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Edwardian Ball 2012

2012-01-18T02:03:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in my last post, I've been busy working on quite a few projects at once...and one of those is getting ready for this year's Edwardian Ball in SF this weekend! I am thrilled to be a vendor this year as STRYX ASTRA sharing a booth with the lovely and talented BirdSkull Studios under what's become our default co-selling moniker "The Theatre of Angels and Witches."

Here are some quick progress shots of the types of things I've been making (monocle/goggle masks...yessss)

If you haven't heard of the Ball, I suggest you watch this:

If you're planning to attend the SF Ball (as well you should be, especially after watching that video), please stop by and say hello! If for whatever reason you will not be there in the evenings, there's also a free Vendor Bazaar on Saturday afternoon, so there really is no excuse to come check it out.

This is my favorite event that I've attended to date in San Francisco, so even though its going to be a crunch getting everything ready for this Friday, I'm also really, really looking forward to it. Such an fantastic array of mustaches, corsets, steampunkery, bustles, taxidermy, circus antics, canes, absurdity, pompousness, and curiosa...! Can't wait & hope to see you there!

2012, new things, mushrooms!

2012-01-15T01:09:00.000-08:00

Happy 2012! Somehow that seems far enough into the 2000's to be considered the realm of science fiction :]

I'm excited for this year...there's lots of Big New Exciting changes for me in the coming several months (bigger and newer than usual, that is) so we'll see how things unfold. To summarize, I've been staring at a lot of PHP & CSS lately, writing graduate school applications, cutting up old leather and rearranging old things in new ways, and working on what seems like a million projects at once.

One thing that I've been meaning to share for a little bit now are these awesome mushroom cards that I recently printed in collaboration with Cherish:

These cards are about 4 x 4 inches, printed on a nice off-white cardstock. I only did a small run (just to see how they'd turn out), but I'm so so happy with how they came out, I'm definitely going to print more. What do you think?

music video love

2011-12-27T23:37:00.000-08:00

I have this secret desire to create/direct music videos (I think its one of of the most perfect ways to feature visual art), and I'm endlessly fascinated by the work that gets done in this genre. I'm particularly drawn to illustration/animation and stop-motion-type effects. Below are a couple of my most favorite music videos from 2011 - inspiring, incredible collaborations, and excellent music. ♥!

Lovely Bloodflow from BATHS on Vimeo.

Beats Antique | REVIVAL from Ivan Landau on Vimeo.

The Shrine / An Argument from Sean Pecknold on Vimeo.

COCOROSIE - GALLOWS (OFFICIAL VIDEO) from Emma Freeman on Vimeo.

another year

2011-12-27T02:30:00.000-08:00

...another year almost gone. And what a tremendously busy year its been!

I've got quite a few projects to finish in the remaining week of 2011, so things will be quite busy in the next couple of days, but here is something I completed quite recently for a client that I'm awfully fond of:

This was commissioned as an 11x17 inch two-color poster/wedding invitation in an Art Nouveau style, integrating some of the passions of the clients (their dogs, elaborate clothing, San Francisco, Victorian houses, etc.) It was such a pleasure to work on, and I am very excited to see it in print. The yellow/bronzeish color will be a real metallic bronze in the printed version, from what I understand. The clients are super happy with how it came out. Check out a couple of progress shots below...

desert ghosts

2011-11-23T02:20:00.000-08:00

Dear blog, I want to apologize for being silent for so long. So many months have passed...so much has happened in my life and in this incredible city that I live in, it is hard to keep on top of documenting it all! I am currently in the middle of some major transitions yet again, but I hope to post a couple of more times before 2011 draws to a close.

Just a few weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit the desert after almost 7 months of being away, see some of my most favorite people in the whole word, and attend The All Souls Procession with my love. How fascinating it is to see memories superimposed over reality, things changing, growing, evolving! I had forgotten the last time I had simply walked the Procession -- for years, I have been a performer, so I experienced the event very differently. A part of my heart will always stay in Tucson, I think, regardless of how far I wander, or how much I may love colder weather, moody oceans, and forest-covered mountains. Its funny to realize just how much that dusty desert city imprinted on me in the years I spent there, and how deeply its magic settled in myself.

There is nothing like it.

fur, leather, glass

2011-06-14T01:33:00.000-07:00

Very busy indeed, leaving for Faerieworlds on Wednesday! My friend Maria (who is making some incredible handmade journals to sell) was kind enough to model my masks & jewelery for me. Here are a couple of my favorites:

phoenix mask

2011-06-06T01:49:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update to share a mask I recently completed for a dear friend of mine, Suzi, who's been planning to put together a new phoenix performance number :]

Not the best lighting, since I had to dash to present it to Suz at her birthday party, but still gets the idea across. Getting ready for a pretty intense week of crunch work for Faerieworlds + very excited!

summertime

2011-05-30T20:10:00.000-07:00

I have been keeping busy, making some much-needed adjustments in my life and generally trying to keep afloat.

