#i would love to work at the botanical garden but my degree is in graphic design so you can see where I might have a problem with qualifying

[the-zebra-dragon]

Last week we went to the Missouri Botanical Garden (MOBOT) as part of our summer vacation. Technically we were in St. Louis for a wedding, but my sister had free tickets to the garden through her work, so we decided to take a few days and do all the fun St. Louis things.

Now, MOBOT has been under construction for a while for a new visitor’s center. As luck would have it, the day we were there, the Garden Members were having an exclusive preview of said new visitor’s center. My family (+sister’s roommate that tagged along) are not members, so we figured we’d see it some other time.

MOBOT is famous specifically for it’s massive tropical greenhouse, the Climatron. It looks a little bit like THIS:

And is home to over 400 varieties of plant life, according to Wikipedia. It’s fantastic and a fun place to walk through (and air-conditioned!) and I highly recommend it. This is also where we met Diane.

Diane, if I remember correctly, has volunteered at the Botanical Garden for 15 years. She was walking through the Climatron and stopped to chat with us near the end, when my sister and her roommate were throwing water bottles at us and telling us to hydrate. Diane asked if we’d enjoyed our visit thus far (Yes) have we been here before (Yes) and most importantly, did we see the pitcher plants in the middle of the Climatron? (Absolutely)

At this point, I’m vibrating in hyperfixation. I FUCKING love pitcher plants, dudes. Yes! I saw them! I know so much about them! They are my beloveds! Diane asks me if there are pitcher plants that are bigger than the Climatron’s. I practically vibrate out of my skin with a “Yes! Some can even catch small mammals and reptiles!” I didn’t even get to mention the Bats! Diane is thoroughly impressed with me regardless! She would hire me on the spot if she had that authority, and tells me as much. She continues asking questions about pitcher plants. I continue answering them. Diane continually says she wants me to work at MOBOT. I think it would be a dream, personally.

We eventually part ways with Diane, and head out to the Home Gardening Center. In retrospect I maybe should have asked about keeping my pumpkins safe from pests (squash bugs FUCK OFF challenge). We wander the demonstration gardens for a bit before realizing among their veggies that we’re all starving. You cannot eat the veggies out of the MOBOT veggie garden, because if everyone with vaguely sticky fingers did there would be no vegetables to display, and that defeats the purpose.

Luckily, MOBOT has a tram system, and there’s a stop right outside our current location. Since they do have to pay their workers, however, the tram is five bucks per person if you’re not a member. It is what it is. We’re resigned to shell out thirty bucks (hopefully to replace the dead cobra lily in one of the nearby flower beds, may it rest in pepperonis) when someone hollers at us from the tram. It’s Diane! She remembers us!

Diane, in addition to being a volunteer, is a member. And members, she points out to the tram driver, can bring five non-members onto the tram free of charge. Our group is six. The tram driver, feeling the spirit of giving, lets our sixth person on under her own membership. Diane asks where we’re heading as the tram starts moving. We explain that we’re looking to get food, and also could we leave the garden and come back? Is that allowed? Diane confirms that’s allowed, BUT she has a better idea.

The tram takes us around the long way, past the Japanese Garden, Henry Shaw’s house, and one of the botanical museums. Somewhere in there I tell the story of Persephone, as her statue resides along this route, and I have a cat named after her. We make it back as close to the front as is possible by tram, and Diane marches us to the old visitor’s center. It is connected to the new one by a single door, guarded by a nice young woman. Diane tells her that we’re with her, and we’re all going into the new visitor’s center. The young woman is fairly certain this is breaking some rules. Diane tells her it’s fine.

The new visitor’s center is gorgeous, y’all. We all follow Diane down to the snack bar for sandwiches (we were planning to eat a big dinner, so we didn’t need a whole lot). She makes sure we don’t need a membership to actually buy the food. Once that’s all settled, she tells me she’ll see me soon (presumably as a staff member) and promptly vanishes into the garden, never to be seen again by us.

There’s good in this world, guys. There always has been. And sometimes it’s in the botanical garden, and it’s curious about pitcher plants.

[rnicole0414]

Mastery Journal Process and Reflection

InThese last four weeks of this class have been an eye opening experience for me, it taught me there is so much more to graphic design than just drawing and creating things by hand, there is also use of video and film as well as learning how to put motion into a work and making frames work together to crate a moving graphic. It has also been difficult for me with the new software we were working with because it was my first time, but I worked with them and learned well how to do my projects. I am also still working with and learning the software. I will also keep working with it each week as much as possible. My dream is to be a good�� graphic designer, and work with motion and animation in some way and this class helped me to realize that. I love seeing things move with color and type.

