Matryoshka Magnets

A) HanFu Chinese Matryosha Magnet

B) Aqua Indian Girl Matryosha Magnet

C) Violet Tuareg Matryosha Magnet

D) Peruvian Girl Matryosha Magnet

E) Tibetan Girl Matryosha Magnet

F) Portuguese Girl Matryosha Magnet

G) Bahia Brazilian Matryosha Magnet

H) Cambodian Girl Matryosha Magnet

I) Pakistani Girl Matryosha Magnet

J) Japanese Geisha Matryosha Magnet

K) Korean Girl Matryosha Magnet

These are all my Matryoshka magnets thus far! I can't believe I'm up to K! Now I'm working on a Saxon Romanian Matryoshka. The next couple of weeks are really busy so I probably won't get to work on it as much as I would like to. I'll unveil it here as soon as things calm down and I get things done. :)

Free Color Proof

Japanese Geisha Matryoshka Color Proofs B, C

Pakistani Matryoshka Color Proofs A, C, D

As I mentioned in an earlier post, when working on my illustrations I print out color proofs (same quality as all my prints just not the final illustration). Because I don't want to waste paper and ink, I try to keep my printing down to a minimum and I save my proofs in hopes of coming up with something useful to do with them. These proofs are beginning to pile up, so it is time to come up with a solution! I am offering one free color proof (from photos above) with any purchase in my shop totaling $12 or more. These are one of a kind, so they will go to the first person who asks for each proof. Just leave me a message at check out which color proof you would like. I think "Free" is FUN! That is why I offer free shipping in my shop too. :)

Matryoshka Sketches

These are preliminary sketches I did for my recent Bahia Brazilian (top color image), Korean (middle left), Pakistani (middle right), and Japanese Geisha (bottom two) Matryoshka. I never intended to share these really, they are just sketches I do before I go to the computer. I don't usually scan them into the computer (and I didn't in these instances until today). The sketches just help me work out the design and then I look at them for reference when I begin my computer illustration. I always enjoy seeing other artist's sketches so I hope you enjoy seeing my process. :)

Japanese Geisha Matryoshka

Hi! Today I've been working on my Japanese Geisha Matryoshka! I can't wait to show her to my Mom. My Mom and her family lived in Japan when she was a little girl (my Grandpa was in the military and they lived in many different countries). From their house they had a beautiful view of Mount Fuji. My Mother has very fond memories of living in Japan. She tells me and my daughter stories about her very kind neighbors and her girl friend Miyako.

Polly, I hope you like her too! :)

Korean Girl Matryoshka

I hope you like my latest drawing, a Korean Girl Matryoshka! My last two drawings, the Cambodian and Pakistani drawings, were so detailed with all the gold that I was really looking forward to doing this one with it's simple lines. I think there is a calm serenity in the traditional hanbok dress, and they are so pretty. I hope I did it justice.

My head is swirling with matryoshka ideas these days but next, the plan is to draw a Japanese matryoshka, and then a ballerina. Please keep the suggestions coming! :)

Set of 4 Pakistani Matryoshka Proof prints

When working on an illustration I have gotten much better at not wasting paper and ink by usually only printing 1 or 2 proofs (to proof color) near the end of my creative process. The differences between color on the screen versus printed color, being what they are. The Pakistani Matryoshka was an exception to this rule. I experimented with different skin tones, dress color etc. before coming up with the final piece. I don't want these prints to go to waste though so I am offering them as a set of 4 one of a kind prints at a discounted price! I hope someone would want to frame them and group them together or give them to friends as gifts. If this is a success I will offer more of my proofing prints in my shop in the future. :)

More Matryoshka Magnets!

I have updated my shop to include the 3 most recent matryoshka drawings as magnets. So now my Bahia Brazilian, Cambodian and Pakistani illustrations are magnets too! :)

Also today, I created new header banners for the blog and my shop. I've gone totally matryoshka! In the banners that is. I figure since I'm becoming, "the artist who draws those matryoshkas" I might as well embrace it. :)

Pakistani Girl Matryoshka

This is my latest drawing, a Pakistani Girl Matryoshka! I was so pleased with the Cambodian Matryoshka and all its gold detail that it inspired me to draw from another culture that has beautiful jewelry. Also inspirational was my cousin who wore a gold bridal ensemble that was quite beautiful and I've been getting allot of requests for pink or purple. So, I went somewhere in the middle with a magenta/fuchsia color and lots of gold. I also continued with the white jasmine flowers in her hair to further tie it together with the Cambodian Matryoshka drawing. I hope you like her! :)