iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Samantha Zim @szim-art.bsky.social · 05/11/2025

Snuck in a sunset session in the canyon after the morning of demos at Zion Forever’s annual art invitational. Couldn’t ask for better conditions to paint in Utah right now! #gouache #watercolor #pleinair #painting #sketchbook

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Samantha Zim @szim-art.bsky.social · 29/10/2025

2026 calendars are now available in my shop! 🏜️🗓️ This calendar is a labor of love, and everything between the covers is hand drawn and lettered from the titles to the date grids and numbering. Quantity limited by my ability to pack and ship them! #watercolor #sketchbook #painting #art

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Reposted by Samantha Zim

Keith W. Dickinson @keithwdickinson.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

Today is a day when arts degrees are worthless, but the product of those degrees is so valuable it would kill an entire industry if they were made to pay for it.

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Samantha Zim @szim-art.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

Which should I pick for August in my 2026 calendar? Help me choose by commenting: 🧡 for sunflowers (1st option) 💙 for moonflowers (2nd option) This will be the sixth year running that I’ve printed a calendar, pre-orders open later this month! #watercolor #sketchbook #drawing

Open moleskine sketchbook showing a watercolor and colored pencil illustration of sunflowers, tomatoes and greens- an abundant garden during harvest season.

Open moleskine sketchbook showing a watercolor, colored pencil and ink illustration of moonflowers- a wide white flower shaped like a trumpet with purple tinged edges and spade shaped leaves.

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Samantha Zim @szim-art.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

Last December I found myself in J Tree with a broken arm- the best way to keep from using it was to sit down and paint! Also, I was so excited to spot this roadrunner that I nearly crashed my car into a rock right outside the visitor center 😅 #watercolor #gouache #sketchbook #joshuatreenp #art

Photograph of an open sketchbook with watercolor illustrations of a gold granite rock shored like an egg with a spikey Joshua tree in front of it, a desert tortoise and a roadrunner. National park stamps decorate the lower right corner of the page

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Samantha Zim @szim-art.bsky.social · 16/09/2025

4 days left to submit a public comment on the Roadless Rule- a designation that protects 30% of all National Forest land like old growth forests, critical wildlife habitat, sacred indigenous sites and the aspen grove where I painted this in 2021💚 #watercolor #sketchbook #art #panitning #moleskine

Open moleskine sketchbook showing a watercolor painting of an aspen grove in dappled sunlight. Behind the sketchbook we see the subject of the illustration.

Photo of a summer Aspen grove in dappled sunlight- rays of sun pass through the trees casting long shadows over ferns and wildflowers.

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Samantha Zim @szim-art.bsky.social · 10/09/2025

My plans for the day immediately went out the window when I stumbled upon this house while wandering through Hanoi last spring. I think you can see why it reminded me so strongly of a Miyazaki film! #travelsketching #watercolor #moleskine #painting #drawing #urbansketching

Open moleskin sketchbook showing a watercolor illustration of an old French mansion in Hanoi, VT that is overgrown with bougainvillea and festooned with Vietnamese flags. On the balcony two men laugh and drink coffee.

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Samantha Zim @szim-art.bsky.social · 04/09/2025

My second favorite thing about hikes like this one is the view. My actual favorite thing is that you can just carry a water filter and drink bright, magical, ice cold mountain water the entire time you’re out there🤩🏔️ #watercolor #mountains #moleskine #painting #drawing #art #landscape #natureart

Photo of an open moleskin journal showing a watercolor painting of a tall craggy mountain and electric blue lake below it, just below tree line. The slopes of the mountain still hold a few patches of snow despite the date on the sketchbook page being July.

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Samantha Zim @szim-art.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

September’s spread in this year’s calendar was painted from a perch overlooking the road to Cliffs of Insanity in the Creek. My plans for the day changed as I saw my climbing parter’s truck approach the crux in the road, and then turn around!😅 #watercolor #utah #rockclimbing #moleskine #drawing

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Samantha Zim @szim-art.bsky.social · 27/08/2025

Getting back in the groove with a few favorite desert plants! I haven’t painted globemallow is years thanks to emotional damage from the last time, but adding a square brush to my quiver definitely made it less painful! #watercolor #botanicalart #moleskine #painting #utah #sketchbook #natureart

Open moleskine sketchbook showing watercolor illustrations of three colorful desert flowers- globemallow (a tightly clustered orange flower that grows in stalks) barberry (a holly-like prickly bush with tiny yellow flowers) and paintbrush (a fire shaped red flower that grows in bushy clumps)

Closeup of an open moleskine sketchbook showing watercolor illustrations of globemallow (a tightly clustered orange flower that grows in stalks).