Process

Connecting/Synthesizing/Transforming - In week one to create my story board I started my reading Animated Storyboarding witch broke down the process of storyboarding and how to work with frames per second. I also found in article The Art of Storytelling with  Mimi Chao, It breaks down the whole process, startring with making a plan,  deciding the formats of the storyboard and then hand -sketching and thumb- nailing and moving into digital tools to use to make the storyboard come to life. I also used Motion Graphics and the Art of the Abstract by Abi Pollokoff. Witch breaks down the use of animation and narrative abstraction and how to make all work together to create a storyboard, I also learned about different  types of sound and how to use it. My storyboard  on pretoria broke down how I would add motion and sound to my  brand to present my city as an adventurous, welcoming, and fresh place.

   In Week 2 Communicating with Motion I  used an the article the Basics of After Effects and watched several tutorials on after effects, the article broke everything down on how to create a new document and save and how to understand the interface import media, and how to organize projects, I worked with after effects at first as well as making my motion in Keynote and then I moved my project into iMovie because it allowed me to  edit each clip all in one and at the same time make it into a working video and movie, I watched one toutoral on iMovie, then I just worked with it by hand to learn and create my project. through this process I was able to learn how to make motion frame by frame and how to make each motion and frame work together in the movie as a whole. I also was working with how to make the motion fit the frame and make the time of each frame not be too fast or too slow, this was the hardest part for me and my movie was too fast in some frames. I worked though this and made my motion project.

In week 3 I researched and read all the articles and videos I was given to make my choice of which Motion Media Project to do, I chose to do a Cinemagraph because it was the most interesting and fun for me to learn,  I used an article called the Art of Cinemagraphs and How to Make Your Own, this really helped me to understand what a cinema graph works and what it does, I also learned what software to use to create them. I started out with Photoshop, I  struggled  working with it and making the live video fit with still frame that I chose and masking it all together in photoshop, so I researched some more and began working with cinemagraph pro, I could choose the still frame within the live video and it was easier to pinpoint which frame I wanted to make as my sill picture and to mask the part I wanted to move, the making was easier to do and the effects I added were not hard to do, I wanted to bring out my narrative in my cinemagraph, I worked to do this with the movements and I hope I did. 

Problem Solving-  In week 1 the problem I was solving was to create a storyboard for my city brand, the storyboard needed to be broken down into different frames, with each frame moving at a different rate.

the problem that my medium solved according to the industry is the first steps into making my brand into a motion piece, I  solved the problem by researching how to layout my storyboard, I did though laying out my game plan by getting to the drills ( The Art of Storyboarding, Chao,2018). then I moved on to the sketches and the timing of each frame for my brand.

In Week 2 The problem I solved was to create a working motion piece for my brand, the problem my medium solved according to the industry was giving life and movement to my brand, and making it work for the client. I solved this problem by researching how to bring a motion graphic to life, one of the most important things is it is much better to see a simple project executed well, then a big one gone wrong.( 27 Tips to make a Motion Graphic, French, 2017)

I used after effects and Movie to make my motion graphic, I wanted my narrative and voice and tone to stick out and work well together.

In week three the problem I solved was to bring a type of motion graphic to life with work related to my city, I chose a cinemagraph to bring my brand to life, My cinemagraph solved the problem of isolating a certain part of a video to draw attention to it, and by making a part of that video stand out to my audience. I solved the problem by working with Photoshop and Cinemagraph Pro, I was able to represent parts of my narrative and emphasize one part of it to bring it to life and make my brand have presence.

Innovative Thinking- Compared to others in the industry all three of my projects were beginner level, my brand does stand out as being different because I took a look at the city like never before, I worked hard to make my storyboard, motion piece, and context ,motion for my audience all fit together as one standout brand, by bringing my narrative to life.

I approached the subject of innovation with fresh eyes and a mind full of research to create something new, different, and interesting. even though some of it was mind opening and different for me, it brought me excitement and Joy to create my own moving pieces.

My work is innovative because my unique look at the city and what it stands for is different than anyone else, I made a unique narrative and brought it to  life. and my colors in my graphics were bold and bright and fit my voice and tone , and in my motion piece I used pics of the botanic gardens to prove my narrative and I tried to make my motion seem like the wind blowing or animals playing, in my cinemagraph i highlighted the great parts of my narrative to bring life to it.

Acquiring Competencies - throughout this entire process I learned a great deal of new things, I learned what a motion graphic  does, and I learned how to bring my brand and story to life in beautiful and interesting ways that could make the client and the target audience stop and take a second look, the brand could be one of a kind.

