A Memorable Start
2025 is off to a memorable start. Not in a terrible way, but not the best way either. I got the vid. Covid that is. It was not fun, though I am happy to have made it through with pretty mild symptoms (in comparison to how it went for a lot of other people I know).
Enough of that. This week I’ve been feeling much better and back to my normal self. I’m even feeling light and chipper. Happy - which is really my norm. Feeling this good and realizing that this was my norm made me realize that I have been off my norm. Life has been a bit more stressful I guess … maybe a lot more stressful. Happy (see what I did there?) to report that I got myself into therapy and - guess what - it works! Has therapy magically solved all my problems and taken away all my stress? No. lol. Has it helped me identify some unhealthy patterns of thought and begin to address and change my responses… YES. And I am better for it.
Can blog more about that in the future. For now, before we are too far into 2025 (how are we halfway through January already!???) I’d like to finish the recap of 2024! Namely, that second project that I mentioned in the last blog.
It started with World of Winter (WOW) the LARGEST winter festival IN THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES. Thats pretty crazy. Now… how many winter festivals are there in the United States? Im going to guess not many. So this might not be that impressive… but still. It’s pretty cool. And it takes place in my home town- Grand Rapids, MI. The building I had worked with on a previous project (McKay Towers) was interested in taking part in the festivities. With their location being in the heart of downtown, joining in on the festive fun was a must. So they reached out to ME for another window installation. Another incredible honor and privilege.
Here’s how it went:
From color blocked sketches, to finals, on the windows!
It was so amazing to be able to create these massive pieces. I continue to learn lots and refine my processes. I did all the initial sketching and color blocking on procreate, then created final shapes and exported individual layers into illustrator, where I turned everything into vector files. This worked great for enlarging the image without loosing any quality, but not so great for all the details that I added once the art was in illustrator. Using only my computers trackpad and my finger… it wasn’t great. But I’m learning.
There are so many things I could talk about regarding this project, the process (technically or creatively), how I managed (or more like barely managed) to complete this project within the given time frame due to other crazy things going on in life… but I think what I would like to covey and remember the most, is the joy to be found in creating.
My favorite moments are the little ones. The details that were as much fun to draw as they were to think up. Where does your imagination take you when you see the tracks of bird prints in the snow leading to the chimney of the birds house. Sled tracks disappearing over the snowy hills and a pair of mittens left behind. Snow-animals (not just snow men;) peeking out and playing amongst birch trees under a starry, northern lights sky. Stitching on some mittens that secretly have become a map. A twisting, color-shifting scarf where critters cozy up - where does it begin and end? And finally, the sweetest snow that’s not actually snow at all! Just hold out your hot cocoa to catch this special surprise.
I’m not sure how long I’ve known. Or when it became clear. But completing these projects, and reflecting on them has further solidified that my passions for illustration. I want to be an illustrator!! Kids books, magazines, installations, packaging, book covers, fabric patterns- you name it. I want to illustrate it!
It feels really good to know that. And to have taken some big steps towards that.
Feeling extra grateful and back to my normal happy,
