Read about my studio in downtown Southern Pines and our new Weimaraner Dog, Jax.

Once again another holiday has totally snuck up on me! With four kids I should probably be all over it with a Halloween Advent calendar, baking spooky cookies and sewing up Halloween costumes. My kids haven’t had a single pumpkin spiced anything yet and neither have I, although I did put some cinnamon in my coffee the other morning. That’s a start right? BUT now that I’ve realized I’ve only got 15 days until Halloween, the hourglass has flipped and I’ve got to make the most of it before we move on to the turkeys!

New pins are here! Hank the Goat and a Lucky Potion pin.

It's been a few months since I attended the May 2018 Blueprint Surface Design and Print Trade Show in New York City. The purpose of the tradeshow was to hopefully sell or license my artwork to companies who would then manufacture and sell my art on their own products. I thought this was the path for me and so I dedicated an entire year to prepare, invested thousands of dollars, my time and my talent. What came of this experience was not what I expected, the result put me on a completely different path. 

My family has always told me I was odd-- the “odd ball” they called me. I’ve spent some time examining this and it makes me laugh because on the spectrum of normal to strange, I think I fall a lot closer to normal. I’m quiet, reserved, cautious and very particular about certain things. For those who are curious, read on and I’ll share a few!

When I talk to people about my job as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator, I always get asked “where do you get your ideas from”. That’s a complicated question with a lot of answers that can go in several directions so I never know exactly how to answer it. This blog post explains how I feel about creativity and the steps I took to get it to flow.

Bees seem to have become a reoccurring theme in the artwork I produce and for a good reason, we need them to pollinate the gardens where our food grows. The more I learn about these fuzzy yellow insects, the more fascinated I become with them. And equal to my fascination is my concern for their well being.

Most of my designs have a story. Read about how my “Hens in the Garden” collection came to be. Post also contains a link where you can buy it as fabric, gift wrap or wallpaper.

Every year on April 3rd the 100 Day Project begins. The 100 Day Project is an international art project that anyone can participate in. It's truly an amazing adventure for all involved either by making art or following along. I've found that the 100 day project is an opportunity to grow as an artist and establish a solid routine. 

Sometimes creative block gets the best of me and spins me into a day, sometimes a string of days of creative despair. Creative block is pretty terrible when it hits and it's a great feeling when it finally floats away. But where does it come from in the first place and why does it have to bother me when I have things to do?

If you like me are in the position where you've got to add psychic to your artist title and figure out how to be trendy and fast for the sake of selling some of your designs to the wide world of art buyers, here's what I now know.  

1st place winner in Spoonflower's Farm to Tea Towel contest!