Illustration and the Total Pet Expo

Hey ya'll-- it's been a busy summer!

Well I am gearing up for Backer's Total Pet Expo this fall in Chicago, IL while also continuing to work on my illustration portfolio.  The result?  Illustrations designed to promote my work in the pet business!  This has been a lot of fun.

At the show...
I am launching my new line of printed "pet themed" wholesale products.  This includes prints, greeting cards and a 2014 calendar :) Click Here to check them out at my site.

On illustration...
I have been working towards my goal of getting published in the world of illustration.  My particular focus has been children's books.  I am part of the Society of Children's Books Writers & Illustrators.

Looking forward to a busy and eventful fall season!

"Fur Crazy" Our Newest Affiliate!

Take a scenic drive through the enchanting, wooded roads to Spring Lake, Michigan along West Michigan's coastline and pop into the adorable Fur Crazy Pet Salon.  This quaint pet destination is owned by Deb Casemier, an outgoing business woman with a lovely personality that keeps her shop warm and inviting.

Fur Crazy Pet Salon is the newest member of our Affiliate Program.  Deb can help you order a Custom Pet Portrait by Funamals right in her shop.  She has a printed portfolio to help guide you in your quest to find the perfect piece of unique artwork for you or someone special.  Order your portrait through Deb and she will take care of all of the details for you.  You can pick up your painting from Fur Crazy as soon as it arrives.

I am so pleased to have Deb and her  cute grooming salon be a part of this new business venture.  She is passionate for animals, art and supporting small business.  We have a lot in common!

Pancakes!

I decided that I really wanted to explore painting food.  Since I have also been exploring cooking it, this  project went hand in hand.  The challenge is that we recently moved to a very small town and I am in the studio by myself a lot, so making lots of food to paint was not ideal.  My resolution?  I am making "mini" versions of food!  I LOVE anything in miniature and I love close up photography.  There are a lot of things I really love in this project.  Here I made mini (eggless) yogurt blackberry pancakes.  They are plated on a teacup saucer :)  They were fun to eat too!

Mr. Valentine

Expanding into illustration

I always say that I specialize in animal portraiture...and I do, but I am currently working on expanding my abilities.  I am concentrating on illustration now.  I hope it will lead to new and exciting adventures and projects.  I attended the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators conference last summer and got 1st runner up in the contest for best portfolio...(click here to read more).  Since then I have been working to scratch the surface in this new field of study.

Click Here to view a few past illustrations for children's books.

Kiwi Fruit Pizza

I made this delicious "Kiwi Fruit Pizza" a few weeks ago.  It was basically fruit  pizza, but all I had in the house for fruit was kiwis.  I am trying to expand my portfolio, so I thought it would be something fun to paint!

How to Order a Custom Pet Portrait

Check out this Video to learn how to order your custom pet portrait online through etsy.   

**PLEASE NOTE A CHANGE IN POLICY since this video was created. PLEASE AVOID photos taken with cell phones INCLUDING SMART PHONES**

This is the Blog post for all Questions Related to Custom Pet Portraits.  Finally...some clarity!

Frequently Asked Questions...

How long does it take until I get my pet portrait?
7-10 business days to complete before the portrait is shipped.  If you need it quicker than that just message me and let me know.  I take holiday orders through much of December.  If you have any concerns about receiving your order in time for holiday gifting, just contact me. 

How do I send my photo?
In my etsy shop you can click on the "Contact" button and a conversation box will pop up.  You can attach your digital photo file there.  Alternatively, you can email your photo to funamals@gmail.com.  Make sure that you leave the name that correlates with the etsy account in the text.  Digital files are preferred, but you can also send your photo via "snail mail" and it will be shipped back to you with your pet portrait.  (Note that this method takes longer for the finished product).
 
How do I pick a good photo?
A nice quality photo with good lighting is best.  I prefer "head shots" of pets so I can get the details in their face and capture their personality.  If a pet's photo has red-eye I take it out when I paint it.
 

Can I use a picture from my cell phone?
Please no cell phone photos of any kind.  They will not have a high enough quality for me to work with.  The better the photo the better the painting.  300 dpi is great!  (dots per inch) The higher the resolution the better.

