Natalie and Ryan

Recently finished wedding commission. 14" x 18"

New goodies!

HannahMade has been a busy gal! She has created lots of new pendants featuring my original artworks! I love them all!!

Busy Bee!

Tonight I am venturing out to a book signing of Kaz Blechers new book The Art of Wooing which she has self published and is AMAZING! I am really excited to finally get to meet Kaz in person! The event is from 7-9pm at my favorite new place, Fresh Pressed.

Also, tonight from 6:30-10:30pm there is an opening at the NoHo Gallery LA of their Women! show, which includes work from my friend Nicole Waldron. I will be doing my best to swing by there as well!


As far as the weekend, I am getting ready for another Sunday at South Park. Last week was canceled because of rain, so it was nice to get a day off, which was used to veg out and watch about 400 hours of Oscar goodness. I love seeing the dresses. My fave was the one Marion Cotillard was wearing. That was an amazing art piece. Anyway, back to the point! This weekend is the LA Marathon, so downtown is sure to be packed and busy. Hope to see you there!

Workin'

This week is kicking my butt! I get into these frenzys every now and then when I need new work, and apparently my brain needs it now! All of the ideas that I have been swirling around in my head have to come out. I am not sure why it happens all at once, but the damn has broken, so to speak, and the flood is raging (as you can tell by the growing stack of finished backgrounds above). If I dont plan well enough I can get stuck, so I have to be sure to be ready before actually picking up my brush. Sometimes I wish I had a simple brain that thought from A-B without jumping all over the place, instead of the easily distracted and jumbled blender of a mind that I seem to be blessed with. I swear I am not complaining, just venting a wee bit.

The weather is gorgeous! Here I am trapped at the glue table, and the sun is shining bright. I dragged the hammock up to the house, out of the shade, and set it up so that at lunch I could go outside and close my eyes in the sun and sway in the breeze. By that hour all of the gardeners have finished up (because here they are here at 7 am and gone by 8 all up and down the street like some crazed weed whacking dance) and so all you can really hear are the birds and the occasional car. We live a block away from an elementary school, and every now and then, if you are very still, you can hear the kids at recess. It is really lovely and why I love this time of year. The temps aren't over 90 yet, but I am sure they will be before I know it.

OH! I read this really interesting article I wanted to be sure to share! When you work for yourself and provide a service, such as Graphic Design, you have to be careful with how you accept payment. I never really thought about it much, but am now after reading this article on Freelance Switch.This was my first visit to this site, but I have it bookmarked now for future ref.

Diving Bell

Yesterday I was lucky enough to get to see The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, which has to be the most gorgeous movie I have ever seen. I really had no idea about the storyline, and have not read the book, so I had no idea what I was in for. I didn't know that it would be so moving, or that it would absolutely break my heart. The cinematography was breathtaking and surreal. A great deal of the movie is shot from the main characters perspective, and though I dont want to ruin the experience for anyone, I will say that I feel like I got a pretty insightful glimpse into what it must be like to be in such circumstances. In the end, I have been left with a visual and emotional feast, which I am sure will come out in my work. I think I need the soundtrack!


I also really want to see Persepolis, but it just went out of the theater near me. I frickin' missed it! This one I know I need the soundtrack for! I keep leaving a window open in my Firefox with the site up so that I can hear the music play. Both of these films are up for awards at the Oscars. I will have my fingers crossed for them both!!

Have you seen any movies lately that really left an impression in you?? Please please share with a comment!

Going, Going, Gone

Did you see how stunning the Eclipse was?! We were driving through Hollywood watching the cars in front, and the moon! It was mesmerizing!

(Image courtesy of orcagirl)

Love!!

A recent commission, Allie and Kyle, 11x14

Ever been threaded? (and other eye beautification)

Yesterday was technically my day off since Sunday was spent rocking out at the South Park Flea Market. I have been procrastinating getting my eyes checked for so long, and am proud to say that I can see again. I lost my glasses over 2 years ago, (I know! Dont be mad!) and am so glad not to be squinting as I write this! I am also hoping that this will also be the end of my migraines! Eek! It helped that Hannah also had to get her exam done. The buddy system paid off! We are both much better off now!

It wasn't just a day for glasses! There was all kinds of "maintenance" going on! Hannah and I stopped into the local Threading salon, and the awesome Reetu attacked my way overgrown brows with sewing thread! It was insane! She kicked butt! The whole thing took about 15 minutes, and didn't really hurt (my brows were WAY over grown! I haven't touched them in over a year to try to get them to fill back in!) It sounded like a bug was fluttering against my forehead, like a moth slapping its wings against a light fixture. The pain was on par with waxing, but not as intense. I actually dont think either hurts, but I am told some people really feel it, so that is how I would describe it.

