Goodbye 2010...

...I can't say I'm too sad to see you go.

2010 was a real mixed bag.

I lost sweet Tom the cat to cancer, dearest Ziggy, my dog, to heart disease and poor Mrs Grey the chicken to...well, we're not sure what.
I gained two beautiful kittens, Will and Lyra and the two surviving chickens, Mr. Brown and Mrs. Black, and they are all in good health (despite Will fracturing his leg).
The latest addition to the family is on the left, so meet Dexter. 10 weeks old, mother a maltese terrier, father unknown and utterly adorable. A lovely way to bring the year to a close.

A big thank you to all of you who follow my blog and my work, and who support me in my artistic endeavors - you know who you are. It would be very hard for me to continue without you so it is very much appreciated. It's been a tough year but 2011 is looking very exciting and I can't wait to get started!
A very Happy New Year to everyone!!

NoHo Noir #10 - Blockbuster

8 x 10 inches, watercolor, 2010.

The latest illustration for the NoHo Noir series written by Katherine Tomlinson, illustrated by me, and featured on the Patch.com North Hollywood and Toluca Lake site.

Forget the holiday spirit; it's movies that bring Angelenos together.

Read it here!

Cara

2.5 x 3.5 inches, watercolor with gouache, 2010.

Commission.

ACEO commission portrait of a character from a RPG game.

NoHo Noir #9: After Party

7 x 9 inches, watercolor, 2010.

The latest illustration for the NoHo Noir series written by Katherine Tomlinson and featured on the Patch.com North Hollywood and Toluca Lake site.

A midnight encounter between a cop and a drunk driver has an unexpected resolution, but it won’t happen again.

Read it here!

Mom and Dad Commission Portrait

8 x 10 inches, watercolor, 2010.

I painted this portrait for a fellow artist friend, Melanie Pruitt. It's a portrait of her parents back in the 1950's when they became sweethearts. Today they are celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary, quite an achievement! This painting is their gift - I hope they like it!
Melanie was thrilled with it and below you can see how she framed it. It was a pleasure to paint!

Daisies and Honesty

14 x 18 inches, watercolor, 2006.

Another old painting. This took ages to do, I remember, but I quite like it.

The Knight

11x 15 inches, watercolor, 2010.

Any regular folowers of my blog will know that I've recently been working with the talented author Katherine Tomlinson on her NoHo Noir series of stories for Patch.com, as well as other projects like Dark Valentine.

Katherine commissioned the painting as a Christmas present for her friend Shay, a writer who teaches western medieval martial arts in his spare time. His non-profit school is called the Academy of Arms (Los Angeles) and the symbol on the banner is from the time period he studies. Curriculum at the Academy is drawn directly from fighting manuals published between the 14th and 16th Centuries. There is a long tradition of Knights being portrayed with their dogs but here Shay is pictured with the fearsome war cat Otto Von Orange Cat.



If you have a Kindle you can download Katherine's book of short stories "Another Day In Paradise" from here.

NoHo Noir #8: Tis The Season

6.8 x 9 inches, watercolor, 2010.

The latest illustration for the NoHo Noir series written by Katherine Tomlinson and featured on the Patch.com North Hollywood and Toluca Lake site.

A struggling screenwriter has a pity party in Toluca Lake while everyone else is having a good time.

Read it here!

The Man-Eater At The North End Of The World

6.8 x 9 inches, watercolor, 2010.


The third illustration I've painted for the Winter issue of Dark Valentine magazine.

A story adapted from a Tlingit traditional tale.

You can read The Man-Eater At The North End Of The World by Dave Hunsaker in the new issue of Dark Valentine which can be downloaded here!

Unfurling Red Poppy

14 x 20 inches, watercolor.

Another old painting. I used to grow these big oriental poppies. I loved seeing the cases pop open revealing the bright red petals waiting to unfurl in the sunshine.

Justice Served

6.8 x 9 inches, watercolor, 2010.


The second illustration I've painted for the Winter issue of Dark Valentine magazine. I was initially only meant to do one story but this story was a last minute addition so I was asked to provide something quickly. This was fun because it's a totally new subject for me.

You can read Justice Served by Edward A. Grainger in the new issue which can be downloaded here!

NoHo Noir #7: Cosmos

8 x 11 inches, watercolor, 2010.

The seventh illustration for Katherine Tomlinson's NoHo Noir series on Patch.com.

A father and son contemplate the universe and their place in it.

Read it here!

Kamikaze Hipsters

6.8 x 9 inches, watercolor, 2010.

The first of three illustrations I've done for stories featured in the Winter issue of Dark Valentine magazine.

This one is for the story Kamikaze Hipsters by Dale Phillips, about an artist who meets a willing muse for his next work..

You can download the magazine from the Dark Valentine site - it feature 15 new stories and is well worth a look!

Hibiscus Syricaus (Rose of Sharon)

14.8 x 18.8 inches, watercolor.

Another big painting from a couple of years ago. This hibiscus was a huge plant in the gardens at RHS Wisley and I was captivated by the gorgous numerous blooms.

Parrot Tulip

Another larger painting from a couple of years ago...

12 x 16 inches, watercolor.

Asian Lillies

When I was going through my art folder to find my portrait of Ziggy (which is now framed and on the wall), I found a few large floral paintings I don't think I've ever posted. They were all painted in 2006 after I had had an exhibition of portraits and had decided to try painting flowers, a subject I had really avoided. Anyway, this was one of them.

Asian Lillies, 14 x 18.8 inches, watercolor.

I've been really busy recently - illustrations for the next issue of Dark Valentine, the weekly NoHo Noir illustrations and I've also done some commissions that can't be posted yet as they are gifts. So even though I'm not posting as much new work as usual, I'm busier than I've been for a while. I'll post some oldies in the meantime!