NancyBlogs

Who Do You Love?

2012-01-25T15:37:00.001-05:00

I have three new Valentines on offer in The Nancydraws Shop. I knew I wanted to feature Percival Featherington III, Brooklyn pigeon extraordinaire, but I also wanted cards for pigeons... I mean... persons of every persuasion. To keep things simple, I've swapped in same-sex pigeons where applicable. Did you know that pigeons are excellent actors? A Happy Valentine's Day to all!

The Nancydraws Shop

Holiday Shopping in NYC

2011-12-17T13:42:00.000-05:00

"Holiday Shoppers," available at The Nancydraws Shop:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/61807091/christmas-card-city-shoppers

Well, its the last week before Christmas, and not even a week before Hanukkah begins. I'm sure there are still cards to write, cookies to bake, parties to attend, and gifts buy and wrap, so thanks for taking a look at my blog post today. I want to share some pictures to show what inspired a greeting card that I created last year, which is pictured above, "Holiday Shoppers."

If you spend much time in Manhattan at this time of year, you'll see people wandering around the city with all kinds of colorful and festive shopping bags. Since this week is the height of the holiday shopping season, I've taken a bunch of photos of these bags, which you'll see when you scroll down.

This illustration also reminds me of a story a friend of mine told me from when she was in high school. She went to midtown after school in December with a friend to see the store window decorations along Fifth Avenue. Both of them were raised in a blue-collar Queens neighborhood and had their backpacks with them as they walked around and enjoyed the sites. They both felt a little out of place, walking past others in fur coats, carrying their purchases from the ritzy stores along the avenue in festive shopping bags.

The friend suggested going into Saks Fifth Avenue and requested 2 shopping bags from one of the sales clerks. The two then placed their backpacks in the bags and felt better about "blending in" with the rest of the well-to-do shopping crowd. So, you never know what's in those bags you see people carrying down the street!

Can You Control the Holiday Whirl?

2011-11-30T14:45:00.001-05:00

It's the beginning of holiday time again, and as much as I love the parties, decorations, and the fun that comes along with it, sometimes it can be overwhelming, can't it?

There are extra shopping trips and errands to add in to our usual schedule; card and gift buying, wrapping, and sometimes shipping; special dishes to cook and bring with us to the holiday parties or events we attend. If you're the host/hostess of such an event, your home must be decorated and cleaned up and down.

Amongst all of the usual holiday preparations I am gearing up for orders from The Nancydraws Shop, stocking up on my supplies, finishing the artwork that appears on the cards and tags, and thinking of ways to spread the word out about my shop to potential buyers. Since I print the cards from my home printer, I wait until a new order comes in and then get to work printing them out, trimming to size, and wrapping them up for shipment.

So, aside from hiring a personal assistant, what are your tips for staying sane during this exciting but busy time of year?

Blog Swap: Eat Your Beans!

2011-11-17T11:13:00.001-05:00

Today I am participating in a blog swap with a friend of mine from high school, Jean Ciemniecki Mead. We were in art classes together, our first class of the day, if I remember correctly. I always marveled at how perfectly her black liquid eyeliner was applied each morning.

Nowadays, Jean lives in Georgia and has a blog called "Eat Your Beans, A Vegan Mom Challenge," which she began in June 2011. Jean documents her process of going vegan and has some great recipes posted, as well as inspiring quotes and photos. Make sure to check out the Beer Battered Tofu or the Vegan Lasagne. Jean and I are both fans of the Red Lentil Thai Chili, which I created art work for on my post on her blog today. Links and photos for recipes are throughout the post.

Hi, Jean,
What is your blog about? How did you start writing it?
I started my blog this past June, I was challenging myself to go vegan and decided that by blogging about it, I would not only be held accountable but I might help others too. I include vegan recipes, music and book info and I rant every now and again about how difficult (but rewarding) being vegan in an omnivorous household is.

What else aside from blogging and searching out new vegan recipes do you do most days?
I work part time at the local library. I really love my job; I am surrounded by books and have a blast with the kids during story time. I am also a wife and mother of two kids, so I spend a lot of time refereeing, driving, cooking and cleaning.

Beer Battered Tofu Recipe

What are your guilty pleasures?
Reading. On the couch, with wine and no interruptions….it doesn’t happen often (the interruption part anyway). I love stupid horror movies, blasting music and dancing around like an idiot with my kids (or alone), and thrift store shopping.

Do you have any pets?I have two dogs, a Belgian Malinois (German Shepard type dog) who is a 2 year old crazy toddler and a Husky mix that is 12 years old but still wrestles with the “puppy” when she gets the notion. It usually sounds like Chewbacca and the Hamburgler at a WWF smack down.

Do you have any favorites out of all of the recipes you have posted on the blog?
Yes, the Red Lentil Thai Chili. I make it every week and freeze it. Everyone I know is sick to death about hearing about it. I am also enjoying homemade miso soup.

Red Lentil Thai Chili

Any recipes that turned out to be disasters?

Yup, plenty! I have murdered quite a lot of perfectly good food. In my house, they are called “epic fails” and it usually includes a baked good. My current disaster has been vegan Yorkshire pudding. Not. Going. To. Happen.

Has your life become more creative since you began your blog? If yes, in what way(s)?
Yes! Back in High School and College, I was creative in a totally different way, very much into art and a little writing. But now, I have discovered how much I love writing and do so every chance I get.

Is there anything in particular that inspires you? (a color? a place? a person? a time of year?, etc.)
Music is my muse. I love it and listen to all types any chance I get. I would rather listen to my online radio station than watch TV at any given time.

Vegan Lasagne

Since Thanksgiving is only one week away, what are you thankful for?

I am thankful for my friend's and family's unwavering support in everything I try.... I am also thankful for spell check.

Do you have any advice for others who would like to go vegan?
Yes, do it! Try it! Inform yourself, read, read, read about it and try out recipes. Make small changes if you have to and eliminate one animal product at a time. If you feel that going vegan is the right thing to do for yourself, whether it is because of health reasons or animal cruelty reasons-do it and don’t let others talk you out of it. I have a list of books on my site that help and recipes on there that will get you through your cravings.

Anything else you'd like to add?
Thank you for letting me share my blog with you and your readers! I always end my blog posts with a quote of the day, this one is a favorite of mine…

“Live life fully while you’re here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird. Go out and screw up! You’re going to anyway, so you might as well enjoy the process. Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes: find the cause of your problem and eliminate it. Don’t try to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human.”

—Anthony Robbins

Jean in her kitchen, as she massacres fresh beets!

Group Show, November 11!

2011-11-02T15:11:00.001-04:00

Hello Family, Friends, and Fans,

I've been invited to be hang two of my illustrations in a group show at the Gowanus Print Lab in Brooklyn, NY. "Hybrid World" is a joint venture with the Gowanus Print Lab and the Graphic Artists Guild, which I am a member of.

I'm thrilled to take part in this opportunity and I hope you'll be able to join me for the opening reception on Friday, November 11 from 6-9pm. Further details at the link:

https://gowanusprintlab.com/Home.html

Gowanus Print Lab

54 Second Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 1121
718.788.3930
info@gowanusprintlab.com

Coming Attractions!

2011-10-24T11:38:00.000-04:00

Last night I cooked up a delicious pot of Red Lentil Thai Chili for dinner. It was for nourishment as well as doing my part of a guest blogging swap that I'm participating in with Jean Ciemniecki Mead. I made sketches of some of the ingredients to go along with my post for Jean's blog, Eat Your Beans: A Vegan Mom Challenge. We'll each be taking a turn on each others blogs in the coming weeks, so keep your eyes and your sweet potatoes peeled!

