little crawlers

just these guys, not Abe... yet. I just put these up in his room yesterday and they look so great above his crib! I actually didn't realize until I finished these insects that they would match the colors in his room so nicely. I'll post a photo of them hanging in his room soon. And by soon I mean whenever I get around to taking a photo and then uploading the images. No promises on the blog here. It's hard to type with a little guy in my lap trying to chew on the computer cord. 

However, here's a quick preview of some of my new pieces. I took some different angles so you could see the layers of paper. I'm so excited about this series and plan to add some more critters to it soon. I'll keep you posted about when they make their debut in my shop.

and here's where you can find these little critters lately...

Lulu loves laying on the floor next to Abe in his jumper. She must pick up on the fact that he's very amused by her.

Amalgam: 17th Street Studio's Group Show

Come out and see what we've been up to behind the yellow window panes. 

This Friday

7-11pm

Fluorescent Gallery

Showcasing a few new insect studies in peppered paper!

Should be lots of fun. Look forward to seeing you there.

poster by: Perole Lind

time for change

Lots of new and exciting things happening around here, which calls for cleaning up and clearing out. Our little house can only handle so many plastic bins. 

sneak peak at light fixture now hanging in the nursery!

So, I'm cleaning out my inventory and retiring some prints. Like this one, one of my all time best sellers, I've got one left:

All my children's illustration prints are marked way down!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/PepperedPaper

Everything in my shop has FREE SHIPPING until November. 

(just for you, readers- use the coupon code, FREEPOST)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/PepperedPaper

Or, if you're in Knoxville, come see me at the Farmer's Market tomorrow where you can get the most delicious cake donuts imaginable or some pretty peppers.

We're getting so excited, and a little anxious about everything that I'd like to get done, we're having trouble sleeping, already. So, somedays I feel like Lu:

Don't forget to check out my sale and pass along the info to anyone you know who may be looking for some fun children's art prints, etc.

coupon code - FREEPOST 

shop - http://www.etsy.com/shop/PepperedPaper

Thanks!!!

It's a Bluegrass Banjo!!

      

It's really that simple! My new cut paper banjo is a bluegrass banjo as opposed to an old time banjo, like my original one. The bluegrass banjo (the one on your left) has a steel resonator behind the head, but I can't tell you much more than that. I would love to be able to pick away, but for now Laurence has convinced me I need to learn how to play the mountain dulcimer. I think it must be pretty simple.

Don't you love how these look together? I tried to use some of the same peppered paper for the new one to keep the colors similar. Maybe we'll hang both in the nursery when it's finished. I had one customer from Australia purchase a print of the old time banjo through my Etsy shop. He wrote and told me how excited he was to have it hanging in his baby boy's room, whose name is Banjo! It does have a nice ring to it, don't you think? ;)

Thanks so much to Patti who did some research and won this print in my first giveaway! Hurray! Both banjos are now listed in my Etsy shop.

Happy Banjo Giveaway!!!

Introducing my newest peppered paper instrument- another banjo! This was a commissioned piece by someone who saw a print of my first banjo, but had to have an original. I LOVE people who appreciate and purchase original art- LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!! I know original art can be expensive, which is why I offer high-quality prints, for people on a budget like me:) But, I am slowly trying to fill our little house with original works of art that make me happy and inspire me, and by doing so support a hard working artist.

However, for you, faithful readers, I'm having my first GIVEAWAY here on Peppered Paper! Let's say the first person to leave a comment saying what type of banjo this is, compared to my first banjo, gets a free 8x10 print of my newest piece- this banjo! It's very simple, so don't over think it, really just one word will describe it.

For those of you who have never ventured out of your email to comment, or who don't have a google reader, I've removed the login requirement. And, don't be shy, no one's reading the comments but me:)


Happy September, and happy giveaway day!!

summer o' chalk

The chalkboards I've been working on this summer are finished and hanging at the Aubrey's in Cleveland, TN! The represented food vendors each sponsored a board, but other than including their name I pretty much had complete creative freedom.

Here's a photo a friend took of the boards hanging in the restaurant: http://www.facebook.com/photo

This was such a fun project for me to take on this summer. It's certainly different than my work with cut paper, which seems tiny compared to these. There was some getting use to using the chalk pastels on the boards, as well as some experimenting with a varnish I wish had never happened, but overall I greatly enjoyed this project.

