Five Happy Things

one. The sunshine season is back! We've had lovely sun and warmth this past week. Afternoons at the beach, birds singing in the morning and breakfast in sunny backyards, dinner in the nice evening breeze... life is extra good in the summer.

two. Finding an all-natural deodorant that WORKS. I finally found "The One" and I'll write a post about it soon so you can give it a try too. This is the happiest all-natural discovery I've made since starting this blog and the initiative to live life naturally and sustainably!

three. Last week I went to Arts Market to re-stock my booth. I decided to walk around and look at what the other vendors had goin' on. I went to the vintage section and saw a wooden sculpture/carving of a woman that I had really wanted several weeks before, but hadn't been able to justify the purchase. This time, it was on sale. So, this time, I bought it... and I'm SO thrilled! I'll share pics soon.

four. Coffee. Always Coffee. And back to point one, coffee in the morning sunshine. Ahhh!

five. Writing a proposal for a new project/role at my current job, and having it approved! Hello new part-time gig and hurray for putting yourself out there and having it pay off!

What are you happy about this week?

Art Fart: Collage Sketches

Normally, sketches are associated with quick pencil drawings and doodles intended to get abstract ideas from your head down on piece of paper, or to practice certain things. Then, perhaps, to work out the details of the idea more clearly and develop a more finalized image - depending on who you are and what your process is. I never really thought of doing collage sketches until I felt like I had cornered myself into, well, a corner. I was putting too much pressure on myself to create "finished" work and to readily have new material to post on my social media and to continue promoting myself. Yuck! That's not a good corner to be in - it is paralyzing, frustrating, and boring. Especially when I also use social media to get inspired - the instagram "corner" is both an inspiring and stifling zone, which is a very conflicting way to feel.

So I decided to loosen up, keep it abstract, and throw some colours and textures and shapes together that I liked. To make for the sake of making, to explore composition as an abstract series of shapes. I also tried doing doodle squiggles on separate paper, then cutting those out and collaging them in with the rest - which turned out to be really fun.

Sketching is good for experimenting without fear of ruining a piece, for discovering new techniques and ideas, and building a visual dialogue between your inner self and your physical output. Why limit 'sketching' to pencil or pen? I'm trying to use my sketchbooks more often for my own creative development and well-being (and for fun!).

---

Do you keep a sketchbook? What medium do you experiment with?
If you share your sketches on your blog or social media, leave a link in the comments so I can check them out! You can see more of mine on my instagram.


ps. my sketches usually have words paired with them. Here are the words attached to these three, from left to right: burnt toast on a rainy day, not beyoncé's lemonade, cottage cheese by the sea.

Window Shopping || 17

(Silkscreen Lobster Halter top: Hanmattan | Handmade Oxford Flats: Imelda Shoes | Cropped Wide-Legged Pants: Persephone Vintage)

I am in a serious window-shopping mood lately (and on occasion, real shopping!). It's partly due to all the summer styles emerging, and partly due to having finished a big mural job and having a little bit of spending money to use. I've also come to some realizations about my style, which often happens to me at the junction of seasons. 

My collection of "summer pants" are patterned, wide-legged, flowy, mostly loose fitting garments. I don't love wearing shorts and I don't love dresses and skirts. These flowy summer pants are something I've discovered in the last few years and developed a nice collection of. That being said - I also tend to buy patterned flowy tops. I'm all about the patterns. But these two sets of garment types don't really go together, so I've decided to try and part with one set. That would be the tops - because my pants are truly my favourite. So I'm on the hunt for neutral, nice-fitting summer tops!

This Lobster Twin top is suuuuuper cool.  I recently watched The Lobster by Yorgos Lanthimos and it was an astounding and weird film. I loved it! And I've had lobsters on the mind ever since (not because there are actual lobsters in the film - it's all very avante garde and symbolic), so I love this pair of lobsters. There's a myth that lobsters mate for life, which is a romantic notion for sure. Apparently it is just a myth though, and that they actually just have spats of periodic monogamy after a female lobster has molten and hasn't fully formed their new shell. Fun fact of the day! You're welcome.

I really like the pairing of the sage green of these pants with the coral red of the lobster detail. And of course some beautiful, classy black shoes to round it off. I like to keep things simple for summer. Shirt, pants, shoes (and covert panties I guess). The necessities only.

What style or garment have you been coveting lately?

xo 

Colour Lovin' .o4

Colour Lovin' is a series of colour palettes based on images I love. It is my hope that these colour palettes offer some visual stimulation and inspire creatives who might find themselves in need of a starting point or creative prompt!

I took a series of photos like this at breakfast one morning, and only later did I take a look and realize how ghostly the images had turned out. I call them my "Coffee Ghost" shots. All the colours are soft, but there are some really nice complimentary hues going on and I really love how they work together in the photo.

Check out past Colour Lovin' posts here!

xo

The Latest 01

It has been a while since I shared a bit about what's up in my life lately! When I get really busy, I find it hard to reflect on that which I am too busy living/experience/getting through.

I recently finished up a big contract job and a freelance magazine design job, just in time to come down with a flu of some kind that completely and totally knocked me out. As in - sleep for 12 hours then nap a few times during the day, kind of knocked out. It lasted about a week and a half, then a short phase of touch and go, and I am now finally feeling like myself again - just in time for more work! Ha! Today I started a mural at a long term care facility that I am so so excited to complete, but man is mural painting ever physical labour. It's okay though - it's not every day that I get a strength work out as an artist ;)

Other than that, I've still just been putting boobs and such on everything. Which is always a fun thing to respond when my dad asks me what I'm working on. (Love you dad!)

My nudie work is now available at Arts Market at College and Ossington - if you live in Toronto! I love the Arts Market gang and it has been really fun so far being a vendor. I'm such a sucker for creative supporting other creatives and being eager to be a collaborative community! I know the art world is competitive, and I'm not rejecting that reality, but I love collaboration and mutual support in the art world too. It's how it keeps turning! It's what I want to emphasize most on this blog, lately.

My nudie tees are also available on my online shop and I will soon put up my stickers, weavings and bowls/ceramics as well. ALL the nudie things!

What's the latest in your life!?

xo

Creative Crush: Andy Dixon

Andy Dixon is a New York based artist who comes from Vancouver, Canada. I love, love, LOVE, his use of colour and his use of line! The playful (and somewhat awkward) way that he captures moments really draws me and I end up taking the time to look at the whole image and all of its details and quirks.
Another very fun aspect of his work I've noticed while following him on instagram (@andy.dxn) is the inclusion of his own paintings in the backgrounds or settings of his other paintings - it's like finding little easter eggs!

I really relate to this particular series of four vases (Four Expensive Vases - the four most expensive vases to ever be sold in an auction) and the appreciation of decorative detail, and repeated objects. I also adore the background colours!

And of course, I have a definite appreciation for his Canadiana series. It's really nice to see work about my country - as so often the work I appreciate and admire and soak in, is not about home. I chose to share this painting of the Canadian Goose. Sure, it's just a goose (OK, two geese!) but it brings up such a multitude of stories for me - primarily about Goose poop and their violent tendencies and the time my sister had to smack one with an umbrella just to get past it to get to class... but anyway!

Check out Andy Dixon's portfolio website here

Who have you been crushing on lately?