tool time

I find it hard to believe, but it's quickly nearing a year for me as a freelancer. It seems like yesterday that I started out on my own. It hasn't been easy, but I've learned a lot along the way - and there's still so much more to learn! For instance, if anyone has any tips on how not to panic every day during a dry spell PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I think I'm finally coming out of it, but it's been a little scary these past couple months.

A year, I realize, is hardly anything in the scope of a career, but since I've made it this far I wanted to celebrate a little.... and what better way than to highlight some of my daily routine and favorite tools?

breakfast /  It's the most important meal of the day, doncha know? It's also my favorite meal, there are so many different options! Pancakes! Hashbrowns! Bacon! Fruit! Coffee! Mimosas! But of course, during the work week I try to keep it simple (and non-alcoholic!). 

This week's breakfast "jams" (haha):

-Iced coffee, made from Trader Joe's cold press concentrate. It's making my life so much easier guys.

-Yogurt! Nom nom nom.

-Toasted baguette with my secret raspberry jalapeño jam that I only ever find at Kowalskis.

pens + pencils /  Years and years of buying art supplies leads any artist to become weirdly specific about their drawing utensils. Personally I like mechanical pencils - there's something about that always sharp point that I cannot get enough of. 

other favorite drawin' tools:

-my wacom bamboo (pictured)! Works perfectly, and the tablet has a touchpad feature that you can turn on and off easily... which is nice when you accidentally leave your mouse on all the time and it runs out of batteries... not like I do that or anythingggggg

-Staedtler Mars plastic eraser, for all those mistakes 

-Pigma Graphic 1, a beautiful felt tip pen with archival ink that is perfect for consistent line quality.

-Kuretake Zig Letter Pen (pictured). Here is the thing about Japanese pens: THEY ARE AMAZING. This pen has a dreamy slightly flexible nib for varying line weight, AND you can buy different body colors and different ink refill colors! AH what a dream.

computer things /  When you don't work around other human beings it's good to have the aid of your computerized friends!

-NETFLIX. If if I don't meet a friend during the day to work at a coffee shop or to chat over lunch I will generally turn on a TV show over lunch. It's a nice mental break, and I'm able to catch up on shows that Bryan wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole.... like FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS. How did I live so long without this charming program in my life?! Landry (for the lols) and Riggins (for the hots) alone make it worth the watch. 

-Clocked is the result of my exhaustive pouring over every single time keeping app in the app store. This guy is simple to use, not too many bells and whistles to mess me up and pretty to boot! It even reminds me to take a breather ever once in awhile... and has made keeping track of my hours so much easier.

-Spotify! This one is a no brainer, right? I am not a CD collector by any means, so Spotify is the best way for me to keep up with new music AND satisfy my need for some good ol' bad top 40 tunez.

-89.3 The Current, aka my other way to listen to music without buying CDs. Wherever my life takes me, I will be a lifelong member of Minnesota Public Radio because of this little station. Even if you don't live in Minnesota you should give their livestream a try.. the scope of music they play might surprise you!

Do you work from home? What keeps you on task and excited every day?

full moon

Okay children of the VHS era. (and beyond, I suppose), how many of you had a movie that you always put on when you stayed home sick from school? Like chicken noodle soup and a couch full of blankets, it's something comforting that you know you can count on when you feel like crap.

The NeverEnding Story was definitely my sick movie. My mom probably realized that it had the great combo of being long for a children's movie, excitement, fun creatures, and a pretty princess. What else do you need?! That's all I could think about when the Silver Screen Society asked me if I'd do a piece based on the movie for this month's series. Sorry Atreyu & Artax, I know you guys are the tops but the Childlike Empress is totally my jam. I mean, just look at this shot from her set. THAT DRESS. I die.

I also sized this piece so you can print it out and use it as a BOOKMARK. OOOOH, AHHH! Just in case, you know, you want to go out and read the book version. Download the hi-res bookmark file here.

Since it's Friday and maybe you need some tunes to jam out to, here are a couple songs I listened to in order to get into the Moonchild state of mind.

clogs - cocodrillo

the dirty projectors + björk - on and ever onward

island in the sun

After traveling to Michigan (Canton -> Charlevoix -->Beaver Island) for a week and then California for a long weekend shortly after I am finally home. Being away from home for so long was pretty hard, I'm the kinda girl that likes the feel of her own bed, no matter how cheap the mattress is. Don't get me wrong though, both trips were AMAZING. 

Beaver Island has been my family's home away from home since I was a little kid. We'd go up there for two weeks every single summer... until I had an AWFUL 7 year hiatus which came to an end this summer. Along with my newly engaged brother and his rad lady we drove up to the tip of the mitten, took a ferry and arrived on this enchanted place. I keep telling people that it is almost IMPOSSIBLE to express the strange wonderfulness of Beaver Island, but it's true. It's a small town, it's an artistic community, it's a haven for wierdos... I don't know, you have to just go experience it yourself. 

