Free People Friday!

Happy happy Friday! This weekend I have lots of packing to do, but being the procrastinator that I am I'm pretty sure I'll put it off as long as possible! Anyway, this is a piece I just finished for Free People's Fashion Illustration Contest. If you've never been to their blog I promise you'll get sucked in. It has great art, design, fashion, music videos, a little of everything. I've been meaning to do an illustration based off a sewing pattern because I'm obsessed with vintage ones. Hope you have a wonderful weekend filled with things more fun than moving.....

Freebie Listmaking Zen

Hi again. I've been so busy with my class and the packing/painting/cleaning apartment stuff that I'm supposed to be doing, that I just need to take a breath and make a list. When I can't sleep at night because I get anxious about the next day I have to get up and write everything down. It's a very calming process for me. So here's a freebie to-do list just for you! Go on and zen out while you cross your stress off!

Friday's Five: Let's Ride Away....

Hi there. Yes, I've been a bit quiet. It's been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week for me to quote Judith Viorst. It started out bad and somehow continued to get worse....even on this lovely summer Friday off I'm supposed to be having! For the rest of the weekend I'll be packing and continuing to try and pare down my collections of stuff and clutter as we get ready to move next week. One of the many awesome things about the new apartment is that it has bike storage, which means I get to buy a bike! So that's been my obsession lately, "cruiser" and "basket" bicycle searches on craigslist! Just look at this awesome website Copenhagen Cycle Chic. Such good inspiration! Hope I can work the dress-and-heels-on-a-bike look...


Photo via Copenhagen Cycle Chic

Agnyess photos via Womanx

Matte Stephen's Etsy print "Vivienne on her Bike"

Easy, breezy, dreamy look via The Sartoralist

Friday's Five: Weekend warrior?

Hi there! This Friday I'm trying to stay focused because I have an overwhelming amount of work to do this month! What about you, any goals this weekend? This summer? My 5....in no particular order:
1. Finish story for class
2. Complete character sketches for 5 characters in my book dummy
3. Clean out closet to get ready for the move!! (eeks this is the most daunting...)
4. Take clothes to Buffalo Exchange/ Goodwill ....and not spend while there! haha
5. Celebrate with the wonderful blogger Michelle Ward from When I Grow Up for graduating and becoming a certified life coach. Congrats Michelle!

Have a wonderful weekend!

UP!

Last weekend I saw UP! and it was seriously amazing. The story, the animation...just incredible. Um, I cried...a lot...and was thankful for the 3-d glasses I was wearing! I'm always in awe of animators, but I especially like seeing their character sketches because they draw in a completely different way than other artists. They can just "see" a fictional character from every angle and it's completely imaginative, existing in his own world. I'd love to do more sketching like that. Some excellent pieces from Disney's Hollywood Studios Animation exhibit-

Aging Carl


Russell


Pixar's The Art of Up - on my Amazon wish list!

Extremely Mary Blair inspired- especially the painting that hangs on the hearth in their house- lovely

Sketching in the park

I've been reading Danny Gregory's book The Creative License and am very into his watercolor in-the-moment observational drawings. I don't really journal, just keep sketch books and sporadically draw what comes to me or ideas for specific drawings, but I love that he makes the mundane look beautiful. He makes me want to capture my coffee and morning bagel and make it feel special. I definitely don't do enough outdoor drawing and realize when I do how static it makes my other work feel and it' s nice to use it as a relaxing exercise. Pick up his book if you want encouraging and funny words, or new ideas to sketch if you aren't feeling inspired.


3 birds, a dog and 2 people at Riverside park

hodgepodge prints!!!!

That's right folks, my Etsy shop hodgepodge prints is finally up and running! Stop by and check it out!

MoCCA love part 3: favorite artists

So guys, this is the last of the MoCCA posts and I want to introduce you to some of my favorite new artists that I'll definitely be keeping track of, and hope you will too. Enjoy!


Hellen Jo- this girl is ridiculously funny and talented. Go over to her website to see what I mean. She did a series of illustrations on post-its and it will make you feel bad if you're ever like, "waaa I have no supplies to draw with!"

oooo she did a watercolor of Belle de Jour- one of my favorite movies! If you haven't seen it- get it! the costumes were done by Yves St. Laurent and every shot is eye candy.

