Artwork Spotlight: REACH

Reach #

The Journey Begins Again #

A new year often means new goals, new dreams, or new plans. I like the idea of a new starting point, but I don’t believe January 1st is the only day to start; any day can be the first day of change. I understand wanting a significant time or date to signal the start of something new, like New Year’s Day, Lunar New Year, the start of a new month, or quarter, a birthday, or the Spring Equinox (nature’s new year) but that often adds unnecessary pressure to the goal. Change takes time. Big goals require big effort. Renewal needs patience.

My new year’s resolution has remained the same for a decade; be better than last year. It’s never been applied to anything specific, but if I can look back and say I was better at something at the end of the year than the beginning, then I can feel accomplished and good about my progress that year. Some years it was health, or education, or relationships, or simply doing something I love more often. In 2024, I worked on my mental health and am better than I was this time last year. This year, 2025, I will put more effort into making my dreams of being a full time artist come true.

Meaning in Magic #

Not all of my art has a meaning. Most of the time I am simply pushing my skills, or making something I like. Sometimes I don’t see the meaning in it until weeks or months after. This one, though, I figured out rather quickly, and I think the message is clear- reach for the stars, make your dreams come true.

It’s taken some time to realize how scary it is to actually achieve a lifelong dream. The amount of self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and blocked energy I have in connection to calling myself an artist is way more than I expected when I decided to start this journey. It’s something I deal with everyday when I sit to sketch, or share on social media, or write a blog with all my thoughts and feelings on my artwork.

When I initially created this artwork, I was not thinking about themes, deep meanings, or making intentional choices in it’s elements. But that’s the wonderful thing about art; even if you aren’t thinking of it, emotions and personal meaning comes through. It was only while writing this blog that I discovered my own feelings in the elements;

• The girl in the artwork is reaching up, trying to touch the stars amid a wintry forest. I was sketching this at the end of 2024 while reflecting on the year and thinking about goals for the next year. The stars are clearly out of reach, far above the thick forest, and yet she is still trying. I will also keep trying. My goal may still be out of reach, but I will continue to stretch my arms out for it and make the effort.

• It’s winter because I made the art in winter and wanted to paint snowy trees, but it can also be a metaphor for being lost, or “not quite out of the woods yet”. I am also not out of the forest of learning how to run a succesful business with my art, or effectively sharing it with the world, but the path is there, somewhere. Someday I’ll find it and my way through the woods.

• She is dressed in something thin, revealing in some ways, yet comfortable, but not at all appropriate for a winter’s snow. I think, maybe unintentionally, I wanted to express that feeling of being comfortable in one’s own skin, even when exposed to the elements. Perhaps in my case, it’s the metaphor for exposing my art to the world, when for so long it was only meant for me. But I want to be seen or exposed through my artwork, like the girl can be seen through her dress.

• Some of the smaller elements; jewlery, hair color, embroidery, style choice, are just because I like whimsy and magic. I believe in adding a little bit of magic into everyday life through things like style choices, a special cup of tea, or the artwork I choose to display in my home. Magic is real, if you choose to see it and embrace it.

A Little Behind the Scenes #

These photos show some of the process of making this artwork. My process is always the same; sketch, sketch some more, initial line art, adjust line art, print then trace line art, paint, cut all the pieces, add shine and/or embroidery, then assemble the artwork.

I won’t go into details on the full thought process of creating a watercolor papercut art piece. That is a blog for another time.

I will say that I enjoy every part of the process. Each one is relaxing in it’s own way, but not without challenges. I like to reflect on the process and skills I used with every bigger artwork I do (like this one) and pinpoint places to improve. This partiular artwork has made me realize I need to improve on the way I transfer the digital artwork to traditional mediums. I also want to improve the depth of color and texture in painting skin and hair. So those are the things I will focus on in my next painting.

Learn and Improve #

Speaking of improvements… Every piece of art I make pushes some part of the process. In this one, it was mostly the background.

Backgound #

This is by far the most effort I have put into a background probably ever. I’m not a landscape or technical artist. Buildings and nature (as much as I love it) are outside my comfort zone. But improvement cannot happen without taking a leap and trying something new.

The trees were not nearly as hard as I expected them to be. I did have to watch many a watercolor tutorial to find the right technique, and then practice several times before making the trees. To my surprise, adding the snow was the easiest part. Maybe I just had the right brush, or just that I was so ready to move on from trees that I stopped caring so much about what it looked like. That is the secret to painting nature; it is perfectly imperfect, and the only way to ‘get it right’ is to let go of the perfection. (A lesson to be applied in other areas, too…)

Papers #

Not as obvious or as challenging as the background, I also tried using a thinner paper. I wanted her dress to be sheer and feel flow-y, which is harder to accomplish with thick watercolor paper. Some years ago I was gifted Korean mulberry paper and it felt like the perfect thing to achieve the look I wanted.

The thin-ness of the paper made it slightly more difficult for me to cut. I am used to cutting watercolor paper, which requires pressure and multiple passes to cut through sometimes. So I made a lot of mistakes cutting the mulberry paper. Thankfully I have a lot of it and I could make those mistakes to learn something about myself- I add way too much pressure and need to lighten up sometimes. (Yeah, that lesson can be applied to other areas, too)

While I did not achieve as much of the flow-y nature of a dress that I intended, I got to a point that made me feel it was enough. I could have kept pushing myself to try more, but there are only so many times I can try the same thing before becoming frustrated, and at that point it is best to take a break, or consider the progress made to be enough.

Add Magic to Your Home #

If you like this artwork, you can get an embellished print on Etsy. (While supplies last.)

Embellished prints are painted with iridescent and metallic paints to give the artwork a little extra shine.

TLDR #

• I made a new artwork.
• It reminds me that the work I am doing is to reach my dreams. Like the girl in the artwork, I am reaching for the stars, feeling more exposed and open with my artwork, and trying my best. There is still a long way to go, but the journey is worth it.
• The background is the most detailed I’ve ever done, and I feel proud of it.
• The mulberry paper was a new experience to cut and use.

If you’re interested in your own unique watercolor paper cut artwork, contact me through email. Please include as detailed a description as you can of the artwork you have in mind, and I’ll get back you within the week!