greenbeanbaby art

7 greenbean things to do...

thank you karen of contemporary embroidery and storme of gingillos for awarding me with the "you make my day award...." i'm very honored that these ramblings don't go unnoticed and that people still enjoy the many subjects posted in greenbeanbaby... also, thank you miss odd dotty for tagging me for the meme... instead of blogging of 7 random things, i will tell y'all 7 things on my to do list...

1. ramel's birthday is on march 5th [he'll be 27yrs old] and i've decided to throw him a birthday party on the 8th... he knows of the party but he doesn't know the theme... boy, i wish i could tell you all but he reads my blog... you will have to wait til the following monday to hear all about it...

2. my niece's birthday is on march 21st and her party is that weekend... every year i make an illustration for her... although, last year, i forgot to... so this year i plan on making a bigger illustration with 2 characters [thinking superheroes]... but she won't get it until after april...

3.yesterday a new episode of lost came on and i spent the whole time looking for isabella's earring... in one of her fits, her earring got caught on my sweater and pulled out [shudder]... it will cost $15 to replace that single white gold starter earring... tonight i will vaccum the living room carpet with a handheld vac and sift thru the debris in hopes of finding the teeny stud... i missed most of lost over an earring...

4. at the time i began this blog post [and saved it as a draft] isabella was crying... now, 3 hours later, we are at my mom's house and she is still crying... when she is happy she is VERY happy but when she is sad, she is VERY sad [similar to the girl with the curl nursery rhyme]

5. still steadily working on those etsy goods... but aside from that, i have to complete another abc illustration... the letter Z... thinking "zorro zipping thru the zoo"... that was to be done by tonight but the sketch isn't even coming out good enough so we're pushing it to monday... wait until you get to see the other letters!!

6.as you all know, i've been working on my website too... while searching for cool and beautiful websites to admire and gain inspiration, i found the bestest one ever! elisa chavarri's site is just too darn cool!! you gotta check it out!! her illustrations are to swoon for as well :)

7. i'm still working on the children's book... here are a couple more illustrations of sketches... the other one is right above the ramel birthday topic... i have a few more still sketched and ready to be inked [for a tighter sketch]... all in all, there are a total of five spreads in need of finalization... plus the cover and back...

now, seven people are to be tagged and 5 people are to be given the "you make my day" award... however, i'm combining the two and without further ado, i'd like to award/tag:

amy of apl creations: her beautiful kids always make me smile... and she is a sweet mama too!!

simone: for always having an encouraging word to write... never a mean word ever!!

margaret: for being sweet too... she sent me that espresso machine which is used several times a day and each day, i'm grateful :)

li li: another sweet gal who's always on my mind... one of my first blogging pals who supported and encouraged!!

natalie: a wonderful gal i met thru a pregnancy forum... this was when we were pregnant with our boys [who will be turning four in august]....

have a swell and productive weekend!
note: first and last photo courtesy of my mom, fun old new

what's up with the kids?!

many of us had habits as kids for self soothing purposes... i had my thumb and didn't break the habit until the age of nine [yep, you read that right! in defense, i only sucked on it at night time]... well, if you've noticed in past photos, diego sucks on his fingers... not one finger, but TWO... and while he enjoys the taste of his two fingers, he fiddles with his neck with his other hand... he has a red mark to prove it... anyhow, he goes to school and comes home with a rash on his face... germs? bacteria? soap? we couldn't find the culprit so we decided to help him break the habit of finger sucking... the only way we could do that was by placing band-aids on them...

