Covered in Glitter and Screaming

To celebrate the changing of the Chinese zodiac animal from rabbit (2022) to dragon (2023) I wanted to make a card that had some kind of reveal, particularly emphasizing the same head shape from one to the other.  Design process: Honestly this didn't end up quite as successful as I hoped it would be, but this is where I landed in the time that I had, and as it was they were pretty late. Next year is another opportunity!

My illustration pen pal loaned me another Griffin and Sabine book , and I returned it wrapped in multiple layers of tissue paper so that opening each layer was like digging through the layers of the earth. Outer wrapper (shovel, address, and postage) Organic layer (grass) Topsoil Subsoil Reference -> sketch -> final The book was cleverly hidden under the fossil layer of tissue paper

 My Griffin and Sabine pen pal sent me the first book to read, and this is the box I made to return it. The box design went through several rounds of changes and it didn't end up perfect, but overall I am very happy with it This is the first time I've used a magnetic switch – the light only turns on when the lid is opened. Concept sketch First try Second try Third try, bottom half Third try, top half Pencil drawing References are helpful! Gel pen and marker on black paper looks GOOD Attaching the LED to the battery and switch There is a magnet in the bottom front edge of the box; when the switch at the top center gets close to it, the light turns off Ready! Finishing touches added

Out of the blue, I got a postcard in the mail from a friend. One side was a beautiful landscape he created with pen and watercolor, the message on the back described a book called Griffin and Sabine , a lavishly illustrated and interactive book about correspondence between two artists, and he invited me to respond in kind. I couldn't possibly say no! I wanted to respond with a Japan-inspired illustration. Painting isn't my medium, but I liked how the flowers turned out on the  deck of cards , so after some thought I landed on digitally tracing and painting a famous  torii gate  and added an  Amabie .  Not my best work, but doing it is how I get better Design process: