Studio Visit - Ursula von Rydingsvard

This Martin Luther King Jr. Day my family and I had the honor of visiting Ursula von Rydingsvard's studio in Brooklyn.

When you walk into her studio you feel as if you are entering a sacred space. And when you are near an artist, like Ursula, who is so pure, the air around them vibrates in love and truth.

Her work is so impressive, so alive and thrilling. You feel as if moments, feelings and notions have been gently sussed from her consciousness and cooly brought to form. I was so moved by her work and also impressed by her kindness and open heartedness. She heartily welcomed us into her world without making us feel like we knew nothing about art.

I was SO excited to see that she creates her work from blank stacks of wood and then by her unique method, creates and manufactures the "natural" look and weathering. It is painstaking and Ursula and her craftsman, Ruben are meticulous at the execution.

The loveliest thing she said was about her work was humbly shrugging: "It's a way of having a voice."

Some observations:

-She captures everything that inspires her: from fabric to dog hair to African masks.
-She is organized and is no joke.
-She has a team that has been with her for many years.
-She is completely unpretentious and kind.
-She wears black and usually athletic wear to get straight to the work.
-She loves to share her work and her process.
-Her enthusiasm is contagious
-She is positive.
-She never stated that she works hard but you get that vibe.
-Yet even though she works hard, there is flow and joy.
-She has perfected her process and continues to hone it.
-She is curious.
-She takes her work seriously.
-She is vibrant.

Please read more about Ursula's work.

xo,
Natalie

Where I get my hair done...

I love, T-Gardens New York Hair Salon, where I get my hair cut. I decided to draw a cartoon for my stylist, Nao. We don't speak much but I appreciate her skills ^ _^ I felt embarrassed to show it to her but I think she liked it.

thankyou_tgardens_web.jpg

Happy Father's Day!

I took a Skillshare class, Animated Comics taught by the most wonderful cartoonist, Sarah Andersen. 

One of my many jobs was creating banner ads for an advertising agency so it was a jog down memory lane to do GIF animation. So fun! I love animation. If I wasn't so impulsive and lazy, I would love to do more animation.

Hope your Father's Day was a stupendous one!

xo,
Natalie

Daily Diary

Here are some doodles I drew while waiting for baby #2 to arrive.

I drew these cartoons because my body didn't allow me to do much else except draw. Also, being forgetful made me want to document our day to day life with cartoons.

I do not think of myself as a mommy cartoonist or a mommy blogger. The very label makes me want to puke. Being a mom is just a part of who I am. At the same time I'm not going to deny this very cool part of my life to act like it's not happening. I love this phase in my life and grateful for it.

I was reading a book: "Wherever You Go There You Are" by Jon Kabat-Zinn. Here's a passage:

"Try: Reminding yourself from time to time: 'This is it.' See if there is anything at all that cannot be applied to. Remind yourself that acceptance of the present moment has nothing to do with resignation in the face of what is happening. It simply means a clear acknowledgment that what is happening is happening. Acceptance doesn't tell you what to do. What happens next, what you choose to do, that has to come out of your understanding of the moment. You might try acting out of a deep knowing of 'This is it.' 

Just some thoughts as my family and I add a new edition.

Drawing at the hospital...

Drawing at the hospital...

xo,

Natalie

It's A Draw With Natalie Kim 2016 ©  CONTACT: ItsADrawWithNatalieKim [at] gmail [dot] com