The new software I learned was After Effects, PhotoShop, I Movie, Cinemagraph Pro, and Keynote, it was a-lot to take in at first but it was all worth it and lots of fun bringing life to my own story and designs to life and create another story through motion. It made me expand my mind to new areas I never thought I could reach I was excited to create for a client and a target audience, 

the skills I learned were how to make the software work for me, and how to create motion that will standout and last, and how to create a unique piece.

this class and the work was definitely a challenge at first, but I continued to research and work hard to learn the software and concepts that will  do me good and the future, this class also helped me realize what I want to do with my degree, and how i want my work to mean something and standout to the world. I am ready to keep going and create great things.

 I will continue to work hard and open my mind to new and exiting work 

[longwoodstudents]

Student Spotlight: Kaitlyn Coleman, Guest Engagement Intern

Hello! My name is Kaitlyn Coleman and I am the year-long Guest Engagement Intern here at Longwood Gardens. I am from Williamstown, Pennsylvania and started here in August 2017 after graduating from Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, PA, with a dual degree in Public History and English and a minor in Public Relations. During my job- search process, I started-out by applying to conventional history jobs, but then decided to think outside-the-box about how to apply my skills and recalled time spent on Longwood’s website while researching a project for an Event Planning course. Sure enough, when I searched jobs at Longwood, I found this wonderful internship opportunity and the rest is history! I just started my last month here at Longwood (has it really been that long?!) and am very excited to see where the skills and experience that I gained here take me next!

My office is on the very top floor of the Peirce-du Pont House. Though the steps can get tiring on busy days, I couldn’t ask for a more beautiful place to call home this year.

What is your favorite plant?

I don’t have a horticulture background and knew very little about it before starting this program, but I’ve always had an appreciation for beautiful and interesting plants. My tastes in plants tend to vary widely, depending on the season and what is in bloom, and, here at Longwood, there is always something in bloom! I hold a particular affinity for the waterlilies and other aquatic plants on display throughout the summer and fall, because there’s just something about the interplay between the plant and the reflections and ripples of the pools that tugs on my heart strings. The mosaic plant (Ludwigia sedioides), in particular, draws my attention because it looks like an aquatic succulent in shape.

I also love all manner of purple plants, such as the zebra spiderwort (Tradescantia zebrina). The first plant I adopted when I moved to the Row was a tradescantia named Lafayette, who lives on our bathroom windowsill, and I’ve since started two other plants from his cuttings.

Mosiac plant (Ludwigia sedioides)

What is your favorite Garden? What is your favorite part of Longwood?

Truth be told, before Longwood, I had not visited many public gardens. Since joining the program, though, I’ve had so many wonderful opportunities to explore America’s Garden Capital and marvel at the variety of the plant world. Chanticleer Garden, in particular, stole my heart with its whimsical, naturalistic design.

I also love to visit natural places with beautiful plants, such as national parks and forests. Some of my absolute favorites were encountering the ethereal worlds of New Zealand’s Waipoua Forest, with its towering kauri trees and the light trickling through fern fronds, and Tongariro National Park, with its harsh, volcanic landscape and low-growing alpine plants.

At Longwood, I feel like there is always a new place to love and I adore different parts of the garden for different reasons. The wall of air plants and trickling water of the Cascade Garden stood-out during my first visit to Longwood, as did the spectacular performances of the Main Fountain Garden, but I think my favorite part of Longwood would have to be the Meadow Garden. It is a different experience every day of the year and I’ve loved watching it change from season to season.

As we enter late summer, the Meadow Garden is coming into its full splendor.

What is the best part of being a student?

All students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of enrichment activities throughout their program and these experiences include some of my favorite things I’ve done over these past 11 months. From hands-on activities right here at Longwood, to trips as far-reaching as Washington, DC and the New York Botanical Garden. Through these activities, I’ve had the opportunity to see and do much more than I ever would have on my own and, for that, I’ve very grateful.

I also can’t say enough about my co-workers and how great it is to feel valued and appreciated for my contributions to the team. They often go out of their way to make my experience even better, because they genuinely care about my learning, growth, and future career. Also, I love to be busy and there’s always something going-on in the Guest Engagement department!

In April, we visited the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washinton, DC. While there, my roommate and I visited the Sakura Yumi (Cherry Blossom Dream) exhibition at Artechouse, an interactive gallery space that features digital artists.

What is your background in horticulture (or whatever field you are in)?

