I’ve got a good good gig.
I drove down to Washington State last week for a Pippin overnight trip with Mary and Jill, the Pippin US lovelies who do a lot of the heavy lifting in getting our canvases out there. They’ve been finding new spots for us to get together and get some fun working done. This time Mary has dear friends who were kind enough to lend us their spectacular home near Anacortes to settle into and brainstorm. The picture above is where we set up our work stuff. Lucky me.
And you know what’s cool? We get a ton of work done. This is the first time since hooking our wagons together that we felt like all of the weird little things to solve were figured out and we could just go full steam ahead with new thoughts and ideas and wonderings. I took along a bunch of new rough designs and sketches that are banging at the walls in my head wanting out. It’s a good feeling having more time now to make that happen.
This little guy is part of a series we’re calling the Smalls. We’re just getting them sent off to be painted and they’ll start being ready to go in January. I think I have to find them their own new little spot on the website. We took some of our favourite things off of a few of the nines canvases, like crows and bats and witches’ hats, and made them into their own little ornaments. This is also a sneaky peak because it’s off of a new nine witches’ boots design that will be coming out in January.
I came downstairs in the morning and sat with my sketchbooks looking out at the water. I was thinking why don’t I have a spot to sit like this in my house? In the short time I was there I started sketching the shapes out for a new dozens and then got happily lost in a new little hanging. I get antsy sitting at my desk too much — I’m thinking my office needs a good clean up and then maybe a new colour of paint or something — and feel lucky when I’m reminded how good it feels designing in other spots too.
Before heading out we took a little walk towards the water and I realized it’s been a little too long since I smelled the salt. It even made me break the self-imposed selfie limit and try another. That’s Mary on the left and Jill in the middle. We have the most fun working together and let me tell you these ladies are smart! And kind and funny and real. And Mary fed us like queens too. Bonus!
I feel like I’m living the life doing all of this. Wow. Blessed.