The Big Picture Blog

The Peace Project

2011-09-14T10:48:00.004-04:00

Launched last year by The Whole 9, The Peace Project called on artists to come together for a cause. This year on September 21st, World Peace Day, The Peace Project will lead a coalition of partners (including UNICEF), to get the country of Sierra Leone off the ground by providing 10,000 pairs of crutches and mobility devices to everyone in need throughout this entire post-conflict country (home to over 20% of the world's amputees).

The project collects a small submission fee from artists when they submit their vision of peace, and the "peace mosaic" exhibit tours the country to further collect monies for the cause.

My submission is shown above. Though the reference of the lion and lamb "lying down together" is based on scripture, I prefer to view this metaphor as hope for a peaceful world in which enemies harmoniously coexist so that all nations may live without fear.

Pint-sized Advertising

2011-07-30T15:49:00.003-04:00

The best advertising is often very inexpensive! Business cards are affordable and their back panels can do double-duty as referral programs, coupons, meeting dates, and frequent-user programs. These "pocket ads" are a must for businesses of any size.

There have been changes in how cards are used ... that is, primarily to drive potential clients to social networks or websites. Therefore, address and location have become less relevant. Most cards include some combination of phone number, website URL, email address, and Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter locations.

Many online sites print high-quality, inexpensive cards with quick turn-arounds. I like ModernPostcard!

The All-Important Side Project

2011-07-30T15:38:00.005-04:00

The "side project" is an important part of an illustrator's tool kit. Not only does it serve as creative soul-food, but it allows the freedom to explore new techniques and styles. Through "The Wormwood Press" I've been able to try my hand at collage, fine-line, and graphic styles. What fun! Check out The Wormwood Press on Facebook!

Dr. Gilda's New Book

2011-01-13T17:59:00.006-05:00

It was fun to work on this book cover for Dr. Gilda's Second Edition of her popular book on relationships "Don't Bet on the Prince!" And, since I had to have a copy of the first edition for the redesign, I got to read up on some topics of interest! The book is available online at Dr. Gilda's site, www.DrGilda.com

Welch Design is now on Facebook

2010-11-18T09:23:00.003-05:00

Our Facebook page is super accessible, and a quick way to view samples of work. Please join Welch Design on Facebook by clicking the "Like" button at the top of our Facebook page to receive occasional, real-time updates.

“Hope for Haiti” Fundraiser

2010-11-18T09:20:00.003-05:00

On January 12, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, killing over 300,000 people and leaving over a million more homeless. Almost a year later, 1.3 million Haitians are still displaced. Park United Methodist Church in Bloomfield, NJ held a night of music to raise funds to be used by the United Methodist Committee on Refugees (UMCOR) to assist the people of Haiti in building the schools so desperately needed for its children. I was pleased to be able to donate package design for the resulting album of the recorded performances

Conferences, Conventions and Trade Shows

2010-11-18T09:00:00.012-05:00

Integrated conference materials provide the "face" of the event while offering information and providing event details. National Coffee Association's Fall Education Conference was recently held in NYC. Brochure, internet branding and on-site signage were part of the cohesive package that helped to identify this conference as fresh, all-inclusive (the coffee chain from growers to retailers) and forward-thinking in terms of sustainability.

Launch of New Publication

2010-08-07T16:55:00.004-04:00

Some friends and I got together to start a ‘zine’ called The Wormwood Press. Each issue is unique in that its members rotate as the zine's Editor, providing their own perspective as well as choosing a theme that threads our creative work together. You can purchase the ‘fun-size’ printed and bound issue of The Wormwood Press online at Etsy (along with our growing collection of handmade items) or subscribe to our publication at thewormwoodpress@aol.com.

Join us on Facebook where you can download a FREE pdf version of the publication by visiting our “links” tab! It is our hope to establish a creative community in which to share our personal work, and to showcase the talent of others who wish to contribute.

New Line of Geometrics

2010-08-07T16:32:00.006-04:00

I can’t believe that so much time has passed since my last post. Much has been happening, which fortunately translates to "enough work to pay the bills and a couple of side projects to feed the soul."

I’ve added a line of geometric designs ... GEOMANIA ... to my surface art division. A small sampling of the brightly colored florals, conversationals, stripes, dots and characters can now be found on their own page at my website. Please contact me to request samples.

It’s Not All Kitties and Duckies, Ya Know!

2010-04-20T13:30:00.005-04:00

Every once in a while, it’s good to take a walk on the wild side. It was great fun to have a music project from a Metal band called Have No Fear (I'd include a link to their site, but it's still in the works). Versatility is all about stretching, and I’m grateful for projects like these that help keep me flexible. Look ma, no skulls!