Illustration Portfolio App

2011-08-18T14:33:00.000-04:00

Great news! The Graphic Artists Guild iPad app is now available, and five of my illustrations are featured. It is F-R-E-E so I hope any of you who have iPads will download it and let me know what you think... especially if you're an art director! ; )

Here's the link:
Graphic Artists Guild on the iTunes App Store

Farmers' Market

2011-07-29T14:58:00.000-04:00

This page is part of Adele's trip to the market where she buys a lot of her food. In an earlier post, I showed you the luscious strawberries that she picked up on the same shopping trip, and this page drawing faces that page.

Adele's story is set during the springtime, but shopping at an open-air market always makes me think of summer here on the east coast, since that is when our farmers' markets are overflowing with a large variety of my favorite produce... tomatoes, corn, peaches, blueberries, and so much more! I really love the smell of all of that fresh food. Go local!!!

2011-07-27T15:10:00.000-04:00

Above is a sketch I did as a tribute to the famous Brassai photo of the Montmatre steps from the early 1930s.
http://www.amazon.com/Escaliers-Montmartre-Paris-Poster-Brassa%C3%AF/dp/B0000WJIPQ

It is going to be a very small part of the Adele book I'm working on, and I wanted to include it since I have been an admirer of his work for a long time. I haven't worked on the page that it appears on yet, so you'll be seeing it again in its smaller form, as part of Adele's blog. The story is partly told in the present tense along with important excerpts from Adele's blog/journal.

Hello, July, here comes December!

2011-07-14T14:25:00.000-04:00

As a rather laid back online retailer, I was surprised to see an e-mail today about "Free Shipping Day" on December 16th in my inbox.

Then again, every year I wish I had stared on my Christmas card illustration earlier! Maybe I should start sketching now.... I know that my 2011 card will involve another city scene, but that's all I'm giving away.

Merry Christmas!
http://www.freeshippingday.com/about/

Henrí in the Spotlight

2011-07-06T22:02:00.000-04:00

One of the characters in my story and an important part of Adele's life is her feline companion, Henrí, named for Henrí Matisse, one of my favorite artists. Henrí is rarely seen without his beret and can converse with all humans, not just Adele. On this page he is terrorizing pigeons, one of his favorite pastimes.

Two more pages

2011-06-30T14:48:00.000-04:00

AIR Gallery art

2011-06-22T21:51:00.000-04:00

I painted and drew the artwork picture above for the A.I.R. gallery's benefit show Wish You Were Here 10. Many artists, both well-known (for example, Yoko Ono) and lesser-known (for example, me) contributed 4" x" 6" original art. I was there tonight for the main opening of the postcard show and it was a lot of fun to see all of the different styles and materials that the contributors worked with.

For more info, visit the gallery's exhibits page:

http://www.airgallery.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=main.event&eventid=269

A Show of Hands

2011-06-11T21:54:00.000-04:00

In this post I have to be honest, I am not good at drawing hands. Since my college figure drawing classes, rendering that body part has always given me the most trouble. In my sketches, they end up looking like "Attack of The Claw," sausages, (as one of my Illustration professors put it), or worse! So please bear that in mind when you look at the next page of Adele's story. The "hand" that appears here is definitely better than how they usually come out, but I think Adele's hands should look more elegant, so I'll be working on that some more.

Also, I have been uploading the pages out of order, this is page 2, page 1 was posted on May 25.

Rainy Weekend Post

2011-06-11T16:27:00.000-04:00

I'm taking a break from the errands and cleaning doldrums on this rainy Sunday to share another page of the Adele book. Most of what I currently have is at this level of completion. I am still fine-tuning the composition and details, but I have decided that this one looks good enough to share. I may post it again once it is more complete.

Adele, encore

2011-05-25T12:34:00.001-04:00

Over the years I have been working on-and-off with an idea for a graphic novel featuring my character, Adele, from an illustration I created in 2001 inspired by my first trip to Paris, France that March. Since I lack knowledge and experience with sequential art and comics, I have also lacked confidence in how to move forward on this, and have had doubts about even trying at all. I haven't shared the story or sketches with many people... it never seems to be "ready" for others to see! I am always sketching and re-sketching the panels and pages.

Recently I traveled to Paris for a third time and 10 years (ouch!) have passed since Adele first came to life on the pages of my sketch book, I've decided that I owe it to her and to myself to push forward to see what can happen with this story. Plus, I can't seem to completely drop the idea, that has got to mean something.

Although it feels a bit scary, I've decided to start posting sketches and finished pages on this blog. I hope it will make the project seem more tangible, plus many of you might have comments that could help or encourage me. So please click "follow" on my blog page, add me to your RSS feeds, or catch the posts on Facebook since my blog updates automatically to The Nancydraws Shop page.

I may not be posting the pages in sequential order as this experiment goes along, but here's page 1!

Any which way

2011-03-24T15:45:00.005-04:00

I haven't been able to get myself to work on any of my drawing projects but I since I was on my own creative time and wanted to use it wisely, I figured out a way to have some kind of outlet today... after cleaning up some paper piles, gathering up recycling and a few things to give to Housing Works. (http://www.housingworks.org/donate/) BTW, they are opening up an outpost in my area soon and they are asking for gently used items to be dropped off this Saturday.

Anyway, what I came up with for myself today is a series of "window collages." I had a large pack of paper scraps from Kate's Paperie (http://www.katespaperie.com/) that I was sorting through and I noticed some of the see-through and transparent scraps, held them up to the light and decided it would be fun to tape some up in the window to make a collage. I'm so glad it was a partly-sunny day! Above are a few examples. You can see more at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26119264@N00/sets/72157626341720236/

2011-03-22T13:29:00.007-04:00

For me, the freelance-office-gig to working-creatively-at-home transition is always a little tough. I certainly look forward to my less structured days but laundry, gym time, and internal battery-recharging is always in the mix. I'm blogging today as a way to bridge the gap this time.

I am looking forward to my trip to Europe which is coming up in April. It has been quite some time since I've been out of the country now and it would be putting it lightly to say that I am looking forward to it! I'll be visiting friends in Barcelona and then meeting up with a gang of single ladies for sight-seeing and celebration in Paris. As luck would have it, my parents will also be in Paris one of the days that I'm there, so I'll get to see them, too.

With this trip, I am finding that more than any other I have been on, the anticipation and planning are almost as good as actually being on the trip! This is mainly because of the large number of blogs and apps that have come into existence since the last time I traveled. I have downloaded tourist guide apps from TimeOut for both Barcelona and Paris, so I can browse activities and facts on my phone wherever I happen to be.

I have also been browsing through blogs and travel websites for each city... here are a few of my favorites:

Paris:
http://dailyphotoparis.blogspot.com/ (Each day, a beautiful shot of the City of Light)
http://badaude.typepad.com/my_weblog/ (A U.K. ex-pat illustrator's take on Paris life and art)
http://bbonthebrink.blogspot.com/ (More excellent photography)
http://parisbymouth.com (Daily restaurant and food-related blog)
http://www.girlsguidetoparis.com/ (A great all-around travel blog)

Barcelona:
http://www.barcelonaphotoblog.com/ (Daily photos from around the city)
http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/04/26/travel/26hour.html (36-Hours in Barcelona)

Yes, the list for Paris is longer, but keep in mind, there are 5 other women involved in that trip and we've been sending one another Paris web links for the past few weeks. I also did a search on Google Earth for the address of our hotel in Montmatre... really fun!

So I hope this trip brings plenty of new energy and inspiration; traveling internationally always does the trick for me.

Au revior and hasta le vista!

Coming soon to an iPad near you!

