Wow. I'm not so sure how August went by so quickly, but somehow we're into September already. Sigh. I was hoping to hold onto summer a bit longer but it appears Fall has decided to come to the west coast without much warning. So many things happened this summer, especially in August, so I would like to share some of those with you! I'm finding it difficult to update the blog regularly with how busy I am, so you can expect small updates here and there, as I continue about my busyness. Here are a few things going on in my life: 

Studio Work: I don't have a picture for this one, but this summer, I started working in the studio of Grace Lee of Eikcam Ceramics as a studio assistant! I've been wanting to work as a studio assistant for a while and this job just kind of happened upon me (God was working behind the scenes on that one!). I have never done ANYTHING with ceramics, so being hired was kind of a miracle and I feel so grateful for the opportunity to learn a new skill (all while being paid!). So far, it's definitely been a real learning curve- my hands are learning to work in ways they haven't before and I've made quite a few mistakes, but I'm confident it will become more natural the more I do. If you're interested in seeing some of Grace's beautiful pieces visit her website or follow along on instagram!

Illustration: I haven't been working as much illustration this summer while I've been focusing more on acrylic canvas paintings, but there have been a few projects on the go. I submitted a piece for Maker's Movement magazine which will be coming out in January. It feels really exciting to know that I will be seeing a illustration of mine in print for the first time. I have also been working on a submission for another print publication. At this point, it's just a possibility, but even the possibility feels pretty darn good. I have also received a few requests for commissions, but my calendar is still open, so if you would like to have a custom house portrait done or if you have another idea for commission, I'm all ears! Throw me your ideas and get on on the bandwagon. Hint: Christmas is a-comin'....

Paintings: I've been moving in a new (or old?) direction and working on a ton of paintings over the past while. I'm finding a whole lot of freedom in my painting days. After starting my 100 Day Project, I began to realize that I have missed expressing emotion through paint. I'm thankful that I felt nudged to start again. I've been experimenting a bit with combining watercolour and acrylic and I'm loving the effects that are forming. All of the current canvas pieces I'm working on are for sale and I'll be posting them in my shop as I get around to it. If you are interested in anything you see here or on my instagram, shoot me a line at jenni.haikonen8@gmail.com and I can give you the details. 

100 Day Project: Speaking of my 100 day project...I've currently got some prints on order for the above paintings! They've been selling like hotcakes (and I'm not even sure what that phrase means). I've been taking pre-orders on these ones, but the listings should be going up in about a week in my shop. These are limited edition 5x7 prints which means that there will only be 10 prints made and once they are all sold, they will not be re-printed. They will be printed on 310gsm watercolour acid-free paper to have the same quality of the original painting. Each will be signed and numbered on the front. Please contact me if you would like to place a hold on one of these prints before they are listed in the shop!

Etsy: Other things selling around the Bottomley Cottage shop- these 5x7 Morning Glory prints and I just sent off another 8x10 Sailboat Print last week! One of my favourite things of the whole online shop process is packaging each print off to send. I'm always looking for new ways to make my packaging prettier - it makes it so fun to send out mail. Let me send you some mail- I'd love to do it! :)

Other Studio Scenes:

in the fields, she stopped and took a deep breath of the flower-scented air. it was dearer to her than her kin, better than a lover, wiser than a book. and for a moment she rediscovered the purpose of her life. she was here on earth to absorb its wild enchantment.

~ boris pasternak

painting doesn't always come easy for me. in fact, this painting took a lot of effort and toil to push past the doubts and dislikes in my mind. but sometimes, in those rare moments, once you reach the top of mountain, all it takes is a little push over the top and something beautiful starts to form, quickly and suddenly. this is what came of my afternoon the other day and i ended up working an hour later than I was supposed to just to reach the finish line. i have to say, i am quite pleased. though, i have yet to decide what to use it for. ideas are gratefully accepted.

 One of my business goals this year is to blog at least once per week. The goal hasn't felt all that daunting, except when it actually comes down to putting a post together. Especially on a day like today, when I have no energy and blogging is the last thing I feel like doing. But I do have something to share, nonetheless. My week last week was spent working hard on a commission and on my Etsy shop. I'm planning a few new things for the shop this year. And I already did add a special one-of-a-kind item, but you may have missed it because it sold within hours! I'll be adding more, though, so keep your eyes peeled! 

The week before, I was able to organize my work space to actually get some work done on my desk (which had been previously acting as the catch-all table). Because of our limited income and lack of apartment space, we had to get creative with my "studio". So here's a little peek into where I work. M rescued the table before it was thrown in the trash from his work this summer and redid it to make it a beautiful treasure of a desk. We carved out an area in our bedroom where I can work without the hassle of cleaning everything up when guests come over ;). I'm still working on filling the blank space on the wall, but so far, I'm loving my little studio. Some day, I'll need something bigger, but for now, it is the perfect space to work. Oh and what was I working on? Well, here's a teaser...