Carla's Swank Tank

Final(ish) Payton Poster

2012-02-11T15:06:00.001-08:00

Payton in Progress

2012-02-11T07:35:00.001-08:00

living dastardly

2012-01-29T15:44:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a few weeks here, I've been outside a LOT and also working on the SWEETEST PROJECT EVER! Working with Abilene Bar and Lounge, we booked my favorite band to play here in Rochester, and the boys at the bar even let me do a poster! Yay! I'm starting a new lino poster this week as well, and I've started a Letterpress class, with nothing to show really from it yet. So here's the poster, NOT FULL SIZE.

I've read every book on the living room shelf.

2012-01-08T14:09:00.000-08:00

I've been taking as much time as humanly possible to sit in the Lamberton Conservatory to draw! I was able to get in there twice this weekend, and so far I'm loving this membership! Below, a sketch from today, the Loquat Tree, located next to the citrus trees.

Yesterday it was warm enough to bike out to there! This is a Ladyslipper Orchid.

From last week, one of the giant hibiscus flowers. They get up to 6-7" in diameter!

A painting in progress: architecture. From a photo taken on a beautiful day in Boston.

Pieces of what I used to be.

2011-12-29T15:33:00.000-08:00

WHOA HOLIDAYS! It's been a whole 19 days since I blogged last! Sorry, folks. I've been all around town, ya know? I went to visit my brother in Brooklyn for some pre-holiday holiday celebrations. It was really fun, and included fabulous food, lots of walking, staying in a lovely brownstone, seeing the Jim Henson exhibit at the Museum of the Moving Image, sketch night at the Society of Illustrators, bumping into more friends than I planned on seeing, and buying some new yarn at Stitch Therapy, which was a block from where I was staying. I haven't knit in about four years, so it was really exciting to get started again! Below, the matching cowl and ear warmer I made from what I bought (they're really warm!!):

I caught up with an old RIT Illustration friend at the Society of Illustrators for sketch night! A new years resolution of mine is MORE DRAWING FROM LIFE! The models, as always, were fabulous!

More life drawing! Earlier this month, I experienced the Highland Park Lamberton Conservatory for the first time, and fell in love! It's like having a lush, tropical oasis in the middle of my mundane Western NY home! Membership for an entire year is only $10, so I jumped at the chance! Today was my third time there, but my first time sitting and drawing. Below, an hour long drawing:

2011-12-10T16:14:00.000-08:00

Yay! It's here! The poster I've been working on all week! Smaller than actual size!

And... My art hung up in Kara's house! NICE!

Rye whiskey

2011-12-04T15:05:00.001-08:00

I've been wanting to do a good dog drawing since I first saw Iron and Wine's beautiful cover art for The Shepherd's Dog, done by none other than Sam Beam of Iron and Wine. Beautiful.

I was also inspired by a really sweet dog on the train to Boston last week. This is my sketch of a whippet, I'm loving this dog's face structure, and coat. Beautiful!

Some new window paintings that are available for you holiday art shoppers at Wine Sense!!! Very exciting!

I went on an adventure the other day in search of architecture to photograph for an art-trade project. My travels took me out to Highland Park, to the "castle". It was really fun to run around here and have the place all to myself :)

From there, I went down to Mt. Hope cemetery. Do you know the difference between a graveyard and a cemetery? A cemetery has a fence around it, a graveyard does not.

I used to hike around cemeteries and graveyards quite frequently, and I do miss it. It's utterly peaceful, and many times, quite beautiful.

Mount Hope is well-known for its topography, featuring many eskers, which make hiking around really fun.

I was struck by the beauty of the old graves, yet again, for the art and typography from those who came before me.

It's sad to see that not every grave can be taken care of, despite the many workers at the cemetery. This one is a reminder of returning to the earth. One day, we, too, will be forgotten.

show poster sketch

2011-11-29T18:03:00.001-08:00

Sketch for Bug Jar show on January 7.

Let's get out of here, past the atmosphere.

2011-11-28T16:20:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I enjoyed mine, traveling to Massachusetts to see family and going into Boston for Black Friday! You can only imagine my EXTREME EXCITEMENT when I got off of the train to see a BIKE SHARE! Roni and I were able to bike around Boston all day for only $5! The system is incredibly well-organized, and the bikes were extremely user friendly. The gears could be easily used by anyone, they had a nice step through frame for ladies and gents alike, easily adjusted seatposts with numbers to remember, very low gears, a nice comfortable cruiser setup, and big old tires complete with fenders to take any pothole you might encounter without damage! If the bikes were in need of repair, there was a button that you pressed when you returned the bike. Having read of bike shares in other countries, I am so proud that now I have used one! Another part that was a favorite of mine is the front rack with bungee cord, so you could carry groceries, your purse, jacket, etc!

Below, some sketches from the Massachusetts trip, on the left, Elmo the bloodhound, on the right, train times.

A very fun beginning to a VERY exciting project!

An old sketch of Roni from Java's.

2011-11-15T18:01:00.001-08:00

This weekend I went to the Chili Cookoff at the Genesee Center for the Arts. Apart from being delicious, I got to peek in, yet again, on their beautiful letterpress printing equipment. This winter I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to take one of their letterpress courses! It would be so much fun to expand my art in this way! Note: I DID NOT CREATE THE IMAGE YOU SEE BELOW.

I'm on cow #4 for a client! The cow is very popular :)

Finally, from the sketchbook. I've been trying to sketch more.. I always have that angel/devil/whatever on my shoulder pushing me to sketch more. I love the sketchbooks that take mixed media like a champ!

I just went down by the water.

2011-11-05T16:29:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to create an entire new body of work for a future show, and the beginning part is definitely 1. really fun 2. really scary 3. really crazy. So many ideas are going around in my head, here's a few ink sketches to warm up with. The fabulous Adele:

A cute little bird:

I got some inspiration this weekend as well going to the art opening of RIT Illustration alum/gradstudent Ben Rubin. It's always REALLY fun to catch up with fellow RIT Illustrators along their paths down the road of life. It featured Ben's prolific, gestural, musical sketchbooks, his father's shiny colorful paintings, his sister's crafts and dark, colorful paintings, and his step sister's gorgeous wood block prints. What a talented family! From Ben's blog:

2011-11-01T20:05:00.000-07:00

We had our SECOND ANNUAL ROCHESTER TWEED RIDE this past Sunday! How fun :) It's wonderful to see it grow as an event! We had music from the Windsor Folk Family, pictured below:

Below, me and some (not all) of my fellow organizers. Everyone worked so hard to put it on!!!!

Oh yeah, isn't it supposed to be about people on bikes? Official photos coming soon! Below, in Mount Hope Cemetery:

Some work for a client, my old friends cow and sheep. Yay Julia Child!

Something apropos, I don't know.

2011-10-17T16:55:00.000-07:00

First and foremost, our little Tweed Ride is almost here! Today I had the honor of picking up our fabulous buttons! You can look THIS COOL too, but only if you come! Check out the Facebook event HERE.

Some progress on a second painting for Java's. She'll be looking at the other guy :)

I've had a lot of requests for MORE TRAINS! Here's one that I got to work on while being interviewed for a documentary on artists who use materials from abandoned spaces. It was a really fun experience!

I saw the amazing Andrew Bird this past week for the first time live, and he absolutely knocked my socks off! If you haven't before, check him out.

Take out your measuring cups and we'll play a new game.

2011-10-11T13:45:00.000-07:00

I've been very, very excited about the Martin Scorsese's documentary that is coming out on George Harrison. It's no secret that he's one of my absolute favorites, and below, a sketch I've been working on of him.

I love looking at old art too, here's a George Harrison portrait from March 2010.

Today marked a big day in the art career of a Rochestarian, having a painting of mine hung at Java's on Gibbs. What an honor, I've spent years in that cafe staring off at the other art, and now I am among them! A big thanks to Gerry Szymanski for taking pictures of Mike putting up the painting!!!

A window in a window in a window in a window in a window in a window...........

Halloweenie

2011-09-26T14:09:00.000-07:00

Hello! Posting from the new studio (finally!). It took me a long time to move in, so thanks to everyone for their patience.I took a hiatus from art for the beginning of September after having a crazy busy August. The Babes and Bikes art opening went very well, thanks to all who attended! The work is still up at Orange Glory Cafe. Below, a photo from the Babes and Bikes opening.

I also still have work up at Wine Sense, so please go check it out there too! Wine + art = happiness.

