greenbeanbaby art

movies purchased vs rented

it's good to know...

the truth about antioxidants...

you really should eat your fruits and veggies...

what's on your plate, greenbean?

wow, my blog has been neglected just a tad... we all know that it isn't because i'm taking a vacation, sipping on ice cold coffee drinks and lounging at the beach with my two kids and husband... while that seems ideal, the closest we get to this picture is the coffee part... sipping on coffee... HAHA...

main course- family:  over the weekend, we had diego's birthday party... i think we celebrated diego's birthday for a month... presents the week before, staying up late and playing games, toys, more toys, more games, sleepover at the cousin's [despite him falling ill yet again], then the party... this kid is not lacking in the love, affection, and toy department! his birthday party was simple, relaxed, peaceful, AND fun... yes, it's possible to have a peaceful 5yr old birthday party that includes fun, candy, and melting ice cream cake.... him and isabella seem to be growing so fast; their personalities sprouting like a well watered plant... with all the work that it takes to raise a family, i'm grateful that so many people agree that my kids are well behaved and loving :)

pasta side- freelance: within the past week or so, i've been working on the rest of my imagezoo illustrations and revising the rubber stamp illustrations... i've only a few more illustrations to complete for the holiday set, which i'm excited about... the rubber stamps seem to be coming along, with revisions being made so that they will be sellable... i've also been putting my portfolio online on several spots including behance, jacketflap, and coroflot... my theory is that the more my artwork is shown online, the less people will steal it since the more people will see that it is greenbeanbaby art... [whoa, that was a mouthful!]

vegetable side- master's degree: yes, i've been looking into getting my master's degree in creative writing recently... i've only a couple of months to get my graduate application in, along with my english requirements in... recommendation letters, 30 pages of fiction, a TEST, analytical writing, and my personal statement...  there is a chance that i could get a full ride since i'm a "qualified student who is a member of a group underrepresented in graduate study"... i'm a first generation college graduate and i'm puerto rican so that qualifies... the thing is, i'm nervous of getting accepted... i've kept up with my blog but other than that, my writing has been sparse and perhaps not enough to get into the master's program?! however, i'm confident enough to try!!!!

dessert dish- etsy love: i don't have a date but i will be having an event in my etsy shop... it will include discounted original illustrations [although to forewarn, they will be higher than my usual prices but lower than i plan on selling them in the future...]... there will also be some NEW items that i cannot tell you about right now... why?! because surprises are fun and because i want to make sure i have the time to do it before i say it out loud... i will say it will allow people to USE my art :)

beverage- more freelance: lastly, i'm still considering sending my stuff out to publishers... i am getting my portfolio underway and trying to figure out how to describe in my resume what i've been doing for the past several years... i have ideas for MY OWN children's book since the one i talked so much about fell flat... another story, another time... however, it's not to say those illustrations won't be discarded but rather revamped to suit the greenbeanbaby world :)... since i'm rusty on writing, i also hope that going for my master's would mean more opportunities in the children's book writing and illustrating world... i don't know how many publishing jobs i can take during the year 2010, while i [hopefully] get my master's degree but i'd like to still send out my work beforehand!

well, that is all folks! quite the read, eh?! i just want to thank everyone who's been supporting my blog over the years, as well as all the encouragement, feedback, and support you all give on here, flickr, facebook, and twitter!

artwork in the making

things have been busy here... when you are a creative person, sometimes the overwhelming flow of ideas will keep your plate full and your to-do list being refreshed [and rarely completed]... to start, i've been working on the rest of the imagezoo illustrations along with some goodness for a friend... i wanted to get this particular gift done awhile ago but now i have more embellishments and new paper...  i'm really not the greatest when it comes to scrapbook layout... and this project is quite small so i cannot do full sperad illustrations for it either... not to mention, this paperbag book is meant for my friend to fill out with monthly notes and goodness and sketches... so that means i must make room and simplify the layout, right? this is only my second paperbag project so i hope it's suitable...

i've also been working on rubber stamp designs... this is a new venture of an old dream so i'm excited and nervous at the same time... will my designs be user friendly? are they too bulky? are they fresh enough? will they sell? the image above is a wip sample of what i'll be doing... yes, most of the designs are revised versions of my cut paper art... and there are revisions being made in the process of each design so i hope these pan out!!!

in addition, i've begun to intensify my freelance venture as well... i started by divvying up my studio... it hasn't been changed much but it's refreshed and paper pads are organized... if you look at my middle shelf, you will see two big stacks of paper... the upper one is k&co paper... the bottom stack is dcwv... these are my latest pads that haven't been rearranged into my tower of paper ... organization is crucial for a neat freak... and my studio [and entire house] must be clean in order for any art to be completed...

