Blue Stellar's Jay watercolor

©SandraJessop, Blue, Watercolor, 6x8

Five Little Chickadees, small watercolor

©Sandra Jessop, "Five Little Chickadees", watercolor & ink, 5x7

The Chickadee

by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Piped a tiny voice hard by,

Gay and polite, a cheerful cry,

" Chic-chicadee-dee! " Saucy note

Out of a sound heart and a merry throat,

As if it said, " Good day, good sir.

Fine afternoon, old passenger!

Happy to meet you in these places

When January brings new faces! "

Guitar Walking watercolor illustration

©SandraJessop, Guitar Walking, watercolor, 5x7

Old Man Jasper remembered the days of his youth.  Each year he walked into town with his guitar, hoping to play at Music Days.  The first year they smiled and told him he was too young.  "Come back when you're older," they said.  The second year they chuckled at him, "You need to keep practicing."  So he played day and night for the next year.  The next year they told him he needed more experience.  So he took his guitar with him everywhere in the village and played lovely music.  He strummed in the corn fields, he picked in the barn, and he played at his grandma's funeral.

This year he was older.  And practiced.  And experienced.  This was going to be his year.

The Letter 'A' illustration

©SandraJessop, colored pencil, 8x8

A is for Angels

A is for Apples

A is for Acorns

Map of Davenfield

Map of "Davenfield" 

@Sandra Jessop, watercolor, 8x10

~Elise had a wonderful time visiting her cousins for Christmas, but she couldn't wait to get home and see her animals.  First, she would scoop up the kitty and give her a great big hug!  Next, she'd run to the barn with a carrot for her horse.  

The train ride felt extra long today but soon it was whistling into Chesterport.  Almost home!~

"Plant" for Illustration Friday

So Henry bought his first plant.  He read that keeping an aloe in the house purifies the air.  He wanted to be a healthy bear, so he sat in the chair nearby, and talked to his new plant every day.  After awhile he got tired of calling it "plant" and decided it needed a name.  What is a good name for an aloe?

"Shopping" birds - Illustration Friday

Sandra Jessop, "Shopping", digital watercolor.

Still experimenting with Tayasui Sketches.  My goal today, while cookies baked and chili simmered, was basically to not give up on this drawing, and see it through to a somewhat finished piece.  Are there things I would change?  Sure.  But I'm also trying to be kind to myself and have fun!  Hey, I was successful today.  I created.

Nightmare Bear for Illustration Friday, digital

Well here it is, my first digital submission for Illustration Friday. I’ve been learning how to use Tayasui Sketches on the iPad mini. I watched a few demonstrations and reviews, but had to make my own mistakes. The most important lesson has been how to work in layers. The tool I find most enjoyable is, naturally, the watercolor brush. I played around with the free version over the summer, but finally decided to upgrade to Pro, to give it a fair trial. The more I use it, the more fun it is. Maybe someday I'll be ready for a fancy upgrade, but for now my stylus pen is working.

The bottom image was my first attempt after the "ghost of Christmas Future" stood behind me at a variety show.  It was disturbing.  Though my daughter liked the illustration, I wasn't sure how I felt about it.  So I made the second one above of the small figure being chased by a bear.  Again, it's a learning curve, but at least I've figured out how to mix colors.  So simple.  I'm glad I got this far.

Wealth - for Illustration Friday

"Wealth" ©SandraJessop

It's been awhile since I posted something for Illustration Friday, so here she is!  Queen Isabella.  I consulted my daughter many times to arrive at this final illustration.  We did some drawings and then sat down to paint across from each other.  It's nice to be able to encourage each other that way!

Time Travel for Illustration Friday

"Time Travel" ©Sandra Jessop, Watercolor&Ink 6x8"

I admit, I had trouble with such a broad topic and didn't like any of my initial ideas. I even asked my son for help, hoping for inspiration. I kept thinking of The Time Machine, Dr. Who, and Back to the Future.  I couldn't figure out how to make it my own.

One night as I tried to fall asleep, this image started swirling around in my mind.  I was both thrilled and annoyed.  I was happy I finally had an idea I liked, but irritated at the timing because I was  exhausted and just wanted to fall asleep.  However, I did not get out of bed to draw it, but determined I would remember.

I'd say I'm pretty happy with the finished piece, if I ignore my super critical inner voice.  (She's so picky.)  The steam punk vibe is not something I've tried before, but I might try again.  The research was fun anyway.

Illustration Friday