Piece for "Women on Top" Art Show (4/9/11)

Sorry for the last minute post...but I'll be showing a piece alongside other female artists in the "Women on Top" art show, opening tomorrow (Saturday 4/9) at Cafe on A in Oxnard, CA. Below is my piece and some basic info:

"Break Time" (original framed 5" x 7" watercolor & pencil)
Price:  $125

"Women on Top" art show

Opening Saturday, April 9 (5pm - 10pm)

Cafe on A

438 South A Street

Oxnard, CA 93030

There will also be live body painting, vendors, refreshments, and more.  Should be a fun night!  Thanks to Patty Arellano / Sicks Three for curating & inviting me to participate.  Cheers :)

More Gesture Drawings! (Weeks 6, 7, and 8)

Been a while since my last post...time flies so fast!  Below are my results from Weeks 6, 7, and 8 of Mark McDonnell's gesture drawing class at the Animation Guild in Burbank.  Mark is encouraging us to push some storytelling in these little gestural vignettes.

Please click below to view...you may have to click further to zoom in.
I'll be posting some info on an upcoming show soon.  Thanks for visiting!

Gesture Drawing Class (Weeks 4 and 5)

Hope everyone is doing well out there!  Below are my results from Weeks 4 and 5 of Mark McDonnell's gesture drawing class at the Animation Guild in Burbank.  Mark has been encouraging us to push our drawings more (using basic principles of design, shape, value, composition, silhouettes, etc.)...and to have more fun overall.

Please click below to view...you may have to click further to zoom in.  Thanks for visiting!

One small way to help...

**UPDATE (3/14/11):  I'm very happy to share that both pieces have been sold as of today – and as mentioned below, all proceeds ($150) are being donated to the American Red Cross - Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami disaster relief funds. Many thanks for everyone's support and inquiries – and of course, thank you to the individuals who bought these pieces in an effort to make a difference. Cheers :)
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The two pieces below (recently done for the "Characters!" show) have been repriced at $75 each – and 100% of the sales will be donated to the American Red Cross and those affected by the Japan earthquake and Pacific tsunami:

Price includes shipping where applicable. These are framed 5"x7" originals done in pencil & watercolor.

If interested, please email me at the address below, and I'll respond in the order received.

vivian@viviandesigns.com

Thanks for considering...this is just one small way to help out.

You can also donate to the relief efforts here:

American Red Cross - Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami

Hearts and warm thoughts to everyone affected by this tragic event.

Gesture Drawing Class (Weeks 1/2/3)

My friend & fellow artist Kendra Melton highly recommended a gesture drawing class taught by Mark McDonnell at the Animation Guild in Burbank...so that's what I'm taking now :)

Below are my class results from the past 3 weeks.  Sorry for the poor quality on some of the images...I'm drawing on a large pad that won't fit on my scanner, so I'm resorting to taking quick camera shots.

Please click below to view each week...you may have to click further to zoom in.

Loving this class so far & learning a ton :)  I'll try to post results from each week.  Thanks for visiting!

Paintings for "Characters!" Art Show (2/26/11)

I know it's a super last minute post...but if you're in the Los Angeles area this weekend, perhaps you might want to check out the "Characters!" Art Show, opening tomorrow (Saturday 2/26) at Studio 5216. I'll be showing some work, alongside other artists & friends.  Below is basic info:

"Characters!" Art Show
Opening Saturday, February 26 (6pm - 11pm)
Studio 5216
5216 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90027

This themed group show is basically inspired by favorite childhood characters. Below are my pieces for the show.  Each piece is an original framed 5"x7" drawing done in pencil & watercolor.

"Drawing Inspiration" (Price: $125)

"Bad Outta Bed" (Price: $125)

"Practice Makes Perfect" (Price: $125)

Special thanks to curators Diana Levin and Evan Ames for inviting me to participate.  And to all readers and friends: thanks so much for your support!

