ART // PRIORITIES AND PANDAS

Apologies for being a bit quiet on the blog / instagram / twitter front this month. The last few weeks have been a bit rubbish in terms of work and stress. As much as I am enjoying this job, it's hard in a way like no other job I've ever had before. In the past I've always felt able to keep my work and home life quite separate but this course requires so much of my personal time as well as personal reflection that it's kind of hard not to be both personally and professionally challenged. 

On Friday though, after a hellish deadline day on Thursday, I had a study day and gave myself the entire day off. It was a super sunny day and after a lovely morning out with my parents, I spent the afternoon in their garden sunbathing and painting. It felt like it had been ages since I had been able to just sit and have a long paint, and I think that in reality it probably had been.

After having a 'me' day, I feel so much better than I did. It's so easy to get caught up in our busy lifestyles, careers and studies that we forget to prioritise ourselves. It's so easy to do, and I'm certainly guilty of it, but when you step back and think logically about it... it's kind of silly.

Finding time for ourselves is so important for us to remain physically and mentally healthy, which, in turn, is essential for us to work or study effectively. I tend to be a bit all or nothing and throw myself in to one thing whilst neglecting other aspects of my life. I don't really need to say that this isn't the best way to maintain a healthy balance and probably explains some of the stresses and strains I've been feeling this past month.

"It’s not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, and to make your happiness a priority. It’s necessary.”

~ Mandy Hale

So I wanted to share the painting I did on my day off (surprise surprise, it's ANOTHER panda!) and also to share the story behind it with you. Partly because I'm really aware of how neglectful I have been of ISOSCELLA and partly because sometimes it's just so easy to forget whats really important in life.

Let me know what you think of the panda painting and of this post in general - it's a bit of a different/deep one for me - in the comments below.

Don't forget to share and subscribe :)

♥

THE LIEBSTER AWARD // MY ANSWERS ILLUSTRATED

I received a Twitter notification quite some while ago informing me that ISOSCELLA had been nominated for the Liebster Award by Cake + Whiskey - how bloomin' exciting! If you haven't seen the Cake + Whiskey blog before, be sure to check it out, there are so many interesting and lovely posts on there ranging from food recipes to wish lists. So thank you to them for the nomination and their kind words about this blog! Everytime I get a new follower on bloglovin, a comment on here, a tweet on twitter or a like on instagram, it completely amazes me. This little space of the internet is where I just really enjoy writing about the things I draw and create in my spare time so the thought that other people might enjoy looking at what I do just fills me with pride and joy :)

CAKE + WHISKEY'S QUESTIONS FOR ME:

1. 5 things you always have in your fridge?

ALWAYS milk. My boyfriend and I both live for coffee. | Probably tomato ketchup - what DOESN'T it go with?! | Garlic & chilli peppers. We LOVE Indian and Thai food. | Often LIME. A G+T just isn't right without one!

2. The most beautiful shoes you’ve ever seen?

I know it's not real, but the idea of it for me makes it the ultimate shoe, so I'm going to say Cinderella's glass slipper. With the recent release of CINDERELLA, several designers have recreated the magical glass slipper which are simply all stunning. Above is my own illustration of the Jimmy Choo version, which the actress Lily James recently wore on the red carpet.

3. The quality you value over every other?

I'd probably have to say KINDNESS. Being kind is so important for me, particularly working in mental health. Just smiling at someone can make a difference to that persons day and how they feel about themselves.

4. The ultimate comfort food?

A chocolate orange. Whenever I've had a hard day, I'll be sure to pick one up to TREAT for myself. Today's been pretty hard actually..hold on.. *runs off to Tesco's express*

5. The website I should definitely add to my read-list?

I absolutely love Fall for DIY. It's a blog with a clean and minimalist aesthetic which is full of cute, creative and easy to follow ideas so if you haven't seen it already, go and have a look!

6. Your ultimate pizza toppings?

I'm a complete sucker for Domino's so my choice is rather steered towards their menu, but I'd have to say Tandoori Chicken.

7. Your favourite colour?

Duck egg blue and all it's different variations.

8. What do you always ask your mum to cook for you?

Teriyaki chicken with curried noodles. It's my absolute fave and nobody makes it like my mum! :)

9. What you dream to get for your birthday?

I've wanted an Olivia Burton watch for aaages and this year my boyfriend did SO well and got me the Olivia Burton Big Dial Chrono Detail Mint and Rose Gold watch so I'm not really dreaming of anything else... yet!

