100 Days- Goes Fast!

I started my #the100dayproject on January 21st.  The last day for me was May 1st.  100 days went by very, very fast.  I am really surprised by the speed of this particular project.   My previous 100 day project from last year seemed to drag on for me.  Maybe it was because I didn’t know what to expect, maybe it was because part was done in California and the other part took place in Massachusetts (Cape Cod).  I don’t know…..What I do know is that the subject matter I chose was a hell of a lot of fun!

There are many subjects I am interested in.  There are few that I visit each day.  One that I very much enjoy visiting each day is real estate, Old real estate in particular.  I enjoy the hunt, history and design and if that old home happens to have an old ghost as a resident than all the better!  I DO love a good ghost story.  (My Aunt Candy always told the best Ghost Stories to my sister and I when we would visit her in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.  This was over 40 years ago.)

So I found that combining my love of old real estate and drawing would be the perfect package for me.  I decided I wanted to render older homes (100+years old) and  I found that visiting Circa Old Houses and Realtor dot Com daily, was a great way to find my subject matter, but sometimes a friend or a relative would bring a particular property to my attention.

This home below was found on Realtor.com.  It is/was for sale in Milton, Massachusetts.

Now for my rendition of this lovely home below.

How would I describe my artwork?…. I am not sure.  I do use my “creative license” to interpret the house how I see it and how I can illustrate it the best.  It isn’t perfect, and it isn’t meant to be.  If you compare the photo to my drawing you can see that there may not be exact window placement or size…. as well as other differences.  For me though, it is/was a success, AND as I said before… A Hell of A lot of FUN!

Below a photo of Beaumont Tower from Michigan State University.

AND my Original artwork of Beaumont Tower.

Next a lovely old home for sale in Norwalk, Connecticut and below this photo you will see my original artwork of this home.

This was one of my favorite homes I rendered.

I was very surprised when I was contacted to do commissions by folks that were following my 100 day project on instagram.  I did quite of few commissions and I will welcome more.  What a kick.  Maybe I should set up that Etsy shop?

This beautiful brick home is in Columbus, Ohio.

Thanks for reading! See you next time!

Tracey Wirth Designs on MassDrop

I am super elated to announce today that my fabric collection Floral Flurries in both colorways is now for sale on MassDrop!  It will be available from today, September 29th through October 7th in a Fat Quarter Bundle.

In this industry I am always searching for a hero.  Someone who is going to give me a chance,  let me get my foot in the door, so to speak- and Sandy from MassDrop is one of those people. She was approached initially by my husband Jim (my always hero) who has a contact at MassDrop.  Sandy was open to viewing and hearing all about my design work. We worked together to bring this to fruition and I just couldn’t be more stoked.

The quality and hand of this fabric is exceptional.  It was printed in South Korea and is also the same exact place that not only Cloud 9 has their fabric printed, but Art Gallery as well! Super exciting.  It really is a joy to work with.

Selling this product through MassDrop is a great opportunity for me to show and share some of my work with a greater audience. I really hope it is received well.

In celebration of this momentous occasion I  am also releasing a pattern that I designed for The Peekaboo Zippy Pouch.   

IT’S A FREE DOWNLOAD AND PATTERN…

I have personally tested it, and written it, so please, let me know if you see any errors… I am sure I missed something given the late nights I’ve had writing it.  I am probably also way to wordy with my directions, I find it hard to know how much to simplify it, since there is no way of me knowing what level each and everyone is at.

Just e-mail me (Traceywirth@comcast.net) with any questions or any errors you see, okay?  Thanks!

This pouch pattern is perfect for me, and hopefully others out there.  I use it to carry my soft covered moleskine 10″ x 7.5″ sketchbook and pencils, pens, eraser and a very small moleskine (that keeps track of ideas and appointments and such).  It’s been really great for travel, because my I-phone, earbuds and wallet also get stashed in it.  It’s all in one place and easy to get to! Yay!!!

If you have a chance and you are loving the fabric I made my pouch out of- hop on over to MassDrop and Treat Yo-Self!

