Sketches, Tat Flash, Hike Photos, Arden High gifs!! 😳✸⭑

I'm so happy to say Happy Spring (to all my northern hemisphere friends)!! I'm sitting outside my apartment in the direct sun, kind of sweating, kind of squinting at my computer screen to see literally anything at all, but so jazzed to be out here. Let's get into it!!

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Image 1: Freaking rocks dude, I am so into drawing rocks and minerals lately. I did some in mushroom rain which is perhaps where it all began, but I think the real inspiration has been the Natural History Museum's mineral collection combined with the hikes I have been taking lately. 

Images 2-9: These are all little two/three frame gif animations I made in procreate for folks to eventually use as instagram story stickers! I want to release a bunch to coincide with the release of the book to drum up some hype. For now, I just used them in my Twelfth Grade Night reel. (pride hearts are the bisexual flag and genderqueer flag)

Image 10: both nervous and excited to reveal some tattoo flash which will be available exclusively for ME to tattoo on YOU! I haven't priced everything out yet--I definitely want to price them with my experience level in mind. But if you live locally, and want to claim one of these designs, you as a patron get first picks. Shoot me a message, and we'll talk!

Image 11: planning out some possible designs for this year's Salut coaster show at Gallery Nucleus portland. I think I'll use gouache and colored pencil again, my dream combo. I'm considering making these completely unrelated, mostly because I want to explore some different themes this year in my set of 4. 

images 12-16: sketchbook and hobonichi pen drawings. I went to a sketchbook meetup where I live and we drew in the park--I honestly felt like I did not get much drawing in, because I was so distracted with making a cool new art friend. Definitely not an issue, in my books! Also, in my hobonichi I was exploring a possible tattoo design for my thigh (to do to myself)...I keep changing my mind, but I have a lot of real estate on my legs so I might as well just go for it! I can always add on. 

images 17-21: Hike photos taken on my Canon m50 while Colin and I hiked for ~6 miles last week. I went hiking twice last week, what a treat! The trail was really muddy. Like far more muddy than we planned for. But the wet conditions made for an awesome mossy environment when we passed through the pine forests. No fungus yet :-( I spotted some tiny jelly babies on a single branch with my mushroom-vision. 

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Lastly, I'll leave you with a kind of a gratitude list:

• The little buds on the trees I keep seeing, along with the flowering trees which are already in full-bloom
• Yesterday for the second time at the same starbucks a very nice person working there bought my coffee for me because they like my mullet
• I found a crumploid in animal crossing. I am feral and insane for him 
• my dad helped me change my corroding car battery today (thank you dad if you are reading this)
• I am now able to do full tricep push-ups which previously was a challenge for me!
• I would like to add on to this^ and just saying the ability to move my body in general
• I did an interview with a class of Ringling College (where I graduated from) juniors and all the questions were great, plus the class was super sweet and laughed/nodded as i spoke, even if they were just being polite 
• my friend Emily told me they read through the Twelfth Grade Night advance reader copy and laughed/got emotional at certain parts! :')
• My breakfast for the last two days has been Jazmin Tyler's chunky monkey microwavable protein oat....mug...cake? so many words but it's so GOOD and gives me great fuel for the beginning of my day
• Jellycat's amuseable vegetable/fruit/mushroom plushies  
• I have folks who are actively trying to use they/them pronouns for me, and I am able to have very in-depth and honest discussions about my gender with them. This is something I will never, ever take for granted and feel so grateful for. 

Until next time! 

-JG

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