Mai Autumn

more new developments

so, besides the little illustration that marks the beginning of my new series (that you can see in my last post) i have also been busy toiling away over some other very exciting creative pursuits. above, you will see the beginnings of some jewelry that has been popping up in my studio. there are many, many more peieces that still need to be photographed and what not, so i'll keep you posted when everything is ready to be unveiled.

my inspiration comes from a place of nature and somewhat mystical sensibilities, so you can be sure to see lots of natural elements, mixed in with some vintage and one of a kind items that evoke an ethereal quality. since most of the pieces are either one of a kind or limited edition, it's becoming difficult to not just keep all these lovelies i've been creating :) i promise i'll share some of them though! :)

more to come in the next few weeks...

something new

i hope you all had a wonderful weekend! i was tinkering around in my (somewhat set up/in transition) studio for the past few days, and came up with the above illustration. this one was kind of an experiment. if you read the post about the styles that inspire me, you might catch what i'm up to here. more of this to come soon!

happy friday - feeling nostalgic

i came across this adorable little rock and mineral collection from regansbrain this afternoon, and i was instantly brought back to the day that i got my very own rock collecting kit - i think from a museum gift shop. mine was a small cardboard box about 9"x12", with squares such as these printed inside, where i could place my findings. i believe it came with a few stones to start me out and i was meant to go find the rest - archaeologist style. the kit made me feel like the world was capable of creating such beautiful things out of basically nothing. it was amazing.

finding this also made me realize how cool it is that, lately, this nostalgic little community has been forming around simple memories such as these. being a part of etsy, and sites like tumblr and pinterest, makes me feel oh so connected to the kindred spirits that are out there, reminiscing about their own precious rock collections, leaf pressings, spring seedlings, and many more simple pleasures that i also loved as a child.

(in case you're curious, i've started to pay more attention to my tumblr lately and you can check that out here)(oh, and my pinterest is here)

hope you all have a super amazing weekend! i'm going to be toiling away at some new creations that i am so excited to share soon!

toodooloo for now! :)

styles

over the past few days/weeks (and if you kind of add it all together, the past few months), i've been trying to refine my artistic voice a little in an attempt to figure out where i should take my new work. i've still been trying to keep myself busy making new paintings and illustrations with whatever is inspiring me during the course of this searching, so i have a lot of (somewhat random) new pieces to share with you soon.

the main thought behind this post today is to make note of the "styles" i've noticed that i'm both drawn to in other artists' work, and when creating my own new pieces. i'm hoping this discovery is leading me in the direction toward more sense in my work soon! so, here are the styles:

botanical illustrations/studies:

(image via little byrd vintage)

basically anything that looks like it could be a plate in a dictionary or reference book. there's something so clean and fresh about an object in the center of the page, not complicated with any other elements.

 

folk art and decorative patterns:

(image via britt herman)

(image via kelim pottery)

folk art has been around me from when i was a wee girl - both in my parents' house and in my grandparents' house. so i'm probably drawn to it because it brings me back to being a kid :)

 

color fields and abstracts:

(image via blin gallery)

one of my favorite artists has always been mark rothko, and you can probably see a little bit of this style in my landscape watercolors.

conceptual illustration:

(image via holli)

i love the juxtaposition of different elements, and the linear quality some illustrations possess. it's a little whimsical, don't you think?

realism/still life:

(image via cathy hillegas)

now, obviously this is one of the most literal styles in the art world. you set up a still life, you get yourself a model, or you sit yourself down in nature and depict things as they really are. sometimes a thing or place is just so beautiful, that it doesn't need any other bells or whistles to be inspiring all on its own.

 

since figuring all this out, i'm starting to conjure up ways to incorporate these styles more cohesively into my work. i'm looking at it like a recipe - i have these ingredients in my cupboard, now how do i put them together to make a delicious meal? i think i'm headed in the right direction though. what do you think?