031: Bearcat

Bear+Cat=BEST. They are neither bear, nor cat though, and by the look of it, they are sick of being compared.

365 Days of Animals
031: Bearcat
Pen/Ink/Digital

030: Blowfish

Basically, these dudes are just swimming "do not disturb" signs. Serious, step off!

365 Days of Animals
030: Blowfish
Pen/Ink/Digital

029: Bison

So Bison look like they are pretty chill dudes, but they're pretty unpredictable and can be pretty deadly. Like 2,000 lbs of pure force coming at you deadly. I was caught in a Bison traffic jam once, in Yellowstone National Park. I was the car right behind the herd that was taking its sweet time getting to their destination. It was way cool/scary/awesome all at once. I could reach out my window and touch them. Now these particular Bison were pretty desensitized and used to us silly humans oogling them, but still, I didn't get too comfy around them.

365 Days of Animals
029: Bison
Pen/Ink/Digital

028: Birds of Paradise

So these birds are INSANE. I can't get over their incredible plumage and sweet dance moves. You should do yourself a favor and watch some videos of them when you get a change. So gorgeous. And weird!  There are many different species, and I drew the "Greater" ones. There are the Superb, Blue, Red, etc. ones, all totally different and pretty. 

365 Days of Animals
028: Birds of Paradise (Greater)
Pen/Ink/Digital

027: Bighorn Sheep

Happy Sunday!

365 Days of Animals
027: Bighorn Sheep
Pen/Ink/Digital

026: Beluga Whale

Belugas are so cute! They have doofy grins and such a happy demeanor. Also, melons.

365 Days of Animals
026: Beluga Whale
Pen/Ink/Digital

025: Beaver

Running late today, but I made it before midnight! It's been a completely off-the-wall-crazy day. In a good way!
Happy Weekend!
xo,
Michelle

365 days of Animals
025: Beaver
Pen/Ink/Digital

024: Bearded Dragon

All talk with their spikey-spikes, but probably just really lovable dudes. They just need their space.

365 days of Animals
024: Bearded Dragon
Pen/Ink/Digital

Valentines Galore!

To My Significant Otter Card

Okay, so life has been a bit bananas lately, that I haven't even gotten around to posting these here! I'm super-psyched about the new designs this year, there are four of them, plus two extra-special sets for the tinier humans in your life (or for you, I don't discriminate!)

Heart Thief Card

You're My Cup O' Tea Card

I Like You a Latte Card

Now maybe some of you have been reading this blog long enough to remember that I offered up some school valentines a few years back. I've been meaning to do a much more updated version for a long time now, and I finally made that happen this year. Kitties and dinos, because they're awesome. And they are so MINI, like 2 inches square! Squee!

  Did you give out mini valentines back in grade school?  I used to spend so much time writing them all out and carefully selecting which design would go to which classmate. Fun!

Kitty Cat Mini Valentines

Dino Mini Valentines

023: Bat

Bats kinda make my skin crawl, but I also find them pretty fascinating. Also, did anyone else learn about the rich qualities of Guano by watching the movie Ace Venture: When Nature Calls? No? (haha)

365 Days of Animals
023: Bat
Pen/Ink/Digital

022: Basilisk Lizard

These lizards are so cool! They run on water! 



365 Days of Animals
022: Basilisk Lizard, AKA Jesus Lizard
Pen/Ink/Digital

021: Barred Owl

Hoot hoot!

365 Days of Animals
021: Barred Owl
Pen/Ink/Digital

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. day and Happy Inauguration Day! It's no secret that I love our president, so I watched with great pride and happiness throughout the Inauguration this morning. I can't believe it has been four years already!

We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths – that all of us are created equal – is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall; just as it guided all those men and women, sung and unsung, who left footprints along this great Mall, to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone; to hear a King proclaim that our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on Earth.  

-President Barack Obama

xo,
Michelle

020: Bandicoot

Little cuties!

365 Days of Animals
020: Bandicoot
Pen/Ink/Digital

Happy Sunday!
xo,
Michelle

019: Badger

Now I have that badger badger badger song in my head! (sorry!)

365 Days of Animals
019: Badger
Pen/Ink/Digital

018: Axolotl

Not to be a downer on a friday afternoon, but these cute little smiley guys (seriously, google them, they are so smiley! It's cute/creepy!) are near extinction because humans are jerks basically. Draining their lakes, polluting their waters, eating them, and experimenting on them. Gives me a major sadface.

365 Days of Animals
018: Axolotl
Pen/Ink/Digital

017: Avocet

They are definitely not here to make friends.
Also, I think it's kinda funny that they turn a bright orange or cinnamon color when they are in the breeding mood. 

365 Days of Animals
017: Avocet
Pen/Ink/Digital

016: Attacus Atlas Moth

This moth is huuuge! I think I would freakout if it fluttered by me!

365 Days of Animals
016: Attacus Atlas Moth
Watercolors

015: Argema Moth, AKA the Comet Moth

I wonder how that works out, breeding animals or insects in captivity. I assume (hope?) they release them back into the wild eventually to build back up the numbers in their natural habitat, but I wonder how it effects their behavior/lives... 

365 Days of Animals
015: Argema Moth, AKA the Comet Moth
Watercolors

014: Automeris Io Moth

Woo, I painted this one with watercolors instead of using pen/ink and digitally coloring. I want to paint more this year, so you'll be seeing some of the animals with a more painterly style sneaking in. Especially moths, because they're fun to paint! 