2011-02-18T14:53:00.003-05:00

Great news, I recently was invited to participate in the Graphic Artists Guild's Illustration Directory iPad application. The app will create a digital, flippable portfolio of 5 images per artist and will be available sometime in April.
http://www.graphicartistsguild.org/join/member-benefits/illustration-iportfolio/

I have been wanting to get more involved with tablet technology, and this will be a great way to reach art directors and buyers who use the iPad on a regular basis.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-04T14:41:00.003-05:00

I hope you're all enjoying 2011, and getting back to the daily grind isn't too painful. I'm proud to report that The Nancydraws Shop did more business this Christmas season than last year, which was my first year. Thanks to everyone who made a purchase and passed the word along!

I also have an illustration in the current Winter issue of the Park Slope Reader. The article my artwork goes with is about cooking with butternut squash. One of the recipes is for Thai Butternut Squash soup and I ended up making it in tandem with my illustration. Delicious... I wonder if it affected my creative skills for this piece.
http://www.psreader.com/268

I have some new ideas for the Nancydraws Shop for 2011; I'll let you know when I post my birthday card designs for sale.

Until then, I hope you stay healthy and happy.

Holiday Spirits are Rising!

2010-12-05T14:49:00.004-05:00

My 20% off sale went well and now I have 3 Multi-Pack orders to work on. (Thanks Holly M., Stacy M., and Christina R.!) I'm printing out my customers' cards right now, under the mistletoe... well, not quite, but I did decorate my place last night. (see above)

I also finished up the latest addition to my store, all-new Christmas gift tag designs. I have a new 3-pack and also a customizable "from Santa" tag. Just send me your child's name and let me know how many tags you'd like and I'll create a reserved listing just for you to purchase in the shop.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/63670111/christmas-gift-tags-set
http://www.etsy.com/listing/63671122/customized-christmas-gift-tags

20% OFF and more at The Nancydraws Shop

2010-11-26T18:14:00.005-05:00

Hello!

Can you believe that December is almost here and that 2010 will soon be over? I have been preparing The Nancydraws Shop for the holiday season and wanted to be sure that all of my friends and fans know that I will be offering a shop-wide, five-day sale from Sunday, 11/28 through Thursday, 12/2.

When you shop during this sale, you will automatically get 20% OFF of everything in the shop, plus free shipping on all orders!

Please be sure to stop by: http://sancynam.etsy.com/ and spread the word!

Thanks & Happy Shopping!
Nancy

New Goals

2010-10-19T12:17:00.003-04:00

I have taken on some tasks for the fall to achieve more creative momentum, and so far things are looking good. I am in week four of Etsy.com's "Holiday Boot Camp." Each week, participants are given a business-related article or two to read and a list of shop-tweaking tasks to complete in order to get everyone ready for the online shoppers who will be browsing for unique and creative items on Etsy. I'm also working on a few new items to post in my shop. This past week we were asked to update our bio or public profile, which was helpful because it is similar to my other big fall goal: applying for the NYFA grant.

The application for the grant is going to be much more challenging, a 700-word resume and 200-word artist's statement is required, along with eight examples of my work from the past 5 years. Selecting the work examples is no problem; luckily I have more than eight images to choose from. I am planning on getting started on the writing next week, some kind of rough draft. I know I am probably the world's best expert on myself and my artwork but I think explaining that in 700 words is going to be difficult!

Custom Bonanza!

2010-04-04T16:06:00.011-04:00

As promised, I am revealing last Sunday's source of awesome inspiration.... a wedding card for my friends Holly and Craig, who got married in Las Vegas early in March!

Holly had worn a headband with devil horns and a veil for her bachelorette party. That headband sparked the idea... I feel that Holly and Craig have a devilish nature in common, so I drew this cartoon portrait of them as devils and did a little play on words: "Devils May Care," to state their obvious love and care for each other, but also to indicate their quickly pulled together (but well-thought out) nuptials.

I had this image in my head for a few weeks before having the time to execute it, so I'm pleased with how it turned out, and so are the newlyweds.

Baluchi's, one of the restaurants that I illustrated for the Park Slope Reader's restaurant review asked to purchase a print of my artwork! You must stop by some some of their delicious Indian cuisine and to check out the print, everyone is really nice there. I am very flattered to have this print displayed in the restaurant. I also added a small caption to let people know it was published in the Winter 2009-10 issue, along with my credit. I am working on getting in touch with other managers at restaurants that I have illustrated in the neighborhood to see if they would like to purchase prints.

I re-purposed one of my existing illustrations to give as a retirement greeting card to a nurse at my allergist's office. She's been working at that office since before I started going for treatment there and I'll really miss seeing her. I personalized the inside with her name and the message "Congratulations on your retirement!" In the future, I may offer this card in The Nancydraws Shop.

From My Brain to the Page!

2010-03-28T15:43:00.005-04:00

I really love it when I have an image or an idea in my mind and I can get it exactly as I imagine it onto a piece of paper and into the world without a glitch!

Believe me, this is a rare occurrence. Usually it takes me a few drafts, centimeters from my eraser, turns with the pencil sharpener, and layers of tracing paper to get the art to look the way I want. More often than not, I either can't seem to make it as great as I imagined it in my mind's eye, so I have to compromise, or I didn't have a clear enough vision of what I wanted until I started sketching.

The drawing that inspired me to write this blog entry happened just an hour or so ago. I really am pleased and surprised with how easily it flowed from my mind to my pencil. The image has been floating around in my imagination for a few weeks and I just could not let it go until I made it real. I wish it was always that easy and quick.

Unfortunately I can't go into much detail about what the image is or what inspired it for reasons that I don't want to give away right now. I will be able to share all later in the week!

Road trip greeting card

2010-03-22T20:47:00.007-04:00

One of my fellow volunteers at God's Love We Deliver, Jicky, has been planning to leave on a year-long, cross-country road trip this month and another fellow volunteer asked if I would create a custom card for her send-off party that the rest of the volunteers could sign. Luckily, Jicky had already e-mailed me a photo of her pickup truck with a camper attached which I was able to use as reference for my drawing.

Her ultimate goal is to make a visit to each of the continuous 48 states over the course of the year, so I drew arrows to indicate her routes in many directions. I was going for the feeling of asphalt by using the purplish-gray, crackled texture in the map portion of the image.

The inside of the card reads: Have a great drive, Jicky, we'll be cheering you on!

2010-02-02T14:35:00.004-05:00

I've been forced into a transition of sorts, my day-job/perma-lance gig has cut back on the amount of hours they need me to be on schedule each month, which is really hurting my income. Of course, I am glad to still have some kind of income but it definitely makes me nervous, knowing I will need to find other sources very soon to be able to bring home enough money. My illustration work hasn't been a big money producer in the past but I am always working on that and hoping for a break.

The change in my situation means that I have some more time now, to work on my ideas and projects, but I also need that time to send out resumes, make phone calls and search online for new possible freelance gigs for the near future.

Its been quite a while since I've had to make those calls to search out gigs and connections. It is something that makes me feel uncomfortable, but I know that the more I reach out and communicate with new contacts, the more my confidence will build ... for a sustainable period of time, I hope.

I had a moment of inspiring thought as I considered all of these things. I was calling a few staffing agencies to whom I'd sent my resume last week, and as I heard myself explaining what I was looking for, I realized I sounded very professional and together, adding to my feelings of confidence! So, I am enjoying the fact that it currently feels more exciting to be in the position that I ma in, as far as where else I might find work and what my new connections will lead to. I always feel better about these things when I begin to take some sort of action.

All of this does not take away from the fact that I'd rather be drawing right now, I think I've made my point ... stay inspired until my next post!

Park Slope Reader ad

2009-12-09T16:49:00.004-05:00

Every few months, I have a couple of restaurant review illustrations in the Park Slope Reader, a free, local publication available in my neighborhood in Brooklyn. In lieu of payment for my most recent work for them I asked for ad space for The Nancydraws Shop in the Winter/Holiday issue. That issue hit the streets today! Here's my ad:

In this issue, I illustrated Fonda, a great new home-style Mexican restaurant and Baluchi's Park Slope location, which serves Indian cuisine.

