Redbubble Store Merch

As much as I love being able to sell stickers of my artwork that I order and mail myself, I have been wanting to offer my artwork on a few different products. But I don’t want to have to buy the equipment to print on these items and then stress about shipping them. I already stress about the stickers and small prints I have, and they are pretty small!

So I have been looking for websites that will let me upload my artwork and sell fun items and I can make a few bucks when something sells. I sell a few t-shirt designs on Zazzle and I literally make $0.40-$0.60 on each shirt that gets sold. Yeah… that’s it. But it’s a place that people already know about to find fun t-shirt graphics.

So I’m giving Redbubble a try. I have set up a store with five paintings of my artwork. You can check it out HERE.

I’m just starting with a few right now. And once I have a handle on how it works, I may start adding new artwork that can also be printed on apparel. I love that you can get my paintings printed onto a coffee mug, magnet, water bottle, or a drawstring backpack or a throw pillow.

This artwork here on a drawstring backpack may be a new one for my fans. I made this painting of Delicate Arch from Arches National Park last year and gave it to a friend for her birthday. I am thinking of doing another sticker series like I did for “I heart Public Lands” and feature National Park Service sites and #npslover on them. I’m hoping to see more national park sites in the coming years so I can get more photo reference.

Anyone know of any other sites that work like this? I would like to sell prints through Redbubble, but they don’t let me pick and choose the print and poster sizes, and my images are too small for posters. I would like to sell greeting cards too, but they are grouped in with posters. I also would LOVE to find one site that does everything I want and not have multiple different websites where I sell merch…. someday.

Hike it Baby 30 - April 2021

Hike it Baby 30 is here! What is this, you ask? It’s a challenge to get outside with your family every day for 30 days during the month of April. Hike it Baby is a nationwide nonprofit that aims to support families with young children to get outside and explore; no matter what that outdoor exploration looks like. Every April and September, they host a 30-day challenge and fundraiser that encourages and supports families getting outside every day for 30 days. Families who join and make a donation get to join a Facebook group where everyone shares their adventures and supports one another. They are also entered into drawings to win prizes from sponsors and everyone who joins the challenge gets a sticker that is unique to that challenge. Adventures can be in your neighborhood, backyard, local park, beach, lake, paved trail, or in the woods or mountains.

It’s been my privilege to get to design the stickers for these fundraisers since late 2017. Last September, I created a sticker that embraced the uniqueness of spring 2020 by showing a city park rather than a remote wilderness. For this April’s challenge, I continued that theme with a city fishing pond. The hammock and fishing pond was where my family spent a lot of our outside time in 2020, so it was special for me to create it in watercolor.

In addition to the sticker, Hike it Baby had me create a Spring Workbook for participants to use during the challenge. We grabbed some of the activity sheets that I created in the past and added a few new ones along with a spiffy, spring cover. I really love how it turned out.

30 flowers to color for 30 days.

Lastly, we almost always have a t-shirt campaign to go with each HiB30 and this time is no different. I was asked to make our sticker artwork into a t-shirt design that coordinated with previous t-shirt designs and there is a campaign with Bonfire for t-shirts, tote bags, and mugs. Check it out!

I cannot wait to see what we can create for the next Hike it Baby 30 challenge this coming September.

Product of the Month - April 2021 - iPad Pro + Procreate

I have been somewhat of an old lady when it comes to trying new things in the art world. Even though I’ve been working with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop for about 17 years, it took me an embarrassingly long time to consider getting Procreate.

About a 12 years ago I had a Wacom digital drawing tablet. It was finicky, and not easy to use considering I was looking at a monitor while drawing and not at my hand working the stylus. It was not effortless for me and I ended up going back to drawing with my mouse rather than deal with it. It gathered dust and then became obsolete as my computer upgraded and my Wacom tablet sat on the shelf.

As the years went by I didn’t take the time to see what the world of digital drawing was doing. I started following a few artists who were using tablets again and it was clear the technology was kicking ass. I learned about the Procreate app and other drawing tools and decided that I’d save up for an Apple Pencil and Procreate so I could give them a try. Then my husband informed me that the my iPad was too old to work with the Apple Pencil. That $200 goal was now closer to $1000. Deflated is the best word to describe how I felt. I couldn’t justify spending that much money on this new tool when I really had no idea how much I would really use it. I put it off to a “someday” thing.

