Shamrock Your World!

Happy St. Patrick's Month! Okay, I know it's only suppose to be celebrated on the 17th – but since my heart is 100% Irish – I'm proclaiming this St. Patrick's Month. Who wants to sign my petition?

To duly honor this month I've drawn a shamrock inspired by celtic knots and it is accompanied by the first two lines of one of the most known Irish Blessings.

Maybe the interns will join the party later this month...I'm just ecstatic that I am actually posting my design on the first day of the month! We'll give the interns some breathing room though :)

Shamrock Your World!

Widescreen Version

MOST computers allow you right-click to choose an option like "Set as Desktop Background" which makes the whole process so much easier! Just make sure you open the large image first. Otherwise: Click on the desired image above, then right-click on the image, and choose either save image as/save target as/save as.

Feeling the Leaping Love for February!

This is a special month! As usual, we have Valentine's Day but we also have Leap Year! All those Leap Year babies get to have a real birthday this year :)

I invited my interns to create calendars for this month - yay! Their creations are below mine. I think changing your wallpaper all month is a great idea - you'll get to enjoy three different designs and you don't have to deal with any wallpaper paste. It's serendipitous.

So, February - Leap Year, Love Month. What to draw? A Sweeter Meter of course. It made me think of the carnivals and county fairs where you can slam that hammer down and try to ring the bell at the top - or maybe one of those strength measuring games in the arcade. Fun :) So this measures...sweetness? No more explanation, just let your imagination fuel the meter!

Enjoy February 29th - you got an extra day this year!

Widescreen Version :: Shawna

Widescreen Version :: Intern Jes

Widescreen Version :: Intern Laura

MOST computers allow you right-click to choose an option like "Set as Desktop Background" which makes the whole process so much easier! Just make sure you open the large image first. Otherwise: Click on the desired image above, then right-click on the image, and choose either save image as/save target as/save as.

Doorway of 2012

Did you know that January was named after some Roman god of the doorway? Now I'm not a big mythology person, but I thought that was kind of cool. January is the doorway to each new year.

Therefore the January calendar is about doors accompanied by an amazing quote from Abraham Lincoln. The doors I drew reminded me of the movie "Monsters, Inc." and for some reason I felt a little church mouse needed access to 2012 too. So, he has a door too.

I have no idea which door - or doors - I may walk through in 2012, but I do pray that my steps are lead by my God of Doors - Jesus! (KJV John 10:9)

Happy 2012 everyone!
(oh and there is only a widescreen calendar this month - but as a BONUS there is also a wallpaper without the calendar on it!)

Widescreen Version

Blank Version

MOST computers allow you right-click to choose an option like "Set as Desktop Background" which makes the whole process so much easier! Just make sure you open the large image first. Otherwise: Click on the desired image above, then right-click on the image, and choose either save image as/save target as/save as.

Impression of Life

Over the last month there has been this one solitary commercial that has not left my mind. It wasn't about Christmas, it wasn't about spending money or a super savings deal. It was about life. It brought me to tears and made my heart swell with love and pride.

I decided I had to share it, just in case you haven't seen it.

(a few of) My Favorite Things!

Julie Andrews aka Mary Poppins aka Maria has invaded my head this month with the song "My Favorite Things" – it mentions snowflakes and packages so that must be why it's been deemed a Christmas song.

I started to draw the items from the song, but how do you draw "schnitzel with noodles" and it actually look good? I gave that up pretty quickly. Instead I began a list of some of my favorite things.

That was much easier.

Merry Christmas! I hope you enjoy my list and find at least a thing or two on there that is your favorite too. I mean really, who doesn't love Girl Scout Cookies?!

Standard Screen Version

Widescreen Version

MOST computers allow you right-click to choose an option like "Set as Desktop Background" which makes the whole process so much easier! Just make sure you open the large image first. Otherwise: Click on the desired image above, then right-click on the image, and choose either save image as/save target as/save as.

(September and) October Memories

So I drew these images for September, but didn't make a calendar (sorry folks!). I think I have heart-lag instead of jet-lag. I'm missing Ireland terribly and as any artist knows, your emotions effect your work. Therefore no September calendar...but here's the artwork used for the October calendar instead :)

I was really interested in trying this watercolor idea, and only used Illustrator to execute the idea. Why? Because I wanted to :) That's all the reason we really need isn't it? 

The quote this month is actually some of my own rambling thoughts. Autumn doesn't really arrive in Florida until October or November, but my memories of Fall are from when I was a little girl in New York State. Sadly, the beauty of the leaves would cause me to be late to school – often! Ahhh, the heart of a young artist.

First choice: Darker text for screens with lighter colorization.

Standard Screen Version

Widescreen Version

Second choice: Lighter text for screens with darker colorization.

Standard Screen Version

Widescreen Version

MOST computers allow you to choose an option like "Set as Desktop Background" which makes the whole process so much easier! Just make sure you open the large image first. Otherwise: Click on the desired image above, then right-click on the image, and choose either save image as/save target as/save as.

I Love au-GUS-t!

August. It's becoming a love/hate relationship :)

I celebrate my birthday during August (love!) - but the years are passing by TOO fast! (hate!) But for the most part I do love my month of August. Made even better by the cool weather in Wales. Ahhhhhh.

I did have a problem choosing the quote for this month...so I decided to let you choose which one would grace your desktop wallpaper! Have fun!

First choice: "Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability." - Sam Keen

Standard Screen Version

Widescreen Version

Second choice: "People don't notice whether it's winter or summer when they're happy" - Anton Chekhov

Standard Screen Version

Widescreen Version

MOST computers allow you to choose an option like "Set as Desktop Background" which makes the whole process so much easier! Just make sure you open the large image first. Otherwise: Click on the desired image above, then right-click on the image, and choose either save image as/save target as/save as.

In Honor and Love

This month's calendar is for my brother. It's for my grandfather. It's for every member of my family and yours who have served our country.

Every national holiday in American that celebrates our freedom makes me a sappy-little-mess-of-tears-with-a-bursting-heart-of-gratefulness. That didn't sound like a good idea for a calendar - so I am honoring you with my own rendition of medals. Along with a quote from Benjamin Franklin that seems to sum up this holiday and my feelings very well.

With love and honor, especially for you Matthew.

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Widescreen Version

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Do you love Mary Poppins?

June. I brainstormed for the month of June and umbrellas ended up on my list. Why? Because of the afternoon thunderstorms that we Floridians are so familiar with during the summer months...AND...because I'm in Ireland where an umbrella can be very handy...any time of the day! :)

Umbrellas. Rain. Creative link? Mary Poppins!

Hope you love it!

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Widescreen Version

MOST computers allow you to choose an option like "Set as Desktop Background" which makes the whole process so much easier! Just make sure you open the large image first. Otherwise: Click on the desired image above, then right-click on the image, and choose either save image as/save target as/save as.

NYC MTA: Flip Book Gone Wild!

View more videos at: http://www.nbcnewyork.com.

Thanks to my friend (a recent NYC resident) for passing along this very large scale idea of a flip-book. How I do love interactive design...sigh.

A little more story here.