April Update!

April 6, 2021

A few highlights for the month of April!

The weather change has been beautiful here in NYC. Daffodils are blooming. Leaves from the tree outside my window are starting to show. It’s feeling hopeful here. Not sure if I mentioned this in a previous post but I became a plant lady. <3 My windowsill is lined up with plants I propagated and are going strong with all this love I’ve been giving. Seeing them thrive brings joy to my work days as I sit at my desk creating, working and getting ready for the spring season.

This last week, was also the opening night of “BLOSSOMING.” The Facebook Live event went pretty well and I appreciate all who had attended. The silent auction is currently going on as we speak! If you haven’t yet head here to place a bid. The auction ends promptly at 8PM EST. If you miss this one, I will be hosting another Live event and auction mid month! Details mentioned below. Thank you again for the love and support given this last month. It means so much to me to continue on this creative path.

This Month’s Botanical Theme: Prickly Pear Cacti!

For the Prickly Pear Cacti Lover:

2021 Desert Bloom Wall Calendar

For the month of April receive
30% OFF your Desert Bloom Calendar!
No Promo Code necessary.

Desert Bloom Prints

Desert Bloom Watercolor & Ink Archival Limited Edition Prints. 2020. 5” x 7”

This is a limited edition of 20 for each image.

Get free S&H when ordering 2 or more prints from the collection.

Order 4 or more prints and get 10%OFF your total order plus free S&H with CODE: DBM10

New on Patreon!

Last month, I uploaded my first ever recorded art demo for my Patreon! My goal is to be able to create fun quarterly watercolor and ink demos for patrons giving them the opportunity to learn some tips and tricks that have helped me create over the years. This full fifteen minute art demo is uploaded to the “Digital Downloads +” ($5) and “Snail Mail” ($40) memberships BUT I want to make sure that all members feel appreciated and have uploaded an early access time-lapse video of the art demo to “The Support Team” ($1.50) membership. I also have a sketchbook tour coming up for all Patrons and some a brand new coloring page for the digital downloads. It’s been a fun new platform, for sure!

Sign up Today

Get access to this art demo + more!

All info about each illustration & how to purchase art can be found when clicking on images in gallery. All images are also available as prints at ArtbyAdelaAntoinette.Etsy.com

BLOSSOMING consists of twenty botanical art illustrations influenced by the Sonoran Desert blooms created during the start of the 2020 New York City lock down due to the pandemic.

LIVE PAINTING SESH | INSTA LIVE

April 15th, 2021: 8PM-9:30PM EST | Instagram Live Painting Session (No event link provided. Follow or attend the day of: @adelaantoinette)

Online auction Info: Online auction of completed painting will be posted and arranged on Instagram.com/adelaantoinette for two days only starting Saturday April 17th at 11am EST. To participate, place bid in the comments section of the artwork. Auction will end promptly at 11pm on Sunday April 18th. Winner will be notified immediately after auction ends and publicly announced on Monday April 19th. Winner will be billed via paypal, venmo, or square. Artwork will be shipped by Friday April 23rd.

CLOSING NIGHT | A LOW KEY INFORMAL VIRTUAL ARTIST TALK

Saturday May 1, 2021 9:30PM EST via ZOOM

A free forty minute virtual informal art talk with Adela Antoinette discussing the art created for Blossoming, art life during the pandemic, hopes for 2021 and a Q&A. (This low key artist talk is a chance to just hang out and talk art… I mean, why not right? <3 ) More info to come.

HIRE ME? YASSS, Hire me!

Thought I’d put out a little reminder of what I do besides loving pet and plant portraits.

Freelance Work

**Product & Surface Illustration design including:**
Wedding + Celebration stationary invites & suites, greeting cards, stickers, labels, business cards, t-shirts, swag along with editorial & book Illustration.
Contact me for more info.

I’ll be coming home to Tucson, AZ for a short visit this summer! (Safely of course) and wanted to put it out there that I will be opening up time for art related work such as murals so that I can stay home a little longer...

MURALS!

I am looking to paint a couple of small to medium (Estimated range: 4’ x 8’ - 8’x16’) murals specifically based off of some of the desert botanical work I do.
This would be for mid June/early July during early mornings or evenings (If located outside).
Price range of murals depending on size could be anywhere from $550-2k. (A non-refundable deposit would be required for serious inquiries)
Contact me if you’re interested or know someone who is, including small businesses. Please include wall size & photo of wall. A screen shot of any work I’ve done that you may want inspiration for your wall helps too. Thank you!

I wanted to leave you with a photo I took in Long Island City after getting vaccinated last week aka “your moment of zen.” hehe. Thank you again for the love and support!