Lo and behold, my husband surprised me with an iPad Pro and an Apple Pencil for Christmas last year. This was a big deal because we don’t exchange gifts at Christmas; a deal we made with each other a long time ago.

It has been SO much fun to play with these! I watched a few videos on Skillshare to get myself started on Procreate and it’s been a fun program to learn. I’m nowhere close to feeling like any kind of pro, but it’s been a blast to figure out. I love that I can work in layers and build a simple, rough sketch up to a finished drawing or digital painting. I can layer in photo reference too.

The first thing I did was a self-portrait to commemorate my taekwondo black belt test later this year. It resides on the cover of my black belt binder (where I keep study materials and essays). I’m currently working on a portrait of a friend next.

Thanks to a few artists I follow on Instagram, I downloaded the Amaziograph app next. It’s an app for drawing tesselations and mandalas. It’s like therapy and meditation on an iPad. I’ll sit for an hour or more drawing mandalas and then coloring them. I’ll paint colored shapes and then draw a mandala on top in white. It’s mesmerizing to use and even my kids enjoy using it. For them it helps build fine motor skills too.

I learned quickly that I don’t like to draw when I can’t rest my hand on the iPad. A quick search on Amazon revealed these two-finger gloves designed to work with digital drawing. They work with either a left or right hand and they work like a charm. My iPad doesn’t register the palm of my hand when I’m drawing; just the pencil or my fingertips.

So this month’s POTM was more a group of products than a single product. They are tools that I am slowly adding to my repertoire and thoroughly enjoying along the way.

• iPad Pro 11 inch

• Apple Pencil

• iPad Pro Case

• Palm Rejection Gloves

• Procreate App

• Amaziograph App

• Skillshare

What are some other apps that are super fun to use with an Apple Pencil?? Share in the comments.

Watercolor Prints are Here!

I’m doing a trial run of selling watercolor prints. I ordered a few and I’ll list them for sale. If there is enough interest and I can get them shipped with little-to-no hiccups, then I will order more and in some larger sizes.

Right now I have these available to order as giclée prints. Giclée is a printing method that ensures vibrant color and fantastic detail using archival inks. These are printed on acid-free, archival paper that has a matte finish and a subtle watercolor texture. I’m really happy with the print quality.

There are only a few available for each of the 5x7 and 8x8 prints. You can order them here or click on any photo and it’ll take you to the link to purchase.

Sundial Peak and Lake Blanche - Brighton, UT

Lower Calf Creek Falls - Boulder, UT

Babylon Arch - Hurricane, UT

Coyote Gulch - Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

Corona Arch - Moab, UT

I have decided that Corona Arch here won’t be available in any print larger than 8x8. The original painting is about 5x5 inches and when enlarged, the stars will start to look weird as they are enlarged too. Someday, I’ll repaint this on larger paper so it can make for a prettier print in bigger sizes.

What should I paint next?? I have a few pretty places on my list from the Uinta Mountains in Utah AND also a few spots in California. Stay tuned.

Kula Cloth Design Contest - 2021

I entered a new painting into the Kula Cloth Design Contest this week. They are running their second annual contest and the grand prize winner gets $1250 and their artwork on a Kula Cloth to be sold for the whole world to purchase. The 15 designs with the most votes will get 2 Kulas with their artwork on them. I would honestly be stoked to make the top 15. Click HERE to vote!

What is a Kula Cloth? It’s one of the best inventions for people who squat or use a funnel to pee. It’s a washable, reusable, antimicrobial pee cloth for when nature calls when you’re camping, on a the trail, or out where there isn’t a toilet. Heck, even if there IS a toilet, there isn’t always toilet paper, is there? Use your Kula as a pee cloth and you don’t have to worry about packing toilet paper in and out. Clip it to your pack to dry and it’s good to be used again or washed. The fabric dries quickly too.

Image by Zion Adventure Photo - Me hiking with my Kula Cloth

I have had Colonnade Arch, aka Five Hole Arch, on my radar and I just hadn’t painted it yet. It lies close to the Green River kinda near Moab, UT on BLM land. I thought the layout and composition would work great for a diamond shape, so off I went.

Such a beautiful spot to watch a sunrise; which is the vibe I was going for here. I call this one “Windows.”

This is an approximation on what my Kula might look like. I think the corners will be more rounded.

Everyone can only vote one time, but you can vote for as many designs as you’d like. There is some really beautiful artwork on there, Click HERE to vote!

