Merry Christmas

Here are a few glimpses of the Christmas season here at Sweet Eventide Photography.

Sending you a heartfelt thanks for spending another year on the internet with me!

Merry Christmas!

Pinterest + Map Pins + My New Hometown

Recently, I was invited by Pinterest to create a new board about my hometown and try out their new map pins. I'm truly enjoying pinning all the places I have discovered since moving to my new hometown of Portland 2+ years ago!

A big fun thank you to Pinterest for including my Scene Around Portland board in their email newsletter this morning and hello to all my new followers! I'm looking forward to pinning with you all!

Quiet Beauty of Winter

Are you feeling the pressure -- to do the decorating, the making, the baking, the buying, the wrapping, the organizing, the traveling, the everything? I am starting to feel it but I yearn to pause and see the quiet beauty of winter.

This post is permission for you to stop, take a deep breath (smell the roses through your nose, blow out the candle through your mouth) and simply be still for a few moments. Tell someone how much you love them today, let someone ahead of you in line, have cereal for dinner and cut yourself some slack.

I hope you have whatever kind of weekend you need right now: productive, social, quiet, calm, organized or spontaneous.

P.S. Don't forget to enter my postcard giveaway this weekend!

Giveaway Time for One Branch Postcard Subscriptions

I'm so pleased to announce that Bonnie Christine from Going Home to Roost and I have partnered to offer a beautiful giveaway for my One Branch Postcards. Winners will receive a special edition 8x10 print of the custom illustration that Bonnie created for me.

All of the details are on the giveaway blog post on Going Home to Roost, including how to enter. The givewaway ends on 12/15 at midnight Eastern time.

You can view every image in the One Branch Postcard subscriptions collected on this new Pinterest board. It is the first time I have shown all the images in one place! Go enter the giveaway, I hope you win!

Introducing Photo Jewelry

I am happy to announce I have a supplier for photo jewelry! Of course I used my best-selling Loads of Ranunculus for the first ones.

These come without a chain, as I don't have a supplier for those in place and most of us have a chain we can use at home already. I used one of mine for the photographs. Pendants are $40, measure 3/4" by 1" and ship in one week. Order by December 15th for holiday gifting!

If you are local to me in Portland, you can see this photo jewelry in person tonight at JoLa Cafe's Holiday Artisan Market and Happy Hour . The event hours are 6-9 p.m. and I would love to see you there.

Softcover Photo Book

I made a slideshow* to show you the beautiful softcover photo book I created and published with Artifact Uprising.

Sweet Eventide Vol. 1 from Jessica Nichols on Vimeo.

This 56-page premium soft cover photo book features some of my most beloved iPhone images. It is 5.5 inches square and printed on 100% Post Consumer Recycled paper.  My first batch of books sold out and my second batch will arrive around December 13th. There is a little secret at the end of the book for you, and it's not a photograph but it is a part of my heart.

People are saying lovely things like:

"Your book is Magnificent."

-- Jamie W.

You can pre-order your copy using this link.

* The music I chose is in the public domain, isn't it beautiful?

The Art of the Art Fair Booth Display

I spent a fair amount of time looking at booth displays online in preparation for Handmade NW and I've pinned quite a few to a new board for your inspiration. With the busy holiday season upon us, I wanted to share the art of my art fair booth display. It was a creative challenge that I enjoyed quite a bit. I reused the reclaimed fence board wall I built two years ago as the main part of my display, but otherwise I redesigned my booth entirely. Without further ado, here are some photographs of my booth.

After taking a small amount of input, I opted for no sign at all and decided to let my canvas gallery wraps draw people over to my booth. I did find some awesome chunky wooden letters to spell out the word PHOTOS and went to a bit of trouble to figure out how to attach them to my fence wall but then forgot to put them up until the holiday bazaar was 3/4 over. Oops. The total footprint of my art fair booth was 6' by 4' and I had the following products to display: holiday greeting card sets, 2014 calendars, my first photo book (another blog post on that will be up this week soon), large prints, One Branch postcard subscriptions and clearance inventory.

