January 2016 Creative Challenge Winner + Entries

In the past two weeks, many gorgeous pieces of artwork and calligraphy made their way into my inbox as part of the TPK January 2016 Creative Challenge! The challenge was a lot of fun for me because it gave me a chance to interact with some of the creatives who read the TPK blog, and to be inspired by the different styles of calligraphy and illustration that I saw. In today’s blog post, I want to share some of the pieces I received with you! First, though, allow me to announce the winner … and a bit of a surprise:

Many congratulations!! It was fun doing this in a raffle format, and I received feedback from some entrants that they really enjoyed participating. If you have any feedback or suggestions for challenges like this in the future, I’d love for you to comment on this post. I’m open to doing more challenges if you are! Now, without further ado, I’m going to show you a few pieces that were submitted. All of these pieces were posted with permission from the artist. Please note that if your piece doesn’t show up here, it is only due to lack of space! I wish I could share all of the entries, but there were so many that I had to relegate myself to posting a handful.

Illustration Entry by Ali B.

I love the use of wavy lines and different shades of watercolor to ensure a lot of nice contrast here. The sea monster is a great touch; it adds some playfulness!

Goal List Entry by Annemieke S.

Annemieke’s illustrations are an absolute delight, and literally illustrate her goals (for example, I love the speech bubble “No” by “Set limits to help me stay focused”)! If you’d like to see more of Annemieke’s work, you can check out her website.

Card and Envelope Pair Entries by Mackenzie M.

It can be tough to come up with design motifs for little boys — but Mackenzie nailed it with this monster-themed card and envelope for her five-year-old cousin! She exercises great use of colors and shapes here.

Illustration Entry by Sarah I.

This illustration reminds me of a calm winter night; Sarah did an amazing job of evoking a certain feeling with the use of color and strokes in this piece! I love her skillful use of white highlights.

All Entries by Annah S.

This entry was actually submitted by Annah’s art teacher, who had several students in her class participate in the challenge! The stacked vintage teacups here are awesome, and I love the state-themed envelope art.

Card and Envelope Pair Entries by Alba C.

Alba has made the quintessential beautiful Valentine’s Day stationery here! The black, red, and white color scheme is top-notch, as is the calligraphy! To learn how to draw roses like Alba’s, you can check out the How to Draw Roses tutorial or the DIY Holiday Card + Artistic Envelope tutorial. To see more of Alba’s work, you may visit her Instagram page.

Goal List and Illustration Entries by Jenny L.

Jenny’s unique spin on a botanical-bordered goal list is a delight to look at! I love its muted color scheme and clean look. For her illustration, she switched gears and chose very warm, vibrant colors. Check out her awesome blending! You can see more of Jenny’s work on her Instagram page.

Illustration Entry by Audrie M.

Audrie creatively merged calligraphy and an illustrated element to add impact to her message. She did a great job of achieving thin upstrokes and thick downstrokes with her Nikko G nib and white ink!

Card Entry by Jenny R.

The watercolor floral motif here is lovely with its different shades of pink! A simple Sans Serif “LOVE” in a banner transforms the piece into a perfect Valentine’s Day card.

Illustration Entry by Nina K.

The color scheme Nina used here is evocative of spring! You can tell that she knows her way around a watercolor palette; the combination of different hues and generous allowance of highlights makes this piece fun to look at.

Illustration Entry by Grace G.

This piece is simple, muted, and demure — which is why I love it! When you look at this artwork, it’s clear that Grace lives up to her name. To see more of Grace’s work, you can visit her Instagram page.

Illustration and Goal List Entries by Hogan S.

There’s just something about watercolor animals framed with a botanical border (plus Hogan’s photo styling is top-notch)! I also love the serene simplicity of her goal list.

Goal List by Paula B.

Paula’s florals feature an appealing, subdued color scheme. Her technique in painting them ensures that they enhance — rather than steal the spotlight from — her calligraphed goals!

Illustration Entry by Sonya M.

Sonya’s light hand and attention to detail is remarkable! The cat’s eyes look almost 3D from her expert blending and use of highlights.

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I would like to extend my hearty congratulations again to Bron and Anne for winning this challenge — you two will soon be receiving some fun goodies in the mail! If I could, I would give prizes to everyone who participated … and, in fact, I was considering it until the number of entries shot up exponentially. 🙂 Every single entry I received was great in its own unique way, with no exceptions. Thank you so much for participating, and, again, if you have feedback as far as whether you liked this challenge and what entry requirements you’d like to see in future challenges, I’d love to hear them in the comments!

Enjoy the rest of your day!

Warmly,