Flora de la Mode

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It’s been a while! About two months, actually. Considering the struggles that I was having with illustrations… it felt much longer.

So, a couple of days ago, I decided it was time to say goodbye to Illustrator (and hello to Photoshop). I also learned how to save my old illustrations so that I could still work with them.

This added a whole new layer to my work and gave me a much needed sense of excitement. Not only can I start working with old and new photographs, but my old illustrations as well! And maybe some new! We will just have to see how that feisty pen tool cooperates.

I started with a simple beach girl from the past, layered her with a flower from our garden, and then added some transparency to my little sun worshipper to add some color changes and shadows. I couldn’t resist a little oil paint effect either.

What I loved the most is that I could get these new effects without having to use other apps. What I also appreciated was that AI helped me come up with the title and it was spot on!

Flora de la Mode translates from a mix of latin and french to mean “Flower of Fashion.” How beautiful is that? It not only works for the image, but it correlates with my mindset these days as well.

During my down time lately, I’ve been obsessed with the show Project Runway. Watching those designers reignited my creativity and motivation!

I’ve been cutting and stitching some clothes that I don’t wear to turn them into clothes… that I may (or may not) wear. Either way… it’s a win-win. Even if I won’t wear the new garments, I gain experience just doing them.

I suppose that my image is not just a bit of Flora de la Mode, but also a depiction of my renewed sense of excitement – something that I was in desperate need of. Hooray!

I’ve also put an indefinite hold on my alphabet series. That was another thing that was holding me back. So… I’m saying goodbye to the stiff, boring letters… and hello to fashion, flowers, and anything else that comes my way.

That’s about all for now. Thank you for viewing… I hope you enjoyed!

Until next time,
Keep Blooming!