Penelope Illustration • Penelope Dullaghan

For Illustration Friday’s Topic: Invention. This illo was originally for a story about a man who refused to get on the bandwagon with modern invention. No remote controls for tv, no ipods when the radio worked just fine. And no leaf blowers when a rake would suffice. Until his family bought him a leaf blower [...]

Things with Alison are pretty scary right now. We found out that not only is the chemo not working, but radiation is not an option either. The program was not approved by the FDA. So that leaves us with trying different forms of chemo and calling all the specialists in the country to see if [...]

Hello friends! I hope you in the US had a good Thanksgiving filled with people you love. We went back to Indiana to spend the holiday with Colin’s mom, and it was great to be back. The drive was long and studded with traffic jams. But the food and the company was wonderful. Big hugs, [...]

I got word yesterday that two of my pieces were accepted into the 49th Society of Illustrators annual, due out in ’07. The pieces chosen are below… The first one is a piece I did for Riggs Advertising. It was for a campaign to help homeless families with a long-term program that provides housing and [...]

Here is a piece I finished recently called “Thanksgiving King” for Baltimore Sun. It was for a story about a man who doesn’t feel like he’s adult enough, but finds himself hosting the annual family Thanksgiving dinner, kiddie table and all. I painted the Thanksgiving crown in full color with dimension, but left the man [...]

Today we learned that the chemotherapy is not working on Alison’s cancer… My brother’s blog has more information. His grace astounds me. Alison, miracles do happen. We’re praying for one all the time.

Don’t you hate it when you can seem to draw anything?! GAH! I can see what I want in my head and it just doesn’t come out that way. It comes out all lop-sided and quirky and squirmy. I am not going for lop-sided quirky squirmy. I want sweet and smart and lovely. But no, [...]

I am feeling almost giddy because tomorrow we close on our house! After such a bummer experience (including being low-balled and costly plumbing repairs), we are almost done! Closed book. And ready (oh, god am I ready) to move on. yippee! We have started the search for a new house down here. I think we’ve [...]

I always let it go too far. Do too much. Think that if I stop even for a second I’ll fall behind. The world will collapse and I won’t be me anymore. If I slow down and breathe. If I don’t do something right now. If I don’t prove myself at every second. Everything I [...]

Sparks 49 Interview

photo of my brother and dad, courtesy of my husband. In need of some serious re-centering and rejuvenation… I am off. All next week in fact. My mom and a few siblings are coming down, and we are renting a cabin on the beach. No computers or email. No work or art. Just sitting. And [...]

Thank you all for participating in the Black & Orange Contest! It was an huge array of amazing work… Everyone would win if it were up to me (and I had a million dollars to spend on Dick Blick gift certificates!). Our judges definitely had their work cut out for them. Here are the three [...]

GAH! I’m so burnt out! I’m sorry I’ve been a slacker at posting here… I just feel so completely TIRED and overwhelmed with everything right now. I need a big ol’ break. (The roadtrip with my brother was postponed due to Alison being in the hospital with an infection, poor thing…) So no breaks quite [...]

Thank you all for participating in the Black and Orange Halloween Contest! We had 306 entries in all… that is a ton! What halloween fun! Check out the gallery when you get a moment. Amazing work. Now it’s time for the judging. Winners will be announced on Friday right here. :)