New Website!

It’s been a very long time since I last visited this space. I’ve missed you–and today, I’m so excited to share with you my recently overhauled website (woohoo!). Note: After this post, I will also no longer be using my wordpress blog (come follow along on my blog at KellyAngelovic.com).

For those of you who don’t know me very well, let me introduce myself. My most significant roles include mom (two little ages 6 and 3), artist, and wife (not necessarily in that order). Incomprehensive as it is, these titles do provide an accurate overview.

I’m approaching (next month) a birthday that marks both the end and the beginning of a decade. Birthdays always have me feeling a bit introspective, and this is a big one. My life isn’t just cupcakes and rainbows–we all have our demons and our lessons to learn here (and let’s be honest, being here can be pretty rough, especially for those of us with a sensitive constitution).

When I step back and survey the landscape of my reality though, I am filled, top to bottom, with gratitude.

Outside in the real world–that is a whole different story. We seem to be, as a country, somewhere… new, somewhere that I haven’t yet experienced (the anger, the fear, the intensity) and I’m uneasy about what’s lies ahead.

Our light outweighs our darkness though–I truly believe that. Looking into the joy-filled eyes of my 3 year old or listening to the infectious laughter of my 1st grader, I have a front row seat to all that is beautiful and good in humanity.

Love your people, even (especially) when you disagree, when the differences seem too high and wide to overcome. We need each other right now.

I Have Amazing News!!

I am doing-a-happy-dance, my feet aren’t really touching the ground kind of happy today…

It’s official!! I’m now represented by the wonderful Jennifer Nelson and her incredible agency, Jennifer Nelson Artists. You can see my gallery and read all about right here.

Not only is Jennifer an ace at what she does, but she is also incredibly warm, generous, and kind (as are the rest of her amazingly talented artists). OMG. Can you believe how talented they all are????

Several years ago, when I first fell head over heels with the art of image making, I decided to follow the whispers of my heart and soul. This is by no means an easy path, but it is certainly the most rewarding.

I am an illustrator because it makes my soul sparkle.

It lights me up. And I really believe the world would be a better place if there were more people following their light.

Listen to those quiet whispers deep down, urging you on your soul’s path. The world is truly an amazing place and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

 

Instagram Giveaway!!

Calling all card and paper lovers! And your FRIENDS!

I’m giving away 6 boxes of my floral notecards on over on Instagram! Each box contains 10 cards (2 different designs) printed on heavy, uncoated (100% recycled) paper and envelopes.

Send a handwritten note to connect with those kindreds you love the most.

Rules are below. I’ll choose 3 (random) entries. If you’re one of the lucky winners, we’ll mail a box of cards to BOTH you and the friend you tag. Double fun!!!

How to play!
1 – Follow me on Instagram @kellyangelovic and like my card giveaway post!
2 – Comment and tag the friend you’d want to receive a box of cards (like: “follow @kellyangelovic so we can both be entered to win a box of lovely notecards!”) Once they follow me too, your entry is complete!
3 – Enter as many times as you want, tagging a new friend each time.
4 – Winners will be announced this Thursday, July 21 on Instagram!

I’m an artist because it makes my soul sparkle. As I follow the whispers of my heart, my dream is to inspire you to do the same.

Rise and Shine, sister. The world needs your light.

Check out my new line of paper goods: Shop.KellyAngelovic.com

 

Rise and Shine

What a weekend I’ve had! My heart and soul feel like they are about to burst–I am weary, but so inspired. I’m grateful for the for all the sweet souls I met, and for those who bravely stood and shared their stories stories at the inaugural Brave Girl Symposium.

I am also incredibly grateful for the successful launch of my new line of paper goods amid this wellspring of positive energy.

My online store is now officially open!!!

I know it all sounds a little…hearts and rainbows, this description of my time at the Symposium. I know that being away from the world in a “love bubble” (as the event has been described) seems….naive. Maybe even apathetic.

