My blush "love" pattern collection. I also have a love for all things party and shower related. At some point I will throw a shower with napkins and plates with this collection (even if I have to print it myself). Not to mention the wrapping paper. Luckily I have many years before my 8 and 12 year old daughters or teenage nieces are ready for a bridal shower.
She who always has a song in her heart will always dance.
Music inspires my little one and she inspires me. If there is a melody anywhere around her little body is moving. I had a neat experience as I painted this one. I decided I would listen to her music as I painted. When one particular song came on, "A Million Dreams", and I stopped painting Avery, I started to make her dance. I've painted her, now how do I make her dance?
Have my website started. Still need to go through with a few suggestions you guys gave me. Started a Society6 shop and sold two mugs. It’s the little things, right. Need to upload a bunch more stuff to that site. Printed a bunch of cards for Teaher gifts and a fundraiser auction. Thought it would be a good time to snap a few pictures to eventually put on the website in the “shop” section. Yay. And entered a few Spoonflower’s this month. Got 36 votes for the feather pattern from people I don’t know. Wanted to see how well it would do without asking people on Instagram and Facebook to vote.. 
Just trying to move the needle a little at a time.
Just thought I would share my latest collection. This will be turned into notecards for the little shop that carries my work. And hey, they only have two left in stock! I need to contact them to refill their box.
This will also be part of a fabric collection. Spoonflower launched a new bedding product. So, one of these images will be selected for the contest. I think it’s called “neutral bedding.” And because I want to treat myself, it’s going to be my new bedding. At least part of will be my sheets and throw pillows.
Then society 6 products will carry the prints as well. Loving the wheat for a tumbler and the cotton field for a tote
I painted solid background in the gray, aqua, and blush. I’ll add some to the paintings in photoshop. Not sure which ones I’ll put with the floral elements. I wanted to paint the backgrounds on with the florals, but it is so much easier to change things when a blank background.
And hey, did y’all know you could use white to make a great flesh tent in watercolors? Who knew. I have not used the white before. All this time wasted!
Who doesn't love a cupcake? But what if they are even better than expected? What if, there was a hidden surprise of yummy unexpected goodness?!?!?!? An ingredient that you never knew would taste so magical in a cupcake. Or a birthday sprinkle confetti surprise. What about finding out the type of little bundle that you will be bringing into the world? Cupcakes can hold such sweet little treasures. After all, they are a cake that fits in a cup.
Mermaid Toile (fabric pattern). Finished! My little kidlettes as mermaids. It was a blast imagining them as mermaids. What would they be doing. Can't wait to get my bag all printed up for the pool. They may swim like mermaids, but they still need their goggles! 
There are many of you guys that are so stinking amazing! I want you guys to create books, stories and comics that I can read to my children. Even ones that they can fall in love with on their own. I have been wrestling for the past year of wanting to have more time to create my work, to get better, and really give this art thing a "go." Learning more about the business side and all the other information found here make that dream more real than ever. It being more real makes it harder to feel trapped in my current position in life.
Please don't take this post as winning. Or one of those "oh, I wish I had that problem." This is just what I am slowly realizing with my work and myself as an artist. Think of "national women's day." This is my choice as a woman and don't go all feminist on me please.
I am a stay at home mom. I have 4 kids from ages 11-4. None of them took a bottle. That meant sleepless nights for mostly me. My husband works hard. Extremely hard. (as many of you all do). With his high demand job our home rolls aren't exactly 50/50. He swoops in for playtime after all the homework and after school things are done. and I wake up and get them all ready in the morning. Dr apps, allergy shots, carpool, practices, that's all me. He provides a good living for our family. I don't "need" to work and earn extra for our family to be comfortable and enjoy a few of the extra fun things. I will not put my husband's job and our families financial security for my personal self fulfillment.
Then there is a beast inside that needs to make things. As an artist that wants to work, have validation it is SO hard to not be jealous of those that have nothing but time to prefect and poor into their work and promote. I felt so bitter for a while that I had to give up something I wanted so badly all my life and that my artistic growth was stunted because I had no creative energy when I was pregnant and nursing babies and chasing toddlers.
