Subway Drawings

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I did a series of illustrations for the TTC Sketch the Line competition — even if they don’t end up getting accepted, these were a lot of fun to do!

When I first moved to the city, riding the subway was a JOY and a TREAT! (“You mean there’s an underground train? That’ll take me exactly I need to go? And it just zooms along and sometimes there are little brown mice in the tunnels and maybe if I’m extra lucky there’ll be a DOG on the train too?”) After a few years, as with anything, the novelty wore off and I’d feel annoyed when the subway was too full or too hot or too slow.

But every once in a while, I’ll look up and scan the people waiting on the platform and I’ll wonder if anyone, in that big crowd of people, told their partner “I love you” for the first time today? Who couldn’t find matching socks and is hoping no one will notice? Who just found out they’re going to be a parent? Who just realized they forgot their packed lunch at home? It makes me a little less annoyed with the subway and a little more aware of all the glimpses of humanity and small niceties that you can catch happening between strangers.

little springtime surprises :)

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Oh MAN do I ever love the small details that you start noticing when spring is around the corner.

Hello! (An introduction to me!)

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Hello, and thanks for taking the time to peruse my site and read this little blog. I’d love to take a second to introduce myself to give you an idea of who I am and why I do what I do!

I live and work in downtown Toronto in Canada, as you have probably guessed by all the storefront illustrations I’ve drawn from there! Though I’ve been doodling little cartoons and scribbles for as long as I can remember, I started seriously illustrating in 2016. My first ever storefront illustration was of Bitondo’s Pizzeria, a beloved hole-in-the-wall pizza place that is a 1970s time capsule, and haven’t really stopped since then.

My goals for the future include branching out into other cities because, uh, I don’t know if you noticed this but I’ve kind of dug myself into a bit of a NICHE here with my Toronto-specific illustrations, haven’t I? I’d love to illustrate storefronts in notable Canadian cities like Vancouver, Montreal, Halifax, etc — and then after that, perhaps branch off into international territory!

I also love comics, and have really enjoyed making small comics here and there of funny conversations I’ll have or silly moments that I thought were worth capturing. On a more serious note, I’m also working on a graphic novel about my relationship with food and body image and my experiences with disordered eating. Will I finish it this century? I… truly don’t know, but, uh, let’s hope so!

I currently use ink and watercolour to create my illustrations, though recently I’ve been playing around with pencil crayons and digital illustration.

As a self-taught artist who runs this entire operation solo, I often feel like I’m working my way through a dark room using my fingertips to guide me. I’m constantly learning and figuring things out on my own (honestly, if I had a nickel for every time I’ve had to google “how to do _____ on photoshop” I would be a RICH, RICH GAL), but am also really grateful to be doing this in an age when you can really connect with people from all over via social media like Instagram. So, that being said — if you want to say hi, by all means! Reach out, say hello, send me a message. I feel really lucky to know so many brilliant creatives and lovely people who are interested in my illustrations, both IRL and online.

Anywho, before I go, here’s a list of things that make me happy: summer, pizza, cats, getting real knee deep into podcasts and TV shows and have their plots and stories swimmin’ in my brain, when someone says “oh, this made me think of you,” scones, ~fancy cocktails~, comics (I look forward to TCAF every year with unabashed excitement), and, uh, ice cream.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a lovely day!