I'm very excited to be taking part in an awesome group show for 1975 Gallery which is Halloween themed, called "By the Pale Moonlight". I've been looking to my favorite "horror" artist, Edward Gorey, for some sweet linework and inspiration. Recently, I went to our wonderful Dryden Theatre and saw "The Abominable Dr. Phibes". What a beautifully weird horror movie! Made in the 60's, set in the 20's, with many weird ways of killing people, and a phenomenally twisted plot. Vincent Price's character is phenomenal. Below, a piece inspired from the movie.

Vincent Price himself is pretty fun to draw! I watched House on Haunted Hill yesterday and loved the beginning where his floating head tells you what's going on in the beginning.

Finally, something that encompasses everything I've just been over, PLUS Jim Henson's 75th birthday the other day! Love the "Vincent twice, Vincent twice" and the pseudo-Edward-Gorey animation to open it up!

for ev er

2011-08-21T19:38:00.000-07:00

August is almost coming to an end, and I have to say, it's been a great but BUSY month! I'm looking forward to fall, the smells, the sounds, and a lot of great concerts coming up! Coming up this Saturday is the Spokes and Ink bike party, where you could buy posters done by yours truly! Be the first on your block to collect all three!!! A word about the Genesee Arts Center, they're awesome if you haven't checked them out. I'm hoping my winter will slow down enough for me to take a letterpress class there.

I have six new paintings on display at Lento! The paintings are no longer for sale, they are a permanent collection there, which means they will be there FOREVER!

Say it with me now;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-Q7b-vHY3Q&feature=related
Jenna has been finished! I'm very pleased with the results:

Last but not least, working up an image for the autumn Rochester Tweed Run!

Well I've been a jerk and I've been... a friend.

2011-08-10T20:55:00.001-07:00

Progress on Jenna!!! Yay!!! It's been a long week of freelance deadlines and it's nice to work on my own stuff again :)

faces all blast off

2011-08-08T19:23:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of new things I've been working on in the studio, and having little to no internet in the studio has been terribly frustrating as of late. Below, the sketch for a painting I'm working on of my fabulous friend Jenna of Tryon Bike. Jenna is a bike mechanic extraordinaire, and was kind enough to let me hang out for awhile, talk about bikes, and take her picture :)

More work for Flour City Shows: below a final sketch and first lino of a logo!

I'm also working with the Eastman School of Music on their "Day of Service" for incoming freshman. This is my second year doing the tee-shirt design, and here's the final sketch from that, complete with notes!

Jenna all sketched out on the watercolor paper!

Finally, I'm hanging six new food paintings at Lento on August 15!!! What an honor! Here are the first two!

Whale fight!!!

2011-07-18T17:33:00.000-07:00

I've been catering a lot lately, lots of parties poolside. The heat is relentless, and it hasn't really rained for three weeks. Today we had two teaser rainfalls, followed by insane heat and humidity. It's really becoming hard to work late in the studio while you're sweating profusely. Below, a piece inspired by the catering, and my absolute love of Julia Child. I'm thinking that My Life in France will be my next read :)

Some new (rough) sketches for the bike show. BIKE SHOW! I need to have a mailer piece by next week, because I want to start distributing mailers in August. I'm thinking this tour-de-France gentleman may become a lino, racing with others.

A lovely lady on the pier. Something funky about her foot to work out.

Finally, some gramophones sketches for a music festival logo :)

I like my sugar cereal but it makes my teeth bacterial.

2011-07-11T13:51:00.000-07:00

Today is the first rest day for the Tour de France riders, and boy, do they need it. There have been a ton of crashes so far, including one that involved a car clipping a cyclist and sending them into barbed wire! Yeesh. I really wanted to ride at least 20 miles of each day of the tour, but life got in the way :( Hats off to them!

Some sketches for a music festival bring me back to my old favorite diver's helmet, and, I have to say, a welcome break from bike drawings/paintings. It's very difficult for me to do a themed show, since once I start drawing only one thing, it seems like I want to draw anything but that subject.

I'm really fond of this one!

You may remember this old guy from 2009. Still love him!

My studio= so hot. My face= melting. Motivation= gone. Perhaps an air conditioned coffeeshop for the evening for some life drawing.

indie pen dance.

2011-07-05T18:20:00.001-07:00

Good morning, blog! Well... evening. Having recently moved, I have a lot to catch up on. I'm loving the summer, and the new crazy-busy-lifestyle that somehow differs from the crazy winter-busy-lifestyle. Somehow, the summer seems more tiring! I've been plugging away in the studio on pieces for the September bike show at Orange Glory, below is a warm-up sketch from last week. I'm really excited about the background patterns going on in this one, and would like to bring that into more of my finished work.

Here's a lady that may look very familiar to you, I met her in Austin in March with her fabulous bicycle. I finally got her out of the sketchbook and on real watercolor paper!!!!

The watercolored lady:

Mounted on the star. Probably some more ornamentation going on this one before hanging!

I heard a lion squeak and a kitten roar.

2011-06-22T18:15:00.000-07:00

Progress on my painting of that sketch...!!! I'm working on mixing tight line drawings with painterly elements... not 100% done yet but I'm really happy with the progress, and learning new ways of manipulating the window, and new medias in use :)

Finally, in honor of the solstice, the sunset from my studio window!

I don't believe in believin' in nothin.

2011-06-16T14:30:00.000-07:00

Forgive the lack of blogging, please! I finished up the logo for Roni Kobrosly's Rochester Study of Healthy Minds and Bodies. This project was definitely a departure from what I normally do, and it was a great learning experience for expanding my repertoire of projects. I'm really happy with how the final image came out!

I'm working on my next show, slated for September, which is bike themed. I actually drew this sketch out on a day where I was a bit stressed out about cycling.

Now it's in the works to becoming a multi layered window piece! Yay!

The final will have the stone wall, and a bright sky background. I want to utilize some new medias for this piece.

Finally, I rode the 65 mile leg of the Rochester Sage-Rutty Tour de Cure for Team Chain Reaction this past weekend! The completion of this marked the first team sport that I've actively participated in since I played soccer (very badly) in 6th grade. I feel like it was a milestone for my personal athleticism, and it definitely made me want to participate in more tours... both in Rochester and elsewhere. There's something to be said about experiencing an area with just you, your bike, the countryside, and your thoughts. Some might say it's my personal zen.

be the good little soldier

2011-05-31T15:57:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day Weekend! After hanging a show last week, I took the weekend off for visiting family, old friends, and one new (to me) absolute amazement in the culinary world. I speak of, ladies and gentlemen, Strong Hearts Cafe, located in none other than Downtown Syracuse! I'm always the first to bash Syracuse youth culture, but this all-vegan cafe made me envious, we definitely have nothing on caliber with Strong Hearts in Rochester. Great theme, amazing and creative dishes, and I didn't even try a milkshake! I only wish I had taken pictures of our food :)
Sometimes it takes a trip home to really appreciate how far you've come since moving away. I had one of these realizations the other day... now if only I can hold onto that for the serious career/life-path disgruntled days, I'd be all set.

So... I hung my show at the brand-spanking new Roc Brewing Co. last week. I can't wait for them to open! The beer is great, the atmosphere is awesome, definitely something new and unique coming to Rochester. You can join me for a pint when they open, which will be VERYSOON!

Some sketches for my next show in September at Orange Glory Cafe, which is bicycle themed :) Yes, I haven't drawn in a week. Yes, I am rusty.

Seersucker Preview

2011-05-24T13:46:00.001-07:00

I had a great Seersucker Social this weekend, thanks to all who attended, and helped out! Here are a few of the photos, more available on Joe's Flickr account. Also, a big congrats to Joe, whose photos from the fall Tweed Run have recently earned him some international attention, and who will be photographing the NYC Tweed Run in the fall! YAY!
Below, Jason and Kellie on the Schwinn Twinn:

Karl and Janelle at the beach:

The group turns (see if you can find me!):

Our most Dapper Dandy and youngest rider! BOYS RULE!

finger pickin on a six string, and the strings are made of steel.

2011-05-16T17:23:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to sketch from memory/imagination a lot more lately, since my friend Carly inspired me to :) This is NOT from memory, I definitely looked at my hand while doing this sketch... and tried to add more patterning. It's a very interesting sketch for the situation, sitting in a coffeeshop in Brooklyn, feeling a bit defeated after missing our train back to Rochester, because we spent too much time going to Grimaldi's for lunch. Also feeling guilty about being away from my studio for so long.

