Illustration Friday: Shelter

Weekly Topic: Shelter.

drawing last night felt like I was on my own little island.

Illustration Friday: Garden

This garden started from the bench and dreams of what I might have my own garden look like. I was cleaning my yard this past weekend, debris that had been there a year from when I had demolished and rebuilt the termite infested deck. The pile of debris was overgrown with vines that had  crawled their way over and under everything.

I like when nature goes a bit untamed in a yard.
After all, much like a cage for animals, and like many Southern California yards it is contained by an old chain link fence.

Cards available online!

ok, I know you have seen this image before but I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT!!

FINALLY!!! Many of you who live in various parts of the country have been asking for a way to purchase my handmade archival greeting cards. Well, I have a few of them up (close to 80!) phew! 

Still debating if I want to break them up into categories (and what those might be, opinions welcome:) But for now its official they are ready to go and shipping is free.

So go forth and send art one stamp at a time!
http://mkt.com/aliciagorecki

Please help me spread the word!

Illustration Friday: Melt

I'm back. It has been so busy I haven't managed to squeeze in an IF post.  Art Fairs, commissions, Photobooth props, Set Design, Teaching. But finally I had a day, today and I tackled melt.

gouache and ink on arches. The full illustration on right, 10x14" details of two of the cones on left:)

Illustration Friday: Strong

"Strong and balanced, though sometimes hard to see"

painting on paper 10x10"

"Strong and balanced, though sometimes hard to see" 

my response to the #illustrationfriday topic

#strong. Painting on paper. The theme of balance seems to be creeping back in to my work. Such a difficult thing to manage. 

mother + artist + teacher + woman + human + sister + daughter + aunt + friend + lost + found + tired + awake

https://instagram.com/aliciagorecki/

Illustration Friday: Metropolis

 

Illustration Friday: Metropolis

It has been quite some time since my last participation in an Illustration Friday challenge.

I was excited to jump in on this one and play with the idea of a personal metropolis slightly removed from the one just behind. Much like myself. see what else I have been up to by following me on instagram @aliciagorecki

12x18" pen and ink.

Illustration Friday Topic: Wish

10x10in pen, ink, watercolor

Illustration Friday: Novelty

Illustration Friday Topic: Novelty

So last Saturday evening upon returning home from a dinner party with my son, I stopped over at Illustration Friday to check out the weekly topic: Novelty. I put the topic in the back of my mind as my son and I sat down to watch an episode from the 1968 season of "The Munsters". In this particular episode Herman referred to Grandpa's "dragula" dragster coffin car as a novelty. I knew what I had to draw, a few tweaks and her we are, a pen and ink on watercolor paper.

Illustration Friday:Radio

Illustration Friday Weekly Topic: Radio

The peak of Mount Wilson sits in the San Gabriel Mountains looking down on Pasadena where I live and other foothill communities. It is home to a number of solar towers, television broadcast and RADIO relay towers. These are just a few of them.

Illustration Friday:Metamorphosis

I went on a lovely hike yesterday, during which I saw many butterflies, moths and dragonflies.. Seemed the perfect topic for this weekend.

ink and watercolor on 10x14. (I have an ink only detail version on my instagram if you feel so inclined to check that out)

Illustration FridayTopic: Skull

Illustration Friday Topic: Skull

A project I was hoping to be on fell through today, so a skull drawing seemed fitting. Onward to the next, so decking the skull out in pretty patterns holds that hope. 

Illustration Friday: Journey

IF Weekly topic: Journey

I have been playing around with turning some of my previous pen and ink work in to vector illustrations for various purposes. Some for patterns and textile application through screen print, others for possible stencil application. This is one I was imagining on a crosswalk.

Illustration Friday Topic: KING

Weekly Topic King:
Just last night the game of chess was discussed in a book my son
and I were reading together and after he fell asleep, I drew this.

pen and ink in sketchbook, King.

Education History=Utlity

Utility is defined as the state or quality of being useful.

My second utility box design was installed! It sits at the corner of Los Robles and Walnut at the edge of the Playhouse District in Pasadena. It honors investment in education, reflecting and remembering the history of what once stood on the corner opposite its position, in sketchy line, stitched at the seams.

Big thanks to the wonderful Playhouse District Association  for sponsoring the project and so much beautiful public art in the district. 

Illustration Friday: Fragile 2

Well, the topic hasn't changed so I am posting another Haeckel inspired drawing.


Such "fragile" organisms that managed to survive and thrive for centuries... (however are now on the verge of extinction)






I got a new small sketchbook today and its first page provided space for an "Anthomedusae" study. I am going to be live drawing some of these types of creatures along with other things at an upcoming collaboration at REDCAT (part of the Disney Concert Hall complex in Los Angeles) under the direction of the amazing Carole Kim with an ensemble of dancers, musicians and artists. More info and process images to come soon.

Pen and Ink (micron pen) 

Illustration Friday: Fragile

After a morning of participation in a local 4th of July Parade, my son and I opted out of fireworks last night and instead sat drawing. Thinking about the illustration Friday topic : Fragile. This drawing, imagined, but inspired by some small creatures and the self preservation adaptations they take on to evade fragility. We do the same, although I hope my spikes never grow to that proportion.

Illustration Friday: BEARD

Illustration Friday Weekly Topic: BEARD
Ink on paper drawing, scanned and manipulated in photoshop to add the burlap background. 

Wycinanki- Polish birthday card

June 17th marked my grandmother's 98 birthday. She is fiesty, artistic, beautiful, opionated, elegant and able to entertain herself in 5 square feet of space for an entire day by artistically rearranging that which surrounds her. This polish cut paper or wycinanki is for her. I remember making these as a little girl with her, birds and flowers mostly.

Illustration Friday: SUMMER

Illustration Friday topic Summer. So many possibilities for this topic, I might play around with some additional illustrations, but I could not resist a pair of hypnotizing vintage bathing suits. Love stripes and polkadots, and I have a bit of a thing for orange and blue too:)

This is a ink and prisma color drawing with a bit of photoshop manipulation/digital collage. 

IF: Contraption

This past weekend I worked with my son rigging our own contraption, a greywater system from our washing machine to plants in our back yard. Although that might have made a wonderful illustration, the snaking pvc pipe, I opted for this still water related contraption of my imagination.

I call it "The flying, paddling, water suckerupper, squirterouter rain maker"
Here it is in two versions original drawing and digital manipulation.