Little rockstar angel

This little angel I drew a while ago, it was a pitch for packaging for a costume jewellery range for little girls.

New Year, New Look

Happy New Year! And a happy new look, I've been meaning to change my corporate identity for a long time now, but since for some reason it is really hard to design anything for yourself, I've been putting it off. Well I finally got around to it, nothing fancy but it's nice to change things up a bit. This is the black and white version and the colour one is my new header.

Portrait of a llama

I love llamas, here is a portrait I painted of one, sadly I didn't have a llama on hand to pose for me, so had to paint him from a picture.

Wedding invite

I was asked to do a portrait for this couple for their wedding invite. Always hard to do caricatures of people, but it was a fun job. Hoping to see the final invite soon.

Portrait on a windy day

   

I'm Capetonian, as Capetonian as they come as I was born here and have lived here my whole life, so I should by now know and understand the crazyness of a windy day here. Yet due to a horizontal learning curve I still often find myself out in the wind with loose hair and no hairband on my person. But it did give me the idea for this portrait. Painted with the help of a pot of chai tea, roasted and salted nuts and chocolate.

Self portrait

I haven't painted in ages, I bought paint about a year ago and I've never taken them out of the box, but yesterday I had burst of inspiration and painted a self portrait, it was really fun and it's inspired me to get back into painting.

All printed

On Friday I had the invites printed. It was fun picking out paper and envelopes, it was a bit like the scene in American Pscycho where the guys compare their business cards, I stood for ages looking at what is essentially white paper, looking at the different textures and grammages and shades of white, I completely geecked out. I love art supply stores I can easily spend a lot of time and money in them. Anyway once I have selected the right shade of white paper with a pleasing texture I had them printed and I'm pretty happy with how they turned out. And it's always nice to hold a finished product in your hands.

A Karoo wedding

My friends Dave and Lejan are getting married soon, in the Karoo. After 6 years, two ridiculously cute kids and a very long engagement I think we're all pretty convinced they have a good thing going. I like that they've done things the other way round, and it's going to be an awesome wedding. Looking forward to it already.

What I am wearing today

I love putting together an outfit, yes I love clothes and fashion but the truth is I often have no idea what's in fashion and I don't care much about lables or fancy clothes what makes me happy is putting together colours and shapes in a way that I find visually pleasing. But it seems like such a shame when you put together a (in my mind at least) great outfit, wear it to work and go home and that's that. So I decided to start illustrating them. That way at least I have a record of the outfits I liked. Here is todays one.

Throw a drink in someone's face.

I've always wanted to throw a drink in someone's face, the problem is that I'd have to be pretty pissed off with someone to do that and I don't get that angry very easily. I also don't particularly like getting angry so maybe some kind person can volunteer to be on the wrong end of my drink. Anyone?

Tiffany's

I'm not really the kind of girl who gets all excited about jewelery and diamonds, I'd rather go on a overseas trip than get an expensive diamond ring (future husbands take note) but there is something about Tiffany's... It could be that shade of blue or that Audrey Hepburn was in Breakfast at Tiffany's or their beautiful print ads or the pretty jewelery or possible all off those things rolled into one, but I want to get some pretty piece of jewelery in a blue Tiffany box, pretty please. I don't even want diamonds or gold, not a big fan, just some pretty silver thingy a necklace or a bracelet. (again future husbands take note) It would be great to get it as a romantic gift, but if I must I will buy it for myself and act all surprised when I open that little box. At least that way I'll get exactly what I want.

Little ginger monkeys

Number 8 on my bucket list is to see orangutans. I love them, they are such cute little ginger things. It astounds me that anyone would want to hurt them, but they are endangered because they are being killed and their habitats destroyed by palm oil farmers in Indonesia. I've booked a ticket to Indo this past week, so hopefully I will get to see them soon and hopefully these little monkeys stand a chance of surviving, it will be a sad, sad day when they are no more.