I've been really itching to do a piece based on Miles Davis. After trying (and failing) to draw a younger version of him, I returned to an old photo reference in my library, and realized that I had drawn this before, in July of 2008. The great thing about his face, and many people's, is that your true character comes with age. The reason that the younger painting didn't work out is because I couldn't get a likeness, the character of age just wasn't there yet. So, a blast from sketchbooks past, the drawing from 2008:

In-progress drawing from May 2011. I'm working both with a micron and liquid ink, which I haven't used in awhile. The final product I want to have a lot of nice texture from the pen when you get up close, and still hold up from far away. I'm working on the windows, since I have a show going up next Monday at Roc Brewing Co., a new brewery opening up in June!

I can't get away from this image of Buster Keaton. I painted him on a window last year, and the window broke. Take 2!

Ooooeeeoooooo, Killer Tofu

2011-05-09T14:04:00.000-07:00

I'm back! I promised that I wouldn't leave forever. To make up for the lack of blogging, here's a SUPERBLOG.

First and foremost, I went down for a stay in Brooklyn for a few days at the end of April/beginning of May. Let me tell you, the FOOD was phenomenal! Pictured below, we ate breakfast our first morning at Four & Twenty Blackbirds. With a minimal logo, a charming interior, and the most delicious artisan pies I've ever had... I had fallen in love. From there, we had some crazy awesome sushi, amazing Mexican, well-deserved post bike tour French food at Moutarde, and yeah, we couldn't stop going to get sandwiches at 'Snice (the most delicious vegetarian/vegan sandwich place, whom I wish had a website!). We may have missed our first train back and had to stay an extra day... but that was just an excuse to try more food :)

Oh yeah, we rode in the 5boro Bike tour as well! This year we got a little lost after lunch and had to ride around to find the group. Luckily, we made it to the end okay, and got the ferry back!

You can tell that I'm writing this blog while a bit hungry for dinner... but I've become OBSESSED with fresh bagels lately. The other morning we made some everything bagels up with fresh made veggie cream cheese... soooo good.

Before you bake the bagels, you boil them. This is what a boiled bagel becomes (I couldn't help the alliteration!).

A sketch of a logo I'm working on for Roni's Rochester Study of Healthy Minds and Bodies. This is the first time I've sketched in charcoal in years!

A finished commissioned painting for a farmer friend. BOEUF! BOEUF! BOEUF!

So then, I started wondering about the cuts of beef.

Finally, a finished version of the Seersucker Social poster. It's coming up soon!

Like disco lemonade.

2011-04-18T16:49:00.000-07:00

Here's a project I've been working on for a few weeks... FINISHED! Joe's business card, complete with PHOTO CORNERS. I absolutely love the photo corners as a framing element!

.... and the other side!

Next project.... poster for the seersucker social! A graceful little sketch from one of my favorite new blogs... it makes me feel springy, even though it snowed today!

a pig. in a cage. on antibiotics.

2011-04-11T14:59:00.000-07:00

I'm finally back in the studio after a week of craziness! Taking on a second job at a sweet bike shop has forced me to re-prioritize my life! I never realized how much I took my excess free/studio time for granted! Nevertheless, like Liz Lemon, I can have it all. I even filed my taxes today! Below, a portrait of my friend Joe from a business card I'm working on for him.

May is national bike month, and it's sneaking up steadily! I'm starting out the month by doing the five boro bike tour yet again, but Rochester is having our very own bike week May 20-28. I'm planning my Seersucker Social to fall gracefully into that schedule on May 22. Below, two poster designs (minus type) for Rochester Bike Week.

I really like the incorporation of the Rochester flower with this one, but I feel like it'll only be out a matter of minutes before the city freaks out and pulls it. Hence the two designs. A big thank you to my friend Joey for the sweet reference of the Sears Spyder MK-5 from his extensive collection of bicycles.

constant vacation

2011-04-02T12:27:00.000-07:00

After a grueling week of over-working myself to the point of exhaustion, I had a genuinely rewarding Friday. If you've known me for awhile, I've definitely shared my love of the artist Robert Ernst Marx with you. I've been fortunate enough to meet this prolific artist, and become friends with him. Last night, for the very first time, I GOT TO SEE HIS STUDIO. I got to see not only his paintings, etchings, and bronze casts, but his collection of art books, his printing press, pictures of his wonderful wife Francie (who told me the most heartwarming stories of the photos), his oil paints, his brushes.... I was incredibly honored and amazed. This man changed my work ethic as a professional artist, and constantly inspires me. I'm incredibly fortunate to have my studio literally blocks away from his, and to have him and his wife as good friends.

I've been sketching out typefaces today for a business card. Check out Joe's work, he's pretty terrific, and helped me out a TON with the tweed ride!

I got all of the food paintings hung at Lento, and it looks like I'll be having my art permanently there, filtering new paintings in as they sell. So treat yourself to a nice, sustainable meal today and check out my art! Below, a sketch of my roast pork buddy.

A preview of my art on the wall at Lento. The lobster actually faces the seafood bar :)

I think I'll learn how to swim where the water tastes like wine.

2011-03-28T12:57:00.000-07:00

My apologies for the long time between blogs. First and foremost, I finished the gift cards for my boss' b-day, and printed them up! She loves them!

For Jackie's actual birthday, I brought some balloons via bicycle to the store for some extra pizazz!

It's my first blog post since vacation time in Austin! I had a wonderful time, saw some sweet bands, had some great times with new and old friends, and, as you can see below, ate some AWESOME FOOD. This was a fish burrito and $1 pbr that fueled my bicycle riding that evening. Life truly doesn't get much better.

I promised myself I wouldn't post TOO MANY bike pictures from Austin, I did get a little carried away. This lady deserves to make the blog, though.

The latest in food, especially late-night food, are trailer restaurant/food carts. There'll be a few in an open field area, and picnic tables in the middle. Sometimes you'll catch a craft fair there during the day, or at night, there's usually a bar nearby with a band playing. I was very impressed by the quality of the food, and variety of high quality places.

A tiny bit of Austin Cycle Chic. Red shoes and red bicycle, taken while waiting in line.

I realized that I only draw ladies on bicycle. Here's a remedy sketch from the airplane/port.

I'm working on a business card design for a photographer friend. Here's a sketch of a fun old camera.

Then I got a little excited about the IRONY of making the logo a polaroid picture of a camera. IAMNOTAHIPSTER.

I'm hanging some food paintings at Lento very soon, you should go enjoy some deliciousness and check them out to enhance your meal! This one focuses on Mutton. The yellow type will have a much better contrast against the brick walls there.

Aaaand the original sketch of the sheep that I almost like better than the painting. Maybe I'll use this in something in the future.

Prints Available at SXSW

2011-03-12T13:42:00.001-08:00

Did you hear Backwords is going to be at SXSW? You should come out Wednesday night and check out the show and do some dancing with me! You can even buy this fabulous poster there :) The show will be at the Carousel Lounge, 1110 E. 52nd Street, in AUSTIN!

Other prints available during SXSW (COME FIND ME AND I'LL SELL YOU A SWEET PRINT)

while the sun is bright, or in the darkest night, no one knows.

2011-02-26T18:25:00.000-08:00

The boss lady's birthday is coming up again, this year I'm making some gift cards for Orange Glory, since ours have been a little lacking for a few years, and I'll be printing up about 250 of them. This is the image I have so far, next comes the type!!!

I've been working on sketching more, I feel like since I was in "show mode", my sketchbook got neglected, so I set up a still life that I've been drawing from this past week. I love the angles in the dried roses.

I taught a master class at SUNY Geneseo this week about painting on windows, and my friend Chris was cool enough to dress up as Beethoven and model for us! This was my painting from the class... also... they wrote a sweet sweet review of my show there, check it out here.

wake me up

2011-02-20T17:10:00.000-08:00

This past Wednesday was my opening at SUNY Geneseo's Kinetic Gallery! What a joy it was to walk in and see my huge poster outside the gallery.... what an honor!!! It always helps when your likeness is on it :)

Before the show, I walked through the town of Geneseo... small and quaint, and not without your sweet little cruiser with a nice wire front basket! AHEM BIKENERD.

Getting back on track in the studio, I'm preparing some art for a wine store and a restaurant in April! I started tonight with a still life, and would you believe it, there were some empty wine bottles hanging around the studio. I am very excited to work from life again, and two of my favorite things! Food and wine!!! Then again, do I draw anything that I'm not passionate about?

there's always a siren singing you to shipwreck

2011-02-15T17:38:00.000-08:00

My next gallery show is hung! Opening tomorrow at the Kinetic Gallery at SUNY Geneseo! It is SUCH a relief to have it up, everything looks FANTASTIC!

