Free-Roaming Chicken

Most people say "free-range" chicken, but I always thought there was something funny about the term "free-roaming chicken." This backpacking chicken in birkenstocks was inspired by my time living in western Massachusetts. I sold this cartoon as a greeting card. It is also available on some products at The Whistling Lobster.

Where not to put your toilet in the Grand Canyon

I doodled this after our trip rafting through the Grand Canyon in 2001. The guides had a portable toilet that they found a new place for at every camp site. Once they put it too close to the river... people rafting by got an unexpected surprise.

Pit Bull Gifts

This is my illustration of a friendly pit bull,
inspired by Nestle, a pit bull mix.








Here is another version, and a cartoon of Nestle with a bone.
These images are all available on products at ShopMyTreat.com














He has white toes and little brown spots all over his chest.

doodles

I thought these doodles from my sketchbook were kind of interesting.

Roz Chast Calendar

One of my favorite cartoonists is Roz Chast. I could not find this calendar anywhere in the mall and was so excited to find it was on sale at Art.com for only $7.98. You can buy a Roz Chast calendar by clicking the link on the right side of my blog that says "the I.M.s of Romeo and Juliet." If you are not familiar with her cartoons check them out at Cartoonbank.com. Some are too small to read on the internet, but one of my favorites is the magazine "Bad Housekeeping" The magazine for women who could care less. 200 meals you can whip up in under 10 seconds...How to ignore a 17 inch dustball..."I let my houseplants die" One person's story...

Very funny stuff!!!

Shih Tzu Stickers

My grandma has a Shih Tzu named Pansy who is anything but ferocious. I created these warning stickers as a joke.



They can be found on my cafepress shop, ShopMyTreat.com.

I might do some more of these, maybe one with a Yorkie.

Pansy
the
guard
dog

Herb Garden

I would love to have a New Year's resolution to grow my own garden, but at this point it's just not going to happen. This is my 2005 attempt to grow a simple herb garden.

Why I Celebrate Christmas

Luke 2: 8-14

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.


"That's what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown."

Soy Milk

I sold this cartoon as a greeting card. It is also available on some products at The Whistling Lobster.
I like soy milk ok on cereal, but that's about it.

reasons not to get out of bed in the morning

I doodled this when I was in college. This is an illustration of how I felt when my alarm clock would go off in the morning.

quote of the day

"It is better to have loved a small man
than never to have loved a tall."

--Mary Jo Crowley

Pomeranian Gift Ideas

This
is
my
Pomeranian,
Skippy.







Once I put a knitted sweater on him and this is about what he looked like, a poof sticking out the front, and a poof out the back.




This cartoon is available on some products in my cafepress shop, ShopMyTreat.com.


I might draw another one with a black Pomeranian... I haven't yet because black dogs are harder to draw!

quote of the day

"People can be divided into three groups: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened."

-- John Newbern's Law

Notes From Sunday School

Proverbs 31... "She does not eat the bread of idleness."

Can Anyone Relate to This?

I drew this cartoon after an experience I had at a bagel shop I used to frequent for lunch in Rochester, NY. "These sanitary rubber gloves are really LONG LASTING! I've had these for over a week... cleaning bathrooms, counting cash, making sandwiches..."

T-Shirts for Dogs

Check
out
this
dog
t-shirt
and
more
at
my
Cafepress Shop.

quote of the day

"It's known fact -- cross-eyed teachers cannot control their pupils."

--Jaeger

Books for Creative Thinking

Anyone in any line of work ought to read some books on creative thinking. These have helped me immensely not just in coming up with cartoon ideas, but in every other area of my life as well.

A Whack on the Side of the Head by Roger von Oech is an excellent book to start with. It separates the creative process into stages. This book has a sequel called A Kick in the Seat of the Pants.