Side note: isn't the trickiest part of doing an art fair deciding how much inventory to make and bring?! Yikes!

My mother-in-law Betty had the vision to try my IKEA Expedit unit in front of the fence wall, and it worked so brilliantly that I bought a second unit. I also purchased two clamp lights from IKEA as I knew I would have access to electricity. I shopped high and low for weeks for vintage (or new) wire baskets to fit in the cubbies and in the end, I borrowed the woven baskets I already had at home. My other incredible in-laws, Bob and Marcia not only lent me their iPad for a slideshow of my work, but they built me a gorgeous iPad stand from a Pinterest DIY!

I have switched to selling prints of my photographs only in large formats, but I still had some inventory from when I sold 8x12s and 8x10s. For my booth, I needed a way to let shoppers browse both my large format photographs and my clearance inventory. As luck would have it, I had a piece of expanded sheet metal* in my basement that exactly fit the opening to my IKEA Expedit pieces. It was white so I went to my local Blick art supply store and got a can of Montana Gold Acrylic spray paint to make it dark brown. My husband had the genius idea to attach the sheet metal to the Expedit unit with twine. (Well let's be honest, he used a bright orange bungee cord that didn't quite mesh with my overall aesthetic.) It was actually the quickest part of the display to set up on show day and it made it very easy for shoppers to browse my inventory of 16x24 and 20x30 photographs.

I knew I would be showcasing my One Branch cancer support postcards and not only did I hire one of my favorite local florists, Elizabeth from Espe Floral, to do a floral design for my booth, I also hired one of my favorite bloggers and illustrators, Bonnie from Going Home to Roost to design a custom illustration for my showcase product. Both of these talented women used their expertise to bring the quote that inspired the product's name to life.

Although I was very disappointed in my sales totals, I also knew it was not a reflection of me or my work. It is only a reflection of the crowd of shoppers there that day. I received wonderful feedback on my booth, my photography and my One Branch postcards. My art fair booth definitely stood out among all the standard six-foot folding tables.  I hope my booth inspires you to think outside of the folding table for your next art fair, craft fair or holiday bazaar.

* Thank you cousin Jarrad for that idea and terminology. In fact, I would like to take a moment and thank my entire family and several close friends who supported me in prepping for my first art fair in two years. It sure does take a village to raise children and put art into the world.

Holiday Bazaar Prep

It has been 10 days since my last blog post? I promise I haven't disappeared off the planet, but I have been very busy prepping for my first art fair in two years. Here is a small collage of some of the behind-the-scenes prep work I have been doing for the Handmade NW Holiday Bazaar at OHSU.

I am using the same installation but have made a lot of updates as far as my display goes. There is new furniture, a new medium (gallery wrapped canvas!) and of course, all new products (my first photo book and greeting card sets). I will have large prints and my 2014 calendar on hand also. (Remember I am not selling small prints anymore.)

I love my new bowl that I found to hold my business cards. I am going to be shining the spotlight on my One Branch postcard subscriptions at this event and I have two special plans in motion towards that end. You'll have to stay tuned till next week for the reveal. Today almost all of my inventory was delivered, and my dog Jackson was going berserk with the doorbell ringing so many times. It has been an exciting day here.

If you want more behind-the-scenes peeks, please follow me on Instagram where I update almost daily on all things Sweet Eventide.

Handmade NW Holiday Bazaar at OHSU

I'm quite excited to share that I will be doing my first art fair in nearly two years!

For Portland friends and fans, I would love to see you at the Handmade NW Holiday Bazaar!

I am planning a beautiful, immersive booth experience with a mix of old favorites, new mediums and new products.

Sweet Eventide 2014 Calendars Available

Introducing Sweet Eventide's 2014 Calendar, Natura. 

This 2014 calendar is a collection of my favorite images from nature, or natura as they say in Italian.

