Monkey Doodles

Fascinator Friday: Now, Voyager

2012-01-20T10:04:00.000-06:00

Pinwheel Fascinator

Pinup glamour. Playful silliness. Sisters Felicity and Jess of Now, Voyager create a range of exciting doodads that you never knew you always wanted to put in your hair. Like adorable knit desserts and pretty little parrots for example. Inspired by the pinup revival movement and Harjuku style, what they appreciate the most is style commitment. As they say, "if you don't believe you look fabulous, why should any one else?" And they have just the products to get you to believe!

Seaside Bucket Fascinator

Knitted Bakewell Tart Hair Clip

Lovingly hand-crafting their wares, they've also started offering tutorials for vintage hair styling on theirwebsite. They've even started a Save the Victory Roll campaign, teaching people the skills to keep this fabulous 40's hairstyle from being lost to history. You can check out all of the colorful fun at theirfacebook andtwitter pages, or find yourself a fun, affordable doodad at their shop!

Dolly Straw Hat Fascinator

Sale!

2012-01-10T09:39:00.000-06:00

Christmas Berry Woodland Crown

All sparkly Holiday stuff is 30% off...and much of it will work for winter formals or next years' festivities! Take a peek at the shiny sale section here!

Fascinator Friday Returns: Taissa Lada Designs

2012-01-06T09:23:00.000-06:00

Vintage Inspired Black and White Feather Headband

I love a good dramatic piece. One that maybe barely fits in a normal-sized door, because, after-all, the grandeur of the woman wearing it is meant for a more throne-sized room. An impressive hat can be the best hallmark for the woman of importance. That is why I now direct your attention to Taissa Lada Designs. With a flair for the dramatic, Taissa Lada creates pieces that are fit for runways and formal balls and royal court visits. Featuring swooping feathers and sometimes a dab of netting, her creations are at once sassy and intense...and bound to make an impression.

You can find her store on Etsy and on Ebay

Also, she's having a sale...Go forth to inspire and be inspired!

Photo Salvage

2011-12-28T19:45:00.000-06:00

Last year, each and every photoshoot, I managed to forget my camera. I feebly tried to take some pictures with my phone, which is not particularly impressive and somewhat difficult to work with. I recently dug into my phone's memory to clean it out, and am trying to salvage some of these pictures. This one was an unstaged shot from the Marie Antoinette photoshoot last March. Pas mal, I think, pas mal du tout.

Break Time!

2011-12-16T15:34:00.002-06:00

This monkey's taking a little bit of a break! Apart from shipping orders and answering emails, it's Christmas Vacation for me!

Fascinator Friday: Luna on the Moon

2011-12-09T09:34:00.001-06:00

Glitter Panda Fascinator

Yes, yes it is adorable. And it's not the only specimen of cuteness on display at Luna on the Moon. Sweet little rabbits, colorful reindeer antlers, glittery cat ears and, well, I'll just let you find out for yourself, twinkle in their boxes, all with a child-like graphic quality. It was even named after a bunny, see if you can suppress your *awe*s.

Kirsty Pate, creator of Luna on the Moon, curates a darling collection of headbands and fascinators that would be perfect little cocktail adornments for today's hip young woman...especially if she has a bit of a sense of humor. She sells clips of birdcage veil separately so that you can dress each piece up a bit.

Christmas Pudding and Holly Fascinator

Black Grosgrain Triple Bow Headband

You can check out her shop here

and you can also find her at her website, on facebook, and on twitter

Happy Hunting!

Rainbow Glitter Triple Crown Headband

Kitchen-Inspired Headwear from the 1950s!

2011-12-08T10:30:00.000-06:00

Tee hee.

Holiday Fashion tips from LFPress.com

2011-12-08T10:21:00.001-06:00

Old Fashioned Christmas Poinsettia Fascinator

Tips for wearing holiday fascinators from the LFPress.com:

"Hair styles are still being influenced by the royal wedding, says Nina Badr of NU Hair and Make Up Studio. “This season, accessories are very hot, especially fascinators with feathers and bits of mesh or tulle."

To make this look work for you, pull your locks up into a loose bun and add a fascinator in a bright colour. “Colour will punch up your look. Go silver or use one with peacock feathers to jazz up your LBD,” says Badr. Big curls or a loose ponytail also work, she adds."

Fascinator Friday: ClaraBelle's Hats

2011-12-02T09:00:00.000-06:00

Kari Dalton of ClaraBelle's Hats is a long-time seamstress and self-taught milliner. When her youngest daughter got married, she made the gowns...and the hats and with the encouragement of her friends, she decided to make a run of it! Beginning her journey with one 100 year old (self-named) hat block named ClaraBelle, she's been experimenting with techniques from vintage hat making books. Dabbling in a variety of materials, including knit pieces, Kari and her daughter Anni feed off each others creativity. With a dollop of vintage grace and a pinch of Southern charm, ClaraBelle's Hats is worth a visit!
You can find her Etsy shop here.

Cyber Monday Sale!

2011-11-28T08:16:00.001-06:00

Happy Shopping!

Winter Collection 2012

2011-11-26T08:00:00.000-06:00

The 2012 Winter Collection, featuring warm fabrics assembled into ruffly, pillbox-shaped flower hats on headbands!
Click any thumbnail to go to the item's page, or go to the store here. Don't forget your free shipping code, available until Sunday night! SMALLSAT11

Holiday 2011!

2011-11-25T13:15:00.000-06:00

A sampling of the 2011 Holiday and Special Occasion collection!

Click on any of the thumbnails to go to the listing for that item, or go directly to the Shoppe here. Free shipping now through Sunday with coupon code SMALLSAT11!

Fascinator Friday: TRAMP Millinery

2011-11-18T09:08:00.001-06:00

Brown Cocktail Hat with Zipper

Maggie Mowbray, Scottish founder of the ironically titled TRAMP Millinery (her designs are anything but trampy), spent more than a decade as a fine artist. She graduated with honors from Duncan of Jordanstone Collage of Art. Then, in 2009, she turned her undeniable design skills to millinery, studying traditional felt blocking. Creating well constructed sculptural cocktail hats, her lovely wares are intended to last for a lifetime. Her shop is full of lush, luxurious designs that are delicious to behold. Each piece comes delivered in its own hat box so that you can keep your hat nice and neat while it lasts you for years to come, and I love a good hat box)!

In the realm of actual, keep-your-head-warm hats, Maggie also has a wonderful collection of cloches, which is my absolute favorite keep-your-head-warm hat (drool). They are well worthy of a look as the weather grows ever colder.

She has a website, where you can take a leisurely stroll through her collections, here: http://www.trampmillinery.com
Then you can proceed to her Etsy shop to purchase your favorites here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/TRAMPmillinery
You can also find her on facebook and on twitter and her blog

Aubergine Cocktail Hat

Cocktail Hat with Pewter Cluster

Fascinator Friday: La Petite Menagerie

2011-11-11T09:40:00.001-06:00

Green Silk Fascinator - Photographer: Levi Dexter; Model: Bernie Dexter. Rights reserved.

Ooh la la! With the sultry and sassy selections available at La Petite Menagerie, that's all there is to say.

