have a very happy week!

~ Johanna

Owl-on-green
* For a more all-season approach, I eliminated the jack-o'-lantern that this sweet owl is holding in my original illustration, added a calming field of soft green and will apply him to various products..... I'm thinking the tote bag below will be Oh-So-Fun and functional!.....

Owl-Bag-on-green
* Zazzle is great because you can Customize your purchase! So, if you love the image, but want it on a smaller tote, shopping bag, vertical tote, etc.. you can add my image to your preferred choice!

Halloween-Owl-Tease
* Of course, this image was a pleasure to create! I applied a series of bold Halloween hues and filled in my base drawing with a warm, autumn palette! Check back later to see this spooky character on apparel and more....

Boogie-Cat-Mug
* Oh, and lookie who we have here! It's my stylin' dancing cat from the previous blog post. "Lets' Boogie" will certainly be a fun way to kick start your day :) And, again if you prefer the image on the opposite side of the mug or perhaps a different mug, it's an easy click away!

I would LOVE your feedback! Visit Zazzle's Main page and click their CREATE link to see the various products they offer. If you have your heart set on something in particular that you would like me to to offer in my shop, please let me know!

Thank you......

PS: As you can see, I have been a bit preoccupied with illustration and graphic design this month. As a result, I will not be posting a new Halloween original on EHAG's Emporium this evening. Fingers are crossed that I will be more prepared in March!

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Coloring within the Lines....

I thought it would be fun to share a little update here on one of the black & white illustrations I was working on earlier this month. You can refer to my "Back to the Drawing Board" post for a peek at the early stages. My whimsically fun dancing cat is now complete with color and CATitude! I scanned him and have been cutting him out on the computer and adding this character to various notepads for my Primitives by Kathy fall 2011 submission. I think he will be quite fun on T-shirts and bags as well once I open my Zazzle Shop! But first, I would like to order a few samples for myself to make sure he is looking just right. Stay tuned for that, and for now, enjoy the photos......

~ Johanna

Johanna-illustrates
* JP took some fun "Artist at work" photos of me the other night..... This time I came prepared and didn't have to shoo him away!... :)

Dancing-Cat
* Just a crop on one of my new Halloween notepads for fall 2011..... If all goes as planned, you'll be able to purchase these through Primitives by Kathy!

Smiling-Cat
* Another crop on this silly character against a field of purple yumminess... I was just playing with color here!

Waving-Cat
* And one more peek-a-boo style version of this cat slated for a list format notepad from Primitives by Kathy. Notice his right arm is waving in this one.... Oh the magic of Photoshop :)

PS.. I still haven't finished inking in the fanciful owl yet! There have been too many distractions around here, but he's waiting for me on my drafting table and he STILL has no eyes!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Sights of Spring!....

It was a fun surprise for me to spot a pair of my Spring product designs in the current March issue of Country Sampler Magazine! Under the "Chicks Ahoy" heading on page 11, the magazine recommends grouping them as a set for your dining table's center piece, staggering them on bookshelves for retro pizazz or lining them up on the mantel! Whatever you do, make sure to fill them with treats, or in this case, Easter eggs and flowers will do. Be creative. And thanks goes out to The Holiday Barn for sourcing my vintage-style spring jars on their website!

CS-Chicks-Feature
* This fun set is from my Spring Bethany Lowe Designs product collection...

CS-Chicks-Ahoy
* Look for your copy of Country Sampler today and don't forget to visit all the various Country Treasures featured for March!

* Magazine layout & photography, © 2011 Emmis Publishing LP

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Sending Valentine Smiles to You!...

From our custom CATalog of cat fashions is Jack here once again in his holiday wear! He dons a red hat with frosty February flakes and a sparkling red heart to top it all off... Despite his moody character yesterday, we were lucky to snap a few memorable moments with Jack all decked out in his latest Valentine's attire. Honestly though, he had HIS HEART set on running off to his favorite tattered rug for some kitty lovins'!
(that's where he likes it best :)

Enjoy! Sending you smiles, laughter and a little extra love to spread around.
xoxoxo,
~ Johanna, JP and Jack


Valentine-Jack-Be-Mine

Valentine-Jack-zoom

Valentine-Jack-Looking-Up

Valentine-Jack-Profile

Valentine-Jack-crouched

Designs & Photography © 2011 Johanna Parker Design, LLC
Images may not be used without permission

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Back to the Drawing Board....

