Challenge 144: 10 Years, Looking Forward: The Perfect Homestead Studio
I relocated to SCAD in 2010 at the beginning of the new year and graduated November of 2011. Having transferred blindly as a Junior totally relying on that “good feeling” alone SCAD and all its resources, as well as the town of Savannah, had exceeded all my expectations so much so I now call it my second home. I’ve met some beautifully talented people at my time there. Feeling the creative energy that flowed in the city and around my fellow classmates and professors every day I finally felt I was where I was suppose to be. The only two things I regret is not taking licensing classes, since this is what I have done since graduating and absolutely love, and not being able to afford to come back to Savannah to attend my graduation that Spring. Despite my financial struggles after graduating, what has happened since each step of the way has only prepared me for success, gave me confidence as an artist, a professional, and as a person to become stronger and better at what I do, and helped me learn not take anything or anyone for granted.
Square Carousel has been my push, my drive, my focus, and in some cases my savior for my mental and professional sanity. This amazing group of individuals, who I consider family, has helped my art and style grow from the uncontrolled random mess it used to be and continued to challenge my abilities with super cool projects and challenges. This is something I’ll truly miss, but not as much as I will my fellow SCAD Illustrators. There’s always something special about a group of people who “get it”. Who come together to help solve design issues, who support one another as much as we do, who have “been there done that”, and who are an understanding reliable shoulder to lean on during the more difficult times as a working illustrator. Being a part of Square Carousel has been such a pleasure and is something I’ll always be grateful for having experienced working with such talented beautiful people. I wanted to give a special big thank you to my girl Sayada for bringing me into the Collective, and for everyone else being so amazing over our years together. For all our Christmas card swaps, all of your friendship and support, and having watched many of you grow as creatives over the years, I will continue to follow and support you all in your creative and your life journeys. I am forever grateful for all of you, and I cannot wait to see what life has in store for all of us in the next 10 years! You guys...we’re so going to crush it!!! For our last and final challenge I wanted to illustrate something truly special to my heart. Ever since I saw the 1990s TV show The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends, I wanted my own home/cottage to mirror the spirit of that of Beatrix Potter. In this homestead I dream of looking out my studio window as I create for a living to support my future family, and seeing my animal friends happily playing outside in the garden. Over the years this vision has stayed the same, but having since adapted a vegan eco-friendly lifestyle, volunteering for rescues and creating content for those types of animals, and the way I see my garden have changed a bit to accommodate how I now want to live and use my art to give back. Now I see this whimsical space not only giving me creative inspiration and a meditation space of my own, but also a land that has a productive purpose to give back to our animals and our environment who need it the most. My new cottage, now with a greenhouse studio, consists of self-sustainable practices such as solar windows, surrounding myself with plants that keep the air clean, converting part of my studio to a foster space, organic gardening that attracts healthy pollinators, and animals that I hope to rescue/foster to help give them new homes and a better quality of life. Though I look forward to this studio and space coming to a reality, I’m still not quite sure where I want this magical space to be located or how it’ll turn out....which makes this vision all the more exciting.
Here’s to the next 10 years and the start of our many new adventures. Salute!
-Tina
Tina’s Etsy Shop
Tina’s other Etsy Shop
Tina’s Website
Tina’s Instagram
Find out more about Tina’s rescue missions here