alaskan adventure

I am off to Alaska on Friday for a mini-con and camping with cartoonists! I’m nervously excited. If you’re in Juneau, please come by!

snack time

when we spend our whole day providing comfort, it’s hard to resist comfort food <3

the flow

An artist career is one that cannot be charted or replicated – it has its own flow. As I sat down to draw today I remembered deciding years ago to reduce my daily drawings to weekly. I was nervous that it would impact my income and that I would lose the audience I had worked so hard to build. Stopping was necessary though – I needed to complete Pashmina.

I went from producing a finished illustration 4-5 times a week to once a week. I posted older images to keep connecting with people, but as Pashmina took my focus I reduced those posts as well. Now I find myself unconcerned with this irregularity. My career has flowed into new territory.

No longer do I attempt to create daily illustrations – often times I sacrificed the quality of the image for quantity. Pashmina is done and I’ve begun thumbnailing my second book, Jukebox. It demands my focus as well. I may not be creating illustrations every day, but I am creating daily. The opportunity to create longer narratives – to make books – is one I’ve dreamt of since I was little. Both disciplines are worthwhile – but for now, my heart is in comics. I will be traveling throughout the year to promote Pashmina – in April I’ll be at the Cleveland Museum of Art and in Juneau for the Alaska Mini Con. The opportunities to create illustrations in addition to my other projects and travel will be minimal.

But somedays, like today, I miss my daily drawings. So I stop. I draw. And I continue to follow the flow.

hound dogs

I finally had the time to finish one of the two final watercolor paintings from my Wonderground Gallery residency! Next up, Alice in Wonderland.

All original paintings are available exclusively through the Wonderground Gallery (in person, via email or phone). They come framed, matted and each is priced at $600. WonderGround Gallery can take orders via email at: merchandise.guest.services@disneyparks.com  or by telephone at: 877-560-6477.  Just let Mail Order know that they are interested in the Nidhi Chanani artwork from WonderGround Gallery West and they would be happy to let them know if it’s currently available.

I hope you have a lovely week!

baby barish

After working five weeks non-stop it feels very good to be home. I will be traveling a lot this year and working on new projects that will be announced sometime soon (I hope). My time for personal art is minimal. This image has been floating in my head for weeks – our daughter absolutely loves barish (rain) just like me.

I will be speaking on a panel this Saturday through CAAMfest about Pashmina and storytelling along with some stellar folks – Thi Bui who’s beautiful graphic memoir just released, The Best We Could Do.  Innosanto Nagara who wrote the essential kids book, A is for Activist. If you’re in Oakland please come by!

I will be in Cleveland in April as well as Juneau, Alaska. You can always see my upcoming events here.

I hope you have a wonderful week!

seattle bound

Thank you to all the people who came by Disney’s Wonderground Gallery through the month of February. I finished Snow White and have two other paintings that I’ll finish up after this weekend. But my traveling won’t stop!

I’m driving up to Seattle for Emerald City Comicon. It’s my favorite show of the year and I’m happy that Everyday Love Art will be sharing booth 409 with Unicorn Crafts! I will have prints, cards, magnets, original watercolors and canvas prints – if you’re in Seattle please come by and say hello.

This year I will also be promoting my debut graphic novel, Pashmina. I will be on FIVE PANELS (eeeks!) with some amazing authors like G. Wilow Wilson and Gene Yang. 

Hope to see you there!

paint and resist

Download the 8.5×11 page here and page 1 here.

It’s been busy over here but I’m happy to return to these coloring pages – here’s page 2. Our dedicated activist comes upon an artist on her journey!

These are free, downloadable coloring pages. This is how I resist – by telling stories and creating art. I hope this will be a tool to help parents and teachers talk about protesting, fighting the good fight and loving each other. Obviously there is no age limit – anyone can download and color these pages.

I do a requests – if you color this page, please take a photo and share it in the comments. I’d love to see it!

Thank you, always, for your support. We will get through this with love.

disney watercolors

Belle (sold)

The rescuers – available

Esmeralda – available

Pocahontas – available

Mickey and Minnie – available

It’s been a whirlwind of traveling back and forth from southern California – I’ve finished five watercolors while signing, meeting loads of wonderful people and catching up with old friends. Thank you to everyone who’s come to say hi! This Friday and Saturday will be the last of my Disney residency – I’m planning on painting Alice in Wonderland and Lilo and Stitch. If you’re around I hope you’ll swing by! For now these are only available as originals and if Wonderground Gallery receives enough requests they will make them into prints.

If you’re interested in purchasing these originals you can! They come framed, matted and each is priced at $600. WonderGround Gallery can take orders via email at: merchandise.guest.services@disneyparks.com  or by telephone at: 877-560-6477.  Just let Mail Order know that they are interested in the Nidhi Chanani artwork from WonderGround Gallery West and they would be happy to let them know if it’s currently available.

After I return I’ll switch into Emerald City Comicon gear! I’ll be in Seattle at the show from March 2-5, booth 409 and on five panels. I’ll post more about that soon. For now I’ll take a tiny break.

I hope you have a great week!

love adventure

This weekend was a whirlwind of fun and fighting the flu! My piece “Love Adventure” was released at the Wonderground Gallery on Saturday. The response was truly humbling and I want to thank anyone who came by to chat, get a signature or watch me paint.

If you can’t make it to Wonderground gallery and are interested in Love Adventure or Our Happy Place, you can order it via email at: merchandise.guest.services@disneyparks.com  or by telephone at: 877-560-6477.  Just let Mail Order know that they are interested in the Nidhi Chanani artwork from WonderGround Gallery West and they would be happy to let them know if it’s currently available.

I’ve also been enjoying live painting every Friday and Saturday evening – I’ve painted Belle, the Rescuers, Esmeralda, and Pocahontas. I’ll be sharing those through this week! I hope you have a happy Monday!

hourly comics day

Every Feb 1st cartoonist participate in hourly comics day. I couldn’t finish my day because I was preparing for my artist residency at Disney, but I finally finished this week (while battling the flu!) so here it is! Also, hope to see you this weekend at Wonderground Gallery for my second weekend as their artist in residence.