#lacelitober: Week 3
I can hardly believe we're already through Week 3 of #lacelitober, and yet I've been enjoying each day so much. This year, I've been a bit more free with my explorations, feeling a lot more comfortable creating whatever I want for each prompt (or mash-up of prompts), and not feeling constrained by trying to evenly alternate between mediums. Instead, I've been letting whatever creative outlet feels most enjoyable that given moment lead the way, and have ended up with a lot of happy surprises.
This week between illustrations, I took a break to assemble a paper collage for 'bubbles' and took a day off by sharing a Harry Potter-inspired collage I made this summer for 'twinkle/glint.' Take a peek at the hashtag while in the IG app to see everyone's creations. I'm loving what everyone's making, and here's a wrap-up of my third week...
If you’re daring enough to scale the uppermost turret, there’s a chance of finding a hidden pearl tucked away in the oyster who guards the tower! 😀 When I was in grade school, my siblings and I traipsed off to Cabrillo Beach with our friends for a Girl Scout camp where we spent the weekend sleeping in tents, learning to kayak or sail, walking to the @cabrillomarineaquarium, and if memory serves, building a sand castle together. I remember the satisfying sound of seaweed bulbs popping beneath my feet and the feel of cool, ocean-soaked sand between my toes. For this little scene, I added a hermit crab friend as an ode to our childhood pet, Pagoo. 🐚
It can be so lovely to pair things back with a monochromatic palette and enjoy working in a tactile medium for a little change of scene. I had bubbles and kelp pods on the brain as I collaged, but what does it remind you of, friends? 🤍
When I was a kid, I loved watching my mom make onigiri. Scooping fresh gohan out of the rice cooker when it was still hot, she’d move quickly to form it into a round ball before it could burn her hands. She kept it simple, sprinkling just a bit of salt around the outside before wrapping it in cellophane and tucking it into my lunchbox. 🍙 Most of the kids at school thought I was strange for eating a ball of rice for lunch, but I couldn't understand why because gohan was so delicious and comforting and no less a meal than a sandwich. The Japanese word for rice (gohan) is interchangeable with the word for 'meal' itself! ☺️ Gohan is and always will be comfort and home to me. ✨🍚✨ Is there a good that brings you instant joy, friends?
What's a particularly imaginative film you love to watch as a child? I remember many hours spent watching Serendipity: The Pink Dragon (Pyuatō no Nakama-tachi- visit IG post to see) with my siblings! It’s a delightful tale that begins with a boy castaway at sea who manages to climb atop of a mysterious pink egg and ride it until they wash up on the shore of a mysterious island. A pink sea dragon hatches from the egg and the two become friends, exploring the island to meet all sorts of creatures, and teaming with them to protect the island's treasure from Captain Smudge. ^.^ I had so much fun imagining a curious kitty cat scouring the seas with a glimmer of hope that they might one day encounter the delightfully illusive sea dragon of the deep.
Sometimes when you're illustrating for a collaborative project, the art director may choose to shift gears and ask for a different concept and the original ends up going unused. But that's okay, because I'm super happy with the piece we ended up with for that project, which just goes to show how wonderful creative collabs can be (exciting news to come on that soon!). So for today, I've had the loveliest time revisiting my unused illo and reimagining the palette for a new iteration of this celestial scene. 🌌
Seeing today’s mash-up of prompts, I couldn’t resist a little ode to the most mischievous, cleverly conniving twins, Fred and George Weasley! 😏 This summer, I hosted a Hogwarts Express-themed virtual Guided Creative Retreat, and chose to visit Diagon Alley during one of our prompts. This art journaled collage is a nod to the cleverness and creativity of Fred & George who always seem to have a twinkle in their eye and a trick up their sleeves. Here’s a playful, zany portrait of their Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes shop from “Harry Potter and Half-Blood Prince”. 🪄💥
Sometimes, you start with one idea and it takes several turns before the end. The pumpkins and gourds started out in traditional oranges, whites, and greens, but somewhere along the way, I decided to sprinkle a bit of magic. The ghosties came near the end, and their cat ears as a final touch.
Would you rather...
🎃 Carve a pumpkin
😋 Eat pumpkin bread
👨🌾 Tend a pumpkin patch
. . .
I'm thinking of offering some of them as art prints, postcards, or on other types of products in the future, so feel free to let me know if there are any you'd most like to see!
♡ Kimberly Kuniko
P.S. To connect more regularly + early access to blogposts, join my $1/month Endearlings tier on Patreon.
Words, Art + Photography by
© Kimberly 國子Taylor-Pestell
