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Our cat Me-Mow acts as an alarm clock (when he feels like it). Most days he shows up in my bed, because he's looking for a warm place to sleep off his breakfast. At times he will dig at the hem of my comforter, until I let him under the covers. He nests there for hours. It's adorable! When he gets warm, he migrates above the covers and pretty much just takes over the whole bed. I started taking his picture because he's so CUTE when he's not disrupting me! Sometimes I'll comment on his shape saying "you look like a loaf of bread!" or "Are you a jelly bean?!" What I am failing to capture in text is that I use a shrill voice, as though talking to a baby. He ignores me. So now I draw him… and parade his likeness on the Internet! I started #RestingCatShape as a way to break into the #Caturday movement. It's not a daunting project because it's simply one drawing of the cat each week. I took the time to compile a collection of th...

I love YouTube, but I have been absent from it for some time due to work + lack of down-time to pick up the camera. I took time out of last weekend to embark on a mini project: complete the tags I've had queuing up for the past couple months. Introducing: TAG WEEK! Everyday, for 5-ish days, I released a video, answering questions proposed by the tag creators. This launched Sunday, April 19th, and lasted until Friday, April 24th. So… 6 days. I did record the videos in one "sitting," hence why I'm wearing the same outfit in each post. But give me an A+ for consistency! Sunday, April 19: Unpopular Opinions Book Tag Monday, April 20: Page to Screen Book Tag Tuesday, April 21: Anything but Books Tag Wednesday, April 22: (Belated) Pi Day Tag Thursday, April 23: Drunk Book Tag Friday, April 24: The Book Pusher Tag. This is the first original book tag! If I've learned anything from this experience, it's that I'm WAY...

I recently posted on YouTube, 7 books I highly recommend if someone were to be interested in reading something pertaining to current events. The event of the year: Coronavirus. So these books are themed around being in isolation due to illness, pandemic disease, unexplained diseases (or rather weird powers suddenly summoned to change social dynamics), and humans (mostly men) being wiped out without explanation. Naturally, I thought of some additional reads to add to the list. I thought of listing off the books I mentioned in the video, but no, you should go watch my video . I could use the viewership! And while you're there, please subscribe to my channel; I have a lofty goal of meeting the threshold of 1,000 subscribers by the end of the year so that I can monetize my channel. It's a pipe dream, no doubt, as I'm currently sitting just shy of 20 subscribers and I've been pumping out content for 2.5 months. Please do indulge in these novels, both books listed in...

I've been holding off on writing this post for a while because details have been fuzzy and a bit complicated. Let's start with the basics: I submitted to the the  Brush Gallery's 4x4 Education Exhibition . It's a 4x4 inch mixed media collage of a succulent. Inspired by my recent project ? Yes, yes dear. This little guy will be up for grabs at the closing reception… which will be taking place at some vague point. {shrugs} Essentially, there is a $25 cover charge, and visitors can participate in a raffle to take home one of the submitted works of art.  All the proceeds from the event will go toward a scholarship for an underprivileged student entering into the University of Lowell's art program. The event was originally slated to take place March 14th (yes, this past Saturday). Due to concerns over the spread of the Corona Virus, this event has been postponed. In fact, the Brush Gallery is closed to visitors indefinitely. So details are still coming in, but I...

In January, I had the pleasure of picking up Elvia Wilk's novel Oval . And do I mean PLEASURE! I realize it's only February, but I know this book is going to be on my top ten for the year; Hell, it's in my top books of ALL TIME! Needless to say, I absolutely loved this book, and it influenced my first literary inspired project of the year. I listened to this book on audio, and was immediately taken by the casual, yet smart dialogue and observation exchanges. It's like gabbing with an old friend! True to form, I bought the book and immediately started combing the text for additional themes and motifs. This book would be the focus of my first "Novel Craft" project. The core of the story discusses the affects of corporate take-overs, and their unreliability. The main couple in the novel, Anja and Louis are living in a sustainable smart home community, which was offered to them in lieu of homelessness, for the honest feedback as test subjects. Anja is a sci...

