iPhone photography: Christmas Rose

2011

As the old year fades out and the champagne is on the cooler getting ready to welcome the new year, I find myself looking back and looking forward. Here are my favourite highlights from 2011:

In 2011 my digital life was simplified and made easier through the use of Buffer (a tool that helps you optimize your social media updates by cutting down the noise and sharing more consistently), Evernote (a digital scrapbook) and Dropbox (a storage utility that allows you to access your files from anywhere).

Creatively, this was the year that I resumed my life drawing and figure studies while my iPhone photography took took a bit of a dip, but gained momentum towards the second half of the year.

2011 was the year of the Life Compass. A tool to help people easily make a deep change to their lives by going with the flow of the seasons.

I would like to acknowledge two amazing and talented women, who were very helpful and supportive. My brilliant mother, who brought me up to seize the day, to live with the seasons, to find joy in the small things and beauty everywhere. The Life Compass is inspired by her! I’m also deeply grateful to my wonderful friend Wini who was an excellent help throughout the whole process, with her great expertise and kindness. Thank you, ladies!

2012

In 2012, you’ll find more tips and apps for iPhone photography at Marmalade Moon. Ideas for how you can simplify your digital life and how to get going with life drawing if you don’t have access to models. I’m going to develop a daily propellor, to accompany the Life Compass series and help you gain momentum on a daily basis. And of course there will be more free desktop goodies, both wallpapers and more folder icons. But first I’m going to take my own advice and burrow into my inner landscape with the Winter Shift, to find illuminating light in the darkness of long winter’s nights.

Many thanks to you who visit Marmalade Moon! Thank you for your continued support of Marmalade Moon and everything I do. Happy New Year! 

iPhone photography: Daffodils

I was almost swept off my feet by the wild wind on my way home from the shops with freshly ground espresso and a bottle of red wine. And a pot of daffodils, sort of like a prop, to make it feel more like spring. Treats for a Friday celebration.

This spring I’ve been busy both here and elsewhere. I’ve pre-released a new set of Luminous Greyscale Icons to members of Club Marmalade Moon. You can still get them if you’re impatient, if you join now. Eventually I’ll release these new icons on the blog too. On popular demand, I’m designing a new wallpaper, Luminous Grey, to go with the new collection of icons.

Elsewhere:

A Change of Pace & Place

Here’s a guest post about small shifts and big changes that I wrote for the wishstudio: resetting your inner compass :: setting sail for summer.

Kate England finds her global niche

I’m honored to have been interviewed by Tara Agacayak of Turquoise Poppy at expat+HAREM, the global niche. Examining the transformational circumstances, tools and vision that can enable us to ‘bloom where we’re planted’. Check out the interview here: Kate England finds her global niche.

iPhone Photography: Christmas at Stortorget in the medieval Old Town of Stockholm

Winter feels sparkling and fresh. I feel like the new snow, like a clean slate, refreshed and peaceful after having released Process Icons. Recharging. Letting go. Rejuvenating. Making space for the new as we approach a new year.

Here are some of the winter highlights so far:

My icons (Vintage Folder Icons: A Walk in the Park) are the “staff pick” over at Apple!

There’s a new issue of Good To Know zine #9: rituals & routines. I’m one of fifteen artists who share their routines and rituals to getting things done! The Good to Know Project is a Pikaland production, packed full of advice + inspiration from artists/illustrators/designers on creativity, business and life.

My wonderful friend Wini wrote about her cats and my icons. I was so touched by what she wrote that I made her icon portraits of her two exquisite cats Ebony and Raven as a small token of my appreciation. And it isn’t until now that I could bring myself to linking to her post! Check out artlovejoy, where Wini blogs with beauty, style and grace. A blog that never fails to inspire!

I’m in the limelight once again in an article called Great Designers: Kate England, Marmalade Moon. This is part of the inspiring series Great Designers at AtWorkBlog. A.Pérez of AtWorkBlog blogs about “graphic design, illustration & english breakfast tea”.

You can read about my Fun & Productive Desktop Icons at the Time Management Blog. This is a blog with lots of great tips on productivity and time management. Written by productivity expert Denise Landers, CEO of  Key Organization Systems.

