Book Club

Bookworm is one of my most popular prints. Turns out there are a lot of us bookworms out there! It's been a while since I've had any prints for sale, but I keep reworking this cutie. I thought it would be fun to show all 3 versions. I'm sure this won't be the last time I update her.

Version 1: This was offered as a brooch, sticker set + prints. This is the second series of paintings that I started selling when I first started out.

Version 2: This cutie is part of my Pastel Girl Gang series that was sold as cards and vinyl stickers. I'm kinda obsessed with pink hair and big glasses....

Version 3: I just re-painted her again yesterday. My style has been evolving as I've been trying to sketch daily (even if I don't share it + as my arthritis-y hands allow). I'm not sure if she is my favorite yet, but you can find her in my Society6 shop as a print.

Also in my Society6 shop, you can find the Book Club print on phone cases + mugs! I made this fun print for the Novel Tea Book Club in the form of stickers, but thought it was too cute not to turn into a pattern. Look for it on Spoonflower soon!

Frida

Last night I decided to start painting this portrait sketch of Frida Kahlo. It has been a while since I've painted anything and I felt a bit out of practice.

Truthfully, I've never been into the un-erasable images in Frida's paintings and often found her work a bit creepy. Recently, quotes and images of Frida have been popping up everywhere. I tried to watch the movie Frida with Salma Hayek, but stopped it after the bus crash scene.

Since today is Frida's birthday I decided to watch a documentary on YouTube. I enjoyed hearing about her life from her students and art historians. I found her very interesting. After watching the documentary and learning more about her motives for painting, the images in her work made more sense. The things that I found creepy before, now told a story about a woman's very painful life.

If you have time today, watch a documentary or check out her artwork and appreciate the life of a very passionate woman who painted her life experiences. Happy Birthday Frida.

Working

This year, I have sketched more than ever, even though no one has seen most of it. Mostly working through defining my style + technique. I'm having a hard time deciding what direction I want to take my work in and my theory is sketching something everyday will help me. I love working with watercolors and I want to improve my skills there, but I also want to try new things.

I signed up for Kelly Rae Roberts Unscripted, which is like a weekly artist date with her. It was nice to see her process and how she recommends the 3 second rule to make a decision so you don't keep second guessing yourself. I have been thinking about doing more original pieces using acrylics or even gouache.

Speaking of painting, I have an amazing easel I can't wait to bust out + I found an old drafting table in my garage (aka Narnia) that just needs to be sanded and painted. I'm currently working on a tiny table that leaves little room for drawing or painting with my computer set up on it.

I'm hoping to just start painting some of my sketches, even if that means having to rework them later to practice some skills. Look for some work in progress shots soon!

What are your favorite mediums to use when painting?