In other news: RADIOHEAD IS RELEASING A NEW ALBUM SATURDAY.

there's a gap in between

2011-02-11T20:05:00.000-08:00

What happens when two Carlas meet? Well, in this case, I met this lovely Carla Morris at a craft fair in early September at Artist's Row right after a fabulous weekend at Indie Fest. Taken by her cute hair clips and awesome hats, I took a peek. Upon seeing her name was Carla, I instantly went into an introduction of how we are comrades with the same sweet name. I bought some hair clips in hopes to wear them to work at Orange Glory, then on a bike date with a boy I'd had my eye on. It turned out that she had a show coming up at Orange Glory! Down the road, we talked about designing a nice header for her etsy/blog/website (my, how marketing illustration has changed in the past ten years!). I'm proud to present the FINAL LOGO!!!!!

I'm hanging my show at SUNY Geneseo in the Kinetic Gallery next Monday, opening on Wednesday! This is a brand new piece that I'm working on for that, a painting of a hipster violinist taken in Williamsburg this past September.

For this show, I'm also framing up original prints with the original drawings, then on a pedestal underneath I'll have the original linoleum block on display as well, which will help the students understand my process. Also on display near these will be the digital output prints of these illustrations!

I see the world through a rearview mirror.

2011-02-03T21:06:00.001-08:00

We were supposed to get a snowstorm of gigantic proportions here in Rochester. The result was a little disappointing, but I made candied bacon for breakfast regardless.

I finished my piece about the peaceful solitude of winter. The elegance, the grace, the quiet that snow can create.

East Boulevard in the snowstorm. Really good conditions for brisk urban skiing. Snowy nights have the most beautiful light to them, when the sky and the ground are a golden white with the yellow light of the lamp posts, the glittery snow falling rapidly.

An urban skiing adventure led to new discoveries in Rochester. In this photo, a gate that leads to a courtyard behind some very nice houses on Hawthorne.

There's a patch of snow on the ground

2011-01-25T19:38:00.000-08:00

The mid-winter blahs have hit. I've been trying to stay as active as possible, and social, and all of that fun stuff... but they hit anyways. The feelings that come from isolation... greyness surrounds us... it takes 10 minutes to heat up your car in the morning... driving everywhere instead of biking.... GROSS! I'm gearing up for another show at SUNY Geneseo next month, and I came across some pictures of my brother and his fiancee in Brooklyn. First of all, I looked at the pictures and was amazed to see my brother looking so grown-up and elegant. The stark contrast in the photo really made winter seem beautiful, even if it is desolate. Spring is coming, keep your hopes up! This sketch will become a final mixed-media piece for my show this week :)

Build Voice

2011-01-22T08:38:00.000-08:00

More work on the fabulous Carla Morris, now with epically long, luxurious hair :)

Working out a sewing machine for the logo as well...

It's a Carla thing

2011-01-18T18:28:00.001-08:00

First and foremost, a big thank you to everyone who came out to my opening this past Friday!! If you missed the show, it will be up for six weeks at Orange Glory :) Pictures to come! I am also opening my studio up this coming First Friday so you can peek in while I'm working on my upcoming show for SUNY Geneseo! There's so much going on right now :)

I'm currently working with another fabulous Carla, Carla Morris (more than one, you ask? YES.) I had the honor of meeting her this autumn at artist's row, where she was selling her super cute hats and hair accessories. This portrait will be part of a branding logo for her website :)

The way I communicate can make a freakin eunuch mate.

2010-12-31T12:29:00.000-08:00

New show! New mailers! Printing in the studio today:

As a present for the glorious coworkers of orange glory, I made orange ornaments!!!! Cheesy!

For scale... orange eyes.

And you'll fall asleep counting your blessings

2010-12-31T11:22:00.000-08:00

It's the last day of 2010... a year that has treated me very well. This is where I get all sappy and reminisce over the blessings this year has brought to me. It was a year of firsts. These are just 15 of the many.

1. First trip to SXSW, for winning an art contest. A chance to see a lot of amazing bands, meet a lot of amazing people, and add some serious street cred to my resume.

2. First bike week in Rochester. So much fun!
3. First major bike crash since two summers ago. Skinned knees and bent wheels.
4. First tattoo (thanks Greg).

5. First time seeing a Langhorne Slim show since SUNY Purchase days. A lot of amazing concerts this year.
6. First live painting with a band.
7. First time falling in the Erie Canal (yeah, it's been a clumsy year as well).
8. First out of house studio since college, where I'm blogging from RIGHT NOW.
9. First full week catering job at Chapin Mills in Batavia. Zen.

10. First Five Boro Bike tour. It won't be my last!

11. First time organizing an event... the first annual Rochester tweed run!

12. First bike ride out to Marge's... a bar on the BEACH. One of many Rochester hidden gems discovered this year.
13. First Rochester Indiefest.

14. First time biking around NYC in traffic... so much fun, as long as you have someone with you who knows the ropes.
15. First time having an old professor at an art opening, I was so honored!

Here's a toast *clink* to 2011 being even better!

Zuzu's petals aren't there either, George Bailey.

2010-12-19T16:08:00.000-08:00

This Friday I had the distinct honor of being invited to a prop-making party for a film. We made inventions to go in a crazy inventor's room. I made the prototype for a shark submarine, which would be very helpful in case of a tsunami.

Close up on the SHARK SUBMARINE.

Final poster for show, with type!

Yesterday was a wonderful day for skiing. I tackled my favorite trail... and the sun shone. Today was not as fortunate, I went out and broke my glasses on a hard spill.

We'll rock this house.

2010-12-16T20:38:00.001-08:00

Progress on the poster. Type is coming!

Here I go, giving in again

2010-12-12T16:04:00.001-08:00

The holidays are upon me, and I have lapsed in my blogging. Apologies all around! I've been working this week diligently on a poster on a show coming up in January (at the Bug Jar for all of your ROCHESTERIANS). I've been looking at a lot of Dan Danger work for inspiration, and this is but one layer of the final piece that will be coming your way :)

Thank you to all who came out for our first ever FIRST FRIDAY in our studio! We had a lot of fun meeting everyone, and getting to know our neighbors! What a blessing it is to have a studio in such a creative space. Below, a blurry part of my wall display.

More blurry pictures! From the Langhorne Slim show last weekend! What a fun time, I visited with some good old friends in Ithaca, and ended up at Castaways, a seriously fun venue. Thanks for the fabulous day and show, friends!

we know the smells and the sounds, we know a lot of people. we know the way things go down.

2010-11-30T18:44:00.000-08:00

Sorry it's been so long on the blogging :) I've been working on this new piece, and I'm extremely frustrated with the face at this point. It's so close to completion, and yet so far away... I need to spend some time away from it so that it can come to me.

I ate a lot of meat over this past holiday, including this delicious beef enchilada while shopping on black Friday in Woodstock, New York with the family. I swore I wouldn't shop on black Friday... but it doesn't count in a cute hippie touristy town with little shops instead of a big old mall, right?

I spent the holiday with some family, and we visited some of those who are no longer with us.

A sketch I'm working on for a lino of penny farthings! How fun! I'm going to be working on this piece for the show (that's right, SHOW) on JANUARY 15 AT ORANGE GLORY. This Friday is also a showing of work, please come visit me in the Hungerford Building in my studio! It's number 345, and you will be able to not only buy my own prints, but art from Caitlin Yarsky and Fawn Brokaw as well. SWEEEEEEEEEET.

you, to me, are sweet as roses in the morning.

2010-11-16T20:11:00.000-08:00

I've mentioned it before, and I will again, I absolutely love drawing hair and the wrinkles in clothing. Recently, I received a beautiful gift of a book about (what else?) the history of bicycles. I was amazed to find vintage bike posters by such prominent artists as Mucha (MASTER OF HAIR AND WRINKLES IN CLOTHING) and Toulouse-Lautrec. These posters were made before cars, even! An example of a Mucha below:

Is there a point to this rant? OF COURSE THERE IS! I recently slated an ACTUAL OPENING date for a show at Orange Glory... AKA A DEADLINE. God knows I needed one. Thinking of the first piece for the show (which will also be the promotional mailer) I thought back to all of the times that I have skipped bike events for the studio lately. I guess this is my retribution. The final will most likely be mixed media.

