Being an artist means getting to know yourself on a deep level. We have to dig deep into what we care about and somehow express that in our chosen medium.
Making art is a process of learning to respect and love ourselves. Just taking the time to make art is a huge act of self-respect.
Showing up over the course of several months to make portraits hasn’t been easy. Some days I was barely able to ‘phone it in’. I didn’t have as much time as I wanted to really dive in. It would have been easy to abandon it. But something I have learned about myself: I’d rather lower my own expectations and stay with it than abandon it because of some notion of perfection or excellence.
I’m finishing a week after the rest of the tribe, barely getting over the finish line. I feel successful in my quest to improve my skills. I have had fun seeing improvement.
As I continue this adventure of self-discovery and expression, I am grateful for the art and writing that continues to reveal me to me. Thanks for sharing in this process, and for cheering me on. Your encouragement means a lot to me.
100/100 Portrait of the artist Cynthia Morris 9 x 12 watercolor on Hahnemuhle paper
drawing
Inspired by Maira Kalman
I first discovered Maira Kalman’s funny and colorful illustrations in the Illustrated Elements of Style (Strunk and White). What could be better than a stuffy grammar book made entertaining by irreverent visual interpretations?
From there, I enjoyed Maira’s other books such as The Principles of Uncertainty. I’ve been an ardent fan and student from afar, studying her style and voice. She’s fiercely smart and joyfully expressed, and I’ve learned a lot from her visual narratives in the New York Times.
One day a few years ago, I was walking the High Line in New York with a friend. Suddenly, I spotted Maira walking with her friend. OMG! I grabbed my friend’s arm. It’s Maira Kalman! I SO SO wanted to talk to her, but when I am in the presence of someone I deeply admire, I turn quite shy. We followed her for a few steps before I realized I couldn’t bring myself to approach her.
I remain a dedicated fan and admirer of Maira’s art and multi-faceted, wildly creative life. Thank you, Maira, for being so wholly and exuberantly creative.
Let’s get intimate with pastries in Paris!
Pain au chocolat in the morning, a fruit tart with afternoon tea…maybe an eclair sneaked in on the run. My all-time favorite Paris pastry shop is in my new Paris e-book.
Find out where I get the best pastries in Visit Paris Like an Artist. You will love this unconventional guide to travel and art! Your copy is waiting for you now, and so is your inner artist. RSVP for fun here.
Half Caff pattern
Since the cleanse I have been drinking my coffee with very little caffeine. I love this pattern representing all the cups of coffee at half caffeine. 
Dancing Cups and Glasses
Another cup pattern in my #365cups series.
View in Instagram ⇒
Cup Party
153/365 Cups, 6″ x 6″ watercolor and ink on paper. More fun pattern play!
View in Instagram ⇒
My favorite coffee drinks
8″ x 8″ watercolor, ink and marker on paper. I love all three of these coffee drinks. I believe each one of them has a specific amount and should be served in a specific kind of cup or glass. When somebody serves me a cappuccino in a giant bowl cup, it drives me crazy.
Greens and Cups
8″ x 8″ watercolor and ink on paper. It’s so fun to play with pattern and color. I love how this watercolor pattern in my 365 Cups series turned out.
Going on a caffeine cleanse
First day without coffee! So far, so good. Maybe making coffee art will supplant my desire/need for drinking it! ☕️
View in Instagram ⇒
Happy New Year!
My prediction: 2017 will bring out more powerful art than ever. At the suggestion of a friend, I made a set of cards for the suit of cups in Tarot.
Tarot is a card game that is often used for divination. The cups suit pertains to the water realm, ruling the emotions. My cups suit depicts the emotional journey of creating. Cards one through ten lead us through the creative process and the Royal cards serve as guides.
I’ve been using tarot for many years to guide me. Making this set of cards was fun and I hope you enjoy.Let’s start with one. One – The singular clarity of a new idea strikes like a bell. This feeling of creative inspiration gives us great joy and exuberance. 2017 is a 1 year, a time to initiate and act.
What will you make this year?
The singular clarity of a new idea strikes like a bell. This feeling of creative inspiration gives us great joy and exuberance.
View in Instagram ⇒
Happy Thanksgiving, sip by sip!
Giving thanks with each sip, every day. I’m so grateful for my life and my art and the people in my life who love me and contribute to me. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Photo taken at: Denver, Colorado
View in Instagram ⇒
Lost in the coffee maze!
Since I’ve been doing this 365 cup series I’ve consumed a lot of coffee. I’ve also learned a lot about coffee and some days I feel like I’m in the coffee maze. Soon I will be adding other beverages to my daily mix.
Lost in the coffee maze! Since I’ve been doing this 365 cup series I’ve consumed a lot of coffee. I’ve also learned a lot about coffee and some days I feel like I’m in the coffee maze. Soon I will be adding other beverages to my daily mix.
So many people
These days I’m practicing drawing people, especially faces. In a class I’m taking at Sketchbook Skool, drawing a face a day was one of the assignments, so I was right on track for getting lots of practice. Sometimes I get very overwhelmed when I think about how many people there are in the world. Every person holds a million stories.
All those stories! All the hopes, dreams, fears and lives that are changing every single minute. It makes my head spin. And my heart break. I will never know all those stories. I can only know my own and the stories and lives of a few people I know.
This piece is for all the people in the world. May we all have peace, love and a sense of home.
Photo taken at: Paris, France
From the studio
Days are better when I get a creative quickie in. Yesterday I spent an hour here, on the phone with a friend, lettering some of my Journey Blessings. Will you slip in a creative quickie for yourself today?
View in Instagram ⇒
Creativity Book Review: An Illustrated Journey by Danny Gregory
I’ve been waiting for this book, the second in a series by Danny Gregory, for a long time.
Here’s my enthusiastic video book review of An Illustrated Journey by Danny Gregory.