I am a bleeding heart liberal and a persistent idealist. I cry at just about everything. I am enchanted by rainbows, I believe in the universe (and magic!), and that love can save the world. I show this soft, vulnerable side to very few. To most, I present a happy, toned down version of myself, for fear of being accused of being too unrealistic or too sensitive in a world where the pain can be both devastating and indiscriminate.

Some truly horrific things happened in our country this week. What the world needs right now from all us us, is as much love, forgiveness and understanding as we can muster.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
– Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Choosing to keep our hearts open, even after they have been crushed, is more difficult and courageous than the alternative. Choosing to love those who are different isn’t easy…those with different politics, a different gender, a different race, a different sexual orientation, a different financial place. Choose this path anyway, I implore you.

Rise and shine. The world needs your light (now more than ever).

And if you are looking for ways to encourage others to love more and to share their light with the world, check out my new line of paper goods, available now!

The Brave Girls Club is doing some pretty amazing work in this arena as well 🙂

They’re Almost Here!

This blog has been quiet for the past couple of months. Not for lack of activity on my end by any means, but with two littles (2 and 5 years old) filling up my house, how I spend my time has become very important. I need to work–it feeds my soul. But time spent with my kids is something I’ll never be able to get back. So….priorities.

I’m beyond thrilled (and equally jittery) to tell you what HAS been happening behind the scenes though.

These boxes arrived this week at my house.

In just a couple of weeks, I’m officially launching my own line of soulful paper goods (greeting cards, notecards, thank you notes, and prints). This is a long time dream and I’m really (really) excited to share everything with you.

My official launch will be at the Brave Girls Symposium (in Boise, ID), where I will be sharing a vendor table with the inspiring and amazingly talented Christine Mason Miller (pinch me, she’s one of my art heroes!!!).  Let me know if you’ll be there–I’d love to say hello 🙂 And if you don’t know what the Brave Girls Club is, check it out. They are making the world a better place, especially for women who “…want to live the best, happiest, most productive and fabulously brave life they can possibly live…”

I’ll be getting ready for that event this week (look at what my basement has turned into!). As you can see, I’m diving in head first, rather than dipping my pinkie toe in to test the waters. I’ll let you know how it all works out. Eek.

My shop will be officially open as soon as I return from Boise, the week of July 10th. Yahoo! Much more to come, including a giveaway or two on Instagram 🙂 So please follow along.

To Hold It In Your Hands

I created the image above for a somewhat ambiguous design brief that asked me to create a pattern around the ideas of paper and folding.

When I think of paper, I think of…something I can hold in my hands. It’s tangible. It has texture. Weight. You can breath it in. You can decorate it–add your own thoughts and expressions (however that may take shape for you). You can experience the thoughts and expressions of others.

We live in a digital age where so much is here and gone in an instant. It’s probably the artist in me, but I believe I will always prefer the tactile (more enduring) experience of paper.

Can You (Finally) Give Yourself Permission?

I hope you had a wicked Halloween. I was so excited to see my pattern, Moonlight Jive, featured on the Make It in Design blog’s Spooky Showcase of Pattern last week.

---

Can you give yourself permission?

Whether you are a painter, a dancer, a writer–your spirit soars when you lose yourself in the creative flow. You are a maker.

And yet, for some reason, your creativity is relegated to the bottom of the heap.

You have your reasons (I don’t have the time, I don’t have the money)–and they may all be good ones.

Can you give yourself permission anyway?

Can you find the time (even if it’s only in ten minute increments) to draw, to write a sentence or two?

Can you decide today (finally!) that your creativity is a priority?

Don’t miss your calling because the floors needed to be cleaned and the laundry put away (there will ALWAYS be something).

We only get one shot at this. 

It’s time to listen to the whispers of your soul.

---

It was so much fun to finally share my news about Kindred Art Collective last week. Thank YOU so much for your support! If you missed the artist introductions, head on over to the Kindred blog. And if you’d like to get news straight to your inbox, please sign up for our monthly Kindred newsletter.

