🍋 Sunburns, Sea Creatures & Sketchbook Dreams

🇮🇹 Back from Italy and Full of Ideas

I arrived back in LA yesterday after two wonderful weeks in Italy. I am tan, full, and very, very ready to make some art.

I spent time in Rome and Sardinia, with even a little overnight trip to Corsica, France. Despite the sweltering heat, Rome completely stunned me at every turn. I still cannot fathom how people created everything that they did, especially the ceilings of the Vatican. The colors remain so vibrant and the details are so intricate that I can only dream of becoming that skilled one day. Also patient enough.

Sardinia was the perfect follow-up to such a hot and bustling experience. The water held every shade of blue imaginable, and the light seafood paired with my favorite wine, Vermentino, was perfection. Apparently, the grape is native to Sardinia, which makes me love it even more. I always thought I wanted to come back as a British Shorthair in my next life, but after this trip, being a mermaid might be tied for first place. I could happily live in that water forever.

🌊 Lake Girls Never Change

I think my love for the ocean comes from growing up with all of my happiest memories on a lake in North Carolina. I spent many summers at Camp Seafarer along the Neuse River and have always felt most at home near the water. Sardinia brought back that same feeling of spending entire days outside, swimming until sunset, and forgetting what time it was.

In one of the small towns, I had the chance to meet a local artist and visit his gallery. He works with wood, ceramics, metal, and all sorts of natural materials that are completely different from my own practice, but just as inspiring. He told me exactly what I needed to hear: just keep going. So that is exactly what I plan to do.

I only managed one quick sketch during the entire trip, but after two weeks of mostly taking in the world instead of creating, I have never been more excited to sit down and paint. Ideas are churning as I write this.

🐶 Snoopy, Tote Bags & Home Sweet 280

In my last newsletter, I mentioned a few pieces I wanted to share before heading abroad, so here they are!

The first was a Father's Day gift for my dad. It captures the lake I grew up on and is sprinkled with little Snoopy characters throughout the painting. My dad has always loved Snoopy. He used to tell me that I slept in the Snoopy tent when we went camping, he would show me the comic section of our local newspaper, the Charlotte Observer, and he even had a dog named Snoopy growing up.

The number 280 painted on the oval wooden panel is our house number. Getting to homes on this lake is not exactly straightforward. There are gravel roads, dense forests, no phone service, and a good chance you'll be driving five miles an hour because you're stuck behind a tractor. I would not have it any other way.

I also finished a series of hand-drawn tote bags before leaving. Each one has its own little personality, but together they all feel inspired by a very chic, very dreamy Italian vacation.

🏡 Back to the Studio

It is good to be back.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some painting to do.

With love and color,

Rosalie 

Clay Charms & Italian Dreams 🇮🇹🍡

🇮🇹 Italy, Then and Now

This Saturday, I leave for Rome for a week before heading to Sardinia for another week. Italy has always held a special place in my heart.

Back in 5th grade, we were assigned a project where we had to write the story of our lives all the way to age 100. In my story, I passed away at 100 years old in Milan as a famous artist, surrounded by my children and grandchildren. Apparently little Rosalie had a very specific vision for her future.

My obsession with Italy started early. When I was 12, my parents asked if I wanted a big Bat Mitzvah party like most kids. Instead, I asked if I could go to Italy. I feel incredibly lucky that they said yes. Not only did I get to travel throughout the country, but I also celebrated my Bat Mitzvah in Tuscany.

I recently learned that Tuscany's Jewish

population is estimated to be only around 2,000 to 3,000 people, which makes the experience feel even more unique looking back on it.

While I'm away, the newsletters will be taking a little vacation too. They'll return at the end of June with plenty of stories, photos, and hopefully some Italian inspiration.

🍡 My New Crafting Obsession

Last week, I bought a bunch of colorful oven-bake clay for a girls' night and have been completely hooked ever since.

I started by making a few small pieces during girls' night, but that quickly turned into several days of nonstop crafting. I've made jewelry holders, tiny decorative objects, charms, and all sorts of random cute things.

