Today's Inspiration: The Death of an Insect

I have been doing a bit of moth/butterfly research for an upcoming project. I came across this incredible work by the Finnish animation team of Hannes Vartiainen & Pekka Veikkolainen. I just had to share it.

This is experimental animation at it's best. This film was created with stop motion, 3D modeling and CT Scans. You can check out more of their work here.


The Death of an Insect - Erään hyönteisen tuho from Pohjankonna Oy on Vimeo.
Enjoy!

It's Meetup Time...Happy September!

Joy of a Fallen Leaf by Arthur Rackham, 1906 via Plum Leaves

 I just love September! There is just something about the crispness in the air that brings me back to hard work and learning new things. Last month was ok. I got a few things done but clearly not enough. As a small business owner, September forces you to kick yourself in the butt and get all those ideas that have been floating in your head all summer to become reality.

Saying all that, here's what I have planned for the month:

1. I've got a few custom portraits in the works, create a system to get multiple projects going at once. 
2. Create a final cover and back cover for my book.
3. Work on couple Halloween projects...yay for spookiness!
4. Add a few new pieces to my Foundlings Series.
5. Create a few new Writers Portraits, I've working on Virginia Woolf and Oscar Wilde right now!
6. Update my portfolio with book pieces.
7. Contact a few blogs/websites about my work.
8. Apply to City Arts Gallery
9. Research Holiday Fairs...Apply!
10. Finish book!
11. Learn the ins and outs of self-publishing.

Ok, now breathe! Are you excited about September? What projects are you most excited about?

What's The Meetup? Do you have any business goals to share? You are welcome to join us at The Meetup, where creative people join together online and encourage each other to share their goals and dreams each month. Sound interesting to you? You can find out more here.

 

Illustration Hero - Jessie Willcox Smith

Jessie Willcox Smith (1863- 1935) was an amazing illustrator.  She is one of my all time favorites. Jessie was a bit late to art, starting drawing after age 20. She was taught by the incredible Howard Pyle. Her work is beautifully done and was created with a mix of charcoal and oil paints. Jessie illustrated many books (my favorite being The Water- Babies) and created over 200 covers Good Housekeeping magazine as well as ads for Kodak, Ivory Soap, and Procter and Gamble.

Jessie never had kids but she was pretty much a genius in capturing the expressions and energy of children. I also am on love with her palette. There is such a earthiness to her colors. Her colors are both soft and strong. I think that she has been forgotten a bit through the years, perhaps over shadowed by her male counterparts. But that just makes me want to study her work even more. Here are a few of my favorites Jessie Willcox Smith's paintings.

From The Water Babies, 1916

from The Water Babies, 1916

from The Water Babies, 1916

Elizabeth Shippen Green, Violet Oakley, Jessie Willcox Smith and Henrietta Cozens in their Chestnut Street studio, ca. 1901

Red Cross Poster, 1918

Bed Time c.1902

Little Red Riding Hood c.1911

Morning, 1908

Little Miss Muffet, 1914

Mother Kissing Baby, 1904

Young Girl Playing, 1902

Jessie Willcox Smith in her Stdio, 1917

Amazing work, don't you think? Pretty inspiring to see such amazing woman artists from so long ago. I wonder if it is still possible to have a illustration career like she had? It makes me wonder, would you buy more magazines if they had more incredible art like this on the cover? I definitely would.

Do you have a favorite classic illustrator? Who inspires you?


Well, as they say, I better get back to the drawing board....

New Work...Emily Dickinson

Here's the second painting for my series, The Writer's Project.

Miss Emily Dickinson is one of my favorite poets. Her work is so heartbreaking and sincere. I can help but feel such sadness and loneliness when I read her work. I tend to wonder, would her life have been any different if more of her poems were known before her death? Or was she happy to keep herself and everything else locked up in her little room?

 If I Can Stop

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.

- Emily Dickinson

Much Madness

Much madness is divinest sense
To a discerning eye;
Much sense the starkest madness.
’T is the majority
In this, as all, prevails.
Assent, and you are sane;
Demur,—you ’re straightway dangerous,
And handled with a chain.

