I had this idea of recording my sketchbook via video. Then I came across this video that artist adriana lozano [buenos aires, argentina] uploaded onto her flickr last week.
Adriana's sketchbook reads like a book. Did you notice how the drawings continue onto the next page? This is another project I have been wanting to do but just haven't had the time to work on . . . one day.
To see other videos of adriana lozano's wonderful work, go here.
I love this sweet journal by Jill Bliss. It's filled with beautiful illustrations of succulent plants [224 pages!], and it's printed on 100% recycled paper with soy ink.
For a chance to win this lovely notebook, just leave a comment below. One entry per person please.
A winner will be randomly chosen (using random.org) this Monday, August 29, at noon PST. Shortly following the drawing, I will send the winner an email and post their name below. So make sure your name links back to an email address.
Thanks again to Jill for a wonderful giveaway and interview. Check out all of her fabulous journals here.
I have known artist Jill Bliss for several years now, since first meeting her at my Portland shop. She had recently moved from the Bay Area and had setup a studio space in a classic Portland foursquare house. Since then, we've had many meetups and run-ins, talking about art and our other shared fascinations- Prairie Underground clothes, the Asian culture, and good food.
Jill's nature-inspired art goods can be found all across the country in little and big shops, an admirable feat for a one-person business. Unfortunately, a hand injury this year has hindered Jill's drawing routine. Being the resourceful and dedicated worker that she is, Jill still manages to stay very busy. I paid Jill a visit at her home studio a couple of weeks ago to hear about her latest projects as well as give all of you a glimpse of her wonderful creative space.
Jill at work, and her sweet 11 year-old dog, Lucy.
What is one of your most prized possessions in your studio?
My vintage scientific wood drafting table. It's huge, it fully disassembles, it has two drawers underneath and footrest bars that perfectly hold my flat files. I will have and use it the rest of my life, and possibly request it to be used as my a funeral pyre when the time comes! Ha!
Jill's drawing of California Poppies is still one of my favorites of hers. Every year they spring up in her garden.
What inspires you to create?
Learning about ecology - all the little pieces and how they fit together! So inspiring!
What are the things you love most about what you do, and what are the challenges?
I love creating visual reference guides for all the things I've learned, which is what my work has become. I love being my own boss, and I love interacting with people who appreciate and use my work. Current challenges are all related to not being able to draw as much or as quickly as I used to, thanks to aging and overuse, and the expense and stress of trying to maintain what's left.
An artist can never have too much storage. The wall and window ledges are perfect for Jill's smaller collections.
If you could change one thing about your art space, what would it be?
I would make one whole wall floor-to-ceiling cabinets with doors for storage to eliminate the visual clutter in here! And the other wall floor-to-ceiling windows to enjoy the garden view.
The insanely detailed work of Jill's Anima series.
What art project or accomplishment are you most proud of?
I love my Anima series as if they were my own children, and I'm very protective of them! Unless things get really super dire around here [I'm eying my pile of medical bills] you will never see my anima babies on mass-manufactured-in-china stuff!
Enjoying tea in Jill's sweet kitchen.
If you had a spare hour in the day, how would you spend it?
Meeting a friend for coffee, tea, or happy hour.
Clipboards are an easy way to organize loose papers. The chair rail is a perfect spot for Jill's clipboards.
Staying organized is a challenge for many artists. What are some simple tips that have helped you?
Clean as you go and put things back where they belong as soon as you are finished with them - easier said than done!
Jill makes business cards from recycled prints and stationary.
What advice would you give to an artist starting out?
Are you sure you want to do this?! Just kidding- well, only a little. Hold on to your day job or other source of income as long as possible, and be prepared for lots of compromise - either your integrity or a normal lifestyle! Very few artists get to have both. Many artists doing mostly self-generated work aren't paid well enough to afford all of the comforts of typical middle class life. Generally, self-generated work doesn't pay as handsomely as corporate work, and corporate work can be full of artistic and moral compromises. No matter what type of work you choose to do, even if your art is popular and paying all your bills now, there's no guarantee that the popularity will last. Have a back up plan/ career just in case - especially if you have or want to support a family! Nothing lasts forever!
