Filed In: life
studio life | a journey
I’ve always been curious about how other artists got started in their careers – especially artists that began in a commercial field or working in an office, artists that slowly began creating on their own or artists that create in their spare time. Artists are always changing and growing and I don’t think we’re ever just one thing. Recently I was taking a trip down memory lane and it got me thinking about my own journey to becoming an artist. I remember always being creative as a kid and when I decided to make things to sell I was a teenager making scrapbooks for friends and family. In high school and in college, I took all sorts of art classes – drawing, painting, graphic design and photography – and my love for art began to grow wild. When I first started selling at art fairs I did little illustrations and soon after that I found my way back to painting. My journey shifted then and I started experimenting with other materials and painting styles. It was then I realized I had a passion for clean and simple designs and I made it my goal to create work that felt special and thoughtful. Now, almost ten years later, I feel like I am just starting to get into a groove and will only continue to grow as an artist.
photo credit kate zitzer
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Here are four rooms I’ve been swooning over lately. I seem to be really drawn to pops of color in a mostly white room. I love clean, bright, simple spaces. I think because we haven’t had a place of our own for the past three months, I’ve got decorating and renovation projects on the brain. Lately I’ve been scouring the internet for inspiration. I like to combine the beautiful rooms and living spaces I come across to build a sort of dream home – I see a wonderfully eclectic mix of vintage and modern, a bold accent wall, colorful moroccan rugs and floor cushions to warm up the space and mid century modern furniture all paired with very scandinavian white walls. For more interior inspiration check out this Pinterest board.
get the look – a colorful country road quilt and this swiss cross reversible throw from leif; simple wood bench from CB2; a vintage turkish kilim rug; turquoise bar stools, these light fixtures from schoolhouse electric & supply co and bold artwork from miranda skoczek, kirra jamison and rachel castle
bedroom | dining room | living room | kitchen
studio update
It’s still winter here – very cold and lots of snow which is good weather for working indoors but I sure do hope it starts to warm up soon. I’ve been painting like crazy. These days it’s about refining the designs I already have and coming up with new ones. I have the Wells Street Art Festival coming up in a few months so I’m trying to build up my inventory of paintings. I like to do things in stages and steps – I prime all of the canvases first then I flip through my sketchbook and find a few designs that I think will make nice paintings. Then I start drawing them out on a bigger scale and if necessary making a stencil. The last step is applying paint! I’m usually working on a few different paintings at once. I decided to change Adventure Begins to four colors instead of three and I can’t wait to see how it turns out. All kinds of new work is coming soon and I’m also working on a little side project. I will try to show you more here or here soon.
image credit kate zitzer
let’s eat and drink | river west chicago
photo credit we are the barkers
I’m so proud of this city, and I loved living there so much that I thought I’d share some of my favorite spots with you – a guide if you ever visit Chicago or if you live here and want to try a few new places. Today I’m going to start with my old Chicago neighborhood – River West.
So, River West – it’s a tiny little neighborhood along Milwaukee from Grand to Chicago east of the Kennedy Expressway and west of the North Branch of the Chicago River and there are tons of fine dining and inexpensive cafes, wine bars and coffee shops. There’s an intersection at Grand, Milwaukee and Halsted with several great places – La Scarola, Iguana Cafe, Piccolo Sogno and The Dawson. River West also rubs elbows with some of the trendier neighborhoods in the city – Wicker Park, River North and the West Loop are all just a few blocks away. Let’s eat and drink –
Iguana Cafe – A true local hangout with a European feel – I love it here. Try the crepes or the paninis. Linger over coffee or a glass of wine. Also a great spot for brunch.
La Scarola – this little restaurant is the real thing. Healthy sized portions of authentic Italian cuisine – I love their grilled calamari and any of their pasta dishes.
Piccolo Sogno – Delicious Italian food and amazing atmosphere. It has the best outdoor patio in the city and we order the antipasto appetizer every time. Previously mentioned Piccolo here.
Paramount Room – Craft beer, burgers and specialty cocktails. I like to grab a bite at the bar.
The Point – Grab a table outside in the sun and enjoy a great classic cocktail or beer from their long list.
694 Wine Bar – I love this spot, one of my favorites in the city! Delicious plates of meats and cheeses and an excellent wine selection. Go Wednesday night for BBQ night all year long!
Silver Palm – A railroad dining car turned restaurant and a great spot for dinner – or take a seat at one of the sidewalk tables.
Matchbox Bar – Very narrow, hip bar – could possibly be Chicago’s tiniest bar. Have a chat with one of the bartendars and a quirky cocktail. Can’t go wrong with a Manhattan – they marinate their own cherries in bourbon.
Big Shoulders Coffee – Grab your morning coffee and a fresh pastry. They’ve got wifi too if you need it.
Thalia Spice – an excellent little Thai cafe
Duran – It’s part of a small chain but the sandwiches are delicious and it’s BYOB
Windy City Cafe – a neighborhood gem and the very best breakfast sandwiches in the city! Family owned, lots of traditional breakfast and lunch options and their coffee comes from Big Shoulders.
The Dawson – a casual spot with three bars – upstairs, downstairs, outside – and an American menu that makes use of a wood-burning grill. This place just opened in the fall and is a great addition to the neighborhood!
advice | office organization
Most of us spend a lot of time in our offices – home or otherwise – but it’s a space that often gets messy and neglected and can be pretty boring! So I love the idea of adding a little style to the spot where you spend most of your day. Here are a few tips and some fun finds for creating a work space that is both functional and beautiful –
pencil holder | wire basket | clothes pins | office accessories
Try to start your day with a clean desk. It will probably get messy as you work throughout the day but take a little bit of time at the end to file those papers and organize the office supplies. Make things as easy to put away as possible. Use desk drawer organizers or designated labeled boxes.
File receipts. For the past few years I’ve been keeping all my receipts in a box, but this year it’s my goal to use a binder with properly labeled folders.
Keep desktop accessories to a minimum. Don’t leave anything on your desk that you don’t use on a daily basis. As tempting as it is to buy cute trays and organizing boxes, try to keep those to a minimum. I found that those cute little trays and boxes just mean I collect more clutter. I keep a few pencils, a notebook, a pair of scissors and a ruler out in the open for easy access because I use them almost every day.
Use your wall space. Hang and post important “things to do” on bulletin boards. Put up some artwork – choosing a favorite image can go a long way to adding beauty to your space – and hang a mirror opposite the window to create more light in the space.
twig pencils | oyster globe | magazine rack | vintage typewriter
I’ve been dreaming up all sorts of ideas for my future studio/office. What office supplies and accessories do you use? What are the best storage solutions? Should I stick with a theme when decorating (all white?) or a mixed color palette? What do you think? For more studio and work space inspiration check out this board.
top photo found here
