In 2015 the theme was to design a cup, saucer and paper ware for a tea shop in London. I loved doing the research for this one and really let my imagination go. I had just started an obsession with drawing and painting moths so I went in that direction and used metamorphosis as my theme. Again, I really took my time with this and put in all my soul and energy into this piece. I remember loving the result. Again, I did not make it through the first cut. At the time I was crushed because I truly felt mine could hang with the fifty artists who got through. With time though, I have gained some perspective and can see that I wasn't quite there yet. I should have mocked up my tea cup and I should have included a whole lot more icons. I was going for simplicity and elegance and that's not necessarily what was selling at the time. Again, I kept going and building my skills with gouache, and Photoshop. I went to school to get a certificate in Graphic Design and I took a bit of a breather from the Make Art That Sells community so that I could find my own voice and explore things on my own for a bit.
I really do feel like a completely different artist now than I was then. My skills with Photoshop have gone from an awkward necessity to an integral tool in my tool box. I have also learned to use Illustrator in ways I could never believed I was capable of. I've honed my design skills and continued to push myself towards a more authentic voice.
I'm proud of my design this year. I will share it after July 9th. I think I've come a long way, Baby!
I want to say that I think it was a healthy choice to take a bit of a break from the MATS community to find my own way for a bit. I am thrilled to be back in the fold again. I have taken the Children's Book Illustration class and have signed up for the Money Badass class which starts in August. I'm back with a vengeance!
Oh! And I have fallen in love with my dip fountain pen! I just want to draw and hand letter with it all day long!!!