Still Mapping, and Soon, Exploring

It's been a whirlwind two months around here, and I'm about to head off into the tropics to celebrate my birthday with some hands-on exploring of Hawaii (surely island travel falls under the category of business research, too?), but before I go, I thought you'd like to see what I've been doing around here. My latest paintings:

Realm of Good Cheer, 8" x 10", (reproduction)

(This original has been sold, but reproductions are available in the Interimaginational Institute Shop. These others are all originals and available; reproductions of some will also be available when I return from my travels.)

Marvelopolis, 5" x 7", ink and watercolor on paper

Fortune Isle Treasure Map, 8 1/2" x 11 1/4", ink on wood

Tall Ship No. 1, 2.5" x 3.5", ink and watercolor on paper

And a special map just in time for Valentine's Day:

Realm of Love, 5" x 7", ink and watercolor on paper

(This is actually one of two love-themed maps - I have yet to scan the second, which I like even more, but I'll share it when I do.)

Happy Travels, all.

Use What You've Got.

If you were on an island with no paper, and you had to make a map of the island so you could remember many years down the road where you had buried your fabulous treasure and pass that information on to your wily pirate protege, what would you do?

Use wood, of course.

Introducing my latest project, treasure maps on wood. These will be going with me to the Handmade Parade in Norfolk on November 10, and if they are still with me at the end of the show, will then make their way into my shop.

Treasury Map

It's a very lucky day for me... My artwork is featured in two Etsy treasuries at once! Wowza. Yippee!

My Kingdom of Delight print is featured in Happily Ever After

and

My brand-new tiny framed original, Four Masts, is featured in Sailing Like Columbus.

Stop by soon, because that first one is expiring in three hours. Thank you, piratesandpixies and kerri9494!

Speechlessly honored

Mrs. Dragon, of Fantasy Artists of Etsy (FAE), has featured my artwork on her blog this week. I have no words of my own to express the gratitude I feel for her words. It's a tremendous honor to be highlighted, an even bigger honor to be highlighted so eloquently, beautifully, charmingly.

I feel a little like Sally Field right now, and that's not a bad thing.

Flights of Fancy, Flights of Fantasy

I've put a few more maps up at The Interimaginational Institute for Fantastical Exploration & Cartography, including this one:

because some people might wish to visit new kingdoms after they go treasure-hunting. All that treasure -- gold, I assume, although the maps don't specify -- could be useful at fairy markets and the like.

As more lands are discovered and mapped, or as more lands are mapped, and the maps then discovered, the Institute will offer those for your exploring pleasure, as well. And remember, your purchases support future mapping expeditions!

Won't you join me?

On an incredible and unforgettable voyage in search of new lands, hidden treasure, terrific tales and fantastic adventures?

And in celebration. Because today is the first anniversary of my Etsy shop, and although I have not spent much time tending my shop in recent months, I am back - with something that came out of the blue and wraps up so many of my long-tucked-away childhood dreams in one.

I am pleased to announce the opening of:


located at paintandink.etsy.com.

All I wanted to do when I was a child was go places. I pored over maps for hours, sent away for travel brochures from places I'd never heard of, read National Geographic and Condé Nast Traveler from front to back, spent hours dreaming of becoming an explorer and a cartographer. What better way to live a life than to go all over the world, find new places and then make maps to tell everyone else?

But I grew older, and most people do, I deemed some dreams unreasonable and shelved them away in my mental attic while I went on to other activities. I got the impression at some point that there was nothing left to discover, really (something I realize now is somewhat untrue, even in the age of the amazing Google Earth, but I was convinced I was too late back then). Yet, I never lost my love for stories of explorers, discoverers, adventurers, pirates -- and for the maps they used in their exploits.

As I've grown older, I've realized that the most uncharted land of all is that of imagination. There will always be room for adventurers, explorers and dreamers to roam and discover freely. And there will always be a use for new maps.

So I put dip pen in ink and brush in watercolor these past weeks, and I present you with my maps of imaginary places. Treasure maps, journeying maps and maps of kingdoms filled with magic.

I have been so lucky that even as I changed my plans, my life has still been filled with incredible experiences, expeditions and countless journeys to amazing places. And of all the things I've done with my time, this cartographic project has been one of the most fulfilling, the most fun, the most joyous.

A few of my maps are already available on Etsy, and more, including a map of the Kingdom of Whimsy, will be up over the next few days. Please pass the word to those you know who might like to visit me at The Interimaginational Institute of Fantastical Exploration and Cartography. You'll need no luggage for this journey; just a good sense of adventure and a bit of spontaneity.