Before Longwood, I had no experience working in horticulture. As a student of three different departments, I found myself deeply enthralled in public humanities. This allowed me to curate a varied, yet intertwined skillset, including writing in a variety of genres, completing valuable research, designing both traditional and digital content, event planning, and combing these skills to present content effectively to multi-generational audiences.

Additionally, I’ve pursued work experience as an Intern at the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office, a Graphics Tech for Messiah’s campus ministries department, a Resident and Teaching Assistant for the Young Writer’s Workshop, and a Fellow for Messiah’s Center for Public Humanities. My favorite pre-Longwood project was the local history exhibit I planned, designed, curated, edited, and implemented for the Center for Public Humanities’ annual Humanities Symposium. I believe learning how to research, curate, write, and edit content for the public and to multi-task effectively have been my most important take-aways from these positions, as they’ve directly connected to my current role.

Why did you want to come to Longwood and what do you think helped you get the position?

I knew very little about Longwood before applying, but as I researched the garden and interviewed with staff members, it became clear how special a place it truly is. Everyone radiated love for their workplace and that sincerity stood out to me. Although I don’t have a horticulture background, I have both professional and academic experience in writing, public history, research, design, and public relations, which gives me a varied skillset well-suited to the role of Guest Engagement Intern.

I absolutely love the Main Fountain Garden and will definitely be returning for future shows!

What do you do at work? Highlight your favorite project or what you do day-to-day.

My job varies week-to-week and day-to-day, depending on the projects we are working on in the Guest Engagement office and what is required of me to support the function of the department. As the Guest Engagement Intern, I’ve had the opportunity to create and implement engaging interpretive programming for diverse, multi-generational audiences. This includes assisting in the management of 400 guest engagement volunteers, designing interpretive materials, writing curriculum, and planning large-scale public programming. I’ve loved working independently and as a member of a team in an environment focused on connecting guests to horticulture, history, and the arts.

Not only have I met my goals for improving my communication skills, I’ve also found that when others wither, I thrive in a fast-paced environment. I strive to approach each day as an opportunity to learn something new and to make someone’s day special. This is likely why my favorite projects involve planning and implementing special events. I also love creating new curriculum and activities for the Children’s Garden. I’m in the business of storytelling and memory-making, so I’ve shaped my efforts throughout this internship to foster opportunities for learning and connection. Every day is something new in Guest Engagement and I’ve strived to embrace the challenges that come my way.

Some of my favorite days on-the-job were when I coordinated our OrKID Day events.

What are your future plans or what is your intended career path?

I still hope to build a career in public history, preferably in a museum or historic site setting, but my time here at Longwood has also won me over to the world of public gardens. My skills are well-suited to both, so I’ve applied and interviewed for jobs in both fields and will be happy to pursue either result. Wherever life takes me next, I know that my time here has taught me so much and prepared me for the challenges ahead. Plus, how many people can say they’ve worked in a place as beautiful as Longwood?

One of my favorite things I’ve done this year was taking the Floral Design I Continuing Education class. Over the course of 6 weeks, I learned the basics of floral design and had the opportunity to make my own creations, including this centerpiece (L) and market bouquet arrangement (R). 

Article and Photos by Kaitlyn Colema

[twosidestarot]

On Art & Cards: An Interview with Jennifer Dranttel of the Nomad Tarot

The hard-to-find Nomad Tarot has long been a favourite here at Two Sides Tarot. I cherish my personal copy, and every time I have it in stock in the shop, it gets snapped up within weeks. It's been a little while since this cult favourite deck has been available, but if you've been longing for a copy, your prayers are about to be answered! 

Nomad creator, Jennifer Dranttel, has just announced that, to celebrate the fifth anniversary of this deck, a new edition is on the way, seeking funding now through Kickstarter. Can I get a HELL YES, please?! 

I had a chat with Jennifer about her tarot origin story, her art practice, and what's new with this edition of Nomad. Read on for all the juice!

Hi Jennifer! Welcome to Two Sides Tarot. Could you introduce us to yourself, and to your work, tarot and otherwise?

Hello! I’m Jennifer, I’m an artist, illustrator, educator, mother, and traveling nomad. I’m American, but am currently living and working in the UK. My whole life I’ve been drawn to creative fields- my undergrad degrees are in Architecture, Graphic Design & Printmaking, and after a decade-long career as a professionally exhibiting artist and curator, I decided to go back to school to get my MFA in Textiles (from Savannah College of Art & Design) because I wanted to be a teacher at the University level.

I always begin my creative process with tons of research, and am inspired by a pretty wide (and wild) range of material from scientific journals to botanical gardens to poetry. I am drawn to both high-tech and low-fi materials, processes, and ideas. The history, layered imagery, and ties into traditions of folk healing, witchcraft, and other religions made Tarot a natural draw for me.

