Illustration Friday-Mind

As I stare out the window and watch the little white puffs on the air, a quick verse comes to mind.

The June Things are in the air
floating, floating everywhere...

A random beginning to a poem? Maybe?

Watercolor pencils, pen and ink and a photoshop filter applied

The first time I heard this term "The June Things" was when I first met my husband Larry. He says it every year, explaining that it was his way of knowing as a child that it was the beginning of summer, and the school year coming to a close. "When I see the June Things, I know it's summer!"

My thoughts are like those little white puffs lately, scattered and maybe a bit aimless. I seem to move from one thought to another without much direction, trying to force some focus.

This past week my thoughts have been mostly on my daughter, and her first adventure far from home. She's having the time of her life in Iceland! And I feel deeply happy for her.  I love watching her adventures through her posts, photos and messages to me.

As I try to stay focused on my art and my book, I find it difficult not to let the "regular life stuff" get in the way. From the household demands to my job, it is so easy to let my mind veer off to the endless to-do list!

And that's where my scattered thoughts turn into those little white puffs that just bounce around my mind.

Today as I sit here in my art room, I'm making a vow to myself to be here daily, even if it's only to just sit. I want to form a habit that with time, will become a norm, a part of me. And when I'm in my space, I will allow myself to dream, to write, to draw, and most of all to grab a hold of my thoughts if only for a short while.

I spent my vacation a couple of weeks ago, getting my upstairs in order and decluttering the long neglected art room. Then I redecorated with a bohemian flare! Well, at least I'm attempting that, not quite sure I've achieved it yet?

Here are the before and after pictures of my art room! I am feeling quite zen in my space now.

Holding to the Dream :)

It's hard to believe I have had this blog for 8 years. I started it as a way to keep myself accountable. To keep striving for my goal to be published, and to create illustrations for the children's market. Too often I've let life get in the way of that goal. I have watched as others have paved their own path, writer and illustrator I've come to know through social media. I've seen their books at my library, and I hate to admit that it can be a hard pill to swallow, as you see others move ahead. And although I am genuinely pleased for their successes, it always causes me to pause and take stock of my own path? The question is always the same, "Have I tried hard enough?" Lately I've been really looking at all the starts and stops I've made along this path. I have a lot of work that I've done, and many poems that I've written. So once again I am going to do a "start." I am going to pull together all my illustrated poems (I suppose you might say my life's work over the past 20 years) and see if there's an agent/publisher out there who will take a look. It's going to be a big project and I am giving myself 2 years from start to finish. And I will let my blog and my friends keep me accountable. The biggest challenge I need to do, is to put myself first! And the second biggest challenge I need to do, is to just be nice to myself when self-doubt creeps in. And it will. So I ask for all of you who have supported me through the years, my ups and downs and starts and stops to please send out good wishes, and to keep me accountable on occasion.
I will keep you updated on my progress! Thank you!

Tayasui-sketches-

I found this really great app for my I pad it's simply called Sketches. Little did I know when I purchased it for a whopping $4.99 that it was 15.3 GB it's huge for my tablet! So I ended up uninstalling it, and I suppose I will have to reinstall it every time I want to use it.  Unless I buy more storage which I don't want to do. Anyway it has all these great features and works great with the apple pencil which by the way I love and it feels like a real pencil.  Here is my first pic done with this app. 

Then I put it in photoshop and played around with filters just for the fun of it!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tayasui-sketches-draw-and-paint-like-on-paper/id641900855?mt=8

Hello Spring!

I'm feeling inspired to resurrect this long dormant blog.  I have ignored it for far too long and I am ready to recommit! And on that note...here is a newer piece I did, and thought it would be a good place to start. After all spring is about new beginnings and rejuvenation!

Not long ago an artist friend of mine and I decided to do an art challenge. It was his idea, and it helped me to get back on track. (Thanks Doug!) The challenge was to only use 3 colors and you could do any subject and any medium you wanted. So once again, another tree! Welcome Spring!

This artwork was done using Prismacolor watercolor pencils. This is my first experience using these pencils and I can't get over how nicely the color lays down, I have to say it was pure joy! I know that's probably a geeky artist thing to say, but it really was. I have used another brand for years and although I like them, I truly did not know what I was missing until I tried Prismacolor. Although I should have known since I use Prismcolor in other mediums. If you have never tried these pencils give them a go!