2015 - A year in illustration

This is my 9th and last year of posting a mosaic on this blog. Now don't worry. I'm not going anywhere. I'll still be online but not on this blog. I'm working a new home for 2016 and I can't wait to show you. For now, this will be the last time I post on this blog. Sadly, I haven't had time to keep up with it. So my 10th year here was more of a fizzle than a going-out-strong — which in the end has made it easier to let go. Everything has its time and place.

I cannot sign off without saying that the experiences that I had and the people that I met through this blog are unforgettable. I will forever be grateful for everything and for all of you that visited throughout the years. Thank you, thank you.

2015 was the year where I got more confident with my illustration. I will always be grateful for headed in this new direction. My paper creations will always be my first love but it was time to stretch myself in something new. I'm so very grateful to those of you that embraced my new work and supported me with the publication of my new coloring book Flower Nook. Who knew that self-publishing would be something I'd do this year? Who knew that I'd go back to what got me interested in art to begin with?

My paper projects where fewer but I can see how my illustration started affecting their style. I like that too. I think combining my graphic and organic styles is an interesting angle that I'll be exploring further. I'm working on a new site and new products so I'm ready for 2016 to get started. I can't wait.

If you're curious my previous end-of-year mosaics are here: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Farewell Blogspot and hello new shiny site, that's in the works! (I'll post on Facebook and Instagram when it's ready). So excited to show off a clean slate!

Thank you so much to those of you that have been around for so long be it here or anywhere where I happen to land online. Here's to a wonderful and shiny new 2016! Cheers and Happy New Year everyone!

color and frame

 
Here is a mock-up, inspired by vintage botanical illustrations, of how you can display some of the images in Flower Nook: A Coloring Book. I kept the color to a bare minimum just to see what a limited color palette would look like. Full colored versions of these would really pop against the white background. Why not display your handy work?

I'm still pinching myself because I can't believe this project is finally complete. Thank you so much for all your kind messages on Facebook and Instagram and for all your orders. I've been smiling all day long. Now onto the next big thing. I'm already thinking of the theme for the second book and I'm sketching ideas for another A Little Hut set. I need more hours in the day!

flower nook: a coloring book is now available!

Look what I have to show you today! I'm so happy that Flower Nook: A Coloring Book is ready to go into the world. I still marvel at the idea it all started with some simple sketches I posted on Instagram. Several people asked me if my illustrations were available for coloring and here I am.

The process of creating the 50 illustrations in the book took about two months. My sketchbook was my main source of inspiration and if you've been following me there you'll see the connection right away. I also remembered childhood fantasies where I wondered what it would be like to be tiny (like Thumbelina) and walk through blades of grass that were twice as tall as me and being surrounded by enormous flowers. That's why I included about 5 illustrations that have little girls enjoying the flowers and tending to them.

I truly hope you enjoy the book as much I did creating it. I got silly excited when I got my proof copy in the mail. Ha! It reminded me a bit of what I felt when I got my first book. It never gets old.

This project confirmed (yet again!) that I love working on ideas that my customers can take to the next level. Whether you're building something out of paper or adding color to pages, you're contributing your own dose of creativity and that thrills me. Hopefully, you're also having as much fun as I have when I'm working on all this – it truly is a joy to do what I feel I was born to do.

Thank you so much to those of you that have been so encouraging during this process. Special thanks go to my amazing (patient!) family, to Jenean Morrison for sharing her expert advice and Natalie Barsalou for helping me name the book.

You can order your copy of Flower Nook: A Coloring Book on Amazon.
As always, thank you so much for supporting my work!

cover to cover

I finished this sketchbook yesterday after working on it for a little over a month. It has been an unexpected fun routine to work on these small pieces in spurts of a few minutes here and there. Each illustration took me about 15-30 minutes to complete. As many of you know, the paper in Moleskine sketchbooks is fairly thin so the ink did bleed through the pages. I skipped a spread in between each illustration to keep from ruining my previous work.

I was inspired by many of the flowers that I saw popping up this spring. For the most part I tried to interpret them in my own way without being entirely accurate. They're my made up versions of flowers. I liked that by working that way I could draw at leisure and just go with whatever was happening — very relaxing!

I have larger sketchbooks I can jump into right now but I think I'm going to get another small one like this, to start this process again. The size is just perfect for quick ideas like these.

What I used:
- 3.5" x 5.5" Moleskine sketchbook
- A variety of black ink pens (Staedtler 0.5 and 0.7, Micron 0.5, Sharpie) - I just used whichever was closest but my favorites (for this size of a sketch) where the Staedtler and Micron 0.5.
- For shading: pencil and a gray double ended Prismacolor marker (love the brush end!)
- One day I used a red LePen that a friend of work gave me. The tip is tiny and really smooth to use.

