do you live with a creative genius?

Sometimes it can be a challenge. After all, we creative types can be very demanding and fickle…”Fetch me my paints! No, my watercolors! Now bring out the crayons and markers!” 

I had the young art prodigy in mind when I created this new tee shirt, printed with the words creative genius.

My original illustration is on a white cotton tee. They’re available in two styles and nine sizes. 

$25 (U.S. shipping included)

100% cotton
The image is not printed on the surface. It is dyed into the fibers of cotton, so it feels nice (not stiff).

baby & toddler sizes: 
6 mos, 12 mos, 18 mos, 2T, 3T, and 4T

kids sizes: 
Small 27″ (chest) 18″ (length)
Medium 31″ (chest) 20.5″ (length)
Large 34″ (chest) 23 (length)

(PLEASE INDICATE YOUR SIZE SELECTION IN YOUR PAYPAL MESSAGE. THANKS!)

painting, anyone?

Brandon and I are spring cleaning this weekend. I got a new shoe organizer for my bedroom closet, so my canvas inventory had to find another corner of the apartment to dwell. I didn’t realize how many I keep on hand until I dragged them out! These are the lovely canvases from DickBlick that I use for my custom canvas commissions.

I offer six sizes on my price menu, but I also order extra sizes for custom requests and originals I create for my etsy shop. 

These canvases are fabulous! I have used this brand for almost two years now. The quality has always been super and if there’s a small flaw in the surface, DickBlick is always happy to swap it for a good one. They hand-build each canvas with mitered stretcher bars. The canvas is 7 oz. pre-gessoed, so I can start painting without spending extra time prepping the surface. It’s lovely.

There’s your little glimpse into my studio : ) Happy Easter, everyone!

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed!” –Isaiah 53:5

 

springtime projects

Did you think the blog had gone dormant? I’m sorry that I’ve been away so long. I’ve been so busy with exciting new painting commissions and custom logo commissions that inspire me! So I have this spare minute today and thought I’d share them with you…

12 x 12 canvas painting for Kristie Serra

11 x 14 watercolor for Sarah Wheeler

and here are some logos…

this one is available in my shop

my latest custom designs:

Kristen is so sweet. I love the colors she chose and the type of imagery she likes. We are still working on her custom logo and she is very pregnant…what a trooper!

 

This colorful little number is for Darla Petrich. I love any design request that involves hand-drawn elements!

 

My new design blog is coming soon. I have my Tofurious wordpress template set up (what a process) and now I’m working on the look and feel for the silly thing : )

Take care,

erika j

 

 

take notice! : )

My etsy shop update is going to be Monday this week (March 16). That’s because I’m leaving for a week of fun in Nebraska with my family. I will be in Kearney Saturday, March 21 signing copies of Turner McWerner & Hooch the Pooch, the children’s book I illustrated last summer.

Time for Baby (Kearney, NE) 1-4 pm

Here are a couple illustrations from the book, which will be in stores / online this fall.

for more information, please visit www.thankyoubaby.com

happy weekending!

the latest custom logos

I have to thank all of the wonderful custom logo clients that have brought their unique ideas my way this month. February has been my busiest month with logos since I began in the summer of 2007!

Here are a few new ones (with links to their lovely work) that I’ve rolled out with recently:

Shannon Echlin, photographer

You must see her splash page. It’s amazing!

 

Ruby Joon Studios by Michelle Loewen

and Rebecca Wellman

 

Stacey Cordes Photography

 

a charity by Jillian Kirby & Shannon Stevenson / Lucy Lime Photography

 

Renita Stuart Photography

 

Bohemian Secret by Sonia Macak

 

Kristie Serra Photography

 

Don’t they do lovely work? I have the best clients on the planet. You’ll notice that some of these logos are so new (or still in the revision process). You can always see the latest logos in my flickr gallery dedicated to design! Click here.

Have a great day!

Erika

 

before the weekend…

Thank you for the great response to my shop update this week! I’m happy to see that folks are getting used to my schedule time (Tuesday at 1 pm MTN, in case you were wondering). I wrapped up a new, and quite large, painting on wood for a local juried exhibition and I want to share a couple of photos of it. Brandon made the beautiful wooden frame that I painted it on. 

It is now living at Boxcar Gallery here in Denver. It’s entered in their annual juried exhibition. I will find out on Monday if it made the show or not! *crosses fingers*

What Becomes of Us?

4 ‘ x 2 ‘

details:

 

And here’s a sneak peek at a new original logo in my etsy shop. I will show it off on flickr next Tuesday, but my blog readers get the first shot at it!

So let me know if you’d like me to customize it for you.

Until next time!

erika j

 

 

coming soon…

I have a new little series of paintings coming to Etsy (in the Tuesday update next week). Here is a sneak peek at my favorite so far. Most of them will be small (10 inches or less). I think this one in particular is a perfect little shelf sitter.

It is about 5 inches tall and 3 inches wide.

…I love lavender

 

I signed it on the back

I also have a brand new etsy banner that I like much better than the previous one, so check it out! 

…

I also just finished a cute canvas painting for the sweetest little girl! Her mommy, Amanda Westhart, had some amazing ideas for the piece, including Mr. Bunny who sits by the tree. He is Ava’s favorite friend. I even painted the flowers to match the fabrics in her room.

18 x 18 inches on canvas

good day!

erika j

free template!

With only four days until Valentine’s Day, I’m offering something very sweet. Here is a free 5 x 7 template for you! This card is a completely customizable layered psd file, just like all of the templates I sell. Please use it for whatever you’d like (personal or commercial), and please credit me and my blog.

download by clicking on the image below:

photo by Jonnye Bower

Enjoy!

You can also purchase your choice of my template sets; Vintage Wish, Hip to be Square, and the Garden.

 

Purchase Vintage Wish – $20

 

purchase Hip to be Square – $20

 

purchase the Garden – $25

a summer weekend…in February

The weather is unbelievable here in Denver. It was 53 and sunny today as our guests from Michigan, Ryan and Holly Gauper arrived! We went for a photo adventure this afternoon. One city block took us about an hour. We had so much fun and the Gaupers let me try out one of their matching Canon 5Ds.

Here are the results…a couple shots of Holly.

Thanks for the wonderful time today (and California Pizza Kitchen. Yum!)

Tonight was also opening night for my paintings at Gallery Mio, downtown Denver. I met a lot of inspired people and had a lot of fun.

detail from Endowment

G’night!

erika j

dottie comes to life!

Hi everybody! You might remember this canvas painting I did in December 2007. I named her “Dottie.” She has always been one of my very favorite paintings because I made her for fun and let loose. 

 

Dottie, 9 x 12 inches

Well, this week I got a sweet email from my sister in law, an artist from Nebraska who especially loves art journaling, scrapbooking, and sculpting with polymer clay. She made this!! Can you believe it?

Dottie by Rhonda Kearney

She sits about 4 inches tall and has the cutest striped tights. I feel so honored that Rhonda interpreted her this way. 

Now (3-D) Dottie lives at our house and she’s SO happy here!

Rhonda Kearney’s blog: http://rhonda4kids.blogspot.com/

Rhonda’s Etsy shop is coming soon! When it’s up and running, I will post a link.

In other news from the amazingly talented family I married into, my husband Brandon is working on a new original birdhouse that will land in my etsy shop when it’s finished! I can’t wait!

Love,

Erika