Self Publishing!!!

  So while trying to find an agent and sending my portfolio to publishers, I have submitted an old story I wrote and illustrated to be self published on Amazon! I'm excited and nervous and I suddenly wish I would have redone all the illustrations! They are years old, but I love the story. I'll upload a link once it's available! So far it has passed the review stage and is in the publishing stage! It should be available within 12 hours!! Wish me luck!!!

Here's the cover:

EDIT!!! :  The book is live!! Here's the LINK

Art Camps have begun!!!

Tom Peyton Arts Festival

Got into the Tom Peyton show in Alexandria for this photograph and my watercolor if Bella!

IF: Yesterday

Many yesterdays ago, in a place far, far away (...Iowa.), I was a young girl who use to catch frogs and hide them in my mother's plants. Most of them died.

IF: Talent

 

North Elementary Talent Show

Why, oh why, did I use that pen?!!!  I may redo this with waterproof ink. :)

IF: Whisper

While Mrs. Fisher was out of the room, Andrea whispered gossip into Michelle's ear.

IF: Wool

 

Dolly slept under the hot sun and left her woolly, curly hairs in the grass.

Graduate Student Bliss

I'm a graduate student now. :) And I feel GREAT! Besides having to miss class and take care of my sick babies, I'm all Miss. Positivity this morning! I am so pumped about working on my portfolio and sending it to publishers/ agents that I have filled my To Do list with all sorts of painting projects. Am I spreading myself too thin? Probably. But having these goals keep me focused and being focused keeps me working.

I'm finished up a book for a sweet lady and starting on the cover soon! I can't wait to post images, but I have to wait until it's published! Just know that it's loose and colorful!

Valentine's Days was low key and wonderful! The Art Department at NSU had a back porch shindig and everyone had to bring a home-made Valentines Day card to get a free hot dog. I wanted to keep mine, but the girl who got it was so happy, I couldn't help but say goodbye to it! Here's a look before the faux lace heart was glued to the back:

I'm a big fan of Tardar, AKA Grumpy Cat.

I entered the Photographer's Forum contest for Highschool and College! And I was a finalist! I got Honorary Mention. :) Here's the image that got in:

 

This is my daughter, Belladonna, with static in her hair from the trampoline.

I also got into the Argus Literary Magazine! Here were my submissions:

 

2nd Place - Fine Art

 

1st Place - Photography

 3rd Place - Photography

I've also submitted to the Tom Peyton show in Alexandria! Waiting to hear from them in March! I need to look up more children's illustration contests! If you know of any, let me know!!

I have a commission to paint a wedding portrait, I'm doing caricatures for a wedding and a birthday party in March, and I have Art Along the Bricks downtown to set up for!!!! WORK WORK WORK!

 

 

IF: Wheel

 

Hey look! That's me!!

I will be purchasing a pottery wheel soon!!! 

IF: Wings

A quickie for Illustration Friday - digital coloring

New sketchbook and book work

So I've come across these little, floppy moleskin sketchbooks... :) and I'm working more with pen nibs for some added character. BUT I have also been working on lining with darker watercolor! ANNNDDDD, I've been working with digital painting! All these new things going on!! I'm trying to keep myself from always using watercolor and ink together since it is so common for illustrators .

Society 6!!

Sooooooooooo I have prints for sale at Society 6!
Yup :)
So go here and tell me what you think:
Http://www.society6.com/Annabeljones


Most of the originals will be up in January at the Natchitoches Art Guild!

IF: New

Every year I get a new bottle of Clinique perfume for Christmas! I always look forward to it!!

Oh and sorry for the terrible lighting! I just got the Blogger app on my phone and I love how convenient it is!! But the quality of pictures at night aren't so great...

IF: Explore

I tried so hard to keep from inking this!! I don't know if I like it with pencil... 

Jamie followed the deep tunnel as it got smaller and smaller.

IF: Whiskers

Giving whisker kisses to Kooks the Cat!

Getting Back into the Swing of things!!

