Joy in the small things

It's a busy spring! The last few months have been gradually picking up pace and I have a neat collection of design projects on the go right now. I've got my head down, I'm working hard, and there's time for little else. But I am managing to find great joy in a few small things right now:

1. Cauliflower Crust Pizza, by Brittany at EatingBirdFood.com. It's so delicious and is truly nothing like eating bird food. I swear. I'll never go back to flour crust.

2. Stephanie Ryan's daily small sweet steps. They arrive in my inbox every morning and set the tone for my day. I have come to love these little nuggets of wisdom and look forward to them as part of my daily ritual.

3. Two Books:

Organized Simplicity: The clutter-free approach to intentional living. By Tsh Oxenreider

I have so much praise for this book and Tsh's values. There is a simple recipe for homemade deodorant in the back that I love. 

 



Living Simply with Children: A Voluntary Simplicity Guide for Moms, Dads, and Kids Who Want to Reclaim the Bliss of Childhood and the Joy of Parenting. By Marie Sherlock

Good ideas for keeping life simple and staying connected with your kids. I want to start our own pioneer night ritual with our young son.








 4. And of course, my son. He's almost four, full of curiosity, and an amazing storyteller with a vivid imagination.

I'm grateful for all these little things that add up to a rich and rewarding life. Soon life will take another turn and everything will shift, but for now this is plenty.

xo 

Restless in the Spring

I'm feeling restless. Spring is floating around in the air, hinting at fresh starts and new growth. I have this intense urge to clean my space, get systems in order, purge unnecessary material and mental stuff. Old art is coming off the walls and new art going up. We're airing out our walls and bringing spaciousness to our daily lives again. It feels good. Isn't it amazing how much clutter (physical and otherwise) can weigh us down? No more!

It's a strange time for me because I'm not motivated to paint right now, and it's okay. It's actually okay. I'm pouring my creativity into client design work, and into organizing and refreshing my physical and mental space. Ah, this is cause for a deep calm breath. Soon I will be happily back in the studio making art, but for now my canvas is here, in the minutia of our home.

Speaking of art on the walls, I recently bought this small print from a very talented artist and good friend, Melissa Thorpe (see picture below). I can't wait to choose her new home on our wall. 

Portrait of a Lady, by Melissa Thorpe, Hilltop Hausfrau

[Etsy shop here]

xo

Creative Day

I'm sick with a cold right now, but I decided it was important to carve out some creative time anyway. I know how easy it is to let it slide and have weeks go by without any soul art time. I also know what that does to me - not good. My son was in good hands with his nana and I snuck away to my studio. I'm so glad I did. I feel rejuvenated and inspired, and completely ready to rest now.  I painted; I illustrated some new patterns and made my own art papers; I listened to Bjork; and the sun was even streaming into my studio while I worked which is unusual for Vancouver - kind of my perfect day.

 

[ A work in progress ]

 

 [ My pattern and art paper explorations ]

With a contented exhale I'm off to rest,

Sassy Sketches

 

[ Two fun sketches I did recently on my reading retreat. I'm excited to see what they turn into when I incorporate them into new paintings. ] 

Sketching is so relaxing for me, almost meditative. I get lost in another world and when I come out there is a new creation in front of me. For whatever reason I stopped sketching for a lot of years, and it's only recently that I rekindled my love for it. I'm also embracing it as a great practical tool to take an idea and develop it off the canvas, and later bring it back to my painting.

I keep thinking it would be great to incorporate sketching into my daily routine. Maybe one day I'll get there. In the meantime I'll be happy with doing what I can. That's all we can do at the end of the day isn't it.

xo

Inspiring Reading Retreat

I was lucky enough this week to spend two days and nights away on a reading retreat with a great friend and professional colleague. We read, talked, brainstormed, inspired, laughed and slept. It was an intense time of self-reflection, business dreaming, research, planning, and creative exploration. I am exhausted and exhilarated. I feel like the ideas and projects that make my soul happy got the attention they deserve. And I'm back in my studio again, tackling all my wonderful client projects and personal projects with revitalized energy.

One particular book really stood out for me:

Grow Your Handmade Business: How to Envision, Develop and Sustain a Successful Creative Business, by Kari Chapin

I love Kari's creative approach to business planning and dreaming. Hers is the first business book I've successfully read cover to cover. She focuses on all the right things for creatives; pursuing your passion, determining what's a hobby vs a business, developing your mission statement/ purpose, time management, writing a business plan, and so on. A great book.

Thank you self. That break was just what I needed.

Doily Heaven

I bought a few vintage doilies on ebay and etsy recently. They are so much fun to use for texturing backgrounds.

There has been a creative burst and a new painting is emerging with these...

Lots of gratitude and happiness!

Tea Motif!

There hasn't been a lot of time for creating lately, but with stolen moments here and there I've had some fun extending my tea motif to greeting cards and more paintings. New supplies have added to the fun.

I ripped up yogi egyptian licorice mint tea pouches for these ones. 

I've been experimenting with adhering glitter so it's really on there & doesn't shake off easily. It seems Golden regular gel medium and workable fixatif are the magic combo.

Isn't it neat to see how far a motif can go?

Happy V-Day!

I used to feel Valentine's day was a manufactured holiday. Now I've really come to love it. It's a day we can give ourselves permission to stop the chaos and simply enjoy each other. It's fun teaching our young son that it's a day about showing others we love them, and thinking about others before ourselves. We made valentines for his friends and preschool teachers and special heart cookies with sprinkles (gluten free, but still yummy). He was pretty thrilled with it all.

I hope you and your loved ones have a great Valentine's day!