Thanks Jill for a great interview! To see the plethora of art goodness from Jill, go to her website here. Jill has also launched a kickstarter campaign this month. Pledge $25 to her new Anima project and receive a 16" x 20" poster of your choice! Read more about it here. And, once again, we'll be throwing another art giveaway, thanks to miss Jill. See what's up for grabs tomorrow!
Art fairs are a test of my self-control as a shopper, and often times, I fail. It helps to be a vendor at the art fair, so that you're stuck in an 8 x 8 ft space for most of the day. But even then, it only takes a few minutes for me to find several must-have products while on a break. . . I'm an efficient shopper to a fault.
Artist Jill Bliss was my neighbor at the Rieke Art Fair this past weekend, so I didn't have to go far to find a number of things I wanted to take home with me. I snatched this lovely (and huge!) paper weight, which was her last one. I really don't have a need for a paper weight, but I couldn't resist its crystal ball likeness. When my youngest daughter, who collects snow globes, asked if it could be hers, I quickly replied, "Nope. It's mine." All mine, I thought. I think I'll call it my precious.
Both Jill and I love to draw things in nature. She just came out with a new drawing book that is quite brilliant. There are nearly 200 pages of art instruction, beautiful drawings, and plenty of blank space for the inspired artist.
I taught drawing for many years, and trust me when I say there aren't enough great instructional books on drawing. This is one art book that I'll definitely keep in mind when shopping for an enthusiastic learner.
I have a weakness for handmade sketchbooks, and it took me all of 10 seconds to claim this one as my own. I was chatting with Clare Carpenter of Tiger Food Press when I spotted the hand printed and bound artist book in her booth. This is what it looks like on the inside:
The pages are in an accordion design! My plan is to draw one very long illustration. If I make it past page three, I'll count it a success!
Here is another hand bound book I bought from Clare. The floral cover is vintage wallpaper, and there are two silk ribbon ties. My brother is getting married this month, and I thought this would make a perfect wedding guest book.
Sunday Brunch is an online dress shop that features an artist each month. On their home page, they pair an art work with a dress that complements it. I'm flattered that the New York-based shop chose to feature my art for the month of May! As part of the feature, I wrote some thoughts about my art and fashion. You can read it here.
It's been over a year since I mentioned [here] painting one of our walls with chalkboard paint, and I'm happy to report that I finally did it! I'm not sure why I waited so long, because it was a relatively painless task. I was able to paint two coats in one afternoon, and it only took one quart of paint. The girls had a blast drawing on it for the first time, covering as much surface with chalk as possible. I contributed some doodles myself, and I have to say that I found it quite liberating to draw on a wall in our home. I can understand why kids prefer walls over paper. The whole arm is involved in the drawing process and there's a lot more space to be creative.
I don't like to see things go to waste. So when my experiment with acrylic gel medium as a top coat didn't quite turn out like how I had hoped, I wanted to figure out another alternative use for the material. As I was browsing Golden Paints' website, I came across a video on how to create image transfers using acrylic gel. Perfect! And I knew just the drawing I wanted to use.
This drawing has been sitting in my "I don't know what I want to do with it" pile for several months now. I was excited to finally use it in a project. The first thing I did was make a color copy of the drawing (image was flipped horizontally), and then I trimmed the print to the size of the wood panel. After applying the acrylic gel onto the wood panel, the print was placed face down on top of the gel. I left it overnight to dry.
The next morning I wet the print with a wash cloth and started rubbing off the soaked paper. This part of the process is almost as fun as watching an image develop in the darkroom.
Once the remaining pulp was wiped up, I set the piece aside to dry fully. For the top coat, I decided to use a varnish rather than the glossy acrylic gel medium.
On my second image transfer piece (using another drawing from The Pile), I ended up applying the acrylic gel as a finish. For the background, I mixed the acrylic gel with some color, but I'm not sure what I think about it yet.
Here is the video that inspired it all. I look forward to hearing your experiments with image transfers!
Line is the most basic element of art, yet it takes an adept artist to render a subject using a few simple lines. I have always been captivated by the organic line drawings of Picasso and Matisse, so it only seemed natural that I would instantly be enamored by the beautiful art of Yukari Miyagi. Her child-like illustrations have been featured in numerous international magazines and books, including this one based on the Little Red Riding Hood.
I always find it exciting when art and product design come together. This classic tote takes on a fresh look with Miyagi's animated lines and colors. See more of her product collaborations here.
