Monsters in progress: An update on the Princess Monster Alphabet Book

I have been hard at work on the Princess Monster alphabet book, and wanted to give you a quick update on progress. These are some quick pics I snapped with my phone, so I apologize that they aren't the best image quality, but they will do for the purpose of today's post.

Today I wanted to share a little step by step breakdown of one of my monsters. This is Ollief.

Step 1

I work on my sketch until I am happy with it, then scan it in so I can re-size it and print out my template.

Step 2

Using a Stabilo all marks pencil, I trace my template onto my background. I then gesso, using the mix of the Stabilo pencil and the gesso to create a nice outline for my figure.

Step 3

Using a combination of Inktense watercolor pencils, acrylic paint, paint pens and pencil, I add the details of the character.

I'm more than halfway through the alphabet now, and it has been quite a journey already. I have struggled with self-doubt, second-guessing and self judgement. I have been overwhelmed when I spent too much time thinking about how much work there is to come. I have felt so much, and returned over and over to my mantras of self-acceptance and being present in the now. Just one step at a time, one foot in front of the other, and I will get there.

Love, kindness & gratitude....

And here is where it gets real...

One day, about 3 years ago, I was working on a monster puzzle with Gabe and I started to wonder why there aren't more girly monsters. The idea stuck in my head, and I started sketching out my princess monsters. Here is Ayzee, my very first:

And I said to myself this would make a great alphabet book. But life was busy and so I let that idea just linger in the back of my mind while I continued to sketch and paint princess monsters here and there. I kept learning more about art and painting more monsters, and all the while saying "One day I am going to make an alphabet book." 

And then a few months ago I sat down and decided to just check how many monster characters I had created so far. And when I added it up, I had twenty characters created. And I realized that it was time to get serious about this and commit. I was ready to bring this dream from the background of my thoughts to the forefront of my life. I was ready to make this thing real.

Inspired by artists Danielle Daniel and Mindy Lacefield, who both released beautiful art books last year, I began to see the steps unfold in front of me. And I have been taking them one at a time, careful not to think too far ahead. I know that I can easily get overwhelmed by the vastness of a task like this and let the fear goblins take over my mind. So I told myself, right now all you have to do is sketch one more monster, or write one more verse. That's all you have to do. And I started making more space in my life, being careful to limit my other obligations to make room for this new project to grow.

So right now, here is where I am at. I have a rough draft of the text for the book written out and sketches for all the characters. I have a giant stack of MDF boards ready to be painted and a manuscript that needs editing. So this is where it becomes real. Because now I have to take this dream that I have been sheltering in the safe harbor of my heart and start sharing it with the world. I need to share my manuscript and get feedback (Oh how I hate feedback!) on how the verses flow. I have to commit to the painting style that I am going to use for all 26 paintings so that they will have a consistent look to them. And scariest of all, I have to start telling the world at large that I am working on this book so I can start generating some "buzz" for the project. This is all quite terrifying to take something that is so close to my heart, so much a part of me, and send it out. I can only imagine that when the book is done it will be even more terrifying.

So I remind myself that I only have to do one thing at a time. Take one little step. Write this one blog post and send it out. That is all. And then I can go reward myself with a nice piece of chocolate cake or a kitchen dance break.

Step by step part 2, and an exciting announcement!

If you want to see part 1 of this process, where I create the background, click here.

So this is my first two-headed princess monster. It's also the first larger scale princess monster I have done (18x24). AND it is also the first time I have used the oil paint sticks, and I have to say I really like the way they blend, and I think they will become my default for skin tones. So here she is, from start to finish:

outline done in white paint pen, filled in with gesso

skin tone swiped on with oil paint sticks

after blending

hair filled in with oil paint sticks, blended by hand

first attempt at faces, not quite right

second attempt at faces, much better now!

and a dress to finish her!

 Sorry the image quality is not great. Next time I will use the good camera instead of my iPhone. But for now you get an idea of the process. My neighbours have been watching this painting progress as I have been keeping it in the garage and moving it out to the yard to work on it during this beautiful sunny weather we have been having. Hopefully I haven't traumatized any of the neighbourhood kids with her ;)

It's easy for me to show you the process of creating this monster, and harder to talk about the inspiration behind this piece. So I will be brief. I have been struggling for months with postpartum depression. It's still too fresh for me to be able to say much about it, except that it's been really hard and I am so glad that it has finally let go of its grip on me. This painting felt very much like an exorcism, and at times it was so intense working on it that I had to step away and walk around a bit to work through the waves of emotion. When I started working on this piece I wrote out a quote "I feel a nameless sadness o'er me roll" over and over on the canvas. That quote came on a piece of ephemera that I received in a class with Danielle Daniel at the Sugar & Spice retreat, and it felt like such a perfect description for how I was feeling. This painting is called The Nameless Sadness. It's quite a departure from my usual light-hearted princess monsters, but for me it feels like a major breakthrough moment, both personally and in my artistic process.