One of the biggest changes is that I will be starting a new job this coming week as the Marketing & Communications Manager at AcroSports. I'm really looking forward to this transition, and am honored to be a part of the AcroSports community. While I am grateful for my previous work situation, it was definitely not the right place for me, and caused a fair amount of stress and unhappiness. I think I will be much, much happier and healthier at AcroSports.

I've also been getting ready for Faerieworlds, where I will be sharing a booth with some very talented and beloved artist friends (old and new), including Maria Thomas and Kimberly Piet. I can't begin to say how excited I am about this - its probably the highlight of my summer. The Anatomia Dance Collective performed at Faerieworlds last year, and I was very pleased and surprised to find a bit of footage from our performance on the Faerieworlds 2011 promo trailer:

Its only a little bit, but you can see us at 0:22 and around 0:38
:]

I will not be performing this year - just selling some masks and jewelery and prints instead. I've been itching to make masks since the Winter Masquerade, so I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to do so. Besides, I spend so much time staring at a computer these days, its wonderful to sit down and actually work with my hands. Living in SF gives me access to all kinds of resources and materials I could have only dreamed of in Tucson (like a 5-story fabric store, whee!), so this has been a very fun process indeed.

Some process shots below...perhaps if I get my act together in time, there will be an Etsy shop up around the time of the festival:

Bones, feathers, beads, leather, and Oregon woods - this is going to be a good summer!

cards!

2011-04-12T10:26:00.000-07:00

New business cards, beautifully printed and promptly delivered by Next Day Flyers.

Just in time for Stumptown Comics Fest, which I will be attending with my good friend and writer/editor Laura Hawkins this weekend! Very excited indeed.

transmutation//change

2011-04-08T01:24:00.000-07:00

This is a difficult entry to write and I have been putting if off for a while...but I think its finally time.

After a bit over two years after its conception, the performance piece that became Rusalki, eventually grew into the Anatomia Dance Collective, and took us all to some beautiful places, finally has an online video presence.

Combining footage from 5 or so different venues and events, most of which consistently came out quite glitchy for a mysterious, unknown reasons, the video was created by my good friend Adam Cooper-Terán. Adam has has seen this project grow from the very beginning, and I couldn't really think of a better person to bring it all together. I'm tremendously pleased with how it came out, and very excited to share it with you at last:

Its interesting to think how powerful this piece was - in many ways, it let me back into the world of performance and dance after a long and painful break, and I know that my path to San Francisco and my life here would be very, very different without it. I'm so grateful for the people I had the honor of working, traveling, and performing with under the guise of the Anatomia Dance Collective, and for the amazing things we were able to do together.

That said, I am also grateful to lay this piece - and my role in the Anatomia Dance Collective - to rest. Rusalki marked many transformations in my life, and opened doors that I never could have foreseen...but now, those transformations are complete, and I have walked through those doors, and I know that its time to let go. I am no longer officially a part of the Anatomia Dance Collective, though I wish them well, and look forward to potential collaborations in the future.

...What's next?

Well, most of all, I'd like to continue creating characters, performances, and events...drawing and building and dancing and performing - working with other artists, with new technologies, new ideas, and new audiences. A very specific performance piece has been spinning in my head for over a year now with amazing clarity (usually a good sign), so I am currently looking for dancers and venues in San Francisco that I can work with to bring it to life.

Also, I've been spending a lot of time thinking about how I represent myself online, and where I'd like to go as an artist/performer. There's a lot of thoughts and words there -- thoughts and words that will probably bring a considerable amount of change with them in time. There's also a couple of other projects I would love to mention and share with you...well, you know, isn't that usually how it goes?

...But for tonight, this will be all.

Good night, Anatomia, and good night, Rusalki.

2011-03-21T21:31:00.000-07:00

One day, I'll really really look into coloring pencil drawings in Photoshop with a tablet. Seems to be all the rage.

Till then, things just kind of look like this:

progress

2011-03-15T10:35:00.000-07:00

Just working on some new projects & new websites...looking at more digital and vector work in the very near future :]

Here's a progress shot of a sketch.

better late than never

2011-03-09T00:41:00.001-08:00

...Right?

Here's how those cards came out from the Edwardian Ball back in January. I finally got my hands on the printed version, and have quite a few in my possession now. I quite like them.

sketchbook

2011-03-09T00:19:00.000-08:00

As usual, many changes afoot, many projects underway, blog silence = busyness :]

I wanted to share some images from my sketchbook from the past couple of months:

I'll be attending this year's Stumptown Comics Fest with a good friend/writer I've been meaning to collaborate with for years now. Very much looking forward to the event as well as being in Portland again!

splendor

2011-01-27T01:23:00.000-08:00

Just catching my breath from the Edwardian Ball last weekend, which was absolutely splendid. Really...that was quite possibly the my most favorite event, ever. So many beautiful people, such exquisite costumes, wares, performances, etc! I think I spent much of Friday night simply walking around with my mouth open.