- Emily Dickinson

 

I hope you like her. And as always, this print is now available in my shop.

New Month...New Possibilities!

Playground Springies (detail) by Debbie Styer 2013

I'm ready to start August anew! July flew by but I was able to get a lot done.

1. I finished my first of my writers series, Edgar Allan Poe.
2. I created new blog post and illustrations for "The Declaration of You! blog lovin' tour.
3. I entered the Lilla Rogers Global Talent Search, (see illustration above) I didn't get to the next level but, man, did I learn a lot. I'm definitely going to enter more illustration contests. Do any of you know of any good ones?

August is always an intense month for me. It's my birthday (hello 42!) and it is the crazy catch up/planning for the upcoming holiday season. I also need to figure out my next big career steps and change my direction a bit.

It has been difficult lately, as any freelancer know, jobs tend to ebb and flow, and I need to figure out how to get it all a bit more balanced if possible. Here's my business plans for August.

1. Design postcards to send to publishers.
2. Create dream lists of art directors and publications.
3. Learn best way to approach blogs about my work.
4. Finish book!
5. Design cover for book.
6. Create at least 2 new illustrations a week.
7. Blog 2x a week.
8. Help out with SFEtsy Bootcamp!
9. Increase hours at New Bohemia Signs.
10. Create a illustration logo!
11. Relax a bit and enjoy a mini vacation with my husband! 

I think that gives me enough to do this month... Yeesh! Here's to a fabulous August! I hope you all get tons of work done!

What's The Meetup? Do you have any business goals to share? You are welcome to join us at The Meetup, where creative people join together online and encourage each other to share their goals and dreams each month. Sound interesting to you? You can find out more here.

 

The Declaration of You! Learning to Trust

Learning to Trust the Universe by Debbie Styer 2013

I am excited to write my third and final post for The Declaration of You! Blog Lovin' Tour. As some of you know, I took the Declaration of You! e-course a few years ago and fell in love with it. It pointed me in right direction and asked the kind of deep questions to get me off the coach and on to the work I was meant to bring into this world...  The book The Declaration of You! (which is inspired by the the e-course) by Michelle Ward and Jessica Swift and is out now for you all to enjoy.

This Week's topic: Trust!

I'm pretty hard on myself so trust is a difficult thing for me. I thought I had to make exactly all the right decisions in order for my life to work out miraculously perfect. If anything didn't work out as I planned, the self doubt and fear flowed...Sound like you?

Here's a little story on how I learned trust...

Now, I must say,  I'm not a hugely religious person but years ago,  before I met my amazing husband, I was having the worst time meeting anyone to love me. Sad but very true. Everything seemed to go wrong, the guys I was meeting were pretty terrible (both online and in the real world). I just didn't get it. The more I tried to control what was happening to me the worse it got, and the more desperate I got. It was not a pretty picture. And I was miserable.

Then one day things changed...I just let go. Everyday I would walk by this beautiful church and instead of pleading Help Me to God (or the Universe, Buddha, or whatever you would like to call it),  I starting saying Thank You for the things that went wrong. I began learning from my mistakes and I could clearly see that what I wanted was not necessarily right for me. There must be a reason for the way my life was working out. I started to trust that there was some big plan for me out there in the Universe. I know it sounds silly, but it was one of the great epiphanies of my life.

Learning to trust in something bigger than me lifted so much weight off my shoulders. I didn't need to put so much pressure on myself when something went wrong, and I could better understand when something went right. I was learning to trust something deep inside myself, I was learning to trust my soul.

When I finally met my  husband, I was able to see that this brilliant... crazy... crooked (and sometimes painful) pathway made absolutely perfect sense. Everyday, I still Thank the Universe for my life. I thank the Universe for my friends and family and all those who helped me become the person I am supposed to be.


Now, I open my heart again with my artwork. Again I am trusting the Universe that there is a plan out there for me. Everyday, that I create more work and share it with the world, the pressure of self-loathing and fear is going away. My soul is connected to something big. And I feel like I am indeed on the right path. I may not know exactly where I might end up but I trust that it will be the right place for me. And I am happy...