-A

PS. Keep up with more of April’s happenings via Instagram: @cactioasis @adelaantoinette or Facebook: @adela.antoinette

Daffodils
+
The Cityscape

Long Island City, NY

March Artist Spotlight: Alexandra (Alex!) Jimenez

March 25, 2021

A monthly highlight on talented illustrators, designers & visual artists from Black, Indigenous, & People of Color (BIPOC) communities.

Alexandra (Alex!) Jimenez is a super talented artist and has been inspiring to keep up with! I have loved getting to know her as an artist and become friends with over last few years. I had first seen her work at Tucson’s CULTIVATE market years ago. Being a fellow Latina and artist in Tucson, I personally felt like I hadn’t seen much representation for us as visual artists and illustrators in markets, galleries and in the art scene so it was exciting to not only come across her and her beautiful work being represented but also feel hopeful of a future friendship. Today I am humbled to have seen her grow, even from a distance, as an artist, activist, community member and a mother. She inspires me every time we connect and I am truly honored to present her and her work this month.

Check out Alex’s highlight below!

-A

Self Portrait.JPG — “I am a Chicana print-maker, illustrator, and designer. My artistic practice explores my connection to land, culture, and history as a fourth generation Mexican-American in Tucson, AZ. Specifically, I try and challenge false notions about my community through the use of humor, color, and the Spanish language. My bright palette radiates the vibrancy of my heritage and serves as an entry point for my viewers. The *carne* (meat) of my work delves into identity within natural and man-made landscapes and brings contemporary issues of social inequality, gentrification/development, and place-making into public discourse. My background in the sciences grounds my process and compels me to create work that is accessible and comprehensible yet rich in meaning.” - Alexandra (Alex!) Jimenez

Current Projects:

Alex! was just selected as an artist for the US Water Alliance Water, Arts and Culture Accelerator. She will be working with Tucson Water over the next few months to engage with the communities of Tucson's Ward 1 and Ward 5 around water and art. She is in the initial stages of planning and connecting. In addition to this Alex has been working with CreateProtest, to create works that have a political message that can be purchased and worn by people to amplify political messages of justice and action. She will be creating an Earth Day design for them to be released soon. Follow @createprotestmerch to see what else there is to offer.

A little taste of Alex’s past work:

You can check out more of Alex! Jimenez’s work along with follow, like, & share her work here: @alexclamationink & @abcdelsur

For projects and contact: ALEXCLAMATION

For shopping & Gifts check out her brand new ESTY shop: AlexclamationInk.Etsy.com

March Update!

March 10, 2021

A few highlights for the month of March!

This month, already, I received a sweet loving text from a friend containing a photo of blossomed California poppies with “They popped up this week just like my March Calendar!” This brought me so much joy! With continuous quarantine & social distancing here in New York I have to admit, I miss the desert so much around this time. The spring in Tucson is gorgeous, and yes NYC will be blossoming soon enough but I can’t help but put myself in her shoes knowing how much joy it brings me to see plants bloom, grow and transition into its thriving seasons. I also love that my art can bring such joy and hearing her acknowledge the two is exactly the thought I put into curating each month for the calendar matching each plant to the month or season it blooms. This is one of many reasons I love being able to create and share my work. Your joy brings me joy while fueling the fire to continue to do what I do.

This Month’s Botanical Theme: (if you haven’t guessed it…)

California Poppies!

For the California Poppy Lover:

2021 Desert Bloom Wall Calendar

For the month of March receive
**25% OFF** your Desert Bloom Calendar!
No Promo Code necessary.

Sunnyside Foundation Project

Last month I had the honor to work with @sunnyside.foundation ! As an Sunnyside High School alumni and community member from Tucson (now residing in NYC) I am finding new ways of giving back through my art. Sunnyside Foundation asked me to take a look at their Instagram and come up with something that resembles community collaboration, beauty, and hope. I loved seeing the the community photos on their page and learning more about all the work they have been doing, even more so during the pandemic. I couldn’t help but think about how much fun it is to paint murals and collaborate with others along with making community spaces beautiful and hopeful with art. Art is so important. It was something that made me hopeful as a kid and I couldn’t help but transfer that into this illustration. The mural is also inspired by Mexican textile you find on dresses and garments from Puebla, Mexico which I LOVE! After the project was completed it was printed on cards and then sent out to their amazing donors. This foundation drives educational excellence by investing in work that enriches the education, development, and wellbeing of every SUSD student. For more info on the foundation visit: www.sunnysidefoundation.org

Head over to their page to follow and donate to help keep the SUSD community strong, #sunnysidestrong

Special thank you to SUSD Foundation for having me on a wonderful project.

Patreon & Your Support

I am so grateful and excited about last month’s progress with my new Patreon! Thank you to all who have joined to support what I do, especially during this time. It has been so much fun creating and sharing new content to this loving platform. I wanted to create a space for those who love my work, want to continue to see my goals in the arts flourish and get to benefit from the work being created by seeing some of the work before the public while also getting fun perks like stickers or monthly digital downloads (Check out March’s digital download* sample below!)