Tell us about your tarot journey - how did the cards first find their way into your life?

I had friends who read the cards and for years they were just always around at parties, dinners, and lazy sunny afternoons in the park. I never really identified as a reader myself, but always really enjoyed using them as a lightly fun way, like a horoscope or a palm reading.

I had an art show booked in 2014 and randomly decided to start looking into the Tarot, and illustrating the Major Arcana as large silkscreen prints. After about six months of research and development of my own interpretations, I became obsessed with having the entire deck in my hands, and illustrated the remaining cards. I really only set out initially to create the deck I wanted to use- with imagery drawn from my life, from the specific things that are inspirational and evocative to me- and I have to admit I’m still amazed every time a stranger wants to use it as well. So I initially began the Nomad Tarot project looking at it from the point of view of an illustrator, but in the past five years they’ve really become a part of my everyday life, and now I frequently do readings for myself and friends, have lectured on Tarot, and have sold this deck to customers all over the world.

How did you come to be inspired to design your own deck? What was the process of creating the Nomad Tarot like?

After the initial research, I have to say that most cards I had an immediate reaction to how I wanted to interpret the material in my own way, and the artwork came quickly to me. Some (The Emperor! Ugh!) still haunt me because I don’t feel I’ve gotten them just right yet. I drew all the artwork by hand, screenprinted them at double size, then scanned in the artwork and added text, borders, and numbering digitally. I prefer to work in that way- combining the high-tech with hand drawing, because I appreciate the quality of the hand that can never be perfectly replicated by a computer. I wanted to cards to be very obviously hand-drawn, not to feel too slick.

How has creating your own deck influenced your tarot practice, or your spiritual practice in general? And what about your art practice - do you feel that working with tarot has informed your creative process at all?

I have to admit I’m still a bit of a novice when it comes to Tarot. I’m not a super experienced reader who has felt a connection to this tradition for years, I found my way here mainly through the art first and then have fallen in love with the spiritual aspect of Tarot. It was always a fun tool to self-reflection when I was younger, but since I created the Nomad Tarot I’ve definitely deepened my practice. I now try to really connect with the cards several times a week, both as a reader- as someone looking for that connection to Universal energy- and also as the creator of this deck- to keep checking in and making notes about how the cards are working and feeling, so I can make slight improvements to them to improve their use.

I think that working with the Tarot- reading and using it now for myself, as well as the result that illustrating the deck had on my career- has made me more confident and focused in all areas of my art. I think it’s made me feel more dialed-in to the world around me, tapped into a larger reservoir of creative inspiration, and more sure in my gifts as an artist.

Tarot geeks can't help themselves, so I just have to ask - what are your favourite tarot or oracle decks? What were the decks that helped to inspire or influence the creation of Nomad?

I love the spirit of the Wild Unknown Tarot, though I was pretty conscious as I was illustrating the Nomad Tarot to not look at a lot of other indie decks, because I wanted to keep my interpretations original and not be influenced by what was already out there. And I’m currently crushing on the aesthetics of the Wooden Tarot and the Ophidia Rosa Tarot.

The Nomad Tarot has been through a couple of editions now, and this relaunch looks like it'll be an exciting new chapter in this deck's story. How has your relationship with Nomad evolved since you first conceived of it? What can we expect from this new edition?

As I said, when I began this journey with the Nomad Tarot nearly five years ago, I just created the deck I wanted to use. I was new to Tarot, didn’t have a lot of experience reading, and I think that really influenced the type of deck I created. I wanted something that felt modern and fresh, that would appeal to people like me- who had dipped their toes into the Tarot pool but hadn’t really connected with a deck yet or felt slightly offput by some of the more typical and traditional Tarot imagery. So I used imagery drawn from my life, and drawn from my specific interpretations of the cards that were mostly very personal.

I’m interested in creating a new edition of the deck because after actually working with it for five years, I have a lot of new insights and small changes that will improve the Nomad Tarot for readers everywhere. There are some cards that made complete sense in my head, but after receiving tons of feedback from customers, they’re not responding to them in the way I’d intended- and I can see slight shifts that will improve their clarity and the ease of using this deck. I think the biggest improvement for this relaunch will be in the guidebook, however. I am working with a professional Tarot reader, Sara Galactica, to add new insights and make it both more specific by including way more information about using the Nomad Tarot, as well as including a lot of general ideas about how to use the Tarot as a tool for self-knowledge and realization. It’s going to be worlds better, with beautiful full-colour photographs, more ideas for spreads to use, and inspirational words from Sara. I can’t wait to get it into my hands!

