Tips and Totems

It's June 5th and I haven't updated in well over a month. What's been going on?

Out of 100 drawings, I got to 94 before May started. It took me a lot longer to recover from that project than I was expecting. In case you're curious, some of the pieces are still up for sale (actually the majority of them....) Proceeds go to ND Mission funds!

I HIT 500 ON MY FACEBOOK PAGE! That was rad. And there will be a contest in honor of this milestone, just as soon as I figure out what to do for it.

Ren faire season is in full swing....should probably get on that.

Oh, and did I mention IT'S ALREADY JUNE.

I seriously don't know what happened to May; if anyone can fill me in, that'd be great. So here I am, mere days from trekking halfway across the country to a reservation in North Dakota. I AM SO STOKED.

So I thought I'd do a fun little post about how I like to go about packing for a trip.

Tip #1: Hahaha, and your mom thought all that time playing Tetris was a waste! Let me tell you, it will come in handy! Watch as I fit all of these clothes and a pillow into this carry-on suitcase! (This is a great skill to know if you travel for conventions and fairs!)

Yoga pants are the best things to pack. Much easier than jeans.

Tip #2: I learned this from my grandma (we went down to Bolivia once, this saved our butts [literally] more than once.) Carry a tiny travel roll of toilet paper in your purse. You never know when you'll be in the middle of nowhere, or really right in the middle of somewhere, and not have any TP available.

what, I totally didn't save these tiny rolls from being thrown in the trash.

Those are really the only tips I have images for, haha. But some other things to remember:
~ The fewer clothes you bring, the more room you have for art supplies!
~ Make sure the art supplies you DO bring (especially paints and pens, as they have been known to explode errywhere) are packed securely in a separate bag.
~X-Acto knives....probably best to buy some at your destination.
~Plan for every type of weather. That Captain America sweatshirt might be the difference between comfort and cold.
~ Shower shoes.

Do any of you have travel tips you've picked up from doing different events?

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And because this is an art blog, I guess I'll show you some art. I'm working on a new series called Totems, which is soooort of based on the idea of animals and objects representing traits/strengths in a person or group. It's a little more graphic style than I'm used to but I absolutely love it so far. I'm going to be doing several more of these and sort of exploring different aspects of what totems are to different people in different cultures. Here's my first finished one:

"Totems," ink and paper cut imposed over watercolor.

Going to North Dakota always inspires me: wide open spaces, bright endless skies, a slower way of life. The traditions and patterns and art of the Native tribes just never ceases to amaze me, so I'll definitely be bringing some inspiration back with me, whether that be art, jewelry, photos, whatevs. I'll do a post when I return!! Until then!