My bucket list, a tick and a red dress

So I'm back to illustrating my bucket list AND ticking things off it! I was meant to tick my "run 21km" box a few weeks ago when I went all the way to Knysna to run the Knysna half, sadly the whole thing got cancelled due to bad weather. So I was very happy to find another 21km to run on the 4th of August, but then after getting through practically the whole winter cold free I got a sore throat last Monday, I was so bummed, I just really wanted to tick that box. But by yesterday I was feeling ok and I thought I'd give the 21 a try and it turned out to be a really good race, I did it in 2 hours,luckily it was an easy route, still I'm pretty chuffed with myself and so happy to tick off that box. If you look closely at the group shot of my bucket list illustrations you will see a ticked box, the first! My new entry on the list is to own a red dress, (I don't own one and I think I should) pretty achievable, but I reckon I can throw a few easy ones in there. So if you're in Cape Town and you spot any cute red dresses let me know. As you can tell from the illy I love a dress with pockets.

Chicas locas

More little pictures, one of a fierce dancer and her cat. This one might be slightly autobiographical, except I don't have a cat, but I am a fan of dancing like a ridiculous person, it's hard not to laugh when you're dancing around your flat like a lunatic, it's also amused my family, in fact I did a ridiculous little dance for my dad as part of his father's day gift. He loved it. The other one is actually probably also a little autobiographical as I do like an adventure, I just don't have a dog, or straight hair...

Joan and Jasper

This is Joan and her cat Jasper with matching wintry outfits, because it's been freezing in Cape Town. So much so that I've melted the sole of one of my Ugg boots, because I was snuggling too close to my gas heater. Cold winters are dangerous.

Go skiing

Number 6 on my illustrated bucket list. Skiing is exactly the sort of thing I'd be really bad at, but I'd love to go. Mostly to sit in the chalet on top of the snowy mountain drinking red wine in front of the fire...

Own a pet

I love animals, I love cats. Sadly I live in an apartment and I'm allergic to cats. Someone really needs to find a cure for allergies. So this is a tricky one, it will probably have to wait for one day when I own a house (also on the list)

Hablo Español

Another one to tick off. Two years ago I went to South-America and fell in love with the place. Since then I've been trying to learn to speak Spanish. To be honest though while I was in South-America I was a little too pre-occupied with drinking beer and the hot latino's to really focus on learning a language so true to my hap hazard nature I only really started learning Spanish once I was back in South-Africa. And it's not easy, but I love it. How do you know if you're fluent? well I remember when I lived in Holland waking up one morning and realising that I'd just dreamt in Dutch and that I was thinking in Dutch. I'm Afrikaans so it was relatively easy to get to that point. But that must count as fluent. I don't know if I'll ever get there with Spanish, perhaps if move to a Spanish speaking country? Maybe I should put that on my bucket list as well. Live in Spanish speaking country. I think it's going on.

Number 2 and 3 on my list.

Two more bucket list lilies, I want to have really long hair and I want to run 21km. Both of these are within my reach. If you told me a year ago that I'd be running almost every day and looking forward to running my first half marathon I'd have sincerely questioned your sanity. For me running was something you did when someone or something was chasing you and your life was in danger,but since last year November I've become somewhat addicted to running. Who would've thought. I love it. Running downhill makes me feel like a kid and I can indulge my sugar habit virtually guilt free, because I can just run it off again. Good things. So I'm running my first 21km in July. The Knysna half, hope it goes well, if it does I might have to make a new entry on the list, run a marathon, but one thing at a time. As for the hair, I've always wanted long hair, since I was a kid and my mom insisted on giving me a pudding bowl hair cut whilst I envied my friends pretty long hair. Well my mother isn't in charge of my hair anymore, thank goodness. But I still have never really had very long hair. My hair is fine and damages easily, so to get it long without looking like a witch caught in a storm is somewhat of a challenge, but with the help of some expensive products, I'm getting there, slowly but surely...

My bucket list

Or as I prefer to think of it my To Do list for life. I've had this idea for a while now that I want to illustrate my bucket list. And put it up where I can see it everyday. We don't often think about all the big or not so big things we want to do. it's easy to get caught up in day to day life. But a friend of mine recently passed away and it made me realise again that life is short and fragile and that we shouldn't put off the things we want to do. Not that I will be skinny dipping anytime soon as right now it's winter in Cape Town and outside it is pouring with rain and I'm wearing a fleece (don't worry I won't wear it out into the world) and I have the heater on. So these aren't being illustrated in any order of importance rather what I feel like illustrating at the time. But more to follow soon, it's a long list.