"A happy little planet but these aliens have landed and seem to be taking people away." A watercolored fountain pen drawing in my Moleskine sketchbook.
Watercolor on Aquarelle. This piece is incredibly close to my heart. It closely resembles the emotions that I was going through when I painted it. I tried to replicate the numbness and the restlessness that I felt in the eyes.
I've started a new mixed media sketchbook. Which is often times unexplainably daunting. To get over it I just dive in with lots of color. Then the fun begins.
This shambling creature haunts the fetid marshlands and is a protector of the birds and beasts who reside there. He's ancient, the last of his kind and a gentle soul who would much rather hide under the sticky mud than come face to face with a stranger.
A beautiful snowy night is depicted here. A girl is watching the beautiful scenario from her window. Actually this is a house referenced from the Song - "Perfect" ft Ed-Sheeran.
What a wonderful Kirkus review!
(Paired here with my favorite improper contraction.)
"A thoughtful look at life, in all its beauty and strangeness.
...
This delightfully deadpan musing on life urges compassion for others. Howden’s straightforward text is on the philosophical side, though also rooted in the absurd. Hahn’s spare black graphite pencil watercolor, mostly set against a white background, are imbued with humor and empathy for the pickle, with the foodstuff’s expressive eyes conveying many emotions at once. "
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/sarah-howden/the-wise-pickle/
THE WISE PICKLE
by Sarah Howden ;
illustrated by Sabina Hahn
RELEASE DATE: June 23, 2026
"I take a step outside and I breathe the air, and I slam the door, and I'm on my way. I won't lay no blame, I won't call you names. 'Cause I've made my break and I won't look back; I've turned my back on those endless games." Although I'm a bit late, May 1st was Decision Day (congrats to everyone in the class of 2021!), and I'm proud to say I'll be a Blue Demon this fall (a very sciencey one at that).
It's an odd feeling to reexperience the old anger and frustration I thought I had overcome, but, in all reality, I've been letting it creep back in for a while now. There was a moment of fear, it's still in the back of my mind, I'm afraid to slip back into the mental place I was a couple of years back. I'd like to say I've finally realized that it's ok to be afraid, and even a bit frustrated, but it's a matter of how I handle those emotions and my own reactions that make the difference.
My latest illustration created for an illustration technique demo video. Oil drawing transfer technique. Watercolor resists the oil drawing on the paper. Sometimes oil and water do mix.