Finally, I'm able to focus on completing an Illustration Friday topic ON TIME!!!
Here's "Tree" and it shows Jamie finding the hidden tree house!! I'm trying to develop a new story, but I only have a tiny shadow of the plot in my mind! I hope you like it!! (Oh, and I'm trying to get away from the ink lines for awhile...)

These were from a past IF topic: Haunted

Blissssssss

My show reception was wonderful... nay, it was glorious!!! I had many friends and family to celebrate it with and was happy to hear everyone's thoughts! The gallery looked clean and structured in cohesion with my pieces! My 3D elements brought the whimsy to compliment all the order and structure! It was just magical! Now it's time to turn it into a book!!!!!!!

MY SENIOR SHOW!!!

I'm super nervous about this show! I shouldn't be... Just about everything is done and I'm confident the last minute details will be easy to complete, but this is my first solo show! 

Here's the flyer:

Hope to see you there!!!

IF: Crooked

Yay for scheduling the GRE!! Boo for having to study... :) Soon I will be a graduate student and, hopefully, be able to assist teaching classes! Wish me luck on getting the score I need!

Here is my submission for Illustration Friday (Yes, I know it's late...) And some of my students wanted to enter some things too!! See below!

 

Jamie is a crooked entrepreneur around the school playground.

Sophia's character Molly Moo has a crooked smile.

Mallory's crooked figure sketch!

Victoria's crooked pipe design!

Illustration Friday: Burst

As Jamie turned to throw the water balloon, she felt one burst on her face!

A new style for the Johnson twins??? Hmmm, I dunno. Perhaps I'll make my Illustration Friday

submissions pertain to this developing story and see where the style takes me.

Illustration Friday: Identical

I haven't done a post for Illustration Friday in FOREVER. :(

Jenny and Jamie are identical twins with very different personalities!

Watercolor on 140lb Hot Press

Soooo busy.

Well I'm in my last semester as an undergraduate!!!!! That's right! This is my graduating senior semester and I have my senior exhibition in November! So I'm buckling down and trying to make sure everything is in order for my show while juggling Technical Composition (my LAST core class, thank the Goddess!), Professional Practice class, and Ceramics 2! I'm also taking Advanced Watercolors and an independent study of watercolors, but I'm able to use that for my exhibit work :) I will also be applying for graduate school. (I did not realize the due dates for applying were so early... ugh) Here's a peak at a piece for my show:

 

In the show, she will be holding a red yarn that is tangled around the turtle. The yarn will be one of the 3D elements in the show along with the 2D story paintings along the walls.

Come see my show if you can! I'll post the poster when I get it done!

A lil' this, lil' that

Things I did while in-between things....

Painting!

Now that I have more time (except for the days I have to concentrate on my online Math class... ugh...) I've been prepping some wood panels and jumping into my watercolor work! Feels sooo gooood.

I still have to finish a book from an author in Baton Rouge. (Sweetest woman ever!) and my senior show storybook!

Also, just last night actually, I've been playing with scrap paper and line art. I love the wet on wet with watercolor but it's too unpredictable for most of my illustration work so I've tried to use it in different ways while still keeping with my style.

Hooray for Awesome Opportunities and Awesome Friends!

Here are some pictures of work done by my good friend Larrie that were up for sale during his show: Flight from the Nest at the NSU gallery:

I've just gotten to know him (and Trey... love Trey so much!) and find it hard to imagine NSU without him! It makes me sad for myself, but so happy for him! He's going to Kent State in Ohio for his MFA so on to greener pastures!!! I also now have 5 pieces of his artwork to put up in my house and studio to remind me of how awesome he is. :)

*Just Breathe*

Whew! So all the Summer Art Camps are finished! This past week was my last (and 5th) week!! It's crazy how much fun I had, yet how exhausted I am! I'm finally able to get back into the swing of finishing the book I'm working on and my Senior Show!! Which, by the way, is scheduled for November. :)

Here are some pictures to show you how much fun I've been having:

Mentos Rockets!!

Larrie's birthday cake!

 Painted during a break

OH and P.S. - I got all four of my submissions to the Natchitoches Art Guild Juried Art Show accepted!!! I'm pretty happy :)