Doll

Inspiring Talk from Elizabeth Gilbert

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 03:43:00 +0000

DIY Antique Mirrors

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 02:44:00 +0000

I've been dying to know how to 'antique' a mirror.
My inspiration is the Leaning Borghese Mirror at Z Gallerie.

Steal this Idea: From TIME OUT NEW YORK Magazine online
Here you go!

Total cost: $50 and up if you make your own kit (see below), and depending on the size and quality of the mirror
Estimated time: Four hours

Materials needed
• Mirror (We got this 8"x10" one for $4.99 from Kmart [250 W 34th St between Seventh and Eighth Aves; 212-760-1188, kmart.com], but you can also try Housing Works Thrift Shops [multiple locations throughout the city; visit shophousingworks.com] or the furniture classifieds on Craigslist)
• X-Acto knife
• Staple remover or a pair of pliers
• Clear packing tape
• Drop cloth
• Protective goggles ($2.97 at Home Depot, multiple locations throughout the city; visit homedepot.com)
• Heavy-duty rubber gloves ($3.29 at Home Depot)
• Sprayable paint stripper ($9.26 at Home Depot)
• Paint scraper
• Patina solution ($4.99 for Modern Masters Metal Effects Blue Patina Aging Solution at Janovic, multiple locations throughout the city; visit janovic.com)
• Kitchen sponge
• Washcloth
• Sea sponge
• Glass or bucket (for water)
• Paintbrush
• Gold, copper or black paint (we used Modern Masters Metal Effects Rich Gold, $11.99, at Janovic)
• Vintage bottles: We’re partial to the ones dating from the 1830s through the 1930s that artist and urban archeologist Scott Jordan excavates from dumps and construction sites throughout the five boroughs. Prices range from $1 for a small ink bottle to $100 for a rare Civil War–era soda bottle. (Sun 10am–6pm at the Green Flea Market, Columbus Ave between 76th and 77th Sts; newyorkartifactart.com)

STEP BY STEP
1. Place the mirror facedown and carefully cut through the paper backing with an X-Acto knife. Peel away the paper, exposing the mirror’s backside and as much of the framing as possible.
2. With a pair of pliers, remove any staples that may be lodged in the frame. This eliminates interference with the backside of the mirror.
3. Use clear packing tape to line all four edges on the backside of the frame; this protects it from being damaged by the paint stripper. If you’d rather create a warped, antiqued look on the frame itself, skip this step.
4. Lay the drop cloth over the area where you will be working, preferably a smooth, flat surface. Wearing protective goggles and gloves, spray a thick, even coat of paint stripper on the back of the mirror and allow the solution to sit for 15 minutes. Once the paint on the back of the mirror begins to bubble, use a paint scraper to gently remove it, revealing the mirror’s silver leafing.
5. Thoroughly clean the mirror’s exposed surface under running water or by using a damp washcloth. Make sure that the mirror is completely dry before continuing.
6. Soak a kitchen sponge with water and set it aside. Pour a moderate amount of the patina solution onto the sea sponge and dab it onto the silver leafing (depending on how heavy you want the patination to look, you can also pour, spray or wipe the solution on). The silver leafing will begin to corrode immediately; as soon as it has achieved the desired effect, pat the sponge soaked in water over the silver leafing to stop the chemical reaction, otherwise it will eat straight through the silver finish.
7. To seal the back of the mirror up and protect your handiwork, paint four layers of gold, copper or black paint over the “antiqued” silver leafing, allowing each coat to dry fully (about 20 minutes per coat). Gold paint will create a sepia tone, copper will appear rusted, and black will give it a charcoal feel.
8. Hang or lean your newly distressed mirror, with strategically placed vintage bottles and flickering candles around it. Fin!

Going to Catalina

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 15:47:00 +0000

We're leaving Wednesday morning to take the boat over to Catalina Island for three days. It's our 3 year wedding anniversary. I'm really excited!

How to make Almond Milk

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 13 May 2008 22:37:00 +0000

This is a great demo video that explains how to make yummy almond milk. Before starting the recipe, make sure you buy raw almonds. Soak your nuts in filtered water for 2-4 hours and discard the soaking water as the water leaches toxins from the amond skin. I believe almonds are the only nut you have to discard the soak water but don't quote me on this. There is a whole bunch to learn about why we soak our nuts, but in a nutshell...some of the good stuff remains dormant until you soak them. It's natures way of protecting the nut until it's ready to sprout and grow.

Cafe Press Shop Y'all!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 19:05:00 +0000

So, I'm still working on it. It needs to be completely reorganized. There is actually a ton of product up there but my hope is to add a lot more when I have time. The whole process is quite time consuming. I would love some feedback, though, so, anyone feeling bitchy? Le'me have it!. Just on the products...the shop itself is a mess...it needs a lot of love.

Paper Party

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:22:00 +0000

These are some boards I recently sent out.

Prints on Etsy

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 03:22:00 +0000

I'm selling prints of my work on my Etsy shop. This is fairly new work and I'm really excited to show it off. Let me know what you think. $20 each y'all!