today, i went to the bookstore and jotted down reference and addresses... i've ordered a couple books and signed up on a few sites to get my portfolio up and sent out... i still need to design a good postcard and biz card as well as get my website up and running... [gosh darn that website!] still so much to do but i aim to get much accomplished each night that i can... so once i finish the rubber stamps, imagezoo illustrations, and gifts, my freelance to-do list will be my main focus...

lastly, ramel is on vacation because diego's birthday is tomorrow... we have pledged no internet [except for xbox live] for the evening of monday and all of tuesday... see you all on wednesday with a special diego post :)

happy fourth of july!

may you all have a swell weekend!

working hard or hardly working?

okay, so greenbeanbaby really has been busy... if you are looking at my twitter, you can see it's been mostly about sketching, sketching, and more sketching... i have had to sketch out 25 different holidays, including cinco de mayo, st. patty's day, and several jewish holidays... it's wonderful learning about various holidays and expanding your knowledge in such areas... however, one must make sure that when it comes time to sketch them out, they are not in the least, stereotypical or offensive...

i'm not showing too much of my work in progress on my blog anymore... there is still a fear that someone will steal my artwork and make money on it before i get a chance too... heck, i'm just worried about someone stealing my artwork period!! a friend, who has been through such a situation, once stated that it felt like they were trying to be erased... and it DOES feel that way... you work so hard to create your style and work out your technique but haven't quite made it BIG yet... and someone beats you to it, using your work!!!! so when people see your work they think of THEM not YOU... you fall victim, while someone else fills their pocket... so my luster for blogging remains tainted by the past issues and current concerns...

on the other hand, i am still sellling my art AND creating!!! i am having a small sale at my shop right now, so if you are interested, all ORIGINAL illustrations have been marked down and there is free shipping!! all proceeds go to getting my dad and my husband father's day gifts :D it's definitely going to a wonderful cause!!

lastly, i AM on facebook now [as ellia hill, not ellia domena]... i am not that great at keeping up but i might end up slowing down on my blog even more and updating my flickr and my facebook more often... if you are on facebook, and wanna be friends, just holler! please make a note of who you are though- some of us only know each other by our blog names ;) again, i'm still working on keeping up on my wall [as well as everyone else's]...

well, i'm off to finish a few more sketches and get ready to have date night with my honey!

who/what's cute?!

isabella's 'fro... she does have a ton of hair... it curls up so tight that her hair looks like it only gets thicker not longer... but really, her hair is thick AND long... the perfect ingredients for a blackarican 'fro...

dainty dollies made by linda... she sent a ton more goodies for our swap but here is a shot of her handmade gals and strawberry sticks... aren't they just darling?! it makes me wanna buy glass glitter and mess around with some pipe cleaners... of course, no  way could i do what linda does!!!

glittery cupcakes by julie.... oh, these are pretty, eh?! they are perfect for any ornament trading tradition that you may have... or at least, we have... every year my sister, mom and i swap ornaments... we used to make them but now we buy them... this year i went the etsy route and supported a few of my fellow talented etsians... [now, to find handmade so]ap!!

artwork in the making... yes, i find the work in progress to be cute... it's like paper dolls in need of being played with... i'm working on 5 illustrations for one customer's two daughters... the heads, hair, hands, and legs, were all cut out... this week will be clothes, accessories, eyes, mouth, and a goal to find the perfect backgrounds... seeing progress is exhilarating...

and lastly, it's cute seeing isabella sitting comfortaby in my world... a couple weeks ago, she was all tantrums... and now she's all cuddles... she's content in my studio near the xbox, the games, the wonderfully illustrated books by karen katz, lost season 4 [oh yeah, who got their lost on!?], and dolls from my childhood... she's a matter-of-fact kinda gal who appreciates the enjoyment of modern gaming, the simplicity of illustrations, and the coziness of a CLEAN and warm room... that's a definition of cute for sure!

what's your definition of cute?!

lets drink some vitameatavegamin...

i am quite grateful for all those who stopped by at the etsy shop last week friday... plenty of goodies were shipped off and there are just a few more products left in the shop [aside from the prints]... as promised, there would be a raffle giveaway... 2 greenbeanbaby gifts would be sent of to 2 winners in time for the holidays...

and the first winner is miss sarah of rubber city cookies and cakes... CoNgRaTs!!!!!

