Busy, busy, busy bee.

Even though it has only been 2 days, it feels like forever since I have updated. I am currently at my boyfriend's house, laying around with his puppies watching television. I have been doing this for the majority of the past two days with a little bit on mini putting and movie going mixed in and as a result I have not been able to post anything! But things are good, and here I am now to share with you my good news.

On Thursday, I received a call from the Bakery whom I had had an interview with previously and I got the job! Now I was thrilled, and so looking forward to it. I even went and met the head baker and began the process of accepting the job when.... Urban Trade called me! So now I had two job offers on the table, one of them the cutest job in the world, and the other something I had desired to be doing and the potential to really grow within the company. At first, I had accepted both jobs, thinking I could manage them both but the real challenge was how to co-ordinate the hours and set my availability for each job so everyone would be happy. In the end... It just wasn't going to work so I had to choose. Urban trade was the obvious choice as I was starting out in a manager position, getting paid more and being given the potential for a raise, benefits and full-time hours in 2 months. I would have been crazy to turn that down. Calling the bakery was nerve racking and a little bit sad. I truly would have enjoyed that job but I feel like I made the right choice. So here I am, come Monday I am the new manager in training at Urban Trade and I couldn't be happier! They are already the nicest people I have had the opportunity of working with (I realize I haven't started yet). But I already feel so comfortable talking to my manager and fellow managers at the store.

Spencer and I also had our 11 month anniversary on Friday so this week has been full of celebration. We went to the mall yesterday and I gotta say, it felt good knowing that what I was spending would soon be coming back to me in a short few weeks (I got a pair of sandals, a pair of black flats, and two shirts to wear to my first shifts this coming week). Spencer is also enjoying his new full-time job and reaping the benefits as well.

Things are definitely going my way right now. My karma is at an all time high and I hope it stays there.

One last thing, my best friend Sarah just started her own blog and if you enjoy mine, you will enjoy hers even more! (Click her name to visit!) We hope to one day collaborate on a blog together.

P.S. I promise an art update tomorrow!

Joey the budgie.

Just finished rendering the drawing of Joey I posted yesterday and thought I would post his new, colourful look! Hopefully this gives Spencer a good idea of colouring. I haven't seen the underside of his wings as he was in his cage so I improvised but I think it turned out great incorporating the same blue that is on his chest. (I added pictures of Joey for reference.) Now I am off to Curry's to find mini canvas' for another project!

Blog makeover! :) & another budgie!

I just got finished scanning this new budgie study and I think this is my favourite budgie thus far (I can bet you it will be Spencer's as well!). I hope no one is too sick of them just yet (Sorry!) I was actually a lot more loose when I drew him. I didn't spend a lot of time getting the perfect proportions from the start and achieved that as I kept sketching. I started out with a lot of gesture lines and I think when I am able to draw like that is when I am most successful. I quickly added in "Nana" to start thinking about placement, size and type. I'm contemplating making a copy and rendering him complete later tonight so expect an update!

Still waiting to hear back from my interviews (I mean, it has only been a day.), I am assuming they are contacting my references and everything so I am not stressed out yet! Still so excited though! And in case you didn't notice (which is actually impossible) I changed the appearance of the blog. I think it looks a lot more refined and polished now compared to what I threw together quickly when I first created it. Definitely keeping it like this for a while.. It kind of feels like I have found myself in a way, and now know how I want to represent my work and life to the blogging world!

P.S. Just realized I am featured as number 2 on the "Up and Coming" Art blogs in Canada on Blog Lovin' :)! 

I'm in love with all things floral.

I had my second interview today at Urban Trade and it went amazing! The manager there (who would be my manager) was so inviting and kind. She reminded me a little bit of myself even with her foot tattoo and stretched ears. I am feeling very confident right now that I have a good chance of actually moving forward with this job and this amazing opportunity that has presented itself to me. I am just remaining positive right now and will know by the end of the week if I go in for another interview or if I did or did not get the job. Please cross your fingers for me!

I bought this bag, and a cute crystal ring from Forever 21 as a mini congrats to myself for doing such a good job on both of the interviews. Anyone who knows me personally knows that I have been searching for this bag for ages. A pretty floral bag with little to no pink, and there it is... in all it's navy, red and orange glory. It's a little bit smaller than your average messenger bag and can be worn across the body or on one shoulder. The leather embellishments make it even better. This is my perfect bag!

Art updates coming tomorrow! and possibly a little facelift for the blog!
Due to my case of insomnia lately (waking up at 3 am, 3 nights in a row = not fun) The blog has a new look, I just need to upload my new signature and buttons but right now I am far too tired. I like it a lot, such an improvement.. What do you think?! 

