Cute Circus Owl Ready for the Fall Festivities

This is Toot the Owl.  No more wooded forest for him.  He ran off to the circus and saw his first elephant and a rather small mongoose.  He also had his first taste of cotton candy.  Quite delectable on the palate he thought.  Upon meeting the ring master, he was hired immediately for his unexpected talent for playing the pipe organ.  Now this cute little circus owl enjoys late evenings with bewildering sites played to the tune of familiar melodies you heard when you were a child off to the big tent.

You can find him in my shop, waiting to visit you at: www.etsy.com/shop/wildhearthistories

Latest Work - All Things Spring

I am currently working on a body of work inspired by Spring.  Here is my latest project.  I've got just a few more details to work out and then I'm done... So excited to share!

Detail 1

Detail 2

Detail 3

Detail 4

They're going fast!

My sweet little keepsakes are going fast and there's just a few more left!  

They're perfect for a shower, birthday, or even a little something for you.

To check them out, go to www.etsy.com/shop/WildHeartHistories

Busy As A Bee...

Things have been pretty busy around here!  On the rebound from the holidays I find that I am trying to catch up to catching up. (Sigh) But in the between times, I've managed to work on some new illustrations.

One is part of my Native American series that has shifted to focusing on Alaskan Native Americans and wild life that live there.  In addition to the polar bear I illustrated with Athabaskan tribe tattoo markings, I am adding a humpback whale with Inuit designs from traditional basketry, clothing, and facial tattoos.

The other illustration is inspired by Valentine's Day, which I know isn't for a few more weeks, but I can't help but be inspired by the "warm-fuzzy" vibe and all of those cute Fair-Isle scarves I see all the guys and gals rocking in this snowy-cold weather.  In this illustration, I just love the vibrant colors of the birds against the deep red scarf with sweet little hints of purple and blue stitch designs.

Both prints are available in my shop at www.etsy.com/shop/WildHeartHistories

Much more to come in the followings weeks, so please come back soon!

In the meantime, thanks for stopping by!

Native American Inspired Art!

So excited! My Native American inspired bird is now available in my shop! www.etsy.com/shop/WildHeartHistories

Stop by for a look around!

Native American inspired bird illustration available at www.etsy.com/shop/WildHeartHistories

New Printable!

Here's a new printable I'd like to share with you! I hope you like it and find something creative with to do with it! I have one friend who recently told me that she is creating a "red quilt" and is using the free printable birds as the basis for her embroidery in each fabric block.  I can't wait to see it and share pictures with you!  In the meantime - enjoy! 

Utterly In Love With Art Nouveau

I love, love, LOVE everything Art Nouveau and in a recent jaunt to the local library I decided to indulge in a few books completely dedicated to this amazing time in art history.  What is it about the fluid movements of the flowers and vines, the way the gauzy dresses drape those gorgeous feminine figures, and the dripping framework filled with intricate lines?

When I lived in San Francisco, there was an art gallery near the wharf, and they were displaying an original Alfonse Mucha print that was the talk of the town.  For weeks, I'd grab a coffee and sip it while I stared through the window at it.  Soon I began to shmooz with the owner while we drooled over Mucha's greatness.  OK- I admit I had him take a picture of me next to the print.  Dorky I know- but I get really giddy when I'm next to a work of art that an admired artist of mine created, touched, worked on, and who knows... maybe sneezed on?  Perhaps I'm going for some mad genius via osmosis.  The world will never know.

In any case, after pouring through my library books, I felt inspired to create my next bird illustration with a touch of the Art Nouveau designs I so dearly love.

This print can be purchased on Etsy at: www.etsy.com/shop/wildhearthistories

Freckles...

Don't you just love freckles? My mom used to say they were angel kisses. I especially love them on kiddos.  I've been working on a few works of art with children and my friendly birds and this one I'm especially fond of.  It must be her freckles that leaves me completely enamored.  She's still a ways off from being finished, but I needed to pause and smile with a sigh.  Ah, Freckles! :)

Etsy Shop Grand Opening for Wild Heart Histories!

Ladies and gentlemen! I am pleased to announce the grand opening of my shop on Etsy! 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/WildHeartHistories

All of the work listed in my shop has been, and remains, a labor of love and is a reflection of my affinity for nature, illustration, and vintage ephemera.  

Each work of art I create is carefully scanned and photographed for the best quality image and is printed using archival ink and acid-free watercolor paper to ensure a gallery worthy image every time.

