greenbeanbaby art

on a personal note...

thank you all for the wonderful birthday wishes... my birthday turned out wonderful despite the rough start... [and this post is about that rough start]... i've briefly mentioned that i've been on an emotional rollercoaster... perhaps it is just the realization that life goes a different path than what you planned... not that it turns out worse but you dream of getting so much done and wake up to find out your still so far away from your destination... instead of heading south, you had to head east because of road construction... [pertaining to life].... you plan on spending x amount of hours on a project only to have to sacrifice this time on a valid reason... you set goals only to have to put them on the backburner for a season... but this season seems to be taking longer than you hoped...

i have my family... and i am quite grateful for that... i have a husband who loves me and who helps me in so many ways... i have a husband who is willing to change the stinky diapers and bathe the dirty kids... i have two happy kids who get along with each other and aren't picky with toys or clothes... they are each unique and both strong willed... i am grateful to have chosen the route of being a stay at home mom although not every day am i smiling about it... the truth of the matter is, a mom can wonder if she is doing enough... cleaning enough... teaching her kids enough... a mom can wonder if she is feeding her kids enough... she can wonder if she is utilizing her time AND talents properly or if she is focusing on one thing too much... being a mom is alot of work...

and in my case, being an illustrator is alot of work... art never came EASY to me... i loved it but often it tested my emotions... my esteem... there were always people to root me on but i've had to fight doubts for years... i had hoped by this age, i'd have grown out of this thinking but apparently the thought of getting older made these thoughts more transparent... i guess its all a matter of perspective... i have ranted with frustration over my lack of skill in drawing the way i WANT to draw... i should be able to have more environments in my illustrations, right? i should be able to MOVE them more in the drawings instead of each character posing nearly the same way... i shouldn't be stuck on color anymore right?! it's the same stuff i struggled with for YEARS! it was the same stuff that made me wonder if i was even MEANT to illustrate... it's nice to have family and blogging friends to keep me encouraged and inspired... if i illustrated purely for myself, i'd have quit long ago...

we can all nitpick at our creations... we can evaluate them and compare them to other people's work... the flaws we find prevent us from getting to another level or experimenting... the frustrations that we dwell in often leave us too exhausted to work on something that we once had a joy for but allowed our own thoughts to kill that excitement... some days its hard to NOT listen to the doubts and worries... you hear yourself saying "it's not good enough" or "you'll never do more than this" or sometimes worse... you feel guilty for allowing yourself to believe the lies and you crawl into a cave, put on a hat, and throw yourself a pity party... and all the time, other people are still cheering you on and giving you compliments on your work...

and after awhile you have to make a choice... how long will you stay in the cave, crying at your pity party? how long will you use excuses of lack of time or energy before you had enough? how long will you say no one cares when you already have an audience? is it selfish to give up?! you make a quick wish of getting that "it's a wonderful life" experience but then wonder if it will be as extreme as jimmy stewart's... so how long will you mope like eyeore and get NOTHING accomplished when the whole reason you are moping is because you felt you haven't accomplished enough?! so in the end, you have to dry your tears, unwrinkle those sketches, grab the tools from the garbage pail [where you threw them in during your bette davis moment] and grasp onto all the wonderful comments and wishes and encouragement people have given you....

after all, we don't create soley for ourselves... it would be selfish to quit when others enjoy our work even if we aren't always pleased with our outcome... and although i've said this before, i am truly grateful for all the support my family and blogging friends have given me... if i didn't have an audience, i wouldn't create... it's like a pastry chef cooking tasty dairy desserts but having no one to eat them [and the chef cannot eat them due to lactose intolerance].... we all need support and encouragement as it is often the fuel for creativity... and it helps us get out of that pity mode.... it helps us WANT to get better instead of giving up... yes, i am truly grateful for you all.... i can only hope that i can give the same encouragement to you all that you have given me... thank you all from the bottom of my heart :)

ps. yes, these are more goodies for the july 18th etsy restocking...

Happy Birthday To greenbeanbaby!!!