Genesis Davies works from home as a freelance writer and blogger and is the mother of two. Through her blog At Home Mom, she helps moms take that extra step to start earning for themselves.
Genesis says “You don’t have to sacrifice your life and your kids to earn a living. Moms are actually amazing entrepreneurs because we already know how to juggle many things at once!“ Don’t miss her giveaway of the new collection of Process Desktop Icons.

Many thanks to everyone who visits Marmalade Moon! Here’s to everyone who’s featured my work or sent me e-mails or commented on my blog or purchased my icons or spread the word on social media or who offered me their friendship and those who support me in other ways too! Je vous remercie beaucoup! Tack så hjärtligt! Grazie mille! Tausend Dank! Efharisto para poli! Thank you!

iPhone photography: My desk in the studio. August 2010

Welcome to another day in the studio! Today I’m so excited and relieved to finally have got the printer to work!!!! I daren’t think how much time and money I’ve spent trying to get it to work ever since April! It’s been such a drain. Most of the time I love the independence of running my own creative business, but sometimes doing everything yourself can feel pretty heavy going and especially when you run into a silly technical problem like this one with the printer. Phew… I’m sooooo happy it’s been resolved!!!

Breaking Ice. Detail of art print

Breaking Ice, a painting I made at the end of March, came out beautifully on the heavyweight, matt paper with ultra sharpness that I purchased early on this summer! This paper really brings out the colours and gives the print a gorgeous, sumptuous feel and appearance. Oh, joy! I’m thrilled and nervous to finally be able to put Breaking Ice up for sale in the shop!

iPhone photography: Lunch. Sandwich and orange juice

It can only be downhill from here! At least today. We went for a swim in the lake after lunch. Dinner out tonight to celebrate that the printer finally works!

Leaves and acorns. Sketch and inspiration

Here’s a sketch and some inspiration for a new project I’m working on right now. (See the reflection of my iPhone that I used to snap the photo with, at the bottom of this picture?) Leaves, acorns, greens and simple organic shapes… I’m still playing around, following my intuition, seeing what happens and enjoying trusting the creative process. I’m not sure what I’ll make of it yet, or what it wants to become… Maybe it’ll turn into desktop art because soon it’s time for the Summer Edition of Club Marmalade Moon and something green and organic would be perfect for a summer desktop, wouldn’t it?

iPhone photography: View of Visby, Gotland

Back from three blissful weeks in Visby on Gotland – “the island of roses and ruins”. Waking up each morning to the sounds of birdsong and church bells and having locally grown strawberries for breakfast. Shakespeare’s Macbeth performed in a ruined medieval monastery. Watching the fairytale Swedish Royal wedding (extra exotic for me as I haven’t watched TV at home for six years) on TV. Morning walks along the medieval city wall. Runestones and Viking treasures of gold and silver and Greek, Roman and Byzantine coins dug up to this day all over the island. Walks in the botanical gardens (founded by The Bathing Friends in 1856). The scent of lilacs and roses on the terrace with a marvellous view of the city and the Baltic Sea. A magic Midsummer’s Eve.

The sunset tucked in a hibiscus petal, wrapping it around the horizon. White nights where each sunset faded into a new morning, dusk transitioning into dawn. Swallows, roses, blackbirds, poppies, blueweed, wood pigeons, peonies, pebbles and seaweed on the beech. Daisies and white clover. The salty scent of the sea. I took photos of the view from the terrace (almost) every day, just like I do with the oak tree outside the windows of my home.

As I unpack my lime green suitcase I find a mind map for creative ideas and inspirations, a few watercolours, a heavy stack of books, photos taken with my iPhone, a poem I wrote on the back of a napkin, some sketches I made on my iPad, a bag of saffron and almond rusks, jars of honey and Ramsons (wild garlic) pesto from Gotland and a gigantic pile of dirty laundry.

I feel so grateful and energized from this trip. Relaxed. Determined to find a new way to continue to live a slow life, staying on a Slow Media Diet. I feel inspired. And then I think about how I feel it’s so vital to travel. A change of scenery, however small or big the change may be. It can be something as simple as making the wrong turn when you step off the bus, or opening yourself up to an impulse to take a peek at what’s behind that building you always pass by on your way to something else.

