I met Mary last fall while taking an online course through Lilla Rogers Studio called Make Art That Sells. The course helps surface designers suss out their strengths in the various markets available for licensing. Anyway, we developed quite a friendly community during the course and i am so proud and lucky now to count Mary as a friend. Her design company is called Groovity and her designs are intricate and colorful and often folk-inspired. She is fabulous. Just look at some of her work – my favorites – below!

Gorgeous color, balance and POP!

ummm…awesome, cool, contest-winning fun!

Fabulous textile pattern that looks like the most awesome blanket ever crocheted, right?

Mary’s eye for color and intricate design is only surpassed by the sweetness of her personality – plus, she’s funny! Give her a follow on Instagram or Facebook for a little daily color in your feed.

My part on the blgo hop is to answer a few questions about myself, and then name 2 more people that inspire ME….and then i pass the buck forward….you get the idea.

First things first, the questions:

QUESTION #1 – WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?

Well, right this VERY second, my desk has this on it.

i have been making kids pencil portraits forever, even before i was working full time as an artist. i will never get tired of it. Kids faces and eyes and smiles are so pure and so joyful to capture.i’ve actually been working on my very first series of painted kids portraits, which will be revealed soon. ; )

In a more broad sense, i’ve just finished 2 BIG projects, that i can’t talk about too much yet! Such a total bummer for someone like me who stinks at keeping my mouth shut. i feel like my instagram and facebook feeds have been so dull the past few months, bc all the new stuff i’ve been making is not quite ready for sharing yet! Ah well, i will just say that 2015 will see some fun new products and textiles-y things that might be recognizable : )

Besides those projects, i have been making lots of doodles for my kids summer video series, Doodle Days of Summer. In fact, i’ve been spending a big chunk of this year putting together videos and demos. And while i don’t feel comfortable calling my online offerings “classes”, i settled on “workshops” as an acceptable substitute. They are comprised of video demos, and me sort of sharing my own way of working. It’s not the right way or the only way….it’s just the way i’ve come to know ; ) Right now i have Doodle Days of Summer (which will be archived and made available permanently once the summer session wraps), Layers of Color; a painting worskhop, and Character Sketch Workshop; a demo-heavy offering that shows how i create my characters with pencil. It’s a lot of behind the scenes and sharing of what goes on here when i am making art. All the links are right over there in my sidebar of you want to read more! : )

QUESTION #2 – WHY DO YOU CREATE WHAT YOU DO?

i love stories. i’m a sap. i love to tell a story with a sketch, commemorate a milestone with a painting, capture an emotion with a sketch. i used to think i just liked making pretty pictures. But i know now that the pieces with the most meaning for me, have a story behind them. Sometimes it’s my story.

Sometimes it is the story a customer is trusting me to put down in color and paint and type.

i love a good quote. i love a sassy, detailed character. i love an abstract painting that reminds me of a song or a day.

Maybe it’s because i have such a wretched memory? i really do. It’s criminal what i forget. But being the mush sentimental person that i am, i just love to save a memory for future day. That’s why i create the particular art that i do.

…and also- sidenote – i like a bit spontaneity. i like a bit of messiness. i like a bit of “not taking yourself too seriously.” So my style of art is those things too. : )

QUESTION #3 – HOW DOES YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS WORK?

When i sketch, it is because i saw a certain photo with just the right cheek curve, or a child wearing a too-adorable outfit, or eyes that are just especially full of sparkle. Then i quickly, scribbly capture it in my sketchbook. It’s recording people in their best moment.

But when i paint, it’s often very much a journey. It happens organically when the paint starts hitting the paper or canvas. The most i might have when i sit down, is an idea in my head of some odd colors i want to try.

i wish my answer to this question was way more interesting. But i speak the truth. i try to only draw or paint when i really feel like it. i make a bunch of crud when i’m not feeling in the zone.

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SO!!! now for my challenge to choose a couple of artists who inspire ME!

It’s a tough call, because ever since taking the online course, i suddenly am surrounded by a beautiful community of gifted artists! Many of us are tagging each other along this blog tour – so its should be pretty great to follow as many posts as possible. Lucky me, i got to snag Sarah Ehlinger of Very Sarie and Rachel Schafer of Rachel Schafer Designs. They are both so amazing, i was almost too shy to ask! But these awesome peeps said “yes!” So off we go.

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Sarah Ehlinger. Is. Ridiculous.

Her work is bright and fresh. She has worked for clients like Target and Bed Bath & Beyond. Her color sense is all at once whimsical and sophisticated. How does she do that? She is gifted, that’s how. : ) Here are some of Sarah’s pieces that are standouts to me.

Gorgeous frenchy-french soiré invites that sarah designed and then styled into a glam photoshoot. She is literally good at everything, man……even…..

…making enormous patterned paper flower displays for her booth at Surtex this year! Yes, she MADE those huge blooms out of paper….and everything else you see there in her stunning booth!

Oh, and this? just a crazy, stunningly textured watercolor she dashed off during her morning meditation recently and posted to facebook….no big whoop. WHAT!?!? She just leaks pretty artwork out her fingertips, i think. : )

Give Very Sarie a follow on Instagram or Facebook if you want a bit of silent awe to be a part of your future days.

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And last, but certainly not least we have Rachel Schafer up to bat.

If you think i’m exaggerating when i say that this girl is inspiring, just click here and take it all in. Yeah….she is the bomb diggity.

Rachel’s work is FUN! It is professional and brilliantly executed too, of course. But when i think of it, i just start smiling. There is a joy and a GO FOR IT type attitude in her designs. It’s not wishy-washy. You are seeing her unique vision on the page, people!

Strong shapes, confident, well-edited color and fresh layout abound in this gelatin-inspired pattern.

This fanciful awesomeness from our course together where we were challenged to design a HYPER-LUSH makeup style pouch. Rachael hit it out of the park, right?

Then finally, this….because i dare you to keep from smiling when you look at it! It’s magic when a person can convey joy in 2 dimensions, using only color and form. but here it is. JOY.

And did i mention she’s a lefty? i learned that on her website. Whaddya know!? Lefties are some of the best people.

So, go visit Rachel’s site, stalk her Instagram and jump on her Pinterest bandwagon. You will be so SMILEY that you did.