How can we help get this new edition of Nomad out into the world? Where can readers find and support your work?

Well, if you don’t yet have the deck, buy one through the Kickstarter! There are also some options in there for items like limited-edition screenprints and the new edition of the Nomad Guide to the Tarot, for those who already have the deck but still want to help us get it out to a wider audience. And of course, word of mouth is the most important way to support an indie deck. The success of this deck so far has always depended on the tight-knit community of tarot fans, who have shared it, gifted it, and used it in their readings for years.

You can also follow @thenomadtarot on Instagram, and tag pictures of the deck if you’ve already purchased one with #nomadtarot. The more pictures we have out there the more people will fall in love with and want to support the project! If the funding goal is met, the deck will be available through Two Sides Tarot (Australia) [THAT'S ME!], Little Red Tarot (UK), and Altar PDX (USA).

*

You heard that right, Two Sides Tarot will have the new edition of Nomad in stock later in the year, but only if we all band together and get this Kickstarter campaign funded so Jennifer can send the deck to print!

Head over to the campaign to secure yourself a copy of the deck, pick up a print or book, or make a donation to help make the new edition of Nomad a reality!

[doodlewash]

My name is Jill Gustavis, and I’m originally from Pittsfield, Massachusetts but my husband and I moved over the NY border to quiet Stephentown in 2016. Since that time, you could say my daily exposure to the country and job at work have helped me reprioritize my art.

I’ve been artistically inclined and encouraged since childhood, but I found myself doing less and less art as I made my way through school. I mostly worked with pencils and oil through high school, and acrylics afterwards. I’d still really enjoy it when I did create, and sometimes the works were incredibly encouraging for being few and far between, but I still couldn’t find time.

Now fast forward to college, and my years earning a degree in Interior Design because I was one of many people under the perception that Artist, as a job, was a ‘dream job’, so I picked something ‘professional’. Now, I still pull many useful things from that degree, even though I don’t work in that field anymore. The most important being perspective and illustration techniques, but also a working use of Photoshop and some color theory. I was very basically introduced to watercolors during those years and even completed the renderings for my thesis project using Sakura’s Koi colors. I’ve had basic art instruction in a few areas, i.e. open ended art studio, drawing and composition, and interior rendering, but no extensive instruction as to how to really use the materials available, nevermind master them.

After trying to work in the Interior Design field after college (circa 2008, right when the recession happened) I was relieved to be laid off and had an excuse to freelance as an illustrator and graphic designer. Freelancing was a great change of pace, but ultimately I didn’t enjoy the assertiveness and discipline needed for self-employment at the time. A year or two later, in 2011, I started at the company I now work for, Lymphedivas. We make fashionable medical grade compression garments that treat lymphedema (sleeves and handpieces). In a way, this is where my journey back into painting starts.

I loved school, I’m a smarty pants at heart, and when it comes to art, I like assignments. After working my way up from a Production position, to Junior Designer, to Art Director, I now illustrate patterns based on a set collection of ideas. Yes, I am responsible for helping come up with said ideas, but then I have a timeline to get them done. A deadline is the surest way to be productive for me. Many of these patterns I create with watercolors on paper and then manipulate them to fit the garments in the computer.

Every time I would start a new painted design at work, my inner artist would rejoice and tell myself, “See, you love this, you should do this more at home!”. I would get all excited to get home and paint, only to get home and be exhausted, make dinner, watch TV or read, and go to bed.

Jump to 2016 and we were planning on moving to a more relaxing country area, I was doing lots of art at work, and something clicked. I felt more motivated to do art at home, and I followed through not once, or twice, but consistently. I started an Instagram account for my art that March. I invested in artist-quality paints and brushes. I made time. Now, a year and a half later, I’m still amazed at what I’d been missing all that time I didn’t pick up my brush. But I’ve also learned not to beat myself up about it, I wasn’t ready, and I let it go.

Now, I’d say I regularly paint, but I don’t always have a smooth studio session. I developed into quite the analytical thinker during those years away from my paints and sometimes this is a good thing as an artist, and sometimes it’s not so helpful. For one, and I think a lot of beginning and seasoned artists can relate, I struggle with the “what’s my style?” question a LOT.

The ‘how’ and ‘why’ of painting seems to have an immense philosophical weight. At work I paint what the pattern needs to look like, very straightforward. At home I can do ANYTHING I want, and that’s a bit crippling when you like to over analyze your options.

