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

GOOD VIBES ONLY.

Coffee all day under the yellow sun.
Executive meetings with forest folk and water sprites.
Deep, deep breaths of wild air.

GOOD VIBES ONLY.

I'm floating in the forest and meditating by the lake.  I have my sketchbooks and my most treasured little lady by my side.  We're soaking up nature, adhering to natural rhythms, hustling for sticks and stones, feathers and water.

Take care you gentle hearts, I will be saying prayers of wellness for all of you as I build back my levels of natural energies.

PEACE OUT.

Curious little fox PART THREE.

Good morning!

Today I am sharing the final version of the baby fox print I created.  Version one and two are here and the original drawing is here.

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As you can see, this final version has been built up from a little hand-drawn illustration.  It evolved from an idea, a bundle of lines, a pen and some paper, a scanner, a computer and a powerhouse design program.  From all of that, a small idea grew into a sweet and adorable baby fox looking to explore the curious world and become who he is meant to become.

As I was developing these little fox posts to share with you, it dawned on me that the design process for my illustrations parallels my journey as an artist.

Three years ago I decided to honour my creative spirit by exploring art making.  At that point, I was awakening from a nervous breakdown.  I had no real idea of what my journey would look like just that I needed to follow the voice that was firmly whispering in my heart.

It was a little idea that scared me.  It grew into a bundle of lines and brushstrokes and words on a screen.  There have been piles of paper and many pens. There have been tears, fears and joy.  I have acquired technical equipment, done research and had many discussions. I've moved through growing pains, learning curves and a whole lot of being brave.  This journey has slowly become a powerhouse program of self-actualization. I am growing into the human I was always meant to be through exploration of a curious and wonderful world.

When I started out all I had was my inherent love for creativity, a few skills I had gained through high school art class, and a strong undeniable desire to make art in some form.

Along the way I have taught myself how to use Photoshop, how to paint with acrylics, how to design layouts and create interesting compositions, how lighting matters and how to use social media to gain exposure.  

But mostly, I learned that honouring my soul desires makes me a better person, that creativity is essential to living a successful life and that striving to stay open-hearted in a curious world keeps me fresh and full of spark. 

I love to learn, to grow, to share and to make.  I love being an artist and at the end of the day, I love navigating the learning curves and growing pains that come with the territory, because they help me grow my soul and become my true self.
Without art I would be a mere shell of a human.  A hollow bundle of lines not fully realized by the colour and composition that creativity offers.

Creativity fleshes out our bones.  It makes us real and full and softens our hard edges.  Being creative  sparks neurons and carves new pathways in the brain and in the heart.  It magnifies our purpose and brightens our souls. Most importantly, pursuing creativity helps us to help others find their own passions and purpose, which increases the awesome factor in the world.

If you stopped for a minute and thought about how creativity informs your life, what would it look like?  How does creativity show up for you?  How does it help you become the human you were destined to be?

How would you create more space in your life to flesh out the bundle of lines that just aren't fully realized yet? 

These questions are so important to me.  I want to know more about how other people find and use their true creative passions to inform their journey. And I want to share my journey too.

It feels like another path opening along my way.

Thank you for reading and supporting my journey.  If you ever have any questions about my creative life, please never hesitate to ask.

Happy Tuesday:)

Hello sunshine.

Hello sunshine!

After a few days of decent rain and cool, almost autumn-like weather, my soul has been soothed. The forests are soaking it in, the furry and feathered have been given reprieve. 

And now I'm summoning a mild version of summer to usher us through to the days when the sun begins to tilt away from this side of the earth. I'm hoping that the sun decides to join me on my holidays and give me the blessing of relaxation and warm restful days. 

Have a nice weekend!

Little Fox

Good morning! 

Things are looking pretty refreshed around these parts as the rain sweeps over the Valley with a bit more punch than we've been experiencing lately.  I realize it seems odd to wish for rain in the small window of the year where we actually get to enjoy sun, but boy oh boy it is needed.  Not just for the forests and waterways and animals but for our collective peace of mind.  The rain is washing away the sadness and the overwhelm and bringing in some quiet solitude.  It is needed.
Anyway, today I am here to share a look at a baby fox illustration with some colour added.  If you follow me on my face book page, you will remember the first and second post where this little guy was just a bundle of lines that I drew and altered in photoshop.  Today I am sharing the painted version, and next week I will share the full colour final rendition that will be heading off to his new home in a new baby's nursery.
And just a note for those who are interested, this fox is the fourth in a series of animal illustrations I have been working on this year.  Each of them are customizable and for sale as prints.  You may contact me via private message or email if you would like to purchase any of them.  I will be loading them into my Etsy shop once summer winds down and life starts humming with routine again. But until then, I will be soaking in the rain and soon, the sun as I sign off for a week of MUCH needed time off work.

