Featured Artist: Cloudsong

Hello friends,

Since I was three or four, I’ve been sketching the human form and the natural world. My parents — and my Uncle, also an artist (and my namesake) — made sure I had art supplies in hand and regular access to art classes. I grew up spending much time in wild spaces, which shaped my eye for color, form, and rhythm. By the time I reached university, I knew I needed to weave Studio Art into my studies alongside clinical psychology. I chose a concentration in 2D Art: printmaking, painting, and drawing. Back then, I resisted digital media, preferring the feel of traditional materials.

Fast forward: after a decade working as a professional herbalist, I made the bold leap back into art. I felt called to create designs that could connect people through shared values and community networks of support. I held my clear vision for my business model — but I needed the art itself.

The truth? For years, I avoided the page and the canvas. Life took new routes as I poured into my studies and practice of herbalism. My creative flow thinned, and I grieved this loss. Eventually, I realized it was time to pick up a new tool: Adobe Illustrator. I remembered how frustrating it had been when I first tried it back in middle school, so this time I enrolled in a couple of Udemy courses. Soon, I was hooked. Illustrator opened a new world where I could merge the mental demands of operating software with the freedom of drawing, much like I once did with printmaking.

My process always begins with color. Each palette is drawn from reference material and wild places I love. In the Kambo Collection, the greens, yellows, and purples were pulled directly from photos I took of the frog in the jungle. El Guacamayo Malu carries the true colors of Malu’s striking feathers. I bring those hues into Illustrator, blending them with textures inspired by woodcut, ink, and brushwork.

I often carry images in my mind’s eye for days, weeks, or even months before they make it to the screen. When it’s time to create, I’ll light pine resin and cedar, put my phone on do-not-disturb, and drop into flow with melodic bass humming in the background. From there, it’s about building the palette, pulling swatches, experimenting with brushes, and letting the design take shape. Illustrator, for me, is limitless — even a simple line can evolve into something alive with just a few shifts.

One thing I hold firm on: Artificial Intelligence never touches my work. Every design is hand-drawn by me on my Wacom Cintiq Pro 22. I lean into experimentation, layering, and stepping away to return with fresh eyes. My pieces come together over long sprints — sometimes in days of nonstop work, sometimes in slower cycles of revision.

The biggest learning curve has been in production. It’s been years since I pulled my own screens, so working with print shops has taught me a lot about halftones, line weights, and how ink interacts with fabric. Each partnership adds a new layer to the creative process.

In the end, my designs are love letters to Earth Medicines — the plants, animals, fungi, and symbols of resilience and healing. I aim to draw people together through shared wonder, weaving dense patterns with little discoveries hidden inside. And then comes the vulnerable part: taking a deep breath and sharing it with the world.

And with that, here’s a first look at my next designs!

Thank you to everyone who motivates and inspires me to keep creating. 🌿

In flow,

Founder

Come see us this month at the following Pop-Ups:

• Longmont Artwalk on Main Longmont | Sat September 13th | 4 - 8 pm

• Colorado Artisan Market, It’s Fall Y’all Denver | Sat Sept 20th & Sun 21st 10:30 am - 5:30 pm