Hoppy Easter!

Bunny Wishes © Diana Ting Delosh
Prismacolor pencil & watercolor  WIP experiment
for #colour_collective #emeraldgreen

Bunny wishes everyone a very 

Hoppy Easter!

Twitter & Creativity: #colour_collective

Ballerina Bunny
© Diana Ting Delosh
Ink & Watercolor
for #colour_collective Pale Pink 3/6/15
I will probably be making this illo into product designs for my POD stores

One of the things I love about Twitter is the art challenges and artist community. I'm currently doing my best to keep up  with #colour_collective, the brain child of the talented illustrator, Penny Nelville Lee, @PennyNevilleLee .  #colour_collective is a weekly art challenge where participants create an illustration any media/subject - based on the weekly "it" colour and post their illo on Fri on or after 7:30pm GMT (2:30pm/3:30pm NYC time depending on daylight savings time) or as close to it as possible. The next week's colour is announced on Saturday. So you have a week to come up with something to share with your fellow illustrators. From the looks of it, the majority of participants are creating fresh works vs sharing already created art.

Cupcake Fox
© Diana Ting Delosh
Ink & Watercolor
for #colour_collective Flame Orange Light  2/27/15
Think this will make a cute birthday card.

 I've only done a few weeks of #colour_collective here and there but I'm finding it a lot of fun and a bit addictive. I've decided to do whatever comes to mind. Could be a technique I want to try or my old stand by. My thing is to create something fast and furiously, stay loose, enjoy the process. Even if I can't do an illo for the week I find I must check out everyone else's pieces. I am always amazed and inspired by all the great art.

Thumbelina
© Diana Ting Delosh
Ink & Watercolor & Photoshop
for #colour_collective Powder Blue 2/13/15
Liked the way how this one turned out may use this on my promo postcard.
- Made the portfolio.

 What I've found is that's it's helped boost my creative productivity. Sure not everything I've done is portfolio worthy but I've brought doodles to finish that I wouldn't have if I hadn't decided to participate. Experimented versus just thinking of experimenting. Best of all I've worked on more personal art than I normally would have. All good stuff.

Puppy Love
© Diana Ting Delosh
Ink & Digital Color Experiment
for #colour_collective Flame Red 2/6/15
thought this would work as a fun Valentine so it's in my POD stores - ready for Valentine 2016

If you're curious and on twitter, check out: #colour_collective

Follow: @PennyNevilleLee @dtdelosh

Please feel free to join in the fun.

Penny announces the new colour on saturdays

Everyone posts their illos on Fridays after 7:30 pm GMT

Opera Rose Girl
© Diana Ting Delosh
Experimenting with Black Prisma Color Pencil & Digital Color
My first #colour_collective Opera Rose 1/9/15 

#PicturesMeanBusiness - Credit the Illustrators

Logo by Sara MacIntyre
http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/

SO what does the above title mean? or refer to? Well click on the following link and read the very thought provoking post by Sara MacIntyre: #PicturesMeanBusiness

In short, We illustrators mean business. Illustration is a real profession and our illustrations enhance and add value. Too often the author of a book is mentioned but the illustrator is not, nor the designers. BUT would that book have even been given a second glance without the addition of the illustrations or thoughtfully designed type and cover???? The #PicturesMeanBusiness tag is meant to help bring awareness to the illustrators and illustrations in the biz. The post is a call to urge recognition for our profession and credit for our hard work wherever they appear but specifically in publishing. How can the value of illustration be quantified if there is no or limited data?

Happy Year of the Sheep, Ram, Goat!

Zen Ram © Diana Ting Delosh
Ink watercolor & Photoshop

Happy Year of the Ram! 

Wishing All Good Luck, Prosperity and Happiness 

in the coming year.

Last but not least a Creative and Productive year too.

Chinese New Year began on Feb 19, 2015 and there's 15 days to celebrate the beginning of the New Year.