You can see the right one is before, and the left one is after.

Hannah though it would be hilarious to take video, and now the whole thing is on YouTube for all the world to see, if they care! ;)

More South Park this weekend!

It is forecasted to be another gorgeous 70 degree weekend here so HannahMade and I will once again be at the South Park Flea Market. Come hang and shop! It is going to be LOTS of fun! ;) Hannah and I have a few new art pendants to share, and they will be available for the first time at this event!

I promise to remember to actually put the battery IN the camera this time so there will be lots to share on Monday! Now back to work for me!

Where did Friday come from?

This week has flown by faster than I can even believe. It feels like maybe Tuesday night, but alas, tomorrow is Friday! This week I was really inspired by my fellow artists. I discovered many new talents that have energized my artistic well, and I really want to share them with you!

Elizabeth over at Haru, has blown my mind with her insanely cool paper wreaths! Can you imagine the work that goes into creating one of these??? They are just simply gorgeous! This one came to my house to stay, and I love it so much! I cant wait to figure out where to hang it!

I dont know how I have never seen Betsy Walton's work before, but I am glad that I have now! I have been drooling over her portfolio and shop all week long! I just keep revisiting her pages and each time I see her work, I see something new. You know that feeling you get when you see something that just speaks to you, and you dont know how to explain why? Well, that is what Betsy's work is doing for me! Her details are imaginative, moving and thoughtful. I would love a room in my home just dedicated to her work alone. What a bright and happy place it would be!

Lastly I have to share the 365 blog of Jen Renninger. Her digital collages are wowing me everyday! We share a few of the same concerns about the varying styles displayed in our one a day work, as if schizophrenia had taken over our paint brushes. It is nice to know I am not alone! I think that Jen has an amazing storytelling ability, and each of her pieces speaks volumes! I love so many of them, picking one favorite is impossible! Lucky us, Jen has prints of her 365 project in her shop!!! (UPDATE! Today I received the prints that I ordered from Jen, and you can't even imagine how insane these are in person! So much more detail to fawn over in person! They are spectacular! THANKS JEN!!)

Also, this was an incredible mail week! Aside from all of the boring supplies that I am so dorkily excited to have all stocked up, I received a few really special deliveries! All of the Valentines that I have received from the Swap are really diverse and fun. It is amazing to see everyones different interpretations, and nice to get a bevy of fun art in the mail! Thank you so much to Tyn for organizing everything, and for all of the participants for making my mailbox a fun place to visit! ;) Cant wait for next year!!

Love Love Love!

This day has been nuts, but I wanted to quickly wish you a ll a happy day filled with lotsa love and kissing! ;) More tomorrow! I have lots to share!

I cant adequately express how excited I am to have recently discovered Hahnemuhle Fine Art Papers! Up until now I have been printing my prints on Glossy Epson 5 star photo paper, which is pretty gorgeous in its own right, but not really a true representation of my work. This new paper knocks my socks clean off! The color is lush and deep, and the weight is really lovely. So it is with great pride and joy I am announcing my new prints!!

I am starting off slow with the availability of the prints on this new paper. I have listed Allie, and am making a brand new piece available for the first time! Melora is one of my recent favorites! Printed on this paper, the color is unbelievable!

Also, I have gone through my remaining inventory of the glossy prints. I have listed all of them in a Clearance section in the shop. They are all up there now, so once these are gone, they are gone. If you have a favorite you would like to see offered on the new paper, please leave a comment here!

Glorious day at South Park

I have to say that I had a blast yesterday at the South Park Flea Market! The weather was, just as this photo implies, GORGEOUS. Just insanely amazing for a February day. With all of the buildings and hustling bustle on the streets surrounding us, I totally felt like I was in NYC in Spring.

After not setting up a booth for almost 2 months I was surprised how smoothly it all went. For me, the stress level was almost nothing, and that is very unusual. I am generally freaking out and get all red in the face with stress and heat. Not yesterday though! Set up went smooth as butta!

The crowd was chock full of really cute dogs who cracked me up. I was surrounded by some of my greatest crafty friends who made the day fly! The only bummer of the day was when I went to pull out my camera, and realized I left the battery in the charger! BUMMER!

Hannah did have hers handy and snapped some great shots so that I could share them here with y'all! Thank goodness one of us wore our smartypants! (We actually prove most days that 2 heads are better than one!)