February is that time of year for me to pull out the 'ol sketch pad, pencils & erasers, and then the ink pens and crisp illustration board naturally follow. It has certainly been a while since I have spent days upon days at my drafting table, drawing fun characters for future products, and I must admit that I am thoroughly enjoying it. I was a little nervous that I would forget how, but luckily, the whimsical ideas are flowing well. Sure, at this stage, the drawings aren't perfect, but I have learned to "breathe through" the lines as my pen touches the board and to allow my breath to help keep the lines flowing and smooth. At the end of the day, my right hand feels a bit stiff, so a little yoga here and there is helping keep the balance. If only I could keep to this nice relaxing pace for the rest of the year.... haha! I will enjoy it while it lasts though and draw as much as I can now before I must revisit the workshop to sculpt and sculpt some more!

Dancing-black-cat-drawing
* I dreamt up this fun dancing black cat illustration the other day when imagining characters for wearable products, such as Tees and totes. JP and I had a brainstorming session, and decided to open a Zazzle Shop where I can offer my drawings, photographs and such on clothing, bags, greeting cards and more! It's not open just yet, but I'm working on some fun ideas that I promise to make available to you! So, stay tuned. And while I'm at it, why not put this cutie-pie cat on notepads and charms...


Johanna-drawing
It was late the other night when JP snapped a few candids of me while I shooed him away. I just loaded the photos today and decided to share a few after all. As many of you know, I LOVE incorporating owls into my designs. They have such fun character and texture, so this particular illustration has been a fun play on stylization. It's certainly taking its time to evolve, but I have a feeling it will be a hoot! As you can see, I like to wait till the end to add the eyes, partially because I hesitate out of fear to add them, but also because they truly bring the character to life.


Owl-drawing-zoom
* Eventually I will paint this owl, but for now I need to "commit" to the eyes and finish the whimsical chandelier-style branch that surrounds him. He will be quite stylin' on a shirt or bag or card or or or....... We'll see!


Profile-Johanna-drawing
* Another candid of me busy at work on my stylized owl. Off in the distance are recent sketches for Halloween box containers that have been approved by Bethany Lowe Designs for 2012 production. Now, I just have to illustrate those graphics too! The to-do list is growing!!!!

Cat-pail-drawing
* Another black cat candy pail image that I am almost finished with has been staring at me for days. The shading and highlights are created by a series of dots or lack there of. I find myself using stippling in both my illustrations and on my painted folk art pieces. I know it sounds odd, but I love dots! This drawing is slated for a Primitives by Kathy notepad and perhaps some Zazzle products as well.

Cat-&-Jol-drawing
* Here, another notepad design is in the works. Of course, a splash of orange in various hues will bring this image to life!

Snowmen-drawing
* And while I'm at it, some whimsical snowmen and Santa-themed notepad designs are taking shape was well. My due date for these various designs is fast approaching next week, so I really should step away from the computer and go back to the drawing board! I hope you enjoyed the little peek from within my studio...

Happy creating,
~ Johanna

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Gifts of Love...

Looking for a sweet little touch to warm up your home this February? Or perhaps you are searching for a little something to give to your loved one? Take a peek at these vintage style Valentines ornaments that I have designed for this heart-warming season....

VDay-Heart-Bird

My heart bird is certainly a little tweet-heart and promises to bring many smiles. Attach him to the outside of a gift bag or package as a decorative adornment, or hang him around the neck of a bottle of wine to dress up the occasion....

VDay-Love-Cone

My illustrated Love Cone is made from a thick-walled cardboard and adorned with red tinsel trim. It would be lovely to fill it with candy or perhaps hide a special jewel or necklace within for a special gift to your significant other. Hang it in your home and have your lover hunt for the love cone. These cones would also make lovely party favors for your Valentines-themed festivities. Suspend a series of cones, filled with sweets, from a feather tree or other clever stand in your home, and have your guests take them home to remember your special occasion.

You can find my Valentine's collectible products, including the "Love & Cherish" cherub set featured in a previous post, at the following websites:

* Bayberry Cove carries all my Valentine's items....
* Shelley B Home & Holiday ...
* Traditions carries my cherubs....
* All items can be found at this link on eBay.....


Have a lovely Valentine's Day, and thank you for adding a little touch of Johanna Parker Design whimsy to your holiday!

xoxoxo,
~ Johanna