Jonesco Beer: Frenchy
Remember my Frenchie illustration from a little while back? Oddly enough, I was recently contacted by Wes from Jonesco Beer about doing a label for his latest brew, a French-style Saison called "Frenchy."
He thought a bulldog with some quirky French accessories would make for a perfect label. Even more strange, I thought this was all because of my illustration, but he hadn't seen it. At all. So it was a weird coincidence that worked out, because we adapted my existing drawing to suit the label, and above is the finished piece. Just one of those serendipitous design moments, I guess! You can check out his full variety of beers and labels (he has designed most if not all of the other labels) here.
New Prints + Blog Announcement
Just listed: Lake Erie Love prints in three new color schemes with filled lettering (as opposed to the original outline lettering).
My Frenchie print has also just been added to the shop, and I will be adding some more dogs as I finish them :)
Also, I've been making some changes to my shop (as you'll notice) which will soon be trickling over to the blog. I will be keeping this blog, but it will operate under a new name, new design, and include a bit more personal posts and inspiration. I hope the re-launch will allow this little corner of the internet to serve as a one-stop holding station for all of my news, photos, sketches, and artwork, and that you're just as excited about it as I am! This has been in the works for months — the product of many conversations, brainstorms, and design attempts, but I'm finally so happy with what it's becoming.
So keep your eyes peeled, pardon my dust as I get things up and moving, and I'll hopefully be finished after this weekend.
Welcome, Fall
Falling leaves, apple spice, crisp cool air, pumpkin treats, cozy days...around the corner!
Ekko & Panda
My friends Nathaniel and Val have two completely gorgeous Siamese cats, Ekko and Panda. I always thought they'd be so fun to draw, and recently they asked me to illustrate them. It was an interesting challenge..not only was it important for the cats to look right, but also to get their different personalities into the piece. Panda (on top) is a super fluffy lover who is always laying on a windowsill or dangling her paw from a shelf. Ekko (bottom) is sleek and aloof and is always flipped on his back or laying in a box. There were a lot of other layouts I considered but liked this the most. They aren't the most playful of cats, so drawing them just chilling out in their favorite spots made the most sense.
I did their fur with watercolor washes that I did by hand, which I picked apart and collaged together digitally to get their markings right. The linework and the rest is all digital.
I'm so happy with how it came out, and that Nathaniel and Val loved it!
The two kitties are below so you can see how cute they are in real life :)
Made in the 216 Prep
It's that time again—for this year's Made in the 216! I am the master of working under pressure so of course I finished all of my prepping in an exhausting weekend-long stretch. I not only finished a few new pieces but also had to package and frame everything, and print/assemble a ton of business cards. Above is a new piece and an homage to the place I call home :) You can buy it here.
I made some little orange bow stickers to seal the overwrap of my unframed prints.
The event is next weekend, July 8–10, at the newly opened Dredger's Union store downtown on East 4th. If you live here and haven't stopped in yet, RUN—don't walk—and do some shopping. The store is amazing, full of apparel and gifts and it's a visual treat. The handmade event will add another amazing element to the store. It's going to be awesome. I'll post the flier and more info as it gets closer.
