Illustrated Cookbook

I spent many many many hours this summer illustrating a cake cookbook
for Abrams books. It was a dream project, About 75 illustrations of cake,
cocktails, people, florals, patterns, it was right up my alley!
I can show the cover now, Its available on Amazon for preorder..
Publication date is in April. I can't wait to show the rest!

Ship in a Bottle

The mini of Month 4 Bootcamp
class is Ship in a Bottle and all things nautical. I really love the water, the beach, a boat ride but nautical isn't
my go to drawing subject. I put it off the first few days. Today was a beautiful day though so I brought out some scrap paper and watercolors and just played around, I think I'm starting to find some joy in this.. It's just hard to start sometimes..

It's just a matter of getting going.

I did pages of these and had a great time. It's good to venture into subject matter
that doesn't initially excite and explore it. I wonder what the assignment will be next Monday?

New Project

I have lots of ideas for projects this year buzzing around my head.. One is
the commitment to do a painting a day in my sketchbook which I started
about a month ago. I decided though to post them on my website sketchbook
section so they will all stay together. I will continue to add other work, projects and
ideas here. If you'd like I'd love for you to visit me there too.

Paint Sketches for Fun

For relaxation I'm going to spend 1/2 hour every day with my sketchbook,
paint and play. Here are a few pages from Day 1. so much more to come.

On another note, I set up a directory at MOYO and If you'd like to click the
heart and give me some love it would be so appreciated!

Thanks so much xoxoJennifer

A Beginning of a Series

While I was painting my backgrounds the last 2 weeks for Mati's class,
I felt compelled to start a series of memory portraits. I don't know where
I'm going with the other paintings yet but I have a clear vision of what I'd
like to do with these.
I had a very bad spell with my migraines last weekend, basically not being
able to get out of bed. The pain gets so bad but I am still so aware of the
world around me, that it's a beautiful day outside, the birds are chirping, life
is going on around me. I always feel optimistic that I'll be back in real
life soon..(and I am better than I was last year, much better) I want to paint
my isolation, yet the activity and the beauty of nature and friends and family.
I had thought about doing migraine paintings before but I always thought
about them as being dark and dreary, that's not where I am with it now. I am
trying to make something good from the bad. Below is the beginning of a second
painting.

Beach Sketches

My favorite time is our week away on the Cape. Relaxing,
reading, swimming, all those great summer things.. I spent time
painting the bathers at the beach, They are moving around so
much the sketches are really quick gestures, just trying to get
down my observations.

After a few days I moved onto color and birds. I picked up
an old bird reference book at the flea market there and got
some info about the birds.

and this last one I just loved the name of this bird..Dowitcher.

and finally just a few doodles and alphabet for fun.

Enjoy the remaining weeks of summer!

Portraits Day 3

Yesterday was the most beautiful day, it was the perfect temperature
with a nice breeze. (The rest of the summer has been boiling hot or raining)
I decided to get out of my studio and spend time sketching people. I sat in
Central Park in NYC for a long time and sketched the people sunbathing and
walking around.

This morning I started painting from my sketches, Just playing around and
having fun.

Portraits Day2

This is my Mom, her hair was coiffed and she was in a black
dress with a single strand of white pearls. I've been digging
through this giant collection of old photos, I just love drawing
the people and imagining what was going on.

Mom and Dad when they first got married.

I made these ones up.  Just painting to see what will
happen!

Portraits

I'm starting a new personal project. Daily Portraits. I learned so much in
April and May when I did the paintings a day.  I've been wanting
to explore different techniques and play with what I can do with faces
and expressions and stylizing.
I am painting here from my old photo collection. The top middle woman
is my grandmother when she was young, With a mean expression on her face!
The older man is my grandfather.
The lady with the sunglasses is my 5th grade teacher, She had an awesome
square bun smack on the top of her head.