Here is the complete collection of photographs included in Natura:

(rows from top to bottom, months from left to right)

January through March April through June July through September October through December

Order your Natura 2014 Calendar for $25.

Scene Around Portland: Cathedral Park and the St. Johns Bridge

After living here for over two years, and seeing countless pictures of the year taken there, I finally made it to Cathedral Park and got my own photo of the iconic St. Johns Bridge.

You can purchase this photograph for $95.

From the city of Portland's website, I learned more about this location and bridge.

"The site which now bears the name Cathedral Park is steeped in history. It is believed to be one of the 14 Lewis and Clark landing sites in the Vancouver-Portland area: William Clark and eight men camped there on April 2, 1806. This spot had been a fishing and camping site for many area Indian tribes. In 1847, the founder of St Johns, James John, settled on the site and operated a ferry to Linnton across the Willamette River. In 1931, the St Johns Bridge was built on the site with 400-ft towers and a main span of 1,207 feet. It is the only steel suspension bridge in Portland."

Tidbit about me: I am one of those people who is really afraid of heights. I'm fine on most of the bridges in Portland because they are fairly low and short distances. I avoid driving on this bridge as much as possible. I think I've only driven over it three times in over two years.

Soul*Full Summit with Catherine Just

Catherine Just is a friend I made when I took Hello Soul, Hello Business last year and it was a true pleasure to meet her in person this summer while she was in Portland for the World Domination Summit. Her Instagram account (@cjust) is a source of daily joy and inspiration to me. She is putting on her Soul*Full Summit right now, a series of video interviews with thought leaders on crafting your own greatness and living with more confidence and courage. Every day from Oct. 14-24, Catherine is releasing a selection of interviews and they are live for one day only (unless you purchase lifetime access, of which 50% of each purchase goes towards Down Syndrome Education International).

I want to share a little about my day yesterday as it all combined to lead up to the moment when I chose to watch don Miguel Ruiz Jr.'s interview. Yesterday was a particularly hard day for me. I had gone to physical therapy (for a shoulder injury from last summer) and I was quite sore. I have multiple projects going for my work, my computer is very outdated and a source of near constant frustration. I felt overwhelmed by my expectations of my household responsibilities, (the yard work alone this time of year, oy) and my son was pushing a certain limit for what feels like the umpteenth time. I lost my patience with him in a big way and then was mired in guilt, self-judgment and bad feelings that I chose to expand to include every role I play in my life. After going for a walk in the cold, dark evening, I remembered the Summit. I had very little time left to watch that day's episodes. I did not know this interview would break open my soul. And, of course, it was more than just yesterday that led up to the power of this interview, it was my entire life.

I had of course heard about The Four Agreements by don Miguel Ruiz, and I had even spoken with my husband and son once about how our family could use some work on not taking things personally. Meanwhile, I continued to take all manner of things personally in my family, all the while knowing somewhere inside that I can only control myself. This I have learned so many times in my life, this is something I know. (I know, but still, I forget to practice.) Even bigger than taking things personally is my well-exercised muscle in judging myself. I had flexed the muscle in a big way only 45 minutes prior to hearing don Miguel Ruiz Jr. tell Catherine that everything in our lives is something we have said yes to being there. Everything, and most importantly, our thoughts. That's when my soul broke wide open to receive this information. It was divine timing from the Universe.

When I judge myself, or take things personally, I am saying yes to keeping these thoughts as evidence against ME. I am using these things to chip away at the very essence of my soul, and my spirit. When I look in the mirror, and judge; when I make a mistake as a mother, and judge; when I don't progress professionally at some expected pace, and judge; when I say no to things I am afraid of, and judge; when I eat organically or not, and judge myself either way.

It never ends with me, the judging.

