Includes my art process, art shows, new ideas, products that are released into stores, artists I admire, and printable art that is free to download (free printable coloring pages, etc.). Your feedback is always welcome.
New tattoo design for a client, completed and on the flesh!
I created this “Three Chickadees” line drawing as one, continuous line. #itsallconnected.
Line drawing of three chickadees for a forearm tattoo.
Final tattoo on my client’s arm! (I did not do the tattoo, FYI. Just the design.)
Line drawing in blue and black (multi-color also available)
It’s currently available as paper goods in my Zazzle shop, but I think it would be great for ceramic and glassware as well. Please reach out to me or my licensing agent, Liz Wain, if you’d like to discuss licensing the collection. Thank you!
I have a few more silo-style patterns to upload, so please keep an eye on my shop in the new few weeks.
It’s a large framed print on canvas, and it looks great. (:
April’s assignment focused on drawing children. We were provided a fun story snippet of a young girl named Florencia who had a sidekick and a time machine!
I sketched a variety of kids’ bodies and studied their proportions, and I eventually came up with this young whippersnapper with a penguin sidekick.
My illustration for MATS Bootcamp 2022, April
Instead of having an entirely new focus each month as in previous years, this year’s Bootcamp has an overarching theme of “Character Play.” We’ll be creating a character each month, both for book illustration and for toys and games.
I’ll update more in a few, but I promised myself I’d get this posted tonight. My submission for the illustration part of this month’s character, a happy little donut named Coco Moloko….
My illustration for this month’s Make Art That Sells Bootcamp. An assemblage of freehand ink drawing with a few pops of color.
Another course completed for MakeArtThatSells.com with Lilla Rogers and Margo Tantau: Home Decor Plus!
I’ve taken many classes with Lilla over the years, and once again, her style of teaching makes what might seem impossible (creating an entire collection in just a couple of weeks!) into something doable. By breaking creative tasks into bits, Lilla helps me work through an assignment incrementally, piece by piece, before my mind can get ahead of itself and feel stymied. Her courses really keep things moving.
Some of the icons I drew for the initial prompt. Copyright 2022 Kendra Shedenhelm
More drawings and color tests for makeartthatsells.com course, Home Decor Plus. Art copyright 2022 Kendra Shedenhelm
“Peacock Mashup” collection in textured blue by Kendra Shedenhelm for the makeartthatsells.com course, Home Decor Plus. Art copyright 2022 Kendra Shedenhelm
All of this art is available for further viewing on my agent’s website as well, at wains-world.com. Please reach out with any questions!
Thanks again to Lilla and Margo for another wonderful and helpful class!
I often imagine my illustrations moving around but whenever I try to learn animation software, I don’t seem to have the patience for it. So instead, I’ve been creating multi-image artworks and uploading them to a gif-maker (I like Gifmaker.me so far), which turns them into an animated gif that I can download
With Valentine’s Day and my 15-year wedding anniversary in mind, here are a couple of love-themed works. I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Elizabeth was a friend of my late friend and mentor, Emma Amos, and I found myself a bit emotional when reading about Elizabeth, as it was clear why she and Emma would have admired each other. Elizabeth seemed to balance immense determination and tenacity with incredible warmth and caring. She would invite Emma and other artists to her home in Cuernavaca, Mexico. She really seemed to choose how she wanted to live.
I included Elizabeth's quote: “Art is only important to the extent that it aids in the liberation of our people” because I feel it says a lot about her as a person and an artist.
I have a collection of ink drawings now available as a 2022 wall calendar, called “Floral Ink.”
It was beautifully art directed by Graphique de France, with ivory tone and gold foil. You can find it in stores around the country too (I found one here at Walmart, for example). My mom has one and the quality is so gorgeous, she’s been turning the art pages into wall art.
Please keep an eye out for it, and let me know what you think!
My ink drawing wall art calendar for 2022 (16-month)
Weeks 1 and 2 off my weekly block print exchange with fellow artist and friend, Elizabeth Lorayne.
Read MoreIt started as a small sketch, and it’s wonderful to see it brought to life like this. A beautifully rich black and white print with a substantial matte black frame. High fives to the art director and manufacturing team!
Please keep an eye out for this one at your local TJ Maxx/HomeGoods/Marshalls, and let me know if you need any help finding them. Thank you, thank you!
She’s teamed up with artist Tamisha Anthony to focus on black female artists that may have not made it into our history books, but have had an enormous impact on art movements, civil rights, and the world.
Before the class began, Lilla and Tamisha offered warm-up prompts with two incredibly important musicians, Betty Davis and Marian Anderson. I had never heard of either of them! WTF?! Wild and disturbing. And why I’m so grateful for this course.
Below are a couple of the sketches. I’ll post more portraits soon of more women we’re learning about. Please feel free to comment and share!
An ink brush painting of a woman. Inspired by my research of musician, Betty Davis.
Ink sketch by Kendra Shedenhelm of historical opera singer, Marian Anderson.
