Spring is upon us!

Good morning!

What a beautiful day for a Spring launch! Over here in Vancouver, BC the sun is shining and it really does feel like Spring!

On to the bigger news! My Spring collection has just launched! This collection is my favorite so far. Now this is a funny statement as this is my first real collection, usually I'll set up new prints on my website as I complete the drawing. I think it's mostly due to being excited about a piece but also with I have a full-time job, it's hard to schedule out when I can put together a full collection.

The reality for many artists...

About 2 months ago I started feeling a little bit out of touch with what I was drawing. I felt a bit of disconnect and what I think is

similar to writers block. When I sat down to draw, nothing was happening. It felt forced. I think one of the hardest things artists (and probably a lot of other creative professions) go through is comparing yourself to others. It can be easy to fall into the slump of feeling like your work isn't good enough, so and so is doing a way better job, if you are like me and still building your business, the time is to dedicate to your art is limited.

First steps

My first step was acknowledging those doubts and accepting them, then moving on to making some changes. There was a lot of time spent scouring Pinterest, looking at color palettes, home décor aesthetic, and moods, after a while it became quite evident the things that made me happy. Slowly the spark came back and the ideas flowed naturally.

This all leads back to this new collection. I didn't have the goal to create a collection nor that it would include x amount of illustrations. I just let the ideas flow and because I had gone back to basics and what makes me truly happy, it naturally came and grew into a cohesive collection.

I was happy that my past self chose a pretty coral color for my website, subconsciously this aesthetic was already there! A trip to home depot, some plywood and paint, I created a coral and white backdrop to take product photos on. Then off to my local florist shop for 'photo props'. She's got the most beautiful 'dry bar' full of dry flowers, bunnytails, pampas, etc. It was hard to hold back!

Overall I'm so happy I took the time to 'get back to basics' and really find my aesthetic. Once I allowed myself to take a step back, everything naturally fell into place because it was all coming from the most authentic place. Not to say I'm not proud of my work prior to this, every piece I have created has been with intention and ultimately gotten me to where I am now. But this Spring collection is definitely 'me'. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed the process of creating it!

You've done! You've made it to the end! As always, thank you for reading, skimming, or just looking at the photos. I appreciate you just being here!