Retro Sorrento

08/31/2026

*Almost* done!

Yesterday between drizzles we finished up the top half of our Keep Growing Mural, sealed it up, and said goodbye to our lift. What an incredible time we had in the air for 30 days straight (minus the one day I was vending at Chicks).

Shout out to Tim's dad who harbored us in his pickup for a good 45 minutes in the rain yesterday and made me laugh so hard I couldn't breathe.

The rest of the mural will be completed with our scaffolding and ladders - so you'll still be able to pop by to see new progress in the coming weeks.

If you're looking for me, I'm taking a day or two to decompress and rest before getting back to painting, and I'll be getting back to anyone who left me a message or called while we were on this painting marathon! Thank you for your patience while we have this incredible opportunity! 🍎🍏❤️🐝🌻

08/29/2026

It's Clinton Art & Music Festival day, and we will be painting all day in the sunshine at the bus stop at Clinton Cider Mill! We also have a little pop up with some of our work, and Tim Rand Art brought some originals. Come see us Saturday 8/29 from 10-6 🍎🌻🍏🐝

08/25/2026

Last week, before I headed to the mural, I got to hang out with this awesome group of kids and write and illustrate stories! Super proud of what they were able to create in just a short week. Shout out to Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts and the Elks Lodge for giving them this opportunity and asking me to be a part of it! We had so much fun 💚

📕 Introducing FIRST DRAFT! ✏️🎨

We’re so excited to finally share what this talented group of young creatives has been working on!

First Draft is MVCA’s newest youth arts program—bringing young writers and artists together to create an original graphic novel from start to finish.

A huge thank you to the Little Falls Public Library for collaborating with us and providing a wonderful space for creativity, and to the Little Falls Elks Lodge #42 for the generous grant that made this pilot program possible.

Under the instruction and mentorship of Maria Vallese of Retro Sorrento , this group dreamed up characters, developed their stories, illustrated their ideas, and brought an entirely original graphic novel to life. ❤️

And now… their book is off to PJ Green Inc to be published! 🙌📚

We cannot wait to share the finished book with our community. Keep an eye out for the announcement when First Draft is available in a library near you! 📕✨

08/24/2026

A little mural update as we are closing in on finishing this giant piece up!🤞Lots of details have been going in over the last two weeks and we are thrilled with the way it's looking.

Some days can feel like nothing has been accomplished on a project of this scale and detail... and then we step back and see the difference. Last photo is where we were at just 10 short days ago before the official seasonal opening of the Clinton Cider Mill.

If you're heading to the Clinton Art & Music Festival this weekend, pop by the Clinton Cider Mill for a donut and a cider and watch Tim Rand Art and I paint, ask us questions, etc.! We'll also have our booths popped up again if you'd like to support us in that way! Keep growing! 🍎🐝🦋🌻

08/12/2026

Tim Rand Art and I have been busy bees over the last week, and it's finally feeling like a mural!

We'd love you to come watch a paint this Saturday, August 15th! Clinton Cider Mill will be opening for the season and we'll be up on the lift making this wall beautiful. We'll also have a selection of our art, prints, stickers and more if you'd like to support us in that way! Come say hi!! 🍎🍏🐝🌻

08/08/2026

Catch me on Canal Place in Little Falls today for Chicks Along the Canal! ❤️🐥

08/06/2026

Some highlights from summer muraling! We are about to get to the second wall (back gable), and I got to do some lettering this morning on the lift before it rained! ⛈️

This is the first time I've done hand lettering at this scale and it felt so good to get those letters going! Can't wait to get back there.

Catch me:
🐥Chicks Along the Canal in Little Falls this Saturday 8/8
🎨 Live Mural Painting and pop-up for Clinton Cider Mill opening 8/15
🎨 More live mural painting and popping up during the Clinton Arts and Music Festival 8/29
🧄 Mohawk Valley Garlic and Herb Festival, Little Falls 9/12

08/05/2026

I updated my website last week and never let anyone know! A few new print and sticker designs are now up at RetroSorrento.com!

Juggling a giant mural and all of the other art business things is quite a feat, so thank you for your patience if you were waiting for these! 💚

07/30/2026

If you told me in 2006 when I met Tim Rand Art at RIT College of Art and Design that in exactly 20 years, we'd be painting a giant apple mural together, rocking out to Jack White, drinking lots of coffee and getting visits from family as we work, I might have thought you were crazy.

Tim is braver than I, because I didn't want to post about this project until we were almost done, but that's not to say that I'm so excited to finally be painting on this wall!

Way back in 2023, before I moved my studio, Tim and I applied for the Clinton DRI for a mural trail with 7 different designs. We ended up partnering with Clinton Cider Mill (who has been amazing to work with!) for a big apple mural! We wanted to celebrate the growth of the community that helped shape our careers, while also creating something that would still be relevant in 50 years. We are thrilled to finally be up on the wall and have the trust of the Felner family to create something amazing for them.

We'd love to invite to you watch some live painting on August 15th (Cider Mill opening) and August 29th (Clinton Art & Music Festival)! Stop by to see our work and watch this mural grow 🍎🍏🌻

More art in the works - stay tuned 📻

07/27/2026

Thanks downtown Syracuse for a beautiful weekend on Montgomery Street! I'll be updating the website with some new product Monday, and refilling Wildflowers Armory this week.

Shout out to Charlie Sam, Dave, Karen Greenfield and crew for organizing, helping unload, coffee, and making sure things went smoothly.

Superlatives to all my amazing vendor neighbors this year for being so great, supplying supplies I couldn't find, watching my booth during breaks, making amazing creations of all kinds, and making me laugh SO hard. 🩷