Originally published by Redfin by Alison Bentley
Whether that’s adding a piece of art or pottery that speaks to your soul, or redesigning your space with functional and creative furniture, there are countless creative home decor ideas that can help you embrace a new style this year.
That’s why we’ve reached out to experts from Phoenix, AZ to Toronto, CA to help you figure out the right decor that will spruce up your space for the new year. Read on to find out what they had to say so you can refresh your home’s style!
Create a painting over your current wall
For my most creative interior design effort, I painted a grape mural border in the kitchen. We had just moved into a new home and did not like the wallpaper border. When we removed the border, the paint below the border was lighter than the rest of the walls and a bit distressed from the wallpaper glue. Rather than repaint the whole of the kitchen, I painted grapes with water-based acrylic paints. We then continued the effect by gathering paintings and furnishings with a wine and grape theme. - Colleen Reynolds
Imagine each watercolor painting as an amazing window
Place paintings to create the atmosphere you want in each room, whether a fun party with lots of dancing color in the dining room or a serene forest glade in your bedroom. Paintings completely change the energy of a room. - Jennifer Branch
Make sure to visualize what art will look like in your home
Home is not only the place that you live, work, and play, the art you choose is reflective of your personality and lifestyle. When you fall in love with a piece of art, it can be hard to visualize what it might look like in your home. To make it really easy and help you with your decisions, apps are now available, “WallPicture2Lite” is a free app of selected walls where you can get an idea of what the art that you are interested in might look like on a wall, or you can upgrade to see what the art would look like on your own home. - Birgit O’Connor, Birgit O’Connor Watercolors
Include words of encouragement in your home decor
I’m a business coach for creative entrepreneurs and artists, so a lot of what I do is to show my clients that no matter the life circumstances, they are always moving toward their goal. I like to include meaningful words that encourage. Like this normal, weird piece that reminds me that weird/off/not normal… is actually normal. - Emily Ellen Anderson, Curious Lola
Bring art into your home without spending a fortune
Thrift stores often have inexpensive frames that include mats and hanging wires. Just remove the picture that is in the frame, use masking tape to place your art behind the mat, and replace the backing. - Sharon Wieland, Sharon Wieland Fine Art
Hang art in your home that makes you feel joyful, inspired, or evokes a happy memory
Hang the piece near the door where you enter or exit so that it is the last thing you see before you leave or the first thing you see when you return home. Let your artwork set the tone for the day as you leave or as you settle in upon your return. - SteveGriggsWatercolor
Keep things neutral with a pop of color
I love including subtle accents to my home with paper flowers along with other art pieces that are mostly neutral with a pop of color. These flowers are great to display as centerpieces to the dinner table, filling in empty space on bookshelves, embellishing the night stand, and even in my work from home office desk. They spark the same joy as fresh flowers but with low maintenance, they don't need watering and they don't wilt. - Sara Kim, Founder & Designer of Handmade by Sara Kim
Incorporate layers and color in each room
To display the menu cards, I design table settings to show how to design your table with layering and color. Staging a home to sell by staging your dining table is what the experts do. It will create a beautiful dining experience that buyers will notice. - Mysty & Bella Designs
Color coordinate with decorative paintings
There are a couple of ways to style such as matching the color aesthetics of your home vs. contrast a stark painting against its elements. An example of this is a neutral color living room (black, white, grey, beige etc.) but complementary with a bright primary color infused painting (red, blue, yellow). - Susanna Lee
Use embroidered pieces as functional seating
Mission Hammock's macrame hanging chairs not only create a stunning art piece for your home, they're also a functional piece of furniture. From boho-chic to clean and modern, hanging chairs can easily be added to any room to create temporary or permanent seating. Adding a chair to a bedroom corner, reading nook, maternity room, living room, or patio can help to not only create additional seating, but create a comfy vibe. - Mission Hammock
Make art with fabric swatches and wooden embroidery hoops
One of my favorite ways to decorate for each season and holiday is to create wall art out of fabric swatches and wooden embroidery hoops. I find appropriate fabric prints, stretch them over the hoop, and hang them for pops of color and festive notes. It takes about 2 minutes to create and you can swap out the fabric swatch whenever you want a change. - Kendra Shedenhelm
Original artwork is a great way to express your personality on the walls of your home
Do you love the outdoors? Landscape paintings of mountains you've hiked, rivers you've rafted (or fished), or a beautiful oceanscape make beautiful statements. Are you a gardener? Bright, bold florals are eye-catching and mesmerizing. Consider an oil painting by a local artist and you'll help support a small business. And many artists can be commissioned to paint a special view, or place, or memory that means so much to you. No one else in the world will have one like it. - Marie Wise, Marie Wise Fine Art
Commissioned art makes your space truly special