I have more than one pet.  Do they need to be in the same photo in order to be in the painting together?
No.  It is better to have a nice, quality photo of each pet.  I can compose them together in the painting.  It helps if they are taken in the same kind of light.

Can you ignore all the stuff in the background of my photo?
Yes!  I usually do unless a client has a special request to keep something in the photo.

Here are some examples of good photos vs. bad photos....

 

 

if this guide didn't answer your questions you can contact me at funamals@gmail.com.

Another Monday behind the Paint Brush...

Monday, Monday!  Here's a sneak preview of a portrait for a client :)

New Work :)

 

I am getting ready to head down to Saugatuck, Michigan tomorrow for the Village Square Arts Fair.  I have been working on some new ways to present my work and I am really enjoying this new way to do it.  They are original watercolors that are gallery wrapped.  They look clean and they are ready to hang immediately after purchase.

 

My fiance Cam DeCaussin will also be showing his work at the show tomorrow.  It will be the first time we will be showing our work side by side :)

Fun Poster Design :)

This is a poster I designed for the Harmony Brewing Company's "Black Squirrel University." :)

The Rabbit + the Acorn: A Short Story

The rabbit couldn’t handle it.  One shiny acorn gleaming in the sunlight on the ground.  Thelma adored them.  "She would, too," thought Jane.  Thelma never really did the same things as other rabbits.  Jane sat there and sniffed.  Why Thelma had collected an acorn was beyond her.  There were some lovely flowers only feet from where they were sitting and any rabbit would have gone straight to those for a bite to eat.  Not Thelma.   Beyond eating them, it was like she just sat there admired the shiny exterior of the acorn.  Jane was disgusted.  She had seen enough for one day.  She hopped toward the pine trees.  There was no sense in trying to understand Thelma’s logic.  If she wanted to chomp on acorns while the others found fresh greens to eat, then that was her prerogative.  Jane made a note in her mind to find a reason not to have a meal with Thelma again.  Something would come up.  She would think of a good excuse when the time came.  There was always a good reason when you needed one anyway.

Lunch at Home with a Hippo

Click the image to view larger

Some new work...

Click the images to view them larger

Turtle and Giraffe Meet Adventure

click the image for a larger view

I just finished this painting this morning.  I am looking to get some of my work made into prints to sell.  I am wondering if this one would be worthy of printing.  If anyone could give me some feedback on whether I should print it I would REALLY appreciate it.  You can leave your comments here or email me at funamals@gmail.com.  Thanks!

Mini Booklet

 

So I have been working on my Children's Book Illustration Portfolio and I needed to get my work printed professionally so that it is presented nicely to potential clients and the like.  I have 8 pieces to show in this collection, all laid out in a book.  The finished product will consist of three copies of what you see in the photos, but on a much larger scale.  To make sure that it is done right, I printed a mini version of the pages and pieced it together.  The result was a cute little booklet not much bigger than an inch square.  I thought it was deserving of a photo shoot. 

Ants :D

Just finished an illustration that I have been working on all day.  It is a double page spread for my portfolio for children's book illustration. (click the picture to see it larger).  I chose to illustrate part of a story I wrote a while back.  It is about ants trying to survive when the rain comes.  The work is still very fresh so there might be a lot of adjustments to it yet...we'll see.

Children's Book Illustration...a new adventure

So I really want to be a children's book illustrator.  Last week I met a really awesome artist, and a supporter, Ryan Hipp who has been giving me a lot of pointers.  I joined the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators and am headed to a conference in Lansing, MI in a few weeks.  I am working on building my portfolio and there are a few things that I really need to improve on.  I need to make my work more narrative, and this adventure has been really fun.  I also need to show that I can paint children, and people.  These paintings are what I have been working on in the studio to improve these things.

This is part of a full spread illustration.

Holy Cow and WOW...just breath!

Time for a good ol' fashioned "Low Down"  ...life is going so fast around here so I will "throw down" an update!

Custom Pet Portrait orders continue to come in and I really enjoy painting such wonderful pets!