Well, almost. With the allure of Pinup and the glamour of Burlesque, her high-quality constructions are truly crave-worthy. Take for example the adorable Deck of Cards Collection, which she suggests would be great for a set of bridesmaids at a Las Vegas wedding. Oh, how I would love to see such a wedding! Proprietor, Shelby Robertson had a stint in the circus, and perhaps that can give you some insight into her style. Not only does she also fashion a deluxe line of corsetry, but she also makes poi, satiny streamers for fire twirlers to practice with sans fire.

You can find her on facebook, her blog and of course, on etsy!

"The Club" Deck of Cards Fascinator -
Model: Kitty Kosmo, Photographer:
Luminous Lizzy, Hair and Makeup:
Sarah Rochelle

Strawberry Shortcake Pillbox Hat - Photographer: Christopher
Mackessy, Makeup Artist: LiAnn Li, Model: Christina Rainer

Up For Sale

2011-11-04T19:49:00.001-05:00

"Dandy" 12"x24" Mixed Media

Centennial Art Center's Holday Sale starts...well right about now, actually! I have contributed these two paintings for the cause. 20% of all sales benefits Arts in the Park. The Holiday Sale is going on through December 14th, so if you're in the Nashville Area, swing by and check it out!

Centennial Art Center is located in the 25th Avenue North and Park Plaza Corner of Nashville’s Centennial Park and is open Monday through Thursday, 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM. For more information or directions, call 615-862-8442. For information about Centennial Art Center’s gallery and art classes, go to: http://www.nashville.gov/parks/arts/cac.asp

"Jack" 10"x8" Acrylic

Fascinator Friday: House of Telsa

2011-11-04T09:35:00.000-05:00

Skinny French Cocktail Hat

"Vintage inspired headwear." That's the simple description of House of Telsa's simply lovely shop. With a combination of traditional hand blocked bases and whimsical florals and beading, Thatiana's creations have classic style and epic wearablilty. Featuring soft fabric rosettes with rhinestone centers and sturdy felt berets, House of Telsa ranges from flirty cocktail wear to upscale casual wear. Each piece is unique and beautiful with the potential to become a staple in any wardrobe. Stroll on over to her shop for a new wishlist topper!

Skinny French Cocktail Hat

Miss Bennett

Featured Adornment of the Month: Feather Corona

2011-11-02T13:29:00.002-05:00

Feather Corona in Badger

November's featured goody is the Feather Corona! Soft rooster saddle feathers sweep over a covered headband creating an asymmetrical and modern look that's excellent for both casual and more dressy attire. The coronas are $54.95 each. This month only there will be free US shipping (half off international) on all of the colors available in this style. You can find the feather coronas in the "Feathers" section here.

Feather Corona in Jet Black

Feather Corona in Furnace

Fascinator Friday: Postponed

2011-10-28T15:05:00.001-05:00

I'm working on a short history of fascinators for Fascinator Friday...but I couldn't get it done on time! This week's Fascinator Friday will be on Tuesday!

Fascinator Friday: Jellyfish Jones

2011-10-21T11:26:00.000-05:00

from the Steampunk Collection

Ever find yourself looking for a creative yet sexy yet hip costume? Like say...now-ish? Allow me to direct you to Jellyfish Jones, purveyor of wild and eclectic steampunk and seafaring styled fashions. Here you can find a beautiful, vintage looking leather master of ceremonies top hat. Here you can order up an smoldering steampunk pirate costume, made just for you. Rife with fancy and unexpected details like keyholes and zippers each hat is an adventure in itself! Her shop is located here on Etsy. Go get yourself that perfect costume!

Swashbucklers Sea Hat

Steampunk Pirate Costume

Fascinator Friday: Order and Abandon by Apatico

2011-10-14T12:08:00.001-05:00

Stovepipe hats with orange tentacles climbing from the pipe, red and white spotted toadstool fascinators, top hats with white bunny ears sprouting up from the brim...these are just a few of the wonderland of oddities found in Apatico's collection. Based in Seattle, WA, Megan, the creative madwoman behind Apatico, is dually inspired by both decadence and simplicity. Equally, she searches for a balance between order and abandon, hence the name. Enamored with styles ranging from Victorian Mourning to Burlesque to Modern Japanese Kimono styling, it's no wonder she can't get her ideas into hats fast enough!

You can check out her Etsy shop here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/orderabandon
And find her on facebook and twitter by clicking the links!

Gatherings Magazine

2011-10-04T13:12:00.000-05:00

Open publication

Gathering's Fall issue is out, and it's beautiful! It's full of lovely design, delicious looking recipes and amazing photography. The Victorian spread that I worked on with Heather is also there (on the cover too!). Enjoy!

Fascinator Friday: Janine Basil

2011-09-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

"The Queen of Hearts"

Ode to glitter (in the form of a bad haiku):

dazzled, the magpie's eye flutters

twinkle on her cheek, stuck forevermore

sparkle, glint gleam glitter, shine

The collection of Janine Basil is a much better homage to shininess. Retro, rockabilly, and graphic inspired pieces pack a punch! Catering to the flashy burlesque connoisseur, many of her pieces have a costume-feel, while others have a lovely, graphic quality that would serve to jazz up a daring fasionista's everyday garb. Bold colors and shapes, all those rhinestones and glitter, looking through her collection is like browsing a deluxe candy shop. No, really, my mouth is watering.

Janine Basil's web page: http://www.janinebasil.com

Social Media: Facebook and Twitter

"Pow Rhinestone Fascinator"

"Burlesque Heart Fascinator"

Nouveau Victoria

2011-09-28T16:37:00.002-05:00

Mini Top Hat in Lady Chiltern and Orange Rose Sash Cover

Sometime this summer I was approached by Heather Thompson of Gatherings Magazine, whom I worked with during the Alice in Wonderland shoot, about coordinating a feature for her fall edition. She wanted to feature some of my accessories in a Modern Victorian style arrangement focused on fall colors and soft, romantic scenes. She had already selected her photographer, the amazing Amber Beckham, who's now branching out into fashion photography.

Mini Top Hat in Orlando and Floral Collar

With a limited budget, we searched our own wardrobes for things that could be assembled to look psuedo-Victorian. What resulted was an interesting combination of valuable vintage and heirloom pieces and some unusual Goodwill finds, which, when layered, gave rise to looks that were both modern and old-fashioned. I did my best to coordinate the colors of the accessories while using them to push the color scheme out into the autumny loveliness that Heather was hoping for.

A key acquisition in this production was Chalita Tharpe, a makeup artist I'd met at a runway show, who not only knew exactly what would work best for makeup, but also took over the hair design, which was going to be my, much less successful job. That being done, she hung around to help the inexperienced model (that would be me) some tips on how to make her body look interesting. Without her and Amber giving me direction all the time, it would have looked like we had grabbed whomever was around to wear our clothes. Which we had.

Having had to cancel because of a little fringe of tropical storm that bounced off this fair city(causing the lacking models problem), we had a perfect evening weather-wise: clear blue skies with light floaty clouds, and a cooler than usual temperature as a result of the storm. Given all of the clothing layering that was going on, I was really grateful.
And let me just say - I was seriously sore the next day! The hours of standing and twisting and stretching, and holding myself up at odd angles...it was exhausting. No life of modeling for me! I plan to stick to the decorating of models, thanks very much.