The whole idea of the South Park Flea Market seems to be getting an extremely warm reception by all of the residents in downtown LA. They are hoping that the weekly market will grow and flourish. While the organizers seem to be starting off the event smaller than it will hopefully one day be (50-60 vendors, with a capacity for easily 200) yesterdays attendance was rawking!

The market had a great mix of vintage clothes, furniture, books, etc. and artisans like me, Shari Enge (pictured above not wasting a second of precious time while at the show!), Tyn Atol and Hannah to name a few. It has the potential to be an incredible weekly event! I think that Hannah and I will be doing this Sunday as well. I will post when I have more details!

(All images courtesy of the one with the brains on Sundays!)

Quick word . . . .

I hope you are enjoying your weekend! It is unbelievably gorgeous and warm here in LA and we just returned from a walk to the Trader Joes. Time for me to dig out all of my show materials and get ready for tomorrows South Park Flea Market!

In the meantime, I thought I would share this pic of the Nahcotta opening. They just added a bunch to their Flickr. Looks like there was an awesome crowd!!!

OK, now into the garage to battle the icky bugs and get myself organized! Ta ta for now!

My Valentines for the Swap!

I finally finished all of my Valentines for this years swap. I am so excited by the final results! You will certainly be seeing my doing a bit more like this for Collage Lab!

The envelopes date as far back as the 1930s and are from all over the world! They have traveled near and far, stood the test of time, and are deeply layered. The imperfections are what make them so stellar! Not unlike most romances . . . . .

Have a fantastic weekend!

This weekend is going to be a gorgeous one here in SoCal! The rain is nowhere in sight and we are looking at temps in the 70s! The sunshine is making me itchy to get out and do a show! I am really excited to say that I will be setting up at the South Park Flea Market, a brand new weekly market held in downtown LA that features vendors with vintage items, and collectibles, both new & used. The market is run by the same team that has managed the Trading Post at Farifax High School, which has been going for years and years! There will be lots of food and live music, plus a fresh cut flower section! Plus, my dear friends Hannah, and Tyn will also be there with their goodies! It is going to be such a lovely day! Wont you join us?

Details:
South Park Flea Market
Open every Sunday 9 am - 4 pm
Corner of 8th & Grand
Downtown Los Angeles
Music • Food • Kid Friendly
Featuring DJ Derrick Wize

$2.00 admission
Students w/ ID, kids under 12 & Seniors Free

Enormous Tiny III opens tonight!!

Dont forget, if you are lucky enough to be in the area of Portsmouth, New Hampshire to get on over to the Nahcotta Gallery tonight for the grand opening of the Enormous Tiny III show! You shall not be disappointed!

The ladies were awesome enough to send me a pic of my work hung! Love how they have hung it!

(All images courtesy of Nahcotta)

Funky Fresh Fun!

I haven't had a chance yet to share with you how awesome our evening was last Friday at Fresh Pressed! Holy cow, WHAT A BLAST! Hannah and I each sat and drew our own designs on white paper, which was no small feat, let me tell you! You've seen my work. I might be an artist, but I dont really draw, and when I do, I get scared! I end up with old art school flashbacks, and the terror sets in! So sitting at a table, in public, with designy people all around is not my idea of a no pressure situation. It was of course self imposed pressure, but pressure nonetheless.

Hannah chose to create an awesome Love themed shirt just in time for Valentines!

I decided that I would draw something that I could print on a shirt for myself, and then on a mini one for my niece. She is a giraffe fiend, so that set the tone. I will freely and happily admit to having traced the outline, then changing it a little. The spots are all mine though! LOL

Jonathan is one of the main cheeses over there. He rocked out Hannahs screen for her and gave great pointers.

Michelle was kind enough to help me with my tees. She was awesome to work with! I loved every second of it!

Here is the big girl version. . . .

. . . and this is the one for Emma. She refused to try hers on, claiming at first sight "No, too big!" Wouldn't even touch it! What does she know? Right. . . .

Yeah, it is too big. (How did her little jedi mind know?) She finally tried it on for me last night, and well, its a little large for her, but it's still cute! And lets face it, 2 year olds grow an inch a week, dont they? It will fit in no time! ;)

If you are of the fence about whether or not Fresh Pressed is for you, get off your perch and get on over there! You can go just for fun, or I can see having a great baby shower there where everyone makes an awesome personalized onesie for the baby, (something similar was recently done for Susan Beal!) or a fab birthday with friends and maybe smuggle in some wine. Drunken drawing! Now THAT would be fun!