we promised him that if he didn't suck on his fingers for a week, we would buy him a frame for his justice league poster... while the band-aids helped a great deal [although we still have to keep them on], he has gone without his self soothing habit for over a week! no sour smelling fingers, no spitty fingers, no rash on his face, and one big giant poster framed for one happy kid... if only feeding him was this easy [but that is another topic for another day]

but we can't forget about adorable isabella... lately she wants ramel... she wants me for milk and ramel for everything else!! she likes diego alot too... perhaps i am being sensitive but even today, she clung to ramel and refused to let me grab her... of course, i am the one who has to tell her no when she touches the television buttons... and i am the one to tell her no when she grabs a fistful of cat food... i am the one who has to move her away from the water bowl and i am the one who has to pin her down just to change her diaper [which she is too impatient to sit down for].... of course, it's beautiful to see her so affectionate towards ramel...

she still doesn't have a tooth and i can feel one just sitting there... the same one i felt for over a month... maybe that is the reason she is fussy... she gets mad if i hold her the wrong way [and i can't figure out what she wants]... or she gets mad if i don't hold her [which she wants alot of lately]... she falls out on the floor and will cry loudly... then she will hang on my leg until i pick her up only to get mad that i won't hold her that certain way... i try not to give in to holding her constantly as my arms are pretty thin and she weighs more than a sack of potatoes... so the safest spot for her during these times is her crib and you know what? she LOVES IT!!! she plays with her toys and is content... so, am i wearing a bad perfume???

 

i shouldn't take it personally... every kid goes through these stages... and she will give me the biggest toothless grin on a daily basis especially playing peekaboo or tickling her... but somehow, diego and ramel tend to make her happier... she thinks it's the coolest thing to get chased by diego... he finds it the most fun to go after her... what kid DOESN'T like running around the house??!! it's nice to see the two get along... it's nice  to see my kids growing up...

i just hope that tooth comes out...

opinions, advice, tips...

remember back in january where i stated that my new website FINALLY had a construction page?? it only took several frustrating hours... since then, i decided that learning dreamweaver in a couple months was nearly impossible and that the online templates weren't that bad... not to mention, there are a few website savvy buddies who are willing to help out... for the most part, it's coming along okay... nicole even gave me a wonderful background!!

but now here is where i need your help... judging by the image above, what do you think of the layout?? i didn't make the tabs [they come in the pre-designed site builder] and i can't make them each a different color [as i wanted to].... i don't know if this is too cluttery of a website... i like simple, cute lovely.... do you think this is this a very greenbeanbaby website?

so far, i want to have these categories...

welcome: i guess this will be just an image with a quirky illustration? [got any ideas?????]

portfolio: a place where you can see selected artworks

shop: this will have images from my etsy shop along with the link [thank you etsy mini!!!]

downloadables: this is a spot where i may have a free cut paper template

contest: yep, i will have contests for free prizes...they may include trivia questions about my blog or about my current obsession [lost? smallville?]

journal:  my blog- i am  hoping i did this page right thus far... it's an external page with my blog address

about me: for most of you, this page won't be nothing new... if you read my blog and have been around for awhile most of you know i have two kids and love paper....

contact: another way to reach me, formally...

i have a slight problem though... i can't figure out how to fix the tabs in a way that the viewer KNOWS what tab they are in... i mean, if you look at this image, you CANNOT tell that you are in the DOWNLOADABLE section... does anyone know how to resolve this issue? oh and my download button is sort of ugly and not in a spot where i want it... i think this is just part of the template but it bugs me... does it bug you???

please be honest [but not cruel]... i have only waited 6yrs to get my very own website up so positive criticism is greatly appreciated... also, please know that my big lettering is a call for help and i am not yelling at anyone- hehe... admittingly, my curls are a tad frazzled but that's to be expected, eh?!

and the sneak peeks begin...

many of the superheroes are geared towards guys... while i am a big fan of comics and their history [as ramel tends to fill me in on the details since i watch the cartoons instead of read], i never enjoyed the illustrations of overly voluptuous gals... take wonder woman for example... sure she is an amazonian so she's bound to be big all over... but you gotta wonder, how does her costume stay on while fighting? don't you think her strapless top would get torn off fighting the many villains in her time?! and don't you think those skimpy bottoms would give her a wedgie? and after years of fighting, does she need support to keep herself perky in those obvious places?! so since i find miss wonder woman unrealistic [and i am completely opposite of her from height to chest measurements], i made my own rendition... do you like her?