365 Days of Animals
014: Automeris Io Moth
Watercolors

013: Armadillo

Little Armored One! :)

365 Days of Animals
013: Armadillo
Pen/Ink/Digital

012: Arctic Fox

He's making me cold just looking at him!

365 Days of Animals
012: Arctic Fox
Pen/Ink/Digital

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday friends! Thanks for following along with my 365 project and for all of your nice comments! I'm really into it so I'm hoping it sticks for the whole year. It's fun drawing something different everyday and learning fun facts along the way.

This has been a tornado of a week, as I spent the majority of the time watching over Nik's niece, Chloe, while her parents were on vacation. Man, this little 3-year old has energy! We went to the playground basically everyday, and she just ran around with all the other kids and climbed everything in sight. It was great watching her build up her confidence each day, from timid climbing the first day to owning the place by the last day she was here. She wore Nik and I out, but we had a fun time! She didn't really "know" us before this, so it was good that we all got to spend time together.

I've been playing catch-up for the last few days since she left, but I'm super-glad it's friday. Nik and I are taking care of lots of wedding planning stuff this weekend. I'm working on designing the invitations and we're coming up with a guest list and all the info to give them. Oh, and I found a dress yesterday! Hooray! It's simple, unique, comfortable, and totally me. Phew!

Have a great weekend!
Michelle

She found a friend. Snack break.

Turtle

Hee! I love this!

011: Ant

365 Days of Animals
011: Ant
Pen/Ink/Digital

010: Angora Rabbit

Bunny!

365 Days of Animals
010: Angora Rabbit
Pen/Ink/Digital

009: Anemone

Such a mean, gross sea creature!

365 Days of Animals
009: Anemone
Pen/Ink/Digital

008: Alligator

What a toothy grin.

365 Days of Animals
008: Alligator
Pen/Ink/Digital

007: Alpaca

I saw a lot of Alpaca when I went to Peru a few years ago. They have been domesticated down there for a long time. It was sad to see them used as "props" for tourist photos, being led around the cities by little kids all dressed up in traditional Peruvian outfits.

365 Days of Animals
007: Alpaca
Pen/Ink/Digital

006: African Wild Dog

Not a puppy you want to pet...

365 Days of Animals
006 African Wild Dog
pen/ink/digital

005: Albino Snake

EEK.

365 Days of Animals
005 Albino Snake
pen/ink/digital

004: Addax

They seem like such nice little guys, and such cool horns. So sad!

365 Days of Animals
004 Addax
pen/ink/digital

003: Aardvark

Nom nom nom nom. 

365 Days of Animals
003 Aardvark
pen/ink

002: Actias Luna, AKA the Luna Moth

Such a bittersweet life! One week of existence, what do you do?

365 Days of Animals
002 The Luna Moth
pen/ink/digital

365 Days of Animals!

So! I'm doing a 365 project this year, yes I am. This is my way of kicking my own butt into drawing more and drawing different things.  Running your own business is super-awesome, but it's deceiving in that you don't get to be as creative as it might look like. There is a whole lot of other stuff involved, like production work (oh my gosh, I print, cut, fold, package so much, it's not even funny), financial/paperwork, marketing/social media, and other miscellaneous. That stuff takes up so much time that most times I find myself really struggling to find time to just be creative.

My solution is to force myself each day to take some time, whether it just be five minutes or a whole hour, to just draw for fun. I don't want this to be a stressful project at all, so my only rule is that I have to draw an animal each day. It can just be a quick, simple pencil sketch, a more detailed pen/ink, or maybe I go a little further and color it in for a more finished looking piece. Heck maybe I'll even break out the actual paints and get back into painting more! I want to keep it open to experiment and have fun.

Why did I choose to only draw animals? Obviously I am a big animal fan and they have inspired me and given me lots of smiles for-like-ever, but I wanted to branch out from the usual bears, foxes, cats, and hedgehogs that I tend to draw and challenge myself with some variety. Also, I find it super-fascinating learning fun facts of animals that I am not that familiar with. So I guess it's a research project of sorts too. I've been out of college for over 10 years now, so I have to make my own homework so that I'm always learning, right?

I made a spreadsheet with a list of 365 different animals (this was actually really hard to make this list! It took forever and ever!) I guess I will just start and go somewhat alphabetical (I think this project would make a really really cool "Encyclopedia of Illustrated Animals" of sorts when I finish, yeah??? *cough* If any publishers out there think so too... *cough*)

Have you ever done a 365 project before? Any tips? I'm pretty excited about this!

xoxo,
Michelle

Hello 2013!

Hello 2013! This past year was pretty rad in its own right, but I'm optimistic that this shiny new year before us will bring the awesome like nobody's business.  I'm thinking this will be the year of big changes. I have lots of plans for my business in the coming year, getting rid of the old and bringing in the new.  I'm starting a 365 project that I am hell-bent on sticking to (stay tuned!) I'm getting married to my best friend this year (May 4th, whaaaaat?!) Maybe this will be the year that we finally move out of  NYC (Brooklyn, I love you so very much, it's not you, it's me.)

Here's to adventures and many moments bursting with fun!
xoxo,
Michelle

p.s. I am starting a 365 project for realsies, stay tuned soon for another post!