Positive thought

This is the quote that got me through the hard times when we had all of our miscarriages, fertility issues and wishing so much for a baby of our own. I spent a lot of time in a dark place. A sad place. A place filled with fear and doubt. I started to believe that nothing was going to work out for me. The pit I was in felt deeper and wider with each day. It was hellish. Then, I discovered the power of positive thinking. Not as a magic pill, but as a way to make myself feel better while waiting for the great things to come my way. They say that sending out positive thoughts and energy will bring positive things back to you tenfold. I'd tried everything else, so I figured this was worth a shot. It took a lot of practice, but I forced myself to try and turn every negative thought into a positive one. Over time, I began to find myself thinking in positive ways from the start. I felt so much better! Life felt full of possibility! And having this quote to stare at every day really helped. In our darkest hours we cannot see it, but there is a lot going on behind the scenes in our favor. We have to have faith that our dreams are coming to fruition and they are simmering there. That the stars are aligning just right to bring us our dreams. We have to believe that there is a host of wonderful treasures just waiting for us around the corner. Assume it is so and let the powers that be do their work. It takes time to create your miracle. This quote continues to help me and I wanted to share it with everyone else. So, I designed this piece of art so that it could be hung up proudly. It's 8 x 10, but I could also make it in 5 x 7 if you'd like. Would you like a print of your own? You can get one here.

Clementine Art

Hi there! A few months ago, I ordered these environmentally friendly supplies from Clementine Art. Can I be honest and say that the packaging is what drew me in? It's lovely up close too. Then, I saw that the materials are all natural, non-toxic, and environmentally friendly. I know Paige is too young to use them right now, but I actually had fun coloring with the soy crayons. They feel so silky and smooth to color with! I loved them (much more than the traditional wax kind we all use). The colors are more vibrant as well. Sometimes I find it relaxing to just sit with crayons and color in a kid's coloring book. I find that it helps me clear my head when I focus on something so simple and easy. The items are a tad pricier than what you might expect, but it's a quality product and I've been enjoying them for myself! I guess I can share with Paige once she's older...I GUESS. :)

The Last Painting

Hi there!
I finally took a photo of the last painting we did in class back in November. Here's my version.
It's of a house on the Cape...I added an extra chimney to make up for mistake I did in making the house too long. Oh well! :)

Hi friends!
Since Paige was born, my art life has taken a huge backseat. Baby comes first, obviously. As time has gone by I've been itching to be creative again. If you read this blog frequently then you know that I've been taking a watercolor painting class to get me out of the house once per week so that I can focus on something that I enjoy and relax. It's been so great! I have so much fun and really have learned a lot. I've only got 2 classes left which leaves me wondering what I'll take next. Perhaps sewing? Anyhoo, I decided to incorporate painting into my life a bit more; but how to do that with a now semi-crawling baby? I need to be nearby to keep a watch on Little P whenever she is awake. So, we took one of my office desks and put it in the family room at a window overlooking the conservation land behind our house. I can see Paige's play area to my right as I work and I have the wonderful natural light coming in through the window. It's been a great solution to incorporating my time for painting with being with Paige. Why should the two be separate? Why go into a different space and treat my creative life as a separate one from my daughter? I love that I can dabble at my work here and there while she's around and I just feel happier in general. I like that she can watch me do something I enjoy and know that she can be a part of it too if she wants. Of course, the majority of my time will still be spent playing with her, teaching her, and tending to her needs; but it is nice to know that I can include my own needs into the day and I now have a place to do it!
Here's a painting I did on my own here at my desk...without the guidance of the teacher. It is of an old converted barn in Maine...from a photo I took one summer. The computer isn't normally going to be at the desk, but the photo I was using to paint from was on my flickr site and I was too lazy to print it out. Then, of course I had to check facebook! :)
Damn you addictive Facebook! Damn you! :)

For the kiddos

Good morning friends. Today I thought I'd show you 2 new prints I illustrated with intention for a child's room. You can find them for sale for $12 in my Etsy shop. I wanted do design something simple, colorful and cheerful. They are small; 5 x 7, so these would work great in a small frame on a dresser or simply clipped to the wall. The paper is very thick (soft 100% cotton I use for wedding invites), so a hole could even be punched at the top to thread some ribbon or string through to hang it on a hook or doorknob. Happy Easter everyone! I'm off to get the house picked up, run errands, and do some client work. I hope you enjoy your Friday!

