March Wrap Up

We made it to Spring! Chicago didn't have it too bad this winter but I'm still looking forward to warmer weather and outdoor street festivals. Let's get right to the big news from March, I relaunched my online shop! If you haven't checked it out yet make sure to pop on over and note the free US domestic shipping (sweet!). If you've been meaning to decorate the walls of your home or office, original art is a great way to do that. And bonus if you're in Chicago you're supporting a local artist (contact me for local delivery options).

Here's the March creative wrap up:

• Relaunched my online art shop (see above)!
• Went to the Flair Chicago wresting themed art show "Time is a Squared Circle" and got myself some new pins. 
• My resketch kickstarter award arrived, perfect size to carry around in a purse. 
• Listening to: I discovered the Art History Babes podcast and started taking a deep dive in to the past daily episodes of Side Hustle School

Photo Round Up

I am so happy the new shop is open!

My resketch kickstarter award

A peek at a new (reworked) item coming soon to the shop

Workspace Update!

Remember when I posted some sad photos of my studio/office back in September? I thought I would update with new photos of where I work. It's an organized chaos and still pretty messy, but it's a good set up for the small space I have. Renting means working with what you have, and I've adapted fairly well considering where I started (look at the very end of this post for that box nightmare)

L: I love these Ikea wall mount shelves!

R: I keep my favorite art (small) pieces that I have collected over the years above my desk for inspiration. 

L: The insanely full bookcase holds everything: sketchbooks, supplies, business cards...etc

R: Another desk view

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Where this room started (Ack!)

Tonight's task, attempt to unpack a few office boxes.

A post shared by @katie_holla on Aug 23, 2016 at 4:38pm PDT

Katie Holland Art Online Shop Relaunch!

I am so happy to announce that after a hiatus, my online shop is back! I chose to move it to my own page here at KatieHolland.com. Make sure to check out the shop because there are two brand new paintings in there- Simplicity Considered #1 and #2

I wanted to share the inspiration for these paintings. I am a collector of various vintage ephemera and while looking through a drawer the other week I found the below sewing pattern packaging. I was immediately drawn to the women on the cover and was also stuck on two paintings that I had in progress and knew that this was what I needed to add. In my style, I worked with adding the outlines of the neck and head to the canvas in a dark grey acrylic paint with a liner brush. It now felt finished. As for the hexagons- one day while at my desk I thought that hexagons would make a great background pattern and I drew one on a post it and hung that above my desk. I kept it there a few weeks until I started these paintings. So satisfying to see ideas come together! I hope you enjoy the new work!

February Wrap Up

February was a month of balancing work-life-art and feeling pretty good about it. The day job has been busy but there was still time to make plans with friends and make art. It's not as perfect as I feel it could have been- I could have done a lot more with the art, but it feels good overall (and that matters!). The boyfriend and I went to Milwaukee for a long weekend of museums, eating, and drinking; another fun Midwest winter trip.

I haven't been doing so well with being present lately; my mind is all over the place and unless I'm painting I am having trouble focusing. I am working to block out more creative time and not let other things distract me. As I type this I have the whole evening ahead of me to create and work on whatever I need to catch up on. 

Here's the February wrap up:

•  Went to the Milwaukee Museum of Art, mostly spending time in the contemporary collection (they have a Kehinde Wiley piece that I love)
• Some great books arrived this month! 100 Days of Discussion by Jennifer E Synder (which is also helping to support this artist residency). There are several ways to use this book and I think I will be using it as a solo journal. Map Your Business by Tara Swiger also arrived. So many things to dig in to!
• Listening to: Pay Attention Podcast interview with Jennifer Synder. Tara Swiger's Explore Your Enthusiasm episode titled How do you get up in the morning when everything is awful?

Photo Round Up

100 Days of Discussion by Jennifer Synder 

Map Your Business by Tara Swiger

Tyanna Buie (American, b. 1984)
Incarnation, 2015
Assembled screenprint with collage and ink, charcoal, and mixed media on paper
150 × 133 1/2 in

Milwaukee Art Museum

Have a great March!