š Updates From My Studio š
what's in progress this month!
This week I want to give you a peek inside my studio! So hereās what Iāve been up to creatively and what Iāve been busy developing.
PROJECT #1: TENTACLE ROSE ILLUSTRATION
You might have seen this in my instagram stories recently. Iām about 90% done making a thorny, tentacled rose illustration.
This piece is about the fear of deviating from the familiar. Iāve always had this internal war over ābeauty.ā Often manifesting in the types of imagery I choose to create with (perhaps why I looove flowers). But thereās a part of me that questions what would happen if I show the bits that hide just below the surface. You know, things that arenāt immediately recognized as āaesthetically beautiful.ā This illustration is a way of seeing those two parts exist simultaneously.
I initially wanted to submit this illustration for an online art contest but⦠I only gave myself like a day to create it before the deadline and⦠well⦠you know. That never quite works the way my brain likes to say it might. š But I got a lot of it done super quick! Now Iām in the finishing touches stage and imagining what it might look like on a journal or notebook cover⦠Something to think about.
PROJECT #2: SPOONFLOWER PATTERN CHALLENGE
In March, I entered a Spoonflower challenge with a carrot pattern I had made. I got somewhere around the top 13% but not the top 10% which is where I would have gotten the perks. So close. But it was an interesting, low stakes experience that taught me 1. How fast I can make a pattern (especially since I was using a cute little sketch from my archives to my advantage) 2. How informative it is to see what resonates with the market. 3. How fun it can be to participate in rolling, thematic contests. Especially free ones.
Yay, Experience points.

PROJECT #3: ENCHANTED GARDEN COLLECTION
Iām also illustrating a ālil collection of art and patterns that have been conceptually sparked by one of my recent art pieces. āNobodyās In Charge Of Me.ā
Illustrating on the theme of forging your own pathāespecially one out of challenge, obstacles or downright hindrances. Iāve been taking so much aesthetic inspiration from fairy tales like Sleeping Beauty and those beautiful retro Disney scenes.
So far Iāve developed whatās called a āHero Illustrationā (the dominant, most complex illustration inside a collection) I shared the progress sketch of it a few weeks back and itās now in a more roughly rendered color phase.

But⦠since Iām not hustled along from paint drying and I can come back to it at any point, I seem to lack a sense of urgency with digital media. š Didnāt realize that about myself before now, so Iām trying to figure out whether I want to fully complete this collection in digital format, or if I want to come back to my roots and paint it all. I have to say, Iām really considering that becauseāreal talkāthereās much more to show in the progress of traditional media than something that lives in a screen.
But on the other hand, working in Procreate on the iPad is fast and compact. What are your thoughts? Do you like seeing digital work or have you seen anyone who works digitally that manages to share the progress in interesting ways? Do tell.
The imagery and symbolism for this collection includes: Gardens, briars, thorns, ominous forests, wrought iron gates, keys, paths, flowers (obviously) Maybe some birds. I seem to be doing a lot with birds.
Speaking of birds and thornsā¦
PROJECT #4: BIRDS AND THORNS ART PIECE
I sculpted this bird a few months ago and have been meaning to get back into the progress of that piece since I was waiting for it to dry. Well, itās definitely dry by now. So I need to move along with the background Iām creating for it which is on a big canvas. There are more briar-like, thorny vines encircling the bird that is pinned down to the canvas like a specimen. I may share more on that concept at a later time.
PROJECT #5: ART LICENSING PORTFOLIO TO PITCH TO COMPANIES
Aside from all those projects, Iām in the middle of curating a portfolio that I can send out and pitch to companies for art licensing deals and collaborations. To do so, Iām compiling some of my previous illustration and lettering work and organizing it into an āeasy to see if weāre a good fitā few pages. Iāll be including things like: repeat patterns in multiple colorways, a moodboard showcasing how I identify trends within the market, a sketch-to-final type of transparent process to show how I work, and some mockups of products Iām interested in creating for.
BTW: If you happen to know of anyone who is looking for an illustrator/designer, LMK. Iām open and looking for a good way to support myself as I take on all these projects and move on my goals.
A few weeks back I shared how art-for-product was something Iāve been interested in for YEARS. And while it has taken me a bit of time to juggle all these projects (because this is just how I live šš»āāļø), Iām still making progress. These things didnāt even exist a few months ago. And if you think about it that way, thatās pretty cool.
So tell me, do you have creative things in development? Are you bouncing between a few projects here and there? Well, let me high-five you, and remind you to think back on when those projects didnāt even exist. And now youāre making it happen!
How cool is that.
Until next time, my friend. Create bravely and keep betting on yourself.
P.S. if my writing resonates with you, consider a paid subscription or collecting a piece of art. Together, letās shape the world we want to be a part of by supporting as much beauty as we can find!
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P.S.S. If youād like to see more of my art making, come follow me on Instagram. š¹ (Stories is where I share all the goodies from the studio)











How exciting!! Love the color palette you're working with. Top 13% must be a lucky place to land āŗļø
I love all those things!