A big thank you and a small update <3

Hi all, 

How are you on this lovely day?

I feet the need to do a little mid-week update, since this week is a bit weird in several ways, and I will not be able to do a full post about anything, but didn't want to leave you with nothing at all for too long. 

This week is multi-layered and strange. Here is how it was/is structured.

 ➽ The sale : 

I am ridiculously busy, and although that is generally always true, this week is particularly hectic because of having to prep and send all the sale orders. The sale did wonderfully well, and you guys were a big part of it, and I am so crazy grateful for all your support, kind words, appreciation, and love!

I am trying to work out a new, more efficient, system to process big numbers of orders, and it required me getting to better grips with new types of Excel files, and the english postal system, which is getting there, but taking me a stupid-load of time to sort out! But it should save me a bunch of time once all set up....Hopefully....XD

Anyway, all the orders should be shipped out tomorrow!

 ➽ My birthday : 

Today was my 27th birthday, so obviously my week will be somewhat disrupted by some vague sort of celebration. I usually work 6 days a week, but I will be taking tomorrow evening and the week end off to enjoy with my boyfriend. My birthday is a bit of a tough time generally, for various personal reasons, and I'm not one to like big parties and loads of people around, and attention on me like that, so I usually keep it on the down-low, and celebrate it by chilling with a couple friends sometimes, and my boyfriend most often. We will be going out to my favourite restaurant tomorrow, then spend the week end at home relaxing. 

I did get a few exciting supplies as gifts from my family though, namely some Turner Acrylic Gouache, which has me incredibly excited, and some 640gsm Arches watercolour paper, which is so thick and lush its orgasmic. Expect some occasional updates on those items once I start working with them ;). 

I do have a lot of things planned for Patreon, a few I mentioned in previous updates and haven't had the time to get round to yet, and a few new ideas, so here's a non-comprehensive list in no specific order, if you are interested. :)

Obviously do feel free to let me know what you'd be most interested in, offer other ideas...etc....!

 ✎  I still am planning on uploading a real-time video of one of my lanterns, but the voice-over scares me a bit, and will take me a while to put together, hence why I still haven't gotten round to putting it up, sorry everyone!

 ✎  I want to share with you my first still-life painting I did while I was in France, but do let me know if that would be interesting or just plain boring, I don't have a good compass for that sometimes, haha!

 ✎  Same for my first plein-air paintings! They were mostly fails, so I thought I would talk about what I found most interesting, challenging, what I would do differently...etc...?

 ✎  I want to do a few general information posts, and I have a couple planned already such as : 

• How I make your prints, in detail, so that you know exactly what happens behind the scenes.
• How I stretch my watercolour paper
• My techniques for transferring my sketches onto my final painting paper

Feel free to offer up other ideas for similar posts!

  ✎  Yes, my hands tutorial is still in the works, I think I am done with most of the research and note-taking, so now I want to practice hands a bunch more and get to better grips with the concepts I'll discuss, before I make a full video (because I just haven't felt confident enough in my hand drawing abilities to do a tutorial quite yet, in all honesty). It will be a big video. I am actually planning on it becoming my first Skillshare course, sharing a much shorter version on Youtube, and giving patrons full access to it also. 

  ✎  Art wise, I won't have much time to do a lot before the end of the month, but :

• I do want to give you sneak-peaks of my piece for our first show with the Nabi Artist Collective in the beginning of June at some point. 
• I really need to find the time to start painting those hands I keep talking about. I swear, is someone hiding my time somewhere as a prank?
• I will be starting work on my next big painting, and will obviously share my thumbnails and wips with you!

 ✎ If our current pledge level holds up until the beginning of June,  I will be doing a special painting and doing an original art giveaway to celebrate reaching our $250 goal! How crazy is that?!

I have more things planned art wise, because my brain never shuts up, but I don't want to get too ahead of myself and promise too many things too soon, but know that I am always working on something at any given point, and that you guys will be the first to know when new things arise!

I hope you are still enjoying your time in this little Patreon world, and that I am not too terrible a host, 

Love you all, 

Take care, 

M ♥