The Floral Flurries Collection by Tracey Wirth Designs Offered By MassDrop in a Fat Quarter Bundle

Happy Friday everyone! Have a crafty weekend!!

 

Going into April with a SPLASH!

My Mothly Newsletter on Surface Design

Puddle Jumping! Each month I like to show some of my new artwork.  This month will not be an exception, but like most of my work it is inspired by something from my childhood. Growing up in Michigan I realize that it’s the small things that really matter. Sometimes the simpler the better too!  The memories of “puddle jumping” came flooding back (oh gee pardon the pun, it really was an accident).  Like those times my sister and I were allowed to go outside and jump in the puddles.  My mom would give us the freedom to run around in the rain, if 3 conditions were met.  First of all it had to be a warm day.  Second, it had to be during the day.  And thirdly, under no circumstances could there be lightning or thunder.  Thank goodness for a cautious mother, or I might not be here!  Or, maybe I would have that curly hair I always wanted?  Hmmmmm… Anyway continuing on with my little story.  Puddle jumping out in the country was more like MUD puddle jumping.  Our driveway was dirt, and the many streams of rainwater would merge perfectly, creating the deepest darkest nooks and crannys for mud puddles, and a haven for kids to splash into.  Oh those were the days.  If only I still liked to get dirty! Darn, I hate being a grown up sometimes! How about some raincoat artwork to go with that memory? We were so “old school” back then that we didn’t even wear raincoats or boots!  WE would run around bare footed and let the mud squish between our toes! They build ’em tough in Michigan! Moving onto some other news I released another colorway (red) for my “A Happy Household” fabric collection on Spoonflower.  It seems to have created some kind of a “stir”.  Oh no, I made another pun, really, I cannot help it!!! These designs are getting a lot of love on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest and for me it’s been a real kick! The 3 patterns are Top: “Fluff, Fold, Stir and Bake”,  Bottom Left: “Joy of Baking” and Bottom Right: “A Happy Household”.  These are wonderfully whimsical designs inspired by “womens work of the 50s” and are a pun themselves… Because I don’t really believe that this is the way of the modern household.  NO SIREE! I mean just ask my husband – he does way more laundry than me!  In my opinion “A Happy Household” is a household where all those tasks are shared.  So this is meant to be fun, no judgement here! There is a link on my website for Spoonflower at the top menu where you can access my Spoonflower shop.  In addition to these designs, there are many more to be discovered! What can I make out of “A Happy Household” fabric designs? Well, so funny you should ask.  I have a few mock-ups to share! How about sewing up an oven mit in the “Joy of Baking” print! OR…. What if you were to create a snazzy apron for a Father’s Day or Mother’s Day gift?  See there is no judging here! I told you! Both may be used by any gender. SURTEX News My creative juices have been flowing, and I have been preparing all sorts of designs for all surfaces, which will only be revealed at SURTEX, which takes place May 21st-23rd at the Javitz Center in New York City.  Those of you that recieve this newsletter AND are in fact looking for new designs that will be available for all kinds of surfaces should certainly stop by Booth 2823.  My agent Sue, from Vivid Art Agency will be there representing me, and I would love to meet you as well. If you don’t see what you need, let’s talk about it and I’ll create something you really love.  All my contact information is at the bottom my newsletter and I would love to hear from you!! #The100DayProject I’ve joined an instagram movement, The 100 Day Project. This project is meant for creatives to spend up to 10 minutes a day creating something you wouldn’t normally make time for.  I have decided on painting with watercolors.  My theme will be flowers and with a goal of 100 consecutive days, hopefully this creative journey will result in some great artwork and a refreshed confidence in this medium.  Join me on this journey.  It starts today and I will be posting to instagram once each day for this challenge under my unique hashtag #the100DayProjectTraceywirthdesigns. As always, thank you so much for reading my newsletter.  It’s a real honor to interrupt your morning routine with a little light, fun, and sometimes humorous artwork. Thanks for allowing me to be part of your day! Have a great month, and I’ll see you in May! Tracey Wirth Designs Tracey Wirth Designs  Tracey Wirth  415 407 0609  www.Traceywirth.com