Here's a link to places that carry the magazine so you can pick up a copy:
http://psreader.com/wheretofind/

I have yet to get my hands on the Winter issue myself, but I intend to find one on my way home from work tonight.

Here Come the Holidays!

2009-11-23T12:16:00.005-05:00

Here's what my drawing table looked like yesterday as I prepared and packaged my gift tags for sale at The Nancydraws Shop. I've posted sets of 3 of the gift tags, each inspired by one of the cards I also have posted:

Adele and Henri at the Skating Rink:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34853263

Vintage Ornaments:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34855527

An Urban Christmas:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_2&listing_id=34854459

You may also purchase a set of the 3 gift tags for $3.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34856853

Don't forget that my prints are still available; they will make unique and lovely gifts to be enjoyed for years to come. The artwork is professionally matted by my parents at their store, The Great Frame Up in North Carolina.
http://www.huntersville.thegreatframeup.com/

For a limited time, they are offering special pricing on the framing of my prints, starting at $48. If you are interested, please Convo me when you place your order and we'll get that ball rolling!

Happy Holidays,
Nancy

Link to more from the collage workshop

2009-11-18T13:57:00.001-05:00

Here is the link to more pictures of the collages created during the workshop with Hanoch Piven on 11/10/09:
http://www.drawger.com/piven/

My creation from the workshop with Hanoch Piven at the Society of Illustrators 11.10.09

2009-11-17T14:40:00.008-05:00

I was lucky enough to attend a workshop given by illustrator, Hanoch Piven, (www.pivenworld.com) last Tuesday, at the Society of Illustrators in New York. Mr. Piven creates striking yet simple images with objects and is well-known for his celebrity and pop culture caricatures.

The evening began with a brief slide show of his portfolio examples, famous collages from art history, and art created in previous workshops. Meanwhile, all of us were salivating over the long supply table in the center of the room, which was loaded with a plethora of objects and ephemera that we would soon be using for our collage pieces. There were sewing notions, sequins, old tools, construction paper, dead light bulbs, feathers, buttons, jewelry parts, odds-and-ends; all kinds of things, as well as glue guns for assembling our masterpieces.

Our challenge was to focus on the items available to us and "let the objects guide you" as to what our final "drawing" would become, and to play around with and manipulate the objects until we found some inspiration from them. Mr. Piven stressed that we were "drawing with objects," and not choosing items from the table based on a preconceived idea for an image. If we needed a specific concept to get started with he said it was alright to work with the idea of a face or portrait.

I brought all kinds of things back to my table but I soon found myself playing with a zipper. When I unzipped it half way, it looked like a pair of legs running. I decided this was not enough to base my image on but I was loving the "legginess" and thought that if I had more zippers, maybe I could make an animal with more than two legs... maybe an octopus? Luckily I found enough zippers to create 8 legs. After playing around will all of these some more, I discovered that a squid would be best, considering the available materials.

To finish, I cut the head out of paper and made a hole for the eye to poke through. I used the round part of a kazoo, which I had with me since we had been instructed to bring some of our own objects to use. I added a silver, plastic arrow with a feather glued on to represent a harpoon that the squid is fleeing from.

And here is how it turned out:

I was very impressed with how quickly all of the collages came together. We only had about an hour and a half to work, then a half hour to assemble and glue everything down before the display and critique at the close of the evening. I had a great time figuring out what I was going to make and really got into that creative "zone" while I arranged everything. It just made me feel lucky to be an artist. The great thing is, is that anyone can give this method a try and see what you come up with. I hope you'll be as surprised and pleased as I was with the outcome!

An assistant was taking photos of the collages, so I will hopefully be able to post a link with more pictures from the workshop, there were many amazing results.

2009-10-27T16:57:00.004-04:00

Here's another Halloween costume photo that I found. I believe this was senior or junior year of high school?

I don't think I had a name for this one but I know that I really wanted the white make-up on half of my face to be in the shape of a quarter moon! This was a year that I re-purposed some fabric from a past year's costume. The white drapey fabric that I am wearing in this picture was from a ghost costume that was inspired by one of my favorite young adult novels, Ghosts I Have Been by Richard Peck.

The main character of the story, Blossom Culp, dressed as a ghost to expose a scam artist who came to town and claimed he could summon spirits. Anyway, she carried a candle and I carried a batery-powered, glowing pink rose instead.

Believe it or not I still have that white fabric and I used some of it last year as part of my "Ghost of a Zeigfeld Girl" costume:

Hooray, Halloween!

2009-10-16T11:36:00.003-04:00

I was thinking last night, about how inspiring Halloween is to me. I often come up with an idea early, maybe in mid-August. This year inspiration didn't hit until a few of weeks ago and I'm finally going to take action this weekend to get started on gathering the supplies that I need. Elaine and I are planning on driving out to a fabric store on Long Island (better deals and selection!) to see what we can find. Luckily I probably won't need much more than some felt to add to and embellish pieces I already own! But I'm not going to reveal my costume idea right now.... stay tuned.

Leading up to the big holiday, I am going to try to post images from Halloweens-past of some of my favorite costumes. I might not have something each and every day, but I'll see what I can do. It will probably continue past Halloween, too, since I'll have to show off my creation for this year.

Here's one of my ultra-faves- Fabulous Bee! I am embodying one of my illustrated characters. Tara is dressed as Thelma from Scooby Doo! I remember that at the party we attended that night there was a group dressed as the Scooby Doo gang that did not have a Thelma! That was a hilarious moment, I definitely have a picture of that somewhere.

Great News! Prints for sale on Etsy.com!

2009-10-01T16:04:00.004-04:00

Hooray! I goal I set for myself in May has now come to fruition! I have an Etsy.com store to sell prints of my illustrations, and whatever other handmade things I might create in the future. I just finished posting all of my current items for sale.

Thanks to Mom & Dad for helping out with the custom mats and shipping.

Without further delay, enjoy this link while I grab a cup of tea....

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5395171

How does my garden grow?

2009-07-21T15:42:00.004-04:00

I was visiting my friend, B, on Sunday and helping out in her large vegetable and flower garden in Westchester County. B's brother has quite a bit of land around his home (especially compared to what this city mouse is used to!) and he knew she was interested in learning more about farming, so they decided to experiment with things this year. They planted so many different things and it's really too much for 1 or 2 people to handle, which is why they've been asking friends to help out when they can, in exchange for lunch and bringing home some of their bounty.

Aside from the freshly picked veggies and eggs that were laid that day, I brought home a few other morsels to think on in regard to my state of mind about my artwork lately.

Since they haven't been able to work in the garden every week, and can't reliably entice friends and family to give up their free time in the summer, the weeds really are everywhere, but still there is stuff that is thriving; most of the plants just continue growing anyway. This reminds me about how I always have ideas, projects, and chores related to my illustration on my to-d0 list and I never seem to have time to do them all, or to ability do as much as I would like. The garden reminded me that in all of the craziness, good things (like kale and snap peas!) still happen despite the "weeds."

I was also able to relate to something that B said about learning about gardening. She mentioned the various seed packet instructions, and how they tell you when to expect the plants to grow or at what point they will be mature for harvesting. Basically, these things take their own course depending on the conditions; weather, planting location, etc. She said that some plants took much longer than expected, but still grew in very healthy and strong. So that made me think about the fact that some ideas need time or "rest" to take on a life of their own. Not every idea can develop as planned, and the fact that an idea doesn't take off right away doesn't mean that it belongs on the compost pile... it just might surprise you.

Illustration Mundo!

