Envy in the Arctic

I'm none too thrilled with the way this piece turned out.  Something's not right about it, but it's time to move on.  So here it is:

They're a bit troublesome to paint, what with all the wrinkles, but having painted a couple, I now think walruses are pretty cute. (Though maybe they are not so pleasant if met in person...)

IF: Carry

I'm going to cheat a little bit for this week's Illustration Friday topic and pull an illustration from my book, What's Your Angle, Pythagoras?

In this scene, Pythagoras and his father are helping Nef, the builder, carry building materials in ancient Egypt.  Nef had apparently hurt his thumb and couldn't carry more than a tile, leaving Pyth and his dad to do the heavy lifting.

New Website Design

I'd been growing a bit weary of my website design for a while now.  I figure after six years of the same old site, a redesign might be in order.  I wanted to get away from the clutter and go for a clean, simple, and straightforward design - http://phyllishornungpeacock.com/.  There are a few pieces of art in the gallery that I've never posted online before, but most of it was either on my site previously and/or posted on this blog.  The new design is very visually spare compared to my old design, but hopefully that will only help to not distract from the art itself.  Plus it has this cute little animated bird (who's looking a wee bit blurry here...):

Also, I set up a Facebook page for my work if anybody prefers to follow in that fashion.  Facebook seems like it might be a better place for interaction than these standard blog formats.  So, hope you enjoy!  Feedback is welcome too!

A Trip to Seattle

We made an early escape this year from what promises to be another hot summer.  Just came back from the Seattle area a few days ago where we spent one night in a treehouse at Treehouse Point:

Stood in the chilly mist of Snoqualmie Falls:

Wandered the quaint Bavarian-style town of Leavenworth:

Hiked a small, but steep mountain near Ellensburg, WA:

Hiked up another mountain trail near Monroe, WA which took us past three more waterfalls!

And some great views:

Finally ending up at the ice-covered Lake Serene:

Oh, and we managed to squeeze in a wedding and graduation too - the real main events!

Whew!  Now I'm tired!

Art Display #2 at the Allen Public Library

I'm so pleased to have been asked by the Allen Public Library to set up yet another display of my work in their gallery/lobby!  The illustrations on display this time are from two of my books - The New House and A Place for Zero.  The exhibit will be on display in case #4 until June 25, 2012.

If you live nearby, please stop by and check it out!
Allen Public Library
300 N. Allen Drive
Allen, Texas 75013

Goldfinch Babies

Here's an illustration that just appeared in this past April's issue of Babybug magazine.  Baby birds - one of my favorite subjects!

 The original is available here at my Etsy shop.

Take Steps & IF: Jump

Before moving on to the main art feature today, a bit about Take Steps for Crohn's & Colitis - I'll be walking in this year's event to help raise money for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America's ongoing search to find a cure for these devastating diseases.  It's a very personal cause for me since I developed ulcerative colitis four years ago and understand all too well what many people live with every day.  I've been very fortunate to have found a treatment that works well for me, but many people are not responsive to conventional medicines and a true cure is what we all really need and want.  So, I'd be thrilled if you'd consider supporting me in our efforts to find a cure!  If you wish to contribute, please visit my Donation page and click the green "Donate to Phyllis" button on the right.

Thanks very much for your attention and now on to today's submission for Illustration Friday...

IF:  Jump

My husband grew up in a very small town in northern Arizona and as is the case with many small towns, there was not a great deal to do in and around town. From the stories I've heard, it sounds like cliff-jumping may have been the highlight of many a summer for him.  I'm not sure I'd have the nerves of steel required for such an activity!