San Francisco, I'm yours. Any city that hosts such an elaborate, amazing ball is definitely the place I want to be. I cannot wait until next year.

Below is a sneak preview/approximation of something that I will be putting up on Etsy soon...but I just wanted to share a small part of it for now:

hello 2011

2011-01-09T20:46:00.001-08:00

Hello world, hello blog, and hello 2011. A very happy New Year to all, and my warmest wishes for a happy, healthy, exciting venture into the new decade.

These past couple of months have been incredibly busy for me on so many levels - transitioning from the desert to the Bay Area has been full of expected and unexpected challenges, and a tremendous amount of growth. I've been trying hard to find a balance between working a regular job, pursuing freelance work, keeping on track with personal projects, and simply living, which isn't a dance I've quite mastered at this point, but do believe that I'm moving in the right direction.

I have quite a few exciting projects in mind for 2011 (ok, when do I NOT?!), including co-creating a blog devoted to Russian/Soviet culture, art, animation, etc with my dear friend the Suz, adding some new things to my rather stagnant Etsy shop, creating a new business card & promo package for myself, and another horned mystery beast of an endeavor that will be spoken of at a later date.

One of my goals this year is to not let my internet-self lag with the actual going-ons of my real life, so I will be posting more regularly here, if only for my own sanity. Perhaps I will even get into the habit of commenting on the posts of others, for despite my rather obsessive blog-reading habits, I rarely venture to comment on the things I really enjoy (and there are so many!) Call it blog-shyness if you will...even if it seems decidedly silly.

ANYWAY...project-wise 2011 has wandered in with quite a bit of flair - I have the honor of working on some promo material for the Edwardian Ball that is coming up soon, and below is the very first (completed!) postcard of the year for the Edwardian Vendor Bazaar to be held on January 22nd. I have been itching to make some paper dolls for a while now, and this seemed to be the perfect opportunity:

5 x 7 inches.
As always, can't wait to see it in print!

rain & fall

2010-10-23T21:25:00.000-07:00

This is the first cold, rainy autumn I've had in over 14 years. Its beautiful.

I meant to post an recap of my summer adventures with Anatomia at Faerieworlds this year (because yes! we did go!), but there are still so many photographs to process from that trip, that perhaps I will save it for another rainy evening later this week. Meanwhile, I'd like to share an interview I did with [Open Myth Source], talking about art, science, myth, magic, spirituality, and technology (some of my most favorite topics ever.) You can read the full interview here.

In line with the season, here are some things that I recently finished in part for Hunger Verlag, and in part for myself.

I've been so inspired by Paxton Gate since I've found it wandering through the Mission one day...I really think its one of my most favorite stores ever. I've been meaning to do mushroom illustrations for a while, but their collection of fungi prints & lithographs finally motivated me to draw my own.

mountains/ocean/forests

2010-10-01T19:50:00.000-07:00

Ah yes, another long pause in blogging means that tremendously exciting things have been afoot!

I suppose the most exciting thing of all is that I now live and work in San Francisco:

Its a bit of a long story (which involves endless kindness from friends and strangers, Oregon woods, Brian & Wendy Froud, exquisite East-bay co-ops, a variety of couches, beets, and several bizarre adventures), but to sum it all up: I have been dreaming of moving North, out of the desert and towards mountains, ocean, and forests for ages and ages...and I have been in love with San Francisco for close to a decade...So! this fall, I got rid of most of my stuff, packed my bags, and finally made the jump!

I've only been here for a couple of weeks now, working a new job and getting acclimated but I'm a pleasantly surprised at how natural the transition has been for me. The culture, the history, the people who live here, the spectacular arts and technology, the beautiful Victorian houses (I have a huge weak spot for Victorian architecture), the fog that creeps into the city like a giant milky ghost...this place is truly, truly amazing. Some days, when I see the sun set over the water in the West, the ocean bleeding golden light into the city, I can hardly believe its all real, and that I'm actually, finally here.

To continue the trend of locality and what-not, my Witch cards (and perhaps soon other things!) are now available for sale at a lovely San Francisco store called Cherish (which happens to be right down the street from where I live.) They have a beautiful selection of work from local artists, and various cards, paper, and other delightful objects that are definitely worth checking out if you're ever in the area.

I hope to tell you more about my adventures and current projects in the coming months now that I am more or less settled and living a much more stable life (and oh my! there is so much to tell!) so please check back soon :]

Kolk magazine

2010-07-08T17:23:00.000-07:00

Today I received a wonderful package from Hunger Verlag with 5 copies of Kolk Magazine - a beautiful brand new miniature German art magazine.

