I dream of elephants...

CROSSINGS, my thesis show had a wonderful reception this past Thursday, and I wanted to share photos from the event. It was a lot of fun seeing everyone, and catching up with friends! I was also very happy that my family came into town for the event to see what I have been working on these last couple months.

My family in town from Tampa, FL!

The show featured work from Elephant Picnic, the children's picture book I am illustrating. The book is written by Ronit Elk, and will be published in the Fall by AuthorHouse. Here is a peek at one of the pictures...

Elephant Picnic is Ronit and my second book together. The first was a chapter book entitled A Surprise at Dancing Fields available online here.

The show also featured amazing artwork from Killamari and Fernando Vazquez. Take a look at their websites, and check out the SCAD-ATL Illustration blog for more photos from the show.

Society of Illustrators!

Can't believe one of my pieces was selected for the very prestigious student show at the Society of Illustrators! I am very excited to be going up to New York for the opening reception.

For friends of mine who would like to visit the Society of Illustrators, info on where/when the show is can be found here.

Crossings: A Gallery Show - Atlanta, GA

"Crossings" will feature the work of Killamari, Renee Rivas (me!), and Fernando Vazquez, three SCAD-Atlanta Illustration M.F.A. students. The show runs from April 12th-17th at StudioPlex, with an opening reception Thursday, April 15th 6-9pm.

On display I will have several illustrations from the children's picture book Elephant Picnic, written by Ronit Elk, to be published this Fall.

Here is a little more about the show from our press release....


CROSSINGS marks the culmination of the journeys taken by SCAD-Atlanta Illustration MFA students Killamari, Renee Rivas, and Ferni Vázquez. Each of their distinctive voices permeate through their art, as they bring us works both personal and professional. CROSSINGS represents the place where these artists' journeys come together before taking on to more journeys of their own.

"Songs My Enemies Taught Me" is a body of work illustrated by Killamari, that explores the fall of the Cambodian culture and the country's current struggle to revive it. Mainly focusing on the tragedies that occurred between 1975 through supposedly 1979 under the Pol Pot regime, these works tell stories through a series of illustrations and paper crafts. There are many overlooked tragedies that occurred during this time, and the aftermath still cripples the Cambodian culture today. Cambodia has a story to tell, and 'Songs My Enemies Taught Me' seeks to make these stories heard.

"Elephant Picnic" is a children's picture book that tells the story of a young boy who attends a picnic for elephants put on by the circus. Renee Rivas, who is illustrating the 32-page story, will have on display several of the artworks from the book before it's published in this fall.

"New World Gospel", by Fernando Vazquez examines the ongoing story of what happens when two cultures collide. Being born in Puerto Rico, the artist shares blood and culture links with Spaniards, Africans, and the aboriginal Taino indians. In this series, the culture clash is expressed through a visual syncretism of religious art and symbols from Spanish Catholicism and the Taino's Zemi religion. It seeks to portray similarities between the two, to see the other from one's own eyes, and to reconcile two of the cultures that laid the foundation of Puerto Rican society.

The show runs from April 12th-17th at StudioPlex, located at 659 Auburn Avenue, Suite 143 in Atlanta, GA 30312. There will be a reception held Thursday, April 15th 6-9pm. Gallery hours are 1:00-5:00 pm April 12th-17th.


Hope to see you there!

StudioPlex - Suite 143
659 Auburn Avenue
Atlanta, GA 30312