A few things for you to ponder...

Learning to trust is a pretty powerful thing, don't you agree?

Do you trust you are on the right path for your soul?

Do you think there is a plan for you?


As I wrap up this last Declaration of You! post, I also wanted to thank Michelle and Jessica for helping me along my crazy path. You guys are awesome, and I wish you tons of success with this incredible book. May it help lift, advise and encourage millions of people throughout the world.

One last thing, if you want to read my other Declaration of You! posts. They are here (on Success) and here (on Self-Care).

Happy Friday! Today's inspiration...

Just a little hello and I wanted to share this lovely little video I found for the band Hem. The Animation was created by the super talented Greg Lytle and Jordan Bruner. The video is so sweet and is very reminiscent of San Francisco or Brooklyn, don't you think? Isn't it amazing what they did  with different textures?

On another note, I'm sorry I've been so quiet on the bog lately. There is much new stuff in the works. I'll tell you about all ASAP. Until then, enjoy.

Hem // Tourniquet // Official Video from Jordan Bruner on Vimeo.

The Declaration of You! Find Meaning in Success.

 I am excited and proud to write another blog post for The Declaration of You! BlogLovin' tour. I wrote this post in honor of Michelle Ward and Jessica Swift who were able to successfully give me a kick in the butt a few years ago with the amazing Declaration of You e-course. Now they have written and illustrated this amazing brand new book based on their life changing course. Thanks Michelle & Jessica, your success inspires mine!

This week's topic? Success.

The big question...What does success mean to you? I have been fighting with this question since I quit my dead end job three years ago. Was I more "successful" then when I had a pretty good salary and benefits but was miserable or now when I am barely scrapping by money wise but get really excited about what I am doing and hope to do in the future? I know what my heart feels about my success, I'm happier with my career now than ever before. Of course, society (and my dad) thinks I am a bit nuts. I've been trying to ignore them.

The truth is I always wanted to be a artist. I can't remember ever wanted to do anything else. I started painting when I was 12 an I never turned back. Subconsciously, I suppose, I designed my life/career with doing illustration in the back of my head. But some times years went by and I just worked and hardly made any dent as an artist.  My day jobs were alright, I tried to surround myself in the arts working in galleries and museums but they weren't really the types of jobs that pushed me up the ladder of creative success.

Finding my own ladder of success to climb...

Now I'm building out my own ladder of success, one little step at a time. It is not always easy and I think my ladder is a bit wonky but it still works. I'm trying to figure it out for myself. That's the freedom of working for yourself. As for success and stable income, I'm going to get there eventually, it might just take some time. You know, what one of my favorite truths about business and success, sometimes it takes years for success to happen. We live in a world where we expect things to happen so quickly, sometimes they don't, and that's OK. I'm not planning on giving up just yet, are you?

I must also say, I've been so lucky in my life, that I have been able to take the opportunities to work on this crazy dream of mine. I am also so thankful for an amazing husband that has been helping me out while I build this new world for myself. Damon you are the best!

 Day to day, it has been very hard road. There are days when I want to quit and just start looking for a more stable job. But I always go back and think maybe this one thing, this one thing I do today, that right person may notice. I just can't stop believing that this illustration thing will just happen. Am I crazy?

Here's a few of the rules that have made my strive for success easier:

1. The more I try things the more the Universe seems to open up. Learn to say yes to the world.
2. Surround yourself with positive people that support you and your work.
3. Find your art heroes. Try to understand how they do what they do.
4. Allow yourself to get a bit obsessed by what you love. It allows you to magically create new ideas.
5. Get out of the house! Like a lot of creative folks, I work from home, and sometimes you just need to move around, maybe even talk to a few people to get the ideas flowing again. 

Hopefully some of these might help you out. I have to remind myself of my little rules sometimes but I'm learning new things everyday and taking chances. I'm also gaining much more confidence than I once had. Which as they say, confidence is key. It is so true. Confidence, a bit of talent, some hard work and a splash of good luck, and we can move mountains...