Joseph Lambert- this guy is extremely prolific, super nice- and signed everything in pink pen! He was selling gorgeous handmade work for great prices. You MUST go to his blog and see the screen printing process for the middle poster (I bought one)- it's awesome.

Robin Ha- Makes comics and does beautiful fashion illustration. I love the 50s styling of The Cherry Twins.

Anna Bongiovanni- Also very, very nice and signed my poster after sketching another fan on the spot. Anna had a comic book called 100 princesses, each page with a drawing of a princess and a little story, really cute and funny. These are the posters she made to go along with it, they are adorable! Unfortunately she's sold out on Etsy, but check back, they're so worth it!

MoCCA love part 2: artist cards!

The thing I love about festivals like this is that even when you are all out of money, people are still giving out full color business cards, postcards (great for framing for cheap art!) and stickers all for free, and helping me remember who I really liked. I've spent several hours admiring their websites and trust me, they are well worth your time to check out!

leaves by Mark Burrier

Center for Cartoon Studies postcard by Sean Ford

Illustration for My Mommy is in America and met Buffalo Bill by Emile Bravo

-Martina Fuggazzotto's work can be found at one of my favorite print sites, Charmingwall, or over at her super bright page
-Stephanie Yue is a RI based artist who does adorable children's work and these great mice!

I've been looking into printing business cards, so I'm quite keen on seeing what's out there right now, and what graphics work or don't in such a small space. The Twinkletoes Gang is deep pressed and came in an array of colors on thick creamy paper- very nice. Graphic black and white penguin card by Thomas Baehr- cutest graphic novel ever! I think the Comics Bakery is my favorite though, I love curved edges right now and the sweet sepia colors work so well.

MoCCA part 1: Kate T Williamson

I was surprisingly overwhelmed by the many great exhibitors at MoCCA art festival this weekend, it's just rows and rows of booths with graphic novels,comics, pins, cards etc. so it feels very personal when you're at an artist's booth, right in front of them, flipping through their work, and either you put it down and obviously weren't captivated...or you love it and start a conversation with the artist. Luckily the latter happened with one of my new favorite illustrators I was meant to meet, Kate T Williamson. Her beautiful graphic novel is called "A Year in Japan" with humorous writing and watercolor illustrations of a year documented there when she was granted a fellowship. Kate was super friendly, wrote me a beautiful inscription, and *gasp* has authored books about Hello Kitty!!!! whatt??? How have I not started her fan club yet??!

Busy busy bee

Hey guys! Sorry I've been m.i.a, but there's good reason for it, really! First, we (finally!!) got the apartment we wanted-yes, yay- but the process took forever and was a bit stressful. Now, just the moving (bleh) and decorating (woooo!)

Second, I spent all day at the MOCCA event I posted about last week! It was sooo cool and inspiring and I have lots of goodies to share so I'll come back with that later. Thanks, see you soon, and happy Saturday!

Pocketful Illustration

ooOoOo... the 3rd issue of Pocketful Illustration Magazine is out! I love the concept- an excerpt from The Little Prince-"Draw me a Sheep!" Everyone interpreted it in such original and unique ways, I'm really excited to be a part of it.

Luckiest girl alive!

Yesterday I had lunch with my very good friend Jen, who, unfortunately for me, moved far far away, but fortunately for her, got an amazing job that she loves, and affords her money to visit! I can think of no one more deserving than her, yay Jen! We used to work together and she taught me everything I know, and pretty much got me my first "real" job. Due to the move I suggested exchanging addresses to snail mail each other (we used to cut funny clippings and draw pictures and sneak them onto each other's desks which is just not the same via email) and of course I never sent my first letter and the week before she comes i get this:

My very own portrait!!! I'm loving the Madonna/ SJP in Girls Just Want to Have Fun vibe!! how cool is that??? oh, did I mention? I'm kind of crazy about Hello Kitty...thanks Jen!! now get a website so we can all "ooo" and "aaaa" over your work!