I also enjoy doing a little of everything creative. In addition to watercolors, I spend time doing photography, sewing, knitting, calligraphy, acrylics, carving, furniture restoration, interior organizing, and gardening to name a good range of interests. I don’t do some of these things regularly, but occasionally working the brain in areas related to painting is like Crossfit for your creative juices. That and I don’t end up making myself hate painting, forcing myself do it when I don’t want to. Instead I come back excited, missing my paints.

I enjoy the change-up the most after I do a lot of visual thinking or painting at work, I can come home and attempt to carve something, knit, work on the house, or anything that involves making something with my hands and intuition more than thinking.

At the same time, the large repertoire means my choices aren’t just limited to painting when I find an hour or two. I love learning about Leonardo da Vinci, he was the master of doing a little of everything. I do wonder if his brain felt a bit permanently scattered? Maybe I should make a magic 8 ball or an origami fortune-teller to make those decisions for me.

When I’m painting I’ve found, simulating the focus of an assignment, I have to trick my brain. I have to just jump in. My favorite way to do this, is to look through a portfolio of printed pictures I’ve taken, pick one, and paint it. I’ve painted some of them many times and each one looks completely different.

I also scroll through my phone photos, but then it’s easier to get distracted by Instagram or pulled into Pinterest. When I’m really lucky, I get to paint from life. Although, with my two cats, bringing flowers and plants into the house doesn’t happen anymore because they like to eat them, or at least knock them over.

My style ranges all over the spectrum from detailed studies to loose gestural sketches. When I became more focused last year, I followed a lot of botanical painters like Anna Mason and various botanical societies because my style using acrylics is very realistic. As time progressed, honestly, I got a little bored looking at only perfect renditions all the time and I started including looser artists like Angela Fehr, Thomas Schaller, and Eudes Correia. I have to really concentrate to do loose work, but most consistently, it ends up mostly realistic with some extra contrast or soft edges. My sense of perspective usually gets skewed too, still working on that.

Now, instead of saying I’m going to do a painting in a particular style, I just paint the subject however I’m feeling, then look to see what I like, what I learned, and what I’d do differently. Maybe in 10 years I’ll have a better answer to that question, maybe not.

My favorite subjects to paint are flowers, hands down. I love the organic shapes and tonal shifts, bright colors and endless variety. Most of my work is flowers, and I’m sure that will increase as I work to add a flower garden to our property in the future.

Other favorites are architecture, glass, and highly contrasting landscapes. There’s something highly satisfying about painting a subject with interesting shapes, colors or textures. I’ve had more fun painting tiny etched vases than full blown roses. I’ve come up short and bored, halfway through a highly repetitively detailed subject enough to know they’re just not for me, at least not in a detailed manner. I favor variety and contrast, I think it adds interest not only to your work, but also your practice. Sometimes looking for something truly moving to paint handicaps my sessions though, and I just end up being too picky and don’t paint anything.

When I can’t decide what to paint, only have a short amount of time, or I’m avoiding having to decide on anything, I’ll do color studies. Yay! A good outlet for my analytical brain. I can sit and swatch out colors for an entire day, and maybe come to one or two decisions, but enjoy the process the entire time. I’ve found the results of these romps is not always immediate, but they gradually build up an understanding of the materials I’m using.

On occasion, if I plan what the experiment is for, I’ll have more tangible results. For example, I received some samples of different papers from some lovely fellow Instagram artists, and since I really wanted to understand their properties as much as possible from that little sample, I made a plan. I took a look at what I usually paint, two subjects with different properties, and I decided that I do a lot of flowers and landscapes.

Painting the same flower, an iris in this instance, on half of each sample let me test how the paper took to soft blending and lots of detail. Painting the same landscape scene on the other half of each paper demonstrated how well the paper worked more wet, how fast it absorbed, and displayed the layered coats of pigment. It worked beautifully and I still have the swatches to reference.

Color studies also include supply explorations. They are not tests, but explorations, because I really do get that excited about them; it’s an adventure into the unknown! I also possess some Daniel Smith dots cards, and after playing around making pretend palettes, I’ve been known to write-up and recycle enough “potential new supplies” lists to make my own watercolor paper. Maybe one out of every handful actually gets saved for consideration when I do add to my supplies. My most recent exploration resulted in completing my translucent warm and cool primary options. As I tend to get muddy quickly, I’m hoping I’ll be able to scale back the heaviness of some of my work and learn the benefits of glazing.