A final thought, one that has recurred about five times to me today, "We always condemn most in others... that which we most fear in ourselves." Working on not being as judgemental of others...

The arena is empty, except for one man.

2010-11-14T16:26:00.000-08:00

Last night was the official BOUT FOR BOOBIES!!!!!! It was so much fun to hang out with the fellow artists who did breast casts for the cause, the roller girls, and the fabulous people of Rochester who came out to support the cause! Together, we raised $4000 for the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester! WHAT WHAT!

My dear old friend Jen (whom you may remember from a previous post) has a fabulous new blog about the things she sends out in the mail... handmade with love, of course. She was kind enough to write nice things about me on her blog as well :) I love getting mail, what a pleasant surprise! I took the bag out shopping at the public market this weekend.

The holiday season is nearly upon us, and I finished up the image for the front of the postcard today! Very ski-centric, the postcard is about EMBRACING THE WINTER. Year after year I'm overwhelmed with the amount of people who live in Upstate New York who constantly complain when the season is upon us. Love it or leave it, suckers!

All I wanted was a good song, and a fair friend.

2010-11-07T15:23:00.000-08:00

I recently started a local musician series, for a themed show. My first painting was finished today, Seth Faergolzia of Dufus, during the final Dufus show at the Cakeshop in Manhattan. Surprise, Seth! Sorry for the crappy photo of the painting :(

It seems like there are craft fairs going on every weekend in Rochester. This weekend a few good friends were in the Mayday Underground craft fair, so I stopped in to visit. I was reminded again how much I want to take a letterpress class when I saw Dock 2 Letterpress' booth. This poster from them suited me quite perfectly.

The holidays are quickly approaching, as is SKI SEASON. I was reminded of my love affair with old ski posters recently.

I've been sketching out some ski gestures in preparation for my holiday card :)

i. am. a. road.

2010-11-02T17:17:00.000-07:00

Final piece for Backwords. I hope you like it, gentlemen. I felt the "starburst" background added that Americana feel that their music encapsulates so well.

I destroyed my cell phone, because I self-own.

2010-11-01T15:25:00.000-07:00

Happy (post) Halloween! I had a blast this weekend :) My costume was Rosie the Riveter, empowering ladies everywhere. An actual picture of my costume will appear when I actually get one :)

My coworker, Rich, celebrates his birthday on October 21. I felt the need to finally succumb to his request for a lighthouse painting. Every single art show that I have he says "if you had a lighthouse painting, I'd buy it". Well, tomorrow, he can have one for free :)

More work on the buffalo... thinking about a design for the exterior, since it seems so stark.

I know I won't be defeated anymore, where the buffalo still roam

2010-10-25T15:35:00.000-07:00

I'm still alive, I swear! I've been super busy putting together the First Annual Rochester Tweed Run, which took place this weekend. We had about 30 people in attendance, not bad if I do say so myself. More official pictures on the way, but for now, here's a nice group photo of everyone looking quite dapper!

Yeah, I was pretty excited to get dressed up and ride my bike!

I got to see the fabulous gentlemen of the band Backwords again last weekend, and this is a buffalo print that I'm working on for them.

hey man, slow down!

2010-10-11T14:41:00.001-07:00

First and foremost, yes, I own a car. This month inspection was past due, and I was forced to make some repairs to my car to drive it legally for another year. My car fixing budget being extremely low, I suddenly had the time to do some of the commissions that my mother has been begging me to do for awhile. Below, her sister, Beverly, approximately age 18.

My mother may argue with me about the "weird color" usage. In other news, I had the pleasure of seeing the band Cuddle Magic this weekend at the Bug Jar. Their nine piece group was incredibly tight, and I found the music so enjoyable, I purchased some cds. I recommend that you check them out, and see if they're coming to a town near you soon!

Living Dastardly.

2010-10-04T15:59:00.000-07:00

The lovely Ms. Jennifer Fisher.. the first time I've drawn her since high school (feeling old here)! Check out her blog... she's a freaking awesome girl with a knack for writing and drawing :)

This First Friday in Rochester was quite fabulous... I finally got to see the work of Andy Gilmore on display in a gallery! I highly suggest you check out the ongoing Geometries show at RoCo.

Another lovely show from this past Friday is the Cinemonstrum show ongoing at 1975 Gallery. This show featured many awesome local artists, including some works by a dear friend, Matt Roberts. Horror movie villains and monsters? Yesplease.

oh my god, shoes.

2010-09-30T15:17:00.001-07:00

I finished my piece for the shoes show! It developed in an interesting fashion, with more watercolor than I originally anticipated. Onward to new projects!

I've got mine

2010-09-28T19:09:00.000-07:00

So I bet you've been wondering where I've been the past few weeks. That's okay, I was wondering too. Rochester Indiefest was a blast! Lots of live painting, good art, and great music. I had the honor of meeting the gentlemen from Backwords, and one of the highlights of the weekend was a late night sing-along to old Beatles tunes with them and the gentlemen from Walri. Truly, it was a fantastic evening. In other news... planning of the Rochester Tweed ride is in full force, with less than a month remaining! My good friend Neeti from Tree in the Sky helped me out with some type for my flier.

I've been working on a piece for the Shoe Factory Art Co-Op, here's my sketch that's on its way to being a final piece. As always in my life, it is bike-centric.

I had a lovely getaway to New York this weekend, and got to visit my brother in his new place! Yay Gordon!

The Dufus final show was freaking sweet. I got to see some good old friends on this trip, and meet some new ones, like that chick Regina Spektor. What a great weekend!

paint. live.

2010-09-12T18:31:00.000-07:00

I'm doing some live painting this week, come and check me out!!! It's all a part of Rochester Indie Fest. I'll be outside of Boulder Coffee (on Alexander Street) Thursday and Saturday while the bands play. I will also be selling PRINTS! WHILE SUPPLIES LAST LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!! I've been practicing my paintings on glass... from sweet photos taken at the New York State Fair of livestock. During the process they turned out to be food-centric, I ran home to get my copy of Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" to pull French words and epic quotes from. I LOVE how they look when they're layered!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DUSTIN

2010-09-11T13:51:00.000-07:00

A Happy HAPPY birthday to one of my dearest old friends, Dustin Angell. I grew up with this kid. I watched him play baseball with my little brother, as my mother likes to remind him every time we hang out in Syracuse. Our high school art room antics were simply the best. Water bottle wars, clay sponges being thrown across the room at each other, picking on Bamerick or whomever was nearest to us... those were the days. I wasn't as serious of an artist then, definitely. Dustin's talents always seemed limitless in the art world. We stayed in touch through our undergraduate lives in art school, me attending many different ones, Dustin going to Alfred University. We ended up working together at the Sterling Renaissance Fair one summer, making the hour long commute together every weekend, singing along to Dustin's impressive music collection in the car... in full period garb. The past few years I haven't seen Dustin as much as I'd like to, but he remains an ever-present favorite person. His work will inspire you, as it continues to inspire me. Check it out here.

Happy birthday, Smokey D.

you've got a strange magic

2010-09-08T20:02:00.000-07:00

I celebrated this Labor Day by begrudgingly going with my parents to the New York State Fair. I had the mindset of a cranky teenager... I had seen it all... I was way too cool for the fair. Growing up in Syracuse, we went every year. I went to high school behind the fairgrounds. I was SO OVER IT. I went... and... I actually had fun. GOD FORBID! I got a lot of great photo references for projects there, I never realized there were so many animals there that I don't get to see in everyday life. Goats, sheep, pigs, chickens, rabbits... and this cool guy. Look at the edging on his feathers, how they separate into beautiful shapes of their own. How beautiful is he, I can't wait to draw him!

Speaking of drawing, I have officially paid my first months rent and moved into my STUDIO SPACE OF MY VERY OWN (well, that I share). It's been two working nights here so far, and it feels great. Free from the distractions of home, I can make messes with ink and paint and not worry about them when I wake up in the morning. The only thing is... it does get a bit lonely out here. Come visit me!

FIRST linoleum block printed in my new studio!

Finished illy for the tweed ride flier! My friend Neeti is going to lay out the type for me, which helps a ton and lets me focus more on other projects!

my baby plays a guitar, i pick a banjo now

2010-09-02T05:21:00.000-07:00

I finally got it, the illustration chance of a lifetime, to illustrate my dueling banjo pig!!!! For print, nonetheless!!!! Part of Rochester Indie Fest features a bluegrass/americana section (OH YES) and I was lucky enough to be asked to make the flyer :) Below, my BANJO PIG!!!!