And as I sit here typing this post, just about to write something about how our inner journey is as important as our outer journey, I hear the sound of a massive fireworks display. And I by that, I mean really impressive and orchestral, symphonic and majestic. I go out on the balcony to see if I can catch a glimpse of the fireworks, but I can’t, I can just hear the sounds… I’ll use my creative license to interpret the fireworks as a celebration for travel, for getting off the beaten track, for newfound inspiration, for growth, for rest and for fun and playful creativity.

iPhone photography: Airplane in the blue hour

I’ve been hibernating after twisting my ankle two weeks ago while escaping huge icicles falling off a rooftop on a narrow medieval street paved with cobblestones. Lets just say that there’s a whole lot of things I’d rather do than walk with crutches in snow and on ice.

It’s interesting to see how much comes with the role of “being injured”, at first I was so surprised when someone offered me a seat on the bus and then I remembered oh yes, I’ve got these crutches. People can see that… Then again, this is a role I’ll soon be able to step out of, and I’m so grateful for that.

This whole thing has been a drain though, so things have been quiet round here. But enough with the drama!

I found a desktop wallpaper with Forsythia, that somehow didn’t make it into the move to WordPress, and re-released it. I hope it brightens your day with thoughts of spring to come!

iPhone photography: the lights are on

Frost Star

Finally some of the pieces for Christmas are falling into place. After many attempts, I found the right bulb for the new Advent star, it turns out it’s the same type that you use in an oven! Who would have guessed…

iPhone photography: Advent star with window reflection.

If you’ve heard my laments about the lack of sunlight this winter, you can probably imagine how poor the lighting conditions are for photography. So I gave up on waiting for sunshine, and I also wanted to show you some of my Christmas lights, so I reminded myself of how much I love the spontaneity of lo-fi photography . The gritty grain, the distortion, the overload and the pastels. Like playing rock ‘n’ roll, like feeding the distortion of your electric guitar back into the amp, like feeling the base in your body before you let your guitar play the sweetest song. Raw emotions with a minimum of editing and styling.

iPhone photography: Christmas lights on the balcony.

I’m so grateful for all the new online friends and acquaintances I’ve met this year. Carla, the creator of the wonderful iPhone app Gratitude Journal. The many brave soul seekers I met in the Unravelling course, and the inspiring, talented artists I got to know in Marisa’s fish bowl. Tracy, the artist and crafter of the Pink Purl. Jamie who created the Full Moon Dreamboards that it’s been so magical for me to participate in. Just to mention a few. You’ve all brought so much light to my life!

iPhone photography: A pale pink amaryllis

iPhone photography: Autumn landscape by the lake

This time of year each day comes with subtle or startling changes and it makes me feel so present, my senses alert, my heart happy and grateful.

iPhone photography: Yellow and orange leaves

Sometimes I wonder if I could express my impressions in the form of textile prints and tableware, but the whole industrial process seems pretty daunting!

iPhone photography: Oak and pine tree

On my walks I’ve been listening to CraftSanity podcasts, a recommendation from New York artist Dana Barbieri who is working on a an inspiring Art Book project. I also joined a Facebook group “Faceless for six days”, the idea is to see how it feels to not use Facebook. So be warned, my Facebook footprint will be even tinier than usual!

Saturday’s The Experience Animation and Technology Exhibition 2009 where students of Hyper Island featured interactive and digital art powered by Wii technology turned out to be an exciting sensory overload! A few projects that made a deep impression were Soul Music (create music and light effects by dancing), The Jacksson Pollock Experience (make your own virtual “drip” technique paintings), The Triforce Installation (create ambient sounds and light animations) and the ingenious ThisPlay (hand held touch screen paper displays).

iPhone photography: Orange leaves

Here’s another image with leaves that makes me think of transferring my impressions into pattern design.

Then again, I’m enjoying the ease of photography. The fast process is perfect for capturing ideas and makes such a contrast to the long and sometimes complicated process involved when I create with other techniques.

I hope you’re enjoying your weekend and that next week will glow exhilarating!