Color, Color Everywhere

Behold!

The shop's been updated with loads more stuff. My eyes hurt from all the colors (well...not really...but they're much more awake-looking now). I'm pleased as punch to see all the new goodies side-by-side together at last.

I started doing a few mini black and white ink drawings last night and I'm actually thinkng about doing a few to list in the shop as well. Why not? The more the merrier.

Also, I'm taking the big plunge and getting my cable disconnected. Yes, you heard right. My Comcast bill is currently a little over $100 every month, and I'm thinkin'...why? Why the hell am I spending that much moolah on channels I hardly (if ever) watch? There will be a few shows I will miss dearly. I'm a religious Mythbusters fan and it actually hurts to think I won't get to watch it anymore (though, I'm sure I can catch some episodes online, right? I'll just have to do a bit of searching). And I actually watch the Daily Show for my national news source (funny that a news parody show is more factual most of the time than the actual news), so that will be sorely missed. But everything else is just fluff to me.

The highspeed cable internet stays, however. I can live without tv, but take away my internet and you better put me on life supprt. To ease the transition without tv, I signed up for Netflix and I'm super excited to be getting my first dvd (the Prestige) in the mail tomorrow. My Netflix "queue" is packed with obscure independent and foreign movies, with a lot of entertainment fluff peppered in for good measure.

So, what's on the agenda for tonight? I'm popping in The Devil's Rejects, busting into a bag of freshly-popped kettle corn, and doing a little doodling on the side.

Sounds awfully good.

Shop Update Tomorrow!

It's official--I'll be uploading some new items in the shop tomorrow. Yay! I love working on new designs, and everything will be new to the eyes in tomorrow's update (there will be a couple vaguely familiar faces, but it's all new stuff). Keep an eye out!

Also, just bought these lovely lil' buttons from ohmycavalier (a recent discovery). Those who know me well, know that I love sea creature stuff. And these were just too awesome to pass up. They'll look splendid on my messenger bag.

I Want a Felt Typewriter.

Looks like next week--probably on Monday or Tuesday--I'll start loading da new goods into the shop. Woohoo! New stuff! Also finally designed my business cards and sent the files off for printing (god, I'm so embarassed it's seriously taken me this long to get business cards).

Bought The Science of Sleep on dvd a couple days ago (dvds are my crack--it's getting pretty bad) and watched it last night. I LOVED it. Michel Gondry is like God, in my humble opinion. The fact that he creates amazing effects and scenes with nothing more than stuff you find in your own house (be it a 75 watt bulb, tons of empty toilet paper tubes, or celephane) is enough to make me weep with giddiness. His work is so, so inspirational for me. And I love that his big thing is stop-motion animation (which beats the pants off CGI). Ah, good flick.

And so, while I was watching it, I couldn't help but gaze lovingly at all the handmade goodies in the movie. Lots of crazy props sewn from felt--a typewriter, horse, boat, eyeglasses.... Once the movie was done, I had to find out who made all those nifty felt creations. Her name is Lauri Faggioni. I went on her site (still under construction, I'm afraid) and unearthed these insanely cool fabric jellyfish in mason jars. How amazing are these?!

If I ever get the courage, I'm so gonna try my hand at a couple for display in my own apartment. Little fabric specimens, suspended for all to see. Purely magical.

Have a great weekend, guys!

Ciao! *Weep*

I know I just recently went on a killer trip to Italy 4 months ago, but lately I've had that insane craving to go back (the above pic is one I took of Vernazza in the Cinque Terre). They say you make one trip to Europe and you get the travel bug--bad. I've been to Hawaii a couple times, Mexico, Honduras, and all over the bloody states and while each trip was fun in its own right, I never got this extreme fighting urge to go back right that very second.

But, good lord.

This past week I've been gnawing at the teeth to visit Venice again. Or trip around Rome at night. Ack! It's killing me! I wasn't planning on taking a big trip this year so I can save up for other, more important things (like, you know, a good apartment or new printer). But now... I dunno. Europe's lookin' mighty fine to me. And while I'm dying to go back to Italy (especially because I know I would feel much more comfortable the 2nd time around), I'd really really like to visit England.

Or Switzerland.

Or Scotland.

Sigh. Is there a cure for this so-called Travel Bug? Or am I just doomed til the day I die?

