Caricatures, Silhouettes and Illustrations by Leona Hosack

I drew this little girl witch to wish you a happy Halloween! Halloween is one of my favorite holidays and though I don't like to get dressed up myself,   I love seeing my grandgirls and other people and children in costume. And I love drawing witches, pumpkins and the like! Here are some Halloween designs available in my etsy shop! https://www.etsy.com/listing/112588159/three-bats-and-a-friend-hand-made?ref=shop_home_active https://www.etsy.com/listing/112590609/hand-cut-happy-halloween-pumpkin-design?ref=related-3 As a little girl learned to draw pretty much on my own by just looking at things and people, and practicing drawing, but now and then I would watch a TV show on how to draw. Below is one of the first drawing shows I ever saw, and probably one of the first how to draw TV shows ever. I couldn't believe I found this on You Tube! I haven't seen it since I was very little! Enjoy! Here are several videos on drawing a witch!   When I was a k...

I been recently working on an idea for a graphic novel!  The story is about a witch and her slave and I've been working on it for about a year now, but I just recently decided to try and make it into a graphic novel. I have thought about joining NaNoWriMo to work on this novel. What is NaNoWRiMo you say? It's a challenge to write a novel from start to finish in a month that's been around since the late 1990's. Nation Novel Writing Month is November, and you can learn more about it at the website. It's set up with everything you need to finally bring that idea for a novel you've always had into existence. The website connects you with others doing the same thing and supports you with feedback, critiques and more. I have decided not to do it this time, but it's a great thing to check out if you're interested. Learn more about National Novel Writing Month, NaNoWriMo here:  http://nanowrimo.org/ And you can check out how to layout a graphic novel...

Last weekend I did Silhouettes at York Marketfest! I was right in front of Jeffers Tavern and  Parsons visitor center, both part of historic York Village!  Some pics of my silhouette table at Marketfest in York.   It was a cold day to start, warm in the middle of the day and then cold again towards the end, but sunny all day! Peopke like my framed dog silhouette! Dogs are so fun to do! Many people were in costume, volunteering at historic York Village! Here are the duplicates I cut of the silhouettes in the above picture! I always have to remember to leave enough space for the hat when I cut silhouettes of poeple wearing hats! The tri-corner hat was challenging but fun! A happy couple! He put his hat on after I cut his silhouette!   Three ladies, three generations! They all wanted their silhouettes together on one mount!

Have you ever had to help a child through a transition? It seems like millions of time I've been in a situation where a child in my care has struggled with a transition. The kind that to them seem huge, but to me seems very insignificant. Getting ready to go out the door. Getting in a car to go somewhere. Coming in from the playground. Getting home from school. Getting ready for bed. Even changing from one activity to another-drawing to playdough! Having to stop what you're doing and get cleaned up. whatever it is. Any change in activity can seem overwhelming when a child is not ready. Unless they feel they have control, and can somehow anticipate or be involved in controlling the situation. Interestingly, as adults don't we feel the same way when a transition of one kind or another hits us? We want to feel in control! "A  transition  is a change from one thing to the next, either in action or state of being—as in a job transition or as in the much more dramatic ex...

I am learning so many things that are new to me! As an artist I have always identified as a right brain oriented person and technology was something I never dreamed I'd engage in the way I do now! In the process of doing this blog, I have been learning innumerable computer skills, and every time I push through something that is a challenge, I now navigate my way through that feeling of I can't, or I'm too stupid for that, whereas just a year or so ago I would have gotten frustrated or given up. Not that I don't ask for help anymore but somehow I'm now able to ask from a place of deep self-respect and desire to learn, not from a place of frustration!   Here's a great TED TALK video from  Josh Kaufman- The First 20 Hours- How to Learn Anything.   I love that he mentions that feeling stupid can be a barrier to learning since I so identify with that, and have learned that just because you feel stupid doesn't mean you are! He discusses 4 steps to lea...

Thought I 'd share some of my celebrity caricatures! Guess who!  My latest caricaturing gig was a Bat Mitzvah in Portland, Me last weekend! These three ladies really wanted to do the Charlie's Angels thing for their caricature! It was a fun challenge!

    Are you creative? Or rather do you think you're creative? And does creativity go by the wayside when we get to the age of watching our children struggling with their own children? Do you have to be an artist to be creative? What does that really mean- being creative? Webster's defines creativity as the ability or power to create, to bring into existence, to invest with a new form, to produce through imaginative skill, to make or bring into existence something new. http://www4.uwsp.edu/education/lwilson/creativ/define.htm         Creativity has a place in problem-solving but sometimes it occurs in the moment and not as the result of thinking or planning! For instance, I was just now approached by my three year old granddaughter who asked me for juice in her "sippy" cup. I would have been happy to oblige her by opening the thing and giving her some fresh juice, but I couldn't seem to get it open. I probably could have tried harder, but th...

These Halloween Cut Paper Designs are available in my Etsy Shop! This is a cut paper design I did for fun a few years ago! Today my three and a half year old granddaughter Bailey and I drew the "Five Little Pumpkins" in shaving cream and then sang the song! Five Little Pumpkins sitting on a gate The first one said "Oh my it's getting late! The second one said "There are witches in the air!" The third one said" Well, I don't care!" The fourth one said "Let's run and run and run" And the fifth one said " I'm ready for some fun" Oo,oo went the wind, and out went the lights and the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight! Bailey loves drawing pumpkins and singing the song! My oldest granddaughter Phaedra throwing leaves ! Cut Paper Leaf Designs -also available in my Esty Shop! I'ts raining leaves! Gather them up again! And throw again! https://www.etsy....

Up dates on one of my current projects for Justin Kelcourse, a realtor in Portsmouth, NH. They wanted a Halloween caricature of him. I offered them the two choices below. They chose Justin as Frankinstein! Here's the finished piece! Contact me if you would like a caricature of someone you love in their Halloween Costume! I am also available to do Halloween Caricatures for your Halloween Party! Halloween Caricatures are available through my Etsy shop also!  https://www.etsy.com/listing/165011410/custom-halloween-caricature?ref=shop_home_active    Here I am doing caricatures at the wedding reception of a friend a couple of weeks ago! That's my husband Larry's Caricature hanging on the upper left of my easel! Fun was had by all!