My favorite creations so far are little Asian-inspired charms that I think I may start selling. I've already attached some to a bracelet and even added one to a tote bag. They make everything instantly cuter.

Also, fun fact: Clay is my dad's name.

🎨 Works in Progress

I finished drawing on six tote bags this week and completed a painting on a wood panel.

Unfortunately, you'll have to wait until the next newsletter to see them.

I also carved out some time to continue my Shanghai-inspired series. The McDonald's portion of my newest mini painting is finally complete, and now it's time to tackle its counterpart: the Golden Temple.

I also shipped off more stationery orders this week. It still makes me happy every time someone orders one of my cards or paper goods.

See you all at the end of June. Until then, ciao! 🍕🍋🌞

With love and color,

Rosalie

🌊 Lake Days, Blue Monsters & Birthday Cats 🎂

I hope you’re all enjoying the start of summer. Between lake days, painting projects, and a few exciting new additions to my studio, the past couple of weeks have been filled with sunshine, creativity, and plenty of stories.

🚤 Lake Life & Carolina Days

The week before last, I escaped to my favorite body of water: High Rock Lake in North Carolina. Is it the fanciest lake? Absolutely not. Does it have an undeniable redneck charm that I love? Absolutely.

I spent my days slalom skiing behind the boat, taking long walks, and soaking up what felt like surprisingly mild Carolina weather. The temperature only rose to 90° with humidity only hitting around 70%. lol. My brother has fully embraced his gardening era, growing everything from okra and pittypat squash to peaches and apples. Basically, I ate very well all week.

Evenings were reserved for my favorite game: Spades. My boyfriend always insists on cutting the deck thick like a hick, while I cut it thin so I can win. In case you were curious, I did in fact win. 

In between all the lake adventures, I

finished a commissioned portrait of a very special dog. The painting includes little nods to the dog’s early life in Brooklyn, along with details inspired by its name and plenty of attention paid to its unique texture and personality. It was one of those pieces that slowly came together over the course of the week.

Leaving North Carolina is always bittersweet, but as I’m writing this, I’m stretched out by the beach in Venice, so reality isn’t feeling too bad either.

🎨 A Monster Moves Into the Neighborhood

This past week, I finally painted something I’ve wanted to do for a long time: my front gate.

A giant blue bunny monster now sits proudly atop a flower right outside my house. My once plain white gate is now covered in bright colors and one of my signature creatures. It’s currently the only piece of art on my side of the street!

Painting outside all day on one of Venice’s busiest streets was an experience in itself. Since it’s one of the few places with free beach parking, I met quite the cast of characters. I had conversations about my art, music festivals, local life, and just about everything in between. Nearly every person who walked by wanted to chat.

As someone who doesn’t always love being interrupted while working, it was probably good for me. It also somehow made me paint faster.

I came home exhausted, sunburnt, and covered in paint, but every time I walk outside now and see my blue monster smiling back at me, I know it was worth it.

So if you’re ever hunting for free parking near Venice Beach, keep an eye out. You might stumble across my little blue guy.

📸 New Camera, Same Mooncake

Last week I also made a pretty big investment: I bought a new camera.

The original plan was to finally photograph my artwork properly so that my online shop can show pieces the way they actually look in real life. Capturing texture, color, and all the little whimsical details has always been difficult with my phone.

However, after looking through the camera roll, I can confidently say that Mooncake has become the primary subject.

There are already over fifty photos of her.

To be fair, she is art.

Speaking of Mooncake, she recently turned five years old! She celebrated her birthday in North Carolina because, as usual, she came along for the adventure. Now she’s back in Venice, perched in her cat tree, spending her days supervising neighborhood activity and judging every interesting character that walks by.

🎁 Father’s Day Is Around the Corner

Father’s Day is coming up quickly! If you’re looking for a unique gift, I can make hand-painted matchboxes, personal cards, mini paintings, and just about any kind of custom artwork.

If you’d like something personalized, now is a great time to reach out so I can make sure it arrives in time.

With love and color,

Rosalie