The Art of it all

Hey everyone! It's a rainy and dreary day here (as usual for March) and I'm happy that it's the first day of Spring! Woo Hoo! Not that we'll see spring weather yet, but we're getting close now! March usually shows rainy weather all month, so April should start to show improvement. Today I thought I would share 2 new Fine Art prints with you. Of course, I enjoy doing letterpress notecards and stationery. But I have the "fine art side" to me that has been itching to get out for a while now. I remember I used to draw or paint every single day. Sadly, now, that is a rare happening.
But I'm getting back in the game with these prints now for sale in my shop. These are not letterpress; be warned. But each has it's own little back story (you can find the write up for each in the shop). I'm pleased with how they turned out, as this idea has been in my brain for a year now. I plan to do a few more in the theme soon. Have a great Thursday; I'll see you here tomorrow with some work great for babies and children.

Typography and art

Since I'm a graphic designer, I've always been in love with typography. What a true joy seeing the portraits done by Roberto de Vicq DeCumptich. He had put together a website called Bembo's Zoo. What a fun site! Each letter of the alphabet sits on your screen. As you click each letter, an animal drawing is created before your eyes using only typography/letterforms as the medium. It's fun to watch and is so inspirational. He also worked on the book Words at Play creating portraits of prominent authors in this same way. All images shown here are by the artist.
Fascinating stuff! I hope you like it too. Happy Tuesday!

Press Alert!

Hey everyone! Woo, it's hot out there! Just a quick note: My new limited edition prints were mentioned today on Poppytalk I'm so honored to be mentioned on her blog in the fresh/affordable art entry. I was also mentioned this past Friday on the ever-amazing blog DesignSponge. So exciting! I'm thrilled to get mentioned by these amazing design sites; and be amongst so many amazing artists and designers out there. It feels good to be making art again and to be making it affordable for everyone. Well, it's a busy day so I'm off. I've got to work on several quotes (this will eat up most of the day), finish printing for a wedding and ship it, and send out shop orders. I'll follow it up with some invoicing and emails and call it a day! (blah). I hope I can squeeze in some sketch and design time today; but sometimes the business side of life takes over, you know? More soon!

Seahorses Abound!

Hey everyone! And now for my next print....I introduce "The Seahorses." This is a limited edition of only 60 prints. For sale on my etsy shop. It's illustrated and letterpressed by me in a turquoise sort of pool blue ink...but light in color. It's printed in soft and pillowy Crane's Lettra letterpress paper. It's very thick and almost feels like fabric; and I got a pretty good impression in the paper with this. This is inspired by the beautiful shapes of the bodies of seahorses amongst the coral. I like the soothing calm that I feel when I look at this print and I think it would look nice in a bathroom or child's room. But it could work anywhere I guess. Now I'm off to get cleaned up and we're off to a barbecue this evening! I hope you're enjoying your weekend as I am!

Leaves and Follows

Hey everyone! I'd like to introduce my limited edition original series of letterpressed prints titled "Leaves and Follows." The total size of the piece is 5 x 7 inches and I've only printed 135 in the edition. What do you think of it? Warm red ink is pressed into Crane's Lettra paper...it's soft, pillowy, and thick. The impression can be felt when you run your hand over the bright white paper. It is so soft it almost feels like fabric. You can purchase it at my etsy shop. The design is an illustration I did...a sort of abstract combination of shapes inspired by nature. It depcits a mother bird and her hatchlings following her through the bushes. I love the organic leaf shapes and I think I'll use similar ones in future prints. I have tons of thicket outside of my house where loads of species of birds live and get visited by squirrels, groundhogs, chipmunks, mice, turkey, deer, and other fine folks. It's fascinating to stare out the windows at the world of activity going on outside and they have no idea I'm spying. Very inspirational! Happy Friday everyone! I hope you all have a great weekend ahead!

Pinkish

Hi there! Here's my latest creation; the peacock flat notecard. I have several sets ready to go and it's up for sale on my etsy shop. It's printed in a bright magenta pink ink and on really soft thick cotton paper. I'm very happy with how they came out and the letterpress impression is deep for these. It was fun to work on them! In other art news: I've finished up two drawings and am currently having them turned into plates so I can do a limited edition letterpress print run for each. I'm excited to finally be able to offer my own art prints. It feels good to be able to contribute to the affordable art movement. I like the idea that everyone can find artwork that is unique and affordable for their walls rather than mass-marketed items that can be found anywhere. I hope to get the plates next week and also get the printing done next week as well. Of course I'll post them here as soon as they're ready! I'm excited about them if you can't tell. I'm spending other time this weekend gathering inspiration and enjoying the nice weather. I hope you're enjoying your weekends! Be well and stay positive!