Because of the size of these boards I also had to get used to working in a public space, and let me tell you there is no shortage of entertaining characters working in and doing business with the hardwood company in East, TN whose salesroom I set up in. I had several people inquire about commissioning some art- one wants a huge mural of Neyland Stadium above his mantel, and another has an old milk crate he'd like a farm scene painted on. I had someone try to sell me life insurance, one instance of vandalism, a few sales lunches I was forced to participate in, and an email with photos of me working taken by someone I didn't even realize was there.

The best however was getting to see so many varied responses to my work. Everyone had a different "favorite" and I was always surprise by who liked what. I guess there's even more variety in the tastes of the Aubrey's diners who will be viewing these boards. I'd love to be able to poll all the people that enter the restaurant, but my next best option is to ask your opinion. There are eight total, the four posted above, and the first four from a previous post. Which one is your favorite???

peppering up some chalkboards

My work this summer has given me a little hiatus from working with scissors and glue. I miss paper! But, I've enjoyed returning to one of the first mediums I used as an artist, chalk pastels. They're so beautiful. I love the bright colors, of course, and using my now very calloused fingers to blend and smooth. It's the first time I've used these pastels on a chalkboard as opposed to paper, so there's much less tooth and lots more black coming through some of the more translucent colors. I'm learning to embrace the black and let it work as part of the designs, and learning to let go of some of my perfectionist tendencies- I think chalk is maybe the most impermanent medium out there. My deadline is to wrap these up before my belly starts smudging the chalkboard in front of me:)

I'll try to find some of the work I did in high school with chalk pastels to post for you soon. For now, here's some shots from my summer work thus far:

on my third set of pastels now:

wish I could collect the confetti chalk dust like I can my paper scraps:

this one is called "Ode to Dad":

getting ready to experiment with a fixative:

me at work- taken by an admirer I didn't know was there. I've had to get used to people watching me work as well this summer:

I'll post the next four soon! All of these chalkboards will be hanging in the dinning room at Aubrey's Restaurant in Cleveland, TN. Stop by if you happen to be driving through sometime. It's pretty much half way between Knoxville and Chattanooga. 

drawing on

"I believe that we learn by practice. Whether it means to learn to dance by practicing dancing or to learn to live by practicing living, the principles are the same. In each, it is the performance of a dedicated precise set of acts, physical or intellectual, from which comes the shape of an achievement, a sense of one's being, a satisfaction of spirit. One becomes, in some area, an athlete of God. Practice means to perform, over and over again in the face of all obstacles, some act of vision, of faith, of desire. Practice is a means of inviting the perfection desired." - Martha Graham

Meet Owen. He was a fellow student in a drawing class I took last month at the Knoxville Art and Crafts Center. As you can see, he much preferred modeling to drawing. He was an interesting fellow, but he is not the point of my drawing on post. The point- practice what you preach! And, practice, practice, practice. I'm a big believer that anyone can learn to draw. Yes, even you who are skeptically shaking your head right now and would likely say something about stick figures if we were having this conversation in person. It's like training for a marathon or taking singing lessons, ANYONE can do it. Sure, maybe there are some more naturally inclined to running, singing, or drawing than others, but it's very much a learned skill, which takes practice. So, there's my preaching on the matter. 

Now on to practicing what I preach. If I know drawing is a learned skill, and that I can only improve with practice, why do I have such a hard time making myself sit down to draw? When I entered the MFA program in illustration at SCAD, I was the only student who didn't have an undergrad degree in art- i.e. four years of intense drawing classes under my belt. It was difficult. I had some one discouraging professor, and I still have to fight my insecurity when it comes to drawing. I took any drawing class I could to improve, even drawing 1 with all the freshmen. I attended workshops and open drawing sessions and continuing education classes at other universities- and boy do I miss all that Atlanta has to offer when it comes to this type of activity. And look how much I improved- even in just four weeks, as you can see from the drawings above. I need to keep practicing! Hopefully I'll post some more sketching on here in the months to come, although posting these drawings is the most vulnerable I've felt blogging. 

