November 2023 Update

I'm amazed that November has already arrived! Time is passing so quickly. I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all of you for being a part of my email list. Your support means the world to me. My intention is to send out monthly emails where I can share my latest work, offerings, tutorials, and valuable resources. Please don't hesitate to let me know if there's anything specific you'd like to see or learn more about.

Allow me to introduce myself a little. I'm Sally Eberhart, the creative force behind Sajoba Design. The name "Sajoba" holds deep personal significance to me, as it's formed from the first two letters of my birth name. When I decided to establish my own business, there was no doubt in my mind that this was the name I should use. My business tagline is "Exploring, Learning, & Creating!"

I recently retired from a career as an elementary teacher in Alaska, followed by a role as a professional development specialist for a major technology company. For the past 16 years, I traveled extensively across the United States, collaborating with teachers and students to effectively integrate technology into instruction.

Art and creativity have been lifelong passions for me, and I decided to retire and dedicate my time to doing the things I love. I'm currently exploring various art mediums, both digital and traditional, taking classes, and embarking on creative projects. My aspiration is to create and share beautiful works with you, my dear reader, while also teaching and passing on what I'm learning along this remarkable journey. So, stay tuned for more!

Exciting news, my website, SajobaDesign.com, has finally launched! Hooray! Many of you have already visited it as you signed up through the email link on my website.

In the past, I used to run a web design business and worked with HTML and CSS, but I struggled to bring my vision to life. Then I discovered Squarespace, which is where my current website is created and hosted.

The black background was actually a happy accident, but personally, I find it quite appealing. What do you think?

I have lots of plans for additional pages and features in the future.

Exploring

Throughout this past month, I've been immersed in the world of surface pattern design, crafting seamless patterns with potential applications in digital paper, fabric, wallpaper, and beyond. The goal is to achieve a surface pattern that flows flawlessly, concealing any telltale seams. While many pattern designers turn to Adobe Illustrator for its vector capabilities, I'm still in the process of learning it. In the meantime, I've been using Procreate to create my designs. I found a cool resource to test pattern designs at AmandaGraceDesign.com.

I recently designed some Halloween patterns, which I've shared on both my Instagram and my Etsy store. Crafting abstract art repeat patterns is proving to be a bit more challenging, but I'm actively honing my skills in that area.

Learning

As a teacher, I believe in lifelong learning!

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”
― William Butler Yeats

Since the end of August, I've been deeply engrossed in "Leverage Your Art," a course offered once a year by Stacie Bloomfield, which focuses on taking your art business to the next level. One of my primary motivations was to set up my art business, and also to connect with new friends, and I'm delighted to say that these goals have been met. My efforts have been concentrated on building the foundation of my business while continuing to refine my artistic skills. I'm now part of four different art cohort groups where we convene weekly to discuss our journeys, share and critique our work, and foster a sense of community.

I've also begun a class, "Learn the Art of Procreate" by Beth Berns Buffington (BDI-Create.Today), which has been incredibly insightful. I thought I knew a lot about Procreate, but Beth is filling in many gaps in my knowledge.

Another great learning resource is Skillshare, an online learning community where you can explore thousands of classes in illustration, design, photography, and more. If you haven’t checked it out yet, I encourage you to take a look. You can use this link to join Skillshare, and get 1 Month Free and 40% off your first payment. One of my favorite teachers is Delores Naskrent who offers a ton of courses on Procreate, Affinity Designer, Photoshop, Illustrator, and a ton of fun project classes.

Creating

My son and I have been doing a lot of acrylic pour painting. He is really good and is teaching me a lot. This art form incorporates a fair amount of science. It involves blending acrylic paints with pouring mediums to achieve distinct densities. By starting with low-density paints and subsequently overlaying them with higher-density ones, we create a scenario in which the denser paints sink while the lighter ones rise to the surface, resulting in the captivating cellular patterns you can observe here. If you want to see more of his work, check out his Instagram: NickJamesCreations. You can see one of my pieces here. Check out my Instagram to see more ….

#acrylicpourpainting #fluidart

I've been quite productive! Over the last month, I've refreshed my Etsy shop listings and added some fresh offerings. You'll now discover digital paper, Apple Watch wallpapers, digital stickers, and a selection of seasonal sticker books.

I'm in the process of exploring various print-on-demand options and outlining a plan for the upcoming year. I also plan to create some online classes. I'm interested in hearing your thoughts and ideas. What would you like to see?Please feel free to reach out and share your insights with me.

In closing, I want to share my heartfelt gratitude for your support. I wish you a wonderful and thankful month ahead! Keep learning and creating!!

Always,

Sally