Simple Gifts

Alright guys, let's get one thing straight:

I never really liked watercolor.

As I began to experiment as an artist, my first choice was always pencils, colored pencils, big goopy globs of acrylic paint, sparkly markers, crazy wild things... but not watercolor. Of course there are some watercolors that I made at the beginning that still hold a special place in my heart-- however, for the majority, this simply isn't so.

I always hated how much patience watercolor required. Let's say you painted a face, alright? You spend hours trying to match the right colors, create the perfect shading, create the perfect face. Then comes the grand a-ha moment: painting the eyes. You're so so careful with the first one, spending more time steadying your hand than painting. You don't breathe, you don't blink, you simply paint. 

Drip.

You used too much water.

The pupil and cornea melt together into a big greenishblueishbrownishgrayish mess. You try to fix it, smearing the eyelashes halfway down the cheek. Soon enough, as you continue these rescue attempts, the face resembles a more Freddy Kruger-esque character than you would have liked.

Watercolor doesn't leave much room for mistakes.

  With so much disdain for the challenges of watercolor, how would I have known that I would love painting watercolor greeting cards so much?

 I must say, there's something so disarmingly charming about watching a friend open an envelope and see your homemade card looking lovingly up at him or her.

 Plus, I've always loved animals, so why not spread my love around a little?

I've debated starting an etsy shop for quite a while now, to spread around some cute little creature cards.. But that idea is still in the works. I mean, doing something I love for cash? That's a win-win! But, as of right now, I'll stick with making special occasion cards to use as simple gifts.

--Kelsey