Floral Hat in Victoria, Purple Rose Sash Cover and Purple Shoe Clips

I'm really looking forward to seeing what Heather does with this in the magazine (as well as the rest of it, it really is a lovely magazine)! I will post up a link when it comes out!

Shiny and New!

2011-09-27T16:43:00.003-05:00

Sai-Sai Arts now has its own shiny new website! For now it just has links to the shop, this here blog, and some contact information and history. Coming soon will be a section devoted to individual collections, such as Alice in Wonderland and Nouveau Victoria, and a press section, because there is about to be press!...and I've been checking every day to see if it's out yet. I'll have more information on these soon, but for now I wanted to acknowledge that I suddenly up and changed the blog without warning, and the reason for that was to make it match and flow with the new site.

You can navigate the new site via the menu bar at the top of the page, or check it out here!

Fascinator Friday with La Coco Rouge

2011-09-23T11:22:00.000-05:00

"Butterfly Noir"

Step into the Etsy shop of La Coco Rouge and you find yourself surrounded by an eclectic array of hair adornment with art deco flair and a twist of tribal energy and theatrical flair. Stephanie Farley of La Coco Rouge, a retired gemologist/jeweler, has a background in high end jewelry design and it shows in her millinery. Focused on creating quality pieces that are intended to last through generations, her unique style also has a lasting quality. Featuring beautiful draping bead work and elegant feathery flourishes, these pieces would be perfect for a range of dressy occasions.

Find her at http://lacocorouge.com

Facebook and Twitter

"Black Swan"

"Arc de Triomphe"

Our Fonts, Our Friends

2011-09-21T15:19:00.001-05:00

I quite enjoyed this video on fonts from Veer...I just like looking at the pretty fonts and imagining the pretty things I could make with them.

Fascinator Friday with Miss Ruby Sue

2011-09-16T12:51:00.000-05:00

"Gretta"

Missrubysue's shop is bursting with color. Flowers, feathers and frills are piled together into sweet and exciting combinations for babies, toddlers, adults and even puppy dogs. A short description of her products reads "Accessories for Happy People" and it's impossible not to feel a playful joy just looking at them - imagine wearing one! I had such a hard time excluding pictures from this post because everything is just so dang cute! She also keeps a blog full of helpful advice for the makers out there trying to get a foothold, and from someone who's been featured on "the View" and "Good Morning America," that's really something.

You can find her shop at missrubysue.com

She is also on Facebook and Twitter, and her blog is missrubysue.blogspot.com

Enjoy!

"Just For Fun"

"Beyone the Playground 3"

Hats and Art: Made for Each Other

2011-09-12T09:22:00.003-05:00

"Derby Hat by Arturo Rios" by Feelingartsystudio

Remember Arturo Rios? He was my Fascinator Friday Feature from Sept. 2? Well it seems his head art has inspired the other kind. Feelingartsystudio offers this watercolor painting of his derby hat. I've always felt that art and hats go together quite well!

You can find this piece and other works here: http://feelingartsystudio.etsy.com

Fascinator Friday: Orphelia

2011-09-09T09:44:00.003-05:00

Black Mini Top Hat with Black and White Trim

Who isn't immediately drawn to a mini top hat? I'm certainly a fan. They're somehow both adorable and elegant at the same time with the added bonus of being able to be cocked at just the right angle - and as Frank Sinatra says, when it comes to hats, "angles are attitudes." Orphelia has quite a selection of attitudes in her shop. Catering to the burlesque, the steampunk aficionado as well as the stylish modern bride, her creations weigh more heavily on the elegant side of the scale while maintaining a sense of jaunty gaiety. So charming are her pieces, in fact, that the Victoria and Albert Museum acquired some for their new hat exhibition.

All hail the mini top hat!...and hats off (sorry) to Orphelia for giving them a new life!

You can browse her lovely wares on Etsy: http://orphelia.etsy.com

Mini Ivory Veiled Top Hat

Fascinator Friday: Arturo Rios

2011-09-02T09:47:00.006-05:00

Couture Black Wings Headpiece

Switching style gears, here's Arturo Rios, a high fashion, avant garde style designer creating modern art sculptures for the head. He calls himself an "ordinary guy who makes out of the ordinary hats." And indeed, these asymmetrical structures have caught the fashionable eyes of Daisy Fuentes and Paris Hilton, among others. Seeking out antique materials and exotic feathers, Arturo strives to create highly modern headpieces out of precious stuffs. Add to that the $150-$250 range that most of his pieces fall under, that's a lot of fashion bang for the buck! You can find his shop on etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ArturoRios

Couture Bow Headpiece

Pheasant Tail Fashion Headpiece

New Autumn Woodland Crowns

2011-09-01T10:59:00.008-05:00

"Psyche"

There are now five autumny woodland crowns in the Shoppe! Inspired by wooded wonderlands and golden fields, they're excellent for formal fall affairs or everyday whimsy. Check out the woodland collection here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/SaiSaiArts?section_id=10120435

"Autumn Berry"

"Dryad"

"Stormy Skies"

"Autumn Fields"

Fascinator Friday: GardensofWhimsy

2011-08-26T09:00:00.008-05:00

"Elora"

April of GardensofWhimsy proudly boasts that she makes, models, styles and photographs everything in her shop. And clearly she does so successfully. Since her shop opened two years ago, she's had over 1900 sales and has gathered quite a fan following. With a flair of bohemian style and sweet romance, April's success tells me that more women than just myself secretly see themselves with flowy, flower adorned hair wandering beautifully through forests and lounging on majestic rocks by the sea. Probably there's some Celtic music playing in the background. What? Who doesn't want a little bit of whimsy?

You can find GardensofWhimsy's shop here and her facebook page here.

"Wildflowers"

New Line of Feathered Headdresses

2011-08-25T12:54:00.006-05:00

For the last couple of weeks, I've been working feverishly to put together a new line of feathered pieces for Local Honey in Nashville. I now have 8 new styles, priced from $50-$150 ready to go! They'll be available at Local Honey in September, but you can get a sneak peak on facebook in the "feathers" album!

Fascinator Friday Takes a Break

2011-08-19T14:08:00.002-05:00

Feathers on the brain. Fascinator Friday will be back again next week!

Fascinator Friday: BoringSidney

2011-08-12T11:43:00.006-05:00

"The Fantastic Mr Fox"

This week's Fascinator Friday post takes us to my hometown, Seattle, WA, where we find the intriguing designer BoringSidney and her deliciously...different collection of headwear. With a solid history of costume design behind her, Belle of BoringSidney creates pieces that are anything but boring. Take this piece below, for example. In "The Wicker Lantern" a black, beautifully tangled sphere of grape vines embraces a flickering light, a lantern made to be worn on your head. Other creations include a birds nest cuddled between two real deer antlers, a full, hand beaded faux pearl '20s style headpiece, and a fascinator that features a real rhinoceros beetle. So you can understand why some of her pieces are categorized simply as "undefinable."

"The Wicker Lantern"

Along with the fashionably odd pieces, there are a number of stunning, vintage inspired hats and fascinators. BoringSidney has collected vintage hat patterns, hat blocks and materials and is actively keeping up the endangered art of millinery as well as pushing forward with her own cutting edge designs. You can find her shop on Etsy here, you won't be disappointed!

"Deliciously Deco"

Shiny New Product: Giant Bows!