You may have heard me talk about my love of color, texture, and design on here. So, why is drawing so important to me? First of all, it's a challenge and something I feel I really need to work at. Secondly, I'm an illustrator. Thirdly, and most importantly, it helps me see. As and artist and a human being, I need to see to understand shape and design and appreciate nuances of color and texture. You do too. If you were to sit for an hour and draw the winkles in your hand or your spouse's profile or a flower you would be amazed at how much is there. Our left brain tells us things just are a certain way because of facts, so most of the time we're too lazy to really even look, but our right brain allows us to see, and therefore appreciate, what's really there. 

Left Brain/ Right Brain is probably for another time, but here's a list of some fun and important right brain activities: loving, dancing, laughing, allowing, being, kissing, driving, showering, accepting, exercising, swimming, listening to music, playing music, smelling cinnamon, cooking, eating, drawing... 

Did you know that people use drugs to get the same effects of tapping into the right brain? How I long for our culture to slow down and breathe, and live life to the full!

Did you also know Van Gogh is well known for struggling, improving, and practicing his drawing:

"In spite of everything I shall rise again: I will take up my pencil, which I have forsaken in my great discouragement, and I will go on with my drawing."

Some of his practicing:

So, whatever it is you'd like to do better... draw on friends!

the great les paul

Honestly, I didn't realize how revered the les paul is until I started doing some research for this commissioned piece. I was so glad to receive this request, as an electric guitar would not have been next on my list of peppered instruments to create. I love the energy and vibrancy of the paper, with it's exciting textures and colors, combined with the clean crisp edges of the guitar's famous shape. It's subtle and loud at the same time, just like the sound of a clean note reverberating through the pick ups. I really don't know much about pick ups either, but, it's electric, don't you think?

Prints are now available in my Etsy shop, where you can see my other peppered instruments too. 

Here are some photos of the original, not the best lighting, but you can see the detail of the cut paper a little better:

Any ideas for my next peppered instrument?

Just Getting Started

When you're not concerned with succeeding, you can work with complete freedom. 
 - Larry David

I keep thinking about something Larry David shares in the special features of one of the Seinfeld dvds. (It's been a while, but I have watched them all... with the commentary on.) He explains the paralysis he experienced after writing every episode, wondering if he'd be able to do it again, to at least meet the standard set for himself by attaining a certain level if not aspiring to greater achievement. I know, it sounds miserable, and a little bit high strung in typical Larry David fashion. Yet I find myself stuck in a similar mindset more often than I'd like- paralyzed with fear and doubt, questioning my ability, my creativity, even the value of my calling as an artist. It's why the most difficult part of a project for me is getting started, always. I doubt my success before I even begin. I worry I won't be able to do it again, or that I'll experience some sort of regression instead of progression in my work, even though I know there is no such thing as regression in the creative process, that every step, stumbly though it may be, is moving me forward. Is there any redeeming quality in this sort of thinking? Some sort of adrenaline? Maybe. But, I really don't think there's any freedom in this fear, which is problematic because freedom is an essential ingredient in creativity.

So, step one: admission. Now what? How do I control this type of thinking? What am I even trying to prove, and to whom? I know my best work comes from within me, with no ulterior motive of trying to please someone else's aesthetic- I've learned the hard way. And, yes, I truly believe that work, sub par as it may be, has moved me forward in my creative journey. I also know what that moment feels like, when all is right in the world, when I am moving and creating from someplace bigger than myself, that moment that escapes as soon as I try to grab hold of it. I've never experienced that moment when consumed with living up to some standard, even if self imposed. The two cannot coexist. The good news however, if I can just get started, that moment will likely come again. I think that's really what my work is about- not the outcome, certainly not the money, but that elusive beauty of participating in the creative process, which I'm a full believer in. So, struggling with fear and working through doubts, often just stumbling along, I find there is redemption in my work as an artist. If only I could remember this every time I'm coming up with thousands of things to do instead of just getting started.

