It is no secret

…the bears are up and they are hungry.

In the Banff National Park the Bears wake sometime in April and they are very very hungry. 

published pen and ink cartoon by Sandra Santa Lucia, April 14, 1993 for the Banff Crag and Canyon newspaper

Back in 1993 I illustrated the cartoon above for The Banff Crag and Canyon newspaper. Having a little fun depicting a bear munching away on a popular warden's lunch this cartoon warned readers of the dangers of  Feeding the Bears.

Illustration Friday's word of the week for June 15 to 21 is "secret"

do nothing…relax

pen and ink illustration by sandra santa lucia/82

One remedy for relieving tension is to relax and "do nothing" . 
     This week's , July 1 - July 7th Illustration Friday's topic is "Remedy" suggested by Elizabeth McMahill http://elizabethmcmahill.blogspot.com/ .To do nothing is sometimes a good remedy" ~ Hippocrates

swept off their feet

Cougar cubs are born spotted and gradually change into the sandy brown adult form. They live in dens with their siblings for about two months and remain close to their mothers for about a year. One notable difference between a cougar and other big cats is that the cougar can hiss, scream, and growl but it cannot roar.

cougar, cubs and chipmunk pen and ink illustration by sandra santa lucia/6/11

cougar pencil sketch by sandra santa lucia
This week's topic is "Swept" suggested by ssnchan (http://www.ohmytangerine.com/home.html)."You can't sweep other people off their feet, if you can't be swept off your own." ~ Clarence Day elephant sweepint     http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucytakakura/5071222716/in/photostream/

rain soaked days

Pen and ink fashion illustration by sandra santa lucia/24/25/11

The classic 'Trench-coat' is a must for the rain-soaked days of spring and summer. The waterproof 'Trench' has been around for years…decades in fact!
In 1879 a young man by the name of Thomas Burberry invented a special type of fabric for a rain resistant coat. The British army were the first of many armies that ordered the 'Burberry Trench-coat'. Earlier versions of the trench-coat were waterproof and usually calf-length.

Movie go-ores and the style conscious public have witnessed many newly created versions of the old classic Trench-coat over the years. Now you will see short, long, mid-length, glamourous or simple 'Trench-coats'… all of which still have that classic look of the first 'Burberry Trench-coat'.

The edgy black leather trench-coat below is rendered from  Blumarine's Fall 2010 Fashion show. Shinny black leather boots and black studded leather cuffs and collar give this classic trench a rock-chic look.

IF's illustration word of the week  is 'soaked' presented by Alecia  Goodman

safari fashion

Ink rendering of the above colonial safari fashion and lioness by sandra santa lucia /19/5/11

 The word 'safari' is derived from the arabic 'safara' and means 'to make a journey'.  Along with crew and models  film companies and fashion photographers alike make that very safari to Africa.  
Africa, entices fashion designers, photographers and film companies from around the world to its tremendous wealth of  amazing scenery and wild animals such as the lionesses below. The lioness is a female member of the species Panthera leo. Lionesses are the core members of, and primary hunters for each pride or primary social group of lions. 
One film in particular comes to mind that exemplifies the beauty and costumes of Africa…that movie being — 'Out of Africa'. The colonial safari fashion; worn by Merle Streep was designed by Milena Canonero who was nominated for an Academy Award for her designs. Why she wasn't chosen is beyond me…her designs were magnificent. 
This week's, May 13  - 19, Illustration Friday's topic is "safari" suggested by Jill .

the dance…a lesson of love

 " then there was the dance"… wagging tales book illustration a ink drawing by
 sandra santa lucia/published 2009

Training paddy to dance, a lesson of love. In chapter eight of Wagging Tales, Dorts Stafford's book about her family and many four legged friends there is a wonderful story about Paddy the dog and Barrie, Dorts eldest boy.
Barrie happened to be Paddy's favorite child. Being the oldest, he understood more about what a dog would tolerate and enjoy. He could sit on him and teach him tricks. Barrie would play ball with him and Paddy would retrieve it then saunter back to him, hoping Barrie would throw it again. Then there was the dance. Barrie would hold Paddy's front legs on his shoulders and they would prance about while we all laughed at the sight. They were good buddies.
      The illustration for Illustration Friday's April 29 - May 5 topic portrays Barrie and Paddy dancing. This week's word "lesson" was submitted by  Susan Sorrell Hill.

royal wedding hat fever

ink fashion hats illustration by sandra santa lucia/4/2011

let the Royal Wedding begin…1980s to 2008 hats
The last of my three illustrations are complete…just in time for the Royal Wedding. Expect to see  hats of all shapes and sizes, this wedding will be the main headline for all fashion magazines and outlets throughout the world…let the Royal Wedding begin. Below are hats from the 1980s to 2008.