Buckskin Gulch Watercolor

Yesterday I finished a watercolor painting from Buckskin Gulch in southern Utah. It’s close to the Utah/Arizona border and is one of the longest slot canyons in the world. It’s definitely a place I’d love to visit someday. I would LOVE to paint there in person rather than rely on photo reference. Heck, I’d even be happy with photo reference I took myself!

Isn’t it cool how the canyon seems to be glowing?? I will be ordering this one as a small sticker and I’ll make my whole Public Lands Sticker series available at an 8-sticker set for a discounted price. My stickers are available here.

I plan to keep painting, but I won’t restrict myself with public lands only. I recently made a painting of Sundial Peak which is part of National Forest land up here in the northern part of Utah and I have a painting of Delicate Arch from Arches National Park that I’ll make available eventually too. And I do want to paint spots that are outside of Utah too. I’ll get there!

Product of the Month - February 2021 - Daniel Smith Watercolors

I get to use a wide variety or products with my work, and I wanted to share what I use and love. This month I’m featuring my favorite watercolor paints: Daniel Smith Watercolor Paint.

There are affiliate links in this post. Shopping though these links means Amazon gives me a little percentage and it helps support my small business.

I’ve used a big variety of brands of paint, whether it’s been watercolor, oils, acrylic, or gouache. Watercolor is my favorite right now for it’s ease when traveling and I don’t have to worry about wasting any paint when it dries. When I was a poor, college student, I only ever bought the cheapest, student-grade paints; it didn’t matter the brand. It was hard to justify spending more on the higher quality brands when money was tight and I had no idea where my degree was going to take me. Instructors taught us why the more-expensive brands were better, but that didn’t really get through to my 24yo brain and wallet.

It wasn’t until I was much older and able to justify spending more on paint that I finally got it. These paints are sooooooo nice and they have so much more pigment in them than any of the student-grade brands I used in the past. I feel like I end up using less paint overall with each painting simply because there is more pigment and the quality is better.

I see a similar correlation when I look at inexpensive eye shadows from drugstores and compare them to the higher-end brands like Benefit, Smashbox, and Urban Decay. There is so much more pigment in the nicer brands and you end up using a lot less of the product overall because there are less fillers.

Daniel Smith has been my favorite in quality and variety of colors. I started out with a starter set and it’s been all downhill from there when it comes to brand loyalty. I KNOW there are other brands out there, but the old lady in my just knows I’ll be happy with one brand.

I’m considering getting back into oils and will look at stepping away from the student-grade paints, but I’m not quite there yet… unsure if I will stick with them. Maybe when it’s warm enough to open my windows?

I’m in love with the quality of these paints, but if you have a favorite brand I should try, leave me a comment.

Product of the Month - January 2021 - Pocket Palette

I use and love a wide variety of products with my job; from paintbrushes, watercolor paper, and pens to backpacks, computer equipment, and hiking boots. My work has me almost constantly searching for tools to make it easier, more efficient… or sometimes just more fun. I’m going to start featuring a different product each month and see if I can remember to keep it up for a while. Sometimes the products will be art supplies, sometimes not. We shall see.

These posts will often include affiliate links if the product is available on Amazon. Shopping through these links earns me a few cents and it’s very much appreciated.

On to the POTM!

This month’s favorite product is the Pocket Palette from Art Toolkit. Not available on Amazon, but it can be purchased through their website. This little palette is a smidge larger than a business card and holds a variety of different-sized paint pans. Different-sized pans can be purchased on their website to fully customize your palette. There’s even a smaller palette available.

**Edit: in the summer of 2021, they added the new Folio Palette, which is bigger than the pocket palette; about 5.5x3.25 inches. Trying to justify getting one.

The bottom of the palette is a magnet that keeps the pans in place and makes them easy to remove, wash, refill, and organize any way you’d like. The lid works as a little palette to mix colors too.

I got my first one a while back when I bought the Art Tool Kit for myself. I have absolutely fallen in love with it and you can read about it here. A few months back, I bought a second Pocket Palette so I could separate my warm and cool colors (read more about it here). They both fit in my Art Tool Kit and the size of these palettes makes them ideal for plein air painting (that’s French for painting outside).

I even use them at home when I’m just painting in my office. I’m pretty particular when it comes to how my colors are laid out and in what order, so I love being able to reorganize from time to time; especially when I add new paint colors to my palettes.

What’s a great product you’d recommend??