cool things

nine cool things on a tuesday

~ jama ~ 6 Comments

“Yet my heart loves December’s smile as much as July’s golden beam; then let us sit and watch the while the blue ice curdling on the stream.” ~ Emily Brontë

1. Hello, December — are you here already? How is that possible? Another year has whizzed by. May as well enjoy all that this chilly, bustling, festive fa-la-la of a month has to offer, from bells to baubles, carols to candlelight!

Care to join me for a sleigh ride past a charming New England B&B? After we’ve crossed the covered bridge, we can duck inside for some hot chocolate. 🙂

Today’s charming winter scenes were created by Wisconsin-based artist-illustrator Elisabeth (“Lis”) Dorrian. You may remember we featured her work back in June, before she moved to the Midwest from Maryland. Lis is self taught, has been drawing since childhood, and works in gouache, acrylics, and digitally for her folk art style pieces.

She’s inspired by slow, seasonal, simple living, hoping her art will inspire others to take time to enjoy life’s little daily miracles. I like escaping to her idyllic depictions of children playing in the snow, families baking cinnamon rolls together, the joy of a wonderful ruff ruff surprise on Christmas morning.

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nine cool things on a tuesday

~ jama ~ 8 Comments

“Fear not November’s challenge bold. We’ve books and friends, and hearths that never can grow cold. These make amends.” — Alexander L. Fraser 

1. Hello, November! We need a nice big bowl of homemade soup to warm us up. Do you think our badger friend will share some of his? I definitely think so. 🙂

When all feels chaotic and unsettling, escape to the English countryside with Emily Duffin’s charming watercolors. Based in Northamptonshire, England, Emily enjoys depicting the everyday lives of animals. Since she grew up on a small farm and currently lives in a village that has Shetland ponies (and a donkey!), it’s no surprise she’s endlessly inspired by the wildlife in her area.

After graduating with a Fine Arts degree from Northampton University, Emily worked as an estate agent for about a decade. She then met her husband who encouraged her to start drawing again. They moved into a beautiful old cottage with apple trees in the garden and a family of bunnies under the hedge — quite an idyllic setting for creative work.

They had a daughter, Molly, commissions were starting to come in, and she even received an invitation to illustrate a book. But after tragedy struck with the death of her partner, Emily’s life was upended for about a year.

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nine cool things on a tuesday

~ jama ~ 24 Comments

“October is the treasure of the year,/And all the months pay bounty to her store . . . ” ~ Paul Laurence Dunbar

1. Happy October!! Surely the prettiest fall month. Poland-based artist Asia Spettel’s cozy “cottagecore” paintings are the perfect way to celebrate the season.

I couldn’t find any information online about her other than she works mainly in acrylics and enjoys imagining herself in the scenes she paints.

Personally, I wouldn’t mind sitting on that porch sipping tea and nibbling on cake, or hanging out in this lakeside kitchen with soup bubbling on the stove, a plate of cinnamon rolls and a copy of Wuthering Heights on the table. My kind of place! It’s so much fun studying all the details.

Don’t you love the beautiful rustic colors and the animals that wander through her pictures (fox is my favorite)? Of course her table settings, filled with fruit and baked treats, are what caught my eye in the first place. 🙂 In these crazy times, Asia’s work provides much needed comfort and solace.

You can purchase originals, prints, and postcards featuring Asia’s work at her Etsy Shop. Other places to enjoy her online: FB Page and Instagram.

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nine cool things on a tuesday

~ jama ~ 17 Comments

“Happily we bask in this warm September sun, which illuminates all creatures.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

1. Happy September! We’re happy to be back in anticipation of a beautiful Fall, and what better way to celebrate than to bask in UK artist Jenny Jones’s gorgeous art! 🙂

Are you up for a little apple picking, cuddling with comely farm animals, sipping tea in the garden? I was drawn to Jenny’s work immediately for her loving depictions of British rural life and simpler, gentler times.

She’s currently based in Bishop’s Castle, a small market town in SW Shropshire, England, known for its thriving artist community. She studied painting in Florence and at Shrewsbury and Farm Art Schools, has won prizes for her work, and has participated in many group and solo exhibitions. She’s also illustrated a number of children’s books. 🙂

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nine cool things on a tuesday

~ jama ~ 10 Comments

1. Happy June! Care to rest in the shade of a friendly tree? We can watch this loving mother, baby, and happy ducks while being soothed by the gentle trickle of the stream.

This relaxing scene was created by Maryland artist-illustrator Elisabeth (“Lis”) Dorrian — a nice way to anticipate the coming of summer, with its slow, drowsy days conducive to daydreaming and enjoying the outdoors. Lis is self taught, has been drawing since childhood, and works in gouache, acrylics, and digitally for her folk art style pieces.

Becoming a mother inspired me to revisit my passion for drawing after 14 years in the Coast Guard. Watching a child grow makes you realize how quickly time passes. Today, my illustrations are largely inspired by simple living, the changing seasons, motherhood…. I hope my illustrations inspire viewers to slow down and take notice of the ‘little daily miracles,’ as Virginia Woolf calls them, like lighting a candle for dinner or feeling the weight of a sleeping child on your chest.

Love her use of soft colors and the feeling of nostalgia. Since she’s moved around a lot with the Coast Guard and has had to adjust to many new places, perhaps she’s been instinctively creating a sense of home in her pictures — a place of calm, comfort and safety.

Learn more about Lis’s work at her Official Website, Instagram and Etsy Shop, where you can purchase signed and dated archival prints in various sizes.

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