When my son does A-B-C and I'm not interested in those activities but I turn it into something personal against me instead of seeing it for what it is: it is me saying no to those things instead of him saying no to me. If my husband wants to go rock climbing on Saturdays instead of purging the basement with me, that is not about me! If I tell myself over and over that I am not enough, I am not worthy, I am not successful, I am not an athlete, I don't know how to be a good mother because I didn't have mine around, I am breaking myself down and choosing to be those things.

Tonari no Totoro by Victor Vercesi

This illustration represents what I learned last night from don Miguel Ruiz Jr. and Catherine Just. I can fill my head with hurtful, painful, judging thoughts or I can free myself from those things and fill my head with beautiful, loving, empowering thoughts. Only I can set me free. Just as only I have limited myself, now I can expand myself. I have a lot to learn but I wept throughout the interview. My tears carried the wisdom straight into my heart.

I have not shared on this blog very much of my childhood. I have chosen quite actively to move forward always, and not look back. I want to share, and therefore remind myself, that my spirit and my soul have always mattered:

• even though I grew up without my mother,
• even though I was raised by my father in a toxic, violent environment at times,
• even though I struggled through college for 10 years, 
• even though I married the wrong person the first time,
• even though I estranged myself from my father the year before he died,
• even though I got cancer,
• even though cancer gave me secondary infertility,
• even though cancer gave me early menopause,
• even though everything.

I have survived so many things in my years on this planet because I matter. I keep growing and learning about myself. I was ready for this lesson about how I think and that's why it came to me.  I am ready to think anew. As Catherine says, "Don't leave before the miracle happens."

Autumn Grows

I think the transition from summer into autumn can be difficult for families. Going from the unscheduled, warm and carefree days of summer to the structure of the school week, from getting up on time to making lunches, signing permission slips and doing homework -- well, it makes sense that it's difficult even if it's a welcome change and you're the type who likes routines. Certainly going from autumn to winter is less challenging and winter into spring is a breeze.

After five full weeks, I am very happy to report that my family has successfully transitioned into the school year for the first time since we moved to Oregon in 2011. Our son is thriving under the energetic and enthusiastic care of his new teacher. He has some buddies in his class from last year and he is engaged in his learning. It is a huge, huge relief for us. (Now there are "only" the average ups and downs in a family of balancing everyone's needs and wants. Which as I shared in this post can be quite challenging for me still).

Although it has always been important for me to honor my needs and self-care, it has not always been easy to accomplish. I have had many days and hours in Portland over the past two years that were filled with conflict and struggle, doubts and sadness. There were certainly days and hours of contentedness and ease, confidence and happiness. I did not ever regret leaving California, but I knew if this third year didn't turn overall more positive, then I was not sure how I would manage anymore.

Settling into school after two extremely challenging years is a big victory but the little victories make me proud as well. Little things like navigating from the South Waterfront to the Alphabet District last week using a combination of streets and freeways without needing to use the map on my iPhone. Woo to the hoo people!

I could adapt this quote to say:

Tensions decrease, and roots grow, Jess in everything.

What Photography Means to Me

Yesterday, I was one burned out mama in need of time alone. So I got my husband to hold down the fort, grabbed my camera and drove away from home with no plan. I ended up out near the Portland International Airport and parked my car directly under the flight path just as the sun was setting. Ahh...bliss.

I watched the crescent moon, the snow on Mt. Hood, the headlights on the cars going by and the lights under the airplanes coming in for a landing. I felt the brisk wind rustle in the trees around me and I listened to the roar of those jet engines over my head. All the while, I was clicking away on my Canon, totally oblivious to my cranky, spent mood from half an hour before.

With the very last light, I put away my camera and snapped a photo of the scene with my phone for Instagram. Without thinking, I wrote about what photography means to me and now I would like to share it with you too.

I am a photographer because I need to see the magic all around me every day. The days can be so long, so full of conflict and negotiation and giving and deciding things and struggling. When I am running on fumes and desperate for me, my camera is always there to help me see the magic that is there all along, even when I'm too worn out to see it without my lens. And my camera doesn't care about my grammar. And I hope my photographs have helped you see the magic on your hard days too. That is my deepest wish.

