ICON 12

I learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed myself at ICON12 at MIA in Minneapolis, MN!

Here are some key takeaways:

John Hendrix, Washington State University, St. Louis, MS

Dynamic husband and wife team: Rudy Gutierrez and DK Dyson

Even tough my photo caught these two with their eyes closed, this was an envigorating finish to a wonderful conference. Rudy Gutierrez shared images about his amazing illustration career and DK Dyson sang and shared insightful knowledge.

Advocate for yourself

• Invoice immediately.

• Don’t burn bridges; it’s a small industry.

• Take breaks: every 20 minutes focus on something distant for 20 seconds.

• Meander down different paths to try new things.

It was refreshing to hear several presenters discuss and showcase “mental health” and “burnout” in their presentations. You can’t do good work if you don’t take care of your brain and body.

• What are your rituals for self-care?

• How do you find a balance between work/life?

• How do you build resilience?

Hello from Alaska

I recently visited my family in Gustavus, Alaska. The sky cleared to unveil all of Alaska's treasures. We took an 8-hour boat tour through Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve that began in spring weather, driving deeper and deeper up the bay that ended in the belly of winter, where the water was filled with icebergs. We passed countless snowy peaks, sea otters, whales, porpoises, sea lions, and wild mountain goats. The boat ride covered approximately the same square miles as the state of Connecticut, with mountain peaks rising high above the sea.
"Nature always wears the colors of the spirit."—Ralph Waldo Emerson

Here's where to find me on social media:

www.aliciaschwab.com -&- LinkTree http://linktr.ee/AliciaSchwab
Instagram & Threads @schwab.alicia
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliciamschwab/
Mastodon @aschwabart@mas.to
X-Twitter & HIVE @aschwabart

Reading Wednesdays

Muted Color Palette:

It’s March and I’m reading for research. Look at the #libraryloot I’ve been hauling to the studio! The theme this week is “limited”. Look at what beautiful art these illustrators made with very few colors, a.k.a limited palette!

DU IZ TAK?, by Carson Ellis
HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH A GHOST, by Rebecca Green
POMPON, by Geraldine Eischner; illustrated by Joanna Boillot
MARY WHO WROTE FRANKENSTEIN, by Linda Bailey; illustrated by Júlia Sardà

Stamps!

This is so much fun! Custom made stamps with art foam.

Art process

I’ve been playing and tweaking my process. I still love to paint acrylic on w/c paper but I’m now assembling all my images digitally in Photoshop. It’s a combo of traditional and digital mediums which has been so fun!