Loosely based on a flower, these abstract watercolors look great in any home—traditional to contemporary.
Category Archives: mother
Yellow Tulip
Working on watercolor study of my garden again. It seems to be what I like to paint the most.
First, I print out my inspiration photograph and draw a grid on it.
Then I transfer the grid and drawing to scale onto the paper.
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- © Holly Herick Design
The painting begins.
Final watercolor: yellow tulip from my yard.
Now you can get my artwork on zazzle.com
Check out my shop at zazzle.com. Many of my watercolor paintings and photographs can be purchased for gifts or even framing.
Were you creative today?
Creative Adventures is all about challenging yourself each and every day to create something new. Today instead of painting, making jewelry, designing a logo, or teaching kids, I helped a friend. We reconnected and talked about the current market. e commerce has changed things and we are forging ahead. There is so much joy in helping others. Here is a sample of Karen’s work.
Check it out at “Little Bridget Jewelry” on facebook or ETSY. I would totally wear her designs, how about you?
April Showers, bring May Flowers, and Prom
Old gardens are extra special.
Today I went with a friend to her mother’s garden which was abundant with Lilacs and Snowballs. It is not the fact that her mother is older than us that made the garden glorious, but the fact that the garden is mature. What a treat to have to climb a ladder to fetch these beautiful Lilacs. We have a special project in mind for these flowers, soon they will become a wrist corsage for his Prom date.
This week Dillon and I went to the store to purchase crystals for Kayla’s corsage. We used elastic cord and made a three strand bracelet—two of the stands were tight so they would hold the flowers to her wrist. Above is the bracelet we designed. It has one large teardrop crystal at the bottom.
Dillon wrapping the flower stems with florist tape. Lilacs and Snowballs.
The flowers were attached to the crystals with florist tape.
Kayla wearing the corsage. For me, part of having a creative home is sharing with my children. The time I spent with Dillon working on this bracelet corsage will be forever in my mind.
Flowers are my favorite inspiration throughout the year. I loose track of time when I am in the garden. Every flower, to me, is like a intricate painting from God—a glorious creation, right in front of me. What a wonderful way to enjoy flowers, by sharing them with Kayla. How can I NOT get excited? Happy May Day!
Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other’s gold.
I seem to have some sort of connection to photographers these days. First I worked on a logo for Tim Tidball Photography, and now for Soulful Heart Photography. Soulful Heart Photography is the business of an old high school friend Patty Rader Williams. Above is one of my favorite photograph’s of Patty’s. Below is her revised logo.
Isn’t it amazing that we can still keep in touch via this social network called “facebook.” Maybe you’ve heard of it?
My mother used to say, “Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other is gold.” She also used to say, “You’ll never remember those friends from high school.” Well, Mama was right in some ways and wrong in others. Patty is a “golden” friend who now lives in Texas. I have never been to Texas, yet she contacted me recently for some small business design work. What an amazing tool facebook is to display my creative efforts.
I am so impressed with Patty’s collection of photographs that I thought I would share a few with you.
As a graphic designer, I have learned that friendships made over the years are one of the strongest factors in finding work. Although it has been years since Patty and I have seen each other, I get to maintain a friendship and appreciate her talents by keeping in touch. Maybe I will get to travel to Texas to see Patty again. If you live in the Texas area or are interested in Patty’s photography visit her website at Soulful Heart Photography.
Well, I am really finding this is true. Today on FB, I realized that a jewelry designer that I like went to High School and College with me. Funny, she may even know Patty—the friend I wrote this original post about. It took a little time, but we both figured it out and remembered each other. FB is a small world and a huge world at the same time. “Make new friends and keep the old, one is silver and the other is gold.” Nice to know you again Karen, AKA “Little Bridget Jewelry” on FB.
Little Bridget Designs above.
My designs below.
Poppies for Sandy
What inspires you? For me it is people, my kids, family, friends, special occasions like birthdays and holidays. It always comes back to who’s on my mind. Today I had coffee with a new friend, who seems like an old friend. She continually inspires me to be the best I can be. So today I paint for Sandy. “Poppies for Sandy” Thanks for the inspiration wise friend, and the laughter. Check out Sandy’s blog and you’ll know why I like her so much.
Spring is Here: Surprise.
Here in Southern Oregon we have had a very strange winter, and equally odd Spring. Winter, Mimi thinks, might have been warmer than spring. Finally this week the butterflies and bees will come out and do what they should. Mimi watches them pollinate and transform life in an amazing adventure. Mimi says—enjoy spring. Here at Creative Home, we believe in observing everything, alive, from nature. There is nothing more amazing than what God has created before our very own eyes.
Birthday Cake
April Fool
“Adventures in Design” is taking an adventure.
This month I will have an alter ego called Mimi. Mimi is a perfectionist and is obsessed with watercolor paints, only three colors of watercolor paints—the primary ones—of course. Red, yellow, and blue. The primary colors make up all colors on the color wheel and Mimi likes to be efficient— why bother with anything that is not needed. Mimi has decided that she will paint at least three times a week for the month of April. Hereby known as “International Fake Journal Month” or IFJM. In this journal she will study primary colors with watercolor paints, focusing on color harmony and focal point. Mimi likes to make a point. Only perfection, only necessities. Mimi says things like, “of course” and “I knew that” or “practice makes perfect.” She really thinks she knows it all. Don’t let her know that “practice makes progress”—not perfect.
