Celebrating Home with State Prints

Hi there. How are you?

Celebrating your home is big in design right now. Sporting zip codes, area codes, and state shapes on t-shirts, pillow, prints, mugs, etc. is all the rage.

Personalization is big too. People enjoy having their name and place on their things.

I’m always a tad leery of hopping on design trends. By the time I’m recognizing this trend, is it too late to capitalize on it? But this trend, I really like, so I went for it.

I started with this drawing….

My Illinois state print started as this drawing in my sketchbook.

….And turned it into this!

Carbondale, Illinois print featuring a ballpoint drawing from my sketchbook. Click through to purchase.

Carbondale Love

Last spring, I started making state prints with my ballpoint sketchbook drawings. I started with my own state of Illinois. Using a really nifty Illustrator feature, I was able to “cut” my rectangular drawing into the shape of the state. I added a heart over my home in Carbondale and voila!

I printed and framed these cuties for a spring time market I did last year. As Carbondale is a college town, I thought it would make a good graduation gift. They went over really well, so I decided to make more states.

As it is the Bluegrass State, the Kentucky print had to be in blue.

The Bluegrass State

When my Kentucky friends saw my Illinois prints, they wanted in on the fun too. Of course this one had to be blue. Fun fact: I lived in Edgewood, Kentucky (across the river from Cincinnati) for a couple of years as a child.

Here’s the drawing that served as the backdrop for my Kentucky state print.

My Wisconsin state print had to be Badger red.

On Wisconsin

Next was Wisconsin which had to be in “Badger” red. Growing up on right on the state line, I’ve spent a lot of time in Wisconsin. We used to vacation every summer at a Wisconsin lake house, I attended University of Wisconsin-Madison for my undergrad and spent 3 summers working at a summer camp in Northern Wisconsin.

This sketchbook drawing that was the basis for the Wisconsin state print.

This California print marks San Diego with a heart.

Cali Love

This Christmas, I made California for my brother and sister-in-law who live in San Diego. I cut the California state silhouette out of the same drawing that I used for Illinois. Why reinvent the wheel, right?

Showing some south Florida love with this new state print.

The Sunshine State

This spring I decided to add a few more states to my repertoire. It seemed logical to make Florida next as my in-laws spend half their year living in Naples, Florida and one of my good buddies is about to move to Florida.

For my Iowa State friends, I made this Iowa print with the heart over Ames.

And lastly, Iowa

Even though, Iowa borders my home state of Illinois, I have never really been there. (Weird but true.) I have a lot of friends with Iowa connections, so that’s where I went next.

A custom Wisconsin print for a Beloit College grad.

All of these prints are customizable.

The heart can be moved to mark any location within the state. I’ve started to dabble with state color changes too.

I just made this custom Wisconsin print for a graduation gift. I swapped Badger red and a heart for Beloit College blue and a star.

All of the existing state prints are available for sale in my shop.

They make lovely graduation, wedding and housewarming gifts.

What state next?

I’ve had a lot of fun making these and they’ve been selling well, so I’ll keep going with them. What state should I tackle next? Do tell!

That’s all for now.

Ciao, Jen

Summer, Swimsuits & a Comission

Hi there. How are you? 

It's been hot and humid for weeks now in Southern Illinois. All I want to do is swim. Good thing we've got a lovely little public beach on the lake nearby. Hoping to head there tomorrow.  

I've been thinking about swimwear a lot this summer as I spent a good chunk of my studio time illustrating swimsuits for a commission. A few months back, I was asked to create some original artwork for a brand new tiny house rental cabin near of Lake of Egypt.   

The stylish, light filled interior of one of the Dam Near Lake of Egypt micro cabins. Photo courtesy of Dam Near Cabins. 

Pops of red, yellow and blue set off the mainly white, bright interior. Photos courtesy of Dam Near Cabins. 

Dam Near Cabins

Dam Near Lake of Egypt Cabins is a brand new business started by Allison and Michael Hasler. They built and elegantly furnished two lovely rental "micro cabins" that are just 1 mile from Lake of Egypt Dam. (Clever name, isn't it?!)

I got to tour this cabin right before they finished it and I've got to tell you, it's gorgeous. It's diminutive 550 square feet is packed with high end finishes and feels light, spacious and airy. I would love to stay here sometime! 

* All cabin photos courtesy of Allison Hassler, Dam Near Cabins.

The Dam Near micro cabins have a sleek, modern, and full sized kitchen and bathroom. Photos courtesy of Dam Near Cabins. 

Bathroom Art

Allison commissioned me to create some original art for this charming bathroom. (I'm not quite sure why, but my art often seems to make it's way into people's bathrooms. Maybe it's the small size of my work?)

She asked me to illustrate vintage swimwear and I was happy to oblige. I was excited to revisit collage and take a break from abstraction, so I quickly got busy looking for source material. I took my cues for color from the pops of aqua, red, and yellow found in the cabin furnishings.

