Summer 2022 Wrap Up

Hello friends!

Wrapping up my 2022 Summer and looking forward to the slowed down cozy season. I have had so much more time for drawing lately, and am finally starting to enjoy it again. If you read my last post, you know that burnout hit me hard. I really had to take a step back and think about what I enjoyed about my artwork and what I didn’t. 

I had a great Summer of resetting expectations, listening to myself, and making more time for those around me. I really tried to have a complete Summer of enjoying the beach and everyone who comes home. 

I had a bucketload of experiences that I know I never would have had if I was full tilt into artwork and running my shop. It hit me many times- sitting around a bonfire, playing in waves, having a late pancake breakfast with family (I said no to this every time in 2021). 

My idea of how my 2022 season would go wasn’t quite what I had originally said:

• I did keep on with wholesale orders. I made my turnaround time a little longer.

• Etsy is still going as well, and also has a pretty long turnaround time. This let me enjoy myself a little bit more.

• I did stay in one artist collective- Artisans on Main in Souris, I just can’t help but love them!

I am still doing two markets in the Fall / Winter of 2022. You’ll find me at Farm Day In the City and the Annual Holiday Market hosted by Etsy Team PEI. 

That’s it! Thanks for checking in. <3

Back to basics

I’m not sure yet who I am writing this for, but I suppose mostly just to get it down into words. 

I’ll start with some background- In 2018 I was really excited to move home and make the leap into doing artwork full-time. I had an amazing start, with tons of local support and moved quickly into selling wholesale. 

In 2020, I opened the doors of my first little retail space on Souris Beach. It came together quickly- And to be honest, it was surprisingly busy. It was a really great experience and tons of support (thank you thank you).

In truth though, I’ve come to realize that what I did on the whole, was take something that I really love doing, and turn it into work. Making artwork my main source of income just turned it into a whole different ballgame.

It really got to the point where every piece was coded, released, marketed, advertised, tracked- And frankly I just dislike that whole other half of it. I love drawing, I love creating, I love sharing that. I do not love hustling, branding, pushing sales and the rest.

If you’ve followed along with me for awhile, you may have noticed how little I post now, or how few new things I’m working on. It’s truly that I just sucked all of the joy out of it on myself. I don’t have any of that “#hustle entrepreneurial spirit” left. 

What this means for me going forward is:

• I will be closing my Souris shop.

• I will be closing down the wholesale side of my business.

• I will no longer be partaking in local artist run collectives.

• I am going to keep on with Etsy. I have existing inventory, and there are some things I still want to share with the world.

• I am going to do smaller and limited runs of new works.

• I’m exhausted of some of my old work and they are going to retire!

• I will likely still do the odd market, and most (all?) Etsy markets. Those days are really fun.

So- That’s it. I feel like a weird ingrate child who’s having a tantrum- And a little bit like I worked hard to get to a point that a lot of people would really appreciate being at, and I’m just tossing it away. 

The upside is- the excitement about the idea of enjoying artwork again is strong enough to overcome that ingrate feeling. 

I’m also keen on the idea of detaching myself from the tourism industry a little. I moved home because I wanted to spend more time with family and friends. Looking forward to more weekends free, more long beach days and late nights.

Thanks for reading!

"The Fox On The Cove" - A fox with items hidden within

Having a look back at The Fox On The Cove today! This was one of the last commissions I took on before I stopped taking them. It was for a gentleman who has a huge collection of fox art and tributes.

We agreed on what items would go best inside this little fox- As a great lover of Prince Edward Island, we were happy to keep a really Atlantic theme to the piece. I began the sketch by working out the shape of the fox’s face, and breaking it into sections. When I began with ink, I was careful to get most of the items work in first.

I was definitely concerned about losing the items inside, and wanted to leave white space for skies and rest for the eye. As you can see below, I filled this whole fox with intricate designs, florals and sea life. The full list of what went inside is: Lobster, Sand Dollar, Crab, Sea Snail, Lighthouse, Fishing Boat, Lady’s Slipper, Oak Trees, Heraldic Lion, Barberry Leaves, Bayberry Leaves, Lupins, Potatoes, Sunset, Burdock Leaf, and a field of crops going right up his nose!

Next up was the task of colouring it! I tend to love things black and white, but did was happy to give this fox some deep rust tones, golds and deep browns. It really helped to bring out the items and make the detail pop.

Most of the piece was done with Sakura Micron archival inks. For the colour, I used copik markers- Which most people really love but personally I’m not buying anymore. I’ve had too many of them explode on me, which is frustrating when working on an original.

If you’re someone who loves watching drawing videos, I have a little action shot below!

While the original piece went to the gentleman who commissioned it, I have kept the rights to reproduce, though I am only doing it to a limited extent.

I have a limited run of 11” x 14” prints, and 5” x 7” greeting cards, both found on Etsy. The prints come with a list of what to find, and the card has them listed on the back. Click the images below to see the items there.