2009-07-18T17:38:00.003-04:00

A fellow illustrator told me to check out IllustratonMundo.com recently. Its a great site for illustrators, a place to connect, ask questions, and pat each other on the back. Who doesn't need that once in a while? They also have an "illustrator search" area for art buyers.

It is free to post a profile image, although the images must be "of great quality" as deemed by the editors of the site. Another great idea and resource for illustrators. Check it out sometime!

Just keep going!

2009-07-05T19:10:00.007-04:00

I am finished with long-ish break from my magazine/office gig and was able to get some good art time in during the past couple of weeks. This seems like a natural time of reflection for me each month; changing gears to be back on a different schedule while trying to keep the momentum going and keep my own work moving forward.

For the past few months I have had many ideas and projects, and at times I am never completely sure that I am working on the "right" thing. I want to show that I can do graphic design as well as production and illustration, so I have some design ideas going, there are a few art gifts I am working on for friends, sketching and rewriting my new story starring Adelé, a series of illustrations of cakes, sending out resumes and query letters, a day of freelancing on a project for my toy designer friends, blogging, planning the opening of my Etsy.com shop, plus unsuccessfully trying to find time to learn new software. And, the boring stuff... updating that mailing list and making some tweaks to my website, etc.

I was able to get small bits of each thing done, and did actually finish a task or two. The big questions that has been living in the back of my head for the past 3-6 months are: How can I get my illustration to the next level? Is one of the ideas I am working on now my "next big thing?" Do I need to alter or enhance my style to gain more attention? It is going to take some time to find the answers to these questions, I know greatness is not achieved without a lot of time and hard work.

It has really helped to keep a list of goals for each week, it helps to have that structure to help me remember what to do next. I am looking forward to getting my Etsy Shop going ... http://sancynam.etsy.com/ There's nothing there as of this week, but I hope to post some prints for sale this month, with the help of Mom and Dad. (Thank you!!!)

So, I hope the Etsy shop will help bring more focus to my efforts and lead to more web traffic and networking, maybe some $$ along the way. I am glad to have so many outlets for my creativity; when I can't get inspired to work on one thing, I can always switch to something different. I just don't want to let myself avoid what is more important, if only I could decide what is more important!

Until next time, I will post a sketch or two of Adelé in progress.

Encouraging Banners!

2009-05-07T17:20:00.002-04:00

As a last-blast meet-up group event, Gina, the now former leader of the Betty Spaghetti Meet-Up Group of Art and Debauchery organized an event where members make banners to display in a public place. The banners had to have a positive message for the general viewing public to enjoy. I really put my heart into my banner; I love the idea of creating public art to surprise and hopefully inspire people who might see it. (The origin of my encouraging phrase is explained in a post from earlier in the year.) The idea reminds me of a great YA graphic novel I read called The Plain Janes, but Gina found the idea on a website called "Learning to Love You More."

We met around 2pm on May 2 inside of Grand Central Terminal along with one other group member, David, who helped us hang our 2 banners. I was hoping a few more members would show up to witness or hang banners with us, but it all worked out fine.

There were more than a few police men & women patrolling the inside of the building but we actually accomplished our goal without anyone of authority telling us to stop what we were doing! The spot we chose also helped cloak our activities... there is an overpass that connects the main hall to 42nd St., and the since this balcony-type railing area juts out from the main walk-way, it was impossible to spy us from the main hall. Below the overpass was a ramp leading to the Oyster Bar, food court, and lower-level train tracks. Plenty of people were walking on the ramp but apparently no one who wanted to stop us.

After hanging, admiring, and photographing our work, we sat down for a snack in the food court, then parted ways. The banners were still hanging when I left GCT, and there were people taking photos of both banners. Each side of the ramp had a bridal party photo shoot with the banners in the background! So, who knows how long they stayed up there. Gina and I assumed that the cleaning crew or someone who works in the building would spot them by the end of the day and they would be removed. Overall, I found the experience very satisfying, although my living room wall seems bare without the banner.

It Was a Dark and Bloggy Night

2009-03-19T21:39:00.002-04:00

I decided to indulge a short-attention span fit by checking out some gallery openings in Chelsea tonight. I had heard that Patti Smith was having an opening tonight. I've never seen her artwork, so that was my other inspiration to get out there. (The prospect of free wine doesn't hurt, either.)

Not only do you get to see great art in Chelsea (if you pick a good Thursday) but there is also great people watching. In the Robert Miller Gallery which was displaying Patti Smith's and Jem Cohen's work I saw a cute and arty couple. They were a man and woman, probably in their 60s, both wearing glasses. The woman had a very wide bob hairstyle that was dyed cartoon-pink and the man had one of those fancy mustaches that curls up on the ends. Another man was wearing what appeared to be a latex helmet/hat that was form fitted to his head. Most of the back of his skull was covered but there were cut-out areas for his ears, which were pierced with large discs, although not the largest ear discs I've seen, mind you.

But, back to the art... I enjoyed Patti's work very much! There were some captivating vignette sepia photos in one room and in another room, provocative imagery of religious sculptures shrouded in clear plastic, taken inside of a church that was being renovated. Another piece that held my attention was a drawing made of tiny, illegible words forming a silhouette shape that was unmistakably of wreckage from the World Trade Center 9/11 disaster.

Back out on the street I had a nice interaction with a fellow who thought I was French! If only! We were both trying to cross the street in the middle of the block, as one does when gallery hopping, and he asked me something in French, then when I did not respond, said "Are you French?" This reminds me of another "Frenchie on the Street" incident. It was a warm spring day, I was walking to meet some friends at a tapas bar off of 6th Ave. with my head in the clouds. As I passed a man walking in the opposite direction he said "Oui, ma Fille!" (he pronounced "oui" informally: "way.") This literally translates to "Yeah, my Woman/Lady!" and ten steps later I realized he was saying "Yeah, Baby!" in French. I was sad that I hadn't had time to react because that was one of the best compliments I've heard!

Anyhoo... back to Chelsea. Another show I enjoyed was Izima Kaoru, a Japanese fashion photographer whose subjects are famous models and actresses from Japan, dressed in couture fashions. The are posed in images/scenes based on their death fantasies. There is no gore or blood and the photography is super-sharp and beautiful. In his other life, Kaoru is a fashion photographer. That was at the Von Lintel gallery.

Of course there were a few other places that I wasn't so moved by or just didn't grab any info so now I can't remember who the artist was. An example of one of those was a show of sculpture that looked mighty familiar, wish I could remember. The medium was metal rods and thick construction wire shaped into twisting, enlarged-dna-like shapes. I also missed out on a group photography show which included work by Nan Goldin and Larry Clark. I went inside, along with some other art lovers, but most of the lights were turned off, I got the hint that the staff wanted us to leave! I should also add, if you like boob art, check out the Rogue Gallery, with watercolors by Theresa Byrnes!

So, I'm glad I went. The little French incident makes me think I need to keep on working on Adelé and brainstorming some stories for her. Goodnight!

Fearless & Thrifty for 2009

2009-03-07T16:44:00.000-05:00

If anyone out there is reading this... I'm ba-aack! It has been so long since I have posted anything here, I apologize to my blog-starved fans. There were many times over the months when I noticed things going on around me that were inspiring, perfect for my blog. So, in addition to my main idea for this post, I'll try to do a quick review of everything I should have been writing about!

One of the events that always inspires me to tears is the Olympics. It impresses me that the athletes spend so much time focused on training and competing in their sports for years on end. Seeing Michael Phelps reach his goal by winning all of those gold medals in one year was really amazing, but so were so many of the other Olympians.

As a life-long Democrat, I had many inspiring moments during the election season. I'm still not used to the idea that we actually had a woman and a black man in heated competition for the office of President. It has been too long coming if you ask me, so I'm glad we have finally broken that barrier in this country.

