Email List is up!
Almost a year in the making, the EH Sherman Insider List is finally here. If you haven't signed up, now is a great time --- I'll be hosting a giveaway next week for subscribers ONLY.
'Winter's Walk' is the first painting I completed upon our move from Miami to Michigan. It was inspired by muddy boots, iced over ponds and the silence of snowfalls.
To be eligible to receive the painting simply sign up for the Insider List (a friendly name I've given to my newsletter) and you're set - you'll be entered into the drawing.
The giveaway is scheduled for next Wednesday (Jan 25th) so make sure to subscribe before then. In addition to this particular event, those subscribed will be the first to hear about new pieces, shows and sales!
Subscribe below - and good luck! <3
EH Sherman Art at Madewell
This last week I had the honor of having my art hosted as a pop-up event at the Miami Beach Madewell.
The day was wonderful - filled with old friends, new friends and delicious cookies! I arrived on the earlier side, but took my time setting up and chatting with the Madewell team. Some seriously lovely ladies over there!
As most of my business is conducted via the gloriousness that is the internet, actually meeting the people who buy my work face-to-face is such a treat! I love getting to talk about their plans for the pieces, why they chose that one in particular and what drew them to my work in the first place. It's a different interaction from selling my work behind a computer screen, and one that I relish whenever the opportunity comes along.
I also began an email list for those interested in prints of two originals on display: Abalone and On the Wing. Both were created too near to the event for prints, but as things settle here I've got plans to release them both as limited editions. Sign up below or shoot me an email if you'd like to be among the first to know when they are available for purchase! More Information to follow :)
HUGE thanks to everyone who came out, your support and good vibes made the day what it was! <3
Journaling and Art
For as long as I've been making art, I've also kept journals.
These written snapshots have evolved from the gilded pages of my 4th grade diary; filled with scrawly notes on lunchroom drama, to the wirebound journals from college; mostly schedules, lists and to dos, to my current books; noting ideas for new paintings and chronicling our adventures around the globe.
I never regarded the practice of keeping a journal as anything terribly important, it was just something I did. However, as I have found myself looking back through my substantial collection (seriously, I use these babies as a night stand now... there's too many to fit in the bookshelf!) I noticed some really interesting trends that never occurred to me as I wrote.
My journals generally predicted the course of my art.
And that was pretty cool, also more than a little weird. I'd write bits of interesting research, scribble bits from books or games that inspired me, and then weeks later these would turn up in my work. I never made the connection.
My journals served as better artists statements than my actual statement.
Granted, they were much longer - but every time I explained (essentially to myself) what I was making and why, those few paragraphs distilled my thoughts and intent far better than the vetted statement I was using at the time. Looking through my previous entries has given me the vocabulary I was searching for when it comes to writing the statement.
Being able to harness that connection with the written self and having a text record from which to glean some truly personal inspiration has been an indispensable resource for my work.
Why should YOU keep a journal?
If you are anything like me, it puts you in a different mindset when it comes to creating. Words take the place of paint, and it becomes an exercise for an entirely different part of my consciousness.
As I wrote above, patterns and inspiration can be uncovered from previous passages... it can be a treasure trove when an artist is in a rut.
Artist. Statement. (see above)
When it comes to travel journalling, I love that I can go back to my books from those trips and re-read the scents, the smells, the adventure. It is like a portal through time.
It's fun. Also reading into years prior can be a very humbling experience... certain passages are just so cringe-y. (I'm looking at you 6th grade Ellen....) It's great.
Tips on Keeping a Journal
I know, I know, its so easy to talk about journalling - but committing to keeping one is an entirely different monster. I go through periods where I just don't want to write - and I think that's fine. It only works for me if it's not forced, when I've got something I want to say. But will make use of a few jump starts if I feel like I'm getting too far behind. Maybe some of these might help if you feel you want to start, but don't know how.
Set a time to write. 10 mins in the morning, 10 mins at night. I'll write about the day ahead, or funny dreams in the morning, and then sum everything up at night, or write about the day to come.
Carry your journal with you. Here in Miami, traffic will occasionally come to a dead stop on the highways. I've sat with my car off for 2 hours (once for 3!) just waiting for an accident to clear. No better time to whip out my little book and scribble away.
Use prompts. The internet is a gold-mine for all sorts of writing prompts, ranging from the thought-provoking and introspective to the absurd and silly, and everywhere in between.
Write out the lyrics to your favorite songs. I use this a lot if I feel particularly drawn to a song, and I generally include notes about what has hooked me so. (Lyrics, the singer's voice, the drums...etc)
Tape in things. If I want to just use up a few pages, or I've got some bits of paper I want to keep (ticket stubs, paint chips, palettes I want to play with) I'll devote a few pages just to my trusty glossy tape and create a sort of 'in-journal mood board'. These are great when traveling too. (Just don't accidentally tape your immigration papers in when you get past a checkpoint. I thought it was just a receipt!!!!)
What about you? Have any journalling tips to share? Leave a comment below!
How to Make Watercolor Business Cards in 4 steps!
Ok confession time = I'm so, so awful at committing to a business card design. I love places like Moo.com that let you print multiple images within the same card order, but even still I end up redesigning/reordering before I've used up the pack. Maybe not the best use of my finances. Prettiest, sure... most responsible? No.
SO to combat my obsessive re-designing habits (which is oddly limited to just business cards, I'm fine with most things for years...) I decided to come up with a way to print exactly what I wanted, in a way that I could adjust whatever, whenever I wanted.
(The key is small batch runs, of course - but I'm fairly sure no print shop will do a run of 24 cards every 2-3 weeks. Though, if you find one, please, let me know.)
Here is a little tutorial that details the steps I took to make my small run of cards, which will invariably change by next month. But for now, I'm in love.
1.) PAPER
It's SUPER important to get good, thick paper. Flimsy business cards are cheap looking and get folded and lost easily. If I'm handing someone my card, I want it to survive in their wallet/pocket.
I used Cold-Pressed Innova watercolor paper for mine. (For the paper nerds: 315gsm.) It's gorgeous for business cards.
2.) DESIGN
I printed my minimal, basic design onto the paper, careful to make sure the paper is perfectly aligned for the printer and no margin in-between cards. No margin will make cutting the cards easier and will generate less waste. Woo smaller footprint!
3.) PAINT
Once I had the 'business' side printed, I flipped the page on it's back, taped it down and went at it willy-nilly with my favorite pigment at the moment: indigo. Just a heads up, if you use the Innova paper it will buckle significantly during this step, but rest assured the paper relaxes once dried. (I panicked, so you don't have to!)
4.) CUT (after it dries, of course)
I used my trusty cutting board for this job, aligning the grid with the cutting wire.
5.) Celebrate!
And that's it! With the right paper, it's easy to create professional, unique business cards that can be produced for cents and redone in a heartbeat.
This is what I got out of one sheet of paper. They'll go into orders, to friends, to the random people I meet at the bar that ask me why my hands are covered in blue paint...
Have a great rest of the week friends!