July 24, 2013

Finding Creative New Ideas Every Day


So, where do new art ideas come from anyhow?... Well, everywhere really. I'm finding even life's ordinary everyday moments can inspire fun & creative ideas for art!  :)

On an average spring or summer Saturday morning around our house (after blueberry pancakes & coffee with my husband Joe!), it's time for Joe to head out into the yard. He puts on his straw gardening hat & I know he's about to be in his "Happy Place." I can almost see him start to relax as he mows the grass & pulls the weeds & moves plants from one location to another more suitable home. Watching him from our kitchen window, I feel like I'm watching him "paint" his own very beautiful picture.

Of course, our Lab, Winnie, is sure to make it known that she wants to be out in the yard with Joe too! She lies by the basement door & whimpers (loudly!) 'til Joe has finally finished mowing the grass. Then it's time for her to head out into the backyard & "supervise" the gardening. I'm convinced this is the highlight of Winnie's entire week!  ;)

A simple, every week scene at our house... Who'da thought that something so normal could inspire anything creative???

A little side-note here... Winnie is a black lab, so I cheated when I colored her brown! I'm still figuring out how to work with areas of black in art & not have them look like a great big black hole!  :)

July 8, 2013

Greetings From A Corn Field



While visiting our family farm this past June, I began to wonder whether it might be wisest for me to focus more of my attention on growing my Zazzle shop during this season in our family life. Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE Etsy! (I really do!)... and I plan to continue to list my art there as much as I'm able to. But my husband & I are finding we need to be at the farm more often these days. It's not as easy keeping in touch with buyers when I'm out in the middle of a corn field, away from the internet!... and mailing art while I'm on the road has proven to be a pretty big challenge too!

Now, admittedly, I am not the best at making changes. But, with all the back-and-forth we've been doing between our home in North Carolina & the family farm in Virginia, I finally decided that moving to "Plan B" just might be the best option for me right now.

And so, I've started to design t-shirts for infants, toddlers & elementary-aged kids. It's really been lots of fun!... something I've always wanted to do, in fact. Maybe I just needed a gentle nudge from the Lord to move out in a brand new arty direction. The t-shirts join my growing selection of prints, cards & stamps that I offer in my Zazzle shop, PholkartStudio.



I'd sure LOVE to have your help in brainstorming new design ideas for baby & kids' tees! My sons are all grown up now, so it feels like a lifetime ago since I needed to be "in tune" with what little guys like to wear! Leave me a comment!... I'd love to hear from you!! :)