Three of my illustrations are published there, part of a series of 13 based on Wallace Stevens' poem "13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird" (if you went to the University of Arizona for Illustration you know exactly what I'm talking about...)

Anyway, I am completely delighted with how this magazine came out - its more of like a little book with some amazing artwork in it from all over the world than a magazine. This issue's theme is "Handmade," so all of the work featured is created by analogue means. Should you wish a copy of your very own, you can get one through me (if you're in the USA), or contact Hunger Verlag (if you're in Europe.) Be sure to check out some other beautiful artwork featured in Kolk here.

:::KOLK:::

hah, that's the logo I designed for them this past fall :]

Other beautiful work from other people...

Here are my illustrations:

"I was of three minds,
Like a tree
In which there are three blackbirds."

"At the sight of blackbirds
Flying in a green light,
Even the bawds of euphony
Would cry out sharply."

"He rode over Connecticut
In a glass coach.
Once, a fear pierced him,
In that he mistook
The shadow of his equipage
For blackbirds."

website

2010-06-30T14:58:00.000-07:00

Wow, I think I completely spaced posting this here. I've re-designed & updated my website with some new artwork (ohhh a couple of months ago!) Click below to check it out:

I used Indexhibit, which is infinitely better than what I had before, so its very easy to update and maintain. Of course, now I have a million ideas for how to change/improve it again, but at least its something.

I welcome any feedback or comments :]

sketchbook

2010-06-23T01:51:00.000-07:00

There are many changes in my life right now, so I amholding off on any major projects or undertakings until things settle down.

I have been trying to spend more time just drawing every day, and its so nice to just sketch and play, and not worry about project parameters, etc. I've been on the quest to find the perfect sketchbook for years now (I have horrible luck with sketchbooks - usually I just sketch on sheets of computer paper), and Kimmie finally designed and made a custom one for me, and I absolutely love it!

Here's a drawing I did a little while ago:

And the sketchbook itself:

Just the perfect size to take along + a nice bright cover for easy finding!

spring, forward

2010-05-04T18:30:00.000-07:00

...So many things happen, and most often, my lack of updates is a sign that too much is happening at once, rather than that I haven't been up to anything exciting :]

This weekend, the anaTomia dance collective went up to Flagstaff to perform at the Flagstaff Fringe Festival and teach an aerial silks workshop. Many thanks to Jayne Lee of Human Nature Dance Theater for making this possible for us. Below are some pictures of our performance courtesy of Scott Sawyer. We also got some good video footage of us, and I hope that our growing video-archive will soon yield a nice, beautiful video trailer to go up on our new website.

Onwards to the pictures!

etsy

2010-04-09T00:51:00.000-07:00

Ah, finally, something I have been hoping to announce for quite some time!

My etsy store is now up, and there are "Drink kombucha" shirts and sets of witch postcards for sale (both are $15 plus shipping.) Both of these things came out magnificently...Kimmie was wonderful enough to model the shirt for me:

I'm particularly happy with the cards - I was very nervous about which printer to take them to, as I've had horrible luck with local printers.

I had been getting quotes from various places for a while and getting rather frustrated at my options, when a friend recommended Betts Printing, and I decided to give them a go. And...they were fantastic! So SO much better than any other experience I've had trying to print locally. They were very courteous, timely, helpful, and knowledgeable...I'm amazed that I hadn't heard of them in the past 6 years that I've lived in this city. I'm looking forward to working with them again. Here is how the cards came out:

opening, spring

2010-02-18T00:48:00.000-08:00

After so many back-to-back projects, I am finally enjoying a little bit of downtime to reflect on everything that has happened, and figure out what comes next.

The opening of MythoLogic was fantastic - it was beautiful to see so many familiar faces come out to look at our work! We even got a review in the Daily Wildcat...you can check it out here. My most favorite part: "Kolosowsky’s detailed drawings and small-scale sculptures portray women as powerful, influential creatures without many of the sensual overtones often associated with manipulative power. Rather, the women in her images take on strength and personality of their own with the underlying acknowledgement that they have access to a power outside of the human spectrum." HA!

I actually took pictures this time, so below you'll find some images of what is in the show right now...but if you live in Tucson, I sincerely hope you can take some time to stop by Lulubell and see it in person. Also, be sure to check out Margarita's and Kimmie's blogs for images of their work.

...all three of us nervous & happy.

the Witch series

Witch postcards in sets of 7! I'm very happy with how these came out...more on them later :]

Drink Kombucha shirts

shirt detail

inSIGHT

neuroISIS

hexes

winter sleep

fig newton

feral

Everything will be in the gallery and available for sale through Lulubell for the next month. We are hoping to have a closing party as well - perhaps introduce a couple of new pieces and have some music & a surprise or two before all the work comes down. I'll be sure to keep you posted!