In other news, I was flipping through a Lands End catalogue (best not to ask why--I don't like Lands End--I'm more of an Anthropologie/Urban Outfitters kinda girl) and these adorable moccasins stared out at me. They come in the neatest bright colors--but the red! How insanely adorable are those red mocs?! I imagine myself wearing them with some summery white cropped pants--very summer chic if you ask me. And the little white traction nobs on the bottom remind me of octopus suckers (another plus). And for less than $30? Needless to say, I got them.

Some Nearly-Finished Paintings

As promised, here's a few pics (ugh, not very good ones, mind you, but pics just the same) of the paintings I've been working on lately. I tend to have an odd sense of humor/dramaticism in my artwork that tends to surprise people (I think mostly because I'm so small, shy and sweet looking). I guess when a girl paints candy and eyeballs together it can raise eyebrows. These are all just about finished, minus the varnishing and assembly.

I really like this piece. But, then again, I also really really like crows. This was a quickie--not a lot of planning went into it. And painting on these wooden plaques is so much fun. A nice relatively cheap substrate to paint on that adds an over-the-top dramatic effect that I like.

This piece will be a multi-dimensional 2-part hanging painting. I bought the neatest candycane striped ribbon that will attach the two paintings and hang down to over-emphasize the innocent sweetshop feel I'm goin' for here. I have a couple more in this peppermint series (which I've dubbed the "Slaughterhouse Sweetshop") to do. These are pretty small paintings--the peppermint and eyeball plaque is less than a foot wide. I just love working really tiny!

And the last one. Not quite finished--after varnishing, I'll glue the buttons down and throw in the clockworks for a nice obscure little clock. This picture is so, so bad, but it at least gives you the general idea and look of the piece. I have a bit of an...obsession...with clouds.

Well, the grand plan for these next couple of days I have off from work is to get lots of claywork done. I have a list (gotta have a list) of stuff I need to buy, places I need to go, and pieces I need to sculpt. I'm itching to get crackin' on some fun new jewelry designs. Lots of color, lots of cuteness, I'm thinkin' some new fruity designs, and yes, clouds (among other designs, of course). I'll keep ya posted on the progress.

Happy Monday, everyone!

Painting And Movies. Does It Get Much Better?

Ahem. I am still here, just busily cranking out artwork and overall being inspired.

As many of you already know, I currently work at a ceramic studio (which rocks by the way....just doesn't pay so well). I spend many an hour down there painting away squid and octopus and other oddly random things on plates and bowls. But then I realised recently that I haven't done a whole lot of painting at home. You know. "Real" paintings. Like on canvas or wood or something. I used to do a whole lot when I was in college, but now that I've got this job at a painting studio, I guess the whole painting-on-plates thing sucks it all outta me by the time I get home. So, to greatly remedy this, I've decided to limit my painting at the ceramic studio and instead focus all that creative painting urge on my acrylic paintings. And maybe someday this year get enough works done to do a show or something.

...Or, at least that's the general idea. So far so good. I've done two nice paintings these past few days and I'm quite smitten with both. My painting style is a little hard to pull off in ceramics, but once I pulled out those acrylics again, it was like the world stopped spinning and I was home again. I promise to post pics soon.

Also, saw Pan's Labyrinth and...wow. I absolutely LOVED it. I had read so many reviews from random people that were dissapointed in the film and its violence that I was a little scared to see it. I mean, I had been looking forward to this movie for months--I just couldn't bear the thought that it would be dissapointing. And for all of you who haven't seen it yet in fear of the same thing--stop. Buy tickets and go see it. Right now. It is so marvelous. And honestly, the violence is nothing (nothing!) compared to some of the movies I've seen lately. It's more "suggested" violence. If I can live through the violence in movies like "Audition", I think I can handle almost anything.

And speaking of Asian flicks, I also saw Sympathy For Lady Vengeance this past week. It's the sequel to Oldboy and the third and final movie in the Chan Wook Park "revenge trilogy". Wonderful film--story wise and visually. I knew I'd love it from the second the opening title sequence rolled (don't you love it when that happens?). However, the film's score took the cake for me. After I had finished watching the movie, I immediately went online in a one-track mission to hunt down the soundtrack for my own. But, much to my dismay, it was not to be found. Anywhere. But wait! I stumbled across the film's official website and what do I get? The entire soundtrack downloadable. For free. Free!! If you love film scores and/or classical music as much as I, get over there and download it for yourself (it's under the "media" section). Your ears and ipod will thank you for it.

Back to more painting I go. Haven't done any claywork this past week--I guess I'm just having way too much fun painting. But never fear, more clay goodies are a'comin as well.