A New Project

I started a new project, a little promise to myself - to paint a notebook cover a week for a year. Fifty-two notebooks in 52 weeks. That's a big commitment for me. I mean, a lot can happen in a year, right?

Here's 1 - 8. You can see some different styles and techniques going on and that was my intention. I wanted to play around a little and I felt that working on these small sized notebooks once a week would give me the opportunity and the freedom to do just that. 

This is a favorite just because the paint strokes are so loose and I kind of love the colors.

Here's 9 - 14. And the experimentation continues along with different mediums. There's acrylic paint and watercolor on gesso and the bottom three are textured acrylic paint with soft colored pencils. 

The notebook on the left was painted for and inspired by International Women's Day. The one on the right was painted on the day of the March for Our Lives Rally in DC, honoring the words of Emma Gonzalez. This feels like a good way to record some of these really important events throughout the year - with a notebook to remember it. 

 Details

Texture with acrylic paint using a paintbrush and a putty knife/scraper I found in the tool box.

I'll be posting new notebooks weekly over on instagram if you'd like to follow along there.

xo

farewell

Searching for some beauty and hope on this day.

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xo

a first at mbs

So we made a video! Our very first ever and I'm so excited about it!

I think it came out pretty darn good for our first try. Even with our bare bones equipment (read - homemade camera arm mount) and one really camera shy lady. Baby steps, I keep telling myself.

Here's some behind the scenes shots.

Yes, that is our disco ball in the top right.

Our birch branch Christmas tree we got from our dear friend's woods.

Couldn't have done any of this without my son. Yep, he's awesome like that. (proud mom)

I hope you all like it!

xo

holiday sale and new stuff

There's a few new things over at MBS that I'm really excited about. I've worked with Dylan Goodman, (my son!) to create some Christmas DIY Craft Kits!

The idea for these kits came to life while reminiscing about all the Christmas ornaments my kids and I made when they were young. Felt, glitter, popcorn, cranberries and lots of laughter where just a few of our ingredients. These are cherished memories and it inspired me to make something that could be a starting point for others to create their own memories during the holidays.

One kit makes Christmas tree ornaments and the other makes paper chains. Each has hand painted watercolor designs (painted by me) and diagrams and step by step instructions (created and designed by Dylan). There's even a recipe for our favorite hot chocolate to get you started!

Each kit has beautifully designed packaging, making them great for an inexpensive gift. So much thought and effort went into these little kits and I'm so happy with how they came out!

Even cooler is that the kits are available as an instant download too! I thought they might be an awesome, last minute diversion for little ones, anxiously awaiting Santa! I have another Christmas clip art download, shown in the above photo, that can be made into a banner or gift tags or anything you can imagine. I plan to keep adding to this new section in my shop. I'll keep you updated!

Even cooler than all that is the sale going on right now at MBS. Use code JOLLY10 now through Monday, Nov. 28th, for 10% off. While you're there, you can also sign up for my email list for special sales and freebies, if you like.

I hope, to those who celebrated, that you had a Thanksgiving filled with family and friends, love, laughter and plenty of leftovers! Going to heat mine up right now!

xo

6 years and counting

This is my sixth humble hand drawn fortune cookie wisdom calendar! I can't believe it. Where has the time gone? The calendar is still humble and still hand drawn but there will be a little upgrade this year. It will now be professionally printed! I like the idea of my little calendar taking this baby step and growing up a bit.

A few of the hand drawn originals, ready to be scanned.

The calendar can be pre-ordered and if you sign up for an MBS newsletter you can get a coupon code for 10% off, but hurry, it's only good through Oct. 21st.

I can't wait to get the calendar back from the printer!

We had a frost warning so I cut all the flowers that were still blooming in our little backyard garden. Now we've had a few days of Indian summer and the snapdragons and morning glories are back, at least for a day or two.

Fun with candy corn. Hope you all have a happy halloween!

xo

work

I found these sweet paper dolls and clothes at an auction and just had to have them. Nostalgia of course. I can remember playing with my own paper dolls as a kid. They seem like such a thing of the past now. I can't imagine, with all the things available to kids, that they would hold much allure anymore.

But they have inspired some new work.

each one has embroidered stitches!

I wanted to keep the silhouette from each of the originals that I'm working with, leaving out the details - making it more about the shape and patterns. I'm also playing with background colors, wanting lots of contrast. The orange canvas in the middle has at least 5 layers underneath and I'm not happy with it yet, so there will be even more. Nothing has been attached yet and I'm thinking of adding some stitches of my own.

As I cut out my paper doll clothes I think about the little girl who cut out her doll clothes. Thinking about her little hands adding those careful stitches and feeling her excitement. I'm so enjoying this work.

My dear friend gave me bunches of mock orange. Enough to have our very own small bush. Inside. The scent - amazing! Up there with lilacs and lily of the valley.

xx,
Lisa

happy dancing

so, you know, this thing happened. i got published. in a magazine. crazy, right?  it's the summer issue of somerset studio gallery. it's been a long process that started in january when they contacted me to submit a few pieces. at that time, the publication date was so far in the future that i couldn't quite believe it was going to happen. but it did!

and it's so surreal to see your work like this but it is oh so awesome too! one of the paintings even sold. there's an amazing feeling when someone purchases your art. i'm not talking about the money part, although that's great, cause i do want to be the unstarving kind of artist. but this feeling that you're showing something that came from inside you and that somebody else gets what you're showing, they understand it, it says something to them, and there's this connection. a connection to someone i've never met. very cool stuff.

here's the one that sold

i even got a mention on the editor's page!

i'm so thankful to have had this opportunity and now that i've had a taste... i think i might want more. who knows exactly what that means but this has been so very cool.


xo