Last night, for the first time in my 34 years of life, I saw a petal pop off the head of a flower(your mammoth sunflower Kyla). It’s one of those things that you think you’ve seen before, because it happens every day. When it happens before YOUR eyes, you realize, unless you’re looking for it, you could go your whole life without visually seeing a single petal release from the head of a flower.
The Universe is trying to tell me something.
Thank you to the random human that randomly checked in with me a few weeks ago on Reddit. You are right it is Imposter syndrome, I googled it and I am going to assume everyone experiences these feelings through out their lives, especially if you have a bunch of things happen in a short amount of time. In my case, I feel like 34 years zoomed and the last 6years have been light speed, due to trying to survive and all the things. The last year has be incredible. The realization hit hard last night: I need to stop and recognize the things that I have accomplished. My social/financial status does not drop the value and quality of my work. Time that I have spent has not been wasted, nor am I unworthy of cool things that my pencils have been getting involved with. I have 2 decades of honing a skill, while constantly absorbing information on a lot of subjects. I need to give myself praise in order to move forward and I need to stop being a Scrooge with my experiences. I am worthy.
With that said, this will be project post number one. The other projects I’ve been participating in (from this year) will shortly follow.
MY ART IS CURRENTLY ON BEER CANS IN AUSTRALIA!!(I knew just one single post wasn’t going to show how thankful I am).
(Extra double sorry to my followers in Australia for not posting sooner.) If you get the chance to spot these beer cans in their natural habitat please tag me in a picture and again I am sorry for being rude and not speaking up!)
In April I was commissioned by Five Barrel Brewing to design 4 butterflies: The Monarch, The Blue Triangle, The Red Admiral, and The Peacock. The last has been finally released and they look amazing! I still don’t know how to even feel about this one, it’s a huge honor. Part of the drawing time was in a car, then Liquid planet coffee in Missoula, and the rest of the work in my apt in Billings. The Blue Triangle, “The Australian oat cream”, even won a silver award for how awesome it tasted! Thank you, thank you, thank you guys for all your hard work and making amazing beer and thank you for getting my art in front of eye balls! It’s an incredible feeling to know something you created and put years of time into, to be accepted in another country/continent, thousands of miles away, being enjoyed in away you never thought. I am sorry I have held on to this one for so long. It’s just unreal. I am from a rural community in Maine, this was not in my line of sight when I thought about my future!
I did my research with these butterflies and watched as many videos and clips I could find with them interacting with their environment. That’s the fun part with these random animal and history projects, I get to see and learn cool things like the fact that Peacock butterflies hiss! I do this with all my projects, I know I don’t have to, but if I am putting pencils to paper I need to know the who,what, where, when and hows. My clients deserve that effort. I also enjoy feeling like I have the thing in front of me when I am finished. These butterflies on these cans, are their own individuals and I wanted to give them life. Every angle the the Blue triangle and the Red Admiral are at when flat, should appear to lift off their mark. The Blue triangle butterfly was drawn twice. I realized I didn’t like the positioning and wanted the two butterflies, from that part of the world, sitting and sunning themselves instead of flying off like the Monarch and the Peacock (sunning butterflies are easier to catch than flying ones ). The Red admiral spurred me to do complimentary splashes, allowing me to say these are a full spectrum set for colors! As for who was my favorite I have none, they are a single piece. Finally seeing them all together is mind blowing and I am so proud!
Thank you again Five barrel brewing for the opportunity and sharing my art with your customers and country!
(Process photos included in this post!!! The Blue Triangle can is at the end!)
I would also like to thank everyone who has been following me and keeping track over the years. Thank you for your encouragement and continued cool projects that have pushed me to this level of artistic achievement and work ethic. You guys saw my worthiness when I couldn’t see it in myself. Thank you and I promise I will try to see if I can capture the eyes of similar places in the states! Besides that, I hope everyone has a Happy Friday!
(Quick note: Liquid Planet coffee had a wicked nice vibe and light to get some quality work done. Thank you for the coffee and the space! If anyone is in Missoula, Montana check this place out!)