Here he is with type! Stop by the South Wedge Market today to get a banjo pig flier of your own!!!!!!

This time tomorrow

2010-08-29T19:48:00.000-07:00

It was a frustrating day in the studio today. I'm trying to get my fliers made up for the tweed ride that I'm organizing for October 23. I had a great photo shoot (thanks to Kira for assisting) followed by a few sketches that just didn't quite do it for me. Cramped hands and a loss of patience led me to scrap the project for the evening, to revisit at a later time with a fresh perspective.

This was my inspiration for the piece. The artist is Rory Kurtz, whose glorious details and dynamic compositions make me want to work harder and do more! I first noticed him because this illustration graced the cover of Bicycle Times.

All was not lost in the studio today! I submitted an altered version of the lion lino for the Rochester Independent Music Festival (check out the nice little writeup on the side of the page). The talented designer/festival organizer Josh Reed designed the type around the image, making for a poster I am excited to see ALL OVER DOWNTOWN. I'm also going to be taking part in the festival with some live painting and selling some prints, so be sure to check me (and all of the talented bands) out!

print, please

2010-08-25T14:40:00.001-07:00

You may remember this guy from an earlier post in my blog... Mr. George Eastman... for the Eastman School of Music:

Well, today, I got my copy of the tee shirt he is printed on! It looks pretty sweet! Tons of Eastman freshmen will be wearing these shirts this week!!!!!

Oh, and a Bonzai tree sketch I've been working on.

surprises for boss lady

2010-08-19T15:15:00.000-07:00

Linda and I prettified the boss' new office today with some sunflowers on the wall. Finished painting:

KItchen Statement:

Linda hard at work:

i could paint a picture with a pen

2010-08-15T15:23:00.000-07:00

Progress on the Danger Mouse (aka Brian Burton) project!!! Final sketch:

Layer two of the print:

Almost finished piece for my show in December:

your bottle is empty, but your glass has been filled.

2010-08-08T18:24:00.000-07:00

Ever since I saw the film Exit Through the Gift Shop, my eyes have been peeled for new and different graffiti in my city. There's a sweet bike tour coming up in Rochester to tour graffiti around the city, what could possibly be better??!!! I noticed this new guy on my way to Pittsford this morning.

It was a week of some sweet bike rides, including one out to Charlotte Beach. There was the most beautiful weather, although no swimming.

This was on a ride home from Wegmans after seeing SOME STUDIO SPACES IN THE HUNGERFORD BUILDING! That's right, as of September I will be amongst some of my friends renting a studio in this wonderful building... and it will be my first studio outside of my house since I was in undergrad. I got to explore a few studios of friends who work there currently, which only fed my excitement tenfold. A perfect evening capped off with a glorious sunset!

One of my friends at a group ride had this sticker on his bike, which I had to send immediately to my Prius-lovin-parents. Tee hee :)

Woooo sketchbook! It's about time I drew the man who has the midas touch when it comes to collaborations in music, Danger Mouse, aka Brian Burton. I've loved (and still do love) so many of the things he's had a hand in during the past few years. I've also secretly wanted an afro all of my life... and drawing it helped me live vicariously through his.

every garden can grow, every mouth can form a smile.

2010-08-01T18:53:00.000-07:00

Making mailers is a lot of fun, but today I got into making actual art for a music-themed show out of the original mailer art. I have a lot of really good art that's just not ready for a show. Today I found the records that I bought at a thrift store for about 25 cents each, and decided that they would make a PERFECT canvas for music inspired art. Below, the gentlemen of Walri.

The old Langhorne Slim/birds print :)

Langhorne mailer, deconstructed.

I feel like this piece may need one or two more records as the backing, as Jeff is falling off almost completely.

I pose this question to you:

the mama pajama rolled out of bed

2010-07-29T18:06:00.000-07:00

This was a pretty cool gift: my friend Caitlin went to France and brought me back a cute little basket for my bike, perfect for transporting small plants home from the market in :) Bike gifts are THEBEST.

Fave illustrator, fave beer of the summer. Ralph Steadman's sweet illy and type for Flying Dog In-Heat Wheat. LOVE.

A detail from my new studio.

NEW STUDIO SPACE! All set up and ready to crank some illys out :D

Out of the fountain flows gold, into a huge hand.

2010-07-25T19:35:00.000-07:00

I've been working on the start of a circus/carnival themed show lately. I decided to do a fortune teller, as I am called a gypsy on a regular basis for how I wrap my hair. I did have a lot of fun with my photo reference:

Original sketch:

Here's the piece, in progress. I'm excited to do a multi-layer lino again, and I think I'm going to add an additional layer of the background as lino as well. It's fun to be working with lino digitally again!

Finally, another variation on the lions from last week:

no matter if you're born to play the king or pawn

2010-07-21T20:45:00.000-07:00

My derby bust is 1. fixed! and 2. finished! After a long nap during the thunderstorms of this afternoon I finished this up... now I can get it out of my room and not constantly worry about me/anyone else ruining it in my house!!!

Last night was the Langhorne Slim show in Woodstock! It was my first time seeing him play in seven years, and he did not let me down! The Low Anthem was also phenomenal, check them out too, each member is incredibly versatile and the instruments they use are quite unique. I had a ton of fun there, and I believe the gentlemen of the War Eagles were very happy with the mailers that I gave them :) More pictures to come!!!!

Don't call me when the new age gets old enough to drink.

2010-07-19T11:10:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, my good friend Shalini had given me a much needed kick in the butt to get back into linoleum block printing, which used to be all I did in undergrad. Being in a circus/carnival frame of mind, I chose a lion for my first subject to get back into printing with. First I sketched it out:

Then I redrew it, cut it out, and printed it:

Bringing it into photoshop, I was met with a really happy surprise when playing around with layers and opacities, I am really intrigued by the interplay of the interior lines here:

I was able to see my friends from the band 28 North again in Rochester last night! We had a lot of fun, even though the venue was a bit of a different feel from my old favorite, Abilene. They're on tour now, so check out their schedule to see if they are headed to a city near you! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND going to see them! Below is a collaborative sketch that my friend Kira and I did while the boys were playing:

A collaborative sketch with some of the boys in the band, me, Kira, and the girl sitting next to us (sorry, I had to edit some content to keep this blog family friendly).

It's so easy, when you know the rules.

2010-07-16T07:53:00.000-07:00

Progress on my Thom Yorke sketch :) Making the shapes in this reminded me of a simpler time when I mapped out shapes for linoleum block prints. As if reading my mind, I got a (not so subtle) reminder from a good friend of mine that I should really start printing again. DULY NOTED! I'll be working on a new print this weekend, fear not!

In other news, the Avett Brothers just premiered their music video for "Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise". I LOVE the song already, and the video is absolutely beautiful. The artist involved is Jason Ryan Mitcham, go watch the video now. Be inspired by it!!!

Finally, I had a really fantastic chat with my dear friends, Robert Ernst Marx and his lovely wife Francie the other day at Orange Glory. They were telling me about the evils of the fine art world, contracts, and having your art stolen. It reminded me how blessed I am to know them, if you haven't checked his work out already, I urge you to! He is amazing and always inspires me to work harder and get better :)

strangers on this road we are on, we are not two we are one.

2010-07-14T15:59:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I had the great pleasure of listening to and meeting two up and coming bands, 28 North and Hollis Brown. Not only were the guys super nice, their music was awesome! I may be finagling my upcoming trips to make time to see them again at Abilene this coming Sunday, after that they're touring all over the place! If you're in Rochester, you should join me there :)
28 North:

Hollis Brown:

There's something to be said about the beauty of asymmetry. Sure, in our culture, the perception of "what is beautiful" lies mainly in symmetry, especially in faces. Take a look at many celebrities deemed "attractive", and look at how symmetrical their faces are. I, on the other hand, LOVE the little asymmetrical nuances that make a face unique, perhaps this is because my face has some asymmetrical features to it. I've been wanting to draw Thom Yorke again, I miss his weird, wonky eye. This is a quick sketch I did of him today.

Final note, The Onion's A.V. club is doing an AMAZING thing with their "undercover" project, and this one is my favorite. I'm a huge sucker for this song :)

Wye Oak covers The Kinks

summer days, summer nights

2010-07-10T13:37:00.002-07:00

finished mailer back:

finished mailer front:

10 days until the Langhorne Slim show :D

I push the envelope off the precipice.

