Joanna Barnum Illustration

Here are a few favorites of the portraits I've worked on recently:

(Click on the thumbnails for bigger)




Watercolors start at $60, and drawings start at just $20. Visit the "shop" section of www.joannabarnum.com for commission information, or drop me an e-mail at joanna at joannabarnum dot com with your questions.

I resized a few of my food illustrations to LJ userpic size because I wanted to be able to use them myself. I figured I may as well share them, too.

You are free to use any of these on LJ, on the condition that you include "www.joannabarnum.com" in the comments field, and that you use them as-is. Please don't edit or remix these without asking my permission first.

Now that it's occurred to me to do this, I'll probably post new userpics available for you to use now and then. If you want to make one yourself based on any of the artwork from my website, please run it by me before using it.

Thanks! Enjoy!

My friend Elise is opening a new gallery in Baltimore, Positron Gallery, and has asked me to contribute to the upcoming show "Live Wire."

This is the description of the theme: "Live wires are dangerous and instill fear in most people, but are essential to power our lives and give the potential to make great things happen. This show will reflect how inspiration and beauty can come from fear and danger."

There are lots of ways that can be interpreted, and I've been doing a lot of thinking about what I want to make work about for the show. The focus of the gallery is on mixed media work, so I'm excited about HOW I'll make the work, but I'm having more trouble nailing down a concept. Maybe this is because I haven't personally experienced much fear and danger in my life, at least, not the literal kind that jumps to mind most easily. Of course, growing as a person is about stepping out of one's comfort zone over and over again, and that is quite scary.

But I'm not sure I want to make work about myself. I'm really excited about the run of historical portraits I've started on. I wonder if I could do something with that?

Maybe I could continue the series (pushing the mixed media element even farther), focusing specifically on individuals whose best work has come out of enduring fear, danger, or personal struggle. I have quite a bit of my own reading and brainstorming to do in order to decide who I'd like to focus on, but I thought I'd ask if those of you reading have any suggestions. They could be artists, writers, philosophers, scientists, activists, historical or contemporary.

I don't have a lot of time to get the work done (the deadline to have it framed and ready to go is July 15th!), but now that I have a better idea of what I'm doing, I'm kind of enjoying the pressure.

Oh, and incidentally, the Charles Darwin portrait from the previous post was accepted into the Towson Arts Collective Illustration exhibition. The exhibition will run from September 3 through October 23, and the reception will be on Friday, September 11th, from 5:30-7:30 pm.

Yes, I'll remind you when it gets closer.

And I'll post the information about the Live Wire opening when I have it.

I finished these two a few days ago because I wanted to put together something brand new to submit to the Towson Arts Collective's Illustration show.

I'm rather pleased with them. I feel like there's a "next level" I've been reaching for in terms of what I want my work to look like, and this is a step in that direction.

(Click either image to blow it up more)

Oscar Wilde:


Charles Darwin:


Both pieces were inspired by classic (public domain) photos of the subjects.

PS: And, as always, prints are available. 8.5" x 11" for $10, 11" x 17" for $30 (plus shipping, discounts on multiples). Check out the "shop" section of www.joannabarnum.com for detailed information on ordering prints, or just drop me an e-mail at joanna at joannabarnum dot com.

I've always enjoyed experimenting with costuming, needlecraft, and other handiwork when I'm not painting. Mostly it's just an entertaining hobby, but sometimes bits and pieces find their way into my Etsy shop where they are, theoretically, for sale. Usually they just sit there, since I'm too busy painting to figure out how to successfully promote an Etsy shop.

In the past year or so, I've also picked up belly dancing as a hobby. I take classes with Nina Amaya and I'm in her student troupe Belly Dance Delight. This is the first time in my life that I've found exercising OR performing fun. I also really enjoy art forms that combine new and old traditions and different cultures.

Of course, it's also a good excuse to have fun making costumes, too.

