For the first studio tour of 2009, I visited the workspace of artist and illustrator, Lora Jost. I first met Lora when we worked together on a poster for the River City Reading Festival and I was so amazed by her illustration that I asked if I could visit her studio to see her workspace and more of her beautiful art. Lora uses several unique techniques in creating her work including scratchboard, ceramic mosaic, and collage. Her pieces draw from personal experiences and collected stories which are depicted with elements of beauty, whimsy, darkness, and joy. From her artist statement:

“I am drawn to experiences that are mundane, whimsical, and socially urgent. I like to mix these themes, and find how they link in spirit. I hope that viewers will identify with the stories my pictures tell. I hope that my art, in some small way, deepens our collective appreciation and compassion for each other and for life itself.”

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Over the holidays, my wife and I had a fun project: decorate the nursery! We had decided a while back that we wanted to have a robot-themed room, so I decided to do some fun drawings for the walls. The canvases are 2′x2′ and I used Posca paint pens which are water based, non-toxic and really fun to use! Here are some photos of the process and finished room.

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It’s been a pretty quiet week around here and I’ve definitely enjoyed the relaxation time. Other than seeing the Jayhwaks play, I’ve been busy taking care of things around the house and finishing up some projects that desperately needed to be finished. More photos of the project below coming soon!

I hope everyone had a great end to 2008. I have a feeling that 2009 is going to be a great year! Stay tuned in the next few days for an exciting new studio visit and Happy New Year!