2011-08-08T19:19:00.006-05:00

"Coffee Break"

Back in March when I was working on the Alice in Wonderland shoot, one of the random things that I threw together was a giant black bow to go with one of Alice's dresses. We never used it in the shoot, but I really liked it! It was big and floppy, and fit around your head like a little hat when you put it on top of your head...and having never really made or even thought about making bows, I was super excited.

"Unicorn Princess"

Of course, over the spring, I got distracted by pretty flowers. But I sold my original Alice bow, made some more, added a purple one...and then a shiny pink one...and then just for fun the above one, which I made from a recycled business shirt and some vintage lace. So here's the current collection with more to come!

"Plum Pretty"

"Alice"

Fascinator Friday: MothAndBayLeaf

2011-08-05T10:07:00.004-05:00

"Autumn Headpiece"

Today's Fascinator Friday Features MothAndBayLeaf, who states "we wish to bring back opulence - why not?" Why not indeed! With lush and decadent headpieces such as these, I'm suddenly in the market for a red velvet chaise lounge! Based out of Cork, Ireland, MothAndBayLeaf's collection features whimsical ensembles of natural feathers, silk flowers, vintage materials, and enticing jewelry findings. You can find out more from their facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/MothandBayLeaf. Be sure to check out their shop too: http://www.etsy.com/shop/MothAndBayLeaf

"Pompadour"

New! Fascinator Friday Feature Starring Zaracarpenter

2011-07-29T09:33:00.005-05:00

"The Sumptuous Wajamacalit Bird Hat"

Since I've run out of interesting things to say about myself, I've decided to start a weekly post featuring some of the amazing milliners I've run into on etsy. This, the maiden voyage, stars England's zaracarpenter. Zaracarpenter, who is also, intriguingly, a poet, keeps a dazzling shop full of sometimes romantic, sometimes darkly whimsical creations. Inspired by a range of people from artists to musicians and dancers, her work is inspiration in itself. Each piece is truly a work of art. I highly recommend browsing through her beautiful adornments: http://www.etsy.com/shop/zaracarpenter

The Devine Murder of Crows Headpiece

Awesome Illustrator: Stephen Player

2011-07-01T10:14:00.007-05:00

I recently checked out "The Illustrated Wee Free Men" by Terry Pratchett from my local library (if given a choice between illustrated or not, I will always take the pretty picture option...it just slows down my reading a bit) and I am really impressed by the illustrator, Stephen Player. Most of his illustrations in the book are watercolor, which is a medium that frequently infuriates me, and he evokes color, texture and contrasting light and shadow for a masterful depiction of fantastical themes. Not to mention his amazing character sketches as exemplified by the tiny but fiesty Nac McFeegles above. I am currently wishing I had this kind of talent!

You can check out his portfolio at his website: http://www.playergallery.com

Runway Video from RAW

2011-06-22T11:33:00.002-05:00

Found the RAW runway video for Vicious Threads from March! Includes an interview with Jennie and then the pretty clothes and hats that the models marched down the runway.

Second Attempt

2011-05-24T13:53:00.002-05:00

The background was done the same as the turtle, but I took the time to add a lot more detail and remembered not to mask!

Messin' Around

2011-05-16T21:42:00.003-05:00

"Turtle with Bubbles" Watercolor and Ink - Experimental

So, I'm doing a little watercolor focus, which, since I'm not very good at it, is very frustrating. I've been experimenting with textures and then layering pictures on top of them, sort of like these. This is on a full 8.5" 11" piece of paper, and the texture I used (layers of plastic wrap) didn't come out very intricate and interesting. And then when I was working on the turtle, everything was looking fine until I tried to use masking...and well, all the texturing I had done weakened the paper and I took some of the paper off with it :P

So then I added all of this ink nonsense with fancy art pens, and now, well, it's all too much for me to take in. It's certainly a different style for me, mostly because I do not have the kind of patience it takes to do this sort of thing. But I have been sitting around a lot. Anyhow, with this done, I'll try to continue on with more experiments.

Art Class

2011-05-16T21:39:00.002-05:00

New Art Class assignment up!

Sai-Sai on the Runway!

2011-04-21T10:05:00.003-05:00

The Queen of Hearts from the Alice in Wonderland Series wearing Queen of Hearts Mini Crown in Off with her Head

Jennie Vicious of Vicious Threads was invited to participate in RAW, a celebration of local artists of all kinds, at Mercy Lounge here in Nashville during fashion week. There was live music, dance, video, visual art, and a runway show. Jennie in turn invited me to provide accessories.

The runway show was in two parts, the first showing off a beautiful array of casual wear and the second, a run through of the Alice in Wonderland pieces from our Alice in Wonderland shoot back in early March. With 16 models and over 30 looks it was quite a production, but it came out beautifully! The original Alice team did the hair and makeup and Richey Vicious coordinated the music. It was pretty exciting for me, being my first ever runways show, and I was glad that I didn't have to do any of the organizing and was able to relax and watch the show. Miss Taylor Swift even came to watch, standing subtly to the side!

The models and hair and makeup artists

The Lovely Miss Jennie Vicious herself front and center, looking darling in "Sugar"

Somewhere in the Smokies/Done!

2011-03-31T10:08:00.004-05:00

Untitled (so far) 48" x 24" acrylic on canvas

Last weekend, G and I went back to the Smoky Mountains with some friends. While doing a little bit of hiking, I started thinking about this painting again. I had started it last year after going to the Smokies in May...and got a little overwhelmed. But I was inspired after going back, brought the painting in to class and finished it up in one session. It is now hanging happily on our wall over the bed; I would show you but that would require some serious cleaning up action on my part.

It's 4 feet by 2 feet and I think I'm proud of it. But I can't really tell, I'm sort of blind to it right now. All I can see are little spots on it that I rather like and I ran out of little spots that really bother me, so it must be done!

Do those of you who can actually see it as a whole painting have any title suggestions? I based it loosely on a painting I took while hiking in the Smokies in May...

And, just for fun, here's a picture I took through the car's sky light. I like how the trees show up so well in the raindrops. It rained most of the weekend and a lot of the trees were bare, so it had an eerie, ethereal look in the woods.

Art Class

2011-03-25T09:14:00.004-05:00

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Still Life Graphite and Watercolor

So Art Class is back up and running, and the assignment I assigned was to do a still life (any medium, any subject) and to focus on textures and how to differentiate them from each other. Of course, it seemed simple at the time, but these things always take on a life of their own. So the above is mine, I maybe had Alice in Wonderland on my mind a little bit at the time, hence the theme. But yes! I am still doodling a bit!

For this one I started out in pencil on watercolor paper, but a lot of what I liked about my set up were the little bits of color. So I thought maybe I'd add little touches of water color in the vase and on the rose and maybe the red heart ring...Of course then, the rest of it had a different texture. So I watercolored on top of the entire thing. The effect is sort of a gritty, faded illustration look, which is kind of cool, but more work than I wanted it to be, so I doubt I'll ever do it again...at least on purpose.

Which Reminds Me...

2011-03-24T08:21:00.003-05:00

How would you describe this style? Sort of flapper-ish, sort of saloon girl, a little bit Indian princess...?

I don't have any idea myself, but it has a strangely modern romantic look while incorporating disparate bits of vintage and ethnic. I still can't decide how I feel about it.

