Thanks for the Lift

New 2016 Version

Old 2015 Version

For some reason, this was my favorite of any card I’ve ever designed.  Not necessarily because it’s a better quality or a more skilled drawing.  It was just really fun to make!  While I was creating it, I just let myself go and produce something not “true to life” in a sense that you could see this happening somewhere in the world and take a picture of it.  This is rather a fantastical place that doesn’t exist, but kinda exists within us – the desire to attach balloons to other people (and myself) is obviously a strong one in certain people like me, and has led to the popularity of movies like UP.

Friends do have a way of lifting our spirits.  I loved the idea of mouse friends studying the Art of Flight (book at bottom of hill) and helping lift up their bunny pal using a variety of rainbow balloons.  Rainbows have a way of sneaking into my art even when unnecessary.

At the end of 2016 I was inspired to re-envision this scene, and changed the illustration to focus more on the characters and balloons, and less on the text, which boxed people in to using this in specific ways. Now, anyone can use this card to send messages ranging from “Happy Birthday!” to “Thanks for lifting my spirits!” to “Remember that time we friends got into mischief?” or even “Get well soon” and “Congrats on your dreams taking flight!” I like letting people translate my art into what they need to say to someone they care about.