September 14, 2016.

Is summer already over? First of all, I must confess that this summer was one of my all-time favorites!  Due to the fact that my boys are now old enough to pick up and go fairly easily, we spent nearly every weekend on the road to different destinations. It was very liberating to not be so home-bound, now that we don’t have naps and diaper-changes to deal with. A few highlights of our summer included camping, biking and hiking in Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine (a MUST-see place!), Lake Bomoseen in Vermont, camping at Wolfe’s Neck Farm in Freeport, Maine, a family gathering in Strathmere, New Jersey, a romantic getaway to the Berkshire Mountains in western Mass, and most recently a long weekend with cousins on beautiful Cape Cod. Phew! I barely had time to unpack my suitcase in between trips…

The reason I tell you all this is because this fall I’m changing gears a bit and launching a new watercolor/pen & ink series I’m calling “Wish You Were Here!” I plan to complete about 12-15 oversized “postcards” (9×12″) that will capture the essence of places I’ve visited. My goal is to have this series shown in a local gallery or art show, and I’ll sell the pieces either locally or online. My first piece is nearly complete, I’ll post a preview in the coming days.

I’m excited to be picking up my watercolor brushes again after a long hiatus! In addition, I have another illustration commission that will bring to life a client’s whimsical children’s story as a gift to her husband. This time it will be in the style of Beatrix Potter å la Peter Rabbit and the Flopsy Bunnies. So fun!

Finally, I can’t wait to share with you all the whimsical parenting-themed coloring book I’ve just completed this August, called “Oh, How the Years Fly By!” It’s been nearly a year in the works (one of my longest projects to date) and was such a labor of love. I’m really pleased with how the illustrations came out, and how personal the book feels. The author I worked, Annette Bridges, and I plan to do some local book signings in the Boston area this fall, stay tuned!

For a preview of the coloring book, please read a recent review/giveaway from this Texas-based blogger. It’s always amazing to see your designs come to life in book-form.  Truly, I am so grateful for my partnership with talented authors like Annette who bring their ideas to the world!

Click here to read the Review of “Oh How the Years Fly By!”

I hope you had a wonderful summer too, and that the changing of the season is sparking new ideas and endeavors.