Marie Antoinette Shoot

2011-03-23T15:46:00.009-05:00

So Jennie Vicious (Vicious Threads) and I worked our butts off the end of last week for a last minute photo shoot. Initially, we were going for a sort of Marie Antoinette look. Jennie made an asymmetrical floral dress with vintage floral fabric and gold accents and a lace sleeve. I made a faux pearl choker and earring set, and my most over the top hat yet. And then somehow, when we met the adorable model Emily, we put her in an adorable auburn bob, and suddenly had a pseudo '60s look:

So we tried out one of my flower hats for a bit of a Jackie O' look

Jennie made this giant bow out of the same material, and suddenly it's a babydoll look

While we had our awesome team assembled, we got some pics of one of Jennie's dresses for an upcoming runway show and a giant peony hat that I made to match:

We teamed together to make this fabulous boho/flapperesque necklace combo:

And, getting a little crazy towards the end, we threw together this look, which somehow worked...

I made the clip to attach to the pearl choker, and the beaded pink robe is a unique find of Jennie's.

Josh did the photography again, and once again did an awesome job. All in all, it was a fun shoot, and once again, I have all kinds of things to load onto my site!

New Upcoming Project: Marie Antoinette

2011-03-20T10:43:00.002-05:00

Goodies Assembled....

Jennie Vicious of Vicious Threads and I are getting together for another collaborative project, this one, Marie Antoinette! I love that period for the head fashions of nobility. It was over the top in a very opulent and extreme way! What's not to love for a milliner?

"Fine and Dandy"

A Mad Tea Party - Etsy Sellers Team Up for an Alice in Wonderland-Themed Photoshoot

2011-03-10T10:41:00.020-06:00

A Mad Tea Party in the Winter Woods

So Sunday was a very cold day in Nashville. Highs in the low 40s with a "feels like" in the high 20s. Nonetheless, some stalwart designers, models, hair and makeup professionals and a photographer made their way to a muddy and somewhat dead-looking spot in the woods next to a swollen creek. Their mission: a collaborative Alice in Wonderland Tea Party fashion photo shoot! The models were shivering and skewering leaves on their stiletto heels and the designers and photographer's hands were somewhat numb, but the result is a beautiful contrast of brightness and color against a gray winter wood and sky and a rushing blue green stream.

Josh, the photographer, did an awesome job. I've re-processed some of his pictures here because I wanted them to match my style and show more of the true color of the pieces. And, I can't help myself. To see them as Josh intended, you can go to the photo stream here.

Organizing the party was Jennie Vicious of ViciousThreads, as the design coordinator and primary dress maker. Her vision was of beautiful party dresses inspired by the Alice in Wonderland canon, avoiding a costume-ish look but still referring to the characters. Seven models were brought in, each playing a different role (Note: Some of the original models couldn't make it and I'm missing the names of some of the brave souls who filled in, I might have to come in and fix it later).

CAST:

Olive the Patient (in a Sai-Sai Arts mini top hat) and Alice (Nikki Ryan)

The White Rabbit (late again) and Alice

The Elegant Queen of Hearts

The Maaad Hatter (Brittnye)

The March Hare (Victoria)

The Dormouse (Miss Danielle Turner)

The Grinning Cheshire Cat (Tiffany Angulo)

After the initial tea party was shot, Jennie pulled out some formal dresses she'd made for Alice and the Queen of Hearts (now being played by Victoria, the previous March Hare). I tried to decide which one I liked better...but in the end I think I want them both. I need a prom or something as an excuse...

I may have made three Queen of Hearts crowns. I do get carried away...

The hair and makeup artists did amazing work:

Hair by Amanda Davis

Makeup by Julie Elizabeth

Heather Thompson of GatheringVintage brought in some beautiful shabby chic vintage table ware and made a beautiful spread

And Sai-Sai Arts (that's me!) made an excessive number of little top hats, some mini crowns, and a rose fascinator for the occasion. As well as the Queen of Hearts' Royal Flush necklace. I will be working on getting everything into the Shoppe over the next few days.

Oh mini hats, why do I love you so? I must be a mad, mad hatter myself

It helped that there were cupcakes

Shamrocks Rock!

2011-02-18T15:58:00.006-06:00

Sparkling Broaches and Fascinators Available!

My first round of St Patty's goodies are now in the Shoppe! The following styles are now available in both broaches and fascinators:

A Bit o the Blarney

Kiss Me I'm Irish

Lucky Charm

Luck of the Irish

I only had enough materials for one of each style in a fascinator and broach apiece so get 'em while they last!

Blog Feature

2011-02-15T11:40:00.003-06:00

Kyera over at Kglass has a lovely feature on my mixed media wares up today. Kglass is a fun, fashion forward blog that features hand made finds on etsy, fashion trends and her own beautiful glass jewelry. Thanks Kyera!

Check out the post here: http://kglass8.blogspot.com/

New Round of Mixed Media Necklaces

2011-02-11T08:37:00.003-06:00

The Somewhat French-Inspired New Pretties

Enter sparkling Cote d'Azure, softly elegant Champagne and Chrysanthemums, innocent little Blush, and sweetly floral Lavender Honey. These will be popping up in the Shoppe over the next few days. All are one of a kind!

Sketchbook Project: chugga chugga

2011-02-08T16:31:00.003-06:00

Pages 46-47

Not giving up! I will finish, and I think the way to do that is to not count how many pages I have left to fill :)

The whole project is being kept online at http://www.arthousecoop.com/users/saisai

Pages 12-13

Pages 8-9

Valentines Goodies!

2011-02-01T09:50:00.004-06:00

My work tray, so many pretty materials!

The Shoppe is loaded up with rosy and romantic doodads, from giant heart-shaped rose fascinators, to sweet, vintage inspired hats with netting. To shop the Shoppe, click here

Flower Box in Red

The Display

More Minis

2011-01-31T10:25:00.005-06:00

Hippo 4" x 4"

After Christmas and G's Birthday, he has two new mini's up on the wall. The collection is now at 8 paintings. I'm glad I started this tradition, they're fun and fast paintings to do and it's fun to watch the collection grow. Also, I don't think I'll ever run out of African animals to paint. Especially with the number of pictures we've taken (and continue to take) on our zoo safaris. The above was the Christmas present and the below was for the birthday.

Scimitar Horned Oryx 4" x 4"

Sketchbook Project 2

2011-01-28T15:58:00.002-06:00

Pages 34-35

So I fell way behind my original schedule for the Sketchbook Project and, of course, didn't manage to finish on time. Since the whole book is a sort of narrative I've decided to keep it and continue work on it and send it in when it is finished. It likely won't make it on tour, but at least it will make sense to whoever does get their hands on it.

Pages 59-60

Coming Soon: Mini Santa Hats!

2010-11-12T10:20:00.001-06:00

I'm going to be working on these today, along with glittery poinsetta fascinators...It seems like the season comes earlier and earlier every year!

New Watercolor Experiments

2010-10-08T17:37:00.007-05:00

Here are some new techniques I've been working on in watercolor and acrylic:

Happy Fall!

2010-09-22T13:45:00.003-05:00

Black Daisy Hat

And Happy Halloween Arts and Crafts time! I've added this hat to the Shoppe and there will be more to come in the next couple weeks, including paper mache skulls and Halloween ish wood blocks.

