Watch this bunny

Just watch it.

Island of the Blue Dolphins - cover

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell was one of my favorite books when I was a kid. In general I loved (and still love) stories about people being stranded on islands.

For my perspective class, I had to create five finished illustrations for a story. Somehow Island of the Blue Dolphins popped into my head. I read it in about a week, and it was still as fresh and engrossing as the first time I read it. I highly recommend it.

Anyway, this is my idea for the cover. I'm not a graphic designer, but I still enjoy putting type on my book cover designs. It helps me imagine them on the shelves of a bookstore.

Do you know of any other good books about people being stranded on islands, besides Robinson Crusoe and The Swiss Family Robinson? Please tell me, I need more!

Mother's Arms

I created this drawing a few days ago, and it just now occurred to me that it was appropriate for mother's day. I was trying out a more linear, graphic style in this illustration.

Today is the last day of class for the semester, so I gotta get going!

Art as Fencing

"To one who fences or has used the broad sword a feeling for oppositional line should come as second nature. A long sweeping stroke must be parried or opposed frankly; the riposte must also be parried. A bout is a picturesque composition of two men and two minds in which unity of the whole and of the parts is preserved by the balance of opposed measures. The analogy is appropriate. The artist stands off brush in hand and fights his subject to a finish, the force of one stroke neutralizing and parrying another." 

- Henry Rankin Poore, Pictorial Composition and the Critical Judgement of Pictures

It's A Kelley!

"Remembrance" by Jinyoung Park

Last week I went to my friend Jinyoung's solo show, "Rebirth." This portrait of myself was part of a series of paintings featuring young women holding white flowers, as "pure images, like goddesses," Jinyoung says. All I can say is finally someone recognizes me for the goddess I am. I mean jeez, it's about time.

That's Jinyoung in the middle, surrounded by her "models."

If you want to see the rest of the series, check out Jinyoung's website. She had a very lovely show and I look forward to seeing more work from her in the future.

Nightingale - Book Cover

Ta-da, the final piece of the Nightingale section of my thesis. This is a wraparound book cover. I tried to incorporate elements of all the interior paintings, which you can see here if you haven't already:

Nightingale - Part 1
Nightingale - Part 2
Nightingale - Part 3
Nightingale - Part 4

Interview with Chaos Magazine

Lookit me, I have an interview just published in Chaos Magazine, an online art and fashion magazine. I had a one-hour Skype session with the author, Adriana Scott, and she asked me a lot about my influences and childhood. It was fun, and made me think more about my own artwork.

One of the first things Adriana said to me was that my work doesn't really have a dark edge to it. "It's very whimsical," she said. I laughed, because it's true. Perhaps because I had a very happy childhood, I just don't really feel a need to express any inner angst through art. How very un-artist-y of me, right?

At the same time, I don't want to draw all sparkly butterflies and rainbows all the time. (Although, yes, that's basically what I did when I was little.) I want my illustrations to generally feel charming and inviting, but also grown-up enough to be intriguing and unique. Never cliche or expected. That's my goal, anyway.