Once Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination and the playing field was narrowed, I was ready to get in there and do what I could to help get him elected. I've never been one to send money to politicians or become directly involved with a campaign, but I have believed for a long time in making one's voice heard and playing my part in the government and my community as a citizen and voter. After all, that is an important part of how this country is supposed to work; of the People, by the People, and for the People.

With all of this in mind, I started making calls to the battleground states via MoveOn.org's phone bank system. I volunteered some time doing this during the 2006 elections. (Right now, I am drinking some tea out of the mug I received as a thank you for my efforts!) Basically, MoveOn set up a call script and a phone list online. I would log in to their website to gain access to the system and helped to spread the word about who MoveOn was supporting in certain states, and remind people to vote. In the case of the '08 election, I was often calling to ask people if they would be willing to volunteer at their local Obama campaign office.

Many of the calls I made were to wrong numbers, no answer, people who were Democrats but didn't have time to volunteer, etc. But the folks I was able to have some positive interaction with were great. They were fired up and ready to go, as the saying goes, and whether or not they could volunteer, I had some good conversations. I really enjoyed speaking with the people who wanted to do something but didn't know how to help out until they spoke with me and got the information. I also had fun attending one of MoveOn's "calling parties" where you gather at a neighbor's place, have some snacks and everyone gets on their cell phones to make calls. It was fun to meet like-minded people and see how our collaborative efforts made a difference in the number of volunteers we got to sign up. I remember feeling tired from my usual Sunday chores when I arrived at the party but I was very energetic and charged up by the time I went home a few hours later.

Obviously, this all led up to another inspiring moment: ELECTION NIGHT 2008!!! (I know, this is a loooong post! You may take a bathroom or snack break now, if you like.) By November 4, I felt quite confident that Obama would win, although many of my friends were skeptical early in the evening. I went to a bar/music venue to watch the results with a few friends. The place was quite packed as more states returned results, so my friends decided to leave! I stayed because I really wanted to be out and about when the final decision was announced, and it was glorious when that happened! Everyone started dancing and hugging each other. I was a little sad that I had no one to hug, the people near me didn't seem like they wanted to hug a stranger! But I stayed and danced for a while and decided I wanted to be home to make sure I heard every bit of THE 44TH PRESIDENT'S acceptance speech. I waved to and cheered with other happy Brooklynites on the streets as I walked home.

As you probably remember, there was all kinds of celebration in the streets in the cities here in the U.S., but also, ALL OVER THE WORLD! This made me very happy. I remember falling asleep some time after midnight to the sound of illegal fireworks and people chanting "O-BA-MA! O-BA-MA!"

Then, of course, the inauguration. It is thrilling to be alive to see all of this history unfolding, even as we are dealing with one of the worst, wide-spread financial crises most of us have ever seen. Which again, is fodder for more inspiration. I have found it easier to feel worried about my higher bills and lower pay, and about how many people are out of work and struggling worse than I am right now. Amongst my friends, I have noticed that it seems to be a time to change paths or forge ahead with new ideas, and that is really rubbing off on me. I know that I want to take my artwork and ideas to the next level, only I am not so sure how to do it. I also need to get a design portfolio going to show people that I can do more than illustration and magazine production, so that I may have an additional source of income.

I think these hard times are causing many people to rethink what they really want out of life. (I really want an overseas vacation but I think it is going to be a while before that happens.) It is one of those times when I have to ignore the obstacles and just go ahead with what I want, or find out what I want, and stay inspired all the way along. Some friends of mine decided on two words for 2009: Fearless and Thrifty. These words resonate with me, too, so that has become my mantra for when I become overwhelmed with "what to do?" I should also keep on bloggin'! But that's enough for now.

Good Advice

2008-07-10T12:28:00.000-04:00

I didn't write the following paragraph, it is from my horoscope today on DailyOm.com. I thought it deserved to be here as it is a good thing to keep in mind every day.

When we approach our objectives with the notion that success is in our future, we naturally feel more confident and are more apt to stride unhesitantly into those circumstances that will facilitate our eventual victory. Optimism can serve as a wonderful source of motivation and inspiration, whether we are focused on mundane goals or our most beloved dreams, because it compels us to visualize the future in a positive light. We tend to think about all the goodness that is waiting for us rather than the potential pitfalls that can keep us from achieving our purpose. Consequently, we spend much of our time making sure we are doing all we can to realize the beautiful future we have seen in our mind's eye. Your positive visions of the future will help you come closer than ever to reaching your goals today.

In Search of Inspiration

2008-07-09T14:19:00.000-04:00

Today I was feeling the need for some external inspiration; even though I have some friendly coworkers around to chat with, just being here at my desk at the office just wasn't cutting it. I have with me today part of one of my illustration / digital collages on an SD card to work on, which is OK as long as there isn't work for the magazine that I need to do, but I just didn't feel like getting that going. I was feeling as if my brain was tuned to a TV channel with "snow" or static. Or maybe a "blue" channel. (since digital cable, there are no "snowy" stations)

I didn't want to go shopping during my lunch time outside but I remembered that the main NYC Library has a photography exhibit up, so off I went. The photographs and photographers were chosen based on the idea that many areas of the city are currently in danger of being developed with Eminent Domain rather than by including the community in the development and re-vitilization process. I wasn't able to stay long since my lunch "hour" is usually only a half hour, but I looked at one photographer's portion. Most of the photos in this section were of signage and very old store fronts that are still in operation. One of my favorites was a tiny, pink shack with a walk-up window and a hand painted sign on the side that said "ARTIST." It was not occupied at the time the photo was taken, and it had a padlock on a door that was on the side. The funny part was that it was built out of scrap wood; lots of uneven pieces so it looked like it was just barely standing. I enjoyed the exhibit because it made me feel like I was back in time and in a very different neighborhood instead of mid-town Manhattan.

Link to a New York Times article about the exhibit: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/21/library-looks-at-photography-and-the-city/

I also really enjoyed the library itself. I wasn't in the stacks at all, mostly in the main lobby where they have their art galleries and exhibits. But still! Just the memories from spending so much of my childhood summers visiting the library—I swear I could smell that nice, comforting book smell. After I left the library, I stopped at the craft'wich ice cream stand and tried their pineapple & mint sorbet as a treat because I felt like I needed one today. It was very fresh-tasting and pineapplely! So it was a nice lunch time. It wasn't life changing but it was, at least, thought changing and gave me something to blog about.

Here's some old news, to me anyway, but since my theme is inspiration and I haven't blogged for a while, I'll include it. Once again I attended another Eddie Izzard Show: "Stripped" at Radio City Music Hall, 6/27/08. This time Liz was able to come with since she was in town. Luce & Justin also had tickets but they were in the orchestra section and our tickets were for the second mezzanine. (It was too bad Janet or Ambrose could be there this time.) I really can't say enough good things about him or the show. As I've posted before, he's inventive with the subject matter and also challenges the audience's intelligence rather than using put-down humor, but is still playful and silly while also communicating his concern or ideas about the state of the world today, all with a sense of humor. Again, I laughed so much my face started feeling numb! Youtube him! Maybe I'll post some of my favorite Eddie Youtube clips in another post.

In his words, he was in "boy-mode" (as far as the audience could see!) but I think he looks great either way. Another inspiring thing is that he is one of those types that just goes out there and does what he wants to do and makes me want to do the same. Not exactly the same, but I just appreciate the attitude since I've never endorsed doing or being a certain way just to fit in. "If you have an idea, just try it," is what this attitude makes me think!

All Art, All the Time

2008-05-29T13:31:00.000-04:00

I recently had a very busy artsy and fun weekend, which started on a Thursday earlier this month with a gallery opening in Long Island City. My friend Laura Bell had a large painting in a flower-themed show at the Art-o-Mat gallery on Vernon Blvd. I always love going to these events when I have a friend who is part of the show, it just makes it even more exciting.