Oh, Ms. Success, we are so close to being friends. We just need to get to know each other a bit better. I could make you laugh, I could make you cry...and you can teach me about money. We could be good friends...BFF's. Just give me a chance.

As, I said earlier, I highly recommend checking out, "The Declaration of You" book. It will help you find your way to success. I helped me find my path. As for my own success, in the last few years, I finally opened my first Etsy shop, I am working on my first book and I even got in a gallery show or two. There is so much more is in the works too. Thank you all for being part of my journey. I wish you all much SUCCESS!

A few questions for you all: What are you doing to get closer to success? What is holding you back from feeling successful? Do really believe that your creative dreams are possible or just dreams? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

The Writer's Portraits...Edgar Allan Poe

I just started a new illustration series of my favorite writers. I love the classics, especially the more gothic tales. Here is the first in the series...

Here's Edgar Allan Poe inspired by my favorite Poe story, "The Black Cat". It's one of my favorite of his gruesome tales. If you don't know the story you can read it here.

And of course, you can find him in my shop here. I just love his gloomy old face, don't you?

Hope you like him!

It's time for the July Meetup!

Coney Island Bathers, 1899 via Thiophene Guy

 Hi Everybody,

Wow, June flew by. It's time to get cracking if I want to have my shop ready for the holidays. (Yep, getting ready for Christmas in July).

June was pretty good. I went on a mini vacation with friends to wine country. I have a bunch of new work started but I need to get it finished and up. And of course there is the book...

So for July...here's what gonna happen with bluehour studio.

1. Book is due in two months. That means that it finished and ready for the printer by the end of August. I really need to get back to this. 
2. Work on my Writer's Project. I'm working on a bunch of new portraits such as Virginia Woolf, Edgar Allen Poe, Emily Dickinson, Dorothy Parker, and Charles Dickens. Do any of you have a favorite writer you'd like to see me illustrated?
3. Working on a project for Paperchase. More about this later...
4. Blog post with illustration for "The Declaration of You!" book blog tour. This one is on the topic of "Success". 
5. Start working at New Bohemia Signs one day a week. Alas...I have fallen behind on all my picture taking duties. BTW, I got to see the Sign Painters Documentary this week and it was amazing (my husband was in it too), it was wonderful to catch up will so many sign artists and so fun to hang out with the directors. I highly recommend checking it out.
6. Get back to exercising...and get out of the house for walks everyday.
7. Apply to fall art fairs.
8. Apply to galleries.
9. Research how to get my work in magazine and blogs. And do it..
10. Have a little summer fun...because as we know it will be gone too fast. 
11. Get more involved SFEtsy and the Makeshift Society.
12. Another big goal for the summer is to add/subtract stuff from my Etsy Shop. I would love to have over 100 different items...better get to it!

That should be pretty full for this month. I'm so excited for all the new projects. Is there anything you are excited about doing this summer?

What's The Meetup? Do you have any business goals to share? You are welcome to join us at The Meetup, where creative people join together online and encourage each other to share their goals and dreams each month. Sound interesting to you? You can find out more here.

 

The Declaration of You: Take care of yourself, Damnit!

"Taking Care" by Debbie Styer 2013

A few months back, I heard that Michelle Ward and Jessica Swift were doing a blog tour for their brand spanking new book, "The Declaration of You". Woo Hoo! I was so excited for them! With all the amazing changes that have happen in my life in the past couple of years I just knew that I wanted to be part of this blog tour.

This might be a bit personal but a couple of years ago, I took part in "The Declaration of You" e-course. It was so amazing. I learned so much about myself and just who I wanted to be. One of the most life altering sections for me was, "Self Care". I knew that without taking better care of myself,  I would never be able to, well, "take care of business".

I'm sure that we all try to take good care of ourselves. We know what we should do, simply be kind to yourself. It should be that easy, right?  Like everyone, I have cabinets full of lovely herbal teas to drink and tell myself I really need to start meditating, and relaxing more. I try to work out more (even a little bit helps) but sometimes the lack of time or energy zaps away my progress. I suppose, the important thing is I've tried, right? Little by little, I've seen the changes and they're good. And Yes, I'm still working on being healthier and less stressed. I think I am improving,  but it is a ongoing process. It helps to remind myself daily to count my blessings and am so thankful for great friends and family especially my amazing husband.  

