Feliz Mother's Day

Mother's Day is celebrated in Mexico on May 10th regardless of what day of the week it falls on. This year (2015) it falls on the second Sunday of May, same as Mother's Day in the US. So in honor of my momma and my heritage, I created this illustration in my sketchbook wishing all Spanish-Speaking and English-speaking and Spanglish-Speaking moms (like me!) a very Happy Mother's Day.

~Dio
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365 Days of Dio Doodles

I was looking at my sketchbooks during my holiday break and noticed a pretty decent improvement in sketches over the last couple of years. Truth is, I have been drawing and doodling a lot more in recent years, but I am still not where I want to be. So, on January first 1 started a personal challenge which I call "365 Days of Dio Doodles." A promise to myself to draw daily, take time to hone my craft, make my art more polished looking and to get faster at it. You can follow my journey on Instagram by using any of the following hashtags: #365daysofdiodoodles or #paisleyinparis. See you there!

Last doodle of 2014: Wishing You a Happy 2015

Happy New year my friends! May 2015 bring you lots of peace, joy, health and the making of many beautiful and unforgettable memories. Cheers!

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Working With Crayons

I've been especially obsessed with new marking tools lately. I've been buying pens like there's no tomorrow. I guess it keeps me excited about drawing, but one thing I've learned is that no matter how pricy or inexpensive your marking tools are, you can create beautiful art with just about anything.
Earlier in the year, we were packing up to move when I came across a basket full of my daughter's broken crayons. I really hate being wasteful, so in order to justify keeping them, I decided to use them in my sketchbook. Here's a peek of one my favorite pieces.

First I doodled a bunch of flowers in the background. Then, still using crayons, I drew shapes on different color pieces of card stock, cut out the shapes, assembled them into the shape of a fairy and attached them onto my floral background using a glue stick. Last, I added the lettering above the fairy. Turned out cute! I think this would make a nice piece to frame and display in a little girl's bedroom. Too bad my daughter is running out of wall space in her room.

The Joy of a New Marking Tool

So I spotted a new marker at Michael's the other day. I got a hold of 50% off coupon this week, which I took as a sign from the heavens that I must get it. Last night after work, as my family waited for me at home to have dinner, I made them wait a bit longer because mama had some shopping to do. I mean, Michael's is only 1 block away from where I work, so it wasn't much of a detour. I marched right in, grabbed this neon pink Molotow marker as images of beautiful pink and black doodles flashed through my mind. Then at home after dinner, the magic began. Here it is, my work in progress.

Looking forward to finishing this piece tonight, 'cause it's Friday Art Night at the Perez residence!

Little Red Riding Hood Coloring Page

I have a niece that's in the process of learning her shapes and colors. I am also an avid doodler, and I find inspiration in just about anything. This time, I was inspired to create a kids coloring book (still a work in progress) and a variety of printable coloring pages that can be used as a learning tool for kids. This is my first of many more printables to come!
If your little ones are already familiar with the story of Little Red Riding Hood, they will most likely enjoy coloring a picture of her, since it's someone they already "know."  Just hand them a few crayons or markers and guide them through the process. You might ask them to find the red crayon and color the cape in red, then ask them to find the yellow crayon and suggest the use it to color the sun, and just like that, learning becomes fun!

This Little Red Riding Hood is my original illustration, right out of my sketchbook, and is available as a printable download through my website for only $0.99.

A Peek Into My Sketchbook

Another peek into my sketchbook. These are last night's bedtime doodles. They say practice makes perfect, and I couldn't agree more. I haven't had a chance to add new items to my shop the last few months. My full time job and family life keep me quite busy. So rather than forgetting about my passion (design & illustration), I keep going at it with baby steps. If all I can do at this point is sketch and doodle, then that's what I'll do. Eventually I'll end up with tons of icons to choose from, all ready to digitize when I get a little time to myself. In the meantime (in the voice of Dory) "just keep drawing, just keep drawing..."

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