Live to Create|Create to Live

Happy Father’s Day

Happy Father’s Day to J who is the best father to C & M.

We love you!!

Why I’m An Illustrator

Let’s start with the obvious—I love color, shape, line, the human form, beauty, imagining spaces & places, expression, psychology, and best of all: working with art materials—paint, paper, glue, crayons, Wacom tablet, Illustrator, Photoshop, Flash, InDesign & Dreamweaver.

I like to collaborate. A good collaboration is like a great conversation—balanced in its give and take, seeking to bring out the best in each participant and marked by serious thought sprinkled with good natured humor.

I like the give and take of the art directing process. It’s like a dance—sometimes I’m asked to take the lead and guide the idea from start to finish and other times I’m asked to be led by the process—trusting that my ideas won’t be stomped on.

I like to think outside the box. The act of illustrating something takes you out of your comfort zone. You push yourself to come up with a new concept, a new way to imagine the world all the while asking yourself if your ideas will connect with the viewer of the illustration and if the image fits the objectives of the project.

I like to have a box to bump up against. When I have constraints: size of image, usage, objectives of the project and client’s needs, I feel free to examine every idea within those constraints. As odd as it sounds it is liberating to have boundaries. It makes one push all the more to find a fresh creative way to solve the problem.

I like the idea of multiples and lack of preciousness. I was drawn to illustration and printmaking because you make one image and then multiples of it are created so many can see the image and therefore it can have more of an impact. It’s akin to an introvert vs. an extrovert: It’s not one image sitting in a quiet gallery somewhere. It’s many versions of one image going out and about and interacting with others.

I like the intersection of logical thinking and creative thinking. An illustration project involves black and white/logical elements. What size is the image? How will it be used? Who is the user group? How will it be printed? When is it due? What is the budget? And then there is the creative process. The client wants to create the feeling of x + y so what elements do I need to bring this together? What’s a new way to present the human form? The creative thinking is endless but also needs to be tempered because a deadline is a deadline.

I like deadlines. Yep. I like to know that something has a beginning and an end. I like the feeling of beginning a project and then the satisfaction upon completion of the project. I met the challenge. Much like a marathon, it’s good to just run but it’s also great to bump up against the finish line knowing you went from point A to point B with grace and finesse and in the prescribed amount of time.

I always liked show and tell. I think many illustrators have that forever kindergartener in them that LOVES to get praise for hard work done and a product to show in the end. I love the feeling of seeing a package I illustrated in the hands of a grocery clerk as they run it across the scanner. And yes, I have piped up occasionally to say, ” I illustrated that package.” It feels good. I can’t deny it and the five year old in me can’t help but be happy.

Always furnish paint

"Kate a.k.a Mom" Copyright 2010 CBHall

I remember years ago when acquaintances heard that I encouraged my children to paint—at home. They were stunned. “You Allow Your Children To Paint In Your House?!” They noted that they didn’t allow any paint in their house because their children would Make A Mess.

So all these years later I’m happy to report that our house survived—-and this is what you get when you furnish art materials to young’ens—-creativity wrapped up in a big swatch of love. So I encourage all parents to make many art materials available to their children. The only hazard is that you may swear off looking at any art found in museums & galleries—because nothing compares to art made by children.

Love.love. love it!

My favorite creations

Yep, these would have to be my finest creations ever. They are like bright sparkly lights in my life and I’m truly blessed to be called their mother.

So here’s to all the mothers out there who use all of their creative energies to love, teach and guide their wee ones. And a special thanks to my mother and all the “extra” mothers in my life who have loved and guided me to this place.

I’m in love

I’m in love with spring. After our long hard winter I just can’t get enough of the birds chirping happily every morning outside our window, our garden bursting forth with color, zany squirrels chowing down at the bird feeder…it’s all so wonderful!

Persistence

I think I can I think I can I think I can...

Piece 'O Cake

Let's how they rigged this puppy...

Just about have it...

I can do this...!

Almost there...!

Happiness!

I love how these pesky little creatures teach us so much about persistence and hanging in there—it’s corny but true; nature teaches us so much about how to approach life. We just need to take time to look and listen. Have a great day!

Happy Happy Earth Day!

Here’s to all the folks who make little changes in their lives like: recycling their household waste, buying locally grown produce, making friends with so-called weeds like dandelions and creeping charlie and refusing to use lawn chemicals—I salute you and your efforts to be good stewards of this good earth.

Proud mama

I wanted to share this fun little illustration I did for a musician whose fingers seem to fly whenever they touch the ivories. It’s been a pleasure to watch her talent and passion for jazz grow over these past eighteen years and so I was very pleased when asked to illustrate this invitation.

Chores

A little sketch to illustrate all that’s taken me away from this blog—springtime chores! After a very long and snow-filled winter it is such a blessing to be outside; hearing the birds chirping away, watching chubby squirrels munching away on sunflower seeds from our bird feeder and watching little kids ride their bikes up and down the block. Everyone seems to have a little spring (oops) in their step as they get on with enjoying the beauty all around us. Last night as I drove home from seeing my elderly father, I witnessed a landscape right out of a Grant Wood painting: lush brown just-tilled fields bordered with  strips of bright green grass all set on a backdrop of a dusty blue sky with wisps of clouds floating over…truly breathtaking.

Darwin

Another image from the amazing Field Museum in Chicago. Such a lovely and breathtaking way to illustrate this beautiful quote from Darwin. The whole exhibit was so stunning in its content and design.