Hello!  This is Ramel.  Husband to the beautiful and talented greenbeanbaby.  This post will be super fast and quick!  Her Birthday is this Sunday (June 29).  She still looks as radiant as when I first met her back in college! (What a Hottie!)
Please find some time to show her some love and wish her a happy birthday!  Thank You!!!!!!

what a week! warning: long post

before i begin my long post, i'd like to tell you all that my mom has joined the blog world... be sure to check her blog out as she will be posting about her thrift store finds and rummage sale finds... she's including tips too!!!! she finds so many treasures, that she continuously amazes me... she has a flickr page as well but i'm glad to see her writing about her trips!

on the other side, i'm STILL slow at blogging... life seems to be full of one thing after another... each one of my family members seem to be dealing with something leaving us all in dire need of a vacation... sadly, the closest we get to a vacation is a walk inside the local museum... and yes, i realized that seeing the stuffed animals and ancient artifacts at the museum was as close as i'd get to experiencing life outside of milwaukee... the closest i will get to texas is eating garlic texas toast... the nearest i will get to a giant body of water, is lake michigan... 

ok, can you see why i haven't blogged? dark satire, emotions that go this way and that, and the thought that i'm one year older in less than a week... of course, i'm only turning 27 so ONE DAY we will get our vacation... hehe... but every day there is a test to my emotions, my will, my actions... for instance, my paypal was hacked into... i'm nervous about using that account again so most likely, i will have to set up a new one for my etsy shop... i'm hoping this whole ordeal won't delay the re-stocking on the 18th... still, i'm left feeling nervous at what else this person has gotten a hold of... my empty bank account? my etsy shop? my blog? they have my address and my phone number...

it frustrates me that someone hacked into my account and tried to buy so much stuff... i don't even spend that much in real life!!! i haven't seen money like that in my hands since i had to PAY my gas and electric bill... if i had a couple thousand dollars, do you think i'd buy video games?! first off, even if i DID buy a video game, i'd have gotten the lego's indiana jones... i'd buy dye for my graying hair! i'd get another haircut! i'd get myself a darn good sandwich at panera bread... i'd pay my bills, for goodness sake! it's a shame that something like this NOT ONLY affects me but it affects the sellers who got jipped out of a deal... i hope the person who did this gets caught and pays a hefty price [literally and figuratively]...

it's not just this though... i have had to go to the doctor several times... isabella caught a contagious rash which left us homebound for a week... it's clearing up but it's hard to NOT get cabin fever in the house... by the time her rash cleared up enough to go out, we were all happy to take a walk to the park... she loves her new 20" baby [keep in mind isabella isn't even 30"] and she loves strolling her all about, regardless of her size... isabella is so funny even with her scabby lil feetsies... she is one serious gal who forever dotes on her brother and is forever handing out teeny kisses... and she is quite protective over her new "beh-beeee"

and diego has had to see the doctor too... he was bitten by some bug not in the mosquito family... and only him... at first i thought it was flea bites caused by squirrels burrowing into the ceiling of his bedroom... we think he was just bit by a mite from outside but still, the kid has all these red marks on him... but nothing makes diego happier, than a new batman mask... diego LOVES his new mask and wears it everywhere.. to the museum, to the grocery store, at target, and of course to bed... the first day it was over 83º in the house but he wore his mask and long sleeved outfit... he told me "mom, my face is all wet!!!" then whenever we are in public, people will say "hey, look its batman!"... diego will tell me "wow, mom they know batman!!!! they know ME!!!" he trips me out, my diego boy!

overall though, things aren't bleak... i'll have more goodies to show you for the etsy shop by the end of the weekend... i have a couple sketches which were a trial to even draw!!! i had one of those moments where i say "i'm never gonna draw again... i'm gonna close my shop... i'm gonna quit blogging... i'm never cleaning this house again... i'm gonna make paper airplanes with all my sheets of paper".... yes, i did warn you all that my emotions have been a bit topsy right?! haha... i can laugh at it now, but trust me, i've shed some tears... i'm glad to have family and blogging friends to keep me inspired, encouraged, and motivated... 

ah, now lets take a deep breath after such a post!

re-stockin' the etsy shop plus 5

well, there is finally a new date set for the re-stocking of my esty shop... july 18th is the date and there will be tons of sneak peeks up until that point... there will be paper goods and some other goodies in the shop so be ready! i hope this one wll have enough goodies for everyone :)... and there will be limited edition prints available too!!!!! yes, indeed i'm trying to mass produce without losing the essence of my greenbean baby art...

and mr. juan manuel [who does amazing paper art illustrations!!] tagged me for a 5 favorites meme...  this meme is about your 5 favorites of something so i chose modern television shows...