A wonderful way to incorporate meaningful and unique art into your home is by commissioning a watercolor painting of a place that has special meaning to you. Imagine having a beautiful original painting of the spot you got engaged in or your favorite travel destination. I specialize in creating these one-of-a-kind watercolor paintings. - Kari Gale
Simply choose pieces that bring you joy
A piece doesn't have to be expensive in order to be considered valuable. Whether it's an antique French confit pot or a worn teacup that you found at Goodwill, the best pieces of pottery are the ones that warm your heart by evoking good memories. - The Hooga Shop
Handmade ceramics are one of a kind
Look for handmade ceramics which, unlike mass-produced, are made slowly and intentionally creating one-of-a-kind, functional wares that you can also display as art. Display them in plain sight – on your bookshelves, dresser, or kitchen counter – you’ll use them more often and enjoy looking at them when you’re not. Choose the pieces that tell a story or that you simply love and can elevate everyday rituals like your daily coffee, painting with watercolors, or removing your jewelry at night. - Sarah Jura, Sun To Sea Design
Pick a piece of handmade ceramics that work on multiple levels
A visually strong piece that draws the eye, the story about its inspiration and making from the potter, and your story about how you found and met the potter, perhaps linked to a special occasion or vacation. These layered meanings will result in the piece being treasured by you, and also being a conversation piece when entertaining. Choose a piece that brings out these stories – it may have marks left by the potter’s hands or by the kiln in making, or the shape, surface texture or colours may be associated with its stories. - Tim Thornton, Tim Thornton Ceramics
Ceramic planters can bring life to the indoors and outdoors
Enhance your indoor or outdoor style with unique handmade ceramic planters, bowls and containers. For a fun and whimsical look, pair brightly colored planters with unusually shaped succulents. Choosing a piece of ceramic art is very personal, consider the shape, texture or glaze color that makes you feel good and brings a smile to your face. - Susan Aach, Susan Aach Ceramics
Originally published by Redfin by Alison Bentley
Many years ago, my sister Kelli came up with the idea for “I Am! Yo Soy!” She wanted to create a kind and affirmative baby/toddler book full of pictures of other babies and simple sentences a young child could remember and soak in. Together we made a fun-to-hold, little board book that proved to be wonderful for families. We heard so many stories of babies reciting the words with their caregivers or kissing the pages “Good night.” We have been thrilled with the feedback!
Because “I Am! Yo Soy!” is a bilingual book, we have now created an ePub version with sound, so you can more easily read both languages (if Spanish or English is not as familiar to you). We’ve also added a wiggly little bee that you can bounce from word to word while you read or listen.
As of now, this free ePub has been adapted for iBooks only. You can download it to your phone, iPad or laptop via my Freebies section (name/info required, but it will skip the payment prompt). If you prefer not to fill out the download form, you can also find it with my other freebies here (this option requires a .zip reader on your device). If you have any questions about using this ePub on your phone, iPad or laptop using iBooks, please feel free to email me at kendra.shedenhelm@gmail.com. I’ll do my best to help!
Thanks again for stopping by. Kelli and I hope you enjoy this digital version of "I Am! Yo Soy!"
If you haven’t already heard of Illustration Friday, I encourage you to check them out. There is something so friendly and encouraging about their site, and I always enjoy creating art for their prompts.
This week’s prompt was “Game.” I took it as “The Game” or even “Game ON.” Below are my two variations. Have a favorite?
Another year, another round (or several) of MATS courses!
This year, agent Lilla Rogers of Make Art That Sells offered a free course to the winner of the Holiday Card challenge. The prompt: Favorite Holiday Drink.
Aside from coffee in the morning, my favorite holiday drink is red wine. I wanted to create a cozy, wintry look for this card, with a not-so-dainty glass of red wine.
Drink up!
It’s been a very long time since I’ve studied the human body in its nakedness or almost nakedness. I find myself embarrassed in front of a not fully-clothed model, and I shirk away from live sketch nights because of it.
For a recent pitch, however, I was prompted to look more at the female form, looking at her — staring! — and drawing her in all of her shapes and personality. I found it to be so much fun. Not embarrassing at all. Who knew?
Below are some of my recent line drawings…
My grandmother spent her last few years in a nursing home, and after my visits with her, I would always wish I'd listened more (wisdom! stories! life lessons! history!). Even though I cared immensely and wanted to make fulfilling conversation with her and her friends, I felt nervous about what to say and unsure how to interact. This really bothered me, and I've been ruminating since on how to be more present and at ease in similar situations.
Recently, it occurred to me that art might be my gateway.
After contacting the nearby nursing home, I arranged to go in for an hour every couple of weeks to draw quick portraits of any residents that would like to sit for me. For now, I'm choosing the all-one-line technique (drawing without lifting my pen), as it is not only fast (5–10 minutes per portrait), it does not allow for fussing over mistakes. The process forces me to stay present and allow for whatever happens to happen. It also gives me a chance to look — truly look — at the face of each person, and listen as she or he tells me stories of falling in love, past careers, and children raised.
Here are some of the people I've had the chance to work with...