and then there are us girls who like to work on arts and crafts... we also like video games... prior to being introduced to gamecube, i couldn't even get the original frogger across the street without dying a few times... and forget pitfall!!! i learned to go backwards just to avoid dying repeatedly in the ropeless pit... mario go kart became the doorway to enjoying modern video games... and xmen legends was the first fighting game that ramel and i played together  [while getting into arguments in the middle... come on, ramel is a buff in games!! and he would kill all the bad guys while i just got to get only one... and he'd take all the coins too... and i died too many times when the boss came around... so yeah, call me a sore loser]... anyhow, i decided to give in th the xbox 360 world, and while i still tend to die more than necessary, i get a few beat downs in... i know there are other girl gamers who craft out there!!!!

but now to talk of  the actual products...  as you can see, there will be notebooks in the shop again... hopefully, few framed illustrations too... if time permits, there'll be some notecards!! also, marzycards and i teamed up to create a special product... it's called marzybeanbaby.. these are 3x3 inch mini blank books cut by marzy cards... i assemble and illustrate them... each book comes with 12 pages and can be used for a teeny sketchbook... or you can write your thoughts down... or write down all your passwords for the many sites you visit and join... you can even write down your favorite sites in case you lose your hard drive and have to re-install your browser [thus losing all your bookmarked sites]...

and yes, i am illustrating tiny on these books... as you can see, the controller is as big as a penny... it takes longer to illustrate this small but it's a challenge to enjoy... in fact, i am submitting some artwork to a magazine...it's not exactly the style they normally use but if anything, it'll give them a good chuckle.... i've wanted to submit something to them for some time now and it was on my incredibly lengthy to-do list....  if they like it [and publish it] it'll be another goal completed... it only took me a year, eh?!

there are a few more mini books illustrated already... i'm trying to divide my time between these books, the notebooks, illustrations, and the children's book... in between all this, i still manage to clean the house, go to the circus, [inadvertently] deal with another pipe issue, and get my lost on with some smallville in between... as i type, i'm listening to some old records- gosh, wish you could hear... from "mama said" to "respect" to "girls don't cry"... diego has been watching tiny toons version of aretha's song on youtube so i thought to put on the real  record... and i had  to dig up the girls don't cry song for isabella's birthday [hehehe]... throw in a bit of chi-lites and the drifters and the kids are content... now, if only i had mama cass's record  of "make your own kind of music" and i'd be straight... in the meantime, i will watch it here

big sidenote: can you tell i did this blog post in pieces?! this had oodles of topics and movie references... well, can't live everyday the same... and can't write every post the same, eh?

everybody needs a treat...

we're not a rich family... like most adults, we have our share of bills and a mortgage that is higher than necessary... and i'm not an expensive wife... give  me a good cup of coffee and a few bucks for paper, i'm straight... give ramel a few bucks to buy a used video game and a jug of gatorade, he's straight... diego and isabella are quite content with a new toy to suit their current enjoyment... and we don't ask of these luxuries daily...

so frivolous spending is not in our budget... it's not to say we don't have those conversations of "what would you do with a million dollars?" we have SERIOUS conversations despite the fact we never discuss WHERE this money came from... as we chat, i have already paid off the house and our credit cards as well as bought a new car that is safe, fully insured, and can seat two car seats perfectly... the house has been painted and all holes in the wall are fixed professionally... new gutters have been installed and a pretty fence replaces our rotting one... a  new garage sits where the old one leaned sadly to the right... we have a new bedroom set with furniture that isn't falling apart from the child who jumped off everything...a new couch and a bigger television sit in a refinished living room where the 70's wooden panels have been ripped off... all windows have been replaced and pretty curtains hang on curtain rods that don't fall off... a new stove that works and new chairs that don't make your bum hurt sit in our kitchen... there are closets for us to hang our clothes and there are places to store our shoes perfectly... yep, all that has been taken care of [including paying someone to refinish our basement and guarantee it bug-free forever]

