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!
Just thought I would throw this out there. No, I don’t want to paint dog portraits all year long. I don’t even have it highlighted on my website or have an Etsy shop. It’s a niche I feel in to.
A store I sell my notecards in asked me to come for an even they were having at their store. Sit at a table and paint. The first even I made pennies for how long I sat there. I sold prints but customized it with someone’s name. The next event was around Christmas 2019. I needed a bigger ticket item to see if that would make it worth my time to be there. It exploded. I did stylized dog portraits. Y’all, don’t tell me secret, I don’t even own a dog. Explode may mean different things to everyone. Let’s just say it paid for all the food at Disney world for our winter trip.
This year I made was there for two weekends and got that many more commissions. I hate the idea of only doing commission work. It’s a one and done painting. But sometimes it pays the bills. By limiting it to only Christmas time and doing items that I enjoy painting or are just quick to knock out, it makes it doable. This year I expanded to house paintings. Those I charged double what I charge for the dogs. I also got tons of repeat clients from last year.
Just thought I would throw it out there. Small and local businesses supporting one another. They like the traffic and I like their traffic. There is no way I could get that many orders on my own. I’ll pay a percentage or a “booth rental.” Only because I adore them. They truly are the best!
Good luck to you guys this holiday season! 
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! 
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.
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.”
Hey Will, your book came today. Yay! It’s so beautiful. I can’t wait to sit down tonight and consume the content. It’s certainly a treasure and so glad to have it.
I feel like we have all been on this journey with you. From the time that you began this book to heal. Then all the “it’s a super secret project” teasers on the podcast. To the Kickstarter. Thanks for sharing your journey! Keep it in print forever. I’ll probably be gifting this to all my creative little graduates in the future.
@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!
Cactus stationary commission. It was kinda foreign for this southern girl to paint. Give me a seashell any day! But it was super fun! -licensing 2021. Y’all know that hashtag #beachbody2020 , that was popular when 2020 seemed super far away and you were posting pictures of doughnuts. So here’s to licensing in 2021!
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).
Here’s the start. I really want to make a repeating fabric with a bunch of mermaids with my kids as the models. Big goal for this crazy month. If I’ll a end up with are a few spot illustrations of the kids for their bathroom I’m calling it a win.
Any suggestions welcome. I feel like something is off on the shoulders or hips?
"High Cotton, 'ol times there are not forgotten."
Living in "high cotton" meant times were good. The crops were high and there would be a good harvest. There is a song by Alabama called "High Cotton." It speaks of a family who didn't have much, but as kids they didn't know. They had a happy life with a home filled with love. When I think of my own childhood and those beautiful cotton fields I felt the same way. We had a modest life growing up. Each summer we would pile in the family van and travel down to Alabama. To a place that felt like home even though I never lived there. My Papaw, aunts and uncles and all my cousins lived there. Oh how I loved them and longed to be with our family every time I had to leave. Time has passed and those visits are far and few between, but those times will never be forgotten. This cotton collection is an homage to the family and a land I love so dear! 
Same sweet sand dweller. Seriously, she is always in the sand at the beach. Somethings just don't change!
Top one is from july of 2016, the bottom from August of 2018.
The earlier one I transferred directly from the photo using tracing paper then to the watercolor paper. The face isn't pleasing (not my daughter's fault, it was mine)
the new one I drew free hand. I finally feel more comfortable relying on my own drawing than a direct transfer from the photo. This hasn't been the case in a very long time. So yay for straightening that muscle. I added the pencil outline, or ink depending on the picture, to my style. I feel like it strengthens it. Maybe I will loose it once my watercolor is stronger, but for now I like it.
I did a bunch of Christmas cookies. I liked the snowman and the snowflakes the best.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays! Stay safe tonight and have fun! Here’s to 2019!
One more.
The goal is to have 8-12 patterns that are related. A few are show stoppers. Then there is a mid range of contrast and involvement. Then there are “blender” pieces. Also there will be a range of values in the set. Some of these are elements that will be further manipulated in photoshop.
