Mint Green Suits & Coral Lipstick...

Hello Lovelies!

I hope this week finds you all doing well out there. Things here are busy, busy as usual! So many new things to share. To start, I just wrapped up a project that I'm very excited to share with you. I was approached to shoot an Audrey Hepburn inspired shoot for a client. She wanted to really channel some of the Breakfast at Tiffany's vibe, as well as just the playful, coy feel for Ms. Hepburn herself. So, I set to work, and created the following! (I think the mint green suit was a good choice, don't you?) You may view the rest of the shots from that series over at my Behance site! (A huge thank you to my model Caroline and my makeup artist Brenda for making it so beautiful!)

I have several other projects in various states of readiness and I can't wait to share those too! But until then, here are some candids from a recent portrait session I did. (No, they did not wear those masks in the portraits themselves, but I've found that nothing loosens kids up in front of the camera like playing beforehand! Those cameras aren't so scary then...) I should have that project ready to show in the coming weeks!

Oh! And some exciting news for my STAG shop! I have just reached 100+ sales! I can't believe I reached that goal so quickly. Thank you to all of my customers and followers. Many great things yet to come. I am always hunting up neat things, just for you!

On a totally unrelated note, I have been looking for a good watch for years now. I always used to wear one, and then the one I loved broke and with that, I stopped wearing one. I searched all over place, because I knew I wanted something vintage and high quality. Well, I finally found a watch from Russia that I am absolutely in love with and it just came in the mail this past weekend! (I am a bit embarrassed to admit how excited I was to receive it.) But you know how it is, finding the perfect thing, right? Take a look. The red face and those numerals are amazing...

I am going to wrap up by sharing promos from two of my favorite design studios. They have prints perfect for stuffing stockings or serving yourself some san serifed spoils! Ha!

The first is from Lab Partners. Visit their site HERE.

And Invisible Creature is having a giveaway with purchase HERE.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Psychopomp...

Hello Lovelies!

Well, fall is upon us up here in Maine. It's my favorite time of year; the days are shorter, the air smells of burning wood, and of course, Halloween is just around the corner.

In this vein, I have been working on the largest piece I have ever done for my gallery's October show. The piece is entitled Psychopomp and it measures 12' x 4' on 4 stained birch panels. I don't want to spoil the surprise, so here are some teaser shots. I will show you the entire thing when it's done! And if you're local, stop on by October 1st to see it in person at the gallery and to say 'hi'.

I am also working on some small pen and ink illustrations for the shop that will be dark and somewhat Halloween related. I try to offer a couple of small and affordable original pieces each Halloween for my fans. I'll keep you posted when those go up.

So, I have found yet another photographer who does some great work. John Myers has a beautiful website (which is always a nice surprise) and he appears to do both conceptual and almost photo journalist type work. A sense of humor runs through all of his work and you just can't stop clicking through. Plus, down in the lower left hand corner, you can find out if you have character or are a character. I love it!

Have you seen the work of Steve Morris yet? Wow. There are a few examples below and take a look at his site for more work. I love him because he has a lot of different styles and techniques depending on the project. He's not a cookie-cutter artist. The work below is by far my favorite, both the colors and the Hansel & Gretel + mean things theme makes me laugh. Great work.

It's no secret that I love the circus, the sideshow and carnivals. If you've read this blog long enough, you know how much of a fan I am. Well, I have a book recommendation for you folks who love this stuff as much as I do. Step Right Up! by Dan Mannix, is a real page-turner. Apparently, Mannix joined the circus in the 40's just to write about it. More specifically, he joined the sideshow and learned a ton of things like sword swallowing and knife throwing and the like during his tenure. It's a fascinating non-fictional account of carny life that I highly recommend. I think it's out of print, but not hard to find.

Plus, the different covers are sort of neat.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

The side we deny...

Hello Lovelies!

Be warned, this is going to be a dark and seedy post! Read on if you dare...

I went to see Sweeney Todd over the weekend at the Merrill Auditorium here in Portland and man was it good! Full of murder and fantastic sets and voices to die for. If it comes to your town RUN to get tickets!

I am really excited about some new projects I'm working on for the shop. Possibly this week, I am going to be offering a photographic series of sleazy neon signs that I've photographed on my travels. They will all be somehow related to the underbelly of society either through direct association or an implied one and they will be available as high-quality archival art prints. Here's a sneak peek dear readers, get excited, these are really neat!

       

Also, I am going to be doing a series of scratchboard illustrations relating to the things we all fear as children; closets, underneath the bed, the dark in general. These dark and somewhat creepy illustrations will be available as originals only as I don't think they will look as good as prints. I'll let you all know when they're available so you can take a gander.

And let me wrap up with the worst of the worst folks. A little back story, a group of my friends and I like to get dressed up and/or do makeup and then photograph the results. Then I get to play with these photos in Photoshop. Recently, we went out on a limb and decided to do a zombie. We got the TP, the cornflakes, the liquid latex and here are the results... can you believe it? 

      

Pretty scary, huh? Until next time: unpleasant dreams.