so far, we haven't received a million dollars so most of this remains to be done... [like the painting and fixing the holes]... i haven't had my own paycheck since i was pregnant with diego.... being a stay-at-home mom is wonderful but it's been far too long since i requested a few extra bucks to spend on myself... it's been even longer since i've shopped without a twinge of guilt that this money should go towards one bill or another... after some odd years, the time finally came when there was extra money... and guess who got to spend it?! >grinning wildly< BOY, DID IT FEEL WHOPPIN' WONDERFUL!!!

i finally bought new clothes without thinking "do i really need this shirt?" and sticking it back onto the rack... i still bought from the clearanced section but there was no guilt... and makeup!!!! now, i rarely wear more than mascara and light lipstick... but it was time to get some new colors and a wee bit of blush [not trying to look like mimi in the drew carey show].... the last time i bought the stuff was back in high school so this moment of splurging was long overdue... add new jammies, slippers, shoes, and a couple other girlie goodies and this momma was happy! it felt good to shop without the kids and it felt even better to stick more than just toothpaste into the shopping cart...

i even got a haircut!!! do you know when i last went to the salon to get it cut??!! 1998, right before the first year of college... after that, i chopped it all off myself.... TEN YEARS!!! i waited TEN YEARS to sit in a salon chair and have a young gal ask me "what sort of style do you like?" i waited TEN YEARS to tell her "short-ish, layered and IN STYLE!" hehe... i got to walk out of that place smelling like expensive hair products and feeling like i was the best looking gal in town...

and after the haircut, i went PAPER SHOPPING!!!! yeah, greenbeanbaby doesn't need more paper but what is a treat to her if she can't splurge on some?! it just so happened to be the same day as a whopping sale... 6 sheets of paper for 96¢.... so i got about $10 worth :)... and paper pad stacks?! those were all half off so guess who walked out of that store with 3 packs?!! yep, this grinning mama with her hair cut and her new lipstick in her purse!!!

>breathes a sigh of relief< i'm telling ya- it felt good!!! less than 2 months worth of our phone bill was spent [and it didn't come out of the phone bill]... so while i managed to splurge freely and guiltlessly, the piggy bank didn't break... it was well deserved...   i mean, every mom deserves a treat right?! sure, it's wonderful to receive gifts and it's awesome to see the bills paid... it's beautiful to have the chance to stay at home with the kids and it's nice to own this home... but with our snowstorms keeping us indoors and children getting sick, a mother needs a chance to LEAVE her home... grocery shopping, not included... well, i finally had my chance :)

now, to put these papers to use for the march 28th grand re-RE-reopening of the etsy shop

so you've been busy?

yes, this greenbean mama has been busy drawing away... as stated in another post, i am working on a book project that demands the majority of my art time... it's been a slight challenge but thanks to jack, kate, sawyer, and of course hurley [lost, anyone?], i'm having a wonderful time... of course, my sketching time falls between 11pm and 3am... i'm not a "loose" type of illustrator; my drawings have to be perfect... goodness, if there is a smudge! call me miss particular but in order for a sketch to be considered a sketch, it has to look as good as the above...

this usually means that one drawing has been redrawn about 7 times over... i kid you not... in one sense, it's ridiculous to spend so much time on a mere sketch... but on the other hand, it helps develop the character better and refine the details... it also makes illustrating the final [for me] easier because that same drawing is used as my template... still though, the process can be exhausting when you are just itching to have that final inked out, and get onto the next one...