2010-07-08T03:51:00.000-07:00

Stuck in a heat wave, I've been relocating my studio to any coffeeshop with available air conditioning. It's working out for me so far, but when I come home I get a little guilt trip from my favorite anti-muse.

I got frustrated with the original drawing of George Eastman (daddy Rochester, as I've been calling him lately), so I redrew it. I like the shapes in this one a lot more :) Now.... let's have a Jay Lincoln moment (AHEM).... "so... what do we think here guys.... do we have a likeness?"

a weekend of independence

2010-07-05T18:00:00.000-07:00

First and foremost, it was a HOOOOTTTTT weekend! Today I got back to Rochester... and feeling guilty about not having a nice long cycle in a few days... went out for a 40 mile ride. It was enjoyable... the best thing about cycling is there will always always wind blowing towards you... but then you stop... and the sweat POURS OFF OF YOU. A few of the miles were treacherous.. but the majority weren't. When I got home I looked (and felt) like this vat of melted cheese:

So the weekend! I had a ton of fun visiting my good friend Gayle in Albany. This was my second time to Albany, and I have to say, I like it better every time I go. I wish I had my pictures to show you, but since the camera is still at her house... you'll have to do with descriptions. Carly and Kira came along too, it was a wonderful reunion of RIT Illustration ladies. The first night we were there, we went out on the town and lived it up. Our second day (the FOURTH OF JULY) started with a walk to their beautiful, beautiful park! We came back home... where we were cooking up some delicious beer ice cream. We ended up cooking a fantastic meal of kielbasa, grilled onions and peppers and mushrooms, garlic bread, and to top it off, 'smores on the street with the grill. We were fortunate enough to get invited up onto a neighbors rooftop to watch the SPECTACULAR fireworks over the capitol building. One of my favorite parts was after dinner, when we watched one of my favorites, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. I'm a Jimmy Stewart junkie, it's true... and I do have a thing for Frank Capra movies. This just capped off the lovely weekend.

Okay, so art wise, I seem to do a portrait of Kira (sometimes demanded) during the long drive to Albany. It works: she drives, I draw her. Have I mentioned my love of drawing hair? I got really into it in this one... but I love it all the same.

As of today (July 5)... only 15 DAYS REMAIN UNTIL I SEE LANGHORNE SLIM IN CONCERT!!!! I'm a little excited... I may have been working on his mailer/gift all week, this is a preview, type is yet to come. Since I have done so many portraits of just Sean, I decided that I wanted to draw all of the boys for the mailer itself. I liked the back view because it made me think of how to make it visually interesting without the presence of faces. I'm pretty happy with it so far.

Finally, an in-progress portrait of George Eastman for the (AHEM) Eastman School of Music.

Recent Findings

2010-07-01T06:17:00.001-07:00

The other night I attended a screening of the documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop, which originally was a film about the street artist, Banksy, but turned out being more of a film about the film-maker himself. This film blew my mind, I had no clue what street art was really about. It made me want to do more, be more, all the time. The following discussion with my friends in the Sweet Meat Collective was really fun!

OH MY GOD DUELING BANJO PIG ILLUSTRATIONS. I MAY HAVE TO GET SOME THINGS DONE EARLY THIS WEEK SO I CAN CONTRIBUTE!

Well of course I'd like to sit around and chat.

2010-06-28T19:21:00.000-07:00

My friend Caitlin got a bike! The other night, we had our semi-regular drawing night at her house, and we were doing life drawing, but I really wanted to draw the bike first (note: unfinished sketch. this will become part of my bike portrait series.)

Once I got the bike out of the way, I drew my friend Matt Roberts.

A portrait commission of my dad's parents. I'll be seeing my Grandmother at the reunion pretty soon!!!!

Why you shouldn't have your studio in your room: at 4am, you will be half asleep walking around, and knock over your in-progress VERY FRAGILE PIECE. Time to reconstruct, thank goodness the deadline isn't for awhile!

Who's my favorite derby girl?

2010-06-20T15:11:00.001-07:00

If you answered #800, Jojo Thrasher from Roc City Roc Stars, YOU'RE CORRECT! Maybe it's just because I've been working so intimately with her boobies. Anywho, I had some major revelations on the piece this week. I was attempting to mount her bust to a window, but it just wasn't working out. I looked across my studio, and saw this mirror from a project that was abandoned months ago. It's working! I attached it, brought some branches in, and I feel really awesome about how the piece is coming out. It's still unfinished, there will be 2-3 more spiders crawling on her bust, and some bats in the background, but I think it's going to come out AWESOME. Hot glue was definitely my best friend in this :)

In other news, I crashed my bike twice earlier this week on a really nice day when I rode out to the pier, Charlotte Beach, and onwards. My bike is still being repaired, but when it gets repaired I also have some new toe clips going on along with a new back rack and panniers, basically, once I get back in the saddle, I'll be even cooler, if you can imagine that. I miss my bike though! In the meantime, I have a heart shaped scab that will make a pretty neat scar once it heals up.

Finally, my friend Kira had a sweet gallery opening this week at Lovin' Cup, and her work will be up there for some time, so if you missed the opening, go check it out! (I may be plugging this show because there is a portrait of me in it).

you intrigue me

2010-06-13T09:42:00.001-07:00

My friend Joey Mac has a beautiful collection of bicycles, and was kind enough to let me draw one of them to add to my new blog header! I guess I just got tired of drawing my own bike, I wanted something different... thanks Joey!

The live painting with Walri show was such a blast! Thank you to everyone who came out, danced, made sculpey creations, and helped raise money for ArtPeace!! This is me with my live painting, congrats to the fellow who bought it. Photo by Gerry Szymanski.

A recent, pretty funky sketch of Jakob Dylan reminded me of why I love drawing them; their BEAUTIFUL EYES. The painting of Bob Dylan was done in 2007, and when I was working on it I fell in love with the way the inner corners (tear ducts) of his eyes are shaped. Something maybe only an artist would notice... and definitely something I would awkwardly say to them, "by the way... I was drawing you... and you have the most perfectly shaped tear ducts"

There's a darkness upon me that's flooded in light

2010-06-06T15:57:00.000-07:00

I finished my self portrait/celebration of spring! Better photos on the way, I promise.
Progress on my roller derby bust. I'm going to need to find a glue gun to get these skulls attached.

I'm doing a sweet project with my friends from the band Walri which involves live painting during one of their shows, Friday, November 11 at Scotland Yard! Feeling the need to do something large, impressive, and fast, I bought some paint markers. This was my first attempt with them, and I'm pretty happy with how they're working out for me!

Below a day my desk looked pretty lovely, and not as crazy as usual.

Oh hey, it's a drawing I did specially to have on display at the Walri show, since I don't plan on painting them on the spot. What I will paint remains a surprise, so I guess you'll just have to come out and see!

a tribute.

2010-05-25T14:48:00.000-07:00

Twenty years ago, the world lost Jim Henson. I don't know what I would do or who I would be if I didn't grow up loving his creations. Here are ten memories from my formative years and beyond:

1. Learning how to spell "Elmo" and writing it on a paper plate.
2. My beloved Kermit doll that I played with throughout my childhood, squeezing his mouth together and apart to make him "speak". I did this so many times the fabric at the corners of his mouth wore out, I have since acquired another one.
3. All of the classic songs I first heard as parodies on Sesame Street... from The Beatles' "Letter B" to Madonna's "Cereal Girl"
4. The Tale of the Bunny Picnic. I think my brother and I watched it so many times that the VHS broke. "Well, I think we'll just call you Skee-bop-de-diddly dog bop" "That's MISTER Skee-bop-de-diddly-dog-bop to youuuuu!"
5. My brother being yelled at during dinner for the bad manners he had picked up from watching Cookie Monster eat.
6. Seeing the Muppet Christmas Carol when it first came out in the theaters, and again on the big screen a few years ago at the Dryden.
7. Watching my brother perform "Rainbow Connection" at the church talent show.
8. In first grade, my classmate telling saying, "Did you know that Mary Martin died? The lady who played Peter Pan," and my retort being "Yeah, did you know that Jim Henson died?"
9. Searching through the (paper) television guides when they stopped airing Muppet Babies on our non-cable channels as a child, in hopes that I would find it.
10. An ex-boyfriend comparing me to Miss Piggy when I got pissed off at him. (this pissed me off too)

the go-getter

2010-05-22T13:21:00.000-07:00

I'm still alive! Since hell week ended, I've been busy with some personal work, and some great great GREAT opportunities have surfaced in the meantime.