1. the office- this show is hilarious!!!!! any bad day can be lightened up with a bit of steve carell
2. x-files- can't NOT love this classic sci-fi show... mulder is really a hoot!
3. lost- hmmm, what else can i say except it's deep and intriguing?!
4. heroes- my new addiction.... i love how it has a x-men feel to it...
5. smallville- although lana STILL gets under my skin, i love how evil lex luthor is getting [his true nature]

and i'll tag miss kiwi, miss nyx, miss heather, miss simone, and mr. ramel...

the love triangle

meet zelda... she's a princess from the nintendo world who happens to be dating a fellow named link... but she's been having an affair on the down-low with another guy... and she isn't too happy to find out that he's cheating on her too!

here is the two- timer... his name is gaara and he is from the naruto world... once a bad guy, and later turned good, his evil ways still haunt him... on occasion he falls into his old habits of harming all who are on his path... he's dating two girls at once and loves that zelda is so angry... he likes when girls are angry...

but then you have luring cortana... she's from the halo trilogy of the microrsoft world... she knows that if she offers sweet treats to gaara, like chocolate covered strawberries, he will date her instead of zelda... it's quite the competition...a princess elf vs. a fictional artificial intelligence with female programming....

it's not like gaara is all that worth it... but here you have the love triangle made in cut paper and still to be asembled into one illustration with a unified background... it's for "the big three" contest, in case you want to participate too!

lastly, i am sorry that i've been slack with blogging... typepad seems to go slower these days and blogging takes much longer to upload pictures and overall post.... i do have a few kid videos on my flickr though... still, i'll try to post more, especially as i get ready for a new etsy shop re-stock... the date to be announced soon!!!!

happy father's day...

to all the fathers who have been there for their family... happy father's day to the dads who are there to see their kids laugh, cry, scream, puke, and get a fever above 101º... happy father's day to the dads who love their family and will sacrifice a dvd for a batman toy... or share their only gatorade with three thirsty family members...

i have always had a wonderful dad and it's a joy to watch him with play with his grandchildren... he's always smiling and always offering them something good to eat... he's always around to help our family with leaky pipes and faulty washing machines.... my dad is a wonderful papi and abuelo

and of course, my children have one wonderful dad too!! ramel has worked hard and many hours to care for the family... he will cook for two picky people and one not-so picky person... he will bathe the kids even if one ends up pooping in the tub... he can watch a baby eat food without losing an appetite... he knows how to play all sorts of games with diego's toys and he makes both kids cry when he has to go to work... his eyes light up when he sees both kids run to him ocne he's off work... he's an awesome dad and definitely a wonderful husband!

happy fathers day!!!!

note: the photo is of diego's toy collection... you can see more of his toys on my flickr

no surgery please

well.... diego is going to have surgery in late july... a week before he turns 4, in fact...  it's a simple surgery and a common one at that... but still, my little son will be under the knife of a stranger getting his tonsils and adenoids ripped out... in fifteen minutes his body will be missing unnecessary tissue that has caused him issues for quite some time now... 

let me backtrack though... diego talks nasally... he has for awhile and i just assumed it was because we live in wisconsin and it runs in the family... he snores too, which i thought was perhaps normal for a boy [yes call me stereotyped]... he rubs his nose ALL the time claiming he has "itchies" so i figured it was the cats giving him allergies... but then he would eat making these crazy noises... snorting and scarfing his food, which i assumed was him acquiring bad habits... so being the understanding mom that i am, ended up hollering at him to cut it out until one day, ramel exclaimed "have you ever thought that maybe he can't BREATHE when he eats?!" 

nope, didn't think of that at all... we took him to the doctor and found out he had a wee infection plus inflamed tonsils... the doctor had to pin him down JUST to take a look at his throat and he cried so much, isabella cried too!! keep in mind, this is the kid who can RAM HIS HEAD INTO THE WALL and come out with an egg-sized lump and not cry much... but here, the doctor used a tongue depressor and he was bawling... made me feel like crying right along with him and baby girl... 

