A Creative New Year to you!

Happy New Year to you from me!

My new year has been a bit late starting.

I was fortunate enough to be away on the Big Island with family and friends over the holidays. While my intentions for goal setting and lots of productive time, writing, soul-searching and creating art were a top priority, reality got in the way and it was replaced with lots of meal making and carting kids around to hot surf spots.

Oh woe is me:)

So here I am starting the New Year with no set plan in motion, but instead a feeling of gratitude and contentment. I would say that is a good start to any year!

I spent my spare time painting and cutting paper into shapes inspired by all the crazy, tropical foliage surrounding me. I played with some different textures and colours and I experimented with their placement.

I will admit to running out of medium to glue it all down, but  soon discovered that I loved the freedom of being able to move it all around.

I had more than one moment of frustration as the wind blew it all away..

I think I could be very happy playing with bright colors and designing this way everyday. I love that feeling of excitement that comes with the discovery of something new, a new idea, new colours…anything new.

These will all be made into prints for art licensing soon.

I am excited about the new year, but here I sit, almost 2 weeks in to the new year, with no set plan of action written down. I have lots of ideas and goals for this year, but right now they are flying around with no accountability whatsoever.

My plan for this week is to take a half hour out daily to reflect and get these intentions in action. There is no time like the present. Just start!

A little pep talk from me to you.

Sharing with you a few resources that I always find helpful to help start me on my way:

Word of the Year – created by Christine Kane

New Years Revolution  – created by Do What You Love

Wishing you health, happiness and lots of creativity in 2016!

xoxo

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Happy Holidays to you!

It is a bit of a Winter Wonderland right now in Whistler. Everything is exactly like it should be.

WHITE

We have had endless days of snow, the twinkly lights are all lit up and the skiers have arrived for what has proved to be the start of an epic season. So much fun hooting and hollering through the snow drifts. It restores my love for here.

Thankfully with all the snow has come a pile of Christmas spirit. I have been in Christmas mode over here designing and decorating. It makes such a difference doing it now, versus in April, when the sun is starting to shine and the grass and flowers are beginning to pop. My goal is to get as much created now while inspiration strikes.

A series of wooded boughs and all things natural. I love the woodland feel of these. I am still painting and cutting daily and have enjoyed adding all of this Christmas flora and foliage to my portfolio.

A few colourful paper-cuts have been compiled all with a festive feel. I still like bit of traditional red and green for the holiday season.. plus it still sells well in the art licensing world!

 

Wishing you a Happy Holiday season! Enjoy every minute of it.

See you in 2016!

xo

A Little Art a.k.a #alittleart

A little art – Big enough to make your mark, small enough  so that you can finish in one sitting.

I am loving Victoria Johnsons #alittleart project. Victoria started this personal project one month ago and invited others to play along. Like all good ideas, this one took off!

The place to play along – Instagram. It even has its own Instagram site to showcase the work of a global bunch of designers.

I  admire Victoria’s work – there is a certain free spirit about it that I  just love. Her colour combinations are unique. Her style fun and playful.

Below is a little grouping of a few of the experimental pieces she started out with. Visit her Instagram site for more insight on her project and a viewing of her current pieces.

Victoria Johnson for #alittleart

I asked others to share their work to give you a sense of the variety of options there are to play with. The only restriction here is size, 2.5″ wide, other than that it is free game.

There are so many reasons to participate. Here are my top five.

(click on the images below to go directly to the artist websites)

Studiobarabom for #alittleart

1.Little art is manageable. It can be completed in one sitting. If time is not on your side than this is a good way to get creative with little commitment.

Tanasa Elena-Daniela for #alittleart

2.Watercolor, collage, paint, markers, mixed media – anything goes.If you are interested in trying something totally different, than this is the place to give it a try.

Janet Broxon for #alittleart

3. Experimental – small art is a perfect place to try new things! Maybe there is a new technique or a different way of expressing yourself that you are interested in experimenting with. Maybe some new colours,composition or textures. Small art is perfect to play with.

Deborah Velasquez for #alittleart

4.Little art goes Big – I have been using my little art to explore composition and themes for Big art. Think of your little art as a thumbnail sketch for bigger things to come.

Claire Wilson for #alittleart

5. Community – A place to ask opinions, get inspired and meet other like-minded creatives. I love seeing what others are posting and what they are using their little art for.

My little art all lined up. I have been playing around with painted and collaged papers in a grid like form. I have been working intuitively just to see how things go together. From there I have started working on a larger scale with concentration on my composition.

