Hi lovelies,
After doing a studio deep-clean and finding some precious sketches from years ago, I thought it might be fun to show you all a bit of my early origins! I think it's pretty common for artists to cringe at their old work, because it brings us right back to our earlier years. But I think it's important to remember how we got to where we are! Let me know in the comments - do you still hold onto things from your childhood years?
As you can see, I was mildly obsessed with dragons for the majority of my childhood... I often spent most of my classroom time quietly doodling these creatures, to the frustration of my teachers!
I think this one was my very first watercolor painting. (You'll start to see a running theme here). I've also always been a fairly literal person. "Oh, watercolor? I'll paint a water dragon!"
One of the things I loved about my high school was how extensive the art department was - I got to experiment with many different mediums, like this carved linoleum block print.
I even got to play around with ceramics in my Senior year of high school! And honestly, this might still be one of my favorite pieces. One of these days I'd love to explore deeper into the world of ceramics.
This was definitely my biggest painting by far - I think it measured 36x30 inches, and it took weeks! I think it was at this point that I decided that 3D art was more for me. I had little to no patience for painting after I finished this monster. But I'm happy I did it, and I'm still pretty happy with how it came out!
And finally, what would high school be without prom? Yes, you guessed it - this was my high school prom gown. I made all the patterns, sewed the dress, and crafted the corset and hat out of leather and chainmail. I think this project was the one that really inspired me to launch into my exploration of leatherworking and costume design, and take those skills forward into my college education.
I hope you enjoyed getting a peak into my early years! I think it's important to spend some time revisiting our origins every once in a while. Only then can we see how far we've come!
Blessed Imbolc to you all!
Marin