But deep down in my heart, when I talk about self care I suppose I'm talking about something more than "don't forget to smell the roses". I'm talking about self love. It was something I had a bit of a disconnect with myself for much of my life. When I quit my stable but extremely dead end job nearly 3 years ago, I was very hard on myself. I was feeling pretty old (39) to be starting a new career. I was scared to death to make any wrong moves with my art. And honestly, I was really mad at myself for not starting earlier in my life. There was so much to learn and I thought I could never catch up.

So, I started the e-course. I wasn't sure what to expect but I did know that Michelle and Jessica had great positive attitudes. Before long they got me writing out all of these pent up feeling I had about myself. At first it was pretty depressing the amount of self loathing one gets when you let yourself go there. But after you look at it from a distance, it's not so scary. I kept kicking myself for not getting my work out to the world faster. I had so many regrets. I guess, I was a little lost in what my next steps would be. I found that by doing the work, something changed. I started looking at these issues as just stupid excuses (it's pretty amazing how much writing it all down helps, don't you think?)...and I was done feeling sorry for myself. So, incredible done....

I stopped looking at myself as this underachiever and someone that wasn't enough. I cried a lot too. What an epiphany! I was done with the guilt! Suddenly, I saw that I was talented, a true artist and indeed I was ready to share my art with the world...

And it happened, a few months after "The Declaration of You" course ended, I opened my first Etsy shop. Things changed, I truly began to take that self care/self love more seriously. As an artist, I have grown so much. I'm even working on my first book!  And you know what? I'm truly proud of the work I've done in the last couple of years and although there are still mountains to climb as far as a career goes, I feel a little less heavy these days. I feel happy and truly understand the need for deep self care.

And when you take care of yourself, and love who you are and what you do, you can bring amazing things (and businesses) to the world...

So take it from me, this book, which was modeled after the amazing e-course, will be truly inspiring. Michelle and Jessica know how to ask the right questions to help get you closer to the person you always imagined you could be. I highly recommend it. 

Here's a little bit from Michelle & Jessica themselves...

The Declaration of You: The Book! from Pierre François Frédéric on Vimeo.

The Declaration of You will be published by North Light Craft Books this summer, with readers getting all the permission they’ve craved to step passionately into their lives, discover how they and their gifts are unique and uncover what they are meant to do! This post is part of The Declaration of You’s Blog Lovin’ Tour, which I’m thrilled to participate in alongside over 100 other creative bloggers. Learn more – and join us! – by clicking here.”

Join the Discussion: What have you learned from practicing more SELF CARE? What would you like to learn? What are you doing to treat yourself with loving kindness?

On Custom Portrait Illustrations!

One of my favorite parts of my job has been creating custom portraits for people. It is all pretty new to me but after I opened up my Etsy shop and started getting commissions to create peoples portraits has been proved to be really amazing.

Creating a custom portrait is a bit like a puzzle. Most of the time, these people  are strangers to me. All I have is a few pictures and the little bit of info the subject gives me. But there is so much information a picture can give. That saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words", is so true when trying to paint someone new. The way the subject holds themselves, what they wear, that glimmer in their eye, says so much.

In my latest portrait I created a portrait of a cool high school girl who wanted a something different for her graduation party invitations. I loved her style, she would definitely would have been one of those kids I looked up to. Here's the pic...

The Sketching begins...I have to really focus on her wonderful bangs and eyes.

I also look at a lot of incredible incredible daguerreotypes online for inspiration...

Via George Eastman House

 In progress...making some changes and adjustments. Since this portrait had pets, I had to get all them just right too. Looking for just the right cat spots to make the kitty's look just right...
 

All my illustrations are done the old fashioned way of painting over a graphite drawing with many layers of watercolor and gouache paints. I keep adding light layers of paint until I get the desired colors and just the right feeling...

Here is the final portrait!
 

Didn't it turn out sweet?

If you are interested in me creating a custom portrait for you, check out more examples of my custom work here.