Gocco demo

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 23:01:00 +0000

Furoshiki

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:00:00 +0000

A couple of how-to demos on folding a Furoshiki cloth. Use these instead of plastic bags for responsible visits to the market and inadvertently up your style quotient.

MOMA Exhibit on Color - ZOBOP!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:56:00 +0000

Bridal Gown - Shower Invitation

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 01:58:00 +0000

CHIM11 Bridal Gown Invitation, originally uploaded by Cheryl_Hoffman.

I read somewhere that the three biggest days of marriage proposals are Thanksgiving, Christmas and Valentine's Day. So, if any of your single girlfriends/sisters get engaged on Vday, I recommend these lovely shower invitations. They're for sale in my Etsy shop (listed on the left).

Applying Your Art to Products

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 21:10:00 +0000

Here is a new presentation of existing artwork that I put together for my agent Suzie to take to CHA (craft and hobbie show). It's amazing what a fresh perspective can give you. Forcing myself to display the artwork on a specific type of product, sticker packets in this case, is always a positive experience.

As I begin to use the art in its new forum, I am forced to constrain it to that product and, unexpectedly, the art is set free. I see new possibility in the work itself, new colors, new cropping, new combinations and new ideas. From there, its like advancing the work to a higher level overall.

Well, that probably sounds like a whole lot of mumbo jumbo. However, I suggest you give it a try anyway. Apply your artwork to a product, any product and make it work for that product. Let me know how it goes for you.

Here are some projects to try: Photo album cover or journal, tshirt, 12x12 scrapbooking paper, gift bag and matching gift tag.

The challenge here is to think like a retailer and also think like a consumer. As a retailer you think "What will many different kinds of people buy" or "What will my customer buy". An important note here is that designing a journal for Target isn't the same as designing a journal for Anthropologie. There is much to be gained by attempting to design for different retailers.

Ode to my Xacto knife

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 18:38:00 +0000

Here is a poem by Sylvia Plath, makes my stomach flip just reading it. Hm, not good with blood. However, I think the description is so perfect so I post it out of reverence. To all my fellow cut-and-pasters! I've lopped off a couple of finger tips over the years, usually when I'm on deadline. Not today, thank God. So, without further adieu, miss Sylvia.

What a thrill—
My thumb instead of an onion.
The top quite gone
Except for a sort of a hinge

Of skin,
A flap like a hat,
Dead white.
Then that red plush.

Little pilgrim,
The Indian's axed your scalp.
Your turkey wattle
Carpet rolls

Straight from the heart.
I step on it,
Clutching my bottle
Of pink fizz.

A celebration, this is.
Out of a gap
A million soldiers run,
Redcoats, every one.

Whose side are they on?
O my
Homunculus, I am ill.
I have taken a pill to kill

The thin
Papery feeling.
Saboteur,
Kamikaze man—

The stain on your
Gauze Ku Klux Klan
Babushka
Darkens and tarnishes and when

The balled
Pulp of your heart
Confronts its small
Mill of silence

How you jump—
Trepanned veteran,
Dirty girl,
Thumb stump.

Gen Art Vanguard Exhibition

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 23:12:00 +0000

Check out this video: Gen Art’s Vanguard Exhibition

Add to My Profile | More Videos

Deitch Art Parade 07 in NYC

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 21:47:00 +0000

Some Day, I'll haul off and go to the Deitch Art Parade in NYC but until then, I'll share a little video. If anyone knows the name of that marching band about 5 minutes in, with the cook's hats and aprons, please tell me!

LOVE

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 20:44:00 +0000

Cupid is a hottie!

I did this pop-up card, which came out last Valentine's day, 2007.

This was a new type of project for me and I pretty much hated every version until I hit on this one. I went through a million layouts and ideas based on the direction of my contact at Up With Paper. Her only direction was the word erotic (for mainstream of course) and that Beatles cover with the silhouettes and the word Love.

It was complete misery. It was nothing like my style and it needed to be panoramic and 3D. Ultimately, I'm so glad I did it because I really LOVE it.

Book Binding Demo like no other

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 23:20:00 +0000

This is the most fun you can have while binding a book! This fueled my temporary obsession with marching bands, by the way.

The Extra Action Marching Band from SF
Performing at The Knitting Factory in NY:

Rock On!

Power of Art

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 21:40:00 +0000

My first blog of 2008. I want to share my favorite show, Simon Schama's Power of Art. Although it's a BBC show, I first saw it on my local PBS station.

Watch an episode here, this one is on the painter Caravaggio, you can even watch full screen.

Simon Schama's Power of Art: Caravaggio

If I find any more episodes I'll post links to them as well. I know you can also buy the dvd sets and he has a book out as well.

Happy New Year!

Sin In Space

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 22:52:00 +0000

Vintage Paperbacks

Being the illustrator of women that I am, and a fan of the pinup look anyway, I always love these vintage paperback book covers. The names really kill me but those taglines are amazing. I saw some others called Dangerous Dames and Tramps on Tour. There's also a series of James Bond ripoffs about a female agent called 008 with titles like Nautipussy, Gamefinger and For Your Sighs Only, illustrated by Robert Bonfils.