We can talk about Los Angeles and my Katie-filled weekend later, but for now let's look at some photos from Michigan.

mitten jokes

 

 

clockwise: the emerland islander sets sail / dad's dilly beans & hot dogs / jake on the big rock / after fishing

the view from our deck

 

local flora / protar's tomb

don't worry, that's a bb gun

shaping up

I've been playing around with a lot of shapes in pleasant pastel colors for a personal project, and some of the initial doodles I did were too cute not to slap some eyeballs on and animate in photoshop. Hey kids: you too can go to art school and take one animation class and retain NONE OF IT, and then 5 years later figure out how to animate in photoshop and go do your own thing!

These little buddies work perfectly with my summer playlist, which I made last year but keep adding to whenever I find something that fits my ideal summer dreams: friends in the car, driving to the beach with the windows down and no plans other than eating snacks and reading trashy magazines.

clothes line

I finally said it out loud a week ago and haven't been able to stop thinking about it: I'm in a fashion rut. It seems redonk - my closet is definitely as full as it can get (small apartment), and it's full of pieces I really like. But something's not right, there's a disturbance in the force. My tastes are changing or I'm getting bored with what I have. Summer is certainly tricky in Minnesota, since most of the year I'm hoarding and wearing cold weather clothing, and then July rolls around and HELLO 90 degree weather! (Everyone who lives in a hotter state is probably laughing bitterly at me for complaining about this)

It would be nice if I could just run out and drop boom boom dollars on new clothing, but currently I'm trying to keep my extraneous spending at a minimum. Freelance life, baby. I'M ROLLING IN THE UNSTEADY AND UNTRUSTWORTHY DOLLARS. Maybe that's a good thing, though, because now I have time to plan. Have you ever felt like you need a total closet revamp? What do you do, because (real talk) I feel like sitting on the ground and crying until someone fixes it for me. And here's the thing: it's just clothing, and I have what I need. So I'm trying to remember that through all this frustration.

I've been paying extra attention to the ladies that make it onto my outfit inspiration board: what is it that draws me to their style? Bryan pointed out the other day that I seem to be the happiest (and look the best) in outfits with simple but interesting pieces that fit well, and that's what I'm seeing on these ladies:

natalie off duty / andy t

fashion is a playground / lucy laucht (at least I've already got a hat like this!)

I'll let you know, dearest bloggie, if I ever remedy this very non-emergency issue... but in the meantime, who wants to give me a makeover? Preferably while we listen to the entire Clueless soundtrack.

petal pusher

A T T E N T I O N ! Are you a recently married person/celebrating a wedding anniversary/looking for a belated wedding gift/just like paintings of flowers? Well my friend, I have just the thing for you!

As of now I'm taking commissions to do illustrated portraits of your wedding bouquet! The world of freelance is a fun but prickly place, and I'm looking into any avenue that will allow me to keep making art but also, you know, provide myself sustenance and shelter. I think it's pretty clear by now that I love love love drawing flowers and plants of all kinds, and I've been getting back into watercolor on the regular, so this was the clear next step.

Some details, if you're interested in one for yourself or some newlyweds that you know and like:

-The painting will be 9x9 inches, perfectly sized for this simple frame from Ikea

-This is not a print, you'll get the original watercolor painting!

-Pricing will range on the complexity of your chosen bouquet, starting at $100. 

-Shipping within the U.S. is included, if you're international we'll work something out. (And if you're in the Twin Cities I'd be happy to do a drop off at a local coffee shop!)

-I am by no means a student of realism, so this will be a stylized painting. See below for details.

-The process will take about two weeks to complete (before shipping), unless you'd like to approve a sketch, in which case I can't quite estimate the timing.

-Paypal is my preferred method of payment, and unfortunately I won't be able to offer refunds.

If you're super into this idea, here's what I'll need from you:

-Photos of the bouquet from different angles. 

-If you'd like, the exact wording for you & your partner's name and the date of your wedding.

-An initial e-mail from you so we can talk pricing and my schedule.

As a warm up for this project the lovely Maggie volunteered to be my first customer. Guys, Maggie is seriously the sweetest and most adorable person ever. Here are some more photos from when we installed it in her (also sweet and adorable) apartment:

 Here's an example of the "stylization" I'm talking about - a photo from Maggie's wedding day (by the great Gene Pease) vs. a scan of the painting itself. Also watercolor is a serious pain to scan - does anyone have any tips? 

summer lovin'

This post of summer photos (film & iphone-made) is brought to you by the following:

-Katie's sunglasses 

-This song, on repeat

-Fishing off the dock

-as many fancy salads as I have time for (1, 2, 3, 4!)

-multiple viewings of Dazed & Confused 

-learning how to do a french fishtail.