Sketching

Last weekend I visited the new Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia. Loved it
but its a major amount of art to look at. By the time I got to the 2nd floor I had it.
The 2nd floor will be for a future trip. My only complaint with his collection is that
there are way too many Renoirs.. Blah, I don't like them, too sappy and mushy.
But the rest is pretty extraordinary! It was Friday night and they
had a Latin band playing in the huge beautiful atrium, That was a delight, a glass of
Prosseco (and I don't usually drink because of my migraines, but this was so good)!
a small bite to eat and just hanging out sketching the people sitting around.
Below are some snail sketches for my class. My final looks nothing like this
but they were fun to create, The finished is coming soon.

Faces Paint Challenge Day 12

Today a hit a big wall on this challenge. I started and stopped
many different ideas that just were not going to pan out. I
finally settled on practicing some faces. I tried some new
techniques for me, like adding the lines and I like them.
Many times when I have a big block I'll just stop for a while
and do something else but I have promised myself a painting a
day this month so I just pushed through. Better than just posting
a big dot of paint for the day.

IF-Glasses

I'm always struggling to find glasses that
I like on my face. I love when I see people
wearing really cool big colorful ones. How
many pairs do you try on before you find
something you like? It takes me forever...

Dad

My Dad was the wise one, he had a big smile and big heart. He
would entertain us with stories, comfort us, advise us, teach us,
make us laugh and sometimes make us just roll our eyes.
He was a wonderful husband to my Mom for 57 years, a great
father and grandfather, a lawyer, a painter, a sculptor, and a great
friend. Dad died suddenly on Friday night, what a shock.
We will miss him terribly.

This picture is taken many years ago on the "Julian Trivers
Memorial Walk". We took it every year, he with his "Jack",
me with my wine, (I must be holding the photographers beer)
in honor of a neighbor with that name.
Bye Dad, I love you so much.

PS. I've just been reminded.. although Dad is a Jack Daniels guy,
the proper drink on the Julian Trivers walk is a Gin and Tonic.

Resolutions

We all have so many big plans moving into the new year. I want
to find the time to enjoy the moment and do the things I love.
All the things that make me most happy I tend to put aside when they
should be at the forefront. So here they are and let's go.

Peace and Glow

I hope the the New Year brings Peace and Happiness and Health
to everyone.

IF-Zoom

When I have a migraine all I can focus on is my head. 

All these terrible hammer and nails and tanks and bombs

and things just zooming through and it's all black and yucky... 

Today it's gone though so I'm happy again! this image

came to me while I was lying there so at least something

constructive came out of the down time. Sorry for such 

a down post.

IF-Shy

She's a bit reluctant to join the crowd. I feel that way
sometimes, it's easy to be alone. I used an old B/W
photo I found from the 60's as reference for this painting.
She was in a crowd but a little off to the side. I again gave
myself the limit of 1 hour.. It gives me great focus to work
this way.

IF-Book

This is a little glimpse into my studio, a much neater version... My
reference books are all very close to me. I have many shelves of
books scattered all over here, but I keep my favorite ones at the
moment close by, I change them all the time..













Right now a few of them are: a book from the great Swedish designer
Olle Eskell. I first saw his work when I was in Japan, A funky little store
had a show with his drawings and I was hooked. Here is the link to the book.


























I always love to look at Maira Kalman, I started reading every one
of her children's books to my son when he was a kid, now I adore
all her books, the illustrations and the stories about people and places.
So inspiring! I visited her show at the Jewish Museum in NY three
times last year when it was up.

A third book I always reach for is a book of a Japanese applique
artist, Ayako Miyawaki. I was handed down this book, I am so
lucky since now that I've looked around it doesn't seem easy to find.
Her work has a calm simplicity but with pattern and movement and
texture. I find it so beautiful.

IF-Burst

I passed a guy on the street yesterday who was
wearing enormous headphones. I couldn't hear
any of his music leaking out but I could imagine
myself in his head. The whole outside world was
lost on him and everything was about his music,
it was just a bubble. I love going there but I need
to get present and burst that bubble and become
aware of the details. I'm really working on that. Everyday,
noticing the details.

IF-Space

This is an illustration of the "space between". I was starting to draw that
beautiful space between, calmness and beauty but as I was sketching
I starting thinking about communication between people. How the space
gets so heavy.....