Panda Calendar 2016!

I am truly amazed to be posting about Panda calendars for the third year in a row! It's really touching that Panda keeps friends and family smiling all year long with her photos and antics. Lucky for me, it means that I get to keep snapping pictures guilt-free.For guaranteed grins on a monthly basis throughout 2016, feel free to indulge in a little gift-giving for yourself - and, if you're stumped on gifts for the animal-lovers and welfare-activists in your life, this should do the trick!

If you've been a fan of Panda's for a while, this year's calendar will not disappoint. Running, smiling, office-helping... what a good girl she is. If it wasn't for the Frontier Animal Society, she would have died before we even got to meet her. As happens all too frequently in their dedicated work, they saved her life with literally one or two days to spare. They richly deserve every bit of support that comes their way, and they will be receiving all profits from this calendar. Check out their Facebook page to see how much they truly care about their furry little wards, and remember to always adopt a rescue.

Panda says thank-you for your support, and please send carrots to help her prepare for next year's rigorous photo shoots! Happy, happy 2016!

The 2015 Panda Calendar is here

Incredibly, last year's fun little project wasn't just a one-time thing. The evidence is right here in my office, in a box that arrived over the weekend. I'm so excited that Panda calendars have made it back for another year! The tradition continues: all profit will be donated to the shelter that saved Panda's life. Without the tireless work of the Frontier Animal Society, our beloved Panda and hundreds of other sweet, furry little souls simply would not be here today. Their dedication and genuine concern for all those in their charge is truly heart-warming and very special.

If you have a pet lover on your holiday gift list, this will provide them with a year's worth of smiles and the knowledge that you have also contributed to a very fine organization. Or, if you're in the mood to treat yo self, this is a fabulous opportunity to do so and give to a good cause to boot.

Panda would like to reassure you that many carrots were harmed in the production of this calendar. A special thank-you to my sweet Christian for taking these shop photos! Please help us sell out, which we almost did last year! You can purchase your very own Panda calendar here. Happy 2015!

Fresh Work: Ten Oaks Project

It's a big deal when one of your clients celebrates their tenth anniversary; it becomes that much more significant when you realize that you've been with them right from the start. When my sister Sonja first told me about the Ten Oaks Project, Holly and Julia Wagg weren't married yet and were hatching a dream - a dream that became reality thanks to the hard work, dedication and love of many caring folks.

Last Saturday, I hopped on a bus to Ottawa to join them in celebrating ten years of love, diversity and inclusiveness. It was a very touching event, filled with beautiful testimonials and heartfelt appreciation - not to mention glitter, crafts and cake. The Ten Oaks Project has transformed the lives of so many - if you haven't heard of them, do take a look at all the good that they do. Over the past decade, as I shifted between agency and freelance work, I collaborated with them to create their Camp Ten Oaks logo, Bowl-a-Thon posters, their first website, their annual reports; Christian and I visited Camp Ten Oaks and photographed their very first summer. Whenever I could, I donated my services. I've watched them grow, thrive, and develop even further - notably, Project Acorn which my awesome sister Sonja dedicated so many years to.

Most recently, I had the pleasure of designing their tenth anniversary logo, badge and invitation. It was my first time designing a badge and I am so hooked - must design more badges. So much fun.

Dear Holly, Julia, Sonja, Mark, Lee, Hannah and the entire Ten Oaks team and family - congratulations on your ten years, and here's to many more life-changing decades ahead of you. I'm so pleased and honoured to have been able to contribute in some small way, and I can't wait to see what we come up with next. Happy, happy anniversary :)

(thank-you for the photo, Holly!! xo)

Fresh Work: Marcia Massa

This post is about my mom. Her name is Marcia. When I was little, I didn't understand why some people called her "Mar-sha". Now that I know how to spell, I get it ;) There are a lot of other things I now get about my mom. For instance, at right about the age I am now, she was raising two girls on her own, working a full-time job (teaching - which is more than a full-time job) as a fine arts teacher, simultaneously studying to get her masters and also creating meticulous, beautifully abstract fine art. She has always been driven to create and has always had to carve out that time to make it happen. She was and continues to be a true inspiration.

Over the years she has amassed an incredible collection of work. Now that her girls are grown and she has been able to retire, she has finally had the opportunity to participate in a few exhibitions and is in the process of slowly getting recognized for her work. Unfortunately this is an area I don't have much experience in - but when it became clear that it would be helpful for her to have a portion of her portfolio viewable online, I knew this was something I could help with.

This was a really fun project because not only was I able to give a tiny bit back to my mom for everything she's done for me, but Christian took the majority of the photos so it was a real family endeavour. Feel free to take a look if you'd like your art fix for the day :) marciamassa.com. I'm so proud of you, Mum. I love you.

Fresh Work: The NFB's 75th anniversary

When I was very little, I remember my mum bringing home a borrowed projector and a bunch of NFB animation reels for us to watch together, projected on our living room wall. When I was older and studying Illustration & Design, our class had the privilege of being taught a few classes by the talented Ishu Patel. He even took us on a tour of the NFB's offices and we were able to see some animation projects in progress - it was so motivating. I remember being so excited to visit a space where such inspiring work had been dreamed up.

I have friends who work at the NFB, my talented husband has worked on a few of their productions and we live in Hudson, the town that the inimitable Norman McLaren called home. Whether you remember The Hockey Sweater or The Big Snit (a personal favourite), every Canadian has a special connection to the NFB. So when they asked me to illustrate a timeline to help celebrate their 75th anniversary, I couldn't have been more thrilled!

The best part about working on this timeline was becoming totally absorbed by the NFB website - watching movies and discovering even more about the people and work that are such a special part of our heritage. To see the entire timeline and to find out more, please check out their blog post - and if you haven't already, I invite you to spend some time exploring the NFB site - it's a whole lot of fun. Happy anniversary, NFB!!