It’s finally here (queue the celebratory cold brew coffee)! I can finally say that “Birds in My Backyard: A Suburban Safari” is officially published. It can be purchased here. This is my 2nd self-published picture book. The story, the illustrations, the research….all a labor of love and months of work late into the night when …
Blog
2022/2023 Years in Review
Wow, can’t believe I forgot to do a roundup for the last two years! 2022 was definitely a cruddy year, and most of 2023 was too. But here I am, still persisting. Gotta keep moving forward. 2022 Review: I’ll come back to it some day. 2023 Review: Projects in the works for 2024: I didn’t …
What makes a story a myth, legend, or folktale?
With art market season winding down (I have one more on November 18th), I’ll be coming back more frequently to my blog. Lately I’ve been wanting to delve into the nuances of what makes a story a myth, legend, or folktale. This topic is something I’ve been wanting to research and write a bit more …
My Top 5 Favorite North American Cryptids to Find
With summer approaching, we are provided more opportunities to go outside and explore. As the sun’s rays extend to 9pm on balmy summer evenings and the kiddos are out of school, we are given more time to discover the great outdoors. Well, how else are you going to find a cryptid or beastie if you …
Things I Learned Self-Publishing my 1st Children’s Book
I learned so much illustrating and self-publishing my first children’s book. From a person who didn’t receive formal training in book publishing or marketing, I had my work cut out for me. For a long time, I’ve been wanting to jump into the book illustration industry. I finally took the plunge and created my own …
“ABCs of Beasties” is Now Live!
Well, I finally did it. After nearly 2 years of planning, sketching, stressing, painting, and redesigning, my first “book-baby” is complete. ABCs of Beasties has truly been a labor of love and I’m so excited to finally share it with you. It’s available through Amazon here. I hope that this book encourages imagination and exploration …
“Death is Nothing at All”
I figured it was time for an update, mainly because I said that I’d return in mid-May, and here it is almost mid-June! A lot has happened since I last updated, we sold our house, moved, and FINALLY settled in. Never realized how long it takes to finally get settled into a new living situation, …
On Hiatus – Until Mid-May!
Life outside of my artwork and website and suddenly gotten very busy…but all for positive and exciting reasons! Just wrapped up birthday #2 for Little One and now we’re making some big changes in our abode! Unfortunately I have to push back my publication date of my first illustrated children’s book. But this will keep …
20/21 Roundup – Art and Mental Health Priorities
I’m not the type to mourn and complain about how a certain year(s) was terrible. Mainly because I think it devalues an entire year’s worth of experiences and that’s not healthy, mentally. I would certainly say that in 2021 I realized that I was surrounding myself with negativity and that it was affecting my self-esteem …
How to Make the Most out of Drawing Challenges
Like I’ve mentioned before, as artists we’re always looking for ways to connect, improve, and challenge our creative practice. I’ve participated in my fair share of drawing challenges, so I believe I have enough experience to help other artists get the most out of them. With the approaching footsteps of art challenges this autumn ( …