Catching Up With Sketchbook Project

2010-09-20T15:02:00.007-05:00

Pages 55 & 56

So I've fallen way behind in my brilliant plan to keep to a reasonable schedule for the Sketchbook Project. Today in class, I did what I could to catch up. I now have 6 fully finished pages (double page spread style).

Pages 44 & 45

Pages 26 & 27 (added to)

Ahoy!

2010-09-19T11:51:00.003-05:00

"Apollo's Adventure" 12" x 24" Acrylic on Canvas

I be wishing ye clear sailing on this here Talk Like a Pirate day me mateys!

On Etsy!

2010-09-14T11:22:00.003-05:00

"Marianne" 4"x4" Embellished Wood Panel

I have officially opened up my Etsy Shop and there are actual things for sale in there! For now I only have the wood panels available, but I hope to get some prints up on there in the next month or so. I'll keep you updated!

Caged

2010-08-12T17:29:00.001-05:00

Messin' around in watercolors for Illustration Friday.

Sketchbook Project 1

2010-07-29T15:17:00.002-05:00

First official entry for the Sketchbook Project!

2 down, 68 to go.

Breakfast!

2010-07-19T16:46:00.003-05:00

At last! An Illustration Friday entry! Hopefully I'll be doing some more...likely in this style and entered into the Art Book as a daily doodle.

Almost Done!

2010-07-16T11:58:00.003-05:00

"Woodscape" Acrylic on Canvas 24"x48"

I think I might actually finish this in a reasonable amount of time. And really, it actually hasn't been as hard as I thought it would be. It's just taken a certain amount of patience and persistence and a clear understanding of when to be done for the day before you put your foot through it. Just needs some touching up...hopefully I'll have it all finished up for next week.

Art book entries from this week that threatened to drain the life from my new pens. On the left, my impression of Black Jack Cove, a floating restaurant on Old Hickory Lake with an awesome fishing vibe. On the right, Paul, the soccer match predicting octopus. I hear he now has his own theme song.

The latest Art Class assignment. Using crosshatching. Not my favorite, but a good exercises nonetheless.

And finally:

The Sketchbook has arrived, looking ominously and excitingly blank.

What Was I Thinking?

2010-07-09T15:03:00.003-05:00

This is what I've been up to. And that's pretty much it. But it is 4 feet long and 2 feet tall, which might make it bigger than I am. It certainly seems that way. But I'm making good progress and I'm determined to finish it. So there. Take that giant painting.

Blog Fail

2010-06-27T13:18:00.009-05:00

"Seaside Tryptich" 3 12"x24" Canvases

So there it is, finished. It's not my favorite painting ever, but it was a good exercise and I do think it came out pretty well. I like how the waves ended up looking ribbon-ish.

And meanwhile, I've started a new art journal. This time I've vowed to make a doodle a day. I think that will keep me in art shape better than my previously vague "something art related" a day. Also, I'm making it look pretty:

I also made these little tile paintings. They're 5"x5" each and I think I will make one more of each and hang them in my bathroom. Bathroom art is important. People have lots of time to look at it:

And a third abstract clover pattern painting. These I will hang vertically in the guest room which has a lot of black and whiteness going for it:

And last, but not least, the Father's Day Present:

"Donald with Margarita" 11"x18" Watercolor

Triptych

2010-06-10T18:25:00.006-05:00

So I decided to add on to the previous (and newly edited) sunset picture and make a triptych. I'm not quite done with the people silhouettes.

Bit of a Dry Spell

2010-06-04T11:37:00.006-05:00

"Wild Rhododendron" Acrylic 18"x18"

So the art train has been a little slow going. We've been doing a lot of short range travelling, including a trip to the smoky mountains. I did get a lot of pictures, one of which inspired the above painting.

"Wise Owl's Mean Look" Acrylic on Wood Block 6.5"x9"

A quick little painting I did in class.

And a pirate princess caricature for Art Class

Back Again

2010-05-21T15:50:00.006-05:00

"Twin Falls" 18"x24"

"Hands" 9"x12" for Art Class

"A Portrait of the Quiet Gardener" Watercolor 12"x18"

For the Quiet Gardener

Eh.

2010-05-07T14:08:00.008-05:00

Seaside Sunset 12"x24" Acrylic on Canvas

So, I had no idea how this looked at all until I had stopped working on it and came back to it later. Overall, I think it's not bad. But the colors look to me like cheesy postcard colors. Like a picture that's been super-saturated without any regard as to whether or not the colors look good together. The couple in the front don't help with the cheesy-ness factor. But I didn't want to overcrowd it with more figures....All in all, I would not hang this on my wall. Well, I did mess with the colors a bit, and I think that what I want to go for is something more like this:

But I'll make the clouds lighter.

Here's my Art Class assignment from Sunday:

"Mom" Unmeasured Graphite on Paper

I also made this quickie, mostly to see how I could play with color in faces:

"Scared" 5"x5" Acrylic on Canvas

Quality Over Quantity?

2010-04-29T11:08:00.006-05:00

"Beeches and Blackberries" Acrylic on Canvas, 18"x24"

So, I happen to be very proud of this painting. For one, I've never tried to paint trees. Mostly because my experience trying to draw trees has ended in serious frustration and a general feeling that all this art stuff is a waste of time, given the obvious lack of talent. But when I was going through my picture archives and I found this one of a bike path in Watershed Park (Redmond, WA) I had an idea of how I might paint the trees. And it worked! Probably it has something to do with Mom's recent tree painting class and her amazing paintings from said class. And I had Hazel's yelling at me for making the distant tree tunnel too dark. But I think I did darn good. And while I still see a couple of things I could improve upon, I feel redeemed.

The only other thing that I finished this week is the Pooh with Coffee:

Which I forgot to take a picture of before framing him. I got myself a new set of real watercolors, so it was easier to make him all nice and smooth looking. And I like the coloring. So here they are together in Coffee Corner:

Art Machine

2010-04-22T15:04:00.008-05:00

"Spring Box" 10"x10" Acrylic on Canvas

Played with more abstract above, and it really is like playing. It was a lot of fun to do and I got some intriguing flower techniques. I painted it on top of the tree picture.

"Seaside with Seagulls" 8"x10" Acrylic on Canvas

Hazel was giving me trouble for never doing landscapes, which isn't entirely true, but sometimes it's just easier to do what she says. And I needed a bit of change. I couldn't quite get the lighting right. It's supposed to be really bright on the waves and the wet sand, but I just couldn't get it there. I might work at it a little bit. If I got that part right then the seagulls wouldn't look so much like cheating.

"Parker" Graphite on Paper...didn't measure

Mom's got us doing assignments for Art Class, so here's lesson 1.

And then I decorated a couple of wood blocks for Project Etsy.

Purple with Envy 4"x4" Mixed Media on Wood Block

"Is There Something on My Head?" 4" diameter Mixed Media on Woodblock

Things of the Week

2010-04-15T16:32:00.007-05:00

"Beehive" 12"x24" Acrylic on Canvas

So I started a new dandy in class and got most of it done while I was there. I've been working on touchups throughout the week. Soon it will be time to add the bees!