Coincidentally there was a man there who had been in my voice over class. I saw him come into the room and recognized him, but didn't know why! Later, he reminded me where we had met before. He and his wife live nearby in Greenpoint, so they decided to stop by the gallery opening after work.

On Friday, Laura along with Mary Lyn and Betty joined me for an art event of my own; I had two framed illustrations in a one-night show at the YMCA in Park Slope. I really appreciated having them along for support and companionship. The turn out was low because of the heavy rain falling that night and not many of my friends were available that night. Kurt and Elaine were there, though. Kurt also had some Girl Monsters art in the show, and the kids really loved the coloring books he brought for everyone to take home. I am a member of the Y, but it was Elaine and Kurt that let me know about submitting my work. Sandy, a woman who lives in their building, organized it. Now I bump into her all the time when I'm there to work out!

Two of my illustrations in the show at the YMCA.

Kurt's Girl Monsters!

The next art event was on Saturday at 11am. I met Tara, Paul, and their adorable kids Abby and Griffin at the studio of Alex Beard. He is very generous with his time and space by having it available to any families who want to stop by on Saturday morning and paint or draw. Both of the kids enjoy drawing and coloring, but this was up Abby's alley in particular and I was really amazed at how well she composed her drawings. He gave her a large piece of watercolor paper and she really seemed to have a plan for the whole page, she didn't keep her drawing in one area, but really used the whole surface.

Griffin having fun with the markers

Abby tries out watercolors

Believe it or not, there's still more art to talk about.... once Tara & Co. were on their way home to NJ, (around 2?) I stopped into Pearl Paint to buy some new pencils because the ones I had at home were getting smaller and smaller. It was a peaceful part of the day, not many people seemed to be shopping for art supplies, so I took my time and tested out stuff I had no intention of buying just for the fun of it.

Then on to Long Island City, again! (3:30pm) My friend Jean has a studio out there in a large building with many other artist studios and it was L.I.C.'s Open Studio Weekend. I love open studios more than going to the galleries. For one thing, it is a very relaxed atmosphere, you can also talk to the artists and sometimes see them working, all while taking advantage of the free wine and snacks they leave out for visitors! (Artist tip: much less competition for the wine and snacks compared to an opening at a gallery.)

Then, again, up pops Laura. She and Jean both had work at an opening in a restaurant near Jean's studio, La Vuella Bistro. (5pm) We marched onward to celebrate with mojitos and met up with Dirk (Jean's husband) and Bob (Laura's husband).

Laura and Jean lead the way to La Vuella Bistro.

Laura, Jean, and I, with Jean's art on the wall next to us!

At about 7pm, Jean and Dirk announce that they need to make an appearance at a performance art opening at a gallery nearby, so the rest of us decide to tag along and grab dinner some place else afterwards. I know I wasn't the only one sad to leave the delicious sights and smells coming from the other tables at La Vuella, right Bob? I recommend the empanadas, if you ever have a chance to stop by.

The performance was a quick stop, I think the guy's name was Larry something. He was making fun of the big art auctions at places like Sotheby's. I must have been getting tired around this time because some of the finer details are escaping me! We trudged on back to Vernon Blvd., and ate dinner at a Thai restaurant where Laura narrowly escaped death, thanks to me having Benadryl handy.

I sleepily hopped onto the 7 train to begin my ride back to Brooklyn and got home at 11pm. I thought about how days like this one are the reason I live in NYC! I really love being able to saturate my schedule with the kinds of things I talked about here. It doesn't often happen that I have so much art packed into 3 days, but I'm really glad that it worked out so well and that I just have the opportunity to do this kind of stuff. Yep, that's what I truly love about New York—all of the options and varieties of artistic expression and exhibition, all happening simultaneously, all the time!

Back to my roots

2008-05-09T15:58:00.001-04:00

I went to a Syracuse University sponsored event this week at Lubin House, their NYC headquarters. Every year the Visual Communications (Ad Design, Illustration and Commercial Design) professors bring the graduating seniors' portfolios to New York for a couple of days. Alumni and industry professionals attend, give feedback on the work, and sometimes hire students.

I haven't been to this event in a few years, and I was glad I went this time because being at Lubin House always brings back memories of my early days of being an artist. When I was in high school, I lived in New Jersey and brought my portfolio to Lubin House for my SU admissions portfolio review. I still remember the exact room my appointment was in and what the woman who interviewed me looked like.

Being amongst fellow illustration alumni and professors also makes me nostalgic for the time my portfolio was there. I remember being quite disappointed with the lack of comments and job offers! I made an effort to leave comments, even though I am not in a position to hire anyone, and there was some really great work there. The best part of the evening was having some time to chat with some of the people who were in the program at the same time as me and compare notes about what it's like in the real world. Many of us have gone in different directions and learned new skills to keep the money coming in.

I remember how hard it was, starting out after graduating. It is still hard to keep on track with what I want to do with my art (creating more of it, marketing it, and continuing to learn), while making a living, and having a social life, but at least now I have the wisdom that comes from persevering this long. My attitude is much less dramatic than it was in my mid 20s, but at times that can lead to complacency. Its just a different kind of struggle than it was back then, but better in different ways, too.

Group art show in Brooklyn!

2008-05-06T12:06:00.000-04:00

Announcement:
I will have 2 illustrations for sale in a one-night only group show at the Prospect Park YMCA on Friday, May 16. The theme of the show is "Friday Family Artist Festival." From what I understand, the artwork is not necessarily themed for kids, but the show is being presented to expose children to local talent. There will also be live music which will probably be geared more towards the kids (The 21st Street Dads are one of the acts) and a local hot dog vendor, Willie's Dawgs, will be on site. I'm very honored to be invited to be in the show, so bring a kid, if you have one, and enjoy the fun. You do not need to be a member of the Y to attend.

Location: Prospect Park YMCA, 357 9th St., Brooklyn. Between 5th & 6th Ave.

The colors of Spring are inspiring

2008-04-23T16:45:00.000-04:00

Well, here's my first post in my new blog location. It's been a while since I've blogged at all, so I feel like there are a lot of things I could talk about. Before I get to my main subject, I will allude to a past and future subject: my voiceover quest. I have signed up for an introductory class in May, so I'll probably write an update about that after the class. I am very excited to try it out!

What is inspiring me today (and for the past week or so!) are the amazing colors of spring time. I was walking to my yoga class this morning and saw a cherry tree in full blossom, right next to a leafy tree, whose leaves were that super-bright green that you only see when the new, young-and-fresh leaves start showing their faces this time of year. I love seeing those two colors together.

I am also looking forward to a day of brunch, yoga and crafts at my friend Betsy's place this Saturday. Funnily enough in reference to "the colors of spring" I was looking at the craft I am going to be working on, an embroidery design based on a drawing I did last year. Here it is:
I based my idea on South-East Asian and Indian motifs. The bright green and cherry-blossom pink are part of it, surprisingly appropriate for this time of year! I've chosen embroidery threads to match the colors shown here as closely as possible. I started working on some of the green areas last month, so I'm glad to have Saturday to focus on it some more, while enjoying the day with Betsy and her other friends.

The butterflies project is still in progress [today!] and I'll be attending a Freelancer's Union seminar this evening about using a website to market your work. I kind of do that already but you never know where the next new idea or beneficial contact will come from. So, until next time, enjoy your spring!

Eddie Izzard/Passing Strange (2/20/2008)

2008-04-22T14:16:00.000-04:00

This is an older post from my jamuse.com blog, which I am relocating to blogger.

