I’m a member of Olathe Visual Artists (OVA) and they’re looking to recruit more members. So, I’m reblogging here to help spread the word! Please share with anyone you think might be interested.
Source: https://olathevisualartists.com/2019/02/01/call-for-new-members/
So, I’m a member of Olathe Visual Artists (OVA) and they’re putting on an art fair this summer. I wanted to post this call for artists here to help spread the word. Feel free to share this post with anyone you think might be interested.
Source: https://olathevisualartists.com/2019/01/25/call-for-artists-olathe-station-art-fair/
Apply at: https://www.zapplication.org/event-info.php?ID=7203
John P. McGovern Foundation
Summer Reading Program
This was a tremendously fun project to do. The theme, Explore the Unknown, was meant to refer to all sorts of fun cryptozoological, mythical, and sci-fi subjects. Included in this piece is a UFO with Roswell-style aliens, a unicorn, a big foot, the Loch Ness Monster, a kraken, and a mermaid. The font is Black Pearl by JoannaVu.
I had a bit of trouble this morning opening a PSD file I’d worked on for hours yesterday. It didn’t recognize the file type even though it was saved as a Photoshop Document (PSD) file on Photoshop. Thought I was going to have to completely re-do several hours of work. But, on a hunch, I searched the web for a way to recover the file. There were suggestions on how to do it by going directly into the code and manually fixing something. I’m not really comfortable working at that level. But, luckily, I did find an App called PSD Repair. Now, it’s not free, but it’s not too pricey either. And they offer a trial which recovers your image (proof it works) with a watermark (to force you to pay for it). Fair enough. It did recover my file, which is worth $27 to me. So, I paid it.
Now my file is recovered.
I do need to go in and redo the spacing on my font and make sure that all my layer effects came through correctly. However, that should be much faster than starting from scratch, so I’m satisfied. They also have an option to recover one file at a time online at $10 a pop. That would also work, but I figured I’d spring for the download just in case it happens again.
So, anyway. I would like to recommend PSD Repair for anyone who needs their PSD files repaired. Seems to work, it’s not too pricey, and you can check if it works for your file before you buy.
Here’s the link: https://www.psd.repair/#/
When I’m silent on the blog for awhile, it’s usually because I’m busy-busy with illustration work. (YAY!) I’ve got 3 decent-sized projects going right now, so I haven’t been posting. I will eventually post samples, but not until I’m finished. Maybe the end of next week I’ll have something to share.
So, the reason I drew the Ogerita trolley car in the first place was to donate its limited use to the Olathe Station Art Fair. This is a street fair put on by Olathe Visual Artists, a group I’m a member of and serve as the webmaster for. They had a trolley on their material last year, because it’s held on Strang Line road, which was named after a historic interurban railway line that ran more-or-less through there from 1906-1940. Plus, the shopping center was named Olathe Station Shopping Center. So, the trolley theme was pretty obvious. But, unfortunately, the trolley image they used last year was not accurate. (No disrespect to the artist, she definitely knows her way around Illustrator better than me, but she wasn’t familiar with the material.) I knew I could do better, so I did. The Ogerita was one of the first two trolleys on the line and ran for only two years from 1906-1908. It was gas electric, so had no trolley pole. But it is the cutest one, with it’s short length, rounded windows, and decorative railing.
Anyway, this is one of the new logos for this year’s fair. It’s to be held on May 18th and 19th at the Olathe Station Shopping Center. 10-8 on Saturday and 10-5 on Sunday. This is the second year it’s running and it was pretty good last year, especially for a brand new fair. I think it’ll do even better this year.
I also sold (at cost) three prints of the Ogerita to the Overland Park Historical Society. Those should be hanging in their museum somewhere by now. They are also big on the Strang Line over there. I was pretty happy about that.
Prints of the Ogerita are available at my Zazzle store. And I’m sure OSAF merchandise will be available before long as well.
I just posted a brand new holiday card to my Zazzle store. It’s my house vectorized and with Christmas lights. And I have a coupon code for 60% off cards, among other things. Good until midnight on Monday, Dec 3rd Friday, Dec 7th. Use ZCYBRMONDAY2 DECKTHEHALLS at checkout.
My new portfolio is now up on childrensillustrators.com. Yay! I think Janet picked out a nice selection. It shows a wide range of styles.
(Other merchandise also.)
This is the time of year to think about buying Christmas cards. I have several designs available at my Zazzle store. (Lately they’ve been running some 60% off sales on holiday cards, which makes them a reasonable price. Just look for the coupon code. Today’s is HOLIDAYZSAVE, but that only lasts until midnight tonight. Black Friday’s coming up, though, so they’re bound to have more good discounts soon. The code BLKFRIDAYZAZ will get you 60% off until the end of the day 11/25/18.) The code ZCYBRMONDAYZ will get you up to 75% off on some projects. I think it’s 60% on cards. Until the end of the day Cyber Monday. And I have a coupon code for 60% off cards, among other things. Good until midnight on Monday, Dec 3rd. Use ZCYBRMONDAY2 at checkout. Use DECKTHEHALLS at checkout for 60% off cards until midnight on Friday, Dec 7th.
My latest is the Christmassy Streetcar that my Dad requested.
Last year’s card was my family ice skating. Sorry it’s not a more universal image. It’s very specifically my family, complete with Katie in her Canadian flag hoodie. I have considered reworking it with polar bears or something skating instead, but I haven’t gotten around to it.
Before that was a snowman family. (Also available in portrait orientation and on other merchandise.)
A single snowman with a cardinal perched on it’s hand/branch. (Also available in portrait orientation and on other merchandise. It’s particularly pretty on a coffee mug.)
And, for the more new age among you, a Stonehenge winter solstice card.
There are also tons of other products up on my Zazzle store. Mostly prints and cards, but other merchandise as well. More-or-less any decent images that I still hold the copyright on are fair game for Zazzle printing. If there’s any of my work that you’d like to see printed on something and I don’t already have it up, just let me know. I’d be happy to set it up for you.
I’ve illustrated two books that are available also. They’d make good Christmas gifts.
The Squishy, Stinky Diaper Written and Illustrated by Karen B. Jones
The Genie Loophole by Paul Maguire Illustrated by Karen B. Jones
(Preview images were generated by Zazzle. They own the greeting card templates, I own the images pictured on the cards.)
My Dad wanted a Christmas card based on the Ogerita trolley car I just finished. So, I Christmased-up the trolley for him. The card’s here on my Zazzle store, in case anyone else would like one.