And now for the BIG NEWS! My princess monsters and I will be at Into the HeArt Retreat this coming spring in beautiful Harrison Hot Springs, BC. I will be teaching a workshop called "Monster in Me". This is such a big deal for me, major soul purpose, doing what I am supposed to be doing business. I am so honoured to be teaching at this event! You can check out the details about my workshop here. Registration opens September 21. I'll be posting more soon about the other amazing workshops being offered at the retreat. Hope to see you there!

I think this may be the longest post in quite a while! So I will sign off now, and wish you all a beautiful day!

princess jeeba

Just a little reminder, to speak your truth.

You honor yourself and those you are with

when you are true to yourself.

Princess Jeeba and the other Princess Monsters

have some exciting news coming for you soon!

Much love!

Princess Florie

Sometimes you work and work on a painting and it still

just doesn't feel right.

This is a detail of my Princess Florie painting,

and I think I like it better like this than the full image.

So I'm going to put it on a shelf until I can

figure out what to do next.

Normally I would have a little write up

about the Princess Monster pictured,

but with the painting not feeling right,

her story is not coming to me right now.

It's been a productive week for artwork,

so I'll post some more next week.

In the meantime, I am linking up with

Paint Party Friday.

Check out the other great artists

who are posting their work.

Have a beautiful weekend!

Princess Calandria

Princess Calandria is an expert in Monster Etiquette. Although it may seem from a human perspective that monsters have no etiquette whatsoever, there is in fact quite a precise art to specific growls and screeches in the upper circles of monster society. In her spare time, Calandria enjoys coordinating charity benefits and bakes delicious cupcakes.

I'll be linking up today with Paint Party Friday. 

Hope you are having a beautiful day!

Princess Zibbo

I realized with great shock a few days ago, that I had not introduced you to Princess Zibbo yet. Zibbo is a great joke-teller and juggler. Her favourite subject at Monster Princess School is Art. Every year, Zibbo wins first prize in the Princess Monster Talent Contest.

Zibbo is the fourth in my Princess Monster series, with many more to come. I have been working simultaneously on creating digital and painted versions of my Princess Monsters, so I'll upload one of the painted versions in a couple weeks.

I'll be offline for the next 10 days as I travel to Maui on a family vacation. I'll upload some pics when I get back :)

Have a beautiful day!

Gurilga, the Original

Here she is, in all her glory, Princess Monster #3.

Gurilga has a very sweet disposition, but she may bite your hand off if you try to take a bite of her food. She enjoys water polo and competitive arm wrestling. Her favorite book is "Maude the Destroyer", a famous monster biography. 

I have been busy working simultaneously on three painting courses (Kim Klassen's online Art of Texture class, Kelly Rae Robert's "Taking Flight" and an acrylic textures class at my local arts centre) so I will have lots more work to show you shortly :)

In the meantime, watch this short video The Revolution is Love. Love this quote:

"You have such gifts that are important...you have a necessary and important gift to give. [The] logic of the heart [is that it] wants to be of service. I think love is the felt experience of connection to another being. An economist says, essentially, "more for you is less for me". But the lover knows that more for you is more for me too." -Charles Eisenstein. Author, Sacred Economics

I think as artists we create to connect with others, to share our human experience. And that sharing is what makes us feel truly alive!

Let me know your thoughts on the video, I'd love to hear from you.

Have a beautiful day!

Gurilga, Princess Monster

I have some exciting news to share! One of my princess monsters is going to be turned into a banner that will decorate the streets of Port Moody in 2012. I recently submitted a simplified version of Gurilga, Princess Monster using the colour palette the city has chosen for this year's banners. And here she is:

She's a real sweetheart. 

I'll post her original artwork and profile soon.

Hope you are having a beautiful day!

Mayzee, the Goth Princess Monster

Mayzee is a bit of a rebel. All her life people have called her twin sister Ayzee "The Pretty One". Mayzee enjoys making mischief whenever possible. If you wake up in the morning and someone has switched out your toothpaste for boot polish, it was probably her.

Mayzee is the second in the princess monster line I am working on. She was created using a combination of scanned, painted backgrounds and Photoshop painting.

More Princess Monsters to come soon!

Meet Ayzee

Recently I was working on a monster puzzle with my son, and thought "You know there aren't enough girly monsters out there." So I decided that what the world needed was a few princess monsters. Meet Ayzee:

Ayzee loves apples, and has an extensive collection of human teeth, which she loves to display in jars on a shelf in her bedroom. Her hobbies are bowling and macrame and she is looking for a fellow who can hold his own in an arm wrestling match with her.

Ayzee is painted on wood board, with a collage base. Mediums are acrylic paint, pen and pencil. Soon I will show you the digital version of Ayzee, as well as a few more of her fellow princess monsters.

Hope you are having a beautiful day!