Budgies: WIP.. & a quick update!

Although I haven't updated as much as I would have liked to the past few days, I have been very busy and have continued to work on Spencer's budgie designs and a few other drawings I have been wanting to do. Above is a sketch of a budgie in flight.. it was a little bit more complicated to get the proportions and foreshortening right than when I was drawing sitting budgies. I want to redo the left wing and add a bit more detail to both of the wings but for now, I am very happy with how it came out. I showed it to Spencer yesterday and he liked it as well, even better than my previous sitting budgies. I am going to draw a few more and use tracing paper to place banners in their mouths and different areas to place Nana in script.

Aside from drawing, I have had 3 interviews over a 2 day period! Can you believe that? Like my mom said, "When it rains, it pours!" And I guess that is the case when it comes to me getting interviews. The interviews went a little something like this:
1. The first was for the job at The Hamilton Spectator which in the end wasn't the right job for me.. besides not being able to do it, the man who interviewed me made me completely uncomfortable (Asking me if I was a "party girl" doesn't seem like your standard interview question..) and when he called me to either give me the job, he was very rude and arrogant. Not someone I would ever consider working for, no matter how good it may look on my resume.
2. The second interview was to work at Urban Trade.. a trendy retail store throughout Ontario. Going into the interview, I believed it was only for a sales associate position but it turns out they are looking for someone to fill a manager on duty position. As soon as he told me this, I knew I had to go for it and I believe I nailed the first interview as I was immediately set up for a second interview for tomorrow! Fingers crossed it goes just as well.
3. My last interview went just as well but I am not as excited for the job as my last. It is to work in a specialty bakery in downtown Hamilton. Although I think it would be very cute and interesting to work there I don't see myself loving the position as much as I would at Urban Trade.

I also have another lead on an interior design related job.. but I will keep that a secret until I know more and if anything comes of it. I see employment in my near future and after having not worked for a full year, it feels very good! I can't wait for that first paycheck.

Good news!

I just received a call a few hours ago for a summer job at The Hamilton Spectator (our local newspaper) for an Architectural Technologist position! You have no idea how excited I am... but also very nervous. Even though it is only a summer job, it has the potential to turn into something so much more. I have an interview tomorrow at 10 am and I have already got my outfit all ready to go. After months and countless different resumes and emails, I am glad I (at the very least) have the opportunity to go through the interview process and receive feedback on my resume. If I don't get the job, I will still keep my head up, but I am hoping for the best! Wish me luck!

In other (not as exciting) news, I have more budgies to scan and have started drawing polar bears. Why? Because I am obsessed with them! I will post them as soon as I can.

Budgies: Work in progress.

I have been pretty busy the past 2 days. First spending Saturday in the states where I picked up some things for both me and Spencer and then second spending Sunday with Spencer and his family. But I did manage to sketch out some ideas for Spencer's budgie tattoo this morning. I put them in order from my most to least favourite (although I do really enjoy the curving branch in the third one).. Maybe I could incorporate that with a different pose of some sort. I plan to do some more sketches with budgies in flight and holding banners that have "Nana" written on them. 

I think it would be pretty amazing if Spencer chose one of my designs for his tattoo. I wouldn't be offended if the tattoo artist were to redraw it at all (especially because he wants it very realistic) but it would be very neat to have come up the layout/idea of it.. I will keeps my fingers crossed!

Also, Follow my blog with Bloglovin!!

United States of America.

I am going to the USA today, Buffalo, NY to be more exact, with the family. I usually don't mind long car rides, but since it is supposed to be very hot today.. I'm not exactly looking forward to it. At least I can replenish my stock of Vanilla Coke. Before I go, I will leave you with this which always puts a smile on my face. Refer to the caption if you don't understand it!

MOLAR BEARRRRRRRRRRR!

Nana & her boy Joey.

My boyfriend Spencer has been thinking about getting a tattoo lately as a tribute to his Nana. She is 91 years old, still wears high heels and is so full of life. I don't think there is anything that could bring her down. After spending so much time with her on birthdays, Sunday night dinners, and escorting her home afterwards, I have (in a way) adopted her as my own Nana since my grandmothers have both passed away and I never had the opportunity to meet either of my grandfathers. I admire her strength, independence, and ability to laugh about her age and hope she lives to actually be 101 like everyone tries to convince her she already is.

