River Flowers
I took the dog for a walk by the river and came back with a bouquet of Lady's Thumb, Goldenrod, Beach Pea and Fireweed. Here's a pattern with those last bits of summer.
And I've forgotten to mention, on the sidebar I've added a sign up for my monthly newsletter. If that's your jam, I'll be sending out shop updates, new work, local event information and subscriber downloads.
Happy Weekend!
The Longest Days
I'm slowly admitting that summer is beginning to fade away. Here's a few snaps of the end of the season. It's been a full couple of months and I'm ready for the dependable rhythm that autumn brings. That said, I'm glad the season included outdoor tea with friends, camping with family and the chance to get out the paints again.
* If you're in or around midcoast Maine, Atlantic Baking Company is terrific.
* I've been having fun drawing in Draw Every Day, Draw Every Way.
* Stranger Things has sucked me in, like 99.9% of the population. Justice for Barb!
Gatsby on the Isles
This past weekend was Gatsby on the Isles -- here's the poster I illustrated.
Anchors aweigh!
Eight
As of this month, I've been working full-time as an illustrator for eight years. I went back today and read what I'd written about freelancing five years ago. I think it still holds up as advice, especially for newer illustrators.
The only thing I'd add is the vital importance of stepping back to assess what you want in life and in turn, your work. I'm learning (albeit, slowly) that it's okay to catch your breath and get your bearings, that it's not always necessary to be scrambling pell-mell towards the Next Thing. Dreams are good, but burnout isn't.
Also, I still stand behind the advice to eat ice cream when the job calls for it. Or donuts. Your choice.
Braids and Plaits
Some botanically coiffured ladies I painted last week that I've been turning into a pattern this week. Aside from that:
* A nice review from School Library Journal of Finding Wild
* I watched Iris last week and can't recommend it enough.
* I'm reading Mary Berry's autobiography right now and it's really smashing.
Queen Anne's Lace
A pattern inspired by afternoon walks on a nearby trail, the sides of which are lined with Queen Anne's Lace. It's a path I've never explored until this year and wish I had far sooner. Ten minutes down the trail and I can't hear cars, trains or planes, just perfectly blissful silence.
And speaking of patterns, I've added a bunch of new designs to my Spoonflower shop
.
Summer Things
Some bits of summer, right now. The past few weeks have been full. I turned in final art for Fort Building Time (I'll post more about that as the months go by). Aside from work, most weekends I've been helping to clean and pack up my grandparent's home of sixty plus years. Add in a badly wrenched neck and a mini-blogging hiatus made reasonable sense.
But aside from all that:
*I'm just finishing up this Tommy and Tuppence mystery. The opening is a bit uneven, but if you stick with it, the pace picks up brilliantly and makes for a fun summer read. Speaking of which, any summer book recomendations?
*A trip to Tandem Coffee for my birthday was splendid.
*And I'm getting ready for a shop update, mostly small watercolor originals (like the above), a few tea towels and an embroidery. I'll post here once that's all ready to go. I've also just sent off for a proof of some new designs and will have those available in my Spoonflower shop next month.
Happy weekend!
