Baby Season

 Lots of friends having babies this season, here is a little painting to celebrate!

Digital Painting at LCAD

Hi everyone! I know I owe you some art and tidbits from summer, but that will take some more preparation (scanning,etc). So, I will put things out of order and show you what I did this week in the digital painting class I am auditing at Laguna College of Art and Design ( yes, alumni can audit classes!). I am uber excited to vamp up my digital painting skills! This class is in the Game Design category, so involves not only the skills of digital painting, but will also involve a bunch of concept art and story development. The theme this semester is Little Red Riding Hood that we will develop using the themes horror, sci-fi, or whimsical. Normally, I would choose whimsical but this time I chose something a bit more out of my usual art and choose sci-fi. here is the story synopsis and this week's beginning development of reference and value studies. My teachers are Daniel Stultz  and Anthony Scott Waters who both work in the video game industry. Below is this week's work:

Synopsis: In this Firefly-esque cowboy space Universe, Lil' Miss Red has a company "Red Hood Indistries" that transports precious cargo across the universe. This time, the Grand Marshall from her home planet send her out on a job to collect precious cargo from the mines of a distant planet for the town's supply. She collects the cargo, and an infamous bandit of the stars known as Lobo Bandito sees her loading the cargo. He follows her on his bug-dragon-robot-alien mount and becomes visible to her out in space, as he flags her down "for help". She picks him up and he makes up a story about how he is stranded, etc (details to come), so she talks to him about what she has been doing and mentions where she is going and asks if he wants to be dropped off there for help. Suspiciously, he declines and says he is better and should be on his way. This causes Lil' Miss Red to draws her weapon and they have an all out gun fight on top of the ship, he gets away as her pet worm/lizard bites him on the arm. Then, she gets to her home planet to deliver the goods and as she comes to the Grand Marshall's station she notices some things are different about her. She notices the bite on her arm and immediately drew her weapon, and deputy huntsmen comes to her aid, hearing all of the commotion. The deputy keeps Lobo Bandito in jail until the proper galactic authorities can obtain him, and they find the real Grand Marshall wounded and hidden, but not dead. Cargo is delivered, justice is served. Lil' Miss Red no longer picks up hitchhikers.

Anniversary

It was our anniversary today! Two years married and eight years together! Even though this is our anniversary, every day is just as special. Enjoy your loved ones daily, not just on holidays! Love day, every day! Now, to see what our probably freezer-burned wedding cake top looks like- one year late!

Summer

Wow this summer has been full of travels, art,  new friends and old friends, family, and of course preparing for the SCBWI conference, the best event of the year! I even created the beginning of a website, there are still some kinks to work out but I owe a thanks to Brandon and Alexis for helping me get this up before the conference: www.heathersoodak.com.  I am so thankful to all of my teachers this summer-I learned a lot from my illustration muse, Marilyn Scott-Waters who helped me edit my portfolio and I learned a ton at the SCBWI conference. I am still absorbing all of the information, and so excited to draw, promote, and keep getting better. My new goals will be to work on drawing kids, lighting, and finding an agent. I have much artwork, photos, and stories to share but I am off to the Caribbean now and then I will share the smorgasbord of experiences with you! I can't wait! Can you? Until then, here are some teaser photos:

Ajijic, Mexico

With dad at Lake Chapala, Mexico

Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara

with David Wiesner at SCBWI conference

With Lauren Gallegos and Christina Forshay at SCBWI conference

Portfolio display at SCBWI conference

Drinking wine with goats in Temecula

With the Hubby

SCBWI Conference Party with Eliza Wheeler, Katy Betz, Linda Silvestri, and Laura Hoffman

Business Card Brainstorm

Here are some new business card ideas! When I finally decide which one to go with (I'm leaning toward the tiger idea) I will create a final painting- these are just sketches. Vote for your favorite!

tea party

flying tiger

Create Now Art Show

“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” - Alan Watts. 

Here is my piece for the Create Change Art Show:

"Change" Watercolor 8x10" 2013 

sketch

A limited Edition Poster for the Show designed by Patrick Nguyen

Surveillance: Illustration Friday Sketch