Recently, I decided to experiment with combining painting and belly dance costuming. I made this belt decorated with painted red and white art nouveau style poppies, rhinestones, and hand beading:



(Click the thumbnails to see the rest of the photos full size)




I know there are a few dancers who read my blog, so I'd especially love to hear any feedback from them. I've already posted photos on a belly dance-specific forum and gotten a lot of great suggestions for what I might improve on or experiment with in the future. One issue pointed out to me is that this piece isn't quite typical cabaret OR tribal costuming. That might be appealing to some dancers, but if I make more of these, I might want to go in one direction or the other on some of them.

I really would like to experiment with making more pieces like this, so I decided to go ahead and list this one on Etsy to raise money to earmark for more costume supplies. Here is the listing if you're interested: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24130311

If you're in the Baltimore area, come visit me next weekend at Flowermart! Flowermart is May 1st (Friday) and 2nd (Saturday) in the Mt. Vernon area of Baltimore, along Charles St.

I'll be there selling original watercolors, prints, notecards, jewelry and ornaments featuring my illustrations, and of course I'll be doing quick $10 portrait drawings on the spot!

There will also be lots of other artists and craftspeople, local schools and organizations selling flowers and plants (last year there was even a booth selling native carnivorous plants!), food, and entertainment. I hope Taharka Brothers ice cream will be there again.

It's not too late to order a portrait from me as a gift for Mother's Day. Mother's Day is May 10th. My order deadline is May 1st. Also, Father's Day is June 21st with a portrait deadline of June 11th.

Go to the portraits section of my website for information on how to place an order.

Here's an example of a watercolor portrait I finished recently that I think might be my new favorite:

It's done!

Left:


Middle:


Right:



I also have details of all the insects in the brand new "mural" section of my site.

I'm painting a mural at the Irvine Nature Center in Owings Mills, MD where I recently had a solo show. It's in one of their classrooms for children. It features insects and plants native to our region of Maryland, and demonstrates some of their life cycles and food chains.

I've only just started, but I thought I would share some of the process with you.

This is my sketch for the mural. The staff at the nature center gave me some feedback, and so the final will also have a centipede and some ants added to the right side near the bottom. The spider will be a lot smaller compared to its web, and there will also be a blue bottle fly trapped in the web.

(Click on the sketch to see it bigger)



Here are some photos of the actual wall, with some background colors laid in with environmentally friendly latex paints. The sketch for the mural is drawn in on top of the background colors, but it's hard to see because it's so light.

(Click on the thumbnails to see the photos)





And here is half a day's worth of painting started using acrylics. This is mostly an underpainting, which will be refined and layered on top of now that I have the basics laid out. Most of it is very messy and chaotic looking, but the monarch caterpillar and the milkweed beetle are close to finished.





I plan to finish this project sometime in the next two weeks, so I'll try to keep you updated with progress photos.

Do you need a mural in your home or business? Please contact me and we can discuss your options!

I now have a few necklaces featuring prints of my illustrations available through my shop at Etsy.com. There are also some handmade Valentines inspired by vintage tattoo motifs.

Click on each image to go to the Etsy listing with more photos and information.








( More items under the cut! )

US order deadline for Valentine's Day will be February 5th. I can't make any guarantees about international shipping times; if you're located outside of the US, I encourage you to order as soon as possible, and I'll do my best to get your portrait to you on time. Click the banner to go to the commission information on my website.

There's a really cool thing going on in Baltimore called the Baker Artist Awards. Artists (not just visual- it includes writers, musicians, etc) can upload their work to a website. One award will be given out by a jury, and one award will be given based on votes on the site. You have to live in the Baltimore area to nominate yourself, but anyone can vote.

I encourage you to check it out, even just to browse and vote: http://www.bakerartistawards.org/

And of course, if you feel moved to do so, you can vote for my work by searching for "Joanna Barnum."

The closing reception for my solo exhibit at the Irvine Nature Center is this Saturday, January 3rd, from 4pm-7pm. It's in conjunction with the opening for a group show about autumn foliage going up in the adjoining gallery.