Then my heart began to soften. Stupid time-hops on Facebook with my work and trying to dig up something on pinterest and finding work from 5 years ago. The straw that broke the camel's heart was a visit to my brother's house. One that recently moved back to a drivable distance. I saw the work spanning two decades. Work that I had forgotten I even made. Good work. Work that I was proud of. I never stopped making work. I have always created things for the people I love. That candle of creativity has always burned bright. No, not much money has exchanged hands over the past 15 years. But a lot of love has. Work that I tried my best on. That gave my full heart in creating.
So, if your paycheck hasn't come in yet. PEASE DON'T STOP MAKING WORK YOU ENJOY DOING! Don't stop sharing it with your friends and family. Hopefully, if you need to feed your family, the right people will see your work. I know there are so many of you I am dying to get in my library. I mean that with the most sincere part of my heart. You guys are brilliant. I "real" people in your life love your work (not just the hearts and likes and up-votes), even if you create it as much as you wish.
As one of the original painting tutorial man use to say, "Happy Painting."
“I can't think of anything more rewarding than being able to express yourself to others through painting. Exercising the imagination, experimenting with talents, being creative; these things, to me, are truly the windows to your soul.”
This month’s challenge I’m going to make a pattern collection. I envision it being for a wedding or a bridal shower. Just trying to make a “lovely” collection. Maybe I’ll even mock up plates and cocktail napkins. I know for sure it will be turned into a note card set for Mother’s Day. So- here is the start.
@Chip-Valecek okay. Been thinking about it for a little bit I have a few other ideas. I would love to see your art hero’s. I think the project would be the dream portfolio. Who are your art hero’s that are working in the market currently? There is a Skillshare class I watched on licensing. I can’t remember what it is. Go into your hot topic and Spencer’s and look who manufactures that stuff. Scratch that. Just show us who your hero’s are that are similar in style. Maybe do some master studies of their work.
Look outside the svs community to see if there is someone who could be a mentor. I think offering to pay for a portfolio look and a conversation is something that would help. Someone who knows that niche of the industry.
Make a product. Go to a place where they would sell said product. Your horror paintings would make a nice book. Your inktobers. Christmas is cute. I would pass on the Christmas collection. Maybe a compilation of monthly contests? I don’t know. Find who buys your stuff and make stuff. Or something. You need more people looking at your work in your niche. To buy and to give feedback. You base too much of your value on svs monthly contests. Give yourself more table legs!
Your people are there, find them!!!!!!!! You know i love surface design and stationary. My work certainly doesn’t fit into story telling. But These classes still are really well done. I don’t way stop learning from them. I feel last inktober really changed things for me and my direction. Your inktobers would be great for those hydro flask sk sk ssskkk and stickers.
Good luck! But don’t leave us either!
Holy Cow! You guys are a wealth of knowledge. Thanks so much for sharing your favorite watercolorist with me.
@K-Flagg Love Minnie Small! She is a long time favorite. Actually, she is the one that got me hooked on inktober and led me to the joys of Jake Parker via youtube and then the SVS crew. Her haunted house series for inktober a while back was amazing. Well, I actually had a book of Will Terry's from a book fair and how crazy is it that those two were buddies.
@Matt-Baldwin Veneta is amazing. She has intense colors! Sorta realistic, yet still uses wet on wet blends masterfully. Thanks for letting me know about her.
Ira needs her own line. Matt, you and @deboraht mentioned her. I have followed her for a while as well. I generally hate fall, but her color palette makes me love it in her work. Her trees and character design is freaking amazing too.
@demotlj and @Coley. Your artist have this city grime about their work. Alavaro Fehr's work is so dark with pops of color that are magnificent. I love how they are strategically used. Joseph's work is brighter, but still uses shadow in a clever way. I love his looseness in the watercolors as well. And of course the horses are great.