This past weekend I was lucky enough to see 2 great shows. On Saturday, Janet, Elaine and Kurt joined me for Eddie Izzard's stand-up show. It's been at least 2 years (maybe 3?) since his last performance(s) in New York. What I find so amazing is that he keeps to some of the same main subjects (world history, religion, computers, and toast with jam) but is able to come up with completely new and completely hilarious jokes for each show. I have seen him perform about 8 times now and I always wonder how much of his act or subject matter is planned in advance and how much is improvised. It has to be a combination of the two, because the things he relates together in his jokes or what leads him from joke to joke seems so obscure, as if it occurred to him at that moment. One of the things I like best about his humor is that he'll take an idea that people tend to believe or take for granted and question it. For example, his main subject matter that night seemed to be his issues with Intelligent Design and the fanatics who believe in it. He asked, "If you were God and you created the earth and all of its life forms in 6 days, and had that all written out in the Bible, wouldn't you also want to brag about creating the whole rest of the universe, and all other universes?" His delivery was funnier of course, but that's a good example of some of the things he brings up. Other jokes are just plain silly in a great way, like miming a snake driving a speedboat.

Sunday afternoon I had a discount ticket to Passing Strange on Broadway, a new rock & roll musical. The music was really great, I'm still singing some of the lyrics in my head. (because me singing them out loud would really be an insult to the show!) I found inspiring messages in the story about a young man from South Central L.A. who leaves home to live in Europe for a few years to discover himself and explore his musical talents. I'm pretty sure the story is loosely based on Stew's, the narrator's, life at that age and his relationship with his mother. There was a moment towards the end of the show that really grabbed my attention. Basically they were saying (singing) that wherever you are in life for whatever reason or choices you have made, that you should remember that "it's alright!" I always like being reminded of that, since sometimes I find myself wondering: Why I haven't had more public acknowledgment or higher accomplishment (such as more stuff being published or paid for in some way!) concerning my artwork. Is it purely because of the choices I have made? ... Choosing to sleep in instead of forcing myself out of bed so I can get a few more hours out of the day? Going out with friends more often instead of dedicating more of that time for moving forward on whatever portfolio piece I am working on? I read a bit more about the creation of the show and Stew and co-creator Heidi Rodewald worked the story and songs for about 10 years. It was first performed in Berkeley, CA, then eventually made the jump to Off-Broadway NYC at the Public Theater last year, and now it's a full-fledged Broadway show. So, greatness does take time to develop. There's still a chance for me yet!

Branching Out? (2/5/2008)

2008-04-22T14:15:00.001-04:00

This is an older post from my jamuse.com blog, which I am relocating to blogger.

Last night I attended a seminar after work about getting into the voiceover business hosted by Syracuse University at their NYC location, Lubin House. I was glad to learn from the instructor, Johnna Gottlieb, that a background in acting is not required, and the start-up fees she mentioned didn’t sound prohibitive. ($1500-2000) And, on most auditions and projects the voiceover artist puts in 15-20 minutes and the work is done. I could make $400 in 15 minutes! Really!

Since I am mainly a visual artist, people might be surprised that I’m interested in voiceovers. I’m not even sure how serious I am about pursuing it, just very curious at this point. It would definitely take time and money away from my main goals. (Most of those have to do with my illustration.) I have gotten some nice compliments from people over the years regarding my voice and I think I have one of those “accentless” voices that they are looking for in the business. Also, it would be really neat to be the voice on the subway or other kind of public service announcement... don’t worry, I do dream bigger than that!

The way she described the process of how one gets work after you put together a professional voiceover reel (like a portfolio) is very similar to the process of how to promote oneself as an illustrator. You have to do the legwork of sending samples to publishers or art directors, hoping that they will look at what you send and like it and put you on file for future reference and maybe even hire you for a project... along with the thousands that are also interested in being published. As with any talent-driven career, having an agent that can help get an “in” for certain gigs can be helpful but not completely necessary to get work. (And those other thousands of folks want an agent, too!)

Having the fact that the promotion process would be very similar to what I’m already trying to do for my artwork in mind, I still had this feeling that trying it with a voiceover reel instead of an illustration portfolio would somehow be easier. I realized I was thinking this because I don’t have the same emotional attachment to voiceovers as my art. I really want to become more noticed and published as an illustrator, so whatever I do concerning that has much more weight and significance to me.

So, my next step is to check out this place called Edge Studios, they specialize in voiceover coaching and reels. They offer a program for amateurs once or twice a month where you come in for 4-5 hours and they give some instruction, everyone has a lot of time to read into the mic, and then on a separate visit, they give you one-on-one advice about wether you have the right voice and talent for the business and what to do about it. It’s only $150 and I think it would be fun, regardless if I decide to go further with it.

I should also put some more thought into my illustration promotion and find a way to be as carefree about it as I imagine I’d be with voiceovers!

Fashion Plates! 1/11/2008

2008-04-22T14:13:00.000-04:00

This is an older post from my jamuse.com blog, I am relocating my blog to blogger.

One night last month, as I was coming home from work, I started trying to remember what some of my favorite toys were when I was growing up. One of the first things I thought of was Fashion Plates.

The main idea of Fashion Plates was to mix and match shirts, skirts or pants and model heads which were on plastic square "plates" onto a tray. You then place paper over your combination and make a rubbing with a black crayon. The really fun part came when you flipped the plates over, each had a pattern (i.e. plaid or floral) or texture (denim) to could apply to the outfit you just created via more rubbings with colored pencils.

When I mentioned this my friend and co-worker, Peggy, she said "Well that's just like your artwork now!" And she was right, I had never though about it but it must have had some influence on me. I started browsing e-Bay to see what the going rate was for a previously-owned Fashion Plates toy. I also asked my parents if they had possibly not sold that at their big garage sale when they were moving to a smaller house, but they no longer had it. My advice to those of you looking for your favorite retro-toys on e-Bay: Wait until after the holidays! In the week before Christmas there were some that sold for over $100 and ost of them were more than $35. I checked again right after New Year's Eve and was able to claim a full set (minus the rubbing crayon & holder and colored pencils) with the original box for about $25 including shipping.

I haven't used it yet since I need to dig up a black crayon to do the rubbings, but I'll have to post some here! Also after I figure out how to get pictures into my blog.

Looking Forward, Looking Back (1/7/2008)

2008-04-22T14:10:00.000-04:00

This is an older post from my jamuse.com blog. I have decided to relocate my blog to blogger.

Happy New Year! As many people do, I tend to assess my recent accomplishments and new goals this time of year, but I tend to do so more intensely around my birthday. In any case, these are some of my thoughts about my art in 2007 and what I hope to do in 2008.

For most of 2007 I put a lot of energy into sketching out a graphic novel idea. (Starring Adele, my Parisian character) Being new to the medium I was easily frustrated or confused about how to develop the flow of the story and communicate my ideas. From this time I have learned that I need to experiment more in a shorter format, so that is on my list for 2008.

After I decided to take a break from Adele's story, I went back to some drawings of butterflies I had in my sketch book. Originally I created the drawings to be transfered to fabric so I could embroider them, but I decided to stick with the drawings to make a series of greeting cards. Each butterfly is arranged with a photo of a plant from its native region and a recreated textile design based on the craftwork of people from the same region. One is finished and I'll post it in my jamuse portfolio soon, and I'll begin working on the others again this month.

Until further notice...

2008-02-20T21:20:00.000-05:00

Hello
I already have started a blog on jamuse.com but I thought I'd make sure I saved a spot here on blogger in case I decide to relocate it! (which I may quite soon, it does not allow images in the posts) If you'd like to read a semi-regular post about being an illustrator and what inspires me, check it out at this link:
http://www.jamuse.com/MyBlog/tabid/61/BlogID/232/Default.aspx

Thanks!
Nancy
www.nancydraws.com