nine cool things on a tuesday

May 7, 2024August 22, 2025 ~ jama ~ 8 Comments

1. Hey, hey, hey, it’s May! Breathe in that fresh air. Revel in the flowers and make like a butterfly. Or perhaps you’re up for a lovely picnic?

UK artist Jenny Miriam’s charming digital illustrations celebrate the joys of nature, the sweet adorableness of small animals, and the fun of working and playing together.

Now based in Bristol, Jenny grew up in “the mysterious and magical county of Cornwall,” where she found joy and inspiration in the natural world, from the strange sea life in rock pools to the beautiful wildflowers that grew from seeds carried across the Mediterranean.

After earning a BA in Graphic & Packaging Design and an MA in Multimedia, Jenny worked as a digital and print designer for 18 years. She was always most at home with illustrative work, and today enjoys creating with painty textures and Procreate on her iPad.

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nine cool things on a tuesday

March 5, 2024August 22, 2025 ~ jama ~ 12 Comments

1. Happy March! What better way to bid farewell to winter and anticipate spring than with Aiko Fukawa’s sweet, whimsical art!

I’m a longtime fan of her hug-me-adorable anthropomorphized animals; the innocence and gentleness in her pictures help restore my belief in the goodness of the world.

A 2005 graduate of Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Design, Aiko works as an illustrator and designer for the Japanese paper brand AI, creating advertisements, book covers, stationery, magazines, picture books and more on a global scale.

Though she considers cats her spirit animal, I especially love her rabbits. With Easter coming up at the end of the month, I simply can’t get enough of them! In addition to animals, Aiko is inspired by everyday life, plants, and music.

She’s been drawing since childhood, and her favorite memory is the Christmas morning she woke to find all her stuffed animals lined up in her room.

Her secret to success? “Wake up early.”

She hopes future generations will accept and respect diversity. She’s also an advocate of animal rescue centers and firmly believes people should never buy fur.

Drink of choice: coffee. Favorite food: CAKE!!

See more of Aiko’s work at her Website and Instagram. Items featuring her designs (stationery, framed prints, notebooks, stickers, washi tape, coin purses, etc.), can be purchased via online sites such as Acorn Toys & Goods, Moth Chicago, and Nico Neco Zakkaya.

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nine cool things on a tuesday

February 6, 2024August 22, 2025 ~ jama ~ 8 Comments

1. Happy February!! Pancakes, anyone?

We’re flippin’ out over Gwen van Knippenberg’s charming art. Known for their beautiful colors and minute detail, Gwen’s feel-good paintings capture the cozy comforts of home and family life, the joys of nature and gardening, and the sheer enchantment of simple things.

Based in the Netherlands, Gwen recently became a full-time artist after spending many years at home raising her four children. I love studying the people in her pictures and imagining their stories. She depicts children with a sweetness and warmth that’s so life affirming.

Naturally my favorites are the kitchen scenes, showing families cooking, baking, or eating together. Can’t you just imagine the heavenly aromas of the delicious homemade treats they’re making?

Look at the hug yourself adorableness of this baby and teddy in a washtub! And how good those clothes hanging on the line must smell after drying in the fresh air!

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nine cool things on a tuesday

December 5, 2023August 22, 2025 ~ jama ~ 7 Comments

1. Ho Ho Ho! Or maybe we should say Ruff Ruff? In any case, Happy December, the month of merry making, gift giving, egg nogging, and tree trimming.

These adorable canine friends were created by UK artist Louise Rawlings. Couldn’t resist the furry faces, cute poses, and happy feelings they generate. Love me some wintry whiskers!

Louise (b. 1969) currently lives and works in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, and graduated from De Montfort University in Leicester with a degree in illustration and surface decoration. She’s had a long and varied career as an illustrator, working in areas such as giftware, stationery, ceramics, fine art, and book illustration. Her artwork can be found in galleries across the UK, and she works for publishers worldwide, primarily selling greeting cards.

Though she paints in watercolor, her real love is working in a naïve mixed media style in her favorite medium, acrylic. She’s inspired by the views captured while on long walks with her two dogs in a nearby park and by domestic holiday spots, especially the British coastline.

Louise’s original paintings may be purchased via her Official Website and Etsy Shop. Greeting cards are available online at Dry Red Press, Calypso Cards, and the Blank Card Company. Keep up with her latest news at Facebook and Instagram.

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nine cool things on a tuesday

April 11, 2023August 22, 2025 ~ jama ~ 14 Comments

1. Hello April (come she will)! I see you there on your chaise lounge, totally relaxing with a glass of wine and a bowl of cherries. Who said April is the cruelest month? Doesn’t look that way to Nevada based artist Elaine Cory, whose vibrant, textured paintings transport us to a dream world.

She’s known for her color saturated florals, gorgeous landscapes, and pretty street scenes that make you wish you could be relaxing on a balmy tropical isle or sitting at an outdoor Parisian café right this very minute. Mais, oui!

An Army brat, Elaine lived in Germany and France and traveled to many foreign countries, which opened her eyes to the beauty of the world. Upon returning to the U.S., her family settled in San Francisco, where she frequented museums and art galleries.

She attended San Francisco State College on an art scholarship and worked as an interior designer for about 20 years. All the while, she continued to paint, working in acrylics and mixed media, developing her distinct impressionistic style.