Best of 2006

In January 2006, my friend Anastasia was eager to invite more creativity into her life. She found Illustration Friday and thought the site--which provided a word each week to serve as artists' drawing inspiration--offered a good start. 


Knowing that I made birthday cards featuring drawings of my family's pet cats, Anastasia suggested I join her in creating drawings each week. We agreed to support each other in nurturing our creativity through Illustration Friday's weekly challenges, though I assumed that it would only be a few weeks before I lazily gave it up. 


Here I am 4 years later! Who knew?!


Since recently reviewing the 260+ illustrations I've made since the start of my blog, I thought it'd be fun to revisit some of my favorites from that first year:


1. E is for...Environment is my first drawing for Illustration Friday--the start of it all! This drawing was an early birthday card idea. On the front, the kitties hid in a big tree. Inside, they'd jump out and floating down using helium birthday balloons--Surprise!  


2. I always thought it was funny that Cats showed up as a topic just after I started Illustration Friday. Before I started my blog, I decided that all of my drawings would feature my cats. Yet, I had no idea what to draw when this word appeared for inspiration. It turned out to be a fitting introduction for my readers. 


3. Tattoo marks my first Johnny-Depp-inspired drawing. While one of his hands looks a bit monsterish, I still love the simplicity of this drawing and am grateful that Johnny had simple tattoos in just the right places. Aside from that, it sparked the beginning of many Johnny-inspired drawings to come. 


4. Robot was of the first drawings inspired by classic cartoons I watched as a kid. Remember the ones where a Robokitty was purchased to catch the mouse in the house? I loved that the mechanical cat would pause during a chase to clean its foot just like a real one. Maybe this one would do the same.


5. Only one idea came to mind for the topic Rain. Always inspired by classic films, who can resist a little joy from Gene Kelly any day of the week? 


6. The Kitties are always eager to put on a show, as seen in Play. 


7. The Kitties are devoted fans of the Baltimore Orioles. Here, they participate in a friendly game at Camden Yards in Safe!


8. In some drawings, such as Farm, The Kitties and I can't get enough sun. 


9. Ghost honors all kitties--past and present. 


10. Wind still makes me laugh. The Mother Kitty claims it's a true story. 


Browse all of my illustrations from 2006. Which are your favorites?