Last week I was in "Art Battle for Community #6" to benefit the Creston Neighborhood Association...

Photo by Tommy Allen

I was new to the scene, which can always get your nerves, but when I arrived I saw famed photographer Terry Johnston with his camera resting at his side and his paint brush at the ready.  It was so good to see Terry, then I saw what he was working on and I knew I needed to get to my own!  It was so good to see some supportive friends and also meet new ones too.

Terry Johnston

I've been doing a lot of community events lately.  This coming Saturday, I will be painting Custom Pet Portraits on the spot at the Fulton Heights Neighborhood Association Garage Sale in Grand Rapids, MI.  The next event following that will be the Eco.Expo at City High School in Grand Rapids where I will be teaching kids about crafting green!  My nerves were on the rise as I thought about what I might teach two hundred kids over six 45 minute sessions so I got together with the best person for advice, one of my best friends Mindy Taggart.  Over some coffee at the local cafe "Sparrows," Mindy put me at ease with her quick wit and a dash of her background in art education.  I also drew from a past experience when I was teaching some sweet young girls how to make greeting cards out of scraps of fabric and paper.

Diving deeper into my work, I recently met with some wonderful mentors who have been so helpful.  I met with Laura Caprera, owner of Stellafly and had some great conversation.  In a few short weeks I will be working at an event for the Humane Society of West Michigan.  They are having a "K-9 Cabaret" on May 17th to support the organization and also honor the Grand Rapids Police Department's K-9 unit.  I will be painting custom pet portraits on the spot and I am so excited to be a part of it!  The following weekend I will be out at the Dog Bowl Funfest in Frankenmuth, Michigan.  I have never been to Frankenmuth, but I hear it is lots of fun and can't wait!

This past weekend we had the opportunity to check out the work of some wonderful artists around town.  These talented people are internationally known and just really great folks.  We went out to see Rebecca Green's show at St. Cecilia in Grand Rapids.  Such wonderful illustrations left me totally inspired.  It made me want to go back to the studio and work more.

We also had the opportunity to visit the Beerhorst family home and chat with Brenda and Rose for a bit.  We went to the local Fulton Street Farmer's Market for the grand opening of their new facility and found Rick Beerhorst playing with The Wealthy Orphans as the shoppers walked by.  

My fiance Cam and I had our engagement photos done recently as well.  We are both artists so we had a sort of "artist throw down" in my parent's front yard for a photo shoot.  Lovely and talented Amy Carroll did our photos--and she is absolutely wonderful.  Amy is another person who has really been a great business associate and mentor.  She has so much good advice and such a positive energy, I love it! 

I've been working on some things for Amy Carroll too.  Here is a small preview one of the paintings I am working on for her.  

I can feel myself growing inside so much as an artist and a person from all of the experiences I have had lately.  There are so many ideas in my head right now and they can't be shared.  There is a time during my creative process where everything must be internalized for a while.  My thoughts have to go into outer space and simmer before they can come back down to earth.  All I can say is I am excited to see what the future has in store!

Thought of the Day...

Copyright 2012 Funamals

Wedding Day

Just over four months from our wedding day!
Plotting and scheming and planning away.

So much advice, and its good to hear.
A lot on my mind as the day becomes near.

Every girl just wants the day to be right.
I have a dress and some shoes that are white.

We have the whole summer and it's hard to wait.

But at the same time, it is almost the date!

Our honeymoon is booked, so thats set in stone.

We can't wait to spend a whole week alone!

Balancing work while planning our day

Has been a real challenge in such a big way.

Planning the guest list has been really rough.

We can't invite everyone and that makes it tough.

Everyone's happiness is important, it's true.

But sometimes there has to be compromise too.

It is hard to make sure that everyone's pleased.

Sometimes my concern just has to be ceased.

I want my bridesmaids to be happy too.

I worry a lot they have too much to do.

The merge of two families is a really big deal.

It is crazy to think this will be real.

Above all the planning and wedding and fun,

The health of our marriage remains number one.

I've been through so much already with Cam.

If you ask, "are you ready?" I'll tell you I am.