Artist Profile: Hal Lasko, the Pixel Painter

This video came into my Pinterest feed this morning and stopped me in my tracks. It made my heart swell and my eyes fill with tears of love. I had to share it with you as soon as possible.

Isn't Hal a fantastic inspiration?

See more of his work on his website. I have quite a fondness for Treescape.

Brave Intuitive Painting: A Beautiful Mess

My mother-in-law Marcia is now hooked on Brave Intuitive Painting just like me. So last weekend, I brought my paints and two brand-new wood panels over to her house and we painted together. I took some behind-the-scenes photographs to share with you.

"What art offers is space -- a certain breathing room for the spirit." John Updike

Have a beautiful weekend friends.

Autumn Dahlias

Earth laughs in flowers. {Ralph Waldo Emerson}

Have a wonderful weekend friends.

The Secret of Change

The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new. -- Socrates (not the Socrates you think)

For the past several months, I have been contemplating the direction of my blog. When I started blogging seven years ago, it was a chronicle of my life as a young mom battling cancer. After three years of that, I wanted to grow beyond my identity as a cancer survivor and mother. I began lightening up my content on the blog as I grew as a photographer and established my business. I tried to make it less about my personal life and more about my work.

I believe that I took too much of me out of my content however. I have gotten feedback three times in the three months from three different people (one of whom is me) about this idea.

1. I have shared many, many pretty photographs but if you are new to my blog and do not know my cancer history, you do not see that there is that edge to my work. The edge is missing, which is what gives my work depth and meaning.

2. There is actually no single location on my blog that tells my cancer story that is easy to find and read.

3. I am still actively dealing with late effects from cancer treatments eight years ago, feeling isolated about it and not sharing any of it on my blog.

This morning after I dropped my son off at school, I parked near the river and walked out on to a dock. I watched these two girl friends enter the river on their SUPs, and push off. Within moments, the current of the Willamette River whisked them north and out of my view.

I am going to stop fighting the old and start building the new. My blog is ready to grow beyond the two extremes of being all about my life with cancer and all about my work. It is about me and if i work on finding that just-right balance of content, I will build something new, build community, feel less alone and hopefully help others who may be dealing with the same things that I am. I want to be like the two women paddling this morning: going with the current and finding my flow, instead of fighting all the changes in front of me, paddling against the current and getting nowhere fast.

My hope is that by sharing more of me again, the true depth of my work behind the camera will be more easily seen with the eyes, because it has always had my heart and soul in it. I admit it is scary to add some of the depth and dark edges back to my writing here. However, I am going through a lot of changes and I realized this morning that I do not have to do it alone. I have simply chosen to do it alone out of fear.

Brave Intuitive Painting: Inner Sea

I shared a new section from my painting on Instagram recently, in which I said, "The trouble is I love bits & pieces of my painting, but they are quite far from working together as a whole." The positive response to it was unexpected and uplifting. Someone amazing even mentioned wanting to buy a print! So I played with it, I only have lustre photo paper on hand though and I really want to see it on a matte paper with more texture.

I'm not sure what is more engaging to me, the analog experience of saturated colors right before my eyes, on my hands, in my sink or the wholly unknowing of what is going to happen on the next layer. All I know is I love painting and it makes me feel joyful inside. Today happens to be my birthday and I got two trips to the art store as gifts! Lucky girl!

Brave Intuitive Painting: My Peacock

I have still been painting but in smaller dibs and dabs instead of working on larger areas. I thought I would show you the progression of my peacock. I shared the story of how he appeared in this post. I have shared some glimpses of the painting on Instagram but I'm going to dedicate Fridays on the blog to painting updates as well.

I have a brand new 24x24 canvas waiting for me. It feels as good to me as a shiny, new notebook always did on the first day of school.

Do you paint? Do you use oils or acrylics?