Arty Grandma Life

I made a joke on my Instagram about going back to living my 'arty grandma life' when I dyed my hair back pink. I've just been embracing it since I realized I was a hipster, but the uncool mom type...so retired hipster.

Most days you will find me in leggings or workout clothes, but I try to get dressed a couple days a week on the off chance it motivates me to actually get some work done. When I'm not attempting to motivate myself to work, I'm potty training the threenager + watching Korean drama's.

To get the arty grandma look/life:

• Head to your local thrift store and purchase some overalls + an over-sized cardigan or two. 
• Order some large thick framed glasses from Warby Parker.
• Buy lots of novelty mugs (can also be found at the thrift store).
• Stock up on fun printed socks from Happy Socks.
• Dye your hair some wacky color that will have your neighbors staring at a rare sighting of you at the mail box.
• Make sure to drink your big mug of coffee on your way to the mail box. 
• Watch Korean Dramas until 2am.
• Draw something everyday.

xo

Pink Study Week 2

For week 2 of my pink study, I used the prompts from #yayeveryday2016 by I Like Cats. It was definitely a challenge, especially trying to draw with my right hand, but fun too!

Day 7: Draw with other hand. As a kid I could write with both hands, but I'm out of practice. It was easier to draw with pencil than to go over it in marker.

Day 6: Hugs. I love hugging my kiddo! She's just too cute!

Day 5: Coffee, coffee, coffee. I really wasn't feeling this day, but I do love coffee.

Day 4: all eyes on you. This is how I feel sometimes going out in public with brightly colored hair. Kids especially like to point and state how I obviously have pink hair....

Day 3: pom pom. I had no idea what to do for this day, but I've always wanted to make a pom pom garland to go in my little studio space. Also, the way I wear my hair kinda looks like pom pom's. This is me working + watching Shadowhunters....don't ask me why I keep watching it, it's awful.

Day 2: constellation. I decided to switch over to my new sketchbook for this day, and instantly regretted it. The paper is awful! It just absorbs all the ink + bleeds like crazy. I found a couple of old moleskine cashiers that I will use up until I can find the kind of paper I'm looking for.

Day 1: new beginnings. New month = a new book for book club. We are reading Big Magic, but I'm only on like page 5....

I have to say I am not loving copics, but maybe it's because I haven't found the right paper. I also wanted to use Copic Ciao markers, but they didn't carry them at Hobby Lobby + Dick Blick was sold out of the individual colors.

I'm currently using Copic sketch in R81 (Rose Pink), RV04 (Shock Pink), RV55 (Hollyhock), + RV14 (Begonia Pink). I also grabbed one Winsor & Newton pigment marker, but I definitely don't like the way it writes on the paper I have.

Let me know your favorite markers + sketching paper for ink. xo

Favorite Things

Today I saw a cute post on Sincerely, Sara of a few of her favorite things from the past month. This inspired me to do my own version and make it my daily doodle.

1. Shadowhunters. After seeing the previews all holiday season long, I was convinced it was going to be completely lame....but I like to watch lame shows. After watching the 1st episode, I decided to read the first book in the series. It's not awesome, but I don't hate it, so I'll keep watching. (I also like Clary's weird red orange hair color).

This review is pretty spot on for how I feel so far and pretty funny.

2.  Warm Socks. I'm a sucker for $1 spot socks. I also can't sleep if my feet are cold.

3. David's Tea. I finally tried some of their fabulous teas + they're amazing! My favorite so far is chocolate rocket.

4. Copic Marker YouTube videos. I'm planning to go pick some copics up this weekend. (Also, how do you say copic? Like "Its LeviOsa not LeviosA"? Hermione would know.)

5. LUSH! I love Lush, my husband loves it even more. I actually filled his Christmas stocking with Lush bath bombs. After working out, a bath with a Lush bubble bar is my favorite!

6. Yoga with Adriene aka #yogacamp. If you follow me on any social media you've seen me talking about this. I actually started over with day 1 this week because I kept missing the weekends. Amelia also loves to do some "yogo" with me.

I'm hoping to continue making these fun favorite doodles each month! What a fun way to share some highlights. What did you love this month?