@jsnzart Andrew Tischler...That guys is CRAZY! every detail. I can't even begin to figure out how to paint like that. I think I am going to check out his podcast. Check out Tierry Duval Aqua on IG. That guy is insane for details too. He uses watercolors. I think you would like him too.
Thanks guys for giving my IG feed a few fresh faces. I can't wait to dig into the artists' work a little more. Here are some of my favorites.
Ohn Mar Win- a wonderful illustrator and licenses to boot! Not to mention she seems like a real sweet person
Sarah Voyer- She lives in Hawaii. I adore her.
Ocean Paper- I am not sure who the artist is, but their work is great and they make watercolors too.
Kirstensevig- she just had a baby, so she isn't creating as much as she used to. However, her latest project with knomes is super cute. Great illustrator too. Does notecards and all sorts of things. Her packaging is INSANE! Sorry, we are allowed to geek out about that here, right!
Esther Gili- Yall, her character design is one that makes me drool. She is an illustrator in Spain. I wish I knew Spanish. Actually, someone should tell the big guys about her. Y'all need to check her out. @Lee-White @Jake-Parker @Will-Terry - sorry, I tried not to tag you guys in the post.
True Cotton (in IG) lives in my town. She has a great style too. Quotes and flowers mostly.
Okay, I think that is all I am going to add. See, I didn't have any landscape artists on the feed. so thanks for all your help! Y'all have a lovely day!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@Heather-Boyd thats beautiful. It doesn’t have to be watercolor necessarily. I guess I’m just looking for loose landscapes in general.
I did this one last week and would like to explore this area a little more. Just not exactly sure where to start. You can see the one that I used as inspiration. My mom asked me to do it for her birthday. I was like, mom, you know I can’t do an exact copy. We will call it a “study.” But I had so much fun I want to keep doing it, just need to see a few more people to see how they solve the problem!
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Hey guys,
I’m looking for some new people to follow that are watercolor landscape painters. Not really looking for realistic. Something fresh that I can learn from. Who are your favorite people? @demotlj i know you probably have a few! My fellow watercolorist.
Thanks guys.
Thanks for the tips guys. Might need to do a few tutorials before I start messing with it on something real.
@Melanie-Ortins yay!!! Thanks. It will be worth figuring it out now that i know it is possible
Okay. Just wondering. If I put my entire calendar layout, front and back printing, in InDesign, if I hit print, will it print the whole calender even front and back at one time? My print does front and back.
Is this a real thing, or am I just hoping blindly. I haven’t used the program before. I’m installing it right now.
@deborah-Haagenson my thoughts exactly. Go through the attorneys. But if you do that, you may not be able to talk publicly about it. Which is what the natural man craves. The “see, all these people think I’m right!”
This is a lot of reading! Just wanted to throw my 2 cents. I’ve followed jake for years. Probably most of us have. Watched all the YouTube videos and joined SVS for a few years. Listen to 3 point perspective the day it comes out. (I’ve pivoted to more surface pattern design and stationery with my work, so I am in a different group for my art/business instruction.)
We can only know a person of that status from a distance in most cases. But I just can’t see Jake as someone that holds a book down and follows the flow of a book and plagiarizes with purposeful intent. There is probably a natural flow of how you teach this subject. And order that makes sense. And he’s been teaching it for a billion years. If your a teacher, how many freaking times have you taught gray scale, or still life drawing. Steps to figure drawing. I think that inktober is such a big deal that those techniques are written about more now. But if you take 10 figure drawing books and compact them, I bet there are tons of similarities.
My husband is an attorney. Laws change! They change because of cases. It’s called case law. Or something like that. They will figure it out. Just because it was ruled one way before doesn’t mean this can’t change things.
Good luck @Jake-Parker , and @Lee-White and @daivdhohn thanks for sifting through all the details like you guys do best! I love it when you guys talk taxes and copyright. Just wish it wasn’t because the situation needed it. But thanks for being there!