On The Drawing Board

2010-04-20T13:19:00.005-04:00

Fresh and fabulous Geometrics will soon be released at Welch Design. A brand new line of spots, stripes, animals and objects are set to kick off in May 2010 with an ad in Total Art Licensing’s Surtex edition. This fun, bright line will have its own page at the Welch Design website soon!

Nate Williams Lecture

2010-02-23T10:39:00.003-05:00

Last week, I attended a lecture at the Society of Illustrators in New York. Nate Williams, one of my absolute favorite illustrators, spoke about his life, his process and his belief in sharing throughout the illustrative community. To that end, he created Illustration Mundo, a place where "illustration gets all the love." Be sure to check out the Letter Playground and, of course, the wonderful illustrators who have shared their work with Nate. Personally, I've always believed that if one of us succeeds, we all do!

Guest Artist: Amalia Hoffman

2010-01-19T12:25:00.004-05:00

Amalia’s newest picture book, The Klezmer Bunch (Published by Gefen Publishing House) is now available!

Amalia received her MFA from NYU and is currently based in Larchmont, New York. She feels most creative surrounded by books, toys and artwork created by her kids. Her mixed media illustrations often include paper collage and her incredible 3D paper constructions that have graced the store windows of Tiffanys, Fortunoff and Bloomingdales to name only a few.

Amalia enjoys bringing her books to life through storytelling at schools, libraries and bookstores. Transforming herself into a character from her book, she inspires the children to recreate scenes from the book. The children’s excitement can be easily seen in the photos at Amalia’s website.

Click on the first question below to read Amalia’s interview and see one of her illustrations.

You work in many different mediums, is there one that you prefer or a new one you’d like to try?

So Long, Santa!

2009-12-30T17:38:00.005-05:00

Another year is ending and the Christmas decorations are bound for storage. I prefer holiday decorations that are simple, elegant and meaningful. My husband, on the other hand, likes the decorations to be many and varied, with flashing lights, moving parts and sound. Each of us believes that our way is the best way, so we continue to look for compromises in our shared space. One of our successes, I feel, is the Santa Claus centerpiece. Making sense of the multitude of mis-matched Santas simply required grouping them and adding in a few other elements (berries, birds and presents) that fit the red and white color scheme. With a little gold added for sparkle, the “Cavalcade of Santas” ... which includes antique Santas as well as a SpongeBob Santa ... has become a favorite that both of us look forward to.

Guest Artist: Greg Gutbezahl

2009-12-10T16:40:00.004-05:00

Greg Gutbezahl of Bloomfield, NJ, describes his studio as “A mess with a computer in the middle, and a rack of shelves with inspiration, paints and brushes.” His artistic career, after graduating from NYU’s film and TV department has included work in film, TV commercials, music videos, multimedia and website development, photography and graphic design. Through it all Greg, a self-taught painter and illustrator, has been creating artwork described as “not so much a style applied to the work, but rather works that define a style.”

Click on the first question below to read Greg’s interview and see one of his charming illustrations for children.

What one word or emotion do you feel describes your artwork, and why?

Sometimes I Need a Kick in the Pants

2009-11-27T15:08:00.004-05:00

The season for giving thanks is upon us! Being “thankful” is an important part of my life, and I try to remember the many things and people I am grateful for, even when life hits one of those nasty bumps in the road. Work, family, friends, food, shelter ... the “basics” that provide comfort ... can be easily overlooked when work is slow and bills are mounting. It’s during those times of stress and uncertainty that a “swift kick in the pants” usually appears in the mail. This year, I received a catalog from Heifer International, an organization that works with communities to end hunger and poverty and to care for the earth.

A segment on 60 Minutes, CBS News Magazine Program, is credited with this quote: "With all the money donated to help fight famine around the world, with all the grandiose plans conceived to conquer poverty, sometimes all it takes to save a child is a goat."

For me, being thankful for what I can give is just as important as what I have. So our family is thankful that, through Heifer International, we have given the gift of a dairy goat so that another family will be able to provide the “basics” for themselves and their neighbors.

For those interested in partnering with Heifer to help lift families out of poverty, details can be found at Heifer.org.

Photo courtesy of Heifer International. The Momanyi family are part of the Goat and Dairy Cow Project in Muribe Village, Tarime District in the Mara Region of Tanzania.