Podcasts

Getting quiet time or just time to myself in general is always short lived in my house, unless everyone is sleeping.

On the rare occasion I tell my husband I need a minute, grab my coffee + hop on the computer to try and get some work done, I try to get caught up on the podcasts I listen to.

Here are a few of my favorites:

• The Possibilitarian Podcast
• Common Room
• She Percolates
• Elise Gets Crafty
• Fake Goth Girls 
• Being Boss

What are your favorite podcasts? I've started Welcome to Nightvale + Serial, I just need to finish them....

A Study in Pink

This year I wanted to try a 365 day project, hoping to challenge myself and actually finish something. I'm really bad about starting things and never finishing them...almost as bad as changing the color of my hair....

My goal for myself is to keep my hair pink for an entire year! This is quite the challenge for me...

I'm also doing a sort of daily doodle where I illustrate bits of my life. I started this week, and I've been sharing over on Instagram. The only rule I made for myself is to use pink as the only color (besides black) in my doodles.

My bangs are getting so long they're in my glasses + my hands are so cold I've just been warming them on mugs of coffee + tea all day... This marker was awful for coloring in. Hoping to invest in some copics this year.

In my illustrations this week I've been using a scrapbooking artist marker, Sakura Micron {1 + 5} + a Sakura Pigma Sensei {06} in a moleskine journal. I have to rip my pages out because I'm left handed and need to turn my paper a lot so I don't smear the ink. I just realized yesterday that this moleskine has tear out pages >_<.

Today's #dailydoodle Doing yoga with a toddler. She calls it yogo. 😂 This turned out as more of a caricature, but I tried working on things I struggle with like body parts. 

I've been trying to break out of my comfort zone and work on the things I struggle with. I've never been good at drawing body parts (hello got a big fat C in figure drawing), so I've been incorporating more full body drawings. Also hands and feet are always wonky, but hopefully this daily practice will help me improve my skills + evolve my style a bit.

 Laundry day feels. That meme about it being the never ending story as an adult is so true! The threenager loves piles of laundry though.

I haven't been worrying too much about proportions or perspective, which makes it fun. Also, my style doesn't really take any rules into account. I just want to draw everyday + have fun. This weekend I'll be hitting up the craft store in search of some new pink markers + watercolors. 

What color are you loving right now? Do you think I can keep my hair pink all year?

Creative Tools

For a while now I've been wanting to branch out past watercolors and try some new things. I don't get out as much to the craft stores to browse (thanks crazy toddler), but I do watch a lot of YouTube. Here are few new tools I would like to try out this year:

Prismacolor Col-Erase pencils

Hikkei Pocket Sign Pen-Extra Fine

Liquid Watercolors

 

Copic Markers

 

Wacom Tablet

It's pretty much an epic wish list of art supplies. As an illustrator, I want to make sure I don't get stuck in a routine way of doing things. I think branching out and trying new ways of making art will help me grow as an artist.

Have you used any of these? What are your favorite creative tools?

True

Even though I'm awful at looking back + reflecting through out the year on my One Little Word, I still like to pick one. Sometimes I look back at the end of the year, and turns out that word was perfect! Maybe it just helps to set the tone for the year by letting it unconsciously float around me.

I keep visiting the word honest(y), which led me to truth/true, in my morning pages. I have a little quote and affirmations notebook I look at often to keep me grounded and here are few that have stuck with me the past few weeks:

"My creativity always leads me to truth + love."

"Originality is the process of remaining true to ourselves."

and a huge part of my truth is this-" to know what you prefer instead of humbly saying Amen to what the world tells you you ought to prefer, is to have kept your soul alive."-Robert Lewis Stevenson

I was also thinking of a song that might embody how I'm feeling and relate to my one word. For the past few weeks I keep listening to Perfectly Perfect by Elizabeth and the Catapult from her album Taller Children. I have a feeling that Taller Children will become my album for the year.

So this year is all about truth in life-true love, true connection, true living. Looking past the facade, and just being true to myself. This year I plan to keep an eye out for the little clues that the universe drops that I'm heading in the right direction.

Do you pick a One Little Word? What's your word this year?