Illustration Friday "Shelter"

The newest topic for Illustration Friday is "shelter." The image above is the one that I drew this week.

The one below is an older piece that I remembered for inspiration. I've seen my style of illustration change over the years. Critiques that I received from art editors at various SCBWI events, encouraged me to simplify my characters' expressions. Over the years of posting to this blog, I have accumulated hundreds of drawings that record the evolution of my work. I am always astounded by how many pieces I have, when I look through my files of art work. 

I recently bought the book, "the life-changing magic of tidying up" by Marie Kondo, and loved her concept of keeping things that "spark joy"and getting rid of the other things that clutter up one's life and home. Getting rid of clothes and books is relatively easy, but I imagine artists everywhere are laughing when it comes to all the "stuff" we couldn't bear to part with, or need for our creative processes! As I am on my February break from school this week, I am continuing the process of "tidying" and organizing, and throwing out the useless items. It's very easy to get side-tracked while going through my studio spaces though, as I find myself lingering over pieces and stuff that forgot I even had!