#keturahariel

Picture I took of the moon from my patio. And a pic after hanging the macrame planters I made today. This sunset lighting is really a whole vibe.

Artist, entrepreneur, plant lady.

One of my favorite commissioned projects I got to work on this year. HP asked me to create coloring pages that centered around diversity and inclusion. They gave me 100% creative freedom to do what I wanted and paid me well to do it. Download the free pages here.

It is so important to see color because every color has power and meaning. From a young age we assign certain behavior to particular colors without realizing that it is harmful and something we must unlearn. For this reason, I will always put black women and girls at the center of my work. I understand that dark skin is far too often devalued, misrepresented, and overlooked.

Jamila’s voice is a whole vibe. Love this song.

I think it’s pretty dope to be able to walk around in something that a friend of mine custom made from scratch. Thanks Ibe !

I legit thought I was gonna pass out when I got to the top, loool… the hill was mad steep.

This has been a wild year so far… the dichotomy of culture changing covid and blm vs one of my books being on the nyt bestsellers list 10weeks straight and potentially getting to work with a client of my dreams… it’s really hard to wrap my head around everything. It’s an extremely weird feeling to be honest, but nothing makes me feel more grounded than hiking in the woods or biking in the city. Thankful for things I can rely on, thankful for simplicity.

Two years after it was released my first published book made it to number ONE on the NYT Bestsellers List! I honestly cannot believe it. I knew when Grace chose me to illustrate this book that it would have a profound affect on me and anyone who embraced its message. Never did I imagine that it would be SO many people, especially at a time when systemic change and the eradication of racism is needed…where better to start than at home. Identifying that the world is a diverse place and how important it is that the books we read reflect that. I will always feel optimistic about the future because no matter how difficult things are currently, I have hope that the future generations will be better than us.

Waiting for Spring to sprung… meanwhile 2020 is a whole mess ‍♀️. The sun shining like this, absolutely had to get out and explore… it’s easy to keep a six foot distance when you’re surrounded by trees and streams for miles. And waterproof boots are definitely the move if you’re the hiking type.

Painted a commissioned Whitney Houston jacket last month as an xmas gift. Had to complete it in like 2 days to get it in the mail in time!

The forever denim jacket series… only getting better at these.

More of this stuff and less of the things that really don’t matter.

Before I added the details to her shirt.

This color palette though So glad I was able to check out Otherworld this past weekend. Such a dope Exhibit/Installation.

This beautiful book is out today! Published by Dial Books for Young Readers/ Penguin Publishing. One of three books that I worked on last year (which I wouldn’t recommend anyone to do btw, so stressful). But it was a total dream to work with everyone from Penguin and the author. It’s truly a body of work (32 pages) I’m very proud of.