Mimi’s—Day one entry—”For Cassidy”
Follow along with Mimi this month. Please note: International Fake Journal Month idea came from officialinternationalfakejournalblog.blogspot.com/ Check it out by clicking the dog button on the left side of my (Mimi’s) blog.
Learn something new everyday
As you may have noticed I have been trying to learn to paint in watercolors. I believe the more I sketch and paint the better graphic designer I will be. Now, you may know that I studied graphic design in college. I had many illustration classes, but they never really taught us how to use the different mediums. It was more like, “Draw a vegetable with Prismacolor pencil” or “Illustrate an emotion with watercolor paints.” Now I try to dedicate three hours, three times a week toward sketching or painting. As I improve, I get more done in those three hours—and make less of a mess doing it. The idea of dedicated studio space is becoming more and more of a need instead of a want. Every time I paint, my kitchen shuts down—which is not good considering how much my family eats. I have joined a group on FB called Virtual Paintout which uses Google Street View for inspiration to illustrate from. Google Street View is copyright free as long as you are creating art from it. It truly is a wonderful way to virtually travel the world. Every Month a new location is chosen. Here is my first attempt: location, Stavanger, Norway.
I think the only thing I like about it is the trees, maybe the sky, but no worries, I am learning and it is much more important to like where you end up, than like where you start. I had some very good critiqing from one of my favorite children’s book artist. His name is Lee White check out this blog about him http://amy-baskin.blogspot.com/2010/03/crazy-day-with-lee-white.html I need to work on focal point, and color harmony—just about everything. I can’t wait to use the information He gave me on my next painting. Another excellent site—for learning watercolor technique— http://www.johnlovett.com/class.htm I have been reading all day on watercolor techniques and viewing all I can find. If you are interested in taking this journey with me check out creativetechs.com and sign up for Molly Murrah’s watercolor 101 starting soon. It is free if you watch it live—what a bargain.
As my age inevitably increases, I find myself surprised at how much I am turning back to the fine arts as opposed to computer arts—fine arts are constant and the computer arts are changing faster than my hair is turning gray—there is some security in that. I encourage all of my friends to challenge their brains with something new every day. It doesn’t have to be art. Try a new recipe, start a journal, try a new sport, rearrange your furniture, for goodness sakes, I don’t know—just turn off the TV and do it.
Update: A new challenge from a blog called the International Fake Journal Blog can be reached by clicking the “dog icon” on my side margin. I plan to take this challenge.
artist friends, please join me.
Foxglove Watercolor
Foxglove Watercolor
Keeping my brain exercised while I’m waiting for work is always good. I get bored and want to try something new, this time it is a five week watercolor class. So I finally picked out one of my photos to paint. I used a grid to transfer in onto watercolor paper, and it sat for a whole week. Finally, tonight the background is started. Hopefully, it will inspire you to try something new. Take a peek.
Refueling
So what happens when a small town designer hits the city with her son to explore his education opportunities? For one, I remembered that there are buildings taller than two stories. Another, that book stores exist that cover the same square footage as our entire downtown. And finally, that I am a very small part of a much larger world. As a creative person it is so important to get out of your environment and see what others are doing, what’s current, and look for inspiration. It can come from anything—buildings, bridges, trees, sky, clothing, books, signage—man made or God made use it all. Get out and refuel. Go somewhere new, or go to your favorite spot and clear your mind so you will have room for some new fresh ideas.
SOGA Team Logo: bringing identity forward.
Within the last year I have designed one logo that especially excites me. SOGA, the Southern Oregon Gymnastics Academy has a team that is really thriving. Before this logo, their identity was lost in a sea of generic images. Now, the team wears the mark proudly on the back of their jackets. The gymnasts have been working hard and have been competing better than ever. 
The gym is becoming quite well known in the western region of the US. I am proud to see the logo displayed in their gym, in flyers and on the team uniforms. I consider this one a success. See the photo below showing the logo applied to the team jacket.
Relaunching my Graphic Design Business
Art has always been my passion, but after having kids, I found that it was hard to find time for my art. Not only was time at a minimum, so was cash flow. So many women go through this stage only to find that their kids are surpassing them in skill and knowledge. The age of the internet is here and it sure has changed how most of us work. Everything has become, bigger, faster, better, and cheaper. Cheaper? Really? For the client maybe, but not for the creative. Technology constantly changes, software updates come frequently, and the amount of investment (time and money) required for a self employed creative has become hard to comprehend. So why try too relaunch my business in this tough economy? Passion. Passion for my art, the printed word, organized, clean, bold, and unique—coexisting with image. Image and word together create a memory, and the more precise I can make them together, the more memorable they become. This is why I love working with clients on business identity. A strong logo always has a concept behind it. More than just words and image, a concept will make people remember your business identity. A logo is only the beginning of business identity. Identity should be carried throughout your business—from internet to invoice. My job is as much about getting to know what people are about and what they love to do as it is about my creativity. In fact, it is more important for me to get to know my clients than for me to be artistic. How else could I design a logo for my client that makes people remember their business.
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Holly Herick: Creative Adventures 