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Samantha Zim @szim-art.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

Fremont barberry doesn’t have the same glamor around it that sagebrush or juniper do, but it’s one of my favorite high desert plants! It is however, kind of a pain in the ass to paint😅 #watercolor #painting #botanicalart #illustration #art #drawing

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Samantha Zim @szim-art.bsky.social · 23/08/2025

Lucked out in July and had three clear days to get at much of an eyeful of Denali as I could! Already dreaming up reasons to head back to the north country, and more time to paint mountains is high on the list🏔️ #denali #moleskine #sketchbook #drawing #travelsketching #sketch #outdoorart #alaska

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Samantha Zim @szim-art.bsky.social · 20/08/2025

This might be one of my favorite calendar spreads so far- hope nobody’s opposed to nasturtiums in the calendar every year! On a related note- I think I’ve got enough flora focused sketchbook work to do a 100% plant-based year… #watercolor #painting #moleskine #drawing

Open moleskine watercolor journal displaying a colorful painting of nasturtium flowers. Beneath it is a calendar featuring the same artwork, surrounded by watercolor tubes and brushes

Open calendar showing the month of August and featuring watercolor journal artwork of orange nasturtiums.

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Samantha Zim @szim-art.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

July’s spread in my calendar this year! I’m a few days late flipping my month over due to being on the road, but still love these pages. Nothing like the high country in the summer🏔️💚 #moleskin #calendar #art

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Samantha Zim @szim-art.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

New favorite way to spend time on mass transit! Another stab at curvilinear perspective, this time on the Alaska Railroad 🚞🌲 #traintravel #scenicroute #alaska #moleskin #journalart #sketchbook #drawing #penandink

Photo of an open sketchbook with an ink drawing in curvilinear perspective of the interior of the train car. The photo is taken from inside the train car that is in the illustration. The train car has a glass roof and large windows.

Open moleskin sketchbook with an ink drawing in curvilinear perspective of the interior of a train car with a glass roof and large windows.

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Samantha Zim @szim-art.bsky.social · 05/07/2025

Finally made it up to the north country, and yea, I get it🏔️🌞 The world is still beautiful, even when the weather is tumultuous and the headwinds are stronger than ever before. Do not loose hope- go outside. Breathe. #moleskin #watercolor #landscape #painting #art #drawing #alaska

Photo of an open sketchbook in front of a hedge of blooming pushki, a body of water and mountains. The sketchbook shows a watercolor illustration of the scene in the background.

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Samantha Zim @szim-art.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

When art sells in a gallery, the gallery keeps 40% (or more) of the sale price. I’m shocked by how often people outside fine art don’t know this. Gallery rep can be central to an art business, but if you’ve ever wondered why the work you see in galleries costs so much- yea, that’s why

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Samantha Zim @szim-art.bsky.social · 24/04/2025

Glorious day to be alive in the desert🧡🏜️ Thanks to the cutie on trail with the tiger tattoo who gave me her ballpoint pen so I could keep drawing after the trash pen I dug out of my glove compartment sputtered out #sketchbook #drawing #ballpointpen #moleskin #art #desert

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Samantha Zim @szim-art.bsky.social · 08/04/2025

Four hours of public transit this weekend= no excuse not to finally take a crack at curvilinear perspective! When given the choice, I’ll always take the train🚃 #sketchbook #drawing #brushpen #moleskin #art #perspective

Open moleskin sketchbook showing a pen and ink illustration of the interior of a train car drawn in five point perspective

Open moleskin sketchbook showing a pen and ink illustration of the interior of a train car drawn in five point perspective, with an overlay of a curvilinear perspective grid to assist with drawing using this technique

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Samantha Zim @szim-art.bsky.social · 06/04/2025

Wanted to draw something that would make me smile- so here’s a bunch of pelicans attempting to eat humans :) #moleskin #sketchbook #sketch #drawing

Open sketchbook with funny drawings of pelicans trying to fit their mouths around human’s heads

Drawing of three pelicans in a storm, their mouths open to stretch out their large pouches in the wind

Drawing of a man taking a selfie while a pelican tries to eat his head

Drawing of a kid crouching on the ground while a pelican tries to eat his head

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Reposted by Samantha Zim

Nate Blouin @nateforutah.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

This is Utah in case anyone’s wondering how pissed off people are. I have never seen anything like this.

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Reposted by Samantha Zim

The Salt Lake Tribune @sltrib.com · 02/03/2025

“The parks are our gems," one protester said. “Our public lands drive the economy here in Moab, and it is insane that they are literally killing the goose that’s laying our golden eggs, so we’re here to be a voice of support.”

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Moab demonstrators join national movement against federal worker firings

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Reposted by Samantha Zim

melissa capriglione @ HOODIE KICKSTARTER @mcapriglioneart.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

just making my silly little drawings : )

cartoon drawing of a the artist's persona holding a piece of paper that says "my art : )" with a doodle sun in the corner. the artist's face looks sad and exhausted, but smiling. in the background, there's a few cartoon buildings on fire with "literally everything" pointing to it with an arrow

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Reposted by Samantha Zim

Alt National Park Service @altnps.bsky.social · 23/02/2025

El Capitan displays a massive American flag upside down—the traditional signal of distress or extreme emergency.