it's hard to post about this project without getting into specifics... i mean, you know it's for a book and you can guess some of the subject matter.... but a gal has to be mysterious until some issues are hashed out... on the side of all this, there are sketches being made for the etsy shop...  a few of the older designs will show up on march 28th...in fact, i'm HOPING to get a few prints in there but well, we will see about that... as soon as the taxes come in, i can get to buying all the necessary materials to get the etsy shop rolling [yes, it takes more than paper]...

so many ideas!!! so many things to do! and there isn't ever enough time to complete it all, eh?! with isabella on the go [and no gate to block her way], there is alot of chasing after the bitty gal... she finds going after the cat food to be an adventure and is disappointed if i snake one of out her mouth... [which also happen to be the same shape as gerber finger foods]... she thinks playing the television buttons are amusing despite the many no's... diego has been under the weather [again] and is missing out on school... on the days he goes, i get to squeeze in a wee bit of computer time and/or sketching... but with both kids on separate nap schedules and both feeling the effects of a cold, there is little of that... as soon as it stops snowing, i might just head to a coffee shop and work on this project a bit more... that will be nice :)
you can see a recent photo of isabella here and of diego here... as i type, isabella has awaken from her final nap and diego is itching to boot me off the computer and get onto pbs kids...

lastly, many thanks to melissa garrett for interviewing me... you can read it here!

interview with Digital Snowmen

Welcome to the world of Eric Hancock, himself. He is a colleague friend of Ramel and I, who has also become the adopted uncle of our two kids... He is one talented guy who's creations deserve to be seen... his portfolio is filled with intricate illustrations, full of detail and care... And so, here is an interview by Ramel with and the Digital Snowmen...

Tell us a little bit about yourself. Who is this Eric Hancock?

I'm 27 years old and an illustration graduate from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. Currently, I'm living in Chicago with my ladies (Karen, my girlfriend, and Sheila, my pug) and working as a bartender at a restaurant called North Pond. Its located in Lincoln Park (the park) and focuses on using sustainable, organic food sources and eating locally. This helped me understand the importance of eating fresh products that aren't over processed and aided in a more balanced diet (though I still enjoy the cracker 4 for $10 frozen pizzas). I consider myself fortunate that I have a full time job that provides me with the room during the week for all of the necessary creativity that I need. Before work that is. Not as the bartender.

Digital Snowmen started as a business venture into the design and production of stuffed animals and t-shirts. The stuffeds™ were hand crafted and based on a series of illustrations for a comedy troupe logo that didn't progress beyond the initial, "Hey, let's do these performances featuring comedy ...."  I had the ideas in my hand and wanted to create a three dimensional representation of them, so I did, and people wanted them. I've since created more that 300 stuffeds™ based around 4 central designs. Since moving to Chicago, however, that aspect of my interests have been put on hold. Its been more of a focus on the illustration.

Another aspect of the Digital Snowmen revolves around some basic design incorporating my illustrations. Working in conjunction with NoKarma music group, I've designed and illustrated 6 or so albums and have done a series of t-shirts with local Milwaukee apparel guru, Jim Phillips. Lately, its been a series of pet portraits commissioned from some local Chicago folks.

This is cliche, but what motivates you as an artist?  What inspires you? (Other artist/television/film/ etc.)  What makes you want to create?

Since I was young, I've always got into some sort of trouble for not paying attention in school. The teachers considered me sort of a problem especially when they talked with my mom during parent-teacher conferences. Apparently, I was always drawing and never paid any mind to what we were learning. She asked about my test scores, which they were astonished at how high they were. It was obvious to her that I wasn't being challenged enough. Personally, I just was bored.

So, to answer your question, 27 years of boredom is the initial motivation. I watch a tremendous amount of movies. My DVD collection is becoming annoying in its sprawling size and shape. Karen is always saying things like,"Can't you just borrow that from so and so? Don't they have season 5 of the X-Files?" I know, I understand where that's going, but its like owning the Lord of the Rings trilogy without the Two Towers. We try to make it to a film at least every other week. This has been a good year for that! Other than movies, books. Fairy tales, folklore, mythology, science fiction and even just plain life has so many aspects of wonderment that its hard to gather it all in one place. Through my drawings, I find that the subtle beauty in the world can find a place. Magical realism applied to paper sharing the tales and stories with multi-generational works.