For now I'm back to working on my coloring book which is coming along thanks to this sketchbook. I used these illustrations as ideas for that book. The opposite is true too. Some nights I'd work on something for the coloring book and it would influence a sketch the next day. It's been great to go back and forth between the two projects.

Needless to say my work with cut paper has taken a back seat right now. If only there were more hours in a day! The good news is that I have ideas for my next A Little Hut set which I think will be a lot of fun. Stay tuned!

happy mother's day!

Have a wonderful day everyone! I'm enjoying it tremendously with my family and my babies (not so babies anymore, but in my heart they always will be).

XO
Patricia

the other side

These are just a few examples of ink illustrations that I've been posting on my Instagram feed. It's a direction that I've been headed towards for a long time. Until recently I hadn't really considered this something I wanted to pursue more seriously. But I can't seem to stop. Whenever I pick up my pen it just appears on the paper. None of these drawings are preplanned. I just start. Always in ink and no pencil.

My work has tended to be more graphic and clean, so adopting this loser style is something that has taken time to get used to. As I've grown more comfortable with it, I've had several friends tell me that I need to illustrate a coloring book. So, that's where this is all headed. I consider these the warm-ups and the illustrations for the book will be inspired by everything I've done so far.

I have several projects ready for another paper craft book but somehow they weren't coming together the way I expected. This new project on the other hand is something I can see completed in my mind — something that always happens to me when a project is really the path I should follow —I'm following my heart. Like many of you, coloring was my first introduction into art and paper and I LOVED it. I could color for ever when I was little. This makes this project feel like I'm coming full circle. Pretty cool.

So, there you have it. A coloring book is coming. Yes!

Have a great weekend everyone! I'm off to a church retreat today and will be back on Sunday. I think the time away from everything will be awesome.

See you on the other side! :)

two visits

The Great Egret is a native bird of Texas and apparently he likes my car. Twice I've caught one standing on my car, when there are plenty of other rooftop options all around. I'm not supersticious but I've been told to take it as a good omen—ok, I'll take it! Ever since then I've been wanting to illustrate something with this beautiful bird and last night inspiration (and a bit of free time!) hit. I called it The Perfect Pair.

The rainy day and fear of scaring it away makes for a blurry photo, but you get the idea. They are so beautiful (and big!) up close!

Have a great weekend everyone!

paris in the summer

I was going through some old sketches when this one caught my eye. I made it a few days after we got back from Paris last summer. It was the perfect piece for me to work on—I didn't want to start something new and just wanted something less intensive.

I decided to stay somewhat true to the sketch and in the end I think I captured the feeling I was after. Something light that would remind me of our great vacation in Paris. I'd love to go back some day!

This little project got me thinking that it would be interesting to create a series of these pieces inspired by countries or cities. I'd travel vicariously through my research of each one!

If only there were more hours in the day! 

• • •

-- Psst! I haven't forgotten about paper (how could I?!)
New ideas and projects are coming!

-- The cushion (and other goodies with this design) can be found in my Society6 shop.

it still starts with paper and pencil

I just posted The View From Above over the weekend and I thought it would nice to show you where the idea got started. The sketch below is what I worked from to make my final digital version. As you can see it's not an exact copy of what you see in the print but It's real close. I like adding or subtracting once I get an image scanned in.

Creating on the computer is great but starting by hand on paper is the best way to put your own personal stamp and style on any illustration. Just remember pencil and paper first!

pattern making soothes the soul

I hope you don't get tired of seeing these because this is what I'm into right now. Building my pattern collection is taking over any free time I have. I'm taking advantage of the creative momentum while it lasts. I get into a focused relaxed state when I'm working on them. Maybe that's why they're so addicting!

The top pattern, Just Seeds (in Evening Blue and Clear Day) is something that originally started from a sketch of daisies that I worked on over the weekend. I love how the background color changes the look of the design so radically. I couldn't make up my mind over which I preferred so they're both uploaded in my Society6 shop.

On the Farm (in pink and blue) is part of a collection of four patterns that will also be coming as fabric and wrapping paper. Some of you may remember me posting previously but it wasn't really finished until now.

Now that I think about it I think these two patterns show off my two illustrative sides. I love organic more natural looking shapes but I also enjoy exploring the more graphic and clean lined side of things too. It's more exciting to explore in two completely different worlds!

Happy Monday everyone!

signs of spring

The weather is finally starting to warm up and it could not have any sooner. I'm definitely not a cold weather person! The birds are signing their tunes incessantly and I love it.

I think this weather and the promise of spring also makes me more creative. So I've been trying to juggle the time between pattern designing and new paper projects. I want to do everything! Since I obviously can't here's a little something—Signs of Spring—which I finished over the weekend. 