10. What should I eat tonight?

See above, Teriyaki chicken and curried noodles :)

11. Biggest pet peeve(s)?

I cnt stNd d uz of txt TLK wen ther iz n character limit. Arrrghhh! See how annoying that was to read?! No to text talk.

MY NOMINATIONS & QUESTIONS:

I am going to nominate the following lovely blogs, which (unbelievably!) have less than 3000 followers on bloglovin: Jade and Fern, Dorkface, Grey Hoodie, Holly Exley Illustration, Katrina Sophia Blog, Seaweed Kisses, The Crafted Life, Zoe Newlove, Pocketheart, The Lovely Drawer and Hannah Bakes Things.

Rules for The Liebster Award are to 1) Thank those that nominated you, 2) Answer your questions, 3) Nominate and link another 11 blogs for the award, 4) Create 11 questions for nominees to answer, and 5) To inform nominees they have been nominated. There seems to be differences as to how many followers nominees should have but I just went with less than 3000.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed creating it! 

Share your own Liebster Award post links in the comments below so I can have a read of them :)

♥

ART // SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW...

If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram then you may have seen that a few months ago I was working on an exciting little illustration for a good friend of mine. With her wedding fast approaching, she asked to borrow my creative skills and draw a map to send out with the wedding invites. Just a few days ago, I received my invite in the post. Not only is the invite just gorgeous, the final map looks great and I really enjoyed creating it so I thought I would share some pictures of the process and final piece with you.

SOMETHING BORROWED

Initially, I created some quick doodles of a map print out with a green pen I just happened to have to hand. Once I was happy with the layout and I had a good idea of what I wanted to do, I sketched out my design on cartridge paper and painted it using both watercolours and acrylic paint. I wanted the place names to stand out and so I used a black fine liner to write these. When I was finally finished, I sent the final image to my lovely chum who then had it printed onto off-white textured paper which gives it a lovely rustic touch.

& SOMETHING BLUE..

I was so impressed with the invites in general. I love the rustic feel and simplicity of them which creates an elegance that just perfectly mirrors that of the soon-to-be bride. I particularly liked the brown envelope and twine alongside the touches of blue from the cornflowers. This will tie in beautifully with the wedding, which will see the bride holding cornflowers and the bridesmaids wearing cornflower blue dresses.

I really enjoyed creating this and it was such a pleasure to be able to contribute to her wedding in this small way. I'm so looking forward to spending her special day with her and to the 'wedding season' in general. It really seems to be the year to get married amongst my friends!

Let me know what you think in the comments below & please share if you enjoyed reading this! 

Until next time...

♥

ART // IT'S MY BIRTHDAY...

Two blog posts in two days?! Whatever next! This is just a quick post as I wanted to share this little illustration I did a while ago. I haven't really had the opportunity to share it yet so seeing as it is my birthday today, I thought this was the perfect opportunity. I love how grumpy-looking the panda turned out to be and so it felt only right to have a grumpy little saying along with it!

Please share & comment :)

Hope you have a lovely Easter Sunday!

♥

5 FAVES FRIDAY // BE MORE CAT

In celebration of it finally being the end of the week, I thought I would share with you five pieces of artwork which have recently caught my eye. Since joining society6 I have become so much more aware of all the lovely art, illustrations and talented artists out there - it's been really quite eye opening! I absolutely love cats, so it could be that I'm being a bit biased but to me, cats most definitely have had a bit of a comeback?! Whether it's cushions, greeting cards, iphone cases, art prints or fashion, since late last year, fury felines are everywhere. No longer is it 'Be more dog', it is definitely all about BE(ING) MORE CAT!

(1) A Lot of Cats by Kitten Rain on society6 | (2) CAT // AWARE by Amy Hamilton on society6 | (3) Hooray Party Cat by Hello Harriet on Etsy | (4) Cats Map of the World Map by artPause on Etsy | (5) Untitled by @liviing on instagram

If you like the idea of being a bit more cat, have a look at the lovely BE MORE CAT comic over on Eat, Sleep, Sniff and the BE MORE CAT campaign, with lots of lovely illustrations by Eat, Sleep, Sniff, on the Cats Protection website.

What do you think of the prints above?

Have you got any other feline-friendly art recommendations?

Let me know in the comments below!

♥