Playgrounds and playtime and playing around....

Here is my submission for Lilla Roger's Global Talent Search, round 1. The assignment was to create a journal cover for Paperchase, in the theme of playgrounds, and use the word "Journal". I created this piece in my new technique of sketchy-lines in Illustrator, and had fun with a really unfamiliar color palette and textures. It feels good! I have no delusions about making it to the next round, but used this opportunity to add a new piece to my portfolio and to continue the theme this year of "Vita gets her groove back."

This journal cover, however, was actually piece # 2 in the GTS planning stage for me. I started out sketching an idea that has been rolling around in my mind for awhile now, of a girl soaring in the skies, held aloft by a handful of balloons, set against a dark stormy sky. I sketched it out, and set her above a playground (thus fulfilling the requirement of this assignment) and began the piece in pastels. SUPER FUN. However, as I was working on it, it didn't feel like something Paperchase would use for a journal - it's to illustratey, and too dark and sort of moody - and really, who would want a weird depressing journal cover?...... so thats when I hit pause, and went on to my second idea, which was the one I submitted.

Here's a snippet of the first pastel piece. I'm going to finish it, because I think it has great potential, and I am playing around with collaging in the girl's dress and balloons. And I think I'll erase the kid's in the playground - I like the idea of her floating in a world alone.... sort of spooky..... Since I never do any artwork thats dark like this, I want to go for it. All in all, I'm happy to have come out of round 1 of the Global Talent Search with possibly 2 portfolio pieces.