In case you're wondering about the indecisive nature of  the Animal of this year, it's because the Chinese word doesn't translate neatly to sheep or goat (rams are male sheep)... however I'm sure the animal in question minds. 

FYI: My Zen Ram illo may be found: 

on Cards at greetingcarduniverse.com/dianascards

as an Art Print  and other nifty products on society6.com/dianadelosh

on t-shirt & mugs at zazzle.com/deloshdesigns*

Thumbelina: Sleep - Illustration Friday

Thumbelina © Diana Ting Delosh
Ink, watercolor and Photoshop

I've been thinking that I'd like to work on a series of Fairytale inspired art for awhile but it's only recently that I've actually put pen to paper.  I like the theme of fairytales because:

• I love them

• A lot f the stories involve people and I need more of them in my portfolio

• Versatility -  can be classic or  re-imagined as modern day fantasy. Full color or black & white, for the pre-K set or even YA or even just as handlettering.

Every now and then synchronicity occurs. This year I have a chance to submit a Fairytale illustration for an upcoming  CBIG group show.  Incidentally I'm currently doing the KidLitArt Challenge #kidlitart28, 28 illos in 28 days, can be just doodles or even finished art. Which started me doodling fairytale related art amongst other things. I also participate in a weekly twitter illustration challenge #colour_collective,  based on weekly colors. Last weeks color was Powder Blue a very dreamy color. So of all my doodles I chose to work up Thumbelina. Which just happend to feature a Sleeping Baby, Perfect for Illustration Friday's current topic: SLEEP. Tah Dah - illustration challenge trifecta!

Dickens: CBIG illustration Exhibit 2015

Ghost of a Wedding Cake Art Prints  may be purchased at
Society6.com/dianadelosh

My Biro (ball point pen) Illustration, A Ghost of a Wedding Cake, Inspired by the Charles Dickens novel, Great Expectations is hanging in...

Dickens, A Celebration In Pictures

Feb 5 - 21, 2015

Poe Park Visitors Center Gallery

1640 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY 10458

Open: Tues - Sat, 8am - 4pm 

   

Along with the art of my fellow CBIG  artists:

Lisa Cinelli, Diana Ting Delosh (me), Peggy Dressel, Laura Goetz, Leeza Hernandez, Sara Kahn, Doreen Marts, Donna Miskend, Marilyn Papas, Clare Pernice, Roberta Rivera, Vicky Rubin, Cheryl Taborsky, T. T. Tyler

For more info and schedule of events Please click on the following link:

CBIG EXHIBITS AND EVENTS: DICKENS TRAVELS- Dickens, A Celebration In Picture...: SCHEDULE OF EVENTS  EXHIBIT INFO DICKENS, A CELEBRATION IN PICTURES ILLUSTRATIONS BY THE CHILDREN'S BOOK ILLUSTRATORS GROUP S...

A List and a Mind Shift

Being a freelance illustrator, or as I prefer an independent illustrator, means life doesn't always hum along smoothly. In fact it usually means life moves at a herky jerky pace. Somedays you're rushing to meet deadlines. Other days you're wearing a hole in the rug with your pacing as you wait for art directors & buyers to make a decision on your art. Then there are the lulls between jobs when you're waiting, just waiting for something to happen, checking your e-mail, phone, twitter feed anything. And yes, I believe this kind of waiting is the worst.

In a perfect world, life as an illustrator would hum along, full of wonderful, creative, well paying dream assignments, projects. And of course all your clients would give you due dates that gave you ample time and your art would be rubber stamped OK. But real life sucks. And I bet all your  deadlines, like mine, seem to clump together on the same days no matter how hard you try to schedule them. Which means you're waiting to hear back from everyone at the same time...always. In between those mad rush periods there are stretches of nothingness.

So what's the trick to keep yourself from getting too nutty?  I mean after you've gotten bored with walking in circles and starring at your in-box what's next. May I suggest a list and a mind shift?