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Samantha Zim @szim-art.bsky.social · 22/02/2025

I had a really well-worded, adult post written about laying off NPS, National Forest and Dept. of the Interior employees but I’m tired of being articulate about this stuff. Laying these people off is a mistake. This is stupid. I can’t believe we have to keep saying how important wild spaces are.

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Samantha Zim @szim-art.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

My work will both be on display tonight during the Moab Art Walk! Swing by the MARC tonight from 5-8pm to see these two before they head to the airport for the rest of the year🏜️ #watercolor #landscape #painting #utahartist #natureart #artshow

Watercolor painting of the three gossips tower formation in Arches National Park near Moab, Utah

Vivid watercolor painting of sunset bleeding across red sandstone domes in the desert near Moab, Utah

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Samantha Zim @szim-art.bsky.social · 05/02/2025

You know, I think I’d feel at least 5% better about all this if it’d just snow in Utah.

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Samantha Zim @szim-art.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

First flip of the year- February’s journal spread in my 2025 calendar is from a chilly winter float, two years ago on the Colorado River. #moleskin #watercolor #moab #sketchbook #drawing #art #illustration

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Samantha Zim @szim-art.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

The babies are off to the airport today- if you’re flying into Moab this year keep an eye out! #westernarts #watercolor #painting #artistsonbluesky

Two framed watercolor paintings depicting vivid red rock formations near Moab, Utah

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Samantha Zim @szim-art.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Was really enjoying the speed and fluidity of brush pens about a month ago before the existential dread/freeze state got me…so, here’s some pigeons from back then. #sketchbookart #moleskin #travelsketch #drawing

Photo of an open moleskin sketchbook with a pen and ink illustration of a person feeding a flock of pigeons around a park bench

Photo of two Pentel brush pens in front of an open moleskin sketchbook

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Reposted by Samantha Zim

parker parrella @parkparr.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

The Singularity remains a favorite to this day 2024, acrylic painting

a photo of a hand holding a landscape painting on black background. painting depicts a red desert with dunes on either side, in the center of the scene is a blue and white star, wispy clouds explode from the star across the desert and are contained by a half circle halo

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Samantha Zim @szim-art.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

Flipping over rocks here trying to find all my landscape + environmental + outdoor artists on Bluesky. Who’s got accounts/recommendations?

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Reposted by Samantha Zim

Zoe Keller @zoekellerart.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

‘Snakes of Zion National Park.’ I made this graphite drawing after my artist residency at Zion National Park back in 2018!

A complex graphite drawing depicts snakes woven together in a tangled wreath suspended in space. Species depicted: Desert Striped Whipsnake, Ring-necked Snake, Wandering Gartersnake, Gopher Snake, Great Basin Rattlesnake, California Kingsnake, Groundsnake, Nightsnake, Western Lyresnake, Sonoran Mountain Kingsnake, Smith’s Black-heaeded Snake, Mohave Patch-nosed Snake, and Red Racer. A snake skeleton and oval snake eggs - two full, one empty, and one with a hatchling in the process of emerging - float amongst the snakes.

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Samantha Zim @szim-art.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

My piece “Dunes at Dusk” will be hanging in the Canyonlands Field Airport this season in Moab, UT! Many thanks to the Moab Arts and Rec Center for your support of the local arts community, and for the continued opportunity for my work to be seen🏜️💛 #watercolor #landscape #art #westernart

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Reposted by Samantha Zim

𝐶𝑂𝑌𝑂𝑇𝐸 𝐶𝑅𝐴𝐹𝑇𝐸𝐷 ✸ 𝘮𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘺 @coyotecrafted.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

✹ cloudburst drops ✹ inspired by cloudburst storms — sudden intense rainstorms in the desert. This pair is part of a fundraiser to help raise $ for families and pets affected by the fires in los angeles. See my substack (or ig) post for details on how to enter ✹ substack.com/@coyotecraft...

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Reposted by Samantha Zim

Natee (they/them) @himmapaan.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

I'm frightened for us. I do not think it's an overreaction. Not remotely.

Pencil drawing of a red-crowned crane, starting with one leg raised and its neck curved back so that it's resting its head on its back with its beak tucked between its wing feathers. Its eyes are closed in a weary expression. A suffused red patch on its chest and drops of red on the ground suggest some kind of wound.

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Reposted by Samantha Zim

PINE BONES 𓃦☾ @pinebones.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

A little owl wizard from awhile back #folkart #digitalart #digitalartist

A little black owl wizard is covered in stars. The phases of the moon are overhead

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Samantha Zim @szim-art.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

Bit of sketchbook work from my time stumbling around the Met right around the turn of the year, studiously avoiding thinking about the future and just soaking in all the old stuff🌀

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Samantha Zim @szim-art.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

Hi Bluesky community! I’m an illustrator and sketchbook artist creating on the Colorado plateau and beyond. Let’s see what this platform has to offer🏜️🤘🏻 #watercolor #moleskin #art #painting #desert

Watercolor illustration in a Moleskin journal depicting a dramatic lightning strike over a Redd cliff line in the Utah desert.

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