I just started a brand new pattern design course from Victoria Johnson Create Explore called "Create Collections" and have been developing colour palettes and drawing new motifs (butterflies, moths and florals so far!) and thinking about how different types of patterns co-ordinate to make a larger pattern collection. Sometimes it really helps to have someone guide you through their process which really makes you think more deeply about your own design process. So, I started with these two placement prints. I might adjust the colours a bit as I get more into the collection, so stay tuned for more to come! Repeats!

The wonderful website theydrawandcook.com has created 6 new design challenges for their "HandPicked" Featured Collections, curated by Guest Curators from various creative businesses. The first challenge is called "Eat the Rainbow", featuring fruit and veggies. Four illustrations will be showcased from March 11-25! Here is my submission...

MATS Bootcamp is a really fun portfolio-building course from Make Art That Sells. I decided to join up back on Cyber Monday and had to wait until February for the class to start. So, the first February assignment was to design a floral-themed journal cover featuring a specified flower, for me it was geraniums. Tell me what you think...Would you be happy writing your thoughts in this journal, I am curious?

I just received Issue #40 of Uppercase Magazine in the mail and am happy to see my submission for the cover contest was included on page 37! Have a look at this wonderful magazine (one of my favourites) and all the wonderful submissions. Thanks to Janine Vangool for including it!
Oh and BTW: due to many inquiries, I decided to turn this cover illustration into a really fun repeat pattern which you can now purchase on all kinds of fun products, including totes, t-shirts, furniture and more. Check it out in my Society 6 shop!

Just thought I would share the 2 illustrations I submitted for the recent cover contest for one of my favourite magaazines, Uppercase Magazine! They didn't win the cover spot, but I was notified that one of my illustrations was chosen to be included in Issue 40 coming out in mid-December! At this point though I'm not sure which of my 2 submissions was chosen! 
The first theme was to celebrate the magazines 10th Anniversary in 2019 so my pairs of hands on which you can count to 10 are raised in celebration! Another of the requested themes was "maturity and longevity" so the botanical illustration depicts a plant as it grows through various life phases from seed to a variety of flowering blooms (kinda like how we all end up wearing many hats in our day-to-day lives, perhaps?) 
Tell me which of the 2 you prefer...I know which one I like best!

This week's brief in FolioFocus 2108 was to create an editorial illustration using typography to accompany a magazine article about the need to act to address environmental concerns. Here is my illustration...something a bit different for me but I enjoyed the process! What do you think? Does it convey a message?