I also went and took some pictures so I could practice working with textures and patterns. I decided to start with some clover, but when I got the shadows in...well it looked too cool to keep going, so I cleaned up the lines, blackened the shadows and voila:

"Patterns: Clover 1" 10"x10" Acrylic on Canvas

I decided that it was maybe an even better practice in patterns if not textures and I've decided to do more. Yesterday, in fact, I finished up another one with a lesser zoom. I think I like it bigger, so I think I'll do a third that's zoomed way in...

"Patterns: Clover 2" 1o" x 10" Acrylic on Canvas

And I did a quick little wood block:

"Blue Block" 4"x4"

What I Made This Week

2010-04-08T19:08:00.007-05:00

Clouds 12"x18" Watercolorish with Acrylic

So this week was rather less productive than last week. Which I expected, but of course was still disappointed in. I did a lot more sketching and layout work for possible future projects and put in some time on Giant Notre Dame Sketch. All of which leaves less to show for my work. But, it's all good. I'm keeping that nice journal with my things a day to show me that I wasn't a slacker. I also decided to play with some abstract -ness to loosen me up and have some fun:

Tree Picture 10" x 10"

I will probably paint over it.

And I spent a lot of time working on this painting, which is still not done yet:

School of Jacks 16" x 20" Acrylic

And I made this:

Margarita Sorbet!

Which may well be my contribution to the Johnstone Margarita Legacy.

Oops, Missed One

2010-04-01T11:52:00.002-05:00

Chugga Chugga Choo Choo!

2010-04-01T10:51:00.012-05:00

"Just Dandy, Thank You" 12" x 24" Mixed Media on Canvas

So I managed to get a lot done this last week. Most notably, I put the finishing touches on the red-haired girl above. Amazingly, changing her dress was all it took to get me unstuck. Nothing like a new dress I guess. I did a couple more Hawaii paintings:

"Jack" 8" x 10" Acrylic on Canvas

"Sunset at Black Rock" 16" x 20"

I managed to do both the Jack and the Sunset paintings in one sitting, which is pretty unusual for me since I like to pick at them. The Jack took about 3 hours and the Sunset took about 5. Not bad. And a couple more wood block girls:

A lot to live up to for next week...

The Less-Fun Part

2010-03-30T12:31:00.007-05:00

So Tuesdays are "business" days. "Business" includes such exciting things as billing, hassling people, finding jobs, and learning how to program (which is actually kind of more exciting). Today, while trying to work on pricing, I went back to one of my favorite design sites to find an article I remembered seeing in their "We Can Do It" series.

I found it amazingly helpful and checked out the contributor's blog and started skimming. Which is when I found her "Thing a Day" post. It seems like really useful dealy for me too, so I've decided to implement it. Here are my own rules that I've based on hers, laid out in public so that I feel more committed to them.

A thing a day:

I will spend at least a half-hour a day doing something creative.
It does not have to be a painting, in fact it shouldn't always be a painting.
It does not have to be finished when I'm done
It does not ever need to be done if I don't like it.
I can substitute half an hour’s work on an existing project.
At least once a week I will finish a project that can be posted on the blog and go into my portfolio.

What I Did This Week

2010-03-26T11:31:00.006-05:00

I haven't had class for a few weeks. I missed yet another from out of town-ness and now it's in between classes. I made Hazel promise to have an inbetween class, but apparently she wants a couple of weeks off first. I guess that's understandable. Maybe.

Meanwhile, I made this Tigger:
...out of some cheap and not quite really watercolor paint. I do like his happy kitty expression. G likes to take his coffee in enormous Tigger mugs, so I'm going to frame it and hang it near the coffee station. I think I will make a similar Pooh version.

And then I did more work on the mini woodblocks. I'm calling it "Project Etsy":

Final version of the Purple Chick

Final version of the Green Girl

A new Girl with Glasses

There are a few that were not quite post-ready. I've also been working on the red-haired dandy, and she is almost done. Hopefully I'll have her up soon!

What I Did in Class Monday

2010-03-05T11:08:00.003-06:00

Short Post:New wood block girl and a new mini for G. Both are 4"x4"

What I Did in Class, etc.

2010-02-25T11:32:00.010-06:00

"Prison Fish" 8"x10" Acrylic on Canvas

So I tried another fish from G's collection of amazing underwater pics. I'm not as happy with it as I am the Moorish Idol. I think that the lighting came out good, but it's missing something. I'm considering making the fish bigger to have them fill the painting more. Hazel thinks I should add some more species to show that there are more fish in the sea...we'll see. I'll come back to it later.

I've decorated another one of the wood blocks...it's not done yet, I think I'll add some more interest to the main flower.

"Barnacles" 8"x10" Acrylic on Canvas

This one I did back in December. It was intended as a quick, fun experiment with color that ended up being a 5 hour long study in barnacles. I might scan the photo so that you can see that I didn't just make it all up...just the saturation. It's based on a picture I took of tide pools in Seaside, OR.

Catch Up

2010-02-18T17:25:00.013-06:00

So, to start, I've decorated one of the wood medallions that I was working on the other day and I quite like it.

I also realized that I've never posted the animals that I've been making for G. I started them a little over a year ago and I've been adding to them ever since. Now there are 5. They are all 4"x4", so you're seeing them about life-size:

White Nosed Rhino, 1/16/2010

Lion 1/16/2009

Zebras 12/25/2009

Flamingos 2/14/2010

Elephants 12/25/2010

And one more:

I find that no matter how much fiddling I do in Gimp, if I take a picture of a painting inside, I can't get the colors right. It turns out that it comes out much better if I take it outside. So, taking advantage of the sunshine today, I redid the Moorish Idol, this is more what it actually looks like.

Finished

2010-02-02T20:47:00.004-06:00

Fine and Dandy, 12"x24" Acrylic and Pretty Things

Class Monday was cancelled due to baaad weather. Which made me grumpy. But I did get some design work done and I did finish this painting. Finally. It's a little busier than I intended, but I couldn't help it...it sort of needed it. Anyhow, I'm pretty happy with it, hence the doneness. Now to remake the red-haired girl so that I can be done with her too...

What I Did in Class Today

2010-01-28T15:07:00.005-06:00

Moorish Idol, Acrylic 8"x10"

It always feels like things take me longer than they rightfully should, but I still finished with an hour left of class. Picture was, of course, taken by G. I was feeling very drawn towards Hawaii today...might be the storm carrying snow and a "winter mix" heading towards me...

While I'm at it, here's what I did in class Monday:

Acrylic on 5" Diameter Wood

Acrylic on 5"x5" Wood

Acrylic on 4" Diameter Wood

I might decorate them...but I'm not sure yet. I will for sure give them a polyurethane coating.

Student Art Show

2009-11-03T17:39:00.003-06:00

"Just Dandy" Acrylic, etc.

Today was the last day to submit art for the student show at Centennial Art Center. So of course, I had to make a new one at the last minute. This one, unlike the rest, has no prior claim and can be sold. After taking Hazel's suggestion, it is up for $350.

Since I've never really painted my stuff in a classroom environment, it's kind of funny to see what people think of it as I go. Generally, they don't expect you to go from painting a pretty face to giant hairdo...and then put pearls in it. And the hummingbird was apparently just over the top. But, I fought off Hazel's attempts to have me sign it and be done, and I think I rather like it. I might do a series of 3 dandies.

Halloween!

