I'm your private illustrator, your illustrator for money, I'll do what you want me to do.

One of my favorite people to work with is my cousin Becki.  She's a rad graphic designer, photographer, and screen printer.  The only thing she can't do is draw (her words, not mine!).  Luckily for her, the only thing I can do is draw (that's a lie,  I'm awesome at everything).  Thus, we have formed this great symbiotic relationship where she gets me to do line art for the stuff she can't draw, and I get money and exposure.  Recently, she needed a bunch of people drawn (including herself, she's the one laying down).  Here's what we came up with!

2 People relaxing by a tree.

Becki, looking mega asian.

A dude at a picnic table.

Here's what she did with my drawings:

It's great for her, because she can offer another service to her clients, and it's great for me because I love getting paid to draw!  I also love how little comittment it takes.  It's different than illustrating books, because it doesn't require me to devote 1/4 to 1/3 of a year to one project.  It's finished in a matter of hours or days, which allows me to work on my home business while still illustrating here and there.  So, if any graphic designers out there are looking to engage in some symbiosis, I'm always here!  You can be the shark and I'll be that shitty little fish that eats the crap off your teeth...

My daughter the tsunami.

Anyone that follows this blog is probably aware that I move at a glacial pace (as can be seen by the frequency with which I post on my blog).  Change in my life is usually slow and steady.  Well, this time change has been monumental, flooding into my life and rearranging everything, more like a tsunami than a slow moving glacier.  I'm talking about a 6lb 4oz baby girl named Myriam.

Thanks to my cousin Becki for taking an awesome pic.

Now that 6 weeks have gone by, it's safe to say that I'm eager to begin working again.  Easy to say, tough to do, when an 11lb midget would rather I spend all my waking hours (and sleeping hours) with her.  Seriously, I have to plan my bathroom breaks around when my spouse is home.

My new challenge, which I am keenly interested in overcoming, is learning how to manage my time with a house, a baby, and myself to take care of, as well as a business to grow.  My first tip is this:  Get or make a sling!  Here's a picture of me hand writing the first draft of this blog post with my angel on my chest.  I actually made soup while wearing her in this thing last night.  So convenient.

My second tip is to have a spouse who can take 9 months off work so you can work at home while he cares for the midget. 

All right, reel it in.  Do not make this blog into a mom blog.  I promise I'll still write about business, but you're going to have to put up with the odd "working mom" post.  I will leave you with a couple of pictures of my new studio spaces in the basement of my house.  They're coming along!  The only thing that I desperately want to change is the little blue room.  By all rights, it should be green, no?

My printing area.

The dry studio, for drawing and sewing.

Little blue room.