Illustration Friday - spirit

Illustration Friday - spirit

Illustration Friday - refrain

Illustration Friday - refrain

Refrain, Xanga Connelley

The process of working with the word refrain, done in oil pastels.

Illustration Friday - shadow

Illustration Friday - shadow

Underwater shadows - Xanga Connelley

The mystery of the deep, scratched in oil pastels.

Illustration Friday - tail

Illustration Friday - tail

Cats tails - Xanga Connelley

Five cats staring at the unknown with their tails attentive and alert, ink drawing.

Illustration Friday - secret

Illustration Friday - secret

A secret message between Major Mitchell cockatoos by Xanga Connelley

A pen drawing of two Major Mitchell cockatoo's with a secret message to each other

Illustration Friday - underwater

Illustration Friday - underwater

dream underwater, Xanga Connelley

Imagine the feeling of being underwater in a flowing dancing dress it sounds magical.  Painted in acrylic on paper.

Illustration Friday - together

Illustration Friday - together

Chipmunks together,  Xanga Connelley

Two imaginary chipmunks together in the grass drawn in oil pastel.

Illustration Friday - hidden

Illustration Friday - hidden

Hidden cow, Xanga Connelley

The idea of the cow hidden works with the mixed media.  Image created in acrylic and newspaper.

I have added some black in and layered more acrylic, not sure which I prefer?

illustration friday - rescue

Illustration Friday - rescue

Rescue, Xanga Connelley

Illustration Friday - Power

Illustration Friday - Power

The power of the primordail,  Xanga Connelley

Painted in water colour and acrylic the image shows the merging of the sacred geometry and a portrait of a woman/

Illustration Friday - fresh

Illustration Friday - fresh

Poppies are so bright and fresh,  by Xanga Connelley

The colours of these poppies are so vibrant and they look so fresh, this was drawn with oil pastels.

Illustration Friday - Jungle

Illustration Friday - jungle

Stick together: Blue Macaw, Xanga Connelley

Blue Macaw's are found in the jungle and they stick with their partner for life, they are also the species of bird that lives the longest (up to 100 years).  This pair is painted in watercolour and acrylic.

Illustration Friday - Robot

Illustration Friday - Robot

Dr Who (Tom Baker) and the daleks, Xanga Connelley

Tom Baker acted as Dr Who when I was a child and he was fun and eccentric.  These strange looking Daleks were a major part of the show, amazing to think Dr Who is still going and how many Dr's there have been!  Painted in watercolour and acrylic.

Illustration Friday - Travel

Illustration Friday - Travel

Travel, the fishy family outing, Xanga Connelley

A whimsical look at a funny fishy family outing painted in watercolour.

Illustration Friday - Protest

Illustration Friday - Protest

Say no to animal testing, Xanga Connelley

Protest about things that upset you and this is against animal testing for perfumes.  Painted in watercolour and acrylic.

Illustration Friday - Equality

Illustration Friday - Equality

Colour equality , Xanga Connelley

Do we have equal opportunity if your skin is a different colour?  Or is it what we make of the things we are given as "A man, as a general rule, owes very little to what he is born with - a man is what he makes of himself"  Alexander Graham Bell.

Painted in watercolour and acrylic.

Illustration Friday - torn

Illustration Friday - torn

Torn between yes and no,  Xanga Connelley

The temptation of whether or not to eat the cup cake is strong, it's a question of being torn between the decision of will I or won't I?  The picture is painted in gouache and watercolour

Illustration Friday - children

Illustration Friday - children

Bindi and snake,  Xanga Connelley

This is based on Bindi Irwin and her love of nature.  A watercolour painting.

Illustration Friday - tension

Illustration Friday - tension

pulled both ways, Xanga Connelley

Pulled in all directions, it feels like you are going mad, this is painted in watercolour.

Illustration Friday - Liquid

Illustration Friday - Liquid

Freestyle, Xanga Connelley

The water is liquid, swimming through it and swimming along.  This picture is painted in water colour and acrylic.

Illustration Friday - 'Fortune'

Illustration Friday - 'Fortune'

J K Rowling, Xanga Connelley

This picture is J K Rowling when she wrote the first books in the Harry Potter series and the books are so successful she made a fortune.  Almost everybody is a 'Harry Potter' fan and who wouldn't want to go to Hogwarts?  This is painted in watercolour.

Illustration Friday, Tribute

Illustration Friday - Tribute

Tribute, xc

Thank you for starting such an inspiring website/blog.  Illustration Friday gave me a new lease of life and the liberation of illustrating has renewed my zest for painting and creating.  To all the wonderful artists featured on IF and if I can't managed anything else during the week I still manage a small illustration with your weekly word - thanks.  Watercolour.

Illustration Friday 'farewell'

Illustration Friday 'farewell'.

Diana,     Xanga Connelley

A wave can mean the step from one life into another and although this was a wave to the crowd it was a big farewell from being a commoner to becoming 'Royal'.
This picture is painted in watercolours.

Illustration Friday - 'train'

Illustration Friday - 'train'

'training', Xanga Connelley

A watercolour illustration of the word 'train', based on an image of Arnold Schwazenegger in 1975.

Illustration Friday - 'wild'

Illustration Friday 'Wild'

Madonna,  Xanga Connelley 

 Madonna was always setting new fashions and ideas, she set trends and fashions and was described as 'wild' with her pointy bra tops on stage and using 'priests' on stage.
This picture is painted in watercolour.

Illustration Friday 'Urban'

Illustration Friday 'Urban'

Urban, Xanga Connelley

Illustration Friday - Eggs

Illustration Friday - Eggs

Hare and Egg, Xanga Connelley

The hare is a slight difference to the Easter bunny, still carrying a golden egg.  This is painted in acrylic's with a golden egg to add interest.

Illustration Friday - yesterday

Illustration Friday - Yesterday

Looking back, Xanga Connelley  

This simple watercolour shows an innocent girl from times gone by, yesterday.

Illustration Friday 'storm'.

Illustration Friday 'storm'.

Tree in storm, Xanga Connelley

A windy day in a mild storm, this picture was painted in acrylics.

Misty storm, Xanga Connelley

It is hard to see with the storm clouds gathering, this picture was painted in acrylics.

What lies ahead, Xanga Connelley

What path will we follow, life is full of adventures and it's encouraging to see the light shining ahead.  This picture is painted in acrylics.

Illustration Friday 'wheel'.

Illustration Friday 'wheel'

Summer wheelbarrow, Xanga Connelley

Summer flowers are grown and gathered in the wheelbarrow, this picture is painted in watercolour to give a light informal approach to the subject.

Illustration Friday - 'Wings'

Illustration Friday - 'Wings'

Flower and Butterflies 1, Xanga Connelley

Butterflies floating around bright flowers.  This picture was etched into clay board with an indigo wash underneath.  Texture is an important part of this illustration and makes it tactile in the real world.

Owl, Xanga Connelley

Owls are such interesting birds with their large eyes and it is easy to see how they got the knickname 'wise old owl'.  This picture was etched out of a clay board using an indigo ink for the base colour.

Illustration Friday - Ocean

Illustration Friday weekly challenge - Ocean

Ocean, Xanga Connelley

Caught in the breaking waves the force of the wave mixed with the serenity of the ocean below.  This picture was painted in watercolour.

Surreal, Xanga Connelley

This picture evokes a sense of the surreal, floating in the infinity of the ocean the only reason she appears to be alive is from the bubbles around her head.  This picture is painted in acrylics.