I haven't published a blog post since August 5th, but I promise, I've been thinking about it. That sort of counts doesn't it? :) In all honesty I've had a lot going on around here. The good thing however is that I've still managed to find the time I needed to produce new works of art on an almost daily basis and I have been sharing them with the world, just not on my website. So as I work to update my very neglected website, I wanted to let everyone know where I am the most active right now.
I try to post at least 3 times a day on Instagram when I have an active project going on (which is almost daily). If you follow me on Instagram, in addition to my finished work, you'll also be able to see my process as I post progress as I work. My Instagram user name is @jmhurd
By the way, I am currently participating in a fun 12 days of Christmas portfolio project on Instagram so if you follow along you'll see a cheerful new Christmas themed illustration every other day until Christmas.
Redbubble
I only started actively using Redbubble about a month ago. A few days before Thanksgiving one of my designs landed on their front page and I've been getting consistent sales ever since so currently I am devoting the majority of my marketing towards my Redbubble shop. What I really love about Redbubble is that I sell my designs as stickers. This is perfect for the little characters I've been coming up with. My most popular design so far has been Let them Bee, I've sold over 100 stickers alone of my little honey bee in the last two weeks.
Society6
Society6 is a lot like Redbubble but they offer a few different products like metal travel mugs, shower curtains and comforters so I upload what I can to their site and hope that maybe someone will order something with my design on it and so far a few people have.
Spoonflower
Spoonflower is not only a massive online fabric, wallpaper and gift wrap shop, but it's also a community for surface pattern designers. I upload new work and approve it for sale monthly. When I get the sewing bug I order fabric featuring my own designs and as an artist I think that being able to make a throw pillow with my own design is just the coolest thing ever. Anyway, you can find a lot of my work in my Spoonflower shop, ready to purchase and use for your next big sewing project.
In the backyard with my chickens
Raven, a little bantam I hatched out in August.
Not exactly an art site but if I'm not working or hanging out with my family, I'm most likely in the back yard spending time with my chickens. Being around them makes me happy and I get a lot of creative inspiration from them. Anyone who knows me personally might find this a little shocking because up until a few years ago I was a major germaphobe and was never really into chickens or any kind of farm animal for that matter, but this summer we moved into a house that came with chickens, then we hatched out a few more in August and now I'm in love. I don't know what it is about these birds... they are just a lot of fun.