and the second winner is miss kristi of stitchy stitcherson!!! CoNgRaTs!!!!!

thank you all again for the support and encouragement... it's been something else here at the greenbean household... isabella was under the weather the other day... for the most part, she 's been past her tantrums and has moved onto a cuddle phase.... she also likes to get her own "xbox live experience"... really, she likes to go thru the menus and hear the "clack clack clack" noise... who doesnt?! ;)

and diego has been enjoying school, reading, games and family time too... the other night we had to make a family tree for homework... he insisted on including all the family member's pets as a part of it... i guess they really are part of the family though, so why NOT include them, eh?! apparently i did the tree upside down but i think the goal was accomplished... diego was proud of his glueing and coloring job!!

near after christmas, we start packing up and getting ready to move... if you don't see a blog  post, be sure to check out my tweets... i'll try to keep up with one of them... in the meantime, its been isabella and diego and ramel and artwork and gaming... add some packing, cleaning, unpacking ON TOP of it all, and we have one busy mama... *takes a deep breath* i'm having dreams that ramel is surprising me... in my dreams, he is moving boxes into the new place and unpacking them for me in the middle of the night... then i wake up and realize we have ALOT to move, throught the inches of snow and bitter cold temperatures *takes another deep breath*

have a wonderful weekend!!!

10 reasons for a 2wk break

1. diego is starting school this week- my big boy!! [this was a photo of him a week before starting school]

2. as diego goes to school, isabella and i will have mother/daughter time [yes, this calls for less computer time during the day] so i will be taking diego's place in this pic- hehe

3. ramel and i are in need of toghether time... between heros, and firefly and flight of the conchords, and a couple games, we are having a swell time...

4. i'm getting packages to send off to publishers, including new illustrations

5. i have yet to finish mimi's swag, poppy's illustration and angie's illustration

6. i am overwhelmed with emails... at least i will have time to catch up with no excuses

7. i've yet to send off rosa's package and amy's package which was to include the star wars original

8. i got MORE NEW PAPER- yes, about 300 MORE sheets! so that means i have to reorganize my current stash to make room

9. there is cool art over here to vote for over here....

10. and lastly, i am just tired- overall- tired... i need a wee rest but i will be back in two weeks!! pls come back so see you soon :)

the confessions of an artist...

sketching is a process for me... a LONG process... maybe it's partially due to the fact that i'm not that GOOD at sketching... it doesn't come easy for me... it's something that tests my self confidence and leaves me with less of an eraser than began... while i sketch, i sit near a garbage can filled with crumpled illustrations half drawn.... i fill my pencil with lead continuously and i'm surprised the bulb in my light table isn't burnt out from all the usage... the same illustration is drawn ten times over until it is p-e-r-f-e-c-t...

now ramel is the king of sketching... he can illustrate a guy jumping over a moon in one shot, without an eraser within 2 miles... he can look at a picture of a zebra facing sideways and redraw it so that the zebra is facing the viewer playing a guitar and singing koombya.... he truly has the talent and the patience to match... it must be that patience part i'm lacking, eh?!

i've been able to criticize my work with ease, understanding what i lack artistically... i can over analyze and give myself unsolicited advice... i am frustrated by my own limited skills.... perhaps my characters are too stiff... why do they always stand the same way?! and their hands! why can't my characters do more than just hold one object in one hand and use their other hand to massage their bony hips? how come my characters only have one emotion?! and why are their necks SO skinny? why are my characters always lacking nutrition and are thinner than angel hair noodles? and yet they have a gi-normous noggin!!!

how my work turns out is NOT how i envisioned it in my head... in my head, my artwork is as detailed as the cistine chapel... my work is so good it can sit next to the mona lisa... in my head, i see my characters moving and jumping and laughing and talking non-stop... somehow, when i sketch and cut the papers, my brain doesn't register the same information to my hand... my work is not as grand... i can't find the right color... or i can't find the perfect pattern... how come the colors worked out in my head and not outside of it?!

it's not to say, i'm not pleased with my outcome... i can be satisfied with my illustration despite the fact that it's not as detailed as i first envisioned... and sometimes, it turns out better than i thought... like this picture of rosa... it's from the children's book, i'm working on... this carmen miranda impersonator sat in my brain for two years and while the colors were more red and orange in my head, i think the purple works better... i'm pleased with how rosa looks and even though she has one hand holding an object [and the other hand sitting on her bony hip], it's nice to see her alive... it's nice to know that all this sketching is leading somewhere...

so there is my confession... what is yours?