Finally, the Big Announcement

Today, I get to let the cat out of the bag (I’m SO excited!!!!)….

I present to you the Kindred Art Collective!!!

• Kelly Angelovic
• Jan Avellana
• Sara Brezzi
• Barbara Zuckerman Chotiner
• Malu Lenzi
• Antoana Oreški-Džafić

We are a gathering of 6 independent artists from around the globe. Together we represent the world quite literally. Hailing from Tuscany (Sara Brezzi) to Philadelphia (Barbara Zuckerman Chotiner), the Istrian Peninsula in Croatia (Antoana Oreski-Dzafic) to Colorado (that’s me!), and from Berlin (Malu Lenzi) to Hawaii (Jan Avellana), our creative hearts connect us over land and sea! Having met in Lilla Rogers’ Make Art that Sells E-course, our online camaraderie became the catalyst for something greater–a unified and purposeful sisterhood of artists bent on promoting and encouraging one another as we reach for our personal dreams.

Each of us is either self-representing or has art representation by a professional agency. Under the umbrella of a ‘collective’ we are empowered to pursue creative adventures as a single collaborative entity, while maintaining our own individual creative goals and identities.

Kindred spirits have a special bond. An almost inexplicable knowing of the other, a connectedness that goes beyond camaraderie. Sewn together like pieces of a patchwork quilt, each piece unique and beautiful, yet better together.

We are Kindred.

Over the course of the next several days, we’ll be introducing each Kindred artist as we count down to one of the BEST days of the year, Halloween!!! I invite you to follow along on the Kindred blog.

We’re all over the web too, and we want to connect with YOU! Come say hello…

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Pinterest
• Twitter

I Have a Big Announcement!

Fall has come to Colorado. Each gust of wind brings a flurry of leaves to the ground. I’m (reluctantly) reorganizing my closet, sending summer dresses to the back, moving my sweaters so they’re front and center.

I also just celebrated a birthday, which alongside the changing season, always incites introspection. I’ve been thinking a lot about the next 5-10 years of my life. About passion. The pursuit of a joy filled life. I’ve recently (in the past six months or so) taken up a regular meditation practice again (something that had fallen by the wayside with the demanding onset of motherhood).

We live in a crazy, fast paced world. As the mother of two young children, as an artist, as a wife, there is very little time for quiet.

That’s where the answer are though–the whispers of your soul.

In the stillness.

I’ve been getting up 15 minutes earlier than the rest of my household to steal a few private moments with my breath, my soul and my God.

This practice, this space, helps me step outside of the repetitive minutiae of everyday life. To reconnect with myself. To lean into my intuition and find trust in my inner voice.

Amid this stillness, I found the courage to make a big decision. I have something to share with you–and I can hardly wait!! Just a couple more days…

The Results are In!

I didn’t make it through to the next round of Lilla Rogers Global Talent Search.

The assignment was to design a pattern for a pair of sneakers for Antoinette, a fictional woman living in New York City. It was such a great assignment and there were some amazing interpretations.

The level of talent in the winner’s pool is definitely worth a peek–though there were a lot of unbelievable entries that didn’t make the cut as well.

When I decided to enter this contest, my goal was to end up with a piece that I was proud of. One that was 100% me.

I had so much fun making this, and I can’t wait to create a coordinating collection. Can you envision this design on tote bags, or funky purses? On note cards? Or maybe a pencil pouch or a throw pillow?

As an artist, everything I take in with my eyes influences my art.

Just as I am inspired by what I see though, the way I interpret that information is all me. Each and every one of us is blessed with our own unique creative voice.

Congratulations to the lucky 50 who made it to the semi-finals. Enjoy the ride…its a fun one! For the rest of us, keep at it–keep showing up. The world needs you.

I will leave you with the words of Howard Thurman, which have never been more true. 

“Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”