Here's to more portraits!

It's Meetup Time! Here's to June!

Here's a Sneak Peek of my book!

Wow, May went by so fast! My head is still spinning... But I am heading towards a fabulous summer. May was a pretty good month as far as getting stuff done. I wish that a got a bit more done but my energy is up and I am ready for good things ahead! The illustration portion of my book project is 95% done, will the perfectionist in me always going back for more. I've been busy figuring out the typography and all the layout options.

Here's what I will be up to in June:
 

1. Design book cover, front and back.
2. Design title page with spot illustration.
3. Finish up custom portrait, ( my goals is to  get 2 custom portraits a month)
4. Write guest blog post/blog tour for Michelle Ward & Jessica Swift (The Declaration of You!)
5. Learn about art licensing options.
6. Start working on freelance projects.
7. Create new art to my writers portraits series.
8. Get outta town (aka don't forget it's summer).
9. Get back to a better blogging schedule (currently reading, Blog Inc. by Joy Deangdeelert Cho)
10. Rework portfolio site. Add more editorial work!
11. Work on editorial projects.
12. Exercise, I just gotta...
13. Rework my Etsy Mission Meetup.
14. Join in more Makeshift Society and  SFetsy Events
15. Research Summer/Fall Art Fairs. Do any of you have favorites you like to go to or participate in?

So that's my month. I hope you all have a amazing and productive month!

What's The Meetup? Do you have any business goals to share? You are welcome to join us at The Meetup, where creative people join together online and encourage each other to share their goals and dreams each month. Sound interesting to you? You can find out more here.

 

P.S TODAY ONLY (June 3rd) I am participating in this amazing/crazy sale with other members of SFEtsy. Save 40% off everything in my shop! Just use coupon code SFEtsysplash40 when you check out! Enjoy

New Work - Meet Miss Ruth!

Hi Everyone! I just wanted to share Miss Ruth, the latest illustration in my Victorian Portrait series "Ladies & Gents".

Ruth is a 38 year old mystic looking for love!

Miss Ruth was really fun to draw. It was also fun to play with my love of Polka Dots (or stars perhaps)! In the future, I'm going to experiment with some new textures and fabric design in the next few paintings.

If you are interested my limited edition Miss Ruth print, as well as all the other, "Ladies & Gents", is now available in my shop.

I hope you like her.

P.S. I have been reading The Barbary Coast (An Informal History of the San Francisco Underworld) by Herbert Asbury.  This tells about the dark history of San Francisco from the Gold Rush era, c.1949 to the Great Earthquake in 1906. Asbury writes about so many amazing crazy characters, I can help to add at least a few to the series. I highly recommend this book! You can look at San Francisco the same again...

Let's Focus on Illustration

Last night I went to a talk about blogging at the Makeshift Society. One of the speakers was Victoria Smith of SF Girl by Bay, one of my all time favorite bloggers. I was so happy and inspired to talk to her for a bit. I'm amazed at all she has accomplished on her own.  It got to thinking about my own blog and what direction it is going in.

So here's what I'm thinking...I've got a lot to learn about being a professional freelancer. I've gone as far as I can on this level and would like to see what else there is in the world. I would like to share a bit of this learning experience with my readers. Maybe what I'm learning will help others on their art journey too.

After a years of reflection, I've come to realize that some of my favorite things such as helping others, doing research and illustration might actually be a good thing to share with the world. Maybe this sharing thing might be the one thing that is missing right now.

One of the biggest things that I have learned in the last few months is the importance of community. I think one has to surround themselves with creative folks to take some of the pressure off themselves. I mean, no one wants to do everything alone. We all need a cheerleader or two.

 The next few months I will be focusing a bit more on graphic design and layout. I won't bore you too much but I'll be putting may hours into taking Lynda.com online computer classes. This summer, I will also be publishing my first book collaboration. I'm pretty damn excited about this and will be sharing a bit more after I meet with the author again in early June.

Here's to learning new ideas and sharing them with the world!

P.S. As a reader, do you like the idea of sharing? Is there anything you would like me to focus on?