2009-11-01T10:44:00.002-06:00

I've mentioned it before, but I may as well mention it again, I am a huge fan of Halloween. And I spend a ridiculous amount of time on costumes. Because I have to make them. I can't remember ever having bought one. Ever. Before I made my own, my mom made them for me. We made the below Disney ones for Mickey's not so Scary Halloween Party. But no one outside of Disney was going to recognize the Sherrif of Nottingham, and I wasn't a huge fan of the way my costume came out. It didn't fit right and it was spray painted. So, after some closet diving, we came up with the dead pirate plan. Arg.

Up to Something

2009-10-30T15:37:00.006-05:00

"To Sea" Arylic on Canvas

I haven't been very active about posting lately and it's my plan to change that...Hopefully I will be able to get the illustration of the week back on schedule, and I would like to send updates on what I'm doing in class and the dreaded Notre Dame de Paris project.

Today I finised a painting that I've been working on for years. Seriously. Not everyday, of course, but years. A bunch of them. This was for G:

"Glockenspiel" Acrylic, etc. on Canvas

Amazingly, after the bunches of years of dissatisfaction, I'm ready to be done with it and I feel as though it is ready to be done. Some day there may be a real clock in the clock face, but not yet. Because of that, I thought I would post the other two paintings I've finished in the last couple weeks. "To Sea" I started Monday and managed to bring to completion yesterday. And below is Cathy Jo's birthday present:

"Turtle Bird" Acrylic on Canvas

This was based on an excellent picture G took snorkling in Hawaii.

Pats self on back.

Flying

2009-10-15T15:47:00.003-05:00

"1st Year Flying" Acrylic on Canvas-ish

I've kind of wanted to start illustrating Harry Potter, so I decided that now was as good a time as any. So here's my first one, poor Neville on his out-of-control broom. I had some problems with it at first, and then I realized that I just needed to make it looser and stop fussing with the details.

Pattern

2009-10-01T17:24:00.005-05:00

Bedroom Pattern

Well, they asked for it. Done mainly in Illustrator with a wee bit of Gimp.

Infinity

2009-09-24T13:31:00.003-05:00

"Mise en Abime with Funny Bird" Colored Pencil

Here I am, trying to get back into the swing of things. I decided to go for colored pencil, which I generally avoid for final illos. I think it's my lack of patience. I like them for sketches and color studies, but it usually takes me so long to cover enough area to get the strong colors I like. But, I think bird-wise I managed. I do like funny birds.

It occured to me later that it would have been easier to do the reflection bit on the computer. Sigh.

Adapt

2009-06-04T11:34:00.009-05:00

"Hiding" vector art

Oddly enough this isn't the first animal that popped into my head when I saw the theme, bear was and I don't know why. But I wanted to do a similar illo to the Elephants on Parade one.

While I was reading up on chameleons, I discovered that they only change color based on temperature or mood and not based on what they're sitting on, which makes more sense really. So, since I was confused, I thought I would share in case anyone else happened to be too.

Here are some other versions I played with:

Contagious

2009-05-21T12:21:00.003-05:00

"The Yawn" Digital Painting

I remember hearing about someone who wrote a philosophy paper on yawns and why they are contagious. Something about how the person yawning near you is sucking in enough air to change the air pressure around you causing you to yawn as well...I thought it was silly but clever.

Parade

2009-05-12T15:34:00.006-05:00

"Pink Elephants on Parade" Vector Art

Phew, managed to pick something doable. Or rather I started on time. Once I came up with the thought of pink elephants on parade (a la Disney), I wanted them patterned, and then I wanted to make my own pattern. And I've wanted for a while to make a Damask-ish pattern (they're plaid and polka dotted in the movie), which has proved no easy task. I'm still not quite happy with the pattern itself but it's getting close and I had some fun playing with Illustrator and like the colors and the way the pattern works throughout the piece. I'm thinking, though, that perhaps the red floor with the pink elephants may hurt just a little bit...but for now I'm stopping the criticizing and starting the just being happy to have finished.

Impossibility

2009-04-21T13:31:00.004-05:00

"A Bird May Love a Fish..." Acrylic

Or vice-versa, of course. I've found that I'm always drawn to images with an unusual perspective but I tend to go for the most obvious, so I'm trying to mix it up a little bit. It is harder, of course, and I think I could have worked this one out a little better, but at least I think it's reasonably apparent what the perspective is, which makes it reasonable successful :D

Fleeting

2009-04-15T19:34:00.005-05:00

Color Study for "Fleeting"

This is a quickish color study I did for a painting I have in my head. It would be much bigger, about 12"x24" and the figure would be smaller. I've started to find that by working small, I'm unable to give the effect of an immense landscape. I can't help but make the figures big enough to go into some detail on them. I think I will make it more like what I had in my head, which was a sort of brownscale painting, with some bits of color in her clothing and on the ribbon leash.

Fleeting always makes me think of deer and gazelle (this is a gerenuk, an african gazelle...or it will be). They seem so still and peaceful, and then they're gone so quickly. It's also meant to incorporate some images of spring and youth, which are fleeting.

I'll be covering up the skyish and making it all tree if I can.

Atlanta Aquarium

2009-04-12T17:30:00.002-05:00

Marine Life Sketches from Atlanta Aquarium

A couple of weeks ago I went to down to Atlanta with my sister in law. While she was looking at schools, I walked out to the aquarium and spent as much time there as seemed reasonable. G and I are big fans of zoos and aquariums, but I won't make him wait with me while I try to sketch a moving subject. These pages are further on when I stopped trying to get a good sketch of zooming sharks and rays in the big tanks and elbowed my way in to the smaller tanks where the fish were better at posing. So here we have a pirannah, a leafy sea dragon (so cool!) and a pretty river fish I'd never seen before, the discus. I take lots of notes when I sketch about movement, color, texture or ideas for larger pieces.

Just thought I'd post it for the fun of it. Also, I'm preparing a seperate blog for when I go to France. I have high hopes of sketching everyday at least, if not painting. I'll put a post up when I get that one running.

And if anyone's wondering, the Atlanta Aquarium is really pretty cool and definately worth a visit. They do a great job of making everything feel really interactive.

I Won, I Won!

2009-04-12T17:07:00.003-05:00

Faked Image of my Paintingish with Award

Having a pat-myself-on-the-back moment, I've decided to share the fact that I won third place in the Woodinville Community Art Show. My friend Alyssa is babysitting this collage/painting for me, since it was a bit unwieldy to move but I didn't really want to store it. She heard about the contest, filled out all the paperwork, and dropped it off. So I hardly did anything. Thank you Alyssa!

Talisman

2009-04-07T18:35:00.004-05:00

"Yet-to-be-Named" Acrylic

So, it was meant to be more obvious that she was gripping tightly to something at her neck, something like a talisman, but I got really carried away with the great triangular shape of her heavy-looking clothing. It was inspired by one of my clothing reference books, an 1863 fashion. It's not a period of costume history I particularly admire, but..it's so...triangular...I couldn't resist.

I'm wondering, though, if I shouldn't have made her coloring a little more subtle. I was going to have that be a scarlet cape-ish, but I pulled back. Maybe it's just that I got it done so quickly. I finished yesterday, but it felt so wrong to be done already Monday that I waited until today to take a picture of it.

Any title suggestions?

Also, the snowiness came out of the weird two days of winter we're having here, sandwiched between 80 degree weather...