She shares her little apartment with her boy Joey, a bright blue and white budgie who is a little camera shy. You can tell by the way she talks about him that she really enjoys his company and wouldn't trade him for any other bird out there. Therefore, it is only fitting that he be apart of a tattoo about her. Spencer plans to get a portrait of him, possibly on a branch, with "Nana" in classic script beside. Last week, Spencer and I attempted to catch some pictures of him as reference for his new tattoo. I have then taken it upon myself, without Spencer's knowledge or request (until he reads this) to begin designing and drawing little Joey. I started out drawing more basic birds, and then began sketching little Joey. These are some of my sketches so far, I think I am on the right track. Sorry for the poor quality, I had to use my point and shoot camera. Once I sketch more and have the chance to perfect and outline them I will scan them!

Left: Joey / Right: Sparrow-like bird

For reference, this is Joey!

Motivation.

It's funny how something, such as starting a blog, can give you the perfect amount of motivation to start doing, creating, and chasing your dreams. I actually signed up for this blog in January, but wasn't producing any art because of my obscene amount of work from school. The stress of final semester seemed to take over my life and I quickly forgot about it.. I revisisted it in June and after seeing the success of so many other local artists who carried on a blog, and I decided to start over. I finally figured out the layout, style and what content I want to show the world, deleted all of my prior posts (which were nothing of interest) and just began typing.

I feel like I started this blog at the right time in my life, it's exactly what I needed to keep on going and not give up which is something I was quickly approaching when it came to my creative side. I figured I would never make it in the art world. But now, I feel a certain amount of obligation to paint, draw, and keep up with posting new things for my visitors (which are mostly made up of only family and friends at this time). This in turn makes me motivated to get better and see the progress I have made since starting this blog.. I wake up thinking about what to create in order to take a picture of it and display it on here.. this also must mean I have gained confidence and am starting to become more proud of myself and displaying my work.  As I see it, things can only go up from here!

Photo by Nicki Varkevisser via Flickr

Sidenote: I created a custom signature.. see it! Just below this. I am also slowly figuring things out and have started to get a hang of HTML and Photoshop once more. It's the little things that excite me, can't you tell?

That is the truth.

I found this online, while surfing many of my must read blogs and I gotta say, the tiny words placed in the center of the photo speak to me like I was meant to read them. These two sentences can easily be compared to how I feel and view my current situation when it comes to life. I will create something better for myself, just you wait and see.

I've been drawing a lot these past few days, and I have made a promise to myself to draw at least 4 drawings (whether they are big or small) each day in order to always be getting better. Today I am focusing on feathers and maybe a few birds. Here are some quick five minute sketches of feathers.. I will post what else I come up with soon!

Roses

 

I finally mastered the art of drawing traditional roses. I drew both of these (minus the ugly one cut off in the corner) freehand without any reference. I might even do a small painting of roses later tonight.. I know this doesn't seem like a great accomplishment, but too me it is.. Every time I succeed with something small, I gain more confidence in my artwork, something I have lacked and what has kept me from progressing.

Hopefully one day, I can finally say "I can do this!"

Side note: My boyfriend's mom makes the best nacho dip ever.. Full of cream cheese, sour cream, hot pepper, tomatos, cheese and green onions. This was my own personal carry home package from yesterday and will make for possibly one of the best lunches I have had in a while.

Panda: Complete!

This is the finish product of my painting for my boyfriend Spencer. There are some changes I wish to make eventually after I complete the second painting... but only if he agrees and wants me too. This is the best picture I could get but I think it represents the real thing well enough. The painting probably took me around 10 hours all together to complete. I am not completely happy with it, there are things I would like to change or be better at in general ultimately.. but practice makes perfect, right?

I am in a rush to get ready and go out, but I will probably add more pictures later tonight! For now, here is a close-up of the panda's finished face.

UPDATE: Spencer loved it and the panda now has a new home above his television! 

Oh, panda bear.

I started this painting a few weeks ago for my boyfriend Spencer. He recently redid his room which was originally steel grey and red, to pay homeage to his favourite football team as a child. Thankfully, he enlisted my help and the walls are now a soft, almost minty, green colour  and the furniture is a medium oak brown and white inside his closet. He asked me to do a series of paintings for him (since his walls have been left bare) and this is the beginning of the first one. It will also feature a panda bear, munching on some leaves, when it is finished. As it in not finished, this is a little sneak peak I put together.
As for the subject of the next one in the series... you'll have to wait and see.

Painting seems to be my biggest stress relief these days since I can't afford retail therapy. But I am glad I can spend this time focusing on something which I had become a stranger to during my college years.