The Little Red Hen

"Not I, said the cat!"

I'm trying to include more children's art in my portfolio. Here's a little red hen spread.

I always hated the ending to this story. Her friends weren't helpful, but maybe she should give them another chance.

Here's a look at the preliminary drawing:

I also thought that the cat would make a good card:

It's available on Etsy here.

Pet Portrait: Anya

I had a great time with Anya's portrait! 

See the preliminary drawing below:

New on Etsy: Beer Squirrel Card

You can find there squirrels on Etsy here.

They were originally used for the Last Call Holiday Haul flyer:

 This was a great event organized by a group I've been a member of for the past year, The Independent Makers of Philadelphia.

Here's a look at the original painting and preliminary sketches:

New on Etsy: Raccoon Pretzel Brooch

This has been a request from quite a few people!

The raccoon pretzel illustration from my notecard is now a brooch. You can find it on Etsy here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/571141187/raccoon-pretzel-brooch

Pet Portrait: Holly

Earlier this month I got to draw sweet Holly.

I wanted to include a holly plant without seeming too Christmasy, so I chose summer holly.

Here's a look at the preliminary drawing:

You can order your own pet portrait here.

New on Etsy: Bat Card

I liked my Inktober bat drawing, so I redrew it in gouache and pencil.

It's now available on Etsy as a card

 Here's a look at part of the original drawing:

Pet Portrait: Gary

Gary, gouache and pencil on Rives BFK, 8x10", 2017.

I don't just draw cats and dogs for pet portraits! You can commission one of your scaly friends too.

This is Gary, an adorable leopard gecko.

Pet Portrait: Martin

Martin, gouache and pencil on Rives BFK, 8x10", 2017.

I had the opportunity to draw Martin's portrait. His owners wanted something that represented his time in Pennsylvania, including seeing snow for the first time.

Here's a look at the preliminary drawing:

And a look at the drawing in progress with some of my references:

Cats cats cats 🐈 . . . . #petportrait #cat #catsofinstagram #drawing #sketch #sketchbook #catportrait #art #drawing #pentel #tombow #artistsoninstagram #pencil #illustrator #illustration

A post shared by Sarah Ryan (@sarahryandraws) on Jul 11, 2017 at 3:30pm PDT

Unicorn Card

I have a brand new unicorn card available on Etsy!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/531732535/unicorn-you-are-magical-notecard

Here's the preliminary drawing:

Pet Portrait: Hoss

I loved painting Hoss and her tennis balls!

Here's a look at the preliminary drawing:

Commission your own portrait on Etsy!

Spring Catch Up!!!

If you follow me on social media, you've already seen these things.

I realized I never poster them on my blog, so here goes nothing:

The NFL Draft

The NFL Draft was in Philly this year. I was one of 16 artists to be asked by Mural Arts and the NFL to paint live during the NFL Draft. I had never painted live in front of an audience before, so I was excited, but also anxious before the event. We had to paint players who were drafted as they were drafted, so there was really no way to know ahead of time who you would represent. It was fast paced work! Time lapse cameras captured the whole experience:

NFL on Twitter

32 picks. 32 paintings. Local Philly artists #PaintedTheFuture to celebrate the #NFLDraft 1st Round. https://t.co/39KvmNK0Qd

We worked on prepainted canvases. I painted Jamal Adams for the New York Jets and Charles Harris for the Miami Dolphins:

Today's @nfl and @muralarts live painting progress ... Painting @presidentmal__ in his new team colors (I had the Jets!) Gotta finish this one and then start painting the 🐬. . . . . . #nfl #nfldraft #jamaladams #nyc #newyorkjets #philly #muralarts #art #painting #livepainting #artist #artistsoninstagram #portrait

A post shared by Sarah Ryan (@sarahryandraws) on Apr 27, 2017 at 10:26pm PDT

Before and after. This is Charles Harris, the pick for the Dolphins. Live painting is done! Thank you @muralarts and @nfl for the opportunity! . . . . . #visitphilly #nfl🏈 #nfldraft #miamidolphins #charlesharris #football #painting #livepainting #art #artist #muralarts #illustration #artist #sports #dolphins

A post shared by Sarah Ryan (@sarahryandraws) on Apr 28, 2017 at 2:54pm PDT

Philly.com caught me working:

You can read about the whole thing, and see more pictures on the Mural Arts site:

Painting the Future with the NFL - Mural Arts Philadelphia

When the National Football League approached us at Mural Arts Philadelphia about using painting to commemorate the 2017 NFL Draft this April, we weren't sure what to expect. Philadelphia is a proud sports city, and we've done murals for the Eagles, the Phillies, and most recently the 76ers, but we'd never done anything like this.

