No. 44: Finding Focus Amidst Summer’s Excitement

A collaboration and a few classes and workshops

In front of the LAMY flagship store in Soho, NYC, looking in at my artwork and video. Photo by Veronica Carlson.

Hi everyone,

I hope you’re doing well on your end. This summer has been a whirlwind, and I’m feeling a bit behind on my posts—there’s just so much to share! I usually look forward to summer as a time to relax and recharge, but this year has been anything but calm. It’s been an intense balancing act between work, life, and family, and if I’m honest, there have been moments where I’ve felt pretty overwhelmed. My older son moves back to college after a year of being in NYC, so I feel like I’m going through the college freshman separation all over again. Keeping up with my sketchbook practice has been a struggle, but despite the busyness, this season has brought some truly exciting developments with my book, classes, and partnerships. It’s been a lot to juggle, but I’m grateful for the rewarding opportunities that have come my way, even if they’ve kept me on my toes more than usual. Bear with me as I jam a handful of things into one post!

Project Highlight: LAMY Collaboration

One of my favorite projects this summer was partnering with LAMY to create an illustration using their new digital pen, the safari note+. The drawing now covers the shop windows in Soho, NYC, and San Francisco, and is included on a card with each order. I was also thrilled to work with my son, Ian, who shot and edited a promotional film for LAMY. Below is the short video - be sure to watch with sound on!

Recent and Upcoming Events

• Stationery Fest: Last week, I taught three workshops at Stationery Fest, which was an incredible experience. I shared a little about it in this post.

• Upcoming class with Derwent: I’m preparing for my class with Derwent this Friday, August 16th. More details to follow below!

• New Skillshare Class: I’ve launched a new Skillshare class called The Business of Drawing, From Hand to Screen. More details to follow below!

• Sketchbook Retreat in Sicily: I can’t wait to return to Sicily next fall for my fourth sketchbook retreat at Anna Tasca Lanza. Spots are limited for the retreat, so if you are interested, please fill out the form on the website.

Teaching my workshops at Stationery Fest, and the page I created to document the first day.

While this summer has been busy, I’m hopeful for a more calm fall that will allow me to return to my sketchbook with renewed energy. In the meantime, I’m grateful for the opportunities and experiences that have come my way. Here are two recent pages from my sketchbook, and another below, that I managed to complete in the past two week. Thank you for joining me on this journey and for your support.

A foster cat in the window down the street from our home in Brooklyn. This one gives me the side-eye.

Another shot of me at the LAMY flagship store in Soho, next to my artwork. Photo by Veronica Carlson.

As I finish sharing a lot at once, in an effort to not overwhelm in multiple emails,

Haley Weaver

’s post below really resonates:

#72: How the f*ck do I market myself?

Paid subscribers, the next meetup will be announced soon via the chat! And get ready for a Fall Draw Your World Challenge.

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Class Announcements

My new Skillshare class, The Business of Drawing: From Hand to Screen is live and ready to watch! This class focuses on the business side of my art practice, a topic I rarely discuss with my audience. Here I’m excited to share personal stories of how I grew my business, and practical advice on bringing your handmade, analog artwork to life on screen and in print. You can take the class with a free trial, and if you submit a project to the project gallery before September 1st, you will be in the running to win a free year subscription to Skillshare.

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Join me for my next free class with Derwent, Sketch and Paint a Stack of Books, this Friday, August 16th at 2pm EST. In this one-hour class we will be planning, sketching, and painting a stack of books. We will be covering two-point perspective, line, color, and how to simplify your lines to create a beautiful and easy to follow project that you can re-create over and over again.

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Ambassador and Affiliate Codes

If you’d like to try out Blackwing pencils or just order some new items, please shop using this unique link: blackwing602.com/sdionbaker. When you purchase using my link, there’s no additional cost to you and I earn a small commission. I appreciate your support!

Most of my Skillshare classes feature my favorite Caran D’Ache art supplies. My relationship with the US distributor, Creative Art Materials, started back when I wrote Draw Your Day in 2018, and they saw how heavily I featured their art tools— many that I have been using since I was in grade school. Click here to find some my favorites on the Orange Art wesbite.

All Canvas lights and accessories are 10% off with my discount code: SDB10.

All of my books can be found here.

All of my Skillshare classes can be found here.