ART I HEART: MIA CHRISTOPHER

Gouache on Bhutan Paper (2011)

Latex and Glitter (2012)

Neon Halo // Gouache on Paper (2011)

Gouache on Paper (2012)

Raw Cotton, Latex, and Glitter on Paper (2012)

How Lucky // Nail Polish and Gouache on Bhutan Paper (2012)

This week, I couldn't help but become entranced by the work of Mia Christopher—an abstract artist living and working in San Francisco, CA. After scrolling through today's post, I can only imagine you feel the same way—or at least I hope you do! I'm especially fascinated by the amalgamation (Hello, Heather Dubrow!) of color and texture. I suddenly feel the urge to experiment with confetti, latex, glitter, and lipstick. Sounds like a party, doesn't it?! If you're like me and you can't get enough of Christopher's work, then you'll want to check out her incredible sketchbooks, too. I guarantee you'll want to create one of your own.

In many ways, this blog is the closest thing I have to a journal or sketchbook. Seeing Mia's work makes me reflect on the reasons I created this space. It's where I document the beauty and humor that surrounds me. Some days I get so focused on the silliest details and the perfectionist in me will obsess over things like spacing and fuzzy fonts. What fun is that, anyway? Mia's sketchbooks embrace creativity and all of its imperfections. Like life, her work is messy and beautiful. I can't help but feel like there was a reason I stumbled upon her paintings. We're about to embark on a really BIG adventure, and so much of the unknown leaves me feeling uncertain. I could stress out about producing blog posts for the sake of posting every day. Instead, I'm reminded to take things one day at a time. I want to create graphics and write posts as the ideas come to me. While time will certainly be my biggest hurdle in the coming months, I have no doubts that I'll be inspired. It's time to focus less on the minutiae and embrace the beautiful mess.

"And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good." —John Steinbeck