New Print Alert; Blush Response!
Blush Response (30 x 40 - available) was one of my favorite paintings from last year. And getting hi-res images made of the work have been on my list of to-dos for a very long time.
The stars aligned last week and I was able to get some photos taken and prints are FINALLY ready to go!
Blush Response is available is three sizes, 5 x 7, 8.5 x 11 and 11 x 14. I can create larger versions (up to 30 x40) so contact me if you want a bigger print.
Happy 2020!
Happy 2020!!
I hope this new year greets you with warmth and many fun creative endeavors on the horizon.
I’m taking a few more days off to see family, work on house projects, eat too much food and paint without a goal. The shop and commissions will reopen on January 6th.
In the meantime, I thought I might share a few of the goals/focuses I have set for 2020.
Every year on the 1st I take some time to myself to brainstorm my hopes and dreams for the coming year and to dig into the numbers from the year past. I do this partially to just stay organized - but also to make sure I spend the first day of the new year in a headspace that will influence how the next 365 days are experienced.
I divide these into ‘goals’ which have a concrete, measurable way to determine if I have achieved them or not, and ‘hopes’ which are judged by more feelings/emotions.
Goals for 2020 //
I want to update/rearrange our office area - end of January.
Right now our office feels very thrown together, because it was, and it just doesn’t give off any productive vibes. I’m looking to foster a more professional environment in this space.
I’ve got fun activities/contests/giveaways planned for the subscriber list for the majority of the year, and I’m just excited to grow a smaller more personal community via the newsletter.
Apply to 50% more shows and events throughout the year.
I am thrilled I was able to be a part of so many shows last year, and I’m looking for a bit more of a challenge for 2020. For every show I apply to, I’m going to find one more.
Spend 1 day every month photographing and cataloging new work.
This is a big one. I love the creation aspect of my work - not necessarily the business part. But I can’t have one without the other, so setting aside real time to photograph and add work to my site would be immensely helpful.
Build basement studio - Spring 2020/
I’d love to have a bit more space for multiple projects, large work or a group painting session. We have a space in our very, very unfinished basement that would be perfect for this - I just need to get to work painting and building walls.
Hopes for 2020 //
More house progress!
Learn basic woodworking
Stay on top of short-term goals and emails.
So happy 2020 again, thank you all for being here and best wishes for an amazing year!!
December at the Ann Arbor Distilling Co
This December I’ll have new work on display and available for purchase at the amazing Ann Arbor Distilling Co!
Opening night was December 6th, and it was a great event. Thanks to everyone who came out and who joined in from afar by watching the stories and videos I posted to instagram. (I tried to do a facebook live moment, but had some technical difficulties. Next time!)
If you can’t make out to the show here are a few photos from the space. If you’re interested in any of the work send me a message and I’ll let you know what is still available.
When in Rome and Parhelion. Unstretched canvas, framed.
Hanging Behind the Clouds.
Colorado Color Study i and II, waiting to be up on the walls.
Opening night!
And remember! during this opening weekend I’m also taking 15% of every sale and donating it to the Huron Valley Humane Society. This shelter takes in hundreds of animals, locally and from across the US and gives them a new chance and a home and a family. They do incredible work. It’s also where we found our little puppy - and I’ll be forever grateful.
Let me know if you make it over to the show! They make some AMAZING drinks there too, I’d love to know what you tried <3
Holiday Shopping Announcements - 2019
How is it possibly that time of year already??
Regardless, it’s here. Warm drinks, fuzzy blankets, family chaos and a non-meat turkey await me this weekend, but also, probably a bit of shopping.
Here’s what is going on at my shop for the weekend;
November 27th-Dec 2nd: FREE DOMESTIC SHIPPING! No code needed, if you’re shipping to an address within the continental US, your shipping fee will be refunded. Doesn’t matter if it is a print, or an original, in a tiny envelope or a huge box!
November 27th - Dec 8th: 15% of every order will be donated to the Huron Valley Human Society, the shelter that brought us together with our most wonderful little puppy. They do incredible work for animals, and I am forever grateful to them!
I’ll have new work on view at Ann Arbor Distilling Co for whole month of December, so if you’re planning a little in-person shopping make sure to stop by! (More info coming soon)
Stay warm!
Sketches from Mackinac
We went up to the Mackinac/Mackinaw area this weekend.
I’ve been wanting to get away for a weekend; to sleep in, see the water, find a diner for some greasy breakfast and explore nature with the pup (And of course, to paint a bit…) so we decided to make the 4 hour drive northward.
I had just gotten a new sketchbook that I was really excited to try out. It’s an accordion fold from Hahnemule with really heavy watercolor paper. It felt a bit like a AAA map from road trips of yesteryear, so I decided to make some contour drawings of the land and use the colors of our drive to be a ‘map’ in another sense.
I also brought along these water-soluble ink blocks from Derwent that I tried out a few weeks ago.
It was a beautiful drive up. Seriously, Michigan is a gorgeous state.
We got in a bit later than planned, so we let the pup walk around and headed straight to dinner. I was hoping to make a few beach-side color studies but had lost all my light. Sketching would have to wait until tomorrow.
Mackinaw City Sunrise.
The next morning I was greeted with a spectacular sunrise and whatever irritation I felt for missing a chance to sketch by the water last night, was totally gone.
Once the sky had lightened enough I gathered my ink blocks, drawing board and a fresh rolled canvas from Fredrix and set up on the chilly, windy beach.
I didn’t exactly dress for the weather, so this was a quick painting session. The Inktense blocks worked beautifully on the canvas (pre-gessoed) allowing me to get the color and motion down in quick strokes.
A new thing I just discovered with the pup; usually I bring back my work to dry on the hotel floor. I can’t do that anymore unless I want to add little paw prints to the design ( paint is definitely not something that should be on dog feet…) so I had to get creative about where to store the wet canvas overnight.
Luckily, there was a perfect sized luggage rack in the cabin’s closet.
We’ll head home in a few days, hoping to get a few more chances to paint along the water - the colors up here are just so incredible.
Hope you’re all having a wonderful weekend!