MythoLogic

2010-01-25T17:23:00.001-08:00

I'm a little bit behind getting the promo material out for this show, but now that the Masquerade is over, I can direct most of my time and energy into MythoLogic. This is the web version of the post card - I should be getting a shipment of printed cards this Wednesday.

The Masquerade was absolutely beautiful. There is so much to say, and I am still processing everything that happened on Saturday - it was an intense and incredibly elaborate event to plan and execute - and I can't begin to thank all of the people who helped us make it possible (there are literally dozens of you.) I am so grateful that I am a part of this city and the vibrant arts community here.

Winter Masquerade Ball, etc

2010-01-16T02:17:00.000-08:00

Hello, dearest long-abandoned blog! First off, a very happy 2010 to everybody!

The past month or so has been incredibly busy for me, and I look forward to posting about all of the various projects I have been involved in as well as new thoughts & directions on the horizon. The most current project that I'm working on is organizing a Winter Masquerade Ball with the anaTomia Dance Collective:

(artwork by Maria Thomas, layout by me.)

As you can see, the Masquerade is coming up quite soon (next Saturday, eep!) so we are busy making the final preparations, checking in with DJs, musicians, performers, and all of the other people that are helping to make this possible.

You can get more details at:

HTTP://WWW.WAREHOUSEMASQUERADE.COM

Many thanks to Daniel Anderson of Proteus Creative who made that site for us, and is awesome and amazing and wonderful (but not just for reasons related to web design or art :)

The premise of the Masquerade is analog vs. digital...or perhaps nature vs. technology. The date of January 23rd is the cusp between Aquarius (intuitive knowledge, organic growth) and Capricorn (rationality, linear thought.) Although we didn't really plan for it fall on that date, it did coincide nicely with our aesthetic. We've got two warehouses spaces which we will be using for the event: one as a magical frozen winter forest, and the other as an industrial post-apocalyptic nuclear fallout space (also the practice space of the band Ensphere/the venue Plexus.)

The industrial warehouse will have DJs and dancing, and the forest warehouse will have live acts and a chill area. The idea was to provide a venue for people to transform themselves through elaborate costumes, and BE transformed by the environments we create. I've been jealously eying events like San Francisco's Annual Edwardian Ball for years now, and am tremendously excited to have something of (hopefully) a comparable caliber in Tucson.

I most certainly hope to see you there in your finest and most elaborate masquerade attire :]

hungrrr

2009-12-06T23:33:00.001-08:00

I just got word today that the previously mentioned secret vegan illustrations are now available on plates (♥!):

They are 16.50 € each...the fox can be purchased HERE, and the bird HERE. The site is all in German, but I think it should be alright to navigate.

Thank you, Hungrrr Verlag!

EDIT: it has been brought to my attention that Dawanda (the site I linked to above) doesn't ship to the US. The plates are also available through http://hunger.bigcartel.com/ for $22.00 each, and can ship to the States. Perhaps it will be possible for me to order several at once and then sell them here - I am looking into it, so hold tight. I'll keep you updated!

secret vegan

2009-11-29T00:54:00.001-08:00

Two illustrations for a German vegan cookbook (finally) completed for a friend/Hungrrr Verlag:

There are some exciting surprise projects on the horizon, and I'm so happy to be working, drawing, training, dancing, planning, etc!

lines

2009-11-19T22:34:00.000-08:00

Its for the MythoLogic show. I don't know what happened...one moment I was just thinking about how nice it would be to have a black and white drawing with some concentrated color...and the next, I'm filling in waaaay more detail than I anticipated, and drawing something that looks like a psychedelic pagan shaman Jesus Christ bleeding rainbows out of his hands. Maybe I'm listening to too much freak folk these days.

anahata

2009-11-14T23:05:00.000-08:00

Here is some very beautiful footage of this year's All Souls Procession:

I was up on the crane this time, with my fellow aerialists with the lights at the end of our antennae. I had no idea how amazing we looked until I saw this video.

I was much more involved this year than ever before - between all the rehearsals, costume-makings, planning, and procuring the right kind of equipment I barely had time to appreciate the usual magic that accompanies this event for me. But looking back at some of the photos and videos I've been finding and hearing people's reactions to it I realize that it was just as magical and amazing as ever.

I've been spending a tremendous amount of time fretting about the near future - jobs, money, moving, etc. I worry about how I'm not doing enough, how I'm not challenged, I'm not growing, I'm not good enough, Tucson isn't enough. Yet watching this video reminded me that I AM doing amazing things, learning, growing...and I am very lucky to work with and train under Flam Chen. I'm looking forward to the next couple of months.

witches, spirits, ghosts

2009-10-24T21:31:00.000-07:00

I finally completed this series of seven drawings that I have been working on off and on since March. I call it the Witch series, dedicated to the young witch queens whose power and beauty has been demonized for centuries by the Western world.