This is actually part of a four pattern collection that will be coming to my Spoonflower shop soon and is now available at Society6.

Time for some sketching in bed! Ta-ta!

signs of spring

The weather is finally starting to warm up and it could not have any sooner. I'm definitely not a cold weather person! The birds are signing their tunes incessantly and I love it.

I think this weather and the promise of spring also makes me more creative. So I've been trying to juggle the time between pattern designing and new paper projects. I want to do everything! Since I obviously can't here's a little something—Signs of Spring—which I finished over the weekend. 

This is actually part of a four pattern collection that will be coming to my Spoonflower shop soon and is now available at Society6.

Time for some sketching in bed! Ta-ta!

lilla rogers global talent search

I tossed my hat in the ring! Lilla Rogers is hosting a Global Talent Search that was just too tempting to pass up. The quantity of submissions is most probably enormous and only 50 artists will make the first cut—but it's such a great opportunity.

I have no idea what my chances are but I just had to give it a try. In all honesty I can say that one of the great things that came out of going to Surtex is that I learned to let go and just step up and show everyone what I can do. If I don't then how in the world will I move forward? I just need to go for it. Why wait?

The assignment was to design a journal cover with a park theme that could be targeted for adults or children and here is what I submitted...(except my name was outside of the cover border). I really like how this turned out and I'm already thinking how I can expand this into other projects or designs. I wanted it to feel light and fun—the theme was what drove that idea. At first I thought of making an overall pattern with park items but that sounded too cold. So I turned to something that could also be used for a poster or wall art. 

One more thing... I initially thought of keeping my submission to myself. But again, why? I think that being open about making it past the cut off, or not, is a better exercise in being honest about the work I do and the leaps of faith that are involved. I care so much about what I do! This is just a little part of my journey and we'll see where it will lead me.

It will be very interesting to see the designs that make the cut. Good luck to everyone that submitted a cover! 

inspiration turned reality

One of the questions I am most often asked is where do I get my inspiration for projects. The obvious (and probably least helpful) answer is that it can come from anywhere. Many times it's from nature but in reality I think my ideas are formed from of a string of ideas that get put together like a puzzle. That's why many artists say it's so important to be open to opportunities and experiences. You never know what will get you going.

This simple illustration started here (a version I deleted since then) after our first week of summer activities. It just wouldn't get out of my head. Now it's on 'paper'—Done!

EDIT :: I'm selling this as a print here! 
 

PS - I'm loving Instagram—and now that it has video capability even better. It almost feels like a daily life/image type of blogging.

go fish!

It's our favorite card game at the moment. It's just what the doctor ordered—some laughs with the kids and no high brain functionality required (that's a must for my brain recovering from what I can only guess was burn out). Now you can guess why I thought of showing you this which hadn't seen the light of day yet. It's a peek of a new collection that I'm developing.

I'm loving this style of illustration that is flowing out of me right now. It feel very me—true and fun—and that's the best way of working.

hands on for a change

I hadn't made something like this in a while. It felt great to use simple tools for a change. This will be a birthday present for a little someone that I had to ask not to peek at this online until tomorrow—heehee! You can see how I made it here.

Have a great weekend everyone and Happy Father's Day to all you awesome dads out there!

slowing down

It happens at the start of every summer and I think even more so since getting back from NYC and needing some serious rest—we slow down things a lot. Bubbles, kites, pool, games, tv and some movies—that's what our world with the kids has been mostly about.

Somewhere in there I've managed to get some work done and this Little Red is my absolute favorite as of today. It started out as digital work because I made a pattern collection around it (not licensed yet—just personal work). I wanted to see what it'd look like in paper and this is the result. We're now enjoying it on one of our living room walls as you can see here. :)

black & white

For the past three or four years I've been designing the invitation for the kids' school Casino Night fundraiser. The Black & White theme and white origami cranes that will be used for decorations inspired the invitation illustration. If you'll take a close look you'll notice that I used some hearts, spades, diamonds and clubs as leaves for tree. See them?



I'll be working on a large tiered chandelier that I've never attempted before so I hope it goes well. If the project is successful I'll be sure to post a how-to and some photos. Wish me luck!

animals + geometrics

It appears my brain is on a pattern track and I'm just letting it flow. I think it's also a mental balance and response to the corporate design work that I'm tackling now. The question is what I should do with these patterns that are starting to pile up. Hmmm.



(Click on the image to see it a bit larger. My photos seem to be blurry lately-sorry about that. I think it's a Flickr thing ??)

the end

Okay people. This is it. The last day of February. Let's get it over with and move on. February had its many bad moments for so many (I'm so very sorry Chile) but it had great ones for others (two new babies for friends!) and some great news for us. So here's to a brighter March and for spring to get here real soon!