Thanks! Let’s see if I can pull it off

I can’t remember who did the family picture one of the last contests. But it was cute and camper. A fun way to do a painting that wins for everyone! I thought I would try and do some expressions with my kiddos. This will be the moment right at the crest of the hill on a roller coaster. We pretty much live at carowinds (our local amusement park) during the summer. Thought it would be cute to capture this moment in our families age. Oldest, not too old to hang with us, and the youngest FINALLY enjoying the slightly faster kid rides.

I love how you guys approached drawing the women/girls. I love our son’s little friend who is totally a Tom boy, but just as cute as she can be with her baggie cut off jeans. They are in kindergarten. And It seems to always be a trend to let your little boys hair grow long. Yeah, sometimes I have no idea if it’s a girl or a boy in the car pool drop off. (FYI- my boys have longish floppy hair. I think it’s freaking adorable). How would I represent that in a drawing. I like what Will said about making them more boxy. Makes total sense. And Lee talking about the figure drawing class. Those are great points. There are small things that are different about the male and female form.

As far as content and over sexualizing in the art world. What’s the phrase? Life reflects art, art reflects life? It’s everywhere. Avoid what you feel you need to. We avoid a lot in our house!

Okay, more than I baby step yesterday. I almost feel like its a fancy ballet leap! What's that called? A grand jete? Maybe that's what I wanted to do after my meeting.

Ya'll know I updated the website with "for sale" items. Cool. Put on Facebook that my new notecard sets were for sale this week. Got 25 orders. For real. Can't believe that I got as many as the first time I offered cards after inktober. I thought I has exhausted my friend base. Many repeat buyers and many new ones. Thanks @demotlj

Well, I had all these cards already printed. So, I had tons of samples. I was meeting a friend in our towns downtown area for lunch. I made a call to see if I could meet with the owners of this freaking adorable, uber chic yet southern, little eclectic shop. It's the kind of store to buy nice original gifts. Or just adorable things. Anyways, they LOVED my notecards. Loved the price point. I knew that I was coming in a little cheaper than what they sold things for. MY note cards are 8 in pack for $10 retail. They bought 5 of the designs with multiple sets of each design. I walked around the store with the owner and talked about trends in the market. He showed me what styles of things were selling. He commission 2 original pieces. One of the band stand, a place in fort mill that is iconic to the town, and the store front with a lady holding a bag in front of the shop. The last two I need to go over the details. The band stand will be printed on cards and the original and prints will be sold too. The store front will be used on their social media and website as well as cards and such. So the pricing may be tricky. I need to be professional when I deliver the cards and show a few sketches and then really narrow down the prices. Store identity is different than making cards out of a town icon.

Y'AAAALLLLL. I just feel like this could be a jumping off point. I talked about the items that were in their shop and their companies. About licensing. They have sooooooo many connections to the companies and everything.

Hopefully the notecards will do well. They said they sell a lot of stationary. So, that's a good thing. This is just a huge goal I have had for a while and I can't believe it actually happened. I wanted to sell my stuff in Crossing on Main in fort mill, SC. And now I am. Let's see if my work makes the cut for the buyers. They were excited about it. And that is good enough for me. MY head can barely fit through the dang door! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

https://www.crossingsonmain.com/

@NessIllustration what the heck! Great blog post! So helpful. Thanks for putting all those resources together. Your work is always charming. Good luck on your etsy shop. Let us know when it is up and running. I didn't see a link on your website for it.

@Kat thank you! Can you tell I'm ready for summer!

@demotlj @Aleksey I'm not super sure how much knowledge I am giving her, but we have a good time. I know here well enough to correct without sugar coating anything. About value and telling her to stop putting so much detail in her thumbnails. Move faster! She draws lighter now too. A few things. Kate has a love for creating and that isn't anything you can really put in someone. Sometimes you can help foster the love of creating, but there has to be something there to start.

Anyways, how much would you have given to have something like SVS at 12 years old! This girl is going any place she wishes with her art.

And that freaking city scape. I get no credit for that other than the topic and a few random reference pictures of store fronts. Her painting was really all her own. No direct copy from reference. So So good. I did make her do a color dummy. Maybe I'll claim 1% just for guidance. Mentoring and teaching is the best.

This is my art student. I teach Kate and her mom (my good friend) once a month. She’s homeschooled, so we do art for four hours together one day a month. I can teach watercolor, but I wanted her to get a good foundation that I am a bit rusty on. My friend subscribed to SVS and Kate has already taken three classes. I’m so excited to watch her grow. Guess I’ll get better too, i need to watch the classes in the curriculum too!

But check out her painting! She sat for four hours today and knocked it out. I told her that she needed a setting for her girl on the bike from last month. 4 HOURS! Y’all, she’s 12. I’m so proud of her. And glad that SVS can really teach her the things I can’t. Thanksfully, she still values my critiques and wisdom (you know I don’t have any wisdom).

Thanks for gathering all the flowers for his family.

@Judy-Elizabeth-Wilson YYYYEEEEESSSSSSS! I love it! So so so so much! Create a multi monster pattern too. With ones that have a similar color scheme. Oh, the cuteness of the hobo (drawstring) sacks will be more than i can handle. I didn’t notice the thicker lines coloring book. That is a great idea too. It’s a little too tiny for my youngest. The older kids like the details of the first. Rifle and co, has ked shoes with their prints. Your prints on sneakers would be the cutest thing in the universe I’m sure!

I was waiting for a feel good episode from you guys. All your episodes are awesome and funny, but give us the moments! Those were great. Sometimes the why we make art gets lost in the business side. The process is fun, but it’s the moments that seem to elevate what we do to a higher, more fulfilling level. And every so often I get a glimpse that I have been part of a divine plan to make an image that sends a message of love from someone great than I am.

But like you guys said, in not these exact words, you can’t change anything if you aren’t creating! So get to work!