Picture This and a Compliment

Last Friday I had the privilege of being a guest speaker for a few third grade classes in South Knoxville. A neighbor invited me to share a little about my work after her class read a book entitled What Do Illustrators Do? Before I knew it, all of the third grade teachers were eager to have me visit their classrooms as well! I found out later that the principle even snuck into the back of one room to hear about my work. I'm glad I didn't know before hand, because I was already a little bit nervous about presenting to the third graders. However, they proved to be a much better audience than my community college students.

I started by talking about how pictures work. And, I have an amazing secret tool: a picture book about picture books, Picture This by Molly Bang. It's really one of my all time favorite books. It continues to inspire and astonish me every time I pull it out. I was introduced to this book when getting my MFA, and I taught it to several college level art appreciation classes, so I was very curious to know how third graders would respond to it.

The book tells the story of Little Red Ridding Hood using simple shapes and colors, emphasizing the use of composition. I let the students guess the best possible shape, color, size, and placement for the varying elements in the story. It was great to hear the younger students' very raw unfiltered responses to changing up these simple visual elements. For example, when the trees are tilted instead of standing vertically... ooooh, when Little Red Ridding Hood, a red triangle, shrinks in size in the midst of the now very scary tilted black rectangles, the woods... ahhhh, and when the wolf's teeth are changed from black to white, popping off of the background even more dramatically.... squeals and laughter. It was great fun! What a testament to how powerfully pictures evoke emotion. Even if unable to explain what specifically they were moved by, even if it was subconscious, each student had a strong response to the changing four colors and very basic shapes.

After this exercise I read my "dummy" book, which is a mock-up book sent to publishing companies. The students were very curious about my work, and it was so much fun to explain the process of writing and illustrating my book, If Peaches Grew on Peachtree Street. I got lots of great questions, heard lots of their own ideas for books, and had several very encouraging compliments. However, there was one little girl sitting in the front row a little bit timid about the question she was about to ask me. With eyes wide and her mouth open in disbelief, she raised her hand and asked in a very soft wisper, "Did you illustrate all of the Dr. Seuss books?!?" I smiled and chuckled a little bit, and then said, "No. Did my book remind you of those books?" She nodded. Best compliment ever.

If Peaches Grew on Peachtree Street

a merry christmas to you with paper and glue!

before

after

It's obvious by now I love scrap paper. Really, I love color and texture, and I can't bear to get rid of anything as vibrant and tactile as painted paper. So, I save all the little bits of scraps that fall on my desk when I'm shaping away. Is this crazy of me? I just always think there might be a use for them one day. I guess I shouldn't be so annoyed with Laurence collecting any piece of scrap wood he can fit into our garage. Though, I can fit an amazing amount of paper in a tiny ziploc bag.

Anyway, the "one day" came when I threw one of my tiny ziplocs filled with scrap paper along with some glue into the car before heading home for Thanksgiving. It turned out not to be as compact and tidy of a craft as I had hoped; the paper from the tiny ziploc could easily be scattered across most of the dinning room table. Though I didn't get as many cards made as I would have liked, at least it's a start. Now if only I could start on the Christmas cards, projects, crafts, etc. in July, maybe they would all get done in time for the holidays next year. Somehow I don't see that happening. Oh, well. Merry Christmas!

Repeat the Sounding Joy!

It's been a hectic month thus far, and it's not looking like it's slowing down any time soon! Sometimes I envy the life of Lu...

but, when I'm not basking in the sun, here's where you can find me this weekend:

I designed the postcard below to help advertise our neighborhood's holiday home tour, and this year we have our lights up in time!! It's such a fun and festive holiday event with everyone bundled up walking through the beautiful old streets, visiting the lovely decorated homes, and stopping by the time warp tea room for some hot cocoa! Check out the info below, if you can make it, it's definitely worth it!

Next on the agenda, the Holiday Extravaganza! Come see the Christmas parade tonight, which will pass right in front of the Emporium on Gay Street, then stop in to get some local goods and art to check off your list! It's sure to be lively and festive with all the First Friday happenings.

Ahh, and finally, what I'm most looking forward to, Lessons and Carols Service at our church. I hear there's going to be a banjo and some Sufjan inspired Christmas hymns. Because I can't chill out as easily as Lulu can sometimes, I just keep thinking about the joy and calm we celebrate this season, "All is calm, all is bright."

*Lovely poster design by Mark and Caryn, of Smelling Oranges!