new stuff

hey, now that all the hullabaloo of surtex is over, I can share some of my new stuff I took. Well, I guess it wasn't exactly a state secret before, but, everyone always seems to keep surtex stuff all hush hush, beforehand, so what do I know? Anyhow, here's some of what I took and no, you can never make enough stuff. Check out my site for lots more... (ok, that may be an exaggeration... some more?!)

christmas gift wrap competition

ok, a post or so ago, I promised that I was laying off contests and also would not become a spoon flower junkie, stumping for weekly votes. This time I really mean it.* I only intended to enter the annual tea towel contest. Seriously. But then I saw the next one was for Christmas gift wrap, based on ornaments. Being the Christmas addict I am, I couldn't resist, so I adapted some ornaments I had from an old card design and here ya go. If you feel so inclined, toss me a vote! And I hereby resolve to stop entering these things! 

*Unless they are really a super cute or fun idea and I can't resist.

happy spring and Surtex thoughts :)

Each month over at Happy Happy Art Collective, we have a group project. This month was to make a spring pattern. With such a dreary April, I was really in the mood for some spring flowers and of course, felt the need to add some friendly insects to the mix. Head on over to happy happy, and see what the girls have done so far!

In other ramblings, I just got home from walking Surtex the last 2 days. I had never done this before and it was, to say the least, a virtual eye candy overload! You really have to walk it to believe it. There is such a variety, from independent artists, to design studios, to group collectives, to agencies, all under one roof. In retrospect, I wish I had looked at more binders, look books, etc. toget a better idea of how much art is needed to make it worth your while, but I didn't want to get in the way of any potential business. I really enjoyed seeing how different artists handled their booth design and set up. I could see myself really enjoying that aspect of exhibiting there.

And if that wasn't enough, the National Stationery Show is adjacent, which is even bigger! I really wasn't prepared for that. Soooo much to take in. There is everything from major players like American Greetings and Madison Park, to rows of small letterpress shops, Ecojot (major drool... and Carolyn was there and was so kind and friendly), Tattly, a few small toy companies, the list goes on and on. It was difficult as a newbie with little knowledge of the paper market, to decipher which companies actually solicit work from artists. Most were forthcoming in answering questions. 

The best part of the whole experience, was the opportunity to meet soooo many artists I have come to know online from all around the world, which was just wonderful. 5 out of 6 of us from Happy Happy got the chance to finally meet, which of course was a major highlight (we missed you Denise Holmes!!) Lauren Minco's And Tammie Bennett's booths were absolutely fabulous, not to mention the Dottie Wrens, Forest Foundry, Tracey Mattocks, Kim Moulder, Kathy Weller, Victoria Johnson, Cultivate Art Collective, and so many other wonderful MATS artists. All very inspiring and just great people to meet and talk to. If you've never gone, GO!! Will I ever do it myself or in a group? I really don't know at this point, but it was certainly food for thought. 

Lilla Rogers' bootcamp...jello?!

I have to admit, when Lilla gave us the theme for March's bootcamp assignment, my thoughts along with the general consensus of the other participants in the classroom was whaaat?? Jello... and on bolt fabric seemed like an odd fit, but like all the assignments Lilla doles out, it's up to you to run with it as you see fit. Many others focused on the intricate molds, the fun translucency of it, or gave it a tea and dessert feel, many of beautiful pieces and approaches. Here is a link to the gallery that is super fun to browse through. For me, being a lover of all things vintage kitchen (yes, I have a large collection of cookie jars, pixieware condiment containers, tablecloths, etc.) going the retro 50's vibe seemed the most natural fit for me. For whatever reason, I stumbled onto vintage tea towels on interest, which really sparked my interest. They are always fun and kitschy, and are great examples of the use of limited palettes (something I always find extremely challenging). When I saw this pretty pink western themed example, I knew I had the beginnings of my palette. I don't think I've ever used that drab green, but I really like how it plays off of the pink and raspberry colors.

After the February cuckoo assignment, I decided I wanted to maximize my final design as much as possible, so I thought of incorporating a little kitchen scene onto my presentation. Hopefully, it does not take away from the main fabric print behind it. I really enjoyed doing the limited line and fill look that I've seen used in illos from the 50's, so this was my little ode to that era. In retrospect, it looks a bit more like a cookbook cover than bolt fabric, but that's ok I guess. I added teapots, pyrex bowls, spoons, etc. because that's what I think of when in regards to making jello. 

Like lots of kids, I was raised on the stuff. My mom had it as a side and almost considered it a salad (as opposed to a dessert) for many meals. Her usual formula was to dump a can of fruit cocktail in it for added nutrition ;) I can still taste the texture of those horrible hairy gooseberries...ugh! In fact, I found this photo below as an actual example! Note that I have to be at least 5 and am still in a highchair....hey, when you have to fit 7 people into a 10' x 10' kitchen, you take any seat that's available! I was a picky eater, and apparently did not want any part of "make-your-own-sub-night!" Gotta love those knotty pine cabinets, don't you?

more mushrooms?!

I've never thought of myself as a surface designer, but I do enjoy futzing (is that a word?) around with patterns and making up coordinates. The main pattern above is one I did a few months back for Lilla's class. I ended up going with a different design, but I still kinda liked the color combo of this one, so I thought I would design a few coordinating pieces and voila... duchy mushrooms! Actually, I despise mushrooms, eating wise, but it was part of the original assignment and they do have a lot of interesting shapes. The "dutchy" reference is to my attempt to include a Pennsylvania dutch feel with the modified hex sign background pattern.

Hey, BTW... have you voted (for me...) in the Global Talent Search contest yet? Here's the link. Ahhh, I am so helpful and subtle ;) Have a great day!

ok, so maybe it's not really springtime...

...but is there ever a bad time to use bunnies? Actually, I had done this bunny pattern a while back, but after Lilla Rogers class, I realized the value of having "collections" of designs, particularly when it comes to bolt fabric. So, I decided to put fall on the back burner and did a couple coordinates for the little guys... appropriately named "too many bunnies." 

illustration friday... robot!!

Heyyy, so I haven't done one of these in quite a while, but who could resist this subject? I decided to try to girly it up a bit because girls can like robots, right? Maybe that's a niche market that needs to be explored... hmmmm ;)

Make art that sells... week 1

Well I survived week one of Lilla Roger's e-course "Make Art That Sells!" This week focused on the bolt fabric market. We first were assigned a mini exercise of drawing mushrooms followed by vintage pyrex. At midweek, the actual assignment was given of coming up with 2 patterns based on the mushrooms/pyrex along with any other retro-ish, kitchen elements. Never having been a huge fan of shrooms, I preferred the kitchen kitsch part. I tried to remember my days of combing Brimfield or the many cool antique shops in central Pennsylvania. So much fun and no end to the great inspiration, from tablecloths, pixie condiment jars, PA dutch decor... love that stuff! Anyway, I ended up submitting the first one (gray bkgd.) along with some coordinates. On to week 2!