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!

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Inspired by…the art and business of surface pattern design

Six months,one camera, 500 sheets of A4 white paper, dozens of black sharpies,a few strands of gray hair compliments of Adobe Illustrator and countless hours of pure enjoyment = The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design

I am happy to announce I am a proud graduate of The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design. Yippee!

When I first heard of this course I knew that it would be the right fit for me. I love to take photos, I love to draw, I love to paint and I am very intrigued by the Adobe digital world.

It is hard to put into words exactly what I have been doing for the past 6 months. I have covered everything from finding inspiration through the lens of my camera, sketching, stamping and sewing,finding my signature style, creating “my brand” and even working on website development to showcase my work. I have progressed from  simple drawings on paper to creating full out digital goodness on Photoshop and Illustrator. I can now make patterns, technical repeats and mock up my designs to products. I have a logo. I may even have a website, but that is a definitely a work in progress. All of this a result of 6 months spent with the lovely Rachael Taylor.

A big bow and curtsy go to Beth Nicholls and Rachael Taylor. They have developed an exceptional online course devoted entirely to Surface Pattern Design.

When asked to describe it, many words come to mind – inspirational,empowering,very educational. Full time also comes to mind! The amount of informative and worthwhile information provided was staggering. I was not only given information, but it was followed up with resources on where to find more information.As I like to say..

All bases were covered

The flow of work from lesson to lesson was well prepared and easy to follow. We were provided with daily creative exercises to spark our imagination and we were given loads of resources.Rachael is passionate about her work and ready to share her knowledge of the industry.

I  will admit I was definitely overwhelmed at times and deflated at others. I am so thankful for the community of people put together by this course. Everyone was so generous, supportive and willing to share.As I prepare to go out into the big world of surface pattern I feel very confident having these people by my side!

This is the  second online course I have taken developed by Beth Nicholls and her team at Do What You Love. Pop on over to her website and have a look around. I love her story! I am still amazed at all I have been exposed to here in my beautiful little world high up in the mountains. Thank you Beth for making it all so accessible!

The next course starts November 12th, 2012.If you are thinking about it, but not entirely sure at least invest in Module One – Designing Your Way. It is a fantastic introduction geared towards finding inspiration and applying it to your creative world. It would benefit anyone with an interest in creating. It also gives you a gentle introduction to the digital world. See what you think. You wont be disappointed!

All information can be found on their website here.

If you have any questions about the course please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Happy Monday!

Inspired by…a little daydreaming

It’s voting time!

When I first stumbled into this whole new world of surface pattern design no one had ever made mention of competitions. With all my activity in the world of social media, that one just seemed to slip by me. Well, now they have become a part of my weekly life. It seems that competitions are the way to go to get your work out there and seen.

I am not the competitive type.

I have been a bit slow on the uptake here, deciding instead to concentrate on developing my style, working on my website and generally learning. I still have one module left of Rachael Taylors  The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design and its all about getting yourself seen.

Then this came along…

Design a scarf to be sold through Anthropologie and Front Row Society?How could I possibly resist the chance of a little bit of me in Anthropologie?

I just couldn’t pass this one up with a clear conscience. You have to start somewhere!

The theme – Elements – fire, wind, water, earth. We were given the mood board pictured above plus a brief description-

‘Your Element’. Earth, fire, wind, water – what’s your true nature? Are you grounded, fiery, impulsive, or rational? We can all be earthly and celestial but there is always something that stands out. Finding your passion changes everything and we want to see you in your element. Show us what’s in your heart.

A little unsure of where to start I took to my photos. They are generally a good indication of what’s closest to my heart. I have no shortage of nature shots, but I felt the ones that rang true to me were those of my time spent at the ocean or on walks in the woods here in Whistler, B.C.

Winter Woods ~ inspired by winter walks on sunlit days. Bursts of color amongst the white.

Red Woods ~ inspired by the flowering dogwood dormant in winter, but still  providing beauty in a tangled web of branches.

Winters dusk ~ inspired by winter walks at dusk and the many shades of gray.

In true fashion, I may have got a little carried away. It’s highly addictive though – similar to putting the pieces of a puzzle together.

And my final piece ~ Beachglass.

Beachglass – small, colorful, treasures found along the shore.Water and sun glistening off them. Individual in shape, color and texture. Irresistible.

Oh goodness. There was a lot of work involved in the production of those.
I wish I could say I wear scarves, but I am more of a hat girl.

When all is said and done, it was a fantastic learning experience. I am still very new to this process. This competition gave me an opportunity to spend some quality time with my photos, cutting and pasting them around in the digital world. It was quite a bit of fun and no mess:)

If you have a moment I would love you to vote! I will try to make this as easy as possible.You can click directly on the pictures above which will take you to my voting page.Or here is a link to my face book page, which has all the links to my work. Just click  on the links there and it should take you directly to my scarves to vote. (Unfortunately they will make you create a log in – just your email address and a password – it’s never that easy:)

After that just press 5 -dont think too much-(said with a smile).I still think that some of those trees may look better on my walls then around my neck! My version of stripes:)

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Will keep you posted. Not expecting miracles as there are some beautiful designs, but a girls gotta dream!

Enjoy the rest of your week!