I've been working on a cute logo

Here is the sticker I ordered. I meant for it to be diecut… So I have ordered more and actually ordered them correctly.

I did a bunch of sketches and then started tracing in Procreate. I’m not very good with Procreate yet and was getting very frustrated!! I asked my friend Jenn of Vettha Arts to help me out as she is an amazing artist and very skilled with Procreate!

Well, she transformed this for me by refining the quality, changing p some shapes to read better, and also really made the CA poppy leaves look WAY better. so, thank you, Jen!

I’m using her Procreate file to help me understand some of the ins and outs of this program. I admit, even after watching a bunch of masking videos, I am still a but unsure how I will need to use that feature.

My Animal Crossing New Horizons Island

I got a Switch Lite in 2020 during the pandemic and it was a huge source of comfort. I had played one of the other Animal Crossings, one that was on my phone and I eventually deleted it because it was taking too much of my time. At some point in 2020 I had to back up my island and move it to another switch and I thought I lost the save data and I cried. In front of my kid. Since then I have started a bunch of new islands. This newest one is called Eschscholz and my character is Poppy, obviously.

I am at the point in my island where I have most of my villagers and am already crapping up my layout.I need to get this thing under control so I have made a bubble diagram.

Key Elements/Areas

  • Shopping/Commercial District by the airport

  • Housing areas - mainly the suburbs, a beach community, and my personal estate.

  • Secondary housing areas - Hermit in a woodland swamp that leads to my cheesy Florida Beach Motel.

  • National Forest and camping area with a large lake. I might add an island in the middle that you can access using the Mario pipes.

  • The River Anduin that leads through river valley to The Argonath and Mount Doom where I will attempt to create a rock circle.

Why, you may ask yourself, is an adult obsessed with this kinda silly-seeming decorating game? Because it's awesome, that's why. It's a cozy, low-stakes game where all my cute little animals are happy to see me. I can decorate their houses and yards to match their personalities, and I can terraform and breed flowers to my heart's content.

Moving people through space and 'decorating' that space is what landscape design is all about, after all. We're constantly thinking about circulation patterns, sightlines, and spatial hierarchy. Where should paths lead? How do you create inviting gathering spaces? What views do you want to frame or conceal?

While the flower colors and textures are limited, breeding them is fun, and so is experimenting with color combinations and accessories for the gardens.

Personally, I think this is a perfect video game for landscape designers.

I should do a post about flower combos at some point!

Landscape Sketchbook - Vignettes

I like to do little landscape vignettes. Not a whole landscape design but just a bed or a small area. It’s fun to use these informal, made-up sketches to explore color and texture and layering of plants.

Here is one with lots of maroon, red, orange, and yellow plants.

Another one with some red and adding in some boulders and gravel, IDK, I find drawing these fun and soothing!

Some Drawings

I’m getting in some more sketch time. this first drawing is colored pencil on printer paper. I was just trying out some different styles.

These are some pages in my sketchbook. I was remembering the summer class I took as a young teen at RISD. My aunt came to pick me up and had no idea what we were drawing. We were each standing in front of a huge piece of newsprint paper. What she dis not see was that wee all also had a tiny shelf made of card board taped next to us with a single piece of popcorn on it. Hahahahah.

Experimenting with different colors in watercolor.

Watercolor of a Mission Blue Butterfly

Landscape Sketchbook - Blobs of Color

I was just playing around with color in this sketch. I really love seeing a landscape where there is super bright color introduced. So far I have not really had a chance to get a client to do this. I have certainly suggested it and tried! I really have! I just love a bright contrast and pop of color!

I will never be bored.

Maybe this is one of the ways ADHD is a blessing. I will certainly never be bored.

Photo of a sketchbook with watercolor painting of an embroidered pouch. The desk is cluttered with paints and a Nintendo Switch Lite in yellow.

Sewing is another hobby I have not been as active with. It is time consuming and I have just had other things consuming my time. But I do still admire my dragon hoard of supplies.

Landscape Sketchbook - Plan View

I came to landscape design through drafting and design, not through plants or gardening. When I first started landscape design classes I seriously did not know a single plant. LOL. One of the first classes I took was planting design for some reason. It was kinda hard since I knew absolutely zero about plants. :D

But I looooved hand drafting so much. It’s one of those activities where I can really get into a flow state. I like CAD drafting as well but it is not nearly as soothing.

I like to doodle these plan view symbols. Would it be weird to get some of these tattooed on myself?! No, no it would not be weird.

colorful plan view plant symbols

colorful plan view plant symbols

Time for a Tea Party

Just a few pics from our back porch tea party. We have some delicious treats from Lovejoy’s in SF plus some extra crumpets and pastries.

Drawing Vicariously

I’m not heading to the ranch so T is sending me pictures. I am drawing them and it feels just as nice and meditative as getting to go up there.

Chicken Math

Our second to last chicken died in February of this year and, with just one chicken left, I decided that we would get a new batch of chickens. My timeline was dependent on Concord Feed and their schedule of chickens. I was hoping to get some specific breeds. I ended up just getting the ones they had available and I am very glad I did because the week after I picked ours up there was a global pandemic declared and people went nuts buying up all the chickens. It was all about sourdough starter and buying ‘pandemic chickens’ in those first few weeks. I mean, also it was about people being scared, dying, losing their jobs and a host of other horrible things.

We ended up getting six chickens, 2 cream legbars, and four cochins (black, blue, buff, speckled). Our older hen is an Easter Egger and she mostly hates us.

Even now I feel the inexplicable pull of chicken math. I really want to add some chocolate eggers or a Lavender Orpington… there are so many adorable chickens out there.

Meme showing a still of Boromir from The Lord of the Rings with the caption, “One does not simply get a few chickens”.

Meme showing a still of Boromir from The Lord of the Rings with the caption, “One does not simply get a few chickens”.

Baby chickens are just the cutest things! Check out these nerds as babies:

So the week after got these the SIP order was put in place. My sister and I organized a pet fashion show for the kids in our lives. It was a great success. I submitted several chicks wearing muffin papers.

Photo of a sketchbook page open to a watercolor and ink drawing of a ticket (front and back) saying ‘Pet Fashion Show March 2020”

Photo of a sketchbook page open to a watercolor and ink drawing of a ticket (front and back) saying ‘Pet Fashion Show March 2020”

Picture of a gray and white chick butt wearing a muffin paper as a skirt.

Picture of a gray and white chick butt wearing a muffin paper as a skirt.