Forever and an Update....

It has been Forever since I've updated my blog.... in truth it is because I just like making designs... I know everyone says you just don't exist unless you are online, but is that true? Kinda like if a tree falls in the forest does anybody hear?  Well here is some of my updated work... I promise I will try to update more often...

These were simple fun exercises I did for the Spoonflower Design A Day challenge. I am also recently returned from Palm Springs so the colour palette is bright! Cheers... 

Life in the fast Lane- The Dishes can wait.

We all brag about how fast our lives are moving and how we are spinning out of control with to do list after to do list and our life in the 'fast lane'. I am calling a stop to it. Sit grab a cup of coffee, tea, espresso, wine or whatever your favourite beverage is, sit, pick up a book and read... The Dishes can wait.

Anyone who has time
to clean is not reading enough.

Download your own Bookmark to colour in!

Take your salad from boring to extraordinary!

Lightening up January... We should all eat salad but they can be kinda boring, one way to take them to extraordinary is with dressing. My husband and I have a go to dressing that he borrowed from a Buddhist retreat in San Francisco that turns out was borrowed from an artists retreat center on the British Columbian coast (my home territory) named for the institution Hollyhock dressing  that we renamed Crack Dressing that I now refer to as NOOCH* dressing because of its main ingredient nutritional yeast. We use it mostly on salads but it can be a good Buddha bowl dressing, or tossed on roasted veggies as a side.

If you make this dressing you won't go back.

Enjoy!

*Nooch is a term I learnt from the Thug Kitchen's cook book, the recipe isn't in there but it should be. Some people hate the word.... But I love it!

Good Morning Monday Musings... Rest In Peace David Bowie.

I am pretty sure we have all heard the news today (just in case I put off posting)... This is my Good Morning Musing... My husband let me sleep in knowing what I was about to wake up to. As a young girl growing up in the 80's and 90's David Bowie had a huge impact on me. 

The Stars Look Different... Today

I am sure it will come as no surprise but Labyrinth is my all time favorite movie. David Bowie gave all of us the permission to be our weird selves. With heavy heart Rest in Peace David Bowie.

Back to the grind? A simple Meal Cooks itself.

It's  back to the January grind and in keeping with my goals of creating more time for myself to practice my trade, this is a fast meal for weeknights that requires little time to prep. It cooks itself and is slurped up by my family every time it is made. Make an extra batch to reheat or use for Eggplant Parmesan!

Easy weeknight Tomato Sauce

How Simple is that?
Enjoy...

New Year Has Begun: a Perspective on Resolutions

With the New Year beginning it is time to check in once more and see where I was a year ago and where I want to be a year from now. I don't feel like my resolutions are in fact the life altering go from zero to a hundred type but more like am I on track?... What can I do better? ... How has what I've done fit into my goals and are my goals still the same... What can I do to move forward

Warning! This shit is going to get personal.
I want to be a Surface Pattern Designer and Illustrator...

The Next few Images are chronological order to give you some idea of where I came from!

One of the very first handmade Repeats I ever made, uploaded to Ai
and loosely put together. Late 2013

Original on vellum (Still a favourite drawing surface).

What have I done this past year to make that happen? I have developed mad Illustrator Skills- I never believed that I could learn such a complex thing. For 2016 I want to make it part of my daily routine... Practice Practice Practice. My family has been priority number one and often I use that as a distraction to not practice, so developing my skills has been a tad slow and I have not seen the results I always want. So in 2016- make more time for myself. Yes kids that means more chores!

Figured out how to clean it up early 2014

And turn it into a repeat!

By 2015 it was a matter of practice!

Early 2015

Spring 2015

October 2015

Style is another area I felt that was lacking- I have a personal style but had not had an illustrative style- I have always been here there and everywhere picking up on on different mediums, trying new techniques, in truth my drawing style has always been more lifelike renderings... I have had in the past wanted perfection- I have a personal mantra: If you can do it right then don't do it at all. Meaning don't do a job half assed (for me it is all about craftsmanship) but somewhere I started using it as a cop out to not do things I was not good at and I was limiting myself to only doing what I knew. So this year I started playing around which led to doodling and letting go. And it turns out I was still doing the best job I could do but it was different. Through experimentation I discovered I do have a natural drawing style that feels somewhere between a doodle and accurate representation, that is both slightly quirky and realistic. It also reflects my interests in food, drink, travel, minimalism and abundance. In 2016 I want to see that grow and turn into a solid body of work that I can call my signature style.

Turns out I love black and white!
I also love color but that is for another post.

In 2015 I said I want to be a Surface Pattern Illustrator, this year I am declaring this is who I am. I need to present that to the world. By honing my in on my strengths, skills and developing my style. My outward goal for 2016 it build my brand, sell myself and get a gigs... Personally I want to pay for a house cleaner and buy a Shasta camper, but hey I will take doing what I love, feeling fulfilled and contributing to my family, being a positive role model and good example as a job well done.

PS... I added the images after I wrote the post and I can see that I have had a slightly similar aesthetic all along!

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!

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.

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.

Taking Billie's Cat to the next level.

I am not a cat person, but I can not deny I love Billie's Kitty Cat illustration! So much so, I made it into a regular repeat! 

Billie's  Kitty Cat on Spoonfower 

I am playing with this really simple but beautiful motif and taking it even further!  I want to use it to make a collection of simple fun quirky designs. Can't wait to show off the results of a little bit of free form experiment.

Friday Finds

This Weeks Friday Finds are some great vintage reference books found in a funky fun local used book shop.  At $2 each I could not resist this classic illustrations and funky quirky motifs. They Both deal with the same subject but use it in a completely different manner

Fun Vintage Reference books for the Artist  

Beautiful Classic Illustrations 

Fun Motif Ideas 

Motif Ideas in Use.

  Decorative Plant and Flower Studies for the Artist and the Craftsmen, is a beautifully illustrated book by  J.Food of many different types of plants, flowers, and trees. It was originally published in 1906 but this republication was printed in 1982. The original had beautiful colour plates and that was sadly omitted in the current publication (Second photo from the top). 

Flowers and Designs to Copy is a fun retro book full of charming paining and images to copy! Yes Copy! As a graphic artist I think this gives me free reign to go wild appropriating motifs and ideas. Some of Lola Ader's  suggestions for use are cupboard panels, decoupage and TV Trays... 

I can't wait to start playing around with them... and though I will not copy them directly- you may see some elements from both books pop into my work!

Monday Sneak Peek

Sneak Peek 

What do we think of this for a nice spring design?

I haven't figured out colours or background yet, just playing around with pattern.

And what would I put it on? 

I love making creative whims!

I love making stuff and therefore am always happy to support my daughters creative whims... because really who am I to talk? Macrame, knitting, sewing, felting, printmaking, painting, ceramics,  illustration, fabric dying etc? well I've tried it all (most)... some have stuck and I continue to grow those skills and others (to my husband's relief) I have dumped... One thing I am happy to support is origami, it is more of Miss B's thing than mine, but I appreciate the tactility, folding and construction of taking a plain unassuming piece of paper and turning it into a thing. So perusing the internet one day looking for lettering examples I found a paper alphabet that intrigued me enough to file away in the back of brain/pinterest to use as reference. And this is what I did with it....

Alphabet

This is for a Spoonflower competition- Calligraphy... Would love it is you checked it out, maybe even vote for it...