A mixed-media illustration based on a vintage Tom Brigance swimsuit. 

Ink & Paper

I started with this adorable 1950's skirted suit designed by Tom Brigance. I did a preliminary drawing of the suit on red polka dotted paper, and then added in the details with my trusty black Bic ballpoint pen. 

A classic 1950's bathing suit illustrated with patterned paper and black Bic ballpoint ink. 

A Classic Shape

Next I worked on the yellow suit, also a classic 1950's design. As we know, that comes around goes around in fashion, and this style is in vogue again right now. In fact, I own a suit very similar to this myself. (It's a little less ruched and is red instead of yellow though.  Yellow is not my color!)

A vintage 1950's bathing suit that doesn't look that idea for swimming that I illustrated for a client. 

Swimming in Velvet?

Though this one seems older to me, this is also a 1950's Tom Brigance design. It was made cotton and rayon, but almost looks like velvet to me. It doesn't seem that practical for swimming, but that's nothing new.  Have you seen this suit that can't get wet and is dry clean only?????

The original illustrations framed up and hanging in the bathroom at the Dam Near micro cabin. Photos courtesy of Dam Near Cabins. 

The Install

A couple of weeks ago, Allison shared these pictures of my illustrations framed up and hanging in the bathroom. They look great, don't they? I'm so pleased with the way they turned out and so were my clients.

I absolutely adored working on this project and I couldn't believe how quickly I was able to adjust to working in this illustrative style again. I'd love to do more more swimsuits in the future. (It may have to wait until the fall though. I've got so many other projects to accomplish.) 

Vintage swimsuit prints are here! Click through to purchase. Buy the set and save $10.00.

Prints are available! 

With the blessing of my client, I've made prints of my three swimsuit illustrations. They'd look great in your bathroom, beach house, lake home or pool. Each print is available for sale individually or you can buy a set of all three and save $10.00. 

Want to commission me to make something special for you? 

I really love being told what to do. (Seriously, I do!) Get in touch if you'd like me to create some custom artwork of your very own. 

That's all for now. Ciao! 

Every Vote Matters: Postcards to Voters

Hi there. How are you?

I’m always looking for new and creative ways to utilize my abstract drawings. When a friend of mine asked me to to design a voter postcards to send out in "get out the vote" campaigns, I was happy to oblige. 

My "Every Vote Matters" postcards are ideal for "get out the vote" campaigns. Click to purchase. 

Every Vote Matters

Now that it's 2018, we can start to focus our attention on the midterm elections. If you're unhappy with the way things went in 2017, now is OUR time to make a difference. Enter the "Postcards to Voters" campaign. 

Postcards to Voters are friendly, handwritten reminders from volunteers to targeted voters in close, key races coast to coast. This grassroots movement started in March 2017 with just 5 volunteers writing postcards to voters in one special election in Georgia. There are now over 10,000 volunteers writing postcards in all 50 states that have written some 500,000 postcards to voters. 

It's an easy way to make a positive, political impact. 

Interested in volunteering to write Postcards to Voters? Click through to learn how. 

So, I decided to volunteer!

I just finished up my first batch of voter postcards on my very own postcards. In just one evening, I was able to crank out 20 handwritten postcards to Pennsylvania voters. Postcards to Voters provides the "talking points" and the address, so all I had to do was write, stamp and send. 

Postcards by Karen Fiorino of Clay Lick Creek Pottery. Click through to purchase. 

My friend made some too!

My good friend Karen of Clay Lick Creek Pottery has also made some voter postcards. It's cool that she was able translate her signature pottery motifs onto 2-d postcards. I'm particularly fond of the top design, and the play of the organic shapes against the bold blue stripes. It's sure to grab the voter's attention, don't you think?

Postcards by Mary Hawkins on Etsy. Click through to purchase. 

Other Voter Postcards on Etsy

I found these voter postcards by Mary Hawkins on Etsy. I'm totally smitten with the US map design. It's a good reminder that every vote, every where is important. She's got a whole shop full of postcards and other voter themed goodies, even washi tape! 

Every Vote Matters postcards feature my abstract ballpoint drawing. Click through to purchase. 

I'm so pleased with how my postcards turned out. This design really pops. The blue ballpoint drawing provides a great backdrop for the very simple, but important message. I can't wait to send more of these out! 

If you'd like to purchase these and start writing postcards to voters yourself, click HERE.

One last thing!

I can't end this post without giving a shout-out to my friend Emily, who encouraged me to design these postcards and to volunteer for Postcards to Voters. She's the mastermind behind Ekra, a fab handmade shop featuring customized map art. She's also an awesome, political animal! I admire her willingness to step up and get involved. 

That's all for now. Ciao! 

Just one more thing....Don't forget to Vote!