These will undoubtedly be in MythoLogic, and also available as a set of post cards to be purchased either through me, or through Lulubell. I'm hoping to get them printed on a similar kind of paper that the original drawings are on (Arches Rives BFK, which I'm kind of in love with), but we'll see what happens.

I have been reading all of the books by Judika Illes that I can get my hands on - they are wonderfully well researched, fun to read, and are fascinating if you have any interest in history, anthropology, and spirituality, and gender studies (regardless of what your stance on witchcraft or magic may be.) Her writing, in many ways, is what is inspiring much of the drawings and paintings for this show, and I am incredibly grateful to have come across her work.

color

2009-10-11T22:22:00.000-07:00

My awesome friend/roommate Kim Piet is actually coloring her coloring book! I really like how this came out, and I think I'm going to apply the same colors in Illustrator and look into getting some stickers like this printed out for the upcoming show at Lulubell.

Speaking of said show...its all official and settled: we're doing it in February (February 6th to be precise), and it's going to be called MythoLogic. I've been working on a series of 7 drawings (which I'll hopefully finish very soon!), experimenting with painting gold on black, and looking into the cost of getting stickers and buttons made. I'm also planning to have a paper forest and various witch-creatures.

Here's a small preview of what's to come:

she & his beard

I will most likely add color and some texture to this piece digitally, but I also quite like it just as a drawing.

it might be fall now

2009-10-03T02:22:00.000-07:00

11 x 17 poster for the All Souls International Film Festival
I'm excited to see it printed.

It is a beautiful, cool Tucson night. There are some lazy rain drops falling on the patio next to my room. Every year, I wait for these couple of weeks of perfect desert weather, and it always surprises me when they come.

run faster, run faster

2009-09-29T01:12:00.000-07:00

Dearest Blog,

I want to express my sincerest apologies for neglecting you for so long...this summer sped by in a mad rush of travels and adventures, and upon returning to Tucson, I found myself back in a new house surrounded by a sea of boxes, with million new projects and ideas and hardly enough time to sort through everything.

Most of my time these days is split between either sitting hunched over a desk or computer, or climbing things and hanging upside down (seems like a good balance - right?) I'm designing/drawing and rehearsing for the All Souls Procession and other ventures, working on various freelance projects (one of which could potentially involve illustrating a graphic novel about circus aerialists - I won't pretend that I'm not tremendously excited), learning Flash, and planning/madly scribbling down ideas for a show in the spring at Lulubell with two of my good friends/roommates Kim and Margarita. There's definitely more going on that I'm forgetting, I'm sure, but that's what happens to be floating at the top of my head at the moment.

I just returned from performing the Rusalki piece in Arcosanti with Flam Chen for Earthdance. This was my second time performing in the space, and it is such a magical experience to be there - I hope I have the chance to come back again. Who knew that a pretty simple idea for Continuum more than half a year ago would continue to grow and grow and take us to a place like Arcosanti...? (And what other wonderful places are out there just waiting for us to perform there....?)

But! Enough words...to try and make up at least somewhat for my inappropriately prolonged absence, here are some pictures of my summery whereabouts in no particular order. I hope you enjoy...

Jerome, AZ

Arcosanti, AZ

Arcosanti

Arcosanti

Arcosanti

Arcosanti

Arcosanti

Flam Chen performing for Paolo Soleri's 90th birthday in the Arcosanti vaults...

140ft above the ground, suspended from a crane - yours truly on the left

San Francisco airport

China Town

Seattle Science Fiction Museum

train ride from San Francisco to Portland.

Next time: new work! more project details! Potentially ridiculous flash animations! Excessive use of exclamation marks! (Well, I'm not so sure about that last one...)

I hope you're excited - I know I am.

west coast wanderings

2009-07-25T17:49:00.001-07:00

Hello! It has been such a long time since my previous update, that I fear I'll never be able to fully catch up documenting my whereabouts this summer so instead, I will just jump right into what's going on right now.

First and foremost, a very primitive version of my website is finally up and running. check it out!

lunariusgraphics.com

I will be adding and editing things on it constantly, so I'm sure its going to evolve pretty significantly in the next couple of months.

I am currently in San Diego for Comic-Con, and will be traveling up the coast to San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle in the coming weeks. Comic-Con is incredible (and overwhelming)...I wish I could clone myself and be at 6 different places at once, just so that I could see everything I want to see. We went to a screening of "Ponyo" by Hayao Miyazaki yesterday and it was aaamazing.

