I first heard about artist Maira Kalman when I bought a copy of The Elements of Style, Illustrated (Strunk, White, Kalman, 2007). I was still actively writing articles at the time, and despite the original intent for buying the book, I was immediately drawn to Kalman’s quirky, colorful, moody characters and objects.

Despite the use of bold, cheerful colors, her mood generally veers toward the serious, witty, or even disturbing. The book’s cover has one of the more recognizable/iconic animals associated with Kalman, being a dog lover–a pooch looking rather morose/sad/pensive/apprehensive, what have you…

I love how Kalman renders everyday objects and interiors. Everything pops, and there’s a hidden wit that leaves you questioning. I think the beauty behind her work is how she manages to combine cheery hues with serious moods. (All images in this post: Maira Kalman)

Back in 2007, during our second anniversary, B and I celebrated by having a fun, spontaneous studio photo session. In one of the photos, he wore a fedora, while I wore… angel wings!

Fast forward to June 4, 2011. B proposes… And surprises me with one of the most beautiful handmade gifts I’ve ever received–his own watercolor rendition of the two of us in that photo.

Today, we’re celebrating six years of being together. But now, I’m not just looking forward to another year–I’m looking forward to the rest of our lives :)

A lot has happened these past few weeks–the most important being, I’ve changed the direction of my upcoming exhibit–opting for a more cohesive and refined theme over what I’d originally envisioned. What you see here is about 90% of the first piece. I don’t think I want to touch this further for now; it’s a habit of mine to let the piece grow on me and see what I might tweak along the way.

The last couple of months have been difficult for me, and I’ve learned some things about myself and doing art in general. First, painting always comes with (a lot of) pain–be it internal conflict or dissatisfaction or endless revisions (birthing pains indeed!). Second, between others’ opinions and your own instincts, it’s always best to trust the latter (otherwise, you might end up ruining your own work and regretting it).

Finally, I’ve come to realize that my greatest enemy isn’t fear–it’s self-doubt. And I learned that the only way around this is to keep creating, creating, and creating. It’s the reason why I sincerely salute all talented AND successful artists out there. It’s not just skill that matters. It’s NOT giving up that counts!

Over the past couple of days, I’ve made good progress preparing for my upcoming second exhibit. With some commissions finally out of the way, I made space in my room for a second work area–while literally battling with the sweltering summer heat–and set up my first rough watercolor piece. As of now it still looks this way, as I’m not quite sure where to go from here, but we’ll find out soon enough!

For this project, I hope to do things a little differently by incorporating a bit of texture via mixed media. I am currently thinking of paper and fabric cut-outs, as well as some found objects, like this bunch of ribbons I’ve been collecting for some months now…

And here’s a shot of my little “studio” space (a.k.a. this little corner of my very tiny bedroom). Ever since getting new curtains, donating old items, and doing major spring cleaning (I can’t believe the amount of junk I’ve accumulated over the years!!), the room feels cleaner, airier and more spacious!

Meet Hunny–our adorable Heima plush bunny! Here he is sitting atop my bookshelf…

While I love how so plump and full of character he is, I also love that he’s hand-made locally, by the obviously talented folks at Monsterella Plush Art. Reading the info sheet that came with him, I’m delighted to find out he’s made of high-grade wool and felt materials. The stitching is amazing, too!

B and I got him at last weekend’s Heima Collection 3.0 launch, entitled “Life is a Party!” (You can check out the complete set of photos here.) As always, it was difficult not to get drawn into (or lost in) every little nook and corner. This time around, I was especially drawn to all the muted pinks, lilacs and greys in the collection–plus their new and exciting Paper Club, which speaks to me, just because I’m such a huge papyvore (is that even a word? Haha)!