The first seven days of found reflections

The 100 Day Project / "Tiny Things"

I like to leave things open so magic can come through the door. Like when a client tells me exactly what they want, it limits the creative process of exploring the possibilities. I become more of a production artist. Same goes for personal projects. I have the vision and inspiration to begin. I’m just not sure exactly what direction it will take.

Each day I wake up open to find something. I’m not sure what it will be. I only know I’m looking for it. I will see, feel, or think something that sparks inspiration. I enjoy being open and waiting for it to find me.

Here are a few of my favorites from this last week…

“Lifted out of the shadow.”
Medium: (Gouache, coffee bag, book clippings)
Playlist: Air Radio on Spotify

Altadena is 15 minutes away. I kept feeling the temptation to take the exit - to just look. But it felt like peering behind the curtain to witness another’s tragedy. It opened the door to the possibility of it being ours in the future. One day it could happen here. All it takes is one strong wind.

The most startling thing was how random it all was. One house was melted to the ground, their neighbor only 5 feet away, untouched. One side of the street was all ash, the other side, homes with lush gardens. It was like bombs randomly fell from the sky. I suppose they did in the form of embers. In a lot of burnt down homes, a bright yellow caught my eye. I thought they were grapefruits. But there in the yard was a tree full of the biggest, ripest pears I’ve seen. Some had fallen to the ground and appeared fluorescent against the burnt ground. A Christmas ornament had been placed on the tree. A relic of the holiday season the owners never knew would be their last there. I wonder - when the owners returned to their home - if they left it there on purpose? It might have been the only thing they had left.

“Pitter-Patter”
Medium: (Ink, Watercolor)
Playlist: Van Morrison inspired 70s Mix on Spotify

This one is my least favorite piece of art but holds the most meaning. Over a decade ago I wrote a story titled “Pitter-Patter”. It is about a little girl with magical powers who becomes enchanted by a blue marble one day when it appears outside her window. I wanted to make it into a book - but back then, I was not an illustrator. I wanted to make a short film - way too pricey. So here it sits. Now I am an illustrator and I think about it often. One week I kept thinking about it. I went to walk my pug Midge one morning and there in the grass was a blue marble. Random? It was. But it wasn’t. Make the things you dream about. The universe sometimes has to remind you.

You might notice there is no little girl in this doodle. I have not explored the human form in my illustration work. I think this might be a barrier to entry in my mind. What holds me back. My next 100 Day project might have to be figures - though the thought intimidates me. Makes me cringe a little. I won’t like my art when I begin. I’m going to have to lean into that.

Until Next Time ✨,

Kim