French Pop

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 21:39:00 +0000

It's so...so French! I loooove it... Each of these lithe filmettes are substantial inspiration for the mod bender. Maybe we should start an alternative YouTube website called Filmette. It would only be for inspiration, not for the druling paparazzi fiend and the ridiculous rest. On a side rant, I wonder how long it will take for Paparizzi photographer to become famous as individual photographer. In a retrospective of our time, we'll see Avedon, Newton, Liebowitz, Klien, and...some futurely famous paparazzi guy. So, I'll call it The Filmette Society. My new blog?

Anyway, Edie as the original muse...Such a doll. I heart black and white and fur and eyelashes an a pound of black eye makeup! And, who wouldn't heart that which involves dancing around my sun-washed flat to french pop.

More Self Promotion tips

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 23:35:00 +0000

A second, but very important tip, is this:

Imagine your idea of the perfect portfolio, not what you've already done, but what you think would be the most incredible 12-15 pieces of work... if you saw it (within the realm of the work you're trying to get).

If you have to, pull magazine pages, etc. and pin them up on the wall to make a mock up portfolio. Ask yourself what you like about them. Then, bring your book up to that level, piece by piece.

Continue to change pieces out as your work gets better. I told this to an actor friend of mine, and since then, he went from no work, to a Kinko's commercial, a life cereal commercial and a small part on an episode of 'My Name Is Earl'.

It may take you a while, but you will notice the caliber of your clients rising with the quality of your artwork.

Self Promotion

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 23:31:00 +0000

One important lesson to learn when promoting yourself is that people do not see 'potential' when it comes to portfolio work. This seems true for most industries. Your portfolio must show complete evidence of your ability to meet or exceed expected results.

A lesson from my own past: Don't send examples of graphic design work featuring high-tech industry print materials to an agency who specializes in fashion and lifestyle products. In this case, you're better off creating new work that was never published, if it shows your ability in fashion and lifestyle products. Those you're trying to impress will not look at your work and see your potential in their industry.

Save your name dropping for the resume, the portfolio is all about your talent and your understanding of the job you want. If it isn't phenomenal, you won't get hired. Very often, our paid work is not the best example of our phenomenal talent.

When I decided to become an illustrator, I had the good fortune to come from a background as an art director. I knew exactly what art directors want. First, I decided what kind of art I wanted to do (what market, genre, topics, etc.) and I went about creating that artwork (Many people would view this as impracticle, but I believe it's essential). Then I put that work in front of people who buy that kind of artwork. If I had bridal illustrations in my portfolio, I got calls to do jobs for bridal magazines, etc.

This also applies to my current work.

Showing a complete collection of artwork to a manufacturer hasn't been enough to close a licensing deal, at least in my case. I thought that the volume of artwork would be attractive and that they could look at the work and imagine it on their products. Now, I design examples of the artwork as applied to their products, so that they don't need to imagine...(because they won't). If they manufacture tshirts...I take the artwork and alter it into more of a tshirt graphic of some sort, and put it on a tshirt. Everything is right there, in front of them. It isn't easy, because I'm not a product or clothing designer and I'm almost always throwing them together at the last minute. It adds a whole new work load as well.

WWD/MAGIC

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 19:02:00 +0000

Today, my licensing agent, Suzie Dominick went to WWD/Magic, the apparel trade show in Vegas. I put together a presentation of some tshirt designs featuring artwork from my most recent collection. She will meet with manufacturers that she, most likely, has existing relationships with. I can stay home and do what I do, which is art.

Pinup Girls

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 17:58:00 +0000

One of my major influences is vintage pinup girl artwork. I say vintage because I haven't seen much contemporary pinup work that I like. I recently got a wonderful book called Alberto Vargas which features a lot of his nudes for Esquire, and then Playboy, as well as some early work. I had not seen most of these images so it's a wonderful book for my library. This weekend, Shem bought me a book I've been dying to get- The Great American Pinup. It's a giant book full of the images I love. Up until now, I had a lot of these images on my computer. Having the book makes such a difference. It's beautiful, I'm looking forward to reading through it.

One thing that I love about classic pinup girls is that, although they are rendered as perfectly flawless beauties, they are not super skinny and still they are undeniably beautiful. My goal is to evolve my artwork into a curvier girl. I honestly never intended to draw super skinny stick girls for the sake of being skinny. That's just where I was at creatively. I was seeking a long, elegant line. I didn't want to mess with realism because I was after a stylized and graphic look. I found that when I concentrated to much on realism I lost the stylized form I was looking for.

Now that I'm getting better at understanding and rendering the human form, I think I can handle adding a little more curve without loosing my style. I have attempted some of that in my island girls collection. A little more fullness around the hip, a little less stickish on the arm. A little fuller in the face. I don't think it's that noticeable of a difference but I think that little bit makes the girl sexier. I think it appears more youthful and innocent as well, because it's like a little bit of baby fat.

Puppy Love

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 01:00:00 +0000

Valentine's day is coming up fast. Here is Puppy Love, a pop-up card I did for Up With Paper. It's part of their Panoramics line. Buy it for the puppy love in your life.