The Drawing Club sketches (2/17/11)

Sorry I've been lagging on posting the past couple weeks...things continue to be busy, and time is flying by so quickly!

Below are my sketches from the last Drawing Club session...Heather Capps posed for the "Cosplay" theme.

I'll be posting again real soon.  Thanks for visiting!
For more information on The Drawing Club and to see results by other artists, please visit:  www.thedrawingclub.com

San Francisco sketches (1/29 - 1/30/11)

New year, new beginnings, new chapters...I've been enjoying the practice of creating new memories, all the while cherishing old ones.

San Francisco has always been a favorite spot...yet I had never really taken my own solo trip up there, in which I could take the time to pause, soak in the surroundings, and experience this wonderful city at my own leisure.  So...recently, I decided to do just that :)  The weekend flew by so quickly – but I was able to enjoy quality time with some close friends in the area, cruise around old haunts, see new sights, treat myself to some local delicacies, and find a renewed perspective of this place – and of myself (I actually survived the perils of parallel parking in the city).

I also managed to squeeze in a few quick sketches too...here they are below.  Some color was added at home:

Till next time, San Fran! :)

The Drawing Club sketches (1/27/11)

I meant to post these latest Drawing Club sketches sooner, but time has been slipping away.  Thankfully, it's been busy.  Andy Flaster posed as "The Hunchback" for last week's theme.  You can click further to enlarge even more:

For more information on The Drawing Club and to see results by other artists, please visit:  www.thedrawingclub.com

Thanks for visiting!  I'll be back soon :)

30th World Wide SketchCrawl

Last Saturday was the 30th World Wide SketchCrawl...and there was an amazing turnout for the Los Angeles group at the LA Natural History Museum!  It was great to visit with returning crawlers, as well as new ones.  Below are some of my results...some color was added later...you can click further to enlarge even more...

Please visit www.sketchcrawl.com to view results by other artists and to learn more about this world-wide drawing marathon!

Thanks for visiting!

Even more sketches from The Drawing Club! (1/20/11)

Oh là là!  Last Thursday's Drawing Club theme proved to be fun & challenging at the same time.  Stacey Jack posed as the "French Can Can Girl"...and below are my sketches from the evening:

For more information on The Drawing Club and to see results by other artists, please visit:  www.thedrawingclub.com

Okay...I'm off for a fun SketchCrawl day...will be back posting soon!

More sketches from The Drawing Club (1/13/11)

I recently caught the latest film adaptation of True Grit (highly recommended) – which was timely, because the theme for last week's Drawing Club session was none other than the story's iconic anti-hero "Rooster Cogburn", brilliantly portrayed by model John Tucker. Below are my sketches from the night:

For more information on The Drawing Club and to see results by other artists, please visit:  www.thedrawingclub.com

Thanks for stopping by!

The Drawing Club sketches (1/6/11) - Happy New Year!

It's 2011, and this year is going to be Maleficent!  Er...I mean, magnificent!  Well...at least the theme for last night's Drawing Club session was Maleficent :)  Here are my sketches from the evening:

For more information on The Drawing Club and to see results by other artists, please visit:  www.thedrawingclub.com

I'm aiming to post as often as I can this year...Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays! "Little Do They Know" (December 2010)

Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season so far!

For some of you who may be wondering, I decided to put my Little Do They Know comic strips on hiatus to focus on some other career & personal objectives this year...and to be honest, I wasn't too sure how I wanted this project to evolve quite yet.  Knowing me, it could take a while before I figure this out...and you might see bits and pieces every now and then (like this post, for instance)...but at least that little girl is sticking around ;)

That said, thank you for the support, inspiration, and encouragement out there – especially from family and friends, to whom I am very grateful.

Please click below to view a special Little Do They Know holiday strip, which is also featured on this year's holiday card.  Happiest of Holidays! :)

Sketchbook catchup...

I'm trying really hard not to slack on my sketchbook outside of work...so here are a few pages from the last few weeks.  Sketches were done on location, with touchups at home.

Thanks for visiting!