Preview my new website!!

Hello, everyone. I've been hard at work developing my new website and blog. You can get a sneak peak at www.clelandillustration.com/test. There you can visit my new WordPress blog as well. I know what you're thinking: "But Josh, I'm subscribed to this blog. What do I do when you move???" Settle down. When the time comes I will provide with a 34-step instruction list that must be followed EXACTLY! Until then, sit back and relax. Worry about something less severe, like the economy.

UPDATE 7/25/09: My website is now updated and can be viewed at www.clelandillustration.com.

I'm also interested in your constructive feedback. This is your chance to tear me down (but please do it constructively). Comments welcome are:

"Love the site, but this is confusing to me…",

or

"The navigation is hard, and this is why."

Comments NOT welcome are:

"It looks weird on my browser. I'm using Internet Explorer 6.0".

Simply leave your comments on this post, or email me at Josh@clelandillustration.com. I thank you in advance.

Visit to the Charles M. Schulz Museum

Recently my wife and I took a really fun vacation to California. We went to to my cousin's graduation in San Luis Obispo, then made our way to Disneyland for a few days, and on up through the wine country and Redwoods. It was great. One of the highlights for both my wife and me was a quick, unexpected stop to the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa. If you ever find yourself driving through Santa Rosa and the wine country I highly recommend stopping here for a couple of hours (regrettably, we only had one hour to spend).

One of my favorite pieces in this museum is a wall filled with thousands of Schulz's strips. Below is the wall pictured from afar. The wall was designed by artist, Yoshiteru Otani. Luckily the piece is displayed in the "camera okay" section of the museum.

Other highlights include multiple original sketches and strips inked by Sparky himself, as well as memorabilia from his life, and a nearly-exact replica of his studio (which, I believe, features his actual drawing table). You can find more information at the museum's website: www.schulzmuseum.org.

Promo workings and New Year

Hello, all. With this new year I am making the move to full-time freelance. It's a pretty scary move, but the right one. I am taking this opportunity to focus my marketing on gaining more professional illustration accounts (most of my clients are design-related). Below is a sketch of a promo-postcard that I will be sending out in February. It's going to be fun.

5-Year Anniversary

It's my wife and I's 5-year anniversary today! This is the card I made her. I may have to explain it a little: Probably my favorite snacks in the whole world is peanut butter toast with sliced bananas. Yum!! I have it nearly every day for lunch. Rayna always teases me about it. So, a few days ago I was pondering great anniversary card ideas while partaking in this wonderful treat, when the idea struck me. I think she found it funny. I think a lot of wives would find it insulting to be depicted as a banana on an anniversary card. Not Rayna. I'm a lucky man! As for the text, I was listening to the Moulin Rouge soundtrack. Don't laugh, I like that soundtrack. (The actual quote is "How wonderful LIFE is now you're in the world". I think my version works just as well)

I'm liking this illustration and the color. I think I may use it for an illustration promotional. I have to do a little work on it. The banana's right foot looks a little fat compared to the left, and I want to lighten her eyes. And, of course, I'll change the text.

Our New Baby!!

Well, my wife, Rayna, and I have an announcement to make: We are now proud parents of a 24" 2.8ghz iMac! (I'm sorry, Mom and Dad for not telling you first) We plan on holding an iMac shower in the near future--invites are forthcoming. Feel free to be generous on the gifts--new Epson scanners, printers, external HDs, iPods, iPhones are welcome gifts (anything with an Apple logo is great--if it doesn't have an Apple logo I can put one on it--the computer came with two Apple stickers). Even OpenType fonts are a desired. Maybe a new Wacom Tablet?!! Don't be stingy.

Okay, Rayna, you've had your turn on the computer, now it's my turn. C'mon, you've been hogging it all night!! I can see this is going to be a problem. That's it, I'm off to buy another one…

New Hat!

I needed a new hat, so I bought one. I think this is my first hat in a long time that doesn't have a sports team logo on it. I like it.