Merry (belated) Christmas!

2014 Botanical Calendar

I'm so excited to announce that my 2014 Botanical Calendar is now available for sale on Nightingale Handmade's website. I got behind getting each month out during the year, but made a big effort to finish out the few remaining months in November. The result includes all the months I've already posted, plus the never-before seen Summer months. I really enjoyed putting this together and I hope you do too :) Also check out all of the other lovely work on the Nightingale website! Hope everyones enjoying their Holidays!

Well Hello.

Its been so long- waaaay too long since I've checked in. But after a few maddening months of trying to wrap up some large and ongoing projects, I'm back! I'll update a lot more snippets of things Ive been working on over the next few weeks. For starters here are a few of the pieces I created for You and Your Wedding Magazine's special "real weddings" edition that came out a month ago. xoxo- Kelsey

Around the campfire.

I'm still here! Still working away!

Hello May.

Its been unusually rainy here this month and I've been absolutely loving it! So many soft small mushrooms and ferns sprouting. I was hoping to have this one up by the beginning of the month because I absolutely love the French tradition of exchanging small bunches of Muguet ( lilly of the valley) on May 1st. Anyway, here it is! Happy May everyone!

Harvard Magazine

I had a lot of fun working on this recent editorial piece for the May-June issue of Harvard Magazine. If you can't get to a hard copy of it you can find the full article here. Also, I promise to have my "May" floral wreath up very soon! Its been one of those (always) crazy weeks but its almost done. So don't give up on me yet everyone, and check back in the next few days!

Design Sponge feature!

I'm so beyond excited to have had my work feature on Design Sponge this week! It is THE website for all things home and decor and I just can't express how grateful I am for the honor. (Eeep!) Thank you all so much for your love and support. The crazy and creative world of being an illustrator has so many ups and downs, but lately I've been overwhelmed with just how much I have to be thankful for.

Garden Map cover.

Here is a sneak peek at one of the other large ongoing projects I have at the moment. Its been so fun and exciting to work on this garden related work-  what will eventually be a front and back illustrated map of the gardens at Savannah Country Day School. Here is the cover!

First Fashion (evening blues)

I haven't done one of these fashion sketches in a while so I thought I was due for a new one. These looks are from the Fall 2013 collections of Valentino (left) and Band of Outsiders (right).

Some of the early pieces of from a large ongoing project I've been working on. :)

April

I'm so especially excited of this months wreath. Growing up I always favored the small, woodsy flowers that would come up mid spring in the forests and pastures around our home. Cowslip, wood anemone, primrose and forgot-me-nots (which I distinctly remember feeling a special connection to because I found a patch on my birthday one year), are all welcome signs of new life. Have a wonderful month everyone!

Easter Windows

So yes I'm a few days late in posting this, but I wanted to put up photos or our recent windows at the Paris Market! Its amazing to me that I get to play with branches (possibly my favorite pastime ever) as a part of my job. Dreams do come true. The flower filled Easter egg is my my incredible cohort Shelby (who is a genius at all things giant and paper-mache). We went out and collected a bunch of vines and sticks that I wove into the giant nest as well as draped and twisted all throughout the other window. Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter!

(Thanks to this lovely lady for the great photos!)

Baby Annalice

These pieces are half private commission/half congratulatory baby gift that I recently finished up for a sweet friend and her sweet baby. :)

March.

(I'ts Hyacinth and Tulip time!)

Trustees Garden Club booklet.

 

In celebration of spring being close at hand- here is a booklet I created for the Trustees Garden Club's upcoming flower show. So Southern and full of botanicals- just a few of my favorite things all rolled into one.

In Progress.

 As Erik and I have been moving to our new place (still in downtown Savannah, but with more studio space and enough room to have a table to eat at!), it's proven to be the craziest time ever to have undertaken the switch, but also the best! We're thrilled and itching to paint the walls and set everything up. But for the next few days at least I'm working like mad on the preliminary stages of an exciting project. So grateful we have enough wall space now I can tape out the works in progress!

Martha Stewart Craft Dept. Valentine Florals!

I've been having more fun with Valentines Day florals. I'm very excited to have recently crafted these blooms for a guest post on the Martha Stewart Craft Dept. blog. (It can be seen here!).

Babiekins #11

I'm super excited and honored to have the mural I recently created featured in the current online issue of Babiekins magazine! Deborah Beau, creator of the incredible Kickcan and Conkers rounded up some fantastic pieces to feature, and also has a very kind post currently on her blog. (And while we are on the subject- her lovely shop full of new and old fantastic children's finds is having a sale through the 12th!)

(ps. I will post some detail shots of the mural soon!)

Fresh flowers are on their way!

There really are few things I get as excited about.I love flowers and greenery and getting to help pick out the wonderful fresh blooms that we will have for sale at the Paris Market next week for Valentines Day is the best. Getting to paint a sign to promote it in our window-even better!

                            (The incredible paper flowers are by the talented Shelby Massey).

Ballerina

Here is a recent little commission I finished up. It made my day that the client gave me the bonus payment of a wonderful fresh baked loaf of bread! Its the best kind of company while I draw all day.

February.

Yikes time flies by. Happy February everyone!

Home from the holidays.

Were now back from Germany where we had an amazing holiday season- full of long walks through the Black Forest, good beer and a few too many pastries. Now is the time for settling into the oddly warm Savannah weather, and long hours working on some exciting new projects!

January is here.

I'm relishing the next few months of the year when everything is a bit more still and simple. I'll be thinking fondly of the seasons slowly changing here in Europe once we return to Savannah in a week where the weather is not as kind in its transitions.

Ringing in the New Year.

Some hand-lettering-on-the-fly!