lovely rhubarb

Coffee

I am using some time to explore the varieties of mark-making as well as strengthening my drawing skills. This week I have been doing a lot of drawing with both pencil and pen and ink, and some painting in gouache. I have been using paper in different shades of grey, green, blue, and brown, which are wonderful colors to paint and draw on. It has been so fun to experiment, to draw whatever comes to mind, and to make closer study of form, color and light.

Seedlings (from imagination)

Carrots/Parsnips (from memory)

Lovely Rhubarb (from veg box)

We have started getting a weekly veg box and I love the surprise of what is inside. This was the first week and we got white sprouting broccoli, beetroot, and rhubarb. How strange! The rhubarb was drawn from observation with pencil and gouache. I have decided to make a weekly task of creating a drawing/painting/representation of our veg box surprise!

(And later today I'm going to make rhubarb and ginger muffins.)

snail

New painting: Carrier of Houses, watercolor on paper, 25 x 30 cm

also...

Group mural outside our show Proof at the Arena Gallery.

Phillip Marsden's excellent addition to the mural: the Liverpool Illustrators!

Thank you to everyone who made it to the pv and to see the exhibition. The last day of the show is the 9th of May, which coincides with an event downstairs at Leaf Tea Bar.

fond of

This new painting is called Fond Of and will be exhibited in the upcoming Liverpool Illustrators exhibition Proof, at the Arena Gallery in Liverpool.

Private viewing Thursday 22 April 6-8pm (w/ drinks and homemade cakes!)
Open Thursday - Saturday 11am-5pm
Open for 'Make Sundays' along with Arena open studios Sunday 9 May

Check the Arena Gallery site for more info:

Arena Gallery

rent in rotterdam

a little, aloud

Some recent drawings... I have been asked to illustrate a small book of poems and excerpts from novels. The purpose of the book is to encourage adults who don't usually read at all to read out loud. I'm really glad to be a part of this project and will post more illustrations later. There are more and a stories behind them all!

The Lumber Room by Saki

At the End of the Line by Penny Feeny

The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry

bonjour

I have just updated my website,  so if you have a minute please check it out. I will continue to edit things over the next few weeks, but the majority of it is finished. New paintings, prints, and books!

www.marylundquist.com

This is a screen print I made a few weeks ago, called 'sound'.

water

 Botanic Gardens, Oxford

home

This is a new piece, acrylic on canvas, entitled "Home". It is for the Liverpool Illustrator's upcoming exhibition at the Arena gallery in Liverpool. The show will be in late April and early May, featuring a year's worth of new work by the six group members. I'm really looking forward to the show and have been happy putting together some new work for it. 

woolly yarn and happy books

Here are some better photos of the logo I designed for Allen Brook Farm. The yarn is gorgeous and there is even a bit of moss in one of them! I've met the sheep and they are wonderful. 

Below is my Christmas present to Jesse. I commissioned our good friend Pete Michelinie to make a pair of bookends for Jesse's growing library. Some day I will ask him for a shelf, but I thought these would be easier to carry back to England. He also carved my treehouse design 

onto them, making it a collaboration! Check out Pete's website to see his amazing skill: www.michelinie.com

Well appreciated.

pining and waiting

Here's a new piece and the first of a series. I've returned to painting with acrylic and love it so so much. There is more to come! 

lots

Here are some pictures of my third penguin "Garden Bird". Check out the website and the video, you may just see me.....(skip to 2:00 and then 2:11!)

http://www.gopenguins.co.uk/site/news.php

I designed a logo for Betty Beach a while back. She has 15 or so beautiful sheep on her farm in Maine and is selling the yarn online and in shops. I made a couple of labels to show the yarn with the logo.

Here are is the newest edition of books I have made. It's called 'small drawings' and ha a selection of sketches that I really like. I brought them to the Lancashire Artists' Book fair where I sold a few and had many compliments. It is an edition of 10, digitally printed on Fabriano paper.

Some pictures of my table at the Lancashire Artists' Book and Zine fair in Preston. Lots of fun!

owls on bags

Many people have told me that they would like a bag with one of my owls on it. So that is what I have made! Using my new screen (bought in Massachusetts!) I created a photo screen print of my design. The bags are on sale at my etsy store and I will also be selling them at the Lancashire Artists' Book and Multiples Fair in Preston, on Friday and Saturday, 29&30 January. Go if you can!

express to sunday

It's only been a few days since I returned from vacation and now I am working on my third penguin for Liverpool's Go Penguins project. I'm really excited because it is my original design, the one that I submitted way back in September. It will be done by this weekend and I will post the photos then so stay tuned!

Also...

I drew these characters a while back for a story that I haven't yet finished illustrating. It was early in the story development and I was just sketching out ideas for the characters. I won't be using it for the book, but it occurred to me that it is a good drawing whether it fits the story or not. The characters and story are written by Jill Tomasetti, who also wrote The Birthday. This is our second/third collaboration and is about two sisters named Thursday and Wednesday who get a letter from their sister Sunday. They take a train to find her! 

squeegee

Jesse and I have been having a wonderful holiday in Massachusetts. We've loved seeing family and old friends, eating a ton, and driving back and forth from Andover to Cambridge. It's only another week that we have here in the States and we still intend to spend time in Maine and Boston. Too bad New York won't work out, we've just been so busy. 

A little Christmas present to myself... a screen and squeegee! The screen is 17x22 in. and the squeegee is 14 inches. I'm so excited to have found these at my favorite art store, Artist & Craftsman Supply in Cambridge, MA. I can just fit the screen into my suitcase! I can't wait to get back home and into the studio at the Bluecoat. There are many prints to be made....

winterland

I've been invited to show some of my work at this wonderful event at the Bridewell Gallery in Liverpool. There will be a performance of Eliza and the Bear, by Eleanor Rees, an exhibtion of foresty, wintery themed artwork, mulled wine and an open fire! The gallery is in an old police station and is a listed building. It'll be a great night, although Jesse and I can't attend because we leave for Boston the day before! The date of the event is December 19th.

winter

Here's another card I've made for this cold season. It's a pencil drawing printed on ivory card stock. I'm selling these and the Christmas cards in packs of four, with envelopes, for $15 on etsy. I'll also have them at the craft this Saturday (and next) in Liverpool.

christmas card

My newest painting with a Christmas theme. This is a watercolor on hot press watercolor paper. It doesn't have the rough texture of cold press, which I am getting used to and beginning to like. The purpose of this is for printing Christmas cards, which I will be selling at the Christmas fair at the Bluecoat in Liverpool, along with books and bags. The Liverpool Illustrators have a table both Saturdays, Dec 5th and Dec 12th, so come by if you can!

Christmas contemporary craft and art fair

on the streets of liverpool

The penguins are out on the trail in Liverpool City Centre. It's really neat to see them here and there. I saw two in Lime Street Station just a minute after getting off the train from Manchester! I found my Dry New World penguin on Albert Dock and took a few photos. (Amazingly, it wasn't raining.) The Innovation Park penguin is next to town hall, and I found this photo of it online. (I don't know that kid) Next time I'm in Liverpool I will head over to find it in person.

for sale!

Yes! I now have a store on etsy where people can purchase my wares. 

Like this new hand screen printed bag!

Here are a few shots of the address books I've made. The tabs are typewriter written!

to see more:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/marylundquist