Retro Pool Parties

Ever dream of simpler times? Before computers, before cell phones, before things got complicated? Well, sometimes I do. And it mostly looks like this:

All of this pretty retro imagery inspired my own retro pool girl illustration. Done in white charcoal and colored pencil on a pool blue paper.

Image sources - source, source, source, source, source

Pink Summer Peonies

I broke out the watercolors this weekend in an attempt to capture the pink petaled beauties stuck in my mind. It is peony season here and here in Santa Barbara the farmers markets and store displays are filled with the feathery petaled blooms in pink and blush and white and burgundy.

According to the all knowing Wikipedia, I have gathered some interesting facts on peonies for your next trivia night:

• Peonies are native to Asia, Southern Europe and Western North America.
• The peony is among the longest-used flowers in Eastern culture.
• The peony is named after Paeon, a student of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine and healing.
• In 1957, the peony was voted as the state flower of Indiana, and still is today.

Now that your brains are filled with facts, I will fill them with pretty colors to dull the throbbing.

My first play was a loose and bright swash of paint to allude to soft and delicately, layered petals of the peony.

Round two was slightly more detailed - with a desire to both let the paint do its thing while also capturing the feathering look of the peony petals. 

It's been a while since I painted - primarily because my paints and brushes were tucked away in storage, but it feels good to paint, and I plan on leave the kitchen table a mess for some time. I am working on a quick study for another painting, larger painting I hope to get to soon. I'll keep you guys posted on that one. 

Spring to Summer Flower Crowns

Happy summer everyone!
Spring, and May in particular, was a bustling month for me. A trip to Italy and Amsterdam for 3 weeks, topped off with a beach house excursion and a trip to Philadelphia for a design conference (AIGA, anyone?). It was a great way to kick off the beginning of my favorite time of year.

In recent spring and summery months on the fashion blog scene I have seen an increase in the oh, so fancy flower crown. I make no judgements. In fact, I find the wearing of flowers on ones head to be a delightful way to showcase flower blooms. Why hide them away in your unvisited kitchen when you can top your crop with the seasons bounty?

Some of my favorite flower crown looks  from the blogs I regularly visit:

  

Kelli Murray

  

Late Afternoon

Fashion Toast

From all this lovely flower crown inspiration I illustrated my Spring and Summer Princesses. These lovely ladies embody the feeling of the seasons, all topped off with a royal crown of flowers.

Santa Barbara Chardonnay

Happy Friday!
This weekend I will be running in the Santa Barbara Chardonnay 10-miler with some family and friends. This is something like my 4th year in a row running the race down by the beach. It's a gorgeous route, fairly flat and out-and-back. The course takes runners right past the Four Season's Biltmore and the lovely local gem of Butterfly Beach (both featured on the the cover of Travel + Leisure magazine this month).

Despite this being a race I have done a few times, I still get nervous. My training hasn't been spectacular this round, so I am just going to out there and have a good time, enjoy the morning and the accomplishment (and reward myself with some wine tasting at Municipal Winemakers at the end of the day).

This Daily Art Practice doodle captures my internal race day apprehension. 
Orange colored pencil and white charcoal on goldenrod paper.

Do any of you have some fun plans for the weekend?
If you are in Santa Barbara and a small business owner I recommend stopping by the Santa Barbara Business Expo on Saturday morning at the Fess Parker Double Tree. My colleague Lorrie Thomas Ross is the keynote speaker and not to be missed. I'll wave from the beach as I run by!

Hawaiian Ukulele Princess

The sweet, sweet sounds of ukulele fill my ears nearly every day. My "partner in life", Kyle Phillips, is quite the ukulele aficionado. He plays an instrument everyday, guitar or ukulele, and I am always impressed with the sound that emerges from those little wooden instruments.

In a very romantic gesture Kyle gifted me with a ukulele last year for our anniversary. It is a beauty and, although I do not play it as I should, I do love it. My favorite time to perform my (non-existent) uke talent is late at night, after a really fun party, with a few of my favorite people (Tessa!) gathered around me (and a lot of empty wine glasses).

My Hawaiian Ukulele Princess is in honor of the fine tradition of ukulele and my love, for his devotion to filling our home with pretty music.

 

Kyle Phillips in his usual stance: playing the ukulele. 

 

This me with my pretty little uke and a close up of the signature Black Bear ukulele inlay. 

Summer Berries and Yellow Fashion Fun

I took care of my in-laws garden a couple of weeks ago while they escaped on a much needed beach house vacay. I have never been a green thumb, but I do relish in making my small collection of house plants thrive(ish), so I delighted in the chance to participate in the creation of food that I would surely eat at some point this summer.

The Phillips' ranch garden was blossoming with soon-to-be, edible abundance - a sure sign of spring in Santa Barbara. The asparagus spears were popping from the dirt and the strawberries were already becoming prolific. As I watered the flowering blooms I could NOT resist plucking a few of the ripe berries right off the plants and straight into my mouth. They weren't at peak season sweetness, but I couldn't resist the fun of feeling like a 5 year old in the garden.

You can watch my gardening in action with my fun Vine video. 

As a fun part of my daily art practice I drew this sweet summer girl savoring a ripe strawberry. I have been having a ton of fun playing with the colored paper in my doodles. Often I pick a color solely based on a snap decision of a feeling I want to capture. In the case of my summer berry girl, I chose a lovely sunny yellow.

Building up the lush green grass behind her and letting the yellow shine through is what keeps her garments so vibrant.

Prismacolor colored pencils on yellow paper, with some finishing touches of ink pens.

Daily Art Practice: Fruit Salad

Although my daily art practice has been wavering (especially the part where I share it with everyone) I am still drawing nearly every day. Part of this practice is because I have a nice little art station set up that I never take down. I know that some people enjoy more of a ritual with their art practice; the setting up and taking down helps begin and end the process. I am the opposite. I like the call of the colored pencils,  the wanderlust of watercolor exposed to my eye. I love the inspiration of teal paper on the tabletop. That is what pulls me in,  inspires, and motivates me to keep the art and doodles alive.

Often, once the paper and pencils call me over, I let my imagination run amok. As the weather shifts, and spring hits us full force, I am inspired by all things summer, and bright and warm; and fruity! I love the kitsch and nostalgia of drawing fruit. It reminds of another decade and is the type of thing I love to create and it always reminds me of freshness and summer. 

And as subject matter, I always have it hanging around ;)

 Cherries were done in a mix of opaque ink and colored pencil. I love the color combo of pink and red.

 My funky fresh banana in retro 80's fun. In this doodle I was inspired to let the yellow of the paper shine through as the fruit color.

A little tropicana fun with this fruity pattern. Colored pencil and a touch of pen on lime paper. It reminds of the late Lilly Pultizer's prized preppy patterns.