• 1960s: Left: A  pillbox hat is a small woman's hat with a flat crown and straight, upright sides. Jacqueline Kennedy, First Lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, well-known for her 'signature pillbox hats' in the 1960s, designed by Oleg Cassini. The sixties boosted of a great many glamorous hats.
• 1980s: Top centre: small hat with a slightly shallow crown and a round brim accented with lace vail surfaced during the late 70s and 80
• 2000s: Right: There have been fans of floppy hats for as long as women have wanted to shade themselves from the sun. But over the years the style has grown out from its roots as the hat of choice for not only lounging by the pool and digging in the back yard garden but the floppy is back in the fashion magazines. Hats have taken on a new younger look. Our soon to be Royal Princess, Kate Middleton is setting the pace with very stunning hats. 

hats…a fashionable essential

ink hat parade from 1789 to 1912 illustrated by sandra santa lucia/04/2011 

Hat parade…1789 — 1912 
Through the ages one sees a wide variety of hats. Initially the headwear offered protection from the elements, injury from falling rocks, weapons or masonry. Later head coverings became symbols of status of authority. Soon after hats progressed to become not only a uniform, but also an art form. 
On the day of the Royal Wedding the world will be treated  to an extraordinary range of couture millinery.  Continuing on with a few more hat sketches I choose, researched and sketched three very different hats. The vast numbers of hats between 1789 to 1912 was phenomenal.

• 1789:  Centre: Large brim hat in the shape of a mushroom and made with white muslin, trimmed with large bows of velvet.
• 1808: Left:  Riding hat: A version of the masculine top-hat which replaced the Directoire jockey hat. Fashioned with silk or coloured beaver, often had a gauze veil which floats behind in the breeze.
• 1912: Right: In 1900 the Edwardian period was not as universally wide as is sometimes thought. The new century began with a continuation of art nouveau influence in fashion  and as skirts swirled around the feet of women forming in fans like bell flowers, so did hats swirl and swoop around the head as in the 1912 felt hat illustrated above. This felt hat was ornamented with swirls of fine silk and worn well over the head with the left side higher than the right.  
• Watch for more hats to come from mid-1900 to 2011

Note: reference material from "The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Costume and Fashion" by Jack Casin-Scott          

period hats making a statement…1300 - 1600

hats from 1377—left, 1500 — centre, 1678 right ink illustration by sandra santa lucia/4/2011 

The Royal Wedding, Friday, April 29 will soon be upon us.  The women whom will be in attendance will no doubt be wearing the very latest and most stylist of hats.  A real Hat parade! — designs of which may  have had a link to the millinery delights of the past.

Just for the heck of it I thought I would sketch a few hats from the 1300 —1600 century.  Who knows one just may catch a glimpse of a design which may have inspired a hat designer to one of his/her creations at the wedding.

• 1377 :  Left:  depicts a  Caul, which is a historical headdress worn by women that covered tied-up hair. The drawing below shows the hair completely hidden and covered by a decorative gem and  gold embroidered Caul over which was attached an ornamental padded roll.
• 1500:  Centre: The German/Swiss mercenary soldiers known as Landknecht, also created a mixture of fashion which included a flat (platter hat) felt brimmed hat which was slashed and decorated with feathers. Soon women were adapting the men's Landknecht hat to suit themselves. They covered their hair with a jewelled Caul and attached colourful feathers to the flat felt hat.
• 1678:  Right: Headdress (Hennin) was the 'cornet' — a lawn cap which had a standing frill in front and long lappets falling behind the shoulders, or tied in front under the chin. More hats to come — watch for more sketches from the 1700 to 1900 centuries
• Note: the rendered drawings were from The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Costume and Fashion by Jack Cassin-Scott.

life is like riding a bicycle…albert einstein

 "wagging tales" book illustration by sandra santa lucia/ink/2010 

"I taught him to walk on a leash and he (buddy) was always game to run after me when I was on my bike".  — dorts stafford author of wagging tales a book about a Banff family and their love of dogs.
April 22 -28's Illustration Fridays topic is "bicycle" chosen by glenda baker. "Life is like riding a bicycle…in order to keep your balance you must keep moving" — albert einstein, won the nobel prize in physics 1921.

painting eggs…a fun-filled easter journey!

"bunnies little" ink sketch by sandra santa lucia, 24/4/2011

Bunnies Little were having so much painting the Easter eggs that they completely lost track of time! …Big Bunny needed these eggs now for the annual Easter Egg Hunt .

"big bunny" pen and ink illustration by sandra santa lucia/ 4/2010

Big Bunny, although understanding the creative journey which the bunnies little were on realized that he needed to hurry them along! Once the need of urgency was established, the decorated eggs were gathered up and dropped into Big Bunnies huge magic basket. Off he ran— ever so fast. His Easter Egg deadline completed for another year! Illustration Friday's April 15 - 21 topic was journey which was suggested by botanick. "Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it."

