The Freshman Collection
I feel so honored to present to you, “The Freshman Collection” - 5* Chalk Pastels available for print as canvas giclees and matted prints, and the accompanying “Freshman Fifteen” - 15 Original Oil Pastels, One-of-a-Kind and Framed.**
* There’s a Bonus drawing in this collection! Look for the “Loquat Ladies” and I think you’ll be able to tell that I didn’t draw this one at the same time as the rest of the collection. It’s available as matted prints and canvas giclee ONLY because the original has already been delivered to the lovely Collector who commissioned it.
** Shipping framed glass is risky! If you’re wanting to purchase an original and have it shipped, let’s discuss your options and we will make it work. Depending on where it’s going and how confident we both feel, I may have to ship un-framed. In which case, we would adjust the price and assist you in your framing efforts once you receive your original art.
As I was preparing each piece for release I found myself lamenting on where I was in life when I created these drawings. I didn’t want to just merely call it the “2020 Collection”. The Epic year of 2020 was a doozie for thousands of reasons for every single person on the planet. This Collection is about anything BUT the upheaval of life or dreaded memories that most people will associate with when you say “2020”, so I just HAD to change the name.
Pretty much exactly a year ago, I was completing an online course called “Making Art Work”, by the lovely Emily Jeffords, which had taught me the basic systems to put in place in order to make a living as a Creative. My life has always had a creative edge to it, but I’ve never been able to really call myself an “Artist” because it hasn’t provided for me or my family anything more than therapy and joy (these things alone - totally worth keeping creativity in my life, btw). The amazing thing about this course (and the personal development I’ve embodied in the last 5 years) is that it clarified and explained how to do what I’ve always wanted to do as an artist - make the world a little bit more beautiful in a non-exclusive way. I want to make beautiful things accessible and affordable for anyone to own. The elitism of being an “artist” or a snooty “collector” is what’s always turned me off about it. And that’s exactly what was de-programmed in me as I completed this course - it doesn’t have to be that way. The answer, on the surface, is to work in Collections. There’s a clear cycle to the system, and I’m a big fan of both systems and cycles (it’s inherent in me as a woman, but also in all humans - hello moon, and the seasons).
So here we are at the release of my very first Collection. These drawings were all created in 2020, but that’s old news. 2020 wasn’t just a calendar year of epic proportions, it was my very first year implementing the cycle of being an Artist - my Freshman Year. A lot of “behind the scenes” work went into this small, inaugural Collection. A lot of time spent setting the foundation meant not a ton of time creating Art. An old sketchbook of black paper, gifted to me in January, led to two weeks of daily sketches with oil pastels. I love seeing bright, playful colors pop on dark black paper. I got inspired in those two weeks and pulled out some bigger, fancier paper and my beloved Prismacolor ‘nupastels’ (chalk pastels). The sketches then hung on my studio wall for the rest of the year - backdrop to all the zoom calls with friends I hadn’t talked to in years. The bigger, more delicate drawings also hung on the wall for a moment but then I stashed them away to stay safe because I knew I wanted to make them available for print (and chalk has a way of veering away from it’s intended place if it’s not sealed or protected in some way). When we remodeled my studio at the beginning of 2021 I didn’t know what to do with my wall decor until I found the stashed away chalk pastel drawings and realized I had a complete collection already drawn!
One of the very first real projects accomplished in my new studio space is the matting and framing of this Collection of pastel drawings. To have the physical space to get out and use my mat cutter was highly therapeutic for me. I was also hit with a good dose of nostalgia as I measured and cut over and over again. I reminisced about the different moments in my life where I’ve truly been a Freshman… sure, high school, college, but also being an entrepreneur means I’ll end up being a Freshman in the beginning of every single endeavor of life. Having my mat cutter out brought me back to my Freshman year of college, but also of Rather Be Creative, the Art Supply Store I opened and ran straight out of college. I feel like I’m only now coming out of my Freshman year of being a mother, (it’s been almost 5 years!). And by absolutely all accounts, this Collection is truly the result of my Freshman year of owning my Creativity and working towards building the life I’d Rather Be Living.
“Life is a journey, not a destination.” We’ve all heard it, and as cliche as it’s become, it’s absolutely true. I’m proud of this body of work, and I also know that I will learn so much as I continue on this journey of being the Creative within and calling myself an “Artist”. I’m honored to share these creations with you, thank you for witnessing this part of my journey.
