Current obsessions.

CURRENT OBSESSIONS

Hello my loves!

Lately it seems the Universe has been totally answering the questions I randomly through out there and so much good stuff has been landing in front of my eyes.
Like, solid awesomeness.
Of course, I want to share the goodness so the rest of y'all can get in on it.
Here are some links to incredibly wonderful things creative and soulful.

Babe vibes
Kara Haupt is a young designer living in Portland (of course, Portland!) and her instagram feed is delicious.  This is her newest venture and I think it is golden.  Specifically this and this. 

Lisa congdons book and podcasts 
Lisa is an artist I have been following for about two years.  This year she has really grown her presence and all of her resources are incredibly inspiring to me.

And since we're checking out podcasts (a serious new obsession for me!) I want to share this interesting one about growing your creativity. 

Elise Blaha is another creative lady I have followed for around two years. She is a maker of many things and just all around easy to gravitate to.  I find her helpful and inspiring and I love her new work on the podcast series because you can just tell that she is lit up during the conversations she has with her guests.  I love that.

I have always used Uni-ball pens for my illustrations which I love, but recently have tried Microns and Papermate.  I find that each brand has a different feel and quirks to get used to but I like what each of them offer me in my process. 

AND! Stay tuned for a sweet line-up of baby animal illustrations I created for a friend.  Each drawing helped me gain more insight into how to use Photoshop and to embrace illustration as a very enjoyable style of creativity.  I am currently obsessed with making more baby animal prints and illustrations like this in general.

Thanks for reading friends, and hey! Get out there in the world and make yourself happy. ILY<3!

Hornby island.

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HORNBY ISLAND

Ok friends, I have been working on this post for awhile, but none of it has felt right or interesting or relevant, so it has been erased about three times.  I've done extra research, which is cool because I learned lots about the geological and settlement history of the island.

BUT.

I wasn't feeling the vibe by reporting on those facts.  What I want you to know and what I want to record here is how Hornby Island makes me feel.  And that makes a lot of sense because, hey, I'm an artist and I navigate my world and life by how I feel.

Hornby Island is a magical place, but that is a biased statement because I truly feel Vancouver Island and all the Gulf Islands and Coastal areas are magical.  I truly do.

There is an energy here on this gorgeous rugged coast that cracks my heart in a million achingly awesome ways. The nature and the air and the roots and the sky. These places inspire me and drive me and move me to feel whole in such a simple way.

Hornby is unique though.  It's like unicorns and pixie dust.  This place is peppered with white sand beaches and black sand hiking paths. It's a little land mass which was formed below the surface of the sea South of the Equator millions of years ago by Volcanic lava.  It rode on the back of the Pacific Plate to land in the spot it's in now, parallel with the Comox Valley and across from Denman Island.  As the water retreated, the faerie forests grew all around and turned it into the magic sweet spot it is today. 

It has rocky, sandstone and boulder beaches where you can find fossils and beautifully coloured stones. There's a gorgeous hiking park called Helliwell which winds through forests and around beautiful bluffs overlooking a wide expanse of ocean.  Ford Cove is a secret little treasure hosting a sandstone corridor of coolness that reminds you of moonwalking. 

This place is so inspiring.  The forest line hovering over the very unique rock formations have me gasping and drinking it in through my eyes every time.  The clear ocean waters and sandy beaches make me feel like I am in a tropical Paradise even though I am literally three hours away from home.

This place holds secrets of beauty and spirit and an artistic lifestyle. It is grand and discrete all at once and it is crying for me to explore her over and over. So, perhaps the biggest secret of this treasure island is that it longs to be my future home. 

If you haven't been there, I suggest you consider trekking on over. 

Cheers beauties. 

Xo