Summer Sketches

Hi there. How are you?

The summer months are a notoriously unproductive time for me. It’s hard for me to be inside when the weather is nice and things at my day job get insanely busy. My studio sat empty for most of June, July, and August.

I also have to be in the right headspace to make. It was a tough summer for me personally, which also contributed to my lack of production.

That doesn’t mean I wasn’t making, but it was mainly confined to my sketchbook, and done in fits and starts. It’s important for me to keep up my creative practice. Without it, I just don’t feel myself.

Here’s how I snuck in some drawing time:

Ballpoint & marker drawings from May 2019.

I drew on the job.

I worked on these drawings while attending a conference. If someone is talking, I was drawing. It keeps me focused on what they’re saying. I’m still deeply enamored with my Parker Pen.

Ballpoint and marker drawings from June 2019.

I drew on the couch.

If you’ve seen my Instagram Stories, you’ve probably seen me “couch drawing.” If I’m sitting on the couch, watching TV at night, I’m usually drawing in my sketchbook. Sometimes I try to take videos while I’m drawing so you can see my process. (Find some of those videos in my stories highlights.)

A loose drawing made on a road trip.

I drew in the car.

(I wasn’t driving.) I made this very loose sketch as a passenger on a road trip. It was the first time in a long time I drew with a Pilot pen. I used these all the time when I was making my coloring books.

I made this ballpoint drawing while on vacation in San Diego this summer.

I drew when I traveled.

I did this one while visiting my brother and his wife in San Diego. Airports, airplanes, and beaches are great places for me to sneak in some drawing time.

Drawings made with Bic Cristal ballpoints purchased from the UK. Click for purchase information.

I experimented with new pens.

A student in my Jen & Ink Ballpoint course turned me on to a set of Bic Cristal Ballpoints from the UK that included some new colors. (There’s even a gold!) When I have new supplies, I just have to try em’ out! These drawings were the first I’d none in a while with anything other than a black pen. Unfortunately, these pens are out of stock on Amazon. But hopefully, they’ll be available again in the future.

Ballpoint drawings from July 2019.

Most importantly, I stuck with it.

Drawing can bring me a lot of peace. It’s almost meditative for me. I drew when I wanted and didn’t worry about the outcome. There are some drawings I made this summer that will never get finished and I’ll never share. That’s perfectly OK.

As Emily Jeffords says, I “do it for the process.”⠀

I encourage you to make if it brings you joy. You don’t have to share it or show it to anyone. Do it for yourself.

What do you do, just for the process?

What do you do, just for you, to bring you joy?

Do tell.

That’s all for now.

Ciao, Jen

* HEADS UP: As an Amazon Influencer, I earn a small commission when you purchase the pens I've listed here with Amazon links. It's a small way to support the work I do without any cost to you. (Thank you!) ⠀

VW Bus Tea Towels are Here!

Hi there. How are you?

I’m well aware that my work appeals more to women than men. Most of my buyers are female and 85% my followers on Instagram are female. My work has a feminine look. I get it, embrace it, and design to appeal to my mostly feminine tribe. 

But, my newest product was made with a man in mind.

Meet Yoshi, our 1977 Volkswagen Westfalia Bus.

Meet Yoshi

Last fall, my husband bought a 1977 Volkswagen Westfalia. Lovingly referred to as “Yoshi”, Matt has been working hard all winter and spring to rebuild the engine and restore the interior. We’re looking forward hitting the road with Yoshi in just a couple of weeks for the Dead and Company show in Deer Creek. (I know, totally hippie. I’ve got my tie-die all ready!)

Matt thought that Yoshi would make a great tea towel design.

I was happy to oblige. I mean, how cute is that bus?? How could I not draw it?

My husband modeling my new VW Bus tea towel in front of the bus that inspired it.

Introducing my VW Bus Tea Towel!

Featuring a front, side, and rear view of Yoshi, this 100% cotton tea towel was printed in an olive green ink to match our bus. I’m totally thrilled with it! 

This is the first completely digital illustration I’ve ever made. I drew these all with my Apple Pencil* and iPad Pro* in the Procreate app. I am hooked on this powerful tool! You will be seeing more all digital illustration from me soon.

*These are Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I get a small commission at no additional cost to you. It’s an easy way to support my artistic endeavors. Thanks!

The VW Bus screen printed tea towel is sure to bring some personality and charm to your kitchen.

Ships free in time for Dad’s Day.

The Yoshi towel would make a great Father’s Day gift for your car lovin’ or hippie dad. Grab a Dad’s Day card, wrap up his favorite booze in the towel and you’re good to go.

Heck, anyone with a love for retro, cars, van life, hippie culture would dig this towel. I’ll certainly have a couple with me when we take Yoshi camping in the coming weeks. I’ll also lay one down on the coffee table and put snacks on top of it when we entertain this weekend.

You can shop my whole collection of tea towels right HERE. They all ship FREE in the US. ($6.00 flat rate shipping for my international friends.) 

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Last thing….

If you purchase a towel, I’d love to see how you use it in your home. Send me pictures!

That’s all for now.

Ciao, Jen

An ASMR Drawing Video

Hi there. How are you?

ASMR. It’s a thing.

Have you heard about it?

ASMR is short for autonomous sensory meridian response. It’s that tingling sensation you get on the skin when you watch, hear, or feel something pleasing.

"Basically, it feels like the amazing chills you get when someone plays with your hair or traces your back with their fingertips," says Heather Feather, a popular "ASMRtist" on YouTube.

Have you seen Zoe Kravitz’s Michelob Ultra commercial where she whispers into the microphone and taps on the bottle?

That’s ASMR and people LOVE it.

While I’m not into this trend, there are millions who are. Search ASMR on YouTube and find MILLIONS of videos.

I jumped on the ASMR trend and made a 34 minute video of me drawing.

I made an ASMR drawing video.

I’ve been told that the sound my drawing is soothing to viewers, so I thought I’d jump on this ASMR trend and make a video.

No talking, just 34 minutes of me drawing in real time.

I used a blue Bic pen inside of a Baux pen body. The aluminum body gives a nice weight to the pen that I like.

If you’re not into the ASMR thing, but you want to see how I draw the “flower” shape that shows up in a lot of my work these days, you’ll probably like this too. Unlike many of my videos, there aren’t any sped up parts. You’ll see every stroke.

HEre’s the Video:

What do you think?

Should I make more videos like this? If you like them, I will! I might just have to pop in some headphones and listen to some music or a podcast. That was a lot of silence for me!

Until next time.

Ciao, Jen