Guest Artist: Mary Clancy Mango

2009-11-01T19:47:00.004-05:00

Based in Weehawken, New Jersey, Mary works primarily with graphite and coloured pencil to create her wonderful drawings. She’s attended a variety of art schools (“You name an art school in NYC and I’ve been there once or twice,” says Mary), and is currently hard at work on new illustrations for her portfolio/website and ... coming soon ... a brand new blog.

She shares her home and life with “humans,” Phil and Chloe; and “animals who think they are humans,” Easy, Lester and Puppet. Click on the first question below to read Mary’s interview and see her latest work!

Does your artwork define who you are?...

SCBWI Portfolio Announcement

2009-10-19T10:29:00.009-04:00

As a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI), I’m pleased to announce I’ve created a 12-image digital portfolio at their newly revamped website. You can visit my portfolio by clicking here. Many fine Illustrators can be found there in the “Gallery” so be sure to browse that section for some truly inspiring artwork! SCBWI is a wonderful resource for educational conferences, networking and events.

Bet you can't make just one!

2009-09-19T09:49:00.003-04:00

I had planned to make just one bear for the Mother Bear Project, an organization that distributes hand-knit bears to children affected by HIV/AIDS in emerging nations. All bears must be made using the same World War II era pattern, which is available in knit or crochet. Once I finished my boy bear, I just had to make a girl to accompany him on his long journey to his new home. The pattern costs $5.00, which helps the organization pay for expenses such as the storage space needed to hold the hundreds of bears they receive each month. An additional $3.00 must be included with each bear to help pay for shipping the bears to Africa. SO ... for eight dollars, and a few evenings of your time, you too can provide comfort for one of these kids in need. Details can be found at www.motherbearproject.org.

The Sound of Silence

2009-09-18T17:37:00.002-04:00

Silent pauses are very useful in a variety of circumstances. We know “silence speaks volumes” when we disagree with someone; builds suspense in music and poetry; and can hold us on the edge our seats when hearing a great orator speak. The same “silence” can be used to create drama in a child’s picture book. Illustrative pauses are artfully demonstrated by Maurice Sendak in “Where the Wild Things Are”. When the words tell us that the “wild rumpus” should begin, we next see three pages of active illustration without a single sound! The silent pages depicting Monsters and Max swinging through trees and marching through the forest serve to move the story forward, but also provides space for the reader to imagine the noise and become excited about the next words they will hear.

In my story project “Moose on the Loose” I’ve used this technique to move the story line forward and create suspense. Children are given a secret glimpse of the action between the verses of rhyme ... a pause which creates a story within a story, and a chance for little ones to become involved in what happens next simply by viewing the scene. Three such wordless spreads occur in “Moose on the Loose” as recommended by renowned illustrator, Pat Cummings. In her “Children's Book Boot Camp” which I attended, she suggested that if you break an expected format, you should repeat the same break for a total of three times.

Eye of the Beholder

2009-09-18T17:29:00.001-04:00

We’ve just completed our upstairs bathroom! The tub and shower may be new, but the rest of the room pays homage to a multi-era mix that we just call “vintage”. From the (faux) tin tiles on the ceiling to the old magazine ads inside the cupboard doors, the room has been lovingly put together with just the right props to make it a real beauty. Imagine how delighted we were to receive a 1950’s Kotex machine from our friend, Robin! The school in which Robin worked was demolishing a bathroom and discovered it behind a wall. She knew just who might be interested it owning it! Roy, who is a real detail man, found a locksmith to create a key for the machine in order to make it functional!

In the Beginning

2009-09-18T17:17:00.003-04:00

On my studio wall, I have one of my drawings from the early ‘90s. With my Sharpie ultra-fine marker (which I still use today) and lots of smooth white paper, I drew and re-drew crazy lines and shapes until they resembled my subjects and captured their personalities. Since these early drawings, my commercial work has evolved and been simplified to fit the children's market. Still off the beaten path, my art for children offers an edgy point of view for hip kids and the hip parents who make purchases for them! You can take a look at illustrations and surface designs at my website. www.MyWelchDesign.com.

My New Studio

2009-08-30T16:32:00.001-04:00

I'm happy to report that my studio relocation has been very successful. My new space is smaller than the one I had been leasing, but "cozy" seems to be a perfect fit for now. I have room for everything I need, and even for something I don't need (but am really loving) ... a TV (thanks Roy)! Working from home is not a new experience for me, but one I've not enjoyed for the last four years since moving to Bloomfield. It takes some measure of discipline but there are many rewards as well, not the least of which would be to have not forgotten something I need back at the house! Also nice is a window with some greenery in view, and a cat or two sleeping under the desk.