After I read Aha! by Jordan Ayan I started looking for ideas in a lot more places I had not thought of before. I also started keeping paper with me at all times so I can write down any idea that comes to me. I had done that in the past, but my scraps of paper and sketchbooks were so disorganized that they would become buried in a drawer somewhere. See my post about The Search for the Perfect Sketchbook... these little sketchbooks are great!

If anyone has read other creativity books that you'd recommend, I would love to hear from you!

quotes of the day

"The best way to get a good idea is to get a lot of ideas."
--Linus Pauling

"Nothing is more dangerous than an idea when it is the only one you have."
--Emile Chartier

Taken from A Whack on the Side of the Head and A Kick in the Seat of the Pants by Roger von Oech.

Border Collie Gifts

This cartoon and more can be found on my Cafepress Shop.

quote of the day

The same dress can be known as "indecent" ten years before its time, "daring" a year before its time. Then it becomes "chic" an in two or three years "dowdy." It is considered "hideous" twenty years later, "quaint" in thirty years, and a hundred and fifty years later it is "beautiful."
--Laver's Law

Frame Shop Humor

I drew this cartoon for my boss at the frame shop before she sold the business and moved away in 2001. I had more fun coming up with ideas and drawing this than I have had drawing just about anything else since then. (There are only a handful of people who really understand this cartoon).









I know the end is hard to see: "Alright team! Let's get this show on the road! We've got an island to get to!"

"Toss all these colored mats!" "It's hot in here! Jenn, did you steal my pencil again?!" "At least I don't have to worry about transportation anymore!" "Is it time for lunch yet?"

Snowboarding Lessons at the School of Hard Knocks!

Last year my husband and I decided to take snowboarding lessons. Things were coming along just fine until, about our fifth visit to the slopes, he fell wrong, and his rib was cracked, puncturing his lung, and sending him on a helicopter ride to the emergency room. After that incident, he was inspired to create a few snowboarding designs that I think are pretty funny, and appropriate for boarders who have their own experiences with the emergency room!

This is a diploma from the "School of Hard Knocks." It is also available as a card. I think this would be a hilarious gift for an injured boarder!

Here are a couple of shirt designs. All of these items and more are available at The Whistling Lobster.

Frosty's Bad Example

quote of the day

"It is now proved beyond doubt that smoking is one of the leading causes of statistics."

--Knebel's Law

some doodles

Here are some doodles from my sketchbook. They don't always mean anything, but sometimes they are kind of interesting to look at... it's crazy how the mind works when you're not purposefully trying to create something that will sell or entertain anyone other than yourself.

quote of the day

"Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not. A sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is."
-- Horace Walpole, Man of Letters

healthy eating

I was inspired to draw this cartoon when I was living and working in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, where healthy eating and organic food stores are a big thing. It was purchased by Allport Editions as a greeting card.


It is also available on some products, including this mug, at The Whistling Lobster.

THE SEARCH FOR THE PERFECT SKETCHBOOK

I always carry a sketchbook around with me. This is an assortment of my sketchbooks from about the last ten years. None of them seemed just right... some are too big to carry everywhere, some have paper that bleeds through, some are so expensive for no apparent reason.




Well, I finally found it! This is the perfect sketchbook! I have been using only these since Spring this year. I thought it would be too small with not enough pages, but the paper is great! It does not bleed through, so really you have double the space to write in. Also, I number them so I can keep track of my ideas and they don't get set aside forever. This is a Strathmore 4"x6" medium drawing pad, 24 sheets. It costs less than $3 and is available in most art supply stores.

quote of the day

"There are two kinds of people in this world: those who believe the world can be divided into two kinds of people, and those who don't."

--Benchley's Law of Distinction

My Pomeranian

This is my boy.

Dog Christmas Ornaments

Check out my dog Christmas ornaments. They are for sale at my Cafepress shop.

Dr. Phil Cartoon

I sold this cartoon as a Christmas card.

welcome to my blog

Hi everyone, I'm starting this blog as a place to display some of my published cartoons, and also to give a home to some doodles from my sketchbook that are kind of interesting.