As Spring Arrives...

Hello Lovelies~

I hope this Tuesday finds you all doing well out there! It's been a busy couple of weeks for me and I find as spring creeps into Maine with its longer days, budding trees, warm winds and sweet smells, it causes me to look at life in a new way every year. I find this time of rejuvenation energizing and my artistic pursuits (so sensitive to the weather and seasons) benefit from this new energy and a fresh outlook on life in general. I've been working on some exciting things and I would love to share them with you. Want to?

To start, as I continue to build the client work in my portfolio, I wanted to do a more editorial project that would visually document a local Maine business: their daily workings, the tools of the trade, the people who run things. I specialize in highly styled people-based shoots, so these day-in-the-life projects allow me to exercise a different aspect of my creativity as a photographer.

I decided to work with a business called Mid-Coast Shoe Repair on this project and what a wonderfully accommodating group of people they were! Plus, they loved the work and plan to use it on their website, so it's a win/win! Always a good thing, no? Some of the candid outtakes are below and the entire professional album may be found over at my portfolio HERE. I found the idea of young people apprenticing as cobblers in this day and age and then taking over a 20+ year old business instead of letting it close, absolutely fascinating. It's so nice to find people who value traditional trades and help keep them vibrantly alive, don't you think?

What else? Oh! The fine art prints for the Modern America Series are finally available for sale! You can find 8" x 10" prints here at Stapelia, or, if you would prefer additional sizes, here, at my Society 6 store. I just received the first order of these prints in and they look amazing. I am using metallic inks on these so they almost look three dimensional. Get yours, today!

I am also adding some great new things to STAG this coming week! It's been awhile, and I have some things piling up. So many neat items, including this nautical scarf that looks like the W (Whiskey) flag in the nautical alphabet that also has monogrammed initials on it. Really clean and really unique, this would look great stuffed into that blazer this summer. And the transistor radio below was fixed by a friend and now, we all think it's haunted. Apparently, it only plays Frank Sinatra and other old music despite there not really being an old music station in the area... Odd. But cool.

And finally, I believe I mentioned a couple of posts back that I am doing the illustration work for Portland Maine's Old Port Festival Weekend this year. Well, that illustration is finally done! The work should be posted online etc. very shortly. Until then, here are some sketches and the final thing (taken from my computer screen... yikes) below! I'm so flattered they asked me to do this project.

So much work being done, but that doesn't mean I haven't taken time to relax. How do I relax, you ask? Oh, by going up to my good friends' house in the country and helping them take down their old greenhouse and put up a new one! This may not sound very relaxing, but for me, working in the sun with power tools and laughing a lot is one of my favorite things to do. I mean, sure, none of us really know how to build a greenhouse, but we'll get there... I'm sure we will. Haha.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Bright Spring Days...

Hello Lovelies!

It has been awhile since my last post. Life has been very busy, almost too busy to take time to share it with you lovely readers out there. So let's play a bit of catch-up, shall we?

Let's start with some business news. I have released the entire first part of my Modern America Series! It took almost a year to shoot and complete the first 7 shots in this series. I am very happy with how the series is going so far. I'm planning to do 5 more to finish this work off. I am actually opening these last shots up to my followers for suggestions. I will be asking for ideas over on my Facebook page in the coming weeks, so follow along for that. A few of my favorite pieces in the series are below, and you may view all 7 over at my Behance site. This is some of my best work to date as an artistic photographer: I'm very proud of it. A big thank you to all of my models, assistants and hair and makeup people for helping me realize my vision. I hope you like it!

I have also been listing and selling things like crazy over at STAG as usual. A ton of great items in the shop and more to come very soon, including the amazing buffalo plaid vest, women's Russian jacket with gold buttons and an amazing vintage Windmill brand stadium style overcoat for the ladies, all shown below! Stop by frequently, new things are listed almost weekly...

And the final bit of business news is in the area of illustration. I was recently hired to do the design work for the Old Port Festival Weekend here in Portland, Maine. It's the biggest music/vendor/arts festival in the state of Maine and this year they're extending it to an entire weekend, so I was delighted to be asked to do it! I'll pass along more official site/poster information as I get it, but here are some of the sketches and then the final work. I am happy with how it came out...

I mention life has been busy, and boy, it sure has. A lot of great things are happening and the weather is getting warmer and spring is here in Maine! Here are just a few of the beautiful things I've seen, done and enjoyed since my last post...

And finally, today is my birthday! As with most people, birthdays are a fun time of reflection for me. I like to take the opportunity at least once a year to stop for a moment and really appreciate all of the wonderful things that have happened over the last year. I have so much to be grateful for: amazing friends, a studio, the ability and opportunity to make art and get paid to do it on occasion, a life right near the ocean that is so beautiful in a community of kind, caring people. I co-celebrated my birthday yesterday with my dear friend Timothy and I realized I'm a very, very lucky girl. I hope the next year is as good as the last...

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Speaking Easily...

Hello Lovelies~

This could quite possibly be my biggest post ever. I haven't posted in a couple of weeks and things have been building up around here! So much to share...

To start, things are humming along as usual over at STAG Vintage. A lot of great vintage clothing is going into the shop very soon, including the amazing St. Patrick's Day tie below that's hand-painted with a harp, a pipe and a shamrock. (Nothing says: Erin Go Bragh like a leprechaun tie, amiright?) Also, that buffalo plaid hunting hat makes for sharp, early spring headwear and it's in great shape to boot! Stop by often, new things are always posting...

What else? Oh! I haven't done an original digital illustration in a long time. But, our Portland Buy Local directory (that shows local businesses and what they sell here in Portland) was running a cover contest and I decided to throw my hat in the ring. Below are some process shots, but the basic concept was to take a map of the downtown streets of Portland and incorporate some of the local goods people enjoy when they visit: seafood, artwork, great food and drinks, clothing, etc... all with a sort of worn, 1960's children's atlas feel. What do you think? Cross your fingers for me, I feel good about this one!

In photography news I have a ton of stuff to share as well! To start, I have been doing all sorts of head shots lately for all sorts of clients: real estate agents, insurance brokers and even a couple of authors! It's no secret that I adore photographing faces and making people look comfortable and their best, so doing head shots is a joy for me and because different professions require different looks, I'm learning new things as I go, too! Take a look at some of my latest work:

Another client job I'm really excited about is a Sea Bags shoot I did last fall for their Spring 2014 line that was just released today! For those of you not familiar with Sea Bags products, they are, as the name suggests, bags of all types made from sailcloth and other vintage nautical materials sold up here in Maine. They are really high-end and nice looking so it was a wonderful opportunity to shoot some lifestyle/product photography using great product and working with a ton of great models, stylists and another photographer who shot with me. Take a look!

Eeks! I did the most fun thing this past weekend with my Sweetie and our good friends! We got all dolled up and went to a 1920's Speakeasy fundraiser to benefit a local theater up in Brunswick, Maine. Well, it was a theater, so every last person was decked out and there was music and drinks and snacks and games of chance... and live goldfish. I have no idea why there were goldfish, but it was such fun! Don't we look dashing?

And speaking of speakeasies and Prohibition-era libations, I have come across an amazing design company that specializes in liquor bottle label design. Stranger & Stranger do such a beautiful job channeling that vintage vibe with their typography and illustrations, don't you think? Wow...

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...