Creative Playgrounds Dr Sketchy Anti-Art School

Inspired by the founders of They Draw And Cook and They Draw And Travel, Salli and Nate's concept of Creative Playgrounds I decided to attend an in person event call Dr Sketchy Anti-Art School. It is an event that is held all around the US and as luck would have it we have a local Dr. Sketchy Anti-Art School here in Bellingham WA.  Held once a month at an intimate informal cafe/bar with wicked red velvet damask walls and gold gilded mirrors, models pose using an array of props, and back drops. This months theme was Film Noir and the model donned a Casablanca white jacket and black bowtie for the first half of the  session then became more scantily clad as the night progressed. Poses start off short, a couple of minutes each, then five minutes then 10 minutes then 15 minutes. It is fun to watch the progress of illustrations as the night carries on and the poses get longer and the more sips of wine one has time for. The organizers of the event hand out prizes for their favorites ranging from the silly to the best interpretation of the theme. At the end the model picks his or her favorite and then everyone shares the work they have done. The great thing about this is it for professionals and amateurs and those with no previous drawing experience so you get a whole range of loose and fun drawings.

Here is selection of my favorite drawings from the night and if you wish to see more work check out the Facebook Page for the Bellingham Dr. Sketchy and if you are in the area come one come all, it is fun night! 

Today is the BIG day and I find out how my Patience and Persistence Worked out.....

And the Results are:

Well I did my best and better than I thought I was capable of, unfortunately I did not make it to the next round of Lilla Rogers' Global Talent Search. I am disappointed but not discouraged and this experience has given me the confidence to keep going. It was the nudge to finally speak up about my dreams and goals. I now know I have a 100% support of my family to follow and pursue this dream. I know everyone who entered also did their very best work and I hope making it or not to the next round keeps us all engaged and inspired!

Some of the proactive things I have done this week while I waited patiently for the results were to register my business name Scrappy Carp Illustrations (LLC), start the LLC process and business planning. I also on a complete whim submitted to the Print & Pattern Nature Book which I would never had done before the GTS experience!

I am truly excited about this journey and I am really very thankful for all of the support from my family, friends and strangers... Thank you.

10 Things the Global Talent Search taught me (thus far)....

What I have learned from entering Lilla Roger's Global Talent Search thus far.

1. I want this: I want to be an illustrator.
2. Patience- it is not going to happen over night.
3. Plan-set realistic goals for yourself.
4. Do research- before I am even sketched a thing I researched.
5. Collect inspiration- it is everywhere use it!
6. Doodle, listen to music.
7. Refer back to 3, are you on target?
8. Setbacks are only setbacks if you let them be- use it as an opportunity to learn.
9. P.U.S.H. yourself: Persist Until Something Happens.
10. Be yourself.

My Final Submission.
I hated everything about it the day before because I was stumped.
I persisted, had a breakthrough and now I love it.

As of writing this I am practicing patience- As I am still waiting to find out if I made it to round 2 but even I don't I have made my best work yet which brings me back to P.U.S.H.

Where am I going with this? A sneak peek into my lastest design.

You would think after two weeks of research, collecting inspiration and living and breathing as my latest muse I would have more of an idea of where I was going with this... But here it is and what I have been working on. It is sneek peek into my latest design.... 

Process before it is coloured in.

as a tiled repeat... 

What do you think- don't be shy!

Doodles and Illustration

When I was in Art School, I was told by more than one painting instructor "that's too illustrative", that was a critique not a compliment. For years I tried to change that and go against my natural tendency for strong lines.

Mushroom Illustration

Illustrating and Doodling were looked down upon and frowned on by some in the fine arts department, and I took that to heart, after wall I was there for an art education and these people knew better than me...

Girls night Out Illustration

I don't know if it is the internet, social media, a broader global reach but I honestly feel like that is changing with access to platforms (Skillshare, Spoonflower, Etsy, Society 6) meetups and workshops such as I am participating in now (Build a Freelance Illustration Business) I can see there is a large group of artists- yes we are artists and deserve a place in the fine arts community that have an illustrative look and as proof my old art school offers more classes in illustration, printmaking, textiles, paper and design than it ever did before.... It's kinda fun being on the cusp of an ever evolving Art Movement...

Cheers... PS, can you see the tile repeat?

Mock Up Designs Party Dress

I am loving my new Mock Up designs, with a paper doll dress up feeling. They make me soooo happy and they are pretty cute to boot!