Irvine Nature Center
11201 Garrison Forest Rd
Owings Mills, MD

It's not too late! Portrait commission deadline is December 10th for delivery before Christmas if you're in the US.

(Sorry, at this point, I can make no guarantees about international shipping, although I'm happy to try if you don't mind potentially receiving something late)

Here are a couple of my favorites I've done lately:


Visit http://www.joannabarnum.com/portraits.shtml for pricing and ordering information. The only thing to keep in mind is that although I only require a 50% down payment, I can't ship your portrait until I've been paid in full, so if you don't use Paypal or don't check your e-mail often, you might want to pay in full up front to avoid receiving your portrait late.

I'm also now offering portrait gift certificates in any amount. They're a great option if you're too late to actually commission a portrait as a gift, or if you want the recipient to be able to choose their own photo to use. To purchase or ask questions about gift certificates, e-mail me at joanna at joannabarnum dot com.

McDonogh School Holiday Bazaar
Owings Mills, MD
Sunday, December 7th, 10am-4pm
I'll have ornaments, prints, originals, notecards, and information on last minute holiday portrait commissions.

Irvine Nature Center
Owings Mills, MD
December 6th- January 5th (see website for hours)
Solo exhibition of Maryland endangered species series
Hand painted ornaments featuring Maryland native species and notecards of work in the show in the gift shop



Framers' Vice Gallery
Arnold, MD
Hand painted ornaments featuring Maryland native species

Gallery 321
Baltimore, MD
"Ben Franklin Show"
December 6th-January 2nd
Group show featuring work under $100

Distinctive Lifestyle
1755 S Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20009
Celebrity & animal paintings and drawings

Not sure where I'm going with this. They're much different from what I normally do, and I could use some serious critique if anyone is game.



The rest are here:
http://www.joannabarnum.com/gallery/experimental

Sketches from life of Celtic musicians at Ryan's Daughter in Baltimore, 9/14

These are meant to be viewed as a panorama, left to right.

I've finally gotten around to scanning some recent work. I have a new scanner. Can you tell?

(click thumbnails for full size images)

August Dr. Sketchy's:



Watercolor study from life while camping on Assateague Island with some Playa del Fuego friends:



Two watercolor studies of models at Towson Artists' Group:



Watercolor/markers of some greenery on the NCR bike trail in Maryland:

You might remember that in 2007 I illustrated the RPG book Beast Hunters for Berengad Games (written and published by Lisa & Christian Griffen, layout by Fred Hicks).

I just heard that it won third runner up for Independent Game of the Year at Gencon's Indie RPG Awards. That's so exciting! Congrats, Lisa and Christian! This is still one of my favorite projects to date.

What do you know! I finally updated my website.

The "shop" section is entirely redone. More organized, more examples, better explanations of everything.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to see me at this Spring's festivals. I don't have any more events lined up right now, but there may be a few in the Fall or during the Holiday season, so I will keep you posted.

I got into Australian YEN Magazine's Curvy again. It's a compilation of work from international female illustrators and designers. You can order a copy of Curvy 5 here. I'll also be in the upcoming Big Book of Contemporary Illustration from Anova Books in the UK, but that won't be available until sometime next year.

I have updated my Etsy shop with some of the work I have leftover from the festivals. At the moment, it's mainly $10 mini framed originals, though I'll be adding note cards and some other things in the coming weeks. Here are some samples of the $10 originals I have for sale:

You'll also notice that I added some of my portrait commission options to the Etsy shop as well. That's mainly to appeal to the audience that might only be browsing Etsy and not my website, so if you're interested in a portrait commission, you can still feel free to contact me directly. You don't need to order them through the Etsy shop.

In the coming weeks, I will also be putting together an e-mailing list to notify past customers and anyone else who is interested, of sales and updates. Mostly the same information that appears in this journal, if you watch it, but if you'd like to be on the e-list too, please e-mail me at joanna at joannabarnum dot com and let me know.