 HAPPY EASTER everyone!

bottled up emotions?…get help dude!

bottled up emotions pen and ink illustration by sandra santa lucia

Bottled up emotions — such as illustrated above: joy, surprise, happiness, panic, anger, guilt, acceptance lead to wrong conclusions and a lot of crap one doesn't need. Recognizing and describing our emotions helps shape the brain. Not recognizing and describing them, I believe, stunts the brain. - Philip Hartland

Illustration Friday's April 8 - 14th topic was bottled suggested by norma jay.

"Our names are labels, plainly printed on the bottled essence of our past behavior".  

- Logan P. Smith

musical chefs…a duet

Pen and ink "Musical chefs…a duet" illustrated by Sandra Santa Lucia, Banff, Alberta

"Duet" — this week's Illustration Friday's topic fit well with a freelance logo which I had designed and illustrated for a restaurant in Jasper, Alberta back in the early 90's

raggedy ann and andy…timeless toys

Pen and ink wash of Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls, favorite toys of my daughters
 illustrated by Sandra Santa Lucia

When my little girls were born in the late sixties my mom made each of them large Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls. Those two dolls are the subject of this week's Illustration Friday's topic, "toy" pictured above.

Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls have been loved and cuddled since 1915 when artist Johnny Gruelle, a cartoonist-illustrator and a natural born storyteller illustrated and wrote the Raggedy Ann and Andy Stories

 http://www.marcellasraggedyann.com/raggedy-books.html

Raggedy Ann and Andy: History and Legend by Patricia Hall 

Raggedy Ann, and her equally spirited rag brother, Andy are the world's best-known and most adored rag dolls. At the hand of their creator, cartoonist-illustrator-author Johnny Gruelle, the Raggedys weren't ever simply dolls. They were literary characters as well, possessing attributes and outlooks reflecting trustworthiness, kindness, and spunk. Because Gruelle was a natural born storyteller, it followed that his dolls would star in whimsical, fanciful tales, based on fantasy and make believe. 

women in BIG hats…a cultivated taste?

women in BIG hats…pen and ink illustration by Sandra Santa Lucia, March 21/11

March 18th — 24th Illustration Friday's word of the week is "cultivate".

"Art is not for the cultivated taste. It is to cultivate taste." - Nikki Giovanne 

Big hat designing is an extremely artistic venture; the world famous Philip Treacy comes to mind when I think of original hats. 
The hat below is just one of the many creative hats which Philip Treacy has designed.

Philip Treacy design

Warning…creativity is nothing without activity

Illustration Friday's topic  for March 4th to March 10th is "warning". I choose to enter a pen and ink illustration of Albert Einstein…an extremely creative man. 
The man's brain never stopped!…he was blessed with a tremendous brain that was continuously active…hence Warning…creativity is nothing without activity — anonymous quote.

Albert Einstein quotes • True art is characterized by an irresistible urge in the creative artist. • The monotony and solitude of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind.

• The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources. Pen and Ink illustration of Albert Einstein by Sandra Santa Lucia

under a layer of earth

pen and ink cartoon by Sandra Santa lucia/2/11

Illustration Friday's topic for the week of February 18 - 24 is layer. In the spring, ground squirrels (gophers) come out of their dens around Feb./March.

Near the end of June, adult males go back into hibernation. Adult females do the same in July. But the young are active all summer. In August to late fall when there is less food to be found they go into hibernation. Shelter - They dig a burrow with many tunnels, openings, and different room (called chambers). If a predator (enemy) comes in one hole, they can escape out another hole. Food - The Richardson's Ground Squirrels store some food during hibernation, they wake up every 10 to 14 days and have a snack.

"surrender"

Once and awhile we would catch sight of a large rabbit. Boysie, too, would spot the rabbit and bound after it, leaving Nana and I in a cloud of dust.

Illustration Friday's

This weeks subject is "surrender" for the week of Jan. 28-Feb. 3/11. I decided to go with my drawing of Boysie, chasing a rabbit, who, being a little faster than his pursuer, was not ready to surrender just yet. This illustration was for a book about a Banff family and their four-legged friends

classic flowing coat

Pastel fashion illustration by Sandra Santa Lucia

Warm, stylish and classic…a woman's must have! On a day when the cold winds blow, a flowing wool coat will keep you ever so warm.

The fashion illustration above was drawn on a burgundy mat board using coloured pastels to create a loosely drawn sketch depicting the flowing fullness of the coat.

Jacket with style

Bomber Jacket pen and ink illustration by Sandra Santa Lucia

The stylish Leather Bomber jacket above is an all-time classic for all women. Worn with jeans, skirts or dresses this stylish jacket will take you anywhere you wish to go.
Using pen and ink with a wash helped accentuate the softness and details of the leather. The border was created with torn paper from various of magazine headers.