The Party Dress Mock Up is showing off my Hello Spring Swatch that I did for a Skillshare class Surface and Pattern Design class with Bonnie Christine. I thought it had a nice festive party feel for Spring or Summer!

You can find the pattern on Spoonflower, I am ordering a proof so it will soon be for sale.

That 70's Lemonade Stand

I am now taking the mid modern thing too far, yup I said it, the 70's. Garish colours, Go Go boots, flared outfits and all.

If I had actually been a teenager instead of a newborn in the summer of 1974 I may have worn an outfit like this... 

Check out my latest Spoonflower entry for the weekly challenge inspired by the iconic summer beverage- Lemonade. Voting starts Thursday!

Go ahead Vote- you know you want to!

Sense of Community

I belong to a Community Facebook page for Bellingham Artists (if you are one you should be too!). It is a great place to see what others are working on, what they are inspired by and what drives them. There are good discussions, feedback and suggestions.

original sketch

Flowers in Vase 

Last week I posted a picture from my sketchbook on a random doodle that I was working on and the reaction I got was so encouraging one person wanted to see it on a Throw Pillow and well why not? These days you can easily use something like Society 6  to create art prints, home decor, phone cases and a few other random things so I coloured it in and went for it!

I used Adobe Illustrator to colour it in. Live paint is my new favorite tool and my palette is from a photo I took in the Desert of flowering cacti.

Finally what the print looks like on a pillow... I'm in love with it, and just may order one for my chair. 

You know what I love? Mid Modern century design

I started these little drawings over a year ago now (I have more to come) and they are morphing into quite the little characters.  They were another 'I don't quite know what direction they are going in, but I want to hang onto them and save them for later' category.  So here they are:

You can either get a set of two, A little mid century home and a tree or a multiple set with two colourways. I was being a little conservative with the first grouping but they went a little funky with the second one! Hope you enjoy.

How to Follow on Instagram?!

I have been working on my Instagram Persona, switching it up a bit. I have been reading several how to get more followers (I am an artist and I want to show off my art!) on Instagram type posts on various blogs, many sharing their own experience and the general concenous is:

My current profile picture.. love the bleached white against the blue background!

1. Keep business with business (but show that you are real person) Family may be interested in what I am doing but they do not want to be inundated with process, product and inspiration shots. So I am going to try the two account thing. If you follow me on my personal account I invite you to head on over to my Scrappy Carp account. I will be making my MeganHCarroll account private. 
2. Follow Inspirational people, whose style you gets you motivated! Some of my favorites people who I look to each day for inspiration are @goinghometoroost-Surface and Pattern Designer, @mathewland- local Pacific North West Photographer, whose images are stunning, @lisacongdon- visual artist and illustrator and friend @ColettePenketh- makes beautiful frilly things for brides!
3. Comment and share the Love! (see above list)
4. People want to see process and have a little sense that they know who you are- PS I love food and wine so you are probably going to see a little bit of both- but don't worry I won't share every meal!
5. Beautiful Images, people who use Instagram are visual people. Give them what they want. 

I hope to see how this advice helps as I start my new account! And please share tips of your own! 

A new leaf.....

I am turning over a new leaf... well actually it is an old leaf, in the form of lots and lots of doodles, drawings, inspiration, memes ect and so on... if you are an artist or a creative OF ANY KIND you know what I am talking about... it is this the reams and reams of paper you collect with little tiny ideas or big ones. It is the work in progress- The eureka moment!!! Sometimes that moment loses momentum and well you're left with a random scraps, a half thought- something that you will save for later.

In love with this motif, I have revisited it a lot of times for borders.

Well later has come and and I have decided to get off my butt and  and do something with all those little ideas- and maybe just maybe you can do something with them too. Each time I discover one of these half form ideas I am re inspired and taken back to the original thought- I love discoveries, even if they are rediscoveries!

So bright!

Introducing Clip Art... Maybe it is just the thing you needed for your scrapbooking project or you just want to make a little inspirational card for someone and you just need the right the illustration to embellish your thought.... whatever have you I thought I would share some of my best little drawings with you. I want to let them out into the world to live and breathe as their own thing.  So please follow along as I add more and illustrations to my Shop on Etsy!!!

Remember these are for personal use, if you want more information, colours, designs etc I am happy to help or even if you want to add them to a pattern or use them for commercial use contact me.

What Science looks like to an artist.

I am an artist my husband is a scientist.... I think this is what science must look like.

A little bit order, a little bit chaos.