Hello February! It's nice to see your pretty face. As I wrapped up the end of January, I closed up my 2019 updates... at least with reading. I weighed out the "yeah's" with a top ten books of the year: Naturally, that was balanced out with the "meh's": A core goal with my channel is to merge my creative life with leisure reads, by crafting around a piece of text which inspired my engagement. Thanks to January, I have my first project planned. I will film it this coming week after I get my first (ever) professional manicure! I should point out that an ulterior motivation to start my channel was to help me quit biting my nails. What did I say about no New Years Resolutions? If my fingers are going to be center stage, I need not apologize for their... lack of nail-age. 100% of my channel is driven by self-improvement, and that includes finger "impressions". So looking at January in the rear-view mirror, it was a hectic month for me p...

Firstly, HI! It's been a while. About 2 years since I posted about leaving my desk job. So some updates: {crickets-crickets-crickets} Just kidding! I'm launching a bunch of projects. Writing that out just now makes this sound like an unachievable resolution, but its essentially just making the activities I've been working on privately, public. The first of which is the biggest, (and completed) because it has me out of my comfort zone 100%: I launched a YouTube channel (finally). And it should probably go without saying, but if you're reading this blog, I hope you will subscribe to my channel {winks}. I don't know how often I will be churning out content, because it is all new to me. However, I am melding with iMovie pretty quickly, and very much like the casualness of the experience. What's with this channel? It's about books and macrame/crafting. Yes, Books + Macrame. I have designs for macrame projects for books I've read. I am planning to bra...

I quit my job. Nearly three months ago. Or rather, should I say, I UPDATED my career status to Freelance? Yup. I thought this would be scarier. I thought this would be more complicated. I don't know where to begin chronicling the ginormous life change, but it's essentially listed up there as one of the most difficult decisions I made in my life. It was a long time coming though and the conditions were right, so *poof!* I'm here! The past few months have been filled with activity. So much so, I kept thinking "I should write a blog post about this…" and I'm just now getting around to that. So what have I been up to? Here we go: #1: Prepared for and attended the New England chapter Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators conference . Finished portfolio cover art! Want to see inside? ;-) The entire month of March was essentially me in a flurry of paper and matte medium putting some new images together for my portfolio. In the end...

NOTE: Tickets are now VERY limited.  Get your tickets for Friday night (May 1) here . Original sketch concepts for WAE Spring 2015. © Samantha Grenier. The Wearable Art Extravaganza is here! The  Miracle Providers NE  have picked out an awesome theme for this Spring's fashion/drag show: The 4 Elements. How could pick an outfit for ONE element? I couldn't, so I'm making an outfit for each element… plus the finale. Five. FIVE outfits. Here's a splash of what to look for: Dress of coffee filters. © Samantha Grenier 2015. Mini "Flames". © Samantha Grenier 2015. Dress of coffee filters (Earth). © Samantha Grenier 2015. Painted coffee filters. © Samantha Grenier 2015. Painted coffee filters. © Samantha Grenier 2015. Painted coffee filters. © Samantha Grenier 2015. Dress of coffee filters (Wind). © Samantha Grenier 2015. Future Dress - Braids. © Samantha Grenier 2015. As one can see, I've got a lot going ...

Whoosh! March is gone and April looks like it's going to be a whirlwind adventure. I've got a LOT in the works and a bunch of upcoming events to note: First up is the April Open Studio at Western Avenue Studios and Lofts : THIS Saturday, April 4th, from noon - 5pm. Please stop by and say hi … and buy some art from me and/or the 150+ other artists on site. ;-) I will be in my studio (#112) working on costumes and more picture book portfolio (more on that shortly). Next up, I have a piece in the Four By Four for Education show over at the Brush Gallery . The show has been up a few weeks. The final day/fundraising reception: Saturday, April 11th, from 2 − 5pm. My piece on display is the Woven Heart ( #141 in the slideshow ). Admission is $25 which benefits a UMASS Lowell (art) scholarship. The admission fee also gets you one of the original pieces from the show. Woven Heart © Samantha Grenier 2015 To cap off my month, the  Society of Children's Book Writers and Il...