The Summer Post

A newsletter for the first half or the start of summer (depending on when you think summer starts).

Hello Friends & Forest Dwellers,

A LOT has happened in the past few weeks, so excuse my absence. I took June off to move and such.

My daughter ended her first year of school on June 26th, which, as an American, feels SO late to get out for the summer.

We played at the park near the school on the last day, since the kids got out early.

About a week before school ended, we moved into our first house/flat (that we own) mid-June, and promptly after moving, I got sick because, of course. So I’m really glad that I took June off, paused my Patreon, and just took a break from pumping out art.

Said goodbye to our first home in Edinburgh.

Our new place was filled to the brim with boxes.

We are now basically unpacked, minus a few boxes. We got some very old carpets replaced in the new flat, and are hoping to get a few more things done in the next month or two. I have a tiny studio room in the new place with a lovely window. Though I have more storage in there than I did in our old place, I am still struggling to find a place for all my stuff. I’d also like to rr-do the wall and carpets in the studio, but that’s pretty low on the list of house update priorities.

Pictures of my studio room in its current state. I didn't feel like drawing this lol

I’ve felt pretty exhausted (physically and creatively), but at the start of July, Artfight began. Artfight is an art-gifting game where artists draw each other’s characters to gain points for their team. You can learn more about it here. So I have been using it as a way to stumble back into making art after about a month off.

Some of the attacks I've submitted thus far this year.

You can see my Art Fight profile and progress here.

After the move, I was trying to get my own character references together and just felt like I couldn’t even remember how to draw or how I enjoyed drawing. Last year was my first year trying Art Fight, and I burnt myself out a little. This year, I am taking it slow, and it’s had the opposite effect. It’s helped me to loosen up and find my rhythm with drawing digitally again.

Some things I’ve been enjoying this month:

• K-Pop Demon Hunters (movie and soundtrack)

• Grabbing a coffee and pastry after dropping off my youngest at nursery

• Having a nursery for my youngest that still operates during the summer.

• Dates with my daughter on days my son’s at nursery.

Anyway, that’s about all for now. If you want to see more updates and pictures, follow me on Patreon or ko-fi.

Thanks for reading!

Stay curious,

Nicki