Friday, February 24, 2017

The Garden of Weeden

Two drawings down, fifteen more to go!! 


How bangin' is Michelle's bod?! I love the colors and the process of learning how to play with colored pencils. Ironically enough, Utopia also illustrates her in a garden with a pot plant AND a sunflower. Haha These would look so beautiful hung up side-by-side.


It's really exciting to see how much I've grown as an artist within the last few years! Thankfully the next drawing displays her full body as well. Mich had been crushing it in the gym for months leading up to her trip and I knew I had to take advantage of her hard work and feature those curves!

I started thinking about who I could send a print of this drawing to and I think I found the perfect person:


Who better to appreciate this art piece, than the Weed Queen herself, Charlo Greene! This QUEEN quit on live television and became an advocate for the marijuana industry. I found her on Instagram, along with an address to her studio where she now hosts The Weed Show. Can you imagine if she framed and hung the print up IN her studio for all her guests to see!!??! :)))

Something unexpected happened as well. As I was waiting in line at the supply store to get plastic sleeves for my prints, an old man started raising his voice towards the (cute) cashier. I don't understand why this world is littered with people who possess a false sense of entitlement. Working in retail myself, I experience it firsthand almost daily. The man stormed out of the store after yelling at the cashier, who clearly didn't do anything wrong. 

I left Office Depot and drove down the street to make prints of The Garden of Weeden. Instead of going straight to the post office to ship a print to Charlo, I felt this urgency to return to Office Depot and give the cashier one as well. Rather than allowing that man's negative energy to dampen the employee's day, I walked back in and handed him a print, hoping that super small, random act of kindness, would replace that negative energy with positive. I also wrote my Instagram name down and he started following me.

Support my art and add some beauty to your home as well with a print of your own!!



Make changes in your life, so life can be elevated!





Much Love Guys!

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

The Bigger Picture

*Sigh* Life is so robotic right now. As much as it's improved over the last year (next week will mark my one-year work anniversary), I feel so much is lacking. I'm still broke, I'm still living with my parents, I'm still struggling to sell my art and I wish all that (and more) would just miraculously change overnight. The process is part of the bigger picture, but I'm so ready to move on from this chapter.

I have this burning desire within me to travel and attend yoga/meditation retreats. How amazing does that sound?! In the most recent Yoga magazine, it featured an article which highligthed several yogi's favorite retreat locations. I sat on my bed, with the magazine in my lap, captivated by the beautiful photos in complete fascination That is something I feel like my heart is telling me to do. But again, I can't afford any of that at the moment and reality set in. I get my next paycheck one week from today and it's going to be a memorable moment for me. Sadly enough, it'll be the first time in my life that I'll have $1,000 in my bank account.

When I first got my job last year, I was a thousand dollars in debt. After I slowly paid that off, I started obtaining things I needed to build my foundation. I began purchasing the highest quality foods (vegan food is hella expensive, especially when you're trying to make gains), nice beauty products, art supplies, a drawing table, a Canon to shoot my artwork with, an iMac to replace my broken laptop, major car repairs, etc. Essentially it took me all year before I could start saving up. I just got my second raise, but even with the bump, I'm only making a measly $12.20 an hour. I hate how I feel like I'm wasting my time and talent, being stuck in a job I hate, that pays me horribly. It's so fucking frustrating.

I try to be hyper focused on my days off to temporarily bring me happiness, by drawing for eight hours, going to the gym, the beach, stretching for an hour, juicing, eating healthy and running errands. I almost feel like I'm living two lives right now. Four days a week I hate my life and I feel like a robot, just going through the motions and the other three days a week I have off, I'm so happy and full of life. I can't wait until that becomes everyday of the week.

How will that happen? Well, as soon as my art takes off and I'm able to start bringing in a steady income from art prints. How will that happen? The faster I produce art. I'm clocking about 25 hours a week right now and plan to have my next drawing completed on the 23rd.

I'm putting in the hard work and I need to pray and have faith that God/the Universe will bless me for it.

Ultimately, it comes down to trusting that everything will happen and manifest at the divine time in which it's meant to occur...but I just want it asap.

Much Love Guys

Saturday, February 4, 2017

Terrarium

I finally finished my first (of seventeen) drawings for the year! WOOHOO!! 

Terrarium, 11"x15", graphite and Prisma colored pencils, 2017.

I'm so in love with how it turned out!! If you're new to my blog, my best friend Michelle models for me and she left for New Zealand a month ago. Mich won't be home until the holidays, so because of this year long absence, we did all the photoshoots ahead of time. 

We started this series together (titled the Consciousness Series) back in 2013 and from '13-'15, twelve pieces were created. For whatever reason, I stopped working on the series for two years...probably so I could focus on getting my shit together. Anyways, I'm finally continuing the series and I couldn't be more excited. Because of my long ass sabbatical, I have so many ideas for this series, which is why I'm doing so many this year. :) By the end of this year, the series will consist of 29 pieces!! The stylistic direction I'm taking the series this year, is very dreamlike/alternate dimensions. 

Here's my work in progress:





The funny thing about this particular drawing, is that it wasn't planned for the series at all. This was a candid shot I captured of Michelle, while photographing her for a different drawing. The outfit and shoot was originally intended for a piece depicting her floating on top of a bubble, but as soon as I saw this photo, I scratched our initial idea and immediately felt the need to surround her in vibrant succulents. 

Here's a link to my Etsy shop if you'd like to check it out: Etsy Shop

I began the second drawing, which will be completed by February 23rd! For this piece, Michelle is sitting in a beautiful, lush garden with a galactic element infused in it. I can't wait to show you as soon as it's done!

Much Love Guys!