I am hoping with this new platform and funds I can continue to work on some big projects including a coloring book that is in the works, provide sliding scale fee art workshops in the summer, submit work to exhibitions and so much more. If you find that Patreon isn’t the platform for you, you can help support via Paypal or Venmo. All funds donated go straight to the tools I need to move forward in my journey as an artist in the pandemic.

Tranquila
Screen Saver

Available on Patreon with Tier 2 membership
or for purchase via Etsy for $3.00
Available for iPhone, Android, iPad, and Desktop
(You can also cut out the middle person and Venmo or Paypal $2.50 with the screensaver size of your choosing in return you will be emailed your digital download.)

Black-Eyed Susan

Holographic Stickers are available to the first 32 people to join my Patreon at ANY tier with ($1.50 being the minimum.) Patreon exclusive only.

Plant & Pet Portraits

If you’re looking to book a Pet or Plant Portrait but need a little nudge, check out what others are saying about their experiences! New Gallery of past portraits and reviews are now available to help you feel confident in the process of capturing your furbaby or plant baby through an artistic lens.
Check it out!

Low Key Informal Online "Gallery" Show: Blossoming

Last but not least I have another Low Key Informal Online "Gallery" Show coming up! Opening date is April 1st! (An official invite will be sent out 2 weeks prior to the show to Patreon members and Subscribers for early access)

Thank you again for the love and support! Distant Hugs and all the love,

-A

PS. Keep up with more of March’s happenings via Instagram: @cactioasis @adelaantoinette or Facebook: @adela.antoinette

February Artist Spotlight: Courtney Ahn

February 27, 2021

A monthly highlight on talented illustrators, designers & visual artists from Black, Indigenous, & People of Color (BIPOC) communities.

Courn from Courtney Ahn Design is a beautiful force on Instagram and in the design/illustration world. I had the pleasure and honor of having a video chat with her over the summer last year to talk shop and discuss anti-racism in the arts. She has dedicated her design and illustration skills to help educate and share anti-racist tools while also finding ways in helping out fellow BIPOC artists in her field. After our chat I felt hopeful and motivated in continuing the work and find more ways to help out my fellow artists, this blog being one of them!

Check out Courn’s highlight and work below!

-A

“I’m a multi-disciplinary designer with 5+ years in the creative industry and I’ve just about done it all in that time: I worked in-house at a large brand, I tried the agency lifestyle, I worked contract gigs for years, and did just about everything in-between, even running a dog bandana shop at one point(I know, I know). But the thing is, regardless of the position, salary, or place, I often found myself unhappy and unfulfilled. I was finding the same recurring issues regardless of the job: microaggressions, hiring discrimination, misogyny, mental trauma. It was becoming increasingly challenging to navigate the design industry, one heavily colonized and led by white supremacy, as a young woman of color in the ways I wanted to. So in March of 2020, I quit my cushy agency job to work full-time as a freelance designer and haven’t looked back since. I couldn’t be more happy to support clients, projects, and organizations that align with my values and are making a difference in their communities.” -Courtney Ahn Design, website.

Image from Courtney Ahn Design Instagram

You can check out more of Courtney Ahn Design work along with follow, like, share and purchase her work here:

Courtney Ahn Design & courtneyahndesign

February Update! (Better Late Than Never?)

February 24, 2021

A Few Things From the Month of February! <3

February’s Botanical Theme: Desert Globemallow

For the Desert Globemallow Lovers:

IMG_5705 2.jpg — Desert Bloom Sticker Sheet

Pet Portraits!

Now booking Pet Portraits & Plant Portraits for March & the rest of spring! Adela Antoinette portraits make a great gift for any holiday. Book today OR grab a gift card for that special someone.

You get a sticker! You get a sticker! EVERYBODY GETS THIS STICKER! …when you sign up for any tier on my new Patreon you’ll receive this cute holographic Black-Eyed Susan Sticker! Only 25 left! Sign up today!

I’ve added some Anti-Racism resources on my website for any who are interested in learning more from some of my favorite authors, podcasts and Insta-pages.

This page is ever growing as I acknowledge that this is an ongoing process and not a destination. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions or recommendations. I will be adding organizations I donate to, later this month.

Thank you again for all the love and support.

-A

Adela Antoinette on Patreon

February 1, 2021

Introducing Adela Antoinette on Patreon

A new way to support & invest

Membership Sign-Up

What is Patreon?

Patreon, is a platform for creatives to share work and build relationships with their supporters. You can become an active participant in the work you love by signing up for a monthly membership. You, as a patron, receive access to exclusive content, community, and insight into the artist’s creative process. In exchange, you give the artist (ME!) freedom to do their best work, and the stability they need to build an independent creative career.

How do I participate?