I keep a list of back burner projects. These could be anything from messing with my new color pencils, participating in a group art challenge, to working on a picture book dummy. A trick I learned as a mom was that big projects can be broken down to it's smallest components. Keep working those small bits and eventually that picture book dummy gets done.

Now for the mind shift. Think of yourself as an Independent Creative. Freelance Artist, Independent Artist, don't they mean the same thing? Yes. Perhaps. But here's the implied difference as a freelance artist your'e looking for freelance work or looking to be hired, commissioned, assigned. You work as a freelancer. In other words looking and waiting for someone to say yes. However as an independent artist you may be looking for freelance work BUT you are also coming up with your own projects perhaps even self-publishing. You are no longer just waiting for someone to give you a project. You can come up with your own. Granted you may still be submitting that project and waiting for approval or putting it out there yourself and waiting for sales. Unfortunately the waiting part can't be helped.

So Diana, you say, noticed that your website says: Diana Ting Delosh is an illustrator/author. She creates whimsical and elegant art, independently and by assignment. Why aren't you calling yourself an independent... Well for awhile I did, but then I kept getting queries about whether I took on freelance assignments. Duh!

Happy 2015 - Resolutions

It's that time again. Time for list making and reviewing the past year, all in hopes of making the new year a better year. So what have I resolved to do to make 2015 my best year ever or at least a better year? I won't bore you with my whole list but I will share a few that may be relevant to other illustrators, creatives and freelancers.

FINISH Things!
I seem to have ended 2014 with a slew of unfinished projects or things in need of revisions etc. Probably because in between jobs I worked on personal projects but had to put them aside until...  Now I have a lot of loose ends that need tying up and they're bugging me. So - I will continue to create furiously BUT I will do my best to finish them, beginning with those pesky projects that are haunting me.

Build up my Illustration Portfolio
There's always room for improvement. More Black & White art: line and grayscale art. People. I love drawing animals but I need more people in my portfolio.  Continue having fun with hand lettering. Lastly, experiment with a new illustration technique or two. Have fun. Keep it fresh. If you don't enjoy your art you can't expect someone else to.

4 Postcard Mailings
I've been resolving to do 3 - 4 Postcard mailings for years but last year was the first in long time that I actually did 3 mailings. One of the things I "got" in 2014 because I finally figured it out. Step 1 - Update my Master List as I go. Step 2 - Create lots of new art -so I have something to pick from when it's time to create a new promo postcard. Must create to have something to promote.

Document my creative process
In 2014 I sketched/created oodles more than in previous years but half the time I never posted/tweeted etc. about it. Unfortunately in the digital age it seems as if things only exist if you have posted tweeted or shared it digitally in some fashion. I am resolving to blog/share with purpose to get the "right" eyes on my art.

Wishing all a Happy, Creative, Productive and Prosperous New Year!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas
Peace, Comfort and Joy
to ALL this Holiday Season!

Winter Raccoon Girl
© Diana Ting Delosh
Ink Watercolor & Photoshop 

I know, I can hear you: Raccoon Girl, now that's a lame name. Agreed, but until I come up with a wonderful name that matches her character I'm referring to her as Raccoon Girl because it is so generic  and begs to be changed. Currently I've been tossing about Racquel - but Racquel Raccoon is perhaps too euphonious and then there's Rosie which is less so. Anyway stuff to mull over while I stay cosy in my winter den. Ahem, I mean studio.

Mr. Squirrel's Apples - E Book illustrations

Mr Squirrel's Apples,
story by Olivia Grey,
Illustrated by Diana Ting Delosh,
Published by  Farfaria 2014

Click to preview a few pages of the latest e-book Mr. Squirrel's Apples that I illustrated for Farfaria. A fun math, counting, subtraction, concept story. Another fun ink , watercolor and Photoshop illustration assignment. Below are 2 illustrations from the book. They are page 4 and page 12.