I am delicious

All the deer ticks agree
Originally uploaded by relentlesstoil.

...and I have been very, very sick! I missed the silent auction of my prints and everything (although I understand that everything sold, which is wonderful).
I am feeling great now, I expect a full recovery thanks to early diagnosis, and I am slowly getting back into my drawing.

There go my babies!

preparing prints for the silent auction
Originally uploaded by sammy baby.

On Saturday my husband and daughter and I carried a big box of my prints (each one nicely mounted and framed and sporting a personal letter from the artist -- that's me) to the NICU that saved my daughter. They're having a silent auction later this month to raise funds and I'm thrilled to be able to help out.

il signore Pancake

il signore Pancake
Originally uploaded by relentlesstoil.

It's that time again... Illustration Friday this week is "cake". I had to be a little different.

Illustration Friday: Sorry

Illustration Friday: Sorry
Originally uploaded by relentlesstoil.

It's that time again. I did a little bit of research to draw this picture and it turns out that my square and uncool friends and I were far off the mark in our guesses as to what emo really is. Like, we thought John Mayer and whatsisface, that guy in the Prada outfits, oh yeah Duncan Sheik, were emo. So I am sorry for that, too. I'm gonna use age as my excuse. :)

Redemption Games

Redemption Games
Originally uploaded by relentlesstoil.

This is for Illustration Friday, topic "angels and devils". It's the Jersey Devil!

Happy Mother's Day 2006

Happy Mother's Day 2006
Originally uploaded by relentlesstoil.

Another Illustration Friday Drawing

Work No Longer in Progress
Originally uploaded by relentlesstoil.

The topic: "fat". Half of my purpose in doing this was to see if I would enjoy having orange walls in my bedroom. I have very similar bedding -- it's all IKEA.

Illustration Friday: Under the Sea

Jerome the Fish
Originally uploaded by relentlesstoil.

This drawing features my good old betta-fish Jerome, who will not die. Click the picture to learn more (on flickr).

I am alive and well, and stuff

...but my husband had a touch of the plague, so to protect our daughter's preemie-lungs I was doing a little bit of the single parent thing for a few days, and having some just-mom-and-Maya time. It was tiring and logistically dicey but sweet; the baby did not get sick; and it all sorta fulfilled my Gilmore Girls guilty pleasure dream where we have the house to ourselves and spend hours trading wacky girly dialogue. We missed our Sam though, and vice versa.
He is all better again, and I am off to catch up on sleep, and think of what to draw next.

No Kicking

No Kicking
Originally uploaded by relentlesstoil.

There are times we all need a kick in the pants. For my friend Amy, now is really not one of them. So this is for her, but you should also feel free to grab the PDF (460K), color it in if you want, and use it where and when it's needed most.

Illustration Friday: Robot

Illustration Friday: Robot
Originally uploaded by relentlesstoil.

This week's Illustration Friday topic is "robot".
I wanted to see if I can actually draw Japanese-manga-anime style (DUDE! I can!) and at the same time I wanted to express how completely perplexed I am by what little anime I catch very late at night on Cartoon Network when I'm too punchy to sleep. I find it completely bizarre.
I used to love Robotech back in the day, though. :)

Squiddy McScribbles

Squiddy McScribbles
Originally uploaded by relentlesstoil.

The first print of Squiddy McScribbles just rolled out of the printer and turned a cranky hour of the evening (you know -- that late hour after you pay your bills and fret over why your baby is having so much trouble sleeping) into something much more delightful. This is like the haaaaaapppppiest thing I have ever drawn. Notice I have carefully steered away from applying a gender. I have no idea.

Hugging

Hugging
Originally uploaded by relentlesstoil.

Today I was sick with the respiratory version of the creeping funk. My daughter is an ex-micropreemie with chronic lung disease, and although she's doing fabulously, I didn't want her to get sick, too, so I stayed away from her all day. Didn't hug her. Drew. Drawing is like breathing for me but MAN. I missed my kid something fierce.
I was also thinking about the big, bone-crunching hugs my mom doles out.
This is available from the print shop.

A new blog (again)!

I'm re-purposing my web site and simplifying my blogging tools. My (equally fabulous and beleagured) husband Sam slaved away at configuring a Ruby on Rails blogging application for me but ultimately it didn't integrate with Flickr well so -- I made him yank it out. He is the true geek of the family; I am kinda more and more on the poseur side of Information Technology.
In all of this transition I did not archive (for public display, that is) any of the blog articles that chronicled my family's experience with microprematurity (due to severe pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome my one and only daughter was born 12 weeks early weighing 1lb 12oz, or 798g). I am however very, very happy to help out any families that are going through similar experiences by sharing stories, advice, etc. Just ask. This is also a great opportunity for me to plug my charity prints for the March of Dimes. The March of Dimes supports research into the causes and conditions of prematurity.
This blog, though, is mostly going to be about purty pictures. :)

testpost

testpost. la la la.