Groundswell Greetings

🎉🎉🎉The @groundswellgreetings site is up and going! If you've been wanting a manatee or fox card, go get it! The link is right on the @groundswellgreetings IG. . . . . . . #groundswellgreetings #teamgg #stationery #stationeryaddict #illustratorsofinstagram #madeinphilly #illustration #madeinpa #shoplocal #shopsmall #phillycreatives #sendacard #greetingcards #stationerylove #myart #animalart #wildlifeillustration #wildamerica

A post shared by Sarah Ryan (@sarahryandraws) on Mar 28, 2017 at 2:17pm PDT

My cards are now available on Groundswell Greetings here 

Custom Pet Portraits

Custom Pet Portraits are not available on Etsy here

Pet Portrait: Marty

Marty, watercolor & pencil on Rives BFK, 8x10", 2017.

 I got to draw another adorable dog!
This time it's Marty. My favorite part in this one (besides Marty) is the squirrel holding a Wawa hoagie:

Here's a look at the preliminary drawing:

I have some great events coming up! Come visit me at the following events this spring:

Pet Portrait: Sophie

Sophie, gouache and pencil on Rives BFK, 8x10", 2017.

Sophie is such a fun dog to paint! I used gray paper so her black and white fur would stand out a little more.

Here's a look at the preliminary drawing:

I have lots of things I haven't posted about this spring that I need to catch up on! I'll have a longer post soon.

Pet Portrait: Red

Red, watercolor and pencil on Rives BFK, 10x10", 2017.

I  got to draw the adorable Red. He's got great personality, and loads of fun fur.

This drawing was a little bigger, at 10x10".

Here's a look at the preliminary drawing:

I have lot to catch up on, so look for some new blog posts very soon!

Owl Sisters

Owl Sisters, gouache, watercolor & pencil on Rives BFK, 8x10", 2017.

Woo! Done!

This one took longer than I anticipated, but I like the result.

Here's a detailed look:

I also have a print available on Etsy: 

Italian Market "Buon Natale" card

I was asked to create a new card for the Italian Market Visitors Center here in Philadelphia.
I loved drawing these little shops that are right in my neighborhood!

You can also pick up some pizzelle cards in the Visitor Center this holiday season:

If you can't get to Philly, but would still like one, you can order them in my Etsy shop.

Cardinals & Hydrangeas

This sweet painting was done as a wedding commission, but it's also available in my Etsy store.

I'll also have it with me this Saturday at the Art Star Pop-Up Market at Spruce St Harbor Park. If you haven't visited the park yet, stop by! It's one of the best outdoor places in Philly.

Elephant Wreath

Hi everyone!

I wanted to share an illustration I finished earlier this month. Elephant ears were really fun to draw!

It's also available as a print on Etsy.

Here's a close up, for the details:

I drew this for some very special people who got married last year:

Speaking of weddings, my mermaid illustration is on some wedding invites available through Concertina Press. 

I love Ruth's design for them. Check out her other nautical stationary at www.concertinapress.com .

Heron Hello

Heron Hello, watercolor & graphite on Rives BFK, 8x10", 2015.

I finished another little bird notecard design this week. This time it's a Great Blue Heron.

The notecards are available on Etsy.

I've been posting a lot of in progress shots of my work on Instagram. If you're interested in that kind of this, please follow here:

#wip #illustration

A photo posted by Sarah Ryan (@sarahryandraws) on Feb 17, 2015 at 11:58am PST

Wren Party

Carolina Wren Party, watercolor & graphite on Rives BFK, 8x10", 2015.

Happy Monday, everyone!

I just finished this little illustration of Carolina Wrens having a party.

It's also available as a new notecard on Etsy.

Stay Warm!