Issue #48: Winter Works and Wanderings

Winter is My Time to Reflect and Prepare

After reviewing 2018, my work summed up to 11 murals and 6 design projects. This was enough to keep me very busy and resulted in the most amount of time I've held a paintbrush in 1 year!

Now in the middle of hibernation, I'm back to graphic designing and sending in submissions and quotes in hopes of receiving more amazing murals and clients to work with this year. Among snow falls and design events, I've also been venturing into some mysterious, monochromatic winter-scapes and have been inspired by other artists, designers and ecologists.

Explore below to find snow-covered trees, collections of sepia-toned plant silhouettes, and projects in the works. And I'll leave you with a few links to people doing great things in both art and nature: By Nature's living walls, the new MOCA Toronto and the Eco Design Symposium.

Enjoy the snow, Spring will soon be here!

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Thank you for hearting art,
Pam ❤

The iheart Art Letter: 2017... Here We Come!

The 30th issue and the 2017th year...

December 2016, The Finale: Quotes on walls in the Graduate Studies offices at Ryerson University.

The geometric pattern in the letters reflects the mural painted in the hallway.

While snow wisped about outside my windows, I snuggled into a wrap twirled several times around me. I sipped hot tea and felt warmed by the fiery orange glow from the heat dish. With the Year Compass in hand, I imagined up a list of new hopes and reoccurring dreams. Goals to reach my desired life that's well-balanced between work and play, health and wealth, learning and experiences.

January 2017, Up Next: Design for a playroom mural of a willow and oak tree with squirrels and a cardinal!

It's quite the list but I do believe the process of writing makes ideas more likely to happen. Even if only a few come true, there's still good reason to look forward to 2017! 

I'd love to hear, how do you turn your wishes into accomplishments?

The Year Ahead: I've been working on creating the perfect calendar planner. 

"Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible." –Tony Robbins

The iheart is a monthly Art Letter. Read the full issue or subscribe for free to get it sent directly to your inbox. 

A Boat, a Box, and BC

June’s Art Letter is here!

This months topics include:
*Muraling in the Mountains
*Views from a Boat
*Outside the Box Program

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The iheart is a monthly, light-hearted, photographic Art Letter. 

Thank you for reading! 

Photo Transfer Magic

I wish I could keep these patterns to use in my artwork! But they magically appear briefly for about 15 minutes before it dries away.

Transferring my photographs onto mylar is one of the first steps of my art process. This is done by applying a thin layer of a liquid polymer to the front side of a laser printout. Then it is flipped upside down and placed on top of the mylar. What you see here, is the back of the laser print. The polymer soaked through the paper in the white parts of the image more quickly than the coloured areas with ink. Eventually, the paper dries back to white and then I peel off the paper while the ink remains fixed to the mylar.

With the positive/negative shapes, I think they look similar to the effects of cyanotypes!

Etsy

My Etsy shop is now up and going! Inspired by patterns old and new, I am selling notebooks made with vintage wallpaper and calendar posters using designs I have found in nature. New items will be added gradually so check in again!

Bookmarks

Here is my bookmark promo that was just printed (full colour front and back with lamination). Lately I've been illustrating patterns for 2012 poster calendars and this one features my bamboo pattern. Check out my first item for sale on etsy!

Vintage Notebooks and Colouring Books

Just in time for the Christmas season, these stylish notebooks and fishy colouring books are now on sale at Pixel Print and Shopgirls. Remember the vintage wallpaper I found a few months ago? Pixel Print suggested putting it to good use--they did all the printing and binding, I drew the illustrations and assembled the covers, and here is the exciting result!

All the covers were hand assembled, each unique depending on the cut of the wallpaper. The notebooks have a matching shiny ribbon that matches the metallic ink in the wallpaper. The inside pages are 100% recycled paper. They come in 2 sizes, 5"x7" and 3"x8".

The colouring books have 8 fun, activity-based illustrations, including "wave maze" and "connect the bubbles". The rest of the pages are blank to write or draw. The cover has an extra flap at the back, a bookmark to mark your page! They measure 6.5"x8".

Greeting Cards

A friend of mine has set up a beautiful printing shop just down the street. Located by Dundas and Dovercourt, Pixel Print offers a variety of services, including a window store front of greeting cards. Among the designs, are a set of three cards I illustrated a while back, patterns inspired by three of the natural elements—Earth, Fire, and Water. Stop by to have a look and see the rest of the store!

Here is a recent post by blogTO.

Found Treasure

Riding back from the grocery store, a shinny glimmer in a pile of yellow rolls caught my eye. Loaded with groceries, I kept going until a block later, when instinct made me turn back. The ripped and aged rolls turned out to be vintage wallpaper. Five rolls of beautifully, patterned paper. I felt like I had just struck gold!

Along the trim of one of the papers is printed "Made in Canada by CWM" (Canadian Wallpaper Manufacturer's Limited). Looks like it operated in Toronto (The Boxer Building at 222 Islington Ave) from 1927-1978 until they relocated to Brampton and became Sunworthy. Which means my paper is at least 32 years old. I've posted more photos of the paper here.

T-shirt at Hardboiled

Hardboiled Inc. is located in Kensington Market and silk screens the best looking T's in town! Come on by and find my "helicopter" design which is now selling at the store!

A cute quote from their site:
"Hardboiled Inc. is a collection of t-shirt designers and printers who find great joy in creating unique t-shirts with original designs. T-shirts that look good. T-shirts that feel good. T-shirts that make strangers stop you on the street and say "Hello. I like your t-shirt. Let's go see a movie.""
www.hardboiledinc.com