Studio Update: February 2023

Hi friends and readers,

February I usually count on being quiet in my line of work but that is not the case for 2023! I am busy creating a cover for an upcoming middle-grade fantasy and working on the interiors for A Horse Named Sky which will come out this fall.

I’m burning through pencils like nobody’s business. You know you are serious when you are buying bulk in black! All the work is under wraps for now. February is a lot of process and not much product.

Thanks for the messages and laughs about my post about my trip to Texas where I took on the challenge to create a King size quilt in a weekend with my aunt. (We did it!) I’m still buzzing with inspiration after trying this long-arm machine but I didn’t have that much time for sewing this month.

Me test driving a long arm in Texas earlier this month - check out my previous blog post for more on that!

With so much drawing to be done, I had the urge to sew but not the time to sit down and plan something. I threw together this layer cake to satiate my need to sew! This will be a tablecloth, a splash of much-needed color in our kitchen. Nothing special about the design, Ruby Star Society fabric adds all the fun! All these prints together are complete chaos. The mayhem of prints and saturated colors make me feel free and fun. A perfect winter pick-me-up. I have plans to free-motion this table cloth, we will see how it comes out!

On my birthday, I did start a new quilt with some of my favorite fabric of all time. I’ve probably made over a dozen quilts so far and most of them I’ve given away, so this one is just for me!

These colors make me weep I love them so much!

Early in February, I spent some time with my long-time mentee and friend, Nick Bair at his studio. He is just as addicted to pan-pastels as I am. I demoed some clouds and mixed media and he dove right in.

You may have missed it, I wrote an article on Muddy Colors about one of my favorite, must-have instructional books for illustrators. Check it out here!

Keep a look out for my work later this year! Have a good one, talk to you next month!