Haunted House and a Pug

Last week I painted the Halloween theme on 

If  I Were A Toy store's front door.

Enter at your own risk...

I painted it as a continuation of last year's door (below), so

you can probably spot some of the same costumed characters

making their way to the haunted house.

I'm happy to report that these Pug Wonder tees, prints & bags

are en route to an APARN fundraising event in Mesa, Arizona.

APARN is an Arizona Pug Adoption & Rescue Network

Go Pugs Go!

Have a nice productive week. 

As always, thanks for stopping by!

xo, A

Walking Papers and a Party

:: Just Got Our Walking Papers :: 

Birds, Owls and Foxes - Have they reached their Saturation Point?

If you haven't seen Lisa and Bryce Put a Bird on it 

in Portlandia, one of my personal faves, then you're really

missing something!

I made this sketch as a joke, of course, but it's interesting to see how long certain trends last.

People really really like birds.

That being said, I have new Art Prints on sale 

in my Society 6 shop, where you will see some birds and

maybe a fox or two, too :')

:::

Here in Brooklyn, I recently revisited a wonderful shop

down in Red Hook called Brooklyn Collective.

Co-Founders, Rachel Goldberg and Tessa Williams just celebrated their 8th Anniversary. 

The talented array of artists and designers, involved in this cooperative effort,

share the cost of rent and retain 100% of their profits. 

You'll find everything from jewelry, ceramics, furniture,

furnishings, pillows, bags, clothing, including some very

sweet kids' clothing,

stationery, cards, make-up & more!

Above, Zexter, Leslie and Trish pose outside the store,

while musicians start the celebration Friday night.

Below, a small sampling of products for sale here...

Fun pillows by In the Seam

Find plenty of animals (& yes birds) plus taxi cab, candy corn, sewer cover, 

and ice cream truck pillows, available in their Etsy shop.

Jessica Allyn Design & Decor, great color!

Cool handmade ceramics by Jessie Lazar

each piece is one of a kind.

caught stealing, lost her hand ;)

I had to buy a set of postcards by Life with Tigers 

They also sell their cards, prints & dolls on Etsy

Frogs! Love this bag by Design and Labor

Hello Brooklyn!

View from Brooklyn Bridge Park

This little bear with the Super-Fab eyebrows

is mine all mine! * I love her *

You'll find more like her at Bopkat Vintage, as well as clothing & accessories

from the 1950s & 60s

It's right around the corner from Brooklyn Collective, 

117 Union Street at Columbia.

:::

Have a wonderful week ahead!

Thanks for stopping by,

xo, A

Back to School!

It's Back to School time!

I just painted If I Were A Toy store's door in the nick of time. 

These animals are en route to PS58 here in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn.

Bear and bird chat about summer adventures

Slightly confused mouse goes through the motions

little bunny sports over-sized backpack

Teacher lugs books to class, while a 

couple of critters hitch a ride

Shy, but curious raccoon skips the 1st day

Excited skunk can't wait to begin, hopes to make

teacher's "pet" this year

I love painting this door over & over. I've learned a lot

painting on glass, such a fun smooth surface, the paint simply glides!

:::

My friend, Robin, took the top photo of me with the door

before walking down to Red Hook this weekend to shop some of 

the charming shops like Brooklyn General, Bopkat Vintage, Union Max, 

and Brooklyn Collective which I love! It's expanded a great deal since I was last there. 

I'll post more about these spots next time.

For now, here are a few shots of Brooklyn Bridge Park at the end of the day.

This is my first visit back (besides riding by it) since they began construction.

It's fantastic!

Volley Ball

I actually included information about the development on 

one of my early posts about Brooklyn Heights Promenade

and it's a little embarrassing to admit that I have not gone 

down until now to take advantage and appreciate all they've done!

Above, Robin tastes wine at Waterfront Wines.

A nice way to close the day.

I'll post more about the mini shopping spree next time.

:::

Enjoy the rest of Labor Day!

Thanks for taking a look :)

xo, A 

a Botanist Owl & some Sketches

Last week's topic for Illustration Friday was "Teacher"

I made this little picture of an owl teaching animals about botany at the 

Botanical Gardens.

It didn't make "Pick of the Week" but it did garner several likes & comments 

on Facebook, so that's something :)

This was a sketch for the same topic where the teacher is guiding students 

through the Museum of Modern Art.

I've only recently started submitting pieces to IF

Whether you're a novice or pro, its good practice to have

a new theme to illustrate each week.

Above, an upset bear complains about his broken toy plane.

Not sure why I drew this one, but it could make it into a story line.

This I call simply, Many Animals. Quite a few of them

can be found in my Subway Series. 

Can you spot which ones?

Sal skunk is a central character in the Subway story and here

he does a little soul searching.

He feels less lonely when he feeds the birds.

It makes them all so happy!

and finally, Brooklyn Buckaroo 

This buckaroo bun is being printed on some cute baby tees

for a lucky Brooklyn shop. I'll let you know

how they turn out.

Thanks for taking a look.

Have a good week ahead!

xo, A

Drawing and Playtime

Drawing helps to make sense of the world around you.

I, myself, mostly sketch, draw and paint little animals.

I was impressed by this young elephant's skill at sketching people ;)

Last week, I attended Playtime New York,

an International trade show for the children's market.

I went with my friend, Robin, and I had the pleasure of meeting her friend,

Gabriela, the mastermind behind Gabriela Pardo, Things WE Love

Gabriela lives and works in Berlin, Germany with her lovely family.

These guitar-pillows are perfect for travel, as demonstrated below by her daughter. 

They're a big hit in Europe, soon to be here, too!

Playtime NY was in Soho and it showcased a select group of 

charming clothing, accessory and toy companies.

Here, I pose with Gabriela's sweet puppets. I would buy one of her bags for myself .

:::

Below is Lewis Toad and Oliver Mouse, 

created by one of my favorite companies, Hazel Village

It turns out they're made here in Brooklyn, which makes me happy,

 since I know where to find them ;)

just spreading the word...

To see more from the show, clothing in particular, visit Circus Magazine

a cute German kids' fashion & lifestyle blog.

Have a productive and/or relaxing week.

Thanks for stopping by! 

xo, A

                                                                                   

ice cream ice cream, we all scream for ice cream!

This is  Rosco & Blippy Bun's Brand New Ice Cream Shop

It took time and hard work, but Grand Opening Day 

could not have felt, or tasted, any sweeter.

With some last minute touches to their sign, Rosco and Blippy were ready for business.

Only a handful of customers came on that 1st day, 

but by the 2nd ...

the word had spread.

It was almost more than they could handle,

almost!

:::

:::

Enjoy a refreshing cone today and don't forget the sprinkles ':)

: See more at AllynHoward.com :

Have a great week!

xo, A