 we were given a referral to go to the children's hospital where they confirmed that he has issues with his tonsils and adenoids... and he required surgery... i have briefly talked about it with him that the doctor will be making his "coughing noise" better... he doesn't really wanna hear it... and while i know its a simple surgery, i still can't help but feel my stomach churn as the days get closer to this day... 

but a week later, he will be 4 yrs old and we will be throwing him a big GREEN colored birthday party... it's going to be quite the eventful summer for sure... 

interested in prints?

this isn't gonna be a long post... for some time, people have suggested makign prints of my artwork as an option, and while i've agreed, i've never seriously looked into it... but now i am... i plan on making new art for limited prints but also having a bit of my old ones available... if so, which illustrations would some of you be interested in seeing?

you can see my cut paper work at this link... some of these illustrations won't be available as a few were custom orders... but once i  finish the major revisions for the children's book, prints will be on order... so many ideas, not enough minutes in the day, eh?!

on a side note: this above illustration is called "i lost my friend" or "what happened to oscar the fish, the day after his 7th birthday"

happy weekend!

inspired by mary blair...

remember this project? it was began when i was still pregnant with isabella... there were six of us ladies who each had to illustrate 5 books, not including our own... [ you can see my contributions here]... well, after 16+ months, we are finally wrapping it up... i finished theresa's book last night, and boy it was fat... i barely had room to put my illustrations in it, so i improvised by making wall hangings instead... and to fill in the last spread, i put a print of mary blair's illustrations, and a cut paper version of my own...

now just a short history of theresa [and my reasoning for these illustrations], she loves mary blair...  the above image is an example of mary's work... and theresa has a handsome young boy who has several food allergies... he is allergic to milk and dairy and red meat... because this situation has caused her family to live carefully concerning food, i thought to make illustrations for them that were uplifting... guess it's hard to put into words...

so here is one of the wall hangings i did for theresa's book... it's in cut paper [of course] and it has a quote on the back that says

"dreams do come true. Without that possibility, nature would not incite us to have them" by john updike

theresa gets to cook all sorts of unique and family friendly foods for her household... i THINK they live a vegan lifestyle and i can imagine that this is NOT the easiest to follow... i am sure a person becomes a pro at it though, right?! this illustration is left blank on the back so that one day her son could put his own quote on it... the lady is to be theresa, by the way.... 

here is another illustration of theresa and her son... sorry, husband/ dad!! this one is  to resemble mary blair's south american illustration... it was actually the first piece i tried to do in her style... on the back of this wall hanging, it says:

"other things may change us, but we start and end with family" by anthony brandt

the background paper has peter pan quotes on it :)

and this is the last one... it is a bit longer than the other three... on the back it says:

"being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. it means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections"

all these quotes were meant for hope... perhaps her son will grow out of the allergies... one day he won't have to live in worry that if he eats a piece of cheese, it will be life threatening... and even if he happens to grow out of them, he may stick with a vegan diet but it will be his choice... either way, his mom goes to GREAT lengths to keep him healthy and happy and to give him a wonderful life...

note: like my giant copyright?! i'm being a bit exaggerative today just to clarify that my images are owned by yours truly... you can see them WITHOUT the giant ©GBB over at my flickr page... hehe!!

thank you all...

thank you all for your support and encouragement.... the images were taken down [yes, plural] and i am quite grateful at that... i am still debating on moving my blog but am unsure if i will, or if my old posts will come with... i have my website still on hold and that hosting service offers wordpress right on there... but this sort of website/html/css/internet jibberish gives me a wee headache so that will be on the backburner... i will keep you all posted though!!!!

in the meantime, check out my flickr page for more pix of my two kids hammin' it up... and i might mention that this photo is of them drinking a CAFFEINE- FREE starbucks drink... while both my kids enjoy the taste of coffee, they are not allowed the luxury of drinking it at this age...

there will be some new artwork to show you all soon, [with big copyright marks all over it]... for now, have a wonderful new week!!!