studio notes :: busy busy february
the longest shortest month
Hello! Thank you so much for signing up for my newsletter / substack. It has been a busy couple of years, months and days! I’m doing well and am very grateful that you have followed along and supported me on my creative journey. I’m going to keep things short and sweet.
This week Olay Body launched their Fearless Artist Series - starring me! I designed three bottles that are available at Target. Check online before you head to stores because supplies are limited. I’m grateful for this collaboration and am pretty stoked to see my work on the shelves of a big box retail store and for a brand with such longevity in the beauty space.
“Olay Body launched the Fearless Artist Series to help elevate stories of women of color in arts and science and to increase representation and visibility of products designed for women of color.”
Also, you can see me and the body wash bottles in an advertorial in the January issue of Essence Magazine. Scans are courtesy of mom who might have bought every copy of the magazine from newsstands in Philadelphia!
Last year I started writing myself notes and posting them in the studio. They were notes of encouragement and also reminders. Then I started sharing them on Instagram. For the past several months I’ve been asking folks what creative practice reminders they have for themselves. I’ll share several with you that I can’t stop thinking about:
if you don’t like it, put it away and revisit it later
embrace the uncertainty
everything is the work
begin again
you have to love it before you make it
everything doesn’t have to be perfect in order to start
be intentional about rest days
the work and the desire and the dream will ebb and flow, choosing something else for a time doesn’t mean saying no forever to art or a dream
I am so appreciative of everyone who shared these with me!
Next week on Thursday, March 3rd at 1pm ET I will be having a virtual studio visit with the Detroit Institute of Art. I hope you’ll join to hear me speak about my recent work.
Next month I will have work up in four shows! I’ll be attending the Richmond, VA and Cedar, MI openings in-person so please come say hello if you’re in town.
Shows
Same Difference
Group Show at Kent State University College of Architecture & Environmental Design Armstrong Gallery
Street Address: 132 S. Lincoln, Kent, OH 44242
February 16 - March 11
Enormous Tiny Art Show 31
Group show at Nahcotta Gallery
110 Congress Street Portsmouth, NH 03801
March 4 - March 28
Opening reception: Friday, March 4th from 5-7 PM
to hold on, to be held
Two-person show with Nastassja Swift at Quirk Gallery in Richmond, Virginia
207 W Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23220
March 10 - May 8
Between Seasons
Solo show at Cedar North Gallery
2312 E. Kasson Rd Cedar, MI 49621
March 20 - May 20
February 2022 studio reminders:
february is not forever
change is necessary
remember to play
slow down
cut the to-do list in half
note what is working
Okay that’s all for now. Thank you for reading all the way to the end and for supporting my work!
Etsy Limited Edition 2021 prints are still available here. There will be new prints coming this spring.