Thanks for checking in and have an AWESOME day:)

Fox illustration line only 

Fox illustration painted

THOUGHTS on the MIKONE VINTAGE MARKET

It's been about 11 days since I showed as a vendor at the Mikone Market, and I think I have finally recovered from the low level exhaustion I encountered as I prepped for the show.
The bliss joy, however have not subsided and I am still floating on cloud nine thinking of the wonderfulness of it all.

Joining the market was a total whim.  It was a "leap across the canyon of blind faith" moment.  It was the "I have no idea what I 'm getting myself into here" feeling and saying "Who cares, I'm doing it anyway".

I threw all caution to the wind and jumped, blind, both feet forward, hoping for the best.
And it was the best.

I asked myself about half way through the preparation, what exactly I was hoping to accomplish by attending.  I'm a graphic and visual artist and illustrator.  I have no passion for vintage item reclamation (although I think it's a totally rad passion to have) and I have NO CLUE about refinishing furniture with specialty paints and waxes (although I would LOVE TO LEARN, ahem, Lisa).

But, I am a girl who has a solid romance with creative vulnerability, and a deep love for making art.  I'm also pretty much my own worst enemy when it comes to taking a chance on myself.  I mean, I am really damn good at talking myself into the notion of having all conditions be PERFECT before I fly, so taking this leap off the canyon when not a single thing was known or understood beforehand, was absolutely exhilarating and necessary.
And very frightening.
And so completely awesome.
I had no idea what to expect or what to bring, for that matter.  I had a nasty voice in my head telling me no one would give two snits about my work.  I had a full, full schedule on top of my market prep schedule and six weeks to get it all together.

SO, I decided that:
a good night's sleep was currently irrelevant;
I was gonna just "bring it" and "wing it" (somewhat like "fake it till you make it");
ANY VOICE which wanted to bring me down could suck it (to speak bluntly);
and  schedule, medule...I WAS GOING TO GET THIS DONE.

And. I. Did.

So.  What did I want to get out of this experience?  I wanted to gain experience.  I wanted to understand how to do this.  How to get better next time.  What to do more of and what to eliminate completely. And I wanted to connect with people.
Connection with real humans in real time is what makes art so rad.  I heard so many stories about owls and what they mean to people.  I heard countless people talk to me about their dream of being an artist, and I was able to inspire and encourage their vision.  People loved the scripted words.  They felt empowered by them and connected to an idea that when you see art that says you are awesome or that you can trust yourself, then maybe, just maybe it's actually true.
My heart grew ten-fold that day just in the connections alone!
And, people loved the work.   They bought my stuff and wanted to buy the original pieces.  They asked about commissions and adored the customizable baby prints.  They loved the work.
Which, of course is pretty rad too.

Oh, there's so much more about that day that is forever tucked into my secret heart where all the beautiful stuff goes.  The entire vibe.  The gorgeous displays, the furniture, the women who are making beautiful things and sharing them with the community. The entire MAKER community!  This sweet little market draws in all sorts of intelligent and creative folks who are just so supportive and I LOVED seeing women support women who are juggling busy lives, but who are also following passions.
It was like a moment in time where all the magic from this corner of the Universe was channelled into this sweet little spot for six hours and connected us all in a creative pursuit to beautify the world.

How awesome.

Huge thanks to Kiona who is the lovely maven of the Market.  You are so completely awesome in a million ways! Huge thanks to my family, my husband, mama and kids for helping me and supporting me through the prep and big day.  Huge hugs and kissses to old friends and new that stopped in to say hi, or texted their love or bought an item or two.  You all are just so wonderful and I am infinitely blessed to have you bodacious souls surrounding me with your light.

Phew.  I love you all.  And, life?  I REALLY love you too.