Studio Newsletter | September 2025

Hey there, I’d like to be the first to welcome you to September. Let’s start with a question that’s been plaguing my mind - for the love of all that is holy, how do I incorporate Shrinky Dinks into my daily studio practice? The dudes below have absolutely nothing to do with my current work and everything to do with Mythical Creature Day which is a totally made-up (by my five year old and myself) annual holiday celebrated on August 23rd. 2025 was its inaugural year. How is it celebrated? You read and talk about mythical creature facts, make mythical creature crafts, and bake mythical creature-related dessert treats.

Nothing to see here, just some mythical creature Shrinky Dinks. No big deal.

I made some non-mythical creature stuff too.

"She wondered if she would ever catch up to her shadow.” | Tall Shadow, 18”x18”, Flashe on wood panel

"The heat would soon take the small green patches of grass.” | Heat, 8”x8”, Flashe on wood panel

"Night brings a different kind of quiet.” | Different Kind of Quiet, 8”x8”, Flashe on wood panel

You ever complete something and down the road you realize it wasn’t finished at all? The three guys below fall into that category so I finished them for real.

"The freeze would take them soon unlike the canyon that would live forever.” | Live Forever, 8”x8”, Flashe on wood panel

"No one was there to watch it burn.” | No One’s Fire, 8”x8”, Flashe on wood panel

“Raccoon blended in to hide, Snake blended in to silently seek, and Owl was a witness to it all.” | The Snake and the Raccoon, 18”x18”, Flashe on wood panel

STUDIES

Yellow ochre mini cactus paintings.

“Still he stood, conserving his energy for the duration of the hottest season.” | Pencil Cactus (Warm), 2.75”x2.75”, Flashe on matboard

“The thought of navigating through the mess of prickly pear made the canyon seem even farther away.” | Prickly Pear, 2.75”x2.75”, Flashe on matboard

ALTARS | GUIDES | AMULETS

We restocked the amulet necklaces at Artspace111 last month and I’ve started on the next batch.

Blue the Good Luck Fish (Good Fortune) | "'She'll bring good luck to all that believe in her', he said.”

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Celebratin’ September with flowers in this month’s Studio Shop highlight. And if anyone asks, I prefer flowers growing in dirt over flowers in vases.

Broomweed | Original Sketches

The Broomweed Sketches are inspired from the endless bouquets of broomweed seen on our last trip to Caprock Canyons State Park.

$125.00

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Bison (Groundedness Guide)

“Bison demonstrates the importance of establishing roots”

$500.00

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Beauty Soon | Original Painting

“The moment was beautiful, the life surrounding that moment hadn’t caught up to the same beauty.”

$325.00

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Wanna see what started my Shrinky Dinks addiction? Lolly’s dang pals.

Pearl the Possum, Monk the Bison, Mope the Donkey, Artemis the Armadillo, Olive the Owl, Bumble Bee the Brown Bat, and Happy the Javelina.

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Documenting my landscape through paintings and storytelling.

Hi, I’m Layla! I am a painter with a focus on southwestern landscapes and the author/illustrator of a children’s story series called The Lolly Stories. The exploration of home, nature, and storytelling are the major components of both my painting practice and illustrations.