I hope I have the chance to come back here next year!

summer is here

2009-05-23T22:53:00.000-07:00

The past couple of weeks have been kind of a mad rush - final projects and an exam, graduation on Thursday, and the benefit performance on Friday. The show went magnificently, by the way - a beautiful debut for the anatomia dance collective :]

Below is something I've been working on for the All Souls International Film Festival...this idea is probably going to grow into more things like a poster, postcard, trailer, etc (I'm especially excited about making the trailer) but for now its just a promo slide for the Loft.

I'm going to be spending the next week in Jerome at a dance workshop with the other four members of anatomia. More trees, more mountains, more dancing, and new beautiful people to meet and work with...I'm really looking forward to it!

anatomia

2009-05-13T00:47:00.000-07:00

As promised - here are the specifics about the benefit show this coming Saturday:

(more info on the Solar Culture website...)

This is the largest independent project I've ever been a part, and a lot of work is going into this event (8am rehearsals, anyone?). I'm graduating on Thursday after a very intense 5 years as an undergrad, so a Friday performance will be nice and cathartic.

I think its going to be a beautiful evening indeed. If you happen to live in Tucson, I sincerely hope you'll stop by.

2009-04-25T23:43:00.000-07:00

We are putting together a benefit show in order to be able to attend a contact improvisation dance intensive in Jerome called the Flying Nest at the end of May. It is scheduled for the 15th of May at 8pm at Solar Culture. There is going to be live music, a silent auction, and of course our performance. We're still working out the details, but I will be sure to announce the specifics as soon as we have them set.

Below are some images from a photoshoot we had last Sunday - I think there's plenty more to come, but here are just a couple:

(that final image is by Nika Kaiser)

матрёшки

2009-04-09T21:47:00.000-07:00

Here is something I had made for the Lulubell show last summer, but never got around to posting.

(click to enlarge)

Acrylic & ink on wood
(soon to be for sale on Etsy)

I have several ideas for new shows and new books for me to make...I think I would really like to have a solo show this summer. I am graduating this May, and staying in Tucson at least for another couple of months, so I have time to make some of the things that have been floating around in my head for a while now, actually build my website (like I keep saying I'm going to), and grow.

I'm ultimately oriented in the general direction of forests, oceans, and more rain - we'll see where this will take me.

schoolwork

2009-04-04T16:55:00.000-07:00

[drink kombucha]
monotone litho print

...also on a shirt (with moderate success):

I'm growing my own kombucha, and watching the culture develop was the main inspiration for this design.
I'm awfully impatient though, I bet it would be healthier if I didn't check it every single day.

2009-04-02T23:59:00.000-07:00

Here are some images I've been working on for the All Souls International Film Festival...

My mother gave me her old Olympus which has a much better lens than the camera I usually use, so taking these was a pleasure. I'm looking forward to integrating some illustration, animation, and type into them.

nameless again

2009-03-10T02:29:00.000-07:00

(image courtesy of Adam Cooper-Terán)

This will be part of a showcase of all the other groups that work in that space - its a wonderful event, and a great way to see just how many exciting things are happening in Tucson. The showcase is donation based, and you can find out more information about it here, and get directions to the space here.

I hope to see some of you that night :]

2009-02-25T18:21:00.000-08:00

Here are some more images from the Friday performance - all photographs courtesy of Lane Johnson. I might play with the the raw files some more, but I figured I'd post the unedited footage first.

of swans and spiders

2009-02-21T21:19:00.000-08:00

The show was absolutely amazing.
I could have not done it without the beautiful talented people I worked with. So much love and gratitude to them all.

Here are some photographs from this website. There's going to be video footage and lots more pictures - I just have to track it down in the next couple of weeks and find a way to upload it online.

Katherine

Lia

Maria

Aurelia

Silks

How lucky am I to work with her?

POST FACTUM

piggyback ride

sleepy aerialist

I think this is only the beginning.

last dress rehearsal

2009-02-19T14:36:00.000-08:00

Continuum make-up test:

performance tomorrow.
eep.

nameless, pt 2

2009-02-10T18:35:00.001-08:00

Here are some images of how costumes are coming together so far. I am working on two of them (mine and Katherines's), my friend Maria Thomas is working on two more (hers and Lia's), and Aurelia is making hers based on the very first image I produced.

the only colors will be shades of white & this dusty sort of blue...
I just spray painted tons of flowers this weekend, and I really like how they came out.

the front of my bodice

the back

Katherine's top

Eventually things will come together to look something like this:

Lia (complete with hoop skirt!)

Katherine

Maria

nameless

2009-02-08T23:48:00.000-08:00

In regards to my most recent exploits:
(prepare for an absolutely epic update)

Right before winter break, I was asked if I wanted to do a performance piece for Continuum, which is a huge event to celebrate the opening of the School of Art’s Visual Arts Graduate Research Laboratory which is set for February 20th & February 21st, and will involve 100 + artists.