It’s easy! By signing up for a membership you’ll be able to choose from a set of monthly tiers that range in affordability and specific interests. Each level will contain fun monthly offers like sneak peaks on projects, time-lapse videos, tutorials, digital downloads, quarterly thank you packages, and/or discounts at ArtbyAdelaAntoinette.etsy.com You can cancel at anytime.

Why should I participate?

The best part is that you’ll be able to feel good about supporting artists during difficult times. Even at the lowest tier, you help and support the artist in their creative career where they can produce more fun enjoyable things you love! Products can be expensive to produce while tutorials can be time consuming to make. You can give the artist a platform to produce work you. Also, the discounts, swag and the feeling of being a VIP is pretty cool too. <3

Let’s get a little personal on why…

There are a few reasons why I created this lovely new space on Patreon. Here are a few key points to sum it up:

I want to share my work, process and education on an intimate level while building more connections and community. It's an addition to social media but a more focused space.
An affordable way for patrons and supporters to have access to my art and feel good about supporting the arts
Time. I need time. Time to create, to process, to connect and to build onto the foundation I had created on my off hours from working in the hospitality industry for over twenty years. Losing this main source of income during the pandemic created a realization that although I am not starting from scratch I do need a little extra help and time to grow as an artist and entrepreneur. Your support is that help and ability for me to have something that is most valued by artists: time.
Expenses. Expenses of being an artist as a career in today's world include but not limited to:
- Art supplies, office supplies, video equipment
- Printing, production, shipping and handling costs
- Fees for platforms and services (Etsy, Squarespace, Squareup, etc.)
- Space to create (rent + utilities)
- Student loans from art degree
- Artist dates, books and entertainment to keep the creativity going
- Supporting other artists while knowing all of the above.

Want to support in other ways?

Being a patron might not be the support you can do right now and that's okay. Here are other ways you can support little ol' me:

Like, share and comment on my social media! Free and helps more than you know! Insta: @adelaantoinette & @cactioasis FB: Adela.Antoinette & CactiOasis
My little shop: ArtbyAdelaAntoinette
Portfolio via Directory of Illustrators.

Thank you for your interest. And most importantly thank you for supporting my creativity and ability to grow. Can't wait for you to join in on the fun.

¡Adelante!

-A

Become a Patron Today!

January Artist Spotlight: Melissa Yee

January 21, 2021

A monthly highlight on talented illustrators, designers & visual artists from Black, Indigenous, & People of Color (BIPOC) communities.

Melissa Yee is an illustrator and designer whom I admire and in a healthy way, challenges me to keep up with my skill and creativity by participating in social media challenges and sharing her work through her platforms. I love getting to see her grow as an artist and freelancer. I have known her since our VisCom days at the University of Arizona and am honored to call a friend.

Check out her highlight & work below!

-A

Hi there, I'm Melissa!

I graduated from the University of Arizona in 2017 majoring in Visual Communications (Illustration + Design), with a concentration in Graphic Design. I enjoy digital illustration, logo design, poster design, and branding. Beyond the digital realm, I also love illustration and painting, and participate in fine art challenges such as Inktober, Drawtober, Folktale Week, and The 100 Day Project to keep my skills sharp.

The 100 Day Project: #The100DayProject is a multi-media art challenge where each artist does a creative activity (drawing, painting, performance - you choose!) for 100 days, starting January 31st. This year, my goal is to create watercolor paintings of different insects for 100 days. While I am not the biggest fan of certain insects (i.e. Lepidopterophobia - the fear of moths & butterflies), I figured this project would be a good way to branch out and also to face my fears in one small way during 2021!

My work is imaginative, marrying the areas of fine art and design with the relationship between humans, nature, fantasy/horror, mythology, and new possibilities. I currently work as a full-time Graphic Designer for the company Madden Media in Tucson, Arizona.

-Melissa Yee

Check out some Melissa’s work below!

Kitsunebi (狐火)- This piece was in the gallery art show "Heroes United" at the Yuma Art Center in 2020. — **Kitsunebi (狐火)-** This piece was in the gallery art show "Heroes United" at the Yuma Art Center in 2020.

Ritual (Baba Yaga)- Part of the #FolktaleWeek2020 art challenge on Instagram, run by @folktaleweek — **Ritual (Baba Yaga)-** Part of the #FolktaleWeek2020 art challenge on Instagram, run by @folktaleweek

Star- Part of the #HMYuleArt art challenge on Instagram, run by @heathermahlerart. — **Star-** Part of the #HMYuleArt art challenge on Instagram, run by @heathermahlerart.

You can check out more of Melissa’s art along with follow, like, share and purchase her work here:

Melissa Yee & TheBoneForest

Special thank you Lumenrose Jewelry, Cynthia Naugle, Amy Dunn & many others for inspiring activism, change & hope.