Monday, September 13, 2010

Fall...

Fall is certainly in the air, here in Ohio...
And I am welcoming it as a time for change!!!

My life has been chaotic and stressful in the last year and I am hoping that I can use fall to put all that in the past and look forward to a lot of great opportunities and positive changes!!!

This past week, I took an entire week off from the day job and freelance work... I haven't had an entire week off, since, well, never! And during that week I stayed home with my dog Ananke, watched movies, sports, cleaned, de-cluttered and did a few pieces of "for fun" art!!!!

Above is the one I finished this weekend.
This sketch has been in a sketchbook for a LONG time and is one that I have always wanted to put color into...

Well, here he is... A squirrel admiring the hoard he has gathering so far...

Enjoy! And here's a wish that we each have a wonderful September!!!

6 comments:

Ginger*:) said...

Nikki what a wonderful way to approach a new season, with joy and anticipation. Your illustration is wonderful and I would recognize it as your style right away. That is a gift for any illustrator. Wishing you a wonderful September and beyond!

Nikki said...

Thanks, Ginger!!!

Things are looking up!!!
Here's wishing your September will be wonderful too!!!
And all the other Picture Bookies, too!!!

Nikki said...

Thanks, Ginger!!!

Things are looking up!!!
Here's wishing your September will be wonderful too!!!
And all the other Picture Bookies, too!!!

Roberta said...

Too cute Nikki! Happy Fall!

Vanessa Brantley Newton said...

Gosh Nikki, It's funny how people seem to think that being a freelance illustrator is easy work. You work from home and get to sit around all day and draw. I mean how hard and stressful could that be right???? VERY STRESSFUL when you keep doing it over and over and over and over again with a break. I am sooooo glad that you took sometime for yourself. My jobs have been back to back to back. I picture book is suppose to take at least a year to finish , now they have even shorten this time. It's amazing!! I hope that you got to do some of things that you wanted to do. Even if it was cleaning or chilling with the dog. I hope you did you!!!
Take care
V

Nikki said...

Thanks Vanessa!!!

Funny thing is, I still carry a day job separate from freelancing... I am the Public Relations Assistant/Graphic Designer for a library system in Ohio. So, I go to work, then come home and do more work. Though right now I am only working on freelance project, but with the way it is looking, it could be a long project!!! I've already been working on it since February. It is an educational project and I am doing both the illustration and the design work on it.... But so far, it has been a blast!!!