Kelsey Paige Art

Artist inspired by fairy tales and classic book illustrations

[kelseypaigeart]

Custom name art card I painted for a baby shower recently. I chose roses because they are one of the birth flowers for June (the second is honeysuckle). I love to incorporate symbolism whenever I'm approaching botanical subjects since it adds a little extra hidden meaning to the art.

It ended up reminding me a LOT of a ceramic mini tea set I played with as a little girl, but it's not a bad association haha.

Handmade cards like this make a really thoughtful touch and they really aren't too complex to make. I just sketched the letters and rough shapes of the roses in pencil on a Strathmore watercolor card and then painted it with Winsor and Newton watercolors.

[kelseypaigeart]

My husband and I decided to make gifts for each other for Christmas, so this was my gift to him! It's a portrait of our pet bird, Moriah. Painted with Holbein acrylic gouache that I got from Paletteful Packs.

It was so fun working with a mini canvas because it forced me to not get hyperfocused on the details. It was also my first time truly using an underpainting and it helped the process go a lot smoother.

[kelseypaigeart]

Coloring Tomoko Tashiro's Fairy Tale Coloring Book using Crayola markers and Uniball gel pens (white and gold).

I've had a hard time making time for art while looking after my kids (not the main reason I've been inactive but it is a factor haha), so I figured breaking out the coloring books would help me scratch that creative itch without being too high-pressure or intensive.

My previous attempts at coloring have not been social media-worthy, but I tried planning a limited color palette with this one and really like how it turned out!

[kelseypaigeart]

I am deeply saddened to find out that the teacher of my first college-level art course, David Wilder, was tragically killed in a drive-by shooting in 2017. I happened to be reminiscing with my husband about that class when I discovered the news.

I only knew Professor Wilder for that one semester in 2013, but he left a lasting impression with his kindness and passion for art, and I learned a lot from his class. He encouraged me to apply for scholarships to art school and gifted me with the sepia Conté crayon that I used to complete this pineapple drawing (an assignment that was originally supposed to be in black and white).

In addition to teaching, he also advocated for the working rights of adjunct faculty. What a tragic loss of life.

[kelseypaigeart]

Digital illustration I made for my sister's wedding invitation (lavender themed). The background texture is from Unsplash. The final image is the line art without texture or color.

I had a blast with this once I found the perfect dry, inky brush to get the texture I wanted. I've never really done wreaths or patterns before, but I love floral motifs, so I had a blast with this project once it got going!

[kelseypaigeart]

Digital artwork I entered in the Dragon Shield aurora dragon themed art contest. I didn't place, but voting is currently ongoing for the finalists' fantastic artwork so you should definitely check it out! I had a blast with the theme anyway and it gave me a chance to dust off my drawing tablet. Fun fact, I went with an Asian style dragon mostly because it made for a more fluid form for the concept I had, but Chinese legends actually associated dragons with the northern lights.

[kelseypaigeart]

So I started bullet journaling back in January 2022. I'm mostly using the journal for practical purposes as a planner, but leaving room for drawings for whenever I have the time and the energy (hard to come by these days as I'm raising a tiny human 😅). 

I've been choosing different herb or plant themes for each month. For July I chose raspberries. Most people just eat the berries, but the leaves are actually high in nutrients, excellent for women's health, and they make a really tasty tea.

Drawn with Micron pens and Crayola Super Tips

[ingary-crossing]

Tfw an octopus asks for a fish for a snack

[kelseypaigeart]

So I made a silly fan art thing...

[kelseypaigeart]

From now until April 5, 2020, all Dr. Ph. Martin’s products are 50% off when purchased direct from us on www.docmartins.com. Find out how and why here: https://drphm.co/march-17 UPDATE: As of March...

Just a heads-up for those of you interested in art supplies, now is a great opportunity to snag some Dr. Ph. Martin's inks or watercolors as everything on their site is half off. I've used their ink set before and can attest that it's very high quality and super saturated. 

I’m sharing the link to their Facebook post where they made the announcement, but you can go straight to their site to see their products.

[kelseypaigeart]

It's a birb! I'm planning on going into color eventually, but for now I'm just building up a value sketch. This was done in Photoshop, but I'm treating it like a charcoal drawing.

You may have noticed I've hardly been posting on here. Honestly, I haven't been making much art period in the last several years, aside from school assignments back when I was taking classes and a more recent stint making art third-party at Animal Kingdom--hence having very little to show. I have plenty of excuses (travel, work, getting married, moving, sickness, and so on) but bottom line is I've been in a major slump for a long time and have struggled to find joy from making art like I used to. Right now one of my focuses is regaining that inspiration and momentum, but it's a slow process and it's so easy for me to procrastinate by doing other productive things or distracting myself.

One of the ways I've been trying to get myself back into art has been checking out other people's art and watching videos, particularly Lachri Fine Art--she offers a lot of useful tutorials and art tips which are relevant for all levels of experience.

[kelseypaigeart]

Watercolor painting of The Swag located in the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina, painted in November 2018.

Long story short, a very kind work friend of my husband’s gave us a gift card for a dinner the resort’s restaurant as a wedding present. We came early and explored the beautiful grounds including breathtaking views of the Great Smoky Mountains before enjoying an amazing supper. Everyone was so hospitable from the moment we walked in, the food was superb, and overall it was an experience I’ll never forget. This painting was our way of showing our gratitude.

I used several photos for reference, including my own, one from their website--it’s on their banner currently but I can’t really link to that--and one from a visitor’s post on their Facebook page which I can no longer find or I would link to it (NOTE: if this were for commercial use I would never use other people’s photos as reference without consent, but this was a gift).

Aaaand to finish it off I framed it in a barn wood frame from RusticDecorFrames on Etsy which fit so well with the rustic charm of The Swag.

If you’re ever in North Carolina, I highly recommend visiting The Swag! 

[kelseypaigeart]

Beginnings of a plant study, plus the reference photo (taken at Harry P. Leu Gardens in Florida). I plan on doing a value study before working in some color.

[kelseypaigeart]

Still not quite finished with Shin Ae, but here’s a fun progression to the painting’s current state (first and last picture). It’s so rewarding saving progress pictures; you don’t realize how much progress you’re making in the midst of a project, but comparing before and after makes it really obvious how far you’ve come.

I started this as a way to keep my sanity pass the time while I Love Yoo was on hiatus, but Quimchee just started releasing episodes again. The highlight of my Fridays is back and I’m so excited! ^ ∇ ^

[kelseypaigeart]

Sketching my husband. I didn’t want to mess with getting up to get my sketchbook, so I just drew it in Paint with my mouse

[kelseypaigeart]

More progress on Shin Ae! I’m breaking more into my own style now.

[kelseypaigeart]

Hi guys! Sorry I’ve been so completely MIA lately. I’ve been focusing on putting out job applications and interviewing, and I just started up an Instagram account for my art—aside from fighting off the art block that’s been haunting me for the last few years. *laughs weakly* 

I just got hit with a nasty cold so I decided to pass the time drawing some fan art for my favorite web comic, I Love Yoo by Quimchee. ^_^ This is Yoo Shin Ae, the main character. I haven’t gotten far on the drawing yet but we’ll see how it goes!

[kelseypaigeart]

Doodling. I started drawing this on my Kindle (at like 2 in the morning...heh), then moved it to Photoshop on my laptop and resized it. It’s fun getting more stylized.