I immediately thought of how amazing it would be to have butoh-like dancers in glorious white Skingraft-inspired dresses moving silently and mischievously through the multiple galleries in the Research Laboratory. I made the following costume sketch:

...And what began as just one image in my mind has grown into something very beautiful and powerful very quickly.

As things stand, the piece is called nameless, and is inspired by the Eastern European legends of the rusalki (also wili/vila, the phrase from which the phrase "getting the willies" comes from, and the Willies found in the ballet Giselle). These are ghosts or water demons suspended between the water and the air who lure mortals to misty ponds or lakes in hopes of satiating their eternal desire to dance. It is very much about a female power and beauty that has passed through the filter of death, and is bewitching, horrifying and fragile at the same time.

The movements of the dancers will be completely improvisational and interactive with the environment around them. I am looking to butoh, mime, contact improvisation, ballet and court dances for the physical vocabulary of the performance, and encouraging the dancers to transform and be transformed by the space around them. Essentially, I want the performers to create psychological tension through movement (not abrasive tension, but engagement, curiosity, slight amusement, wonder, perhaps slight discomfort) which will culminate in an aerial/dance sequence at the very end. I am incredibly lucky to be working with Flam Chen and several very talented local dancers and friends in this project - it is definitely a very collaborative endeavor.

Although I have been performing and dancing my whole life, it has always been on others' terms, and this is the first time that I can direct the energy and aesthetic of a performance. It is very exhilarating and a little frightening to be in such a position, but things are falling into place so easily, and I am finding so much joy in working on this project, that I think this is the right time for such a transition.

Below you'll find some images that are inspiring the costumes and aesthetic of the piece. (Unfortunately, I did not keep track of the artists/photographers as I was collecting these, so I am afraid I cannot give credit as to who created these images - many apologies):

...Bodied dressed sort of like that, and moving sort of like this:

And this:

And there will definitely be some of this:

(which I consider one of the best silks solos out there, by the way)

So there you are - this is what I have been focusing most of my energy in the past couple weeks. If the rehearsals we've had so far and the way the dresses are progressing are any indication, this piece is going to be exquisite. I know it probably evolved into something much more extensive than the School of Art originally envisioned (hmm yes, there's an aerial rig involved) but as I said earlier, its coming to me so easily, and I have the resources to make this happen...so why not?

I will do my damnest to document the design process of this whole endeavor, and I already have sketches and progress photos uploaded online, but I fear that this blog entry has reached inappropriately gargantuan proportions as is, so till next time!

2009-01-25T17:47:00.000-08:00

I've been putting together portfolios for grad schools, so I've been reviewing a lot of the things I've made in the past 3-4 years.

I don't have this piece currently in my possession (it's still somewhere at the Society of Illustrators in New York, I presume), but unlike most of the things I make, the more I look at her, the more I like her:

La Sinistra

I would still like to make that headdress eventually, and perhaps the collar. I've been meaning to make more characters like her and perhaps animating them with stop motion, but I've only gotten as far as sculpting several different faces which live in small boxes in my apartment. My guests occasionally find the faces rather disturbing, but what can you do.

2009-01-08T16:37:00.001-08:00

A piece I'm working on.
Maybe just because, maybe for Continuum. Probably part of a series.

wintersleep
watercolor & pencil

Stop Motion Animation

2008-12-28T22:48:00.000-08:00

Here are some animations I have made in the past year for various classes - they are all very short, and more like experiments than finished pieces, but somewhat interesting.

I enjoyed making them very much, and plan to integrate animation into my Honors thesis, which I will be working on in the spring. I'm pretty excited - I would love to do a full-length stop motion music video sometime, just for fun. Especially for this band :]

Here they are, in the order that I made them:

The Haha Skull

Une Petite Mort

V Toi Strane
(In That Land...)

Water Talk
(poem by Yoko Ono)

Some recent work

2008-12-05T00:48:00.000-08:00

Here are three pieces from the past couple of months. They look very similar, but they were actually all created independently of each other.

grow/awake
pencil & watercolor on bristol

syvvys
pencil & watercolor on illustration board

[a costume design assignment based on an imogen heap song I can't remember]
pencil, watercolor & acrylic on bristol

a rarity...

2008-11-28T19:43:00.000-08:00

I really ought to update this more often.
Just some pictures of Aurelia I took last week:

Dance of the Dead Poster

2008-11-02T21:52:00.000-08:00

Everybody is getting ready for this year's All Souls Procession - I'm probably looking at one of the busiest weeks of the year. I was asked to make a poster for the Dance of the Dead - the official after party to be held at Hotel Congress, directly after the procession. I used an image I had come up with last year, and added text, etc:

Molehill Orkestrah playing a FOUR HOUR SET?!?!?!? I wouldn't want to miss that for the world - they're definitely one of my most favorite local bands.

I will be performing in the procession finale this year again as one of