I first met Carmen Bright over 10 years ago on our very first day at Art school. And since that moment I’ve been in absolute awe of her art prowess!

Since around 2012, Carmen has produced her ‘On the Bright Side Doodles‘ (I believe they were originally titled “The Bumbling Bee”). Part Sumi-I painting and part New Yorker cartoon, Carmen’s doodles display relatable Slice of Life moments and nuggets of day-to-day wisdom through smooth, confident brushwork. That’s right; she draws em’ all by hand in the real world with a real brush.

Sometimes lighthearted and fun,sometimes dealing with intense struggles with anxiety, and sometimes both, Carmen’s doodles follow the rhythms of real life. And keeping the drawings looser and less ‘finished’ gives them that intimate sketchbook quality – which can only be emphasized and enhanced by reading them in the form of one of her handmade zines!

Seeing Carmen’s doodles show up on my newsfeed is often a highlight of my day, and really, I’m trying to spread the word about her so she’ll get enough support to start drawing them more often. So ‘Like’ her Facebook page and… do whatever it is you do with a tumblr page, and help show her how awesome her work is!

“Life of Bria” meets “On the Bright side”.

Once again I’ve done a little fan art. It really is a travesty that I drew it digitally instead of with a brush, but I’m pleased with the amalgamation of my style with hers.