Because I have a hard time making decisions on most things (especially exciting things like art supplies), I’ve mostly stuck to one brand of paint so far. I have one tube of M.Graham, but the rest of my artist paints are Daniel Smith. I enjoy the wide range of foundational and novelty colors that they offer, and like I said, the access to dot cards to try out paint colors instead of guessing has often hooked me once I see and feel a new color. Brush choice still eludes me. Like my assortment of pens, I switch from one to another as my mood changes.

I do enjoy the softness of squirrel, as well as the soft spring of sable. I use both in natural and synthetic options. For natural, I’m currently in love with my sable pointed round and squirrel mop from Rosemary & Co. out of England. For synthetic, I’ve started using the Neptune and Versatil series from Princeton and Escoda respectively. I’ve enjoyed all of them for different reasons too. The world of artist papers is still new to me and I know it’s taboo, but this was the last thing I upgraded. No one will ever convince me that cellulose paper doesn’t still have a place in my studio, but as I spend time and learn to work with the new, more absorbent cotton paper, I’m less frustrated by it’s unfamiliar behavior.

At work currently I have on hand: Strathmore 400 Series 140lb CP paper, Koi tube colors and my personal Black Velvet Squirrel brush. The paintings I do for designs are not for display or long-term use, so light-fastness is not an issue. I may upgrade the supplies as needed and as I learn more about them personally and see what would benefit my workflow there. I believe the pros and cons of supplies is a fluid subject, everything has it’s place and I’ve dug out supplies I’d hidden away in disappointment, only to fall in love with it using a new technique, or having changed my preference.

Excited to use those lovely supplies, I often get hung up on what to paint. I’ll make very extensive and thorough lists of potential projects, styles to try, experiments, etc. I’ll write them down with gusto, thoroughly excited to try them out the second I get a chance. Only I read through them as I sit down, and still feel unmotivated by these previously exhilarating ideas. A lot of times it comes down to it being after work, I’m tired, and I don’t want to start something. Other times it’s a roadblock I have that prevents me from creating anything I can’t envision a use for. If I can’t see it hanging in my house, and no one asked for it, then why am I painting it? I jokingly call it my KonMari syndrome. Like I said, I have to trick myself into painting anything sometimes.

This is where work comes in again. I enjoy having assignment-like focus when I paint. This no hesitation painting is most beneficial when I’m in a rut at home, and it makes me physically remember I like painting. Like running, I know I’ll feel good once I get out there, and starting is not always easy, but once I physically feel the high kick in, I remember why I like running and it’s easier to jump in the next day. I’ve tried doing the Doodlewash prompts, but I think I’ve only done one since last July… I’m setting a personal goal to try and do the 31 in 31 challenge this World Watercolor Month. Maybe I’ll make a gallery just for them on my portfolio site just to hold me accountable.

To make it even more confusing as to why I find it hard to paint, some of my work pieces are also the most rewarding. This is especially true when I have to paint something I’ve never painted before. I then get to research it (yay!) and do studies, and learn how to paint something new. I push more personal boundaries doing the wide array of painting styles at work than I ever have at home. I’m really excited right now, because I think I’m just starting to really understand the knack of water control, timing, and layering on my current work project.

The other really positive influence my professional work brings is the effect it has on the world. I’ve always wanted to do something that benefits society and when I did Interior Design, that was possibly designing environments that help people live better. Now, I create art that makes the very uncomfortable condition of lymphedema more bearable and less stigmatizing. My grandfather, who owned his own mechanic garage, once told me that he never hated going to work a day in his life. He may have meant he enjoyed working for himself, but I’d like to think a lot of that satisfaction is doing something you find purpose in too.

The long and short of it is trust your intuition, you’ll arrive at your destination when you’re ready. I’m still toying with the idea of selling and showing my work. I’ve done a few personal commissions, but I’m endlessly researching what would be the best route (web & paperwork/taxwise). I also contemplate how I want this new aspect to fit in with my already busy life.

I’m happy with where I am now. I may have took the roundabout route to get here but I’ve learned a lot about myself in the past few years; how what helps you create balance is constantly shifting, and to have patience with everything including yourself.

So, I paint when I can, I post when I can, and the only reason I finally got my website up and running was because Charlie offered me the opportunity to write this post and I thought, “Since I’m editing images, I should probably do those too… “. Chalk one up for deadlines!

All Lymphedivas patterns were commissioned by and are the property of Lymphedivas, LLC and have been shared here with expressed written permission.

Jill Gustavis Website Instagram Work Website

GUEST ARTIST: "The Long And Short Of It" by Jill Gustavis - #WorldWatercolorMonth #doodlewash My name is Jill Gustavis, and I’m originally from Pittsfield, Massachusetts but my husband and I moved over the NY border to quiet Stephentown in 2016.