Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Meet Kate: the Beauty AND the Brains Behind Chipper Cheeper on Etsy!



Here's something you guys may not know and I'm mildly embarrassed to admit: I don't fill the orders for my Etsy shop. Someone far more gorgeous, organized, and talented than I am does: the great Kate! She has done so much to support me as I chase this crazy artist dream of mine, I thought that the internet deserves to know how awesome she is. I mean, just look at that Alice in Wonderland outfit! (She made that!)

Kate and I go way back. We met when I was in college and spent many summer days baking in the Georgia sun together, scheming and dreaming about the bohemian lives we would one day lead. We daydreamed about sustainable communities, treehouses you could live in, and, of course, going into business together as artists. Kate introduced me to yoga, gardening, and clean eating. She inspired me with her INSANE talent as a seamstress, and we had plenty of fun creating costumes together for conventions, photoshoots, Halloween, festivals, or just for fun. Even though we never lived in the same city, we've had a friendship full of creative energy that's helped me keep my dream alive through my sometimes-tumultuous twenties.

(That corset? She made that too.)

The Chipper Cheeper Etsy shop has been the nexus of my art business since it opened in 2011. However, about a year ago, life got busy as it sometimes does and I had to make a difficult decision: to close down the Etsy store. I resented having to choose between my art and my day job, and I missed seeing my work out there in the interwebs. That's when the amazing Kate came to my rescue! As a new mom, she needed a way to make some extra cash while being around for her adorable newborn boy. I needed a hand, and voila! The unstoppable creative duo we always envisioned became reality. For the last year, Kate has been holding it down on the Etsy front, despite us being not only in different cities but on opposite coasts. Obviously, she has done an amazing job, and I can't wait to see what we can accomplish together in the future.

So here's to you, Kate! Thank you so much for all you've done for me as a friend and an artist. You rule, mama!

Sunday, July 5, 2015

The Fanciest Portrait of the Fanciest 'Tiels!

Meet my latest for-fun piece! I just finished this diptych of my cockatiels, Henny and Swifty:oil paint on wood panel. This is the first time I've done oil on wood, but I'm addicted! The wood gives the piece a clean and modern look, and presents some new possibilities for the texture of the paint. My walls are going to be even happier soon!







Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Sketchy, sketchy

('Tiels in oil on wood panel. Work in progress.) 

You guys. It has been a stupidly busy year. So busy that I kind of fell off the art bandwagon for a little while. I've been picking my creative side back up in the past month or so, though, and it feels SO GOOD!!! Every time I paint after a dry spell I'm reminded why I keep coming back to creating despite whatever other potentially more "lucrative" things are going on. Art is my lifeblood. Really. It's meditative, expressive, and when I'm done, I just feel so...good!! As a bonus, my glorious clients and I have pretty things to hang on our walls. 

Starting back in January, I decided to start keeping a (mostly daily) journal/sketchbook. I've always loved doodling and writing, and honestly, it's been a really therapeutic thing to do. I know, I know, an artist keeping a sketchbook is hardly a new revelation. But being consistent with it is new, at least for me, and after years of intentions and resolutions, I finally seem to have made it a part of my daily life. At the risk of it looking like amateur hour up in this blog, here are some sketches from my daily doodle journal to tide you over until my next fun projects are ready for the world's eyes. Some of my absolute favorite artists from around the internet routinely post quick, unfinished sketches, and they've helped me get over my fear of showing off unfinished cuteness. Enjoy! Namaste, my loves! 

This summer, the man and I treated ourselves to river rafts. They are incredible fun for both us and Kobi!
Summer solstice/lithia/whatever you'd like to call it was last week. I like drawing fairies (this should surprise no one). Inspired by Celtic lore in which fairies come out to play on the solstice, a la Midsummer Night's Dream, meet my Lithia fairy! 

This is, uh, exactly what it looks like.
True story from a park adventure one evening. Daniel kept offering the dogs mulch and they kept taking it, spitting it out, and eagerly asking for more. It was the most hilarious.

For all my badass shieldmaidens: Lagertha!



Friday, March 21, 2014

Light as a Feather

Okay, everyone knows I love raptors. What everyone doesn't know is that I'm capable of painting individual feathers. I didn't even know that myself until I put my mind to it and whipped up this batch of feathers this week. It took WAY longer than I'm used to paintings taking, since they have so much detail, but I am SO pleased with the results. Check em out!