update | studio chair makeover | filling, sanding, staining

Fill the gazilion holes with wood filler, then sand smooth. 

Very cool springs. If your chair has them, and they are in great condition, do not remove them. 

Minwax Ebony Gloss stain. 

First coat of stain. Dry 6 hours. Then rub with steel wool #0000. Repeat. 

new paintings | descent | update

Taking shape. My painting really wants to belong in the same family as this and this. Also, as my pencil glided over the canvas, it sounded like it was singing. The more marks I made, the more my canvas sang. I have a magic canvas!

22 Presents | Home Town | Mr. Walters & more now through June 10

design and image © 22 berwyn 2012

22 is proud to announce its upcoming exhibit, Home Town. The show will feature work from four artists who live and work in Berwyn: Mike Helbing, Tommaso Lesnick,Robyn Oliver, and Mr. Walters. While most of the previous shows at 22 were large group exhibits featuring work from up to twenty artists and designers each, Home Town focuses on work from just four artists, giving us the chance to explore in finer detail what a selection of artists are doing in our own Berwyn neighborhood. Mike Helbing is a sculptor whose pieces combine metal work, assemblage, found objects, and kinetic elements. Robyn Oliverholds a Ph.D. in psychology, and her scientific background informs her art, particularly in terms of perception and visual cognition. Tommaso Lesnick’s "Fellow Travelers" project consists of 150 photographs taken of commuters on a daily route over the course of a year. The variety of people within these photographs blend together into a singular "commuter," drawing on aspects of ritualistic behavior in the process. Mr. Walters works in a variety of mediums, including comics, graphic design, and T-shirts. He’s also been making one drawing a day since 2005. As part of Home Town, Mr. Walters will be exhibiting the entire collection of daily drawings from 2011, providing a great opportunity to see inside one person’s creative mind. We invite you to join us for the opening reception from 7pm to 10pm on May 18. The show runs through June 10.

studio chair makeover | day three

Day three of refurbishing this chair has me screaming to the heavens. I have the utmost respect for the amazing folks who do this for a living. I am bowing to you.  My fingers are raw, and the thought of plucking one more broken staple makes me want to cry. Alas, I will not give up.  Sooooo, I have removed all of the fabric and padding. Turns out my naked little chair has great bones. The springs are strong, and the wood is beautiful. I still need to remove a few more hundred staples, and hammer in the ones that broke. I have chosen to stain the wood a glossy ebony. The entire chair was covered in fabric, but in her new life, I will expose as much of the wood as I can. SEXY!

Photos from days one and two, are here and here.

studio chair makeover | deconstruction day two

new painting in progress | Descent

My cell phone presents, Descent. Mixed media on canvas. 

Here is a sneak peek at some of my new work – end of day 1 and Day 3 (below)

This one is called, Descent. I have departed from painting on giant wood panels only for a few pieces in this series. It's nice not having to worry about my art falling on me for a change. xo

By the end of day three, I ended up ripping the canvas into two separate paintings. It is so weird, I do that a lot. I tend to paint a few things at the same time that end up being completely different from each other. 

studio chair makeover | deconstruction day one

Friends of Pritzker | PLAYTHINGS | toy art auction

"PLAYTHINGS"

Tickets can be purchased, here or you can pay at the door.
Event Date: Saturday, May 5th
Event Time: 7pm to 10pm
Event Location: 1505 W. Chicago Ave.

"I Love You To Pieces" is a little handmade mix-and-match series of characters based off of my friends. This particular wooden box features four of my nearest and dearest.  I hope you like them. I think they are lots of fun, and for those keeping track, a nice addition to the "superbadfriend" heirloom collection.

Thanks to Paper Doll for displaying my toy last month. :) Very cool store to visit, and Stacey is pretty darn rad, too.

Love design 2012

Two of my favorite clients are gearing up for their 2013 lines, and have asked me to do the illustrations and design work for them. On a personal note, Kitteh in the City is also getting prepped for an official launch. We are in the process of putting together the final touches. Good things are happening! Pictures and lots of posts to come. Yay! 

Painting | The Gift

This is a gift for a friend of mine which I painted yeaaaaaaaaaaars ago. Like back in 2005. Something about it was not quite right, so I hesitated sending it to her. Then a bunch of years passed, and one day I realized what was bugging me. The position of Martin's body was all wrong. I needed to turn his body at an angle, which is a more welcoming position. I will be so happy to have this piece completed. Here's a little section of the repairs I am making.  More soon! 

Painting | For Molls

I made this painting as a trade for a dear friend of mine. It's pen and ink, watercolor, and my special paint mixture that I've been using for my current body of work. The painting was inspired by her favorite quote.

"They can cut off the blooms, but they can't stop the spring..." ~Neruda

New Paintings | Pensamientos (Reflections)

Years ago, my grandmother wrote a book of poetry called, Pensamientos. I thought it would be awesome to collaborate with her, create paintings for each of the poems, and then give her the hand bound book as a gift next time I visit her in South America. The paper I used for these paintings are from my recycle bin, and are used for blotting paint off of other paintings. The newly painted images are born from the random drips and marks left behind on those pages.

New Painting | SPIN

Spin
22"X30" Acrylic on paper.

Sometimes a girl just has to twirl round 'n round. Happy Spring!

New Painting | Flight 1972

I don't have a proper name for this one yet, but I imagined it to be a very colorful airplane whisking away my nearest and dearest to a remote island for a very extravagant weekend.

52"X17" watercolor, ink, and charcoal on canvas.

Favorite Book | The Funny Little Woman | retold by Arlene Mosel and illustrated by Blair Lent.

After reading this book in the early 70s, I became obsessed with cracks in the pavement, and have been ever since. I've been having a lot of fun tracking down my childhood favorites. Today, I present to you, The Funny Little Woman. A tale about a woman who finds herself on an unusual journey after chasing a wayward dumpling into a crack in the ground. Illustrations by Blair Lent.

New Painting | Cellular Memory

in studio environment

96"x48"

I finished my painting, finally. FINALLY! I love it so.

takashi murakami: ego at al-riwaq exhibition hall, doha, qatar

takashi murakami: ego at al-riwaq exhibition hall, doha, qatar

A must see exhibit of Takashi Murakami.

welcome to murakami - ego', 2012
inflatable structure
600 x 545.6 x 623 cm
©2012 takashi murakami/kaikai kiki co., ltd. all rights reserved.
photo by chika okazumi  

One day.

One day...

(a bonus to this post, is the talented photographer Chika Okazumi)

Typical Friday night with friends.

We sit around and watch partially frozen water turn into a strange water goo.

?

Someone squishy and soft is going to be sauntering into your life very soon.

Kitteh in the City™ - The new adventure begins.

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