Inspire Me: Emma-Leone Palmer

Inspire Me: Emma-Leone Palmer

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

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Okay, I just could not get through this week without showing you guys the amazing light infused paintings by London based Emma-Leone Palmer. She has painted quite a few breathtaking works in the past (like the entire "Paint Play" series) but these pieces stopped me in my tracks and made me want to dive into their world.

I've seen many light-based works before (thinking of the talented light manipulation photographers you can find on Instagram) but there's a somewhat surreal quality to Emma-Leone's works that take these paintings past typical light manipulation and to a more magical place.

Snapshot from Studio @emmaleonepalmer

From a distance, the pieces look like they are incredible realism. But when you look closer and start to lose yourself in the work you realize that the brush strokes invoke a sense of movement that can only be found in paintings. Without the rules of realism, the works are given the freedom to manipulate reality to best highlight the subjects themselves. This is not to say that there is a single brush stroke within the piece that is placed without thought: Even the smallest details, such as the strands of hair that escape the mass to frame the face, have a sense of purpose for the composition as a whole.

Detail of "Thalassa" by Emma-Leone Palmer

The lights themselves are treated in such a way that they give the work an almost supernatural vibe. My first unchecked thought upon seeing "Thalassa" was "oh, this girl uses magic to spin light." The neons guide you around the painting, giving your eyes a path to follow while still contributing beautifully to the entire piece.

Detail of "Thalassa" by Emma-Leone Palmer

The color palettes chosen for each piece are fantastic. Using an on-theme rainbow of colors, Emma creates shadows that you can get lost in and highlights that will steal your gaze. She utilizes the lights to create stretches of skin that have no actual "skin color," opting instead for vibrant hues straight from a 90's rave. This results in stunning pieces that leave you simultaneously in awe of the work and hungry for a sugary treat.

In Progress Image of "Titan" by Emma-Leone Palmer

"Titan" by Emma-Leone Palmer

If you would like to follow the evolution of this series (it's kinda obvious that I will be), here are Emma-Leone's links:

@emmaleonepalmer on Instagram

www.emma-leonepalmer.com

Facebook

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10 [bullet journal] Things

10 [bullet journal] Things

Sunday, February 10, 2019

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I've been keeping a steady bullet journal for two years now, which, if you ask me, is a small miracle. I summed up what bullet journals are and how I use them in this post last year, so this time I'm going to tell you about my top ten bullet journal supplies.

The most important thing is a good notebook. My favorite (obviously) are Field Notes notebooks. I go a little over the top and use a new notebook for each month. It really helps keep my creative juices flowing. I've learned that my themes have to vary from month to month or I just get bored.

Notebooks pictured above: Field Museum x Field Notes (sold out),  Expedition, Lunacy Edition (sold out), M x L x B x D Edition (sold out), custom painted rainbow mess, Cherry Graph, Coastal Edition (sold out), Campfire Edition (sold out), another MxL..., XOXO 2018 Edition, and Abercrombie and Fitch x Field Notes.

The second thing you need? A good pen. These erasable pens are my absolute favorite.

Really, truly, a pen and a notebook are all you need to set up a bullet journal. But there are a few other things I find myself using time and time again.

Need some help setting up? The creator of the Bullet Journaling Method has come out with a book. You can buy that here.

Because I use such a small book, I use sticky notes to add info to pages constantly. I personally really love the bright colors of Post-It sets like these.

Since I've started journaling like this I've found myself collecting unique office supplies. One supply I use in every journal (mainly to mark where my daily log is) is paper clips. I love the color of these gold ones, and these dinosaur ones are just so playful!

Along the same lines as the paper clips, I often tape tabs onto pages that I keep re-visiting. This set from Michael's is colorful and cute!

I sometimes need a pick-me-up in the middle of the day, and I've found that sticking a photo of my little monster on the front page of my journal is just want the doctor ordered. For that, I usually use an Instax camera.

And to stick the various things into my notebook (it's seriously like... a scrapbook/collage/doodle-fest in these notebooks) I usually use washi tape, purely for the cuteness of it all. You can get washi tape at pretty much any craft store these days, but I really love the colors in this set.

Sometimes I need something a little more sturdy to put my mementos from the month in, and that's where stickable pockets like these work really well.

If you're planning to switch journals a lot like I do, you're going to need a box to put them in. Field Notes has a really nice one that I've been eyeing for a while. I keep my journals in a simple box from a craft store that my sister wood burned a label and date into, and it looks awesome on my shelves.

As I said before, starting a bullet journal is as simple as having a pen and notebook. But as you go along, you might find that you need a few more things to keep everything organized. The only rule I have for my journals is that they reflect the things I'm into at that moment. My final goal is to capture how I'm feeling. Oh, and to help me not forget things. :)

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Love Bug Bouquet

Love Bug Bouquet

Tuesday, February 5, 2019

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How cute is this little bouquet? I really wanted a simple DIY for this Valentines, and I think I've hit the mark. This project took me, from start to finish, about 30 minutes. And with minimal amounts of glue involved, it is a great project for kids.

Supplies:

Thick Colorful Paper

Straws (ones with super bendiness are best)

Ribbon/String

Pencil

Markers

Scissors

Step one: Cut out your flowers.
I wanted my boquet to have a whimsical look, so I drew the flowers on the back freehand and then cut them out.

Step two: Add your slits for the straws.
To insert the straw into the flowers, you are going to need two quarter-inch to half-inch wide slits in the center of the flower. To do this, I did the old "fold it a little bit in half and cut on the crease" trick.

Step three: Add your straw.
Bend the straw, stick it in the slots, and work the flower up the straw until you've got it where you want it to be. 

Step four: Make your "love bugs."
The bugs on these flowers are hearts that have been folded to make them look like wings. I drew hearts on construction paper, added a pattern, then cut them out. Tip: the easiest way to draw small hearts is to color a little oval at an angle, and then add another one on top, having the lower half overlap (where you want the point to be). You can see the first oval in the picture above.

Step five: Glue on your bugs.
I folded the hearts in half then glued half of the heart down, giving the bug some body!

Step six: Decorate your vase.
I added a few ribbons and a tag that said "Hugs from our Love Bug." Put in the flowers and voilà: A cute, whimsical, and inexpensive Valentine's gift!

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