My newest website was designed, renovated and relaunched in dynamic glory by Justin Edwards and the Defective Theatre in conjunction with the Digital Snowmen. It is beautifully done. Justin has been a friend since fifth grade and a great influence on my dedication to working towards my goals. He works out in New York City as an art director and always does wonderful multimedia work. Thank you again, Justin.

Currently, I find the work of James Jean very inspirational in the sense that its all very common place with that subtle twist of surreality. Craftsmanship is key to producing fine works. Make it or break it with shoddy materials and applications.

When did it set in for you personally that you were going to earn a living creating art?

I would like to earn a living creating art but what's the fun in that? Its like having your cake and eating it too! I'm never sure what that actually means...

What are you currently working on?  What future projects would you like to pursue?

There is a children's book that I'm currently developing titled,"The Deliciousness." Its all written and being edited with most of the preliminary design set in motion. What's cool about it is that there are to corresponding stories that connect in one timeline throughout the course of the story. Things happen in one that directly affect the other. It may be a bit fancy in the chronological regards, but what's the use in writing something standard and linear? I hope to have it set to go by Spring. A few other stories are simmering on the stove in the mean time with a potential collaboration with some old friends of mine.

Besides art, what are some of your other passions in your life?

Everything that I've tried to do in my life has somehow turned into business. I think the only one that didn't thus far is photography. That I seem to get away with time and time again without selling. Capturing things that I see that no one around me notices is pretty fun. That and cooking. We've been cooking a lot at home trying new things that seem to taste good and are less expensive than dining out. Chicago is a GREAT city for dining and we've experience a whole lot of that especially after working in such a highly esteemed establishment, but it catches up to you. Grab a bottle of wine, some derivative recipe concepts with ingredients you'd like to use, buckle down and apply those creative juices to you're stomach.

Its all good fun.

Be sure to check out his several sites, including his wonderful sketches and blog...
eric hancock's portfolio site
digital snowmen's original site
eric's blog
eric's flickr page 
eric's etsy shop [with clearanced items]

a big thanks!!!!

thanks to craftzine and the etsy storque, the previous post on how to run a successful etsy shop, has been quite a hit... thank you all for leaving such encouraging comments and taking the  time to read it... i had no idea that this would've turned out so well..... it feels good to know that your words don't go unnoticed and that a few ideas may help others somehow.... with all the comments left, i've been desperately trying to visit each and every etsy/ blog... however, if i don't get a chance to respond to you, please know that your comments are much appreciated!

not to be hypocritical, my own etsy shop has been barren for some time... as stated before, there are valid reasons that include more than just lack of time... currently, i am sketching out a children's book... as some of you may know, this is not a one week task... 32 pages to draw out and characters to consider as well as environment... it's a fun job  to do and i really hope it brings promising results... after midnight, this book has been my primary focus [all the while watching the office season 1 thru 3 including all the commentaries and deleted scenes]... a little less sleep but not in vain....

and there IS that one website of mine still under construction... i've been hashing away at that baby trying to divvy up my photos and think of something amazing to add [that is different from my blog]... any suggestions on how to do this? i may include a tutorial or something to this effect... my goal is to get the site up and running at the same time as the etsy shop... phew!!! a lot on the plate, eh?!

so the date?? new goodies will be in the shop by march 28th... mark your calendars... it will be the usual greenbeanbaby goodness with hopefully new characters and poses and colors... perhaps a few paper scrap packs as well... now that i've officially said this, i better go finish working.... ramel is home for the day as we had a winter storm leaving us with 14" of snow.... its a great time to work on art :)

stay tuned!! and thank you all again for your support and kind words!! >HUGS<