belgian beer poster

Having fun painting large, 3' x 8' panels. Both with images of old Belgian beer ads. This one is still a work in progress. Luckily I get to use an acrylic mural paint, yay! Not nearly as deadly as enamels or sign paint. Anyway, look for this painting at Girard and Montgomery where it will be covering a stuccoed up doorway of a new bar (not yet open).

ode to the earrings

Although this site is really about my illustrations... I must post this fabulous pic of my earrings. The Flocks of 7 in full glory! I am pretty sure that Kelly Turso took this photograph. She is awesome!

more paper dolls

I cannot stop! These have been great to draw... and even more fun to watch my niece color them in. I may have them available on my etsy shop for the holidays! http://jstoneillustrations.etsy.com/

paper dolls

I have been having a lot of fun with my daughter and ALL the nieces in my family. We can all draw together, even with a 7 year age difference (not including my age, ha ha). These are some quick paper dolls that I put together so that my niece Xia would have something to do while the babies napped. The second page we created together. Of course she got to do ALL the coloring! Enjoy.

birds like earrings too!

I was inspired to draw a bird wearing a pair of my "flocks of 7". Although fun to draw, I need to work larger. This illustration is only 3 1/2" x 3 3/4".... I could've used so much more space for loads of detail. I took a print of the original pencil drawing, mounted it on wood, then watercolored it.

O is for Owl

"O is for Owl, with her pets one, two, three,
Treating them each to a nice cup of tea."
After starting in acrylic, as usual, I decided to switch to watercolor and was very happy with the result. Looking forward to doing another hand colored print soon.

dog portrait

This is my last dog portrait from a show I had in 2007. I just listed it on etsy... what a great site. I chose a rugged piece of wood to paint this strong breed on. It has a nice texture, making it hard for me to get the detail when I painted it, but it really adds to the piece. It is only 7" x 5 1/2", acrylic on wood.
When you can't own a million dogs, you might as well paint them!

my Alice

Just recently my niece turned 7. She wanted an Alice in Wonderland theme (NOT the disney version, more Arthur Rackham or Tenniel's style). I was feeling inspired by the Mad Hatter Tea Party and drew my Xia inspired Alice. Initially I ment to take the drawing to the next level, add color, etc. But, I loved the sketch the most. It retained the energy I wanted. This may start a new group of sketches...

B is for Bluebird

Just posted this hand-colored print on etsy. The original illustration can be found at the beginning of my archives. This was a really fun one to paint.
"B is for Bluebird, with a striking red breast,
Drinking tea before cleaning up her nest."
I mounted the print on a block of wood, 4.5"x5.5".

Flocks of Seven

O.K. I have a secret. When I'm not drawing or painting I am making crazy earrings! I like the balance of working in 2 and 3 dimension, it keeps things fresh. Anyway, just found this photo of someone wearing my "flocks of seven" earrings. They are fabulous!!! You can find them at Topstitch (Philly 215.238.8877) or jstoneillustrations@etsy.com. I know they don't really fit in with my blog so far, but I couldn't help myself.

"coffee"

Just finished this piece. You will notice a trend I'm sure, I have a white cat now, so expect to see more. This is part of a long, ongoing series of cats and food (or beverages) painted on wood. It is for sale at The Framers Workroom (215.567.6800), ask for Kylie, she rocks!

J is for Jack Rabbit

"J is for Jack Rabbit, see his big ears!
He's painting his eggs as Easter day nears."

I love to draw and paint rabbits. I think that must be the Beatrix Potter influence on me. She has always been a favorite illustrator and mentor in my life. When I was young I loved to read my little set of green books, Peter Rabbit, Mrs. Tittlemouse, The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin, etc. Her ability to draw animals in proper anatomy mixed with human emotion, with or without clothes on, has always been an inspiration. Through her I realized how important my reference material is... sometimes I spend more time gathering reference to properly depict each animal, table, chair, etc. I find the details to be the best part. Thank you Beatrix Potter!

S is for Squirrel

Another hand colored print, now available on etsy.

hand colored print

Here is one of my unique, hand colored prints. You can find it on Etsy. AND, it is cheap! I am not happy with the canvas, the last time I will use canvas with staples on the side... who puts staples on the side??? They belong on the back. Check it out, give me some opinions. Feeling very green.

E is for Elephant

"E is for elephants playing croquet,
A very close contest is now underway."

I is for insects

"i is for insects, enjoying a treat.
And those lovely desserts look too good to eat."

I enjoyed drawing insects eating ice-cream. I thought it would be funny, since people do not like insects buzzing around when they enjoy outdoor summertime treats. Plus I wasn't inspired to draw an Ibis for the letter "I". I am always inspired to draw ice-cream, or eat it. Have you ever tried Bassett's ice cream? It has been around since 1861, you can find it at the Reading Terminal in Philly. It is my latest crush! Maybe this blog should be about ice cream...mmm...

bloodhound

acrylic on wood
The Bloodhound, originally from Belgium, has been around since the middle ages. I am a sucker for their "howl" and long droopy ears. When I found this longer piece of wood I knew it would suit the long face of the bloodhound. I worked with washes of acrylic to evoke the feeling of the mossy woods and still let the pattern of the wood show through. Although I often paint on canvas, wood can lend its own personality to a painting.
p.s. soon I will be doing some amazing pieces on some incredible wood!

Z is for Zebra

"Z is for Zebra's, eyeing cake with delight,
One zebra wants chocolate the other wants white."

H is for Hedgehog

"H is for Hedgehog, he's tilling those weeds,
As it soon will be time to be planting some seeds."
My brother inspired this illustration. He can turn any lot into a beautiful garden, and do it quickly.

F is for Frog

This illustration was created with my Pop in mind. He is an amazing canoe builder/restorer! Although there are many other animals that start with the letter F, I think children need to appreciate the beauty of the frog. They are not slimey and gross, but serene, and enjoy long canoe trips in the pond...

illustration

pencil drawing of a little bird cleaning and having her afternoon tea in the kitchen.