I have to admit I am loving these and excited about the possibility of re-working them into the world of art licensing. I can envision these as greeting cards, art prints, fabric panels, oh the list in endless (I hope!)

More info on that creative process at a later date.

Drop by and give #alittleart a try. If you have any revelations or insight to share about your process, I would love to hear them!

My first podcast – Creative insights from Creative people

Excited to announce that I am Live on Kara Gott Warners Morning Cool Down Show episode 75. Creative insights from creative people.

I spoke about my journey so far in the world of art licensing and surface pattern design. If you follow along here you will know it has been a long, but very enjoyable ride.

Todays show is 45 min. long so grab a coffee and please have a listen. There is even a bit of show and tell.

It is good! I have to admit I was a bit apprehensive. I wasn’t worried about Kara – she is all voice. She is loud and clear and interesting!

I was just a wee bit worried about my performance. Would I hum and huh? Would I laugh too much? Would I provide too much or too little…

Big worries as you can see!

I am very happy to announce it all went well.

Direct link to Karas website which is full of interesting creative podcasts from all types. Great to listen to while creating away because it never hurts to get inspired by others tips and tricks.

My podcast (show notes)

Morning cool Down Podcasts 

Thanks!

Another beautiful weekend is in the forecast. Hope you enjoy it!

The Art of the Start..a.k.a potato stamping

I have had a very busy week finishing up artwork for a project and today was the first day I had to just sit back and do my own thing. I wanted to paint.

I sat down with my sketchbook. I looked at some drawings I had planned to paint. I thought abstract, but then dismissed it for floral. I thought collage, but I wasn’t sure I felt like paper cutting. I thought green, no, coral.

I was getting nowhere fast. I just needed to Start.

Who would have thought? Potato stamps.Yes, a potato from my kitchen.. Having flashbacks to grade school art class?

Having lost by painting mojo with all of my indecision I ended up cruising through my inbox and stumbled upon yesterdays Design Sponge blog post here. Well, it looked pretty cool in the pictures so I had to try.

In my desperate attempt to make cool marks, I have tried many a thing from cellophane wrap to feathers. Some successful for making a good mark, some not. The potato wasn’t all that bad.

I doubt I will be making wrapping paper even though theirs looks great. Mine looks,well, not so great.  The lesson here for me was ~ just do whatever it takes. In my my art world that usually means trying something new.

I painted for  a number of hours with nothing finished to  show. I tried some new shapes, more charcoal and ink and some scratchy scraffito. Lots of new ideas and most importantly moments of calm and satisfaction along the way.

How often do you get to paint with no game plan? Mark making just for the sake of it. Trying new colours. Playing.

I can’t even remember the last time I just played with no plan for its outcome.

A goal for 2015- more art journalling? I hope so!

Below is a journal page I did some time back. I think it was probably 2 years ago now. It has been sitting in a basket along with many other finished and unfinished journal pages. Lots of experimentation going on in that basket.

Guess what?

Yesterday it got licensed. (along with 8 other pieces!) More on all that later, but needless to say I am pretty happy.

Another gentle reminder to just keep at it. No artwork is ever wasted.

Feeling inspired,

Lessons Learned in my Creative Life ~ 2014

Sitting here surrounded by paper.Step by step instructions on how to improve Me. Things I have accomplished.Things I want to accomplish, Things I need to change. Things I need to do..

I love this process of delving deep into my life and assessing what needs to change in order to move forward. I am very good at assessing, not so good at doing. I cannot lie..change is exhausting.

When I look back at 2014 in all its glory..and failures, I can’t help but notice that a lot of my behaviour is still the same. I still need to change my daily habits in order to move forward.

In a nutshell – I think I need to get out of my comfort zone.

Oh, how I love my comfort zone…Nothing that a few glasses of wine can’t tell you.

It will take more than one sitting to figure out my plan of action. I have been jotting things down over the past months, but a plan needs to be formulated in order to execute.

Today, instead of sharing my deepest, darkest fears, I will share some lessons learned in 2014.

Lessons learned..

1. Learning – I love learning, I love new things and I love starting. Unfortunately, while these are all positive, they sometimes lead me astray. I need to focus on one thing at a time. I have too many ideas and I want to get them all down at once. I end up doing a lot of everything. I am good at lots of things, I am not great at one thing. I need to be great at one thing.

2. Focus – explore a theme in its entirety. Make a game plan and follow it through. In art and In life.No more willy nilly half efforts trying to learn handlettering or skate skiing. A commitment is in order.

