Personalized drawings

For a limited time, I will personalize one of these drawings for you. 

I often get asked to make custom drawings. But the problem with personal commissions, is, well, they're personal. People ask me to draw their aunt, or their dog, on an homage to a friend. I can't do that.

But what I can do is change the text, like I am for these drawings, and still keep them consistent with my style.

How it works:

Select one of these drawings, select a caption from a drop-down list, click 'Add to Cart', and enter a person's name. It could be your name, or someone else's (a cool gift, perhaps?). 

Each drawing is a unique work of art. I will draw and paint it especially for you. It will look like the pictures here, more or less (each one will be a bit different).

These are some of my favourite things to draw. And the encouraging ice cream cone was my most popular drawing last November when I offered 'multiple original' drawings, so I had to include it.

Leave a comment or get in touch if you have any questions!

I survived giving my first talk

Well, I did it. I survived giving my first talk.

It was at the inaugural 99u Local event here in Victoria, BC, and it was fun. I was a nervous wreck for about four days leading up to the event, and while I'm relieved it's over, I would definitely do it again.

I've been wanting to try to do something like this for ages. And I've been given the opportunity to speak in the past but I was never quite ready. 

It was a packed house too, with over 100 people in attendance:

A full house in Victoria tonight #99ulocal #yyj pic.twitter.com/37jzgcqKkV

— Jenny (@jennyrwatson) September 16, 2015

I talked about my transition from a full-time graphic designer to a full-time artist, and the things I figured out along the way, like these (a couple of slides from my presentation):

I'll share more of my presentation another time. And if/when the video from the event is available, I'll post that too.

A big thanks to Emrys from Rocketday for putting the whole event together.

And to everyone who was there last night, thank you for being an awesome crowd and laughing at my jokes!

speaking at 99u Local in Victoria, BC

I'm really excited to be speaking at the inaugural 99u Local event next week here in Victoria!

I've been asked to speak a couple of times before at other events, but I turned them down because I was too freaked out to do it. But, I decided this time to jump in and give it a shot, and tell my story, so we'll see how it goes.

EVENT DETAILS:

WHEN: Sept. 15, 7-10pm.

WHERE: The Watershed co-working space, 500 - 1112 Fort St., Victoria, BC

SPEAKERS: 15 minute talks given by Tara Hurst, designer & stylist; Quinton Gordon, analogue photographer; and me!

WHAT ELSE: drinks, live DJ, and meeting up with nice people.

RSVP: right here

FACEBOOK: facebook.com/99ulocalvictoria

99u Local is a smaller version of 99u, the annual conference held in New York City. 99u Local events are being held in 28 cities around the world, all next week.

Come join us!

watches are here!

Yay! My new line of Modify Watches are now available. 

AND, they made a special discount code for us:
use code SUPERDUPER and get 20% off until July 16, 2015.
Shop here: http://modifywatches.com/marcjohns

The watches are hand-assembled in San Francisco, and the watch faces and straps are interchangeable. There are 19 different colours of straps to choose from. 

Check them out: http://modifywatches.com/marcjohns

Watches... coming soon!

I'll keep this short:

I'm releasing my own collection of Modify Watches in a few days.
If you vote for your favourite now on this page you'll get a chance to win one before they're available!

Go pick your fave now: http://woobox.com/kqspho

Free shipping from my Society6 shop (only til May 10)

Hey folks! FREE international shipping on almost everything from my Society6 shop, from now til Sunday (ends May 10 at midnight).

You have to use this link to get the deal:

http://j.mp/free-ship-may2015

Yup, get t-shirts, mugs (only 15 bucks!), wall hangings (these are new), greeting cards, phone cases, laptop skins, tote bags and more, shipped for free to anywhere in the world. Get shopping!

The Daily Artist - a new book

After spending months last year secretly working on this, It's finally out: my new book!

The Daily Artist is a creative journal, a book that you draw in (or write or scratch or scribble), full of creative exercises. The book is meant to be fun, help you look at the world a tiny bit differently, give you some new ideas, and get you drawing.

