I have new paintings available for you! If you are supporting my Patreon, you’ll get these images featured on your perks for December. Art prints, originals and Nutcracker stickers and notecards are also available in my shop. (more…)
Archive | Darling Original Artwork
Breaking the cycle
I want both my work and my kids to matter to me, but it’s so hard to balance. And hard to describe. And yes I know “it’s hard” is such a bland sentence. How about, “I feel like I’m dying, trying to do it all without fucking things up.” Maybe I should tell myself some saccharine line I don’t really feel. “It’s not your job to hold the world together. Everything will be ok. Just relax your grip. Don’t hold on so tight.”
Oh yeah. Why do I hold on so tight? (more…)
Women Who Run With The Wolves
Animals have a unique way of capturing different aspects of the human spirit. They have been present in our myths and fairytales from the dawn of civilization. Some cultures uphold certain animals and villainize others, but what’s fascinating is the archetypes for each animal retain the same symbolism across history and culture. (more…)
Queer Cats for Pride Month 2019
I’ve loved rainbows my whole life. As a Christian, they were a symbol of hope, that God would not destroy me but carry me through the storm.
When I was coming to terms with being queer, one of the hugest hurtles for me was the question of faith. Did my sexual orientation condemn me? Or was it the dogmatic fundamentalists in my life who had perverted the true nature of Christian love? (more…)
Our Children Are Our Inspiration
This is a guest post by Justine Done. She is a single mom of two children. When she submitted her photos to me last year to be considered for my Mother’s Day series, she sent a heartfelt email along with the images. Her words are as follows.
I recently went through a divorce (“recent” meaning two years) but it still feels recent, and when we parted for the last time, I sent him all the pictures I had of him and the kids. Probably a few hundred. Candid. Beautiful. Every bonding moment between my children and their father.
He had none of me and the littles, which I expected. No candid pictures, no random snippets he thought worth capturing behind the scenes, not even from the day our daughter was born. (more…)
Four New Mothers Day Paintings
Last year, I put out a call for submissions and received dozens of heart warming snapshots, expressing moments of motherhood. One year later, these paintings are now complete just in time to share with you for Mother’s Day! (more…)
What if the PAAS Easter Eggs Were All Grown Up?
A couple months ago, I was sitting in church and listening to the worship band play. My mind wandered to Easter, to brightly colored PAAS easter eggs, to food coloring infused candy and I thought: why not embrace it? Why not embrace all of it and paint a series about the PAAS Easter Eggs all grown up? (more…)
Patreon Happy Mail Perks
This week I am sending out 5 months worth of Happy Mail perks to Patreon subscribers at the $100 level. These patrons also received an exclusive monthly art print ($50 level) and a monthly curiosity ($12 level). Here is a look inside their extra special goodie box packages! (more…)
KidLit4Climate Climate Strike Campaign
I’m a children’s illustrator and I illustrated my Clemmy and Phoebe foxes to join in the kidlit4climate campaign. I stand with the young people striking for urgent climate change!
Raising awareness is just one small step in the direction of change, and no step is too small. If you’d like to take part with your own expression of creativity, but you feel limited by an inability to draw, I created a free coloring sheet. You can download the KidLit4Climate coloring sheet on my Patreon and post your own colored version to instagram along with hundreds of others from around the world to take part in displaying your support for kids against climate change. (more…)
The Demanding Muse
I was supposed to rest today; but, when I awoke, I emerged from fitful sleep.
In my dreams I had been painting. (more…)