3. Art – Motifs need to be clean and concise. They need to be read well. All of your art needs to come across loud and clear. Your style, your colours and your brand. In the world of art licensing this art also needs to be commercial. So while I have my style and some quirkiness mixed in, I still need it to be sellable.

4. Opportunity – Sitting here and waiting for people to knock on my door will not have people knocking down my door. I need to be proactive, show my work and actually do some of my own door knocking.

5. Show up everyday – show up, start, create. It may not be great, but all work leads to something. No art is ever wasted. Practice makes better. recognize when rest is needed, but otherwise forge onwards.

6. Time – there is enough time in the day to do it all, it just takes some planning. Map out your day and divide your work into do-able time slots. Concentrate on one task. Prioritize what is most important – do it. Then move onto the next task with a feeling of accomplishment.

7. Uninterrupted workflow – My best work comes with no distractions. Blocks of time creating with no pings, tweets or wandering thoughts. I have tried the Pomodoro technique, tweaking it to be my own. I find these small segments of time useful for starting projects that I am feeling a bit stuck in.

8.  Personal projects – A fun, personal project, be it a daily sketch or a painting a day, with the right hash tag, can get you lots of leverage.Share your work!

9. Agent – I think this was the best decision for me this year. I love the challenge of working to a brief. I love the feedback and  love  the variety of creating from home decor down to digital greetings. They also introduced my work to a whole cast of others that I wouldn’t have had the time to search out. Art licensing is a slow process, but I have faith that it works for those who persevere.

10. Website/blog – keep it updated. I cringe when I look up and know that mine is so out of date. It is YOU! It is your story. Keep it current. (sorry…promise to prioritize this one..)

So, here I sit mapping out my game plan. I have my fingers crossed that I am working in the right direction and doing the right thing. Feeling a wee bit nervous, but knowing in my heart that it is time to move up and onwards.

I have included a few online resources which I pop in to help me on my way. I take what works for me from both and combine them to make it my own.

Christine Kane   Word Of The Year

Do What You Love  New Years Revolution

Write everything down. Share it with your friends and creative partners. Shout it out loud!

Nothing like the world holding you accountable for it all.

Be honest. Have fun.

The “Illustrated” Advent Christmas Challenge

Well it”s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas around here, if only in my head.

My imagination is full of snowflakes and twinkle lights all aglow. Walks in the winter snow and skiing through the woods. Eggnog lattes.

Unfortunately, out my window  the rain is pouring down and the weather quite balmy. Not so good when you live in a ski town.

I am thankful for Faye Browns creation of this years #adventchallenge2014. A month-long challenge of  christmas prompts to illustrate, photograph, sketch and be inspired by.

I have been enjoying every minute and have to admit it has helped me get in the spirit of the Christmas season.

I have included a few of my favourites to date. I will admit I am already a wee bit behind, but that’s ok with me now ( I had to talk myself down the first day I missed, but now I realize it really is all Ok:)

I like to use these challenges to try new things. Maybe a new combination of colors or some different hand drawn textures. Anything that gets me excited to jump in and get immersed.

I have found this challenge to be a good exercise for practicing my hand lettering and characters, yes….those things with eyes. Why is it always so much easier to just draw a flower?

I will be tweaking all of these  designs in the New Year and making them ready for art licensing gigs, but for now it feels good to get some new ideas down on paper. I can play around with them later and add the on trend colours and style.

 

There are loads of gorgeous designs over on Instagram under #adventhallenge2014. As Faye says herself, popping by the challenge daily is like opening up your very own advent calendar. I have been enjoying all the colour and interesting interpretations of Christmas.

There is still  time to join in if interested. There is no pressure to create everyday, but if you have some time and need a little christmas inspiration then this is an easy place to start. Get a head start on your Christmas designs for 2016! All info on Instagram under #adventchallenge2014

Below are links to a few of the designers creating their own  advent calendars, either as part of the challenge or own their own accord.

Groovity

Genine Delahaye

Flora Waycott

Dawn Machell

The Print Tree

Tracey English

Sally Payne

Mondaland

Lindsay Buck

Rebecca Stoner

Happy Holidays to all!

Happy Halloween!

 

Happy Halloween from all of us here in Tapleys Farm, Whistler B.C

This neighbourhood is not for the faint of heart when Halloween rolls around. Fifty decorated homes, 500 screaming children, 20,000 pieces of candy, bonfires, mulled wine, music, fireworks…Utter chaos.