I hope you enjoy my shop and are as excited about the artwork as I am.  Please check back often as I will have many more works of art that will be listed in the coming weeks.

This moment has been a long time in coming and the journey has only begun.  Thank you for letting me share my happiness with you!  Enjoy!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/WildHeartHistories

Fall Frenzy Continued...

Hey! Just finished two more paintings I'll be selling as prints on Etsy.  They're fun, they're festive, they're definitely Halloween.  

The red-winged black bird has a ton of detail and I'm super jazzed about the oak leaves and acorns.  I think my favorite thing about the piece is the lacy spider web that runs long the old book cover.

The next piece is of one of my most favorite animals - the OWL! They just seem like they have endless wisdom to share and are very regal.  When I'm at the National Zoo, I'm always stopping by the owl exhibit and lingering just a little longer to study all of their beautiful intricacies. For this print, I used a lot of irredescent powders, pastels, and inks that play well together and lend more (I think) to the owl's magic and mystery.

Things are definitely getting "Fall Festive" around here!  Now... Off to go create!  Thanks for stopping by.   :)

A Special Gift From Me to You!

Hi friends! My first FREE PRINTABLE is now ready for your creativity! Click on "Crafts" (located in the right gadget column) to check it out and be sure to check back often for more freebies to come.  I already have a few more I'm wrapping up and getting ready to post!

A World of Octobers...

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." 

- Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery

I am not trying to say I'm ready for Fall just yet.  Oh no, NOT AT ALL.  In fact, I could definitely get into the idea of endless summers.  Being an elementary school teacher means summers are off for me and I do admit they are as sweet as pie!  

What is also sweet as pie is Fall weather (I do not like humidity of Summer and it does not like me), pumpkin lattes, and the Fall change of color that happens on the East Coast.  Being from the Bay Area of California, I had never experienced first hand the brilliance of color in anything as I do now here among the apple orchards, parks, and pumpkin farms.  California pumpkins are this light and bright orange and the surrounding trees are evergreens so you don't get much variety.  I thought all pumpkins were the same.  Then, when my hubby and I moved to D.C., I discovered dark, almost burnt-orange pumpkins,  accompanied by the sharp reds, deep velvety purples, and yellows of the tree leaves and harvest.... well I can't help myself can I? Fall became my favorite time of year.  

Even though we have a bit of Summer left, it's time for me to start thinking about the Holidays including Halloween...  I've been collecting Halloween post cards, advertisements, and photographs from the 1920's, 30's, and 40's to use in my Fall collection (to be placed on Etsy in the next few weeks).

A look at my desk and what I've collected so far:

A close-up of one of the cards I found! So sweet!

An uber-cute photograph I found and can't wait to figure out how I'll use it!  My guess is it's of a class Halloween party - maybe 30's or 40's? 

So off I go to work on some new art! Check back to see some of the finished products and to get the scoop on my upcoming Etsy store!  In the meantime, tell me what you are doing to get ready for the Fall!  Looking forward to hearing from you!

Welcome!

Thanks for stopping by! I'm Nichole of Wild Heart Histories; a lifestyle brand that focuses on retro and vintage ideals while also embracing the arts and crafts movement of this generation.  

I create illustrations, stationary, and porcelain goods (to name a few) that tie in my love of vintage, wild nature, and art.  My hope is to market and sell these items on Etsy - as soon as they are I will post an announcement here! The pieces can be light and airy, or more reflective and spiritual using imagery from nature and interesting pieces of ephemera from the late 1800's all the way through the 1960's.  

More and more people are finding ways to return to their roots - whether it be starting an urban garden, using salvaged goods from a local flea market to make a house a home, or using grandmother's recipe for old-fashioned tea cakes, there is a definite nod to our past.  And why shouldn't there be?  Things might not have been perfect in the "good ol' days", but there is something to be said for craftsmanship, making something from scratch, and a good day of hard work and elbow grease.  

I feel a definite tie to this movement and work hard to make sure my art reflects those ideals, histories, and spirit.  Each work is completely hand made and I use a variety of different medias such as ink, watercolor, scrapbook paper, photographs, and old letters (see an example of my work below).   


I hope you enjoy my blog as I set off on this wild adventure of mine and are able to find something for you within it!  Be sure to check back often for weekly updates and go to the projects page for free printables and fun DIY ideas!

 My Etsy store should be up and running within a few weeks time so I hope you will stop back by to check out my collection soon!