Buy it online:

USA: Amazon.com

CANADA: Amazon.ca

UK: Amazon.co.uk

ELSEWHERE: BookDepository.com
(free worldwide shipping)

Direct from the publisher: Peter Pauper Press

Ask for it at your local book store or check Indie Bound.

Here's how Amazon describes it:

• Visual and verbal prompts by Johns -- witty, playful, and zany -- will inspire you to pick up that pen or pencil!
• Draw different tattoos, connect random dots, complete sketches already started, and much more.
• No rules here -- its all about having fun and looking at things differently!
• Elastic band attached to back cover keeps your place or keeps journal closed.
• Acid-free archival paper takes pen or pencil beautifully.
• Who knew a creative journal could amuse, entertain, and challenge this much?
• 160 pages. 6-1/4 inches wide by 8-1/4 inches high.

The book has rules:

If you get the book, share what you've done in it! I'd love to see how you use it. Put photos online and use the hashtag #thedailyartist, so we can all see how everyone is using the book.

Bloggers: download photos of the book on Flickr.
(Hat tip to Austin Kleon for this idea.)

Local note: my wife spotted the book in (the amazing) Bolen Books at Hillside Mall, and in Pharmasave in Oak Bay.

Drawings for $40 each. Only until Nov. 26.

Yup.

You can buy a drawing for just 40 bucks for the next 6 days.

These are 'multiple originals', meaning that I will draw multiples of each. I'll make each one to order, and sign it. But after November 26, that's it, no more. See them all in the shop.

(40 dollars is about half of what they usually sell for.)

Here's the collection:

So why am I doing this? Well, I've been wanting to do a project like this for a while. I like the idea of making original art more accessible. So I created this series of 'nice things', which are some of my favourite things to draw. And I'm using the exact same materials that I use for my other originals. 

My Shop Newsletter subscribers found out about it yesterday, and the response has already been bigger than I imagined. Thank you!

These are only going to be available until November 26. After that, they'll be gone. So get on it!

Free shipping & $5 off from my Society6 shop

This was too good to not blog about:
Get free international shipping AND $5 off from my Society6 shop, all this weekend. That includes t-shirts, mugs, clocks, pillows, iphone cases and skins, and prints.

You could get a $15 mug for just 10 bucks, shipped for free right to your door. Hooray internet!

To get the deal, you have to use this link.

(Promotion expires November 9, 2014 at Midnight Pacific Time. *Offer excludes Framed Art Prints, Stretched Canvases and Rugs.)

What To Focus On - Happy: journals, day planners and desk easels

I'm super excited to show you these! Journals, Day Planners and Desk Easels, all with my drawing What to focus on, published by Peter Pauper Press, who are a family-run company known for making great quality stationery products for really affordable prices.

Journals:
These are solid hardcover, 160 lightly lined pages, pink cover, 5x7 inches. 
Buy one here: Peter Pauper, Amazon.com.

Day Planners:
Also a solid hardcover, the calendar/planner covers 16 months (September 2014 - December 2015, so you can start using it right away), red cover, 5x7 inches.
Buy one here: Peter Pauper, Amazon.com.

Desk Easels!
The drawing is reproduced on a 3.5x3.5 inch canvas, with soy-based inks. It comes with a neat little fold-out beechwood easel to display it on.
Buy it here: Peter Pauper, Amazon.com.

Here's what it looks like in the store, in its packaging:

All of these are also available at lots of different bookstores and other shops throughout North America. I even spotted them in a drugstore here in Victoria.

MimoPowerTubes

This is a MimoPowerTube. A what? It's a rechargeable backup battery that powers up smartphones and other mobile devices. It's like a portable charger, and it comes with various plugs to fit your various devices.

Mimoco released a limited edition Artist Series of PowerTubes at the San Diego Comic Con last month, and there's a few Fish With Beards left. You can buy one here. The Chasing Stars tube is sold out.

Pharrell Williams + 'What To Focus On' = YES

I was super excited and supremely honoured that THE supremely talented and amazing Pharrell Williams, through his Quarterly subscription, chose my 'What to focus on - Happy' temporary tattoo from Tattly to be included in his latest package.

The 'Happy' song guy chose my Happy drawing! Perfection.

(Quarterly is a subscription service where you can subscribe to curated packages from interesting and famous people)