2012

Seems like a time to make some New Year's resolutions:)

I've been thinking about my goals and wishes for 2012 for a while end my conclusion are

1)I'll be taking more care about promotional staff, while drawing and painting is what I love to do the most I need to remember that Illustration is my job as well and marketing is a important part of this. I will try to make it fun:)
For sure I need to be more(haha little to say)systematic with blog update and same with the other sites where I'm showing my work.

2)I'll developing my illustrator's skills - especially I want focus more on compositions, experiment more with colours, typography

3)I'll create many nice new designs for zazzle stores.

and some new year related illustrations I made for illustration rally this September (but never shown because I'm lousy blogger - you know now what I meant)but it's not my resolution for 2012

Great, full of love and creativity 2012 to all of you:)

2011

Time to sum up...
This time I can't say - "oh is really end of the year again? so soon?"
in contrary last January seems like a ages ago, and when I was collecting materials for this note, looking through my files I was wondering "oh really it happened this year?,only 7 month ago?" wow that's something new and I feel like I'm in different time line than most of my friends who always complain that everything happens too fast.
This year was definitely different - in April we moved from Poland to Barcelona,Spain. Although we've been there several times many things surprised us (or even shocked :)in both positive and unfortunately negative way. In short our everyday life is way more colorful and magic now.
I try to figure out how that change reflect on me and my creativity - no simply answers yet. I was doing quite the same like last year:

*illustrated 4 picture book and several covers for audio books
*got 4 books + 6 audio book's cover published










*done few test sample - some of them brought me great projects I'm working on now or I'll be soon (and some of them didn't)






*other big thing is that my husband after closing his shop in Warsaw has a time to take care of my zazzle shop and we open together another one - thanks to his dedication it's really working:)

so not bad...

portfolio up date

oh my husband have just updated my portfolio site with new illustrations so nice of him:)

IF SILENT

since I'm still overworked I look if I've done recently something which fit this topic and I realise that many of my personal work are build on silent. When I'm doing some commissioned illo usually it's full of movement and sounds(yesterday I've finished sample illustration for some book which main point is that even if people don't talk you can hear they anyway because of many sounds like sneezing,snoring etc) but when painting my own ideas I create some sort of a bit melancholic silent atmosphere. That's my feeling anyway..Maybe i need more of it in my life?

IF STRIPES

just quick one - I'm still super busy and in kind of festive mood - it's probably because of eating turrons (Spanish Christmas sweet - it appeared in shop few days ago and I just can't resist:)

Failure?

Few months ago I was asked to make some sample illustration for one of Penguin books imprints - is common way to pick illustrator for bigger project like in this case picture book - publisher ask few persons for sample and then makes decision. From one hand it can be frustrating - you can loose competition wit other artist, not always better but wit i.e dramatically different style. You work hard and very rarely you are paid for this sample and in my case this kind of propositions come usually in really wrong moment(when I'm overworked alreaddy or when I'm moving to other country yes this one I wrote about I done few days before big move;)
BUT!
Firs of all I can't see how can I refuse to do this when I'm asked (ok project must be interesting or/and payed well enough:)Even if commissioner has my portfolio and can imagine what I'm capable of there's still much advantage of doing this through. It's obvious that doing this I try do my best and even more, usually every new pieces is a tiny bit better than oldies and since I don't update my portfolio that often it shows that what I really can in this particular moment (yes 2-3 month when you draw/paint nearly every day is a long time and increase of skills is noticeable)
Than next thing - I can show how nice is to work with me :) how cooperative I am etc.
So it's for client but what it gives me?(oh I'm so selfish;)Except for training and good one for portfolio it's good occasion for developing new type of character or environment - in this case I finally create nice(IMHO) lion and tiger characters and learned how to paint jungle plants. Like I said I really try makes this as good as I could so now i can(and I do!) use this experience in other illustrations...Lion, tiger and jungle - basic stuff in children illustrator portfolio:)so I didn't get a job but I don't consider this as an failure at all!

busy being busy

My blog suggest that nothing happens in my life but it surely is not true! It was a bit crazy summer for me - with lots of visitor from my native country I left about 5 month ago and yes lots of work either. I don't think I can write about projects I working on very much and I mustn't show illustrations from them yet but just some harmless sneak-peek:)

IF REMEDY

party with your friends makes perfect remedy for (almost) any sorrow, doesn't it?

One more for Mywall - The Pirates!

Pirates are scary, Pirates are funny, Pirates is another theme for Mywall.gr company I actually work for. Beside that, two themes to go!

Fairy Tale

Ha! The Prince to the rescue! Princess is finally safe from dragons, giants and everything dangerous (or something;)

Mural illustration for mywall.gr

IF swept

quick one! back to work!

The Circus

Altough I'm not a big fan of circus' idea, it's nice thing to draw:)


Another one for Mywall.gr

The Ark

Recently I made few pictures for Greek company selling custom wallpapers (mywall.gr). One of these was this Noah's Ark...and this was my inspiration :)

Vote on ice cream time

Recently I created cool design ;) and I decided to submitt it to http://www.infectious.com/ and they've just approved my work for their page so You can vote for me http://www.infectious.com/voting/colonelle/ice-cream-time/8463
yes! you can :)

Summer Time!

It's sunny weather outside and upcoming time will get only better and better:) It's summer time! Finally:)No more chilly nights and days. Goodbye jackets and warm sheets! Welcome my beloved summer wardrobe and sea splashing:)
Due to this occasion I have special collection in my Zazzle Store - Monster Team. Madame Colonelle Design

Check it out! In next few days collection will grow- I feel like drawing summer themes all the time now :)

Noah the Boa

One of my newest book is already out!(but not in book's shop yet
You can order directly from the author through THIS SITE I have so much fun doing this so I hope kids will have fun looking at my illo ...
Few days ago I find one of book from my childhood Happy Birthday, moon by Frank Asch in some bookstore - it was translated to Spanish :)and hey! maybe now I don't find it very attractive but about 24(?) it was one of my beloved book (what a pity it was borrowed from some library and what a pity I didn't really start to learn english when my parents want me to start :)
anyway my point is that I wonder if one of my book will be someday important to anybody

new home

so :)
I finally move to my beloved Barcelona and after a month of excitement I'm slowly backing to normal work routine (if you can call freelance job a routine...)
Tomorrow I'm about to send out my first Spanish self-promo mailing - it was so awesome to me to write in my address field Barcelona!

Tempting figs for TDAC

One more time for awesome They Draw & Cook its real fun to do something not exactly for kids from time to time... maybe I should do this more often

and yes, I definitely need more practice with typography

IF reverse

One of many great things being illustrator is that you can make reverse whatever you want :)

IF surrender

"Surrender? Ah yes, sure but can we discuss it later?"

Oh it's been a while(again! I'm not really good at bloging)- well I was super busy working on some projects.

Now I'm preparing for big changes in my life - both: my private and professional
I will try keep you informed :)