The Hygge Collection

Big news! I will be the featured maker for the Wicked Soaps Co November Subscription box!!

I hope everyone is holding strong through such a difficult year. 2020 has brought me my own set of challenges over the months. From months of art blocks and lack of motivation, to spurts of house projects as I work from home. Which is why when I was approached by Wicked Soaps Co to contribute to their Hygge collection it gave me the burst of inspiration that I needed!

It gave me the perfect balance of challenge, inspiration, and openness for creativity. The first question of course was, why IS Hygge. Simply is a Norwegian meaning the feeling of cozy. And honestly it’s something I think us Americans need to learn to embrace especially as the months get darker and colder this year. So I thought, what are things that give me warmth? What makes me feel cozy? And I must have drawn over 20 different ideas! I finally painted 6 different watercolors trying to find the perfect cozy feeling. Then based off of those 6 I created the perfect item for those cold days where we need that extra warmth.

That item is what will be in the subscription box for this month. I am so honored to be featured and to have my art included for so many people to enjoy and hopefully give them a smile when they need it. My hope is that I can do a lot more with this collection and even expand it. I feel these would make great prints or cards. Something as a reminder of how we need to share that warmth within with others.

I can’t wait to share the final product once the box is revealed!

Saturday Markets This Summer!

Some exciting news for this summer! My good friends at West Michigan Artists and Makers Pop-Up Market invited me to join their First Saturday Markets this summer! Starting in June until October they will be hosting a pop-up market of 20 makers and artists at the Guardian Brewing Company in Saugatuck, MI.

I will be joining from July to October, so I hope that some Dreaming Sakura fans will be able to stop by and say hello!

I am so thankful for the West Michigan Artists and Makers Pop-Up Market as they were the first ones to believe in Dreaming Sakura and my potential as a beginning artist. It’s thanks to them that I got everything together and I keep on trying to get my artwork out there for everyone to enjoy.

Even though I am a Detroit artist I have some wonderful and supportive friends that make the trip worth it and make the 3 hour drive across state totally worth it.

I am nervous and excited for such a big event. But I would also like some advice from you, what would you like to see from Dreaming Sakura at these markets (that will also be posted on Etsy)?

Do you want to see more floral, space, or sunsets and sceneries? I’ve heard people would love stationary, and coasters along with prints, are there any special requests?

Accepted!

Windmill Island

Exciting news my friends! For the first time I had a painting accepted into a screened and juried show.

So what is a screened show? It’s when the juror goes through and either accepts or rejects paintings. Sometimes it’s based off of a theme, or their style, or just their mood for the day. It’s honestly anyone’s guess what will and won’t be accepted. I’ve tried several times in the past with online submissions, but have gotten rejected from all of them up until now.

The juried portion of a show? It means that the juror gave places to their favorites. The number of awards will depend on the number of entries or specifics of the show.

This time it was for the Artist’s Society of Dearborn Spring Showcase. I joined this group in September and they are extremely kind people and so inspirational. A lot of the artists in the group are professionals or lifetime painters, so it’s great to have my work among them!

For this show I submitted three paintings, Cherry Blossom Path, Pier Michigan, and Windmill Island. Windmill Island made it into the show. The judge today decided to accept paintings based off of a theme she picked from the paintings. The theme wasn’t too clear and we won’t know her judging process until the end of the show on March 26th when we will hear the critiques. At that time I can also bring in the two paintings that were rejected where they can be critiqued as well.

Honestly when I went to the library to pick up my paintings after the judging I was preparing myself mentally to see all three paintings in the reject pile. I feel very accomplished that one is accepted, but still a little sad that two were rejected. I just try to remember, if it was a different day or a different person all three could have been accepted, or rejected.

Reading my words here, it makes me think. Making art isn’t about being accepted or rejected, it’s about making myself happy and enjoying the process. I didn’t start painting to enter competitions or sell my art. I started to find a way to help me deal with the depression I’ve been struggling to overcome. If people like it, that’s great and makes me so happy. If people buy it, it warms my heart to know it’s found a new home. But if I find joy in painting the piece, then that’s the most important part and the reason to keep on doing it.

The only problem is when I run out of wall space!

Buttons, Business Cards, and Banners. Oh my!

Here's a preview of some of the stuff I've been working on to be ready for the West Michigan Artist and Maker's Pop Up on August 8th! Above is the logo I used for some buttons that I am waiting to ship from Stickermule.com, they had an amazing deal that made me have to give it a try. At the same time, since this is my first real event, I need actual marketing things, like business cards and a banner for my booth! I'm using a design similar to above for both so I am excited to see how they turn out. 

I am so incredibly nervous and excited for this event. This will be the first time that my stuff will be for sale! Anything that doesn't sell during this event I will load onto an Etsy page as well. I will have my original canvases, watercolors, and prints of the watercolors. 

I have to say how thankful and grateful I am to have such a wonderful group of people let me join for my first event. I really hope that as many people can come out as possible to see the talented makers and artists who will be with me.