That's a bust! Years ago, in undergrad, I did a project on one of many organizations that take plaster casts of women, and have artists decorate the busts, which are then auctioned off to with proceeds going towards breast cancer. The Roc City Roller Derby is participating, and I was EXTREMELY honored that I was asked to decorate one of the busts. I gessoed it today, and I'm going to meet up with my derby girl this week to discuss what's going on with these boobies :)

I've wanted to do a self portrait for awhile, and I was really interested in these old windows I found on the curb. I'm trying to incorporate foreground and background in a new way with these, and this was my first go. It's not entirely finished yet.

I've also become OBSESSED with the new Black Keys album, Brothers, that came out this week. I may just have to draw that duo.... Dan Auerbach is super fun to draw, and Patrick Carneys glasses are pretty sweet too. I've watched the video for "Tighten Up" more times than I'd like to admit.

Zen and the art of Catering Part 2

2010-05-08T13:09:00.001-07:00

Zen and the art of Catering Part 1

2010-05-08T13:04:00.001-07:00

This week is hell week at my job, catering breakfast, lunch, and dinner while keeping the cafe open with a staff of roughly 7 people. But how can it be hell when you're at the Rochester Zen Center, located in Batavia, New York. This was a part of my experience there today.

bike tour

2010-05-08T12:50:00.000-07:00

This past weekend my boss and I traveled down to New York for the Five Boro Bike Tour. It was so much fun! The picture above is from the end of the ride, when many people graciously sipped beers.
It was really cool and a little overwhelming to ride with so many people. This is one of the less populated areas, sometimes it was stop and go. 32,000 people rode.

It's me! I plan on doing this again next year, but staying in New York a little longer to visit all the people I want to visit :)

My cousins went to South Africa, and all I got were these awesome photo references...

2010-04-22T18:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my birthdayyyyy!!! This is the lambshank I got for dinner from the Old Toad, most of which is still in my fridge. I'll be working on it until my next birthday... it's quite the intimidating piece of meat.

It has been a GORGEOUS week here in Rochester!!!! The other night I went for a nice walk around Highland Park during the magic hour with some good friends and their good dogs :)

More food highlights! Sushi bowl at brunch at Piranha on a slightly hungover Sunday morning. Twas incredible.

I'm on a bit of a South Africa kick. My aunt, uncle, and two boys moved over to South Africa with IBM in the fall of 2008. Recently, two of my cousins went over to visit them, and I was spoiled by the pictures they took. This sketch, however, came from an article on NPR that I was drawn into, about David Goldblatt, a photographer in South Africa, the earliest photos being from the 1960s. The images drew me in, the people, the relationship of a hand to a book, the forced eye contact with the subjects, the beauty of the shadows.

This is a preview to my South Africa piece, a few of the many animals I have drawn up. This piece will be the largest one that I've done since I was a Fine Arts major, but so different. Surprises await!

Showdown

2010-04-16T15:25:00.001-07:00

I took down my show today! Four pieces sold from this one! Above is one I never blogged before, A Wolf at the Door.

This piece was a lot of fun to do, and it SOLD! Wooot! It's very close to my heart :)

Old friends, old sketches part II

2010-04-11T16:49:00.000-07:00

It's Langhorne Slim! Aka Sean! Hey, we're friends now :D

Leff, Illustrative 2, Winter 2008

Kira, from Gallery R, circa August/September 2007.

Joe Dube!

Old friends, old sketches

2010-04-11T16:43:00.001-07:00

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Jay Lincoln picking someone's nose, Nick Larkin. I'm guessing this is from caricature 2, Spring 2008.

Gracie Poo, from Funk n' Waffles, Winter 2007/8?

HEY! IT'S GORDON!

Ms. Carrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrly. I'm guessing this was business and marketing practices, winter 2008.

ALLIE! THE REASON I DID THIS POST! LOOK AT YOU!

BEST DAY EVER

2010-04-06T14:05:00.000-07:00

first and foremost, i went home for the holiday. being an avid follower of john hendrix's blog, i often wish i went to church more often, since his drawings in church are so cool. being in church for easter, this was my drawing.

if you know anything about me, you know that i absolutely love the music of langhorne slim. much to my surprise, he stopped into my cafe today with his band on the way to toronto for a few shows!!!!!! i blushed really deeply, and chatted with him for a bit. it was quite nice. i did not get a picture with him, but above you see proof that he was there!!! he signed a few of my cds too :)

6X6 madness!

2010-03-28T09:27:00.001-07:00

It seems that Mr. Langhorne Slim is having a logo design contest... and I would love, love, love, LOVE to win it! Here are my two submissions to the contest.

Working on 6X6, the final of the man, the myth, the legend, EDWARD GOREY!!!

I've been wanting to incorporate different media into my pieces, and this was my first go, yet another 6X6 piece.

I've been working on getting a nice likeness of George Harrison all week, and I'm pretty pleased with this final piece. In addition to entering it in the 6X6 show, I think I'll use this image for a new promotional mailer to hand out to musicians that I meet.

Finally, a preliminary sketch of Mr. Harrison.

bimmerick

2010-03-24T16:48:00.001-07:00

flyer for a friend's poetry thingy. let's see how she likes it!

SXSW recovery

2010-03-23T14:37:00.001-07:00

So... I just got back from my vacation!!!! This is me in front of the winning art, on display at the Readymade Rocks party during SXSW! It was such an honor to be there, I met many amazing people and got to see amazing musicians perform.

Here's me in front of the other piece that was in the show at the party. The best part of the party was when Sean from Creative Allies got up onstage to introduce Matt Morris and introduced me to the crowd as the contest winner!

I got a lot of sketching done on my plane rides, flying from Roch to Florida, Florida to San Antonio, and back to Roch. This is my favorite from the trip, a portrait of the Bowerbirds from an article about them in Readymade Magazine.

sketchbook

2010-03-12T06:13:00.000-08:00

I've been revisiting the work of Egon Schiele this week, and his graceful, graceful execution of HANDS. I've struggled with drawing hands for years, it always seems like a battle to me.

I really like how the hands in this sketch for the 6X6 show came out. Next, I want to try just coloring the face and hands, a-la Egon.

Also for 6X6, the man, the myth, the legend, Edward Gorey. My love abounds!!!

Cycling season has begun!!! Who's excited? THIS GIRL!!!!!!

finished boss birthday stuffs

2010-03-07T15:48:00.000-08:00

Finished present :)

My boss' birthday is this Tuesday! Come visit us at the glory! I made up these little cardboard signs to put on the case for that special day :)

boss' b-day

2010-03-06T16:56:00.001-08:00

work in progress... present for my boss

first tattoo

2010-03-04T08:39:00.001-08:00

Now that I've shown my mom... I can show everyone else! I got my first tattoo last Saturday, and it's in honor of one of my favorite singers, Langhorne Slim, and also commemorates my first few years of college at SUNY Purchase.

I got my work done at Temple Tattoo by Greg Caggiano. Check them out!

my fifteen minutes

2010-03-03T13:43:00.000-08:00

Check out the winners of the Creative Allies Inspired by Music contest! I got two pieces in! Also, check out the featured members on the main page... you'll see me there first!!! :)

WE HAVE A WINNER!!!

2010-02-25T21:54:00.000-08:00

Long ago and far away, in the times of undergrad at RIT, my motives in life were to draw musicians for the rest of my life. I did this piece during that time. Not so long ago, I was flipping through my favorite magazine, Readymade, and found a contest that was made for me. The criteria was "inspired by music". I entered as soon as I found out, and told all of my friends about it immediately. Tonight I squealed when I found out I WON THE GRAND PRIZE!!!! I get my art hung at the Readymade show and I get VIP passes into the Readymade Rocks party.

For once, things are really lining up for old liz lemon.

OPENING SUCCESS!

2010-02-22T17:03:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone who came out yesterday for my opening!!! It was a great success, and it was wonderful to see everyone as well!!! For those who have not seen it, the show will be up at Kicks Salon until April 16!

Day after an opening... I'm planning out my next piece. Ever onward and forward! This one will be bicycle-inspired, definitely. I just signed up to cycle the five boro bike tour, which happens Sunday, May 2. I'm pumped to start training, but my bicycle is going to need a major tune up before the snow melts!!! Come out and cheer me on!