I have my tickle trunk full of costumes from naughty to nerdy all ready for last-minute costume prep. There are always the token few who don’t like to dress up, but then can’t resist getting in the spirit of it all. I guarantee my hand painted snowflake pants will be coming out to play, but I am not sure what will be accompanying them this year.

I like to leave my costume to the last-minute ~ always have, always will.

 

 

 

Sharing a few Halloween inspired sketches and artwork created for A Fresh Bunch.  Halloween is one of the top commercial holidays and I am realizing that I will be needing to create a lot more art licensing work for it. This is a start!

 

Hope your Halloween weekend is full of mini chocolate bars.

Best of luck staying out of the Halloween candy! I have failed miserably.

 

Come and meet some inspiring creatives ~ a blog hop

I have been asked to join in on a blog hop by my good friend Deborah Velasquez. I have just spent the past hour drifting backwards through the hop and I still can’t find its origin, but it has been well worth my time as I have stumbled upon some beautiful artists , writers and like minded souls from all over the world. One of which lives just down the mountain from me!

Today I will answer a few questions about my work and then point you in the direction of a few other creative souls who inspire me – Deborah Velasquez, Margot Miller and Laura Wooten

What are you working/writing on?

In typical  fashion, I have many projects on the go right now. I hop about daily from one project to the next, working on what inspires me at the moment.

My main focus this summer  is centered on an illustration project I have for The Whistler Survival Guide, a  directory for newcomers moving to the area. It is my first illustrating gig and while I am finding it challenging, I am in awe of how much I am learning. There will be more here on the blog in the fall when it is released.

 

My summer fun project  involves creating a collection of 8 by 8″ mixed media pieces.  These mini works have become a a part of my daily creative practice.They are my go-to when I feel the need for a little painting, spraying and stamping in my life.

They make me happy.

I have recently written a post about the process here.

Mixed in with all of this is my art licensing work , monthly submissions for A Fresh Bunch and a new collection coming soon to Modern Yardage.

Life is busy, but very enjoyable!

Why do you create?

One of my favourite sayings and one that provides me with daily inspiration and the desire to create.

Never lose your sense of wonder

Six words that allow me to travel through life with eyes wide open

 

I am visually inspired by colour, texture and shape. My heart starts racing, I feel a little tingly all over and I can’t wait to dive into my art journal  when inspiration strikes. I love all the endless possibility that creating art provides. I love immersing myself in a theme and exploring different ways of representation. Simply put ~ I love the way art makes me feel.

When I am not creating I am in search of what to create next. It has become what makes me whole.

How does your creative process work?

I work best in short bursts of creative chaos. My paintings and mix media work are all intuitive. I start with marks and gradually move into texture and colour. I observe my mood and what is happening before me on the paper to dictate the direction the piece will take.

I can often be found lying on the couch, my artwork propped up before me, with eyes squinted as I turn my piece this way and that, hoping that something…anything.. will materialize before me.

 

My surface pattern work is a little more structured and usually focused around a collection of motifs.I love to doodle and my sketchbook and pen are never far from my side. Life here becomes a little more computer oriented as I have to scan my work in and pattern in Illustrator.

I love the combination of both the structured and unstructured. It allows me to play and experiment with new techniques.

Oh how  I look forward to the day when I have mastered all of the Adobe programs so I can express myself in all mediums..

Ahhh… big sigh..that was a lot of writing in one sitting.

Now, onto the women in my life that inspire and motivate me. Some I know well and others I am in the process of getting to know.I chose to reach out to them in hopes that they would share and  learn a little bit more about what makes them tick.

Deborah Velasquez

I first met Deborah through Kelly Rae Roberts Flying Lessons. I believe we  originally connected based on a similar love for seeds and pods . Our friendship grew as we continued on a similar  journey with The Art & Business of Surface Pattern Design and then onto Make Art That Sells. She is my go-to girl in times of  creative need, both good and bad. She brings a smile to my face.

Please pop back to her blogpost here to learn all about her work and creative process.

Her work is modern, sophisticated, graphic and bold with a unique colour sense and reflects her simplicity for the love of line.

Deborah loves the mixture of design, words, art and craft. She has a very unique way of combining them all together. Watch out for this one!

Margot Miller

I joyfully came across Margots work in Make Art that Sells. I now follow her daily on Instagram at  @margot531 (#scenesfrommyscreen)  This woman is  multi-talented and funny too.

Meet Margot  ~ a collage illustrator from N.Y. She is a bit of a tweetaholic and likes her coffee too.. I think we could be friends.

Check out her website! I wish she would give tutorials on how she creates her lovely work…

 

Beautiful colours, shapes and texture! I love this piece she made for Make Art that Sells. Below is a hand lettering piece she  did for a friends book launch blog hop.

Pretty awesome.

 

Laura Wooten

Next up is Laura Wooten. Laura has been on a similar path with continued studies in both the Art & Business of Surface Pattern Design and Make Art that Sells. I was thrilled when I reached out to her to be a part of the bloghop and she said Yes! I love her  52 collage project – creating a collage each week.This has inspired me to no end and makes me want to try.

I admire her beautiful hand drawn sketches and prints. The colours are just beautiful –  I love the vintage feel.

Her website is full of lots of painting and pattern goodness.

Laura also instagrams  daily. I have been enjoying her daily sketch project. You can visit her here on Instagram

These women will be blogging about their creative lives next Saturday and introducing you to other creatives that inspire them. You just never know who you may meet so be sure to drop by!

The time is NOW to Make Art that Sells

The time is NOW! (Ok, almost now.Soon. I need a bit of a breather to rest,regroup and reorganize my portfolio!)

My wonderful time with Lilla and Make Art that Sells has come to an end. Wow,it was awesome. A big thank you to Lilla and Beth Kempton of Do What You Love. Well done!

As most here know, I am a fan of the art e-course. I love learning and am happiest trying new things. I would have to say that this course ranks top in my collection of “very worthwhile art courses”

Lilla is a joy. She is enthusiastic, supportive, yet very straightforward. There is no sugar-coating – this art licensing business is competitive. It demands great effort, patience and perseverance – all words that seem to have become my way of life.

Lilla shares with us many of her experiences and her artists too in the art licensing world. She made me laugh the whole way though and I really enjoyed the light-hearted fun in between all of the hard work and reality checks.

Journal page – finding inspiration

So, here I sit pondering all that I have learned during my 10 weeks with Make Art that Sells. I have taken a breather from creating new art for now. It’s difficult, but I believe necessary. I have doodled and sketched,painted and taken many a note during this time but,as of yet, have not a chance to sit down and really review and consider it all.

Scrapbook Market

I thought I would be overwhelmed by it all, but oddly I am feeling very relaxed and confident right now. Lots of good things are happening and the momentum is all there.I am feeling that I am exactly where I am supposed to be.

HOW crazy is that?!

Having a bit of fun…

I have been trying to think of all the goodness that Part B of Make Art that Sells brought into my life.

Part A was all about my art-icons,color,original design in my style,composition,learning my limitations and what I need to improve upon.

Part B was a continuation of working my art, but also thinking more about my brand and what markets I feel I am suitable for.I have a new-found knowledge of the potential of ten different markets all in search of art to display on their products, I have contacts and a wealth of information on what makes your art sell. I have a lot of art!

I am feeling that I have all the necessary ingredients to make it happen. Now it is up to me to stay positive, make a plan and stick with it. Oh, that dreaded F- word…Focus.

(The course is not set out this way, you can take it in any order and not miss out.This just happened to be my approach to it all)

Other great benefits of this class included:

Community– I have met another awesome community of like-minded creatives. We are all at different stages of our developement, but we are still in it together. These people understand my journey. I am always a bit overwhelmed at how others are so willing to take time out of their busy schedules to share information or offer a word of encouragement or piece of advice.It all makes me pretty happy.

Folk art – finding inspiration

Trends– I am still not sure if Lilla is just so bang on her trends or whether she is leading the way and creating them. I do know that it brings me a bit of delight every time I open a magazine and see a theme we have created for during the class. It feels great to have a portfolio piece that is right on trend.

Party paper market

Many people have asked me Part A or Part B? I have to be honest and say both.I feel I received a very well-rounded education by completing both modules.

I was also pleasantly surprised at some of the markets I enjoyed creating for.The one I was least excited about is the one I am most excited about right now…you will see soon!

I believe it is important to explore all possibilities. To my surprise, I learned that all of this motif making is pretty versatile. Many of the markets overlap and all of your motifs can be used accordingly.

If you are interested in Make Art that Sells, but still have questions please feel free to email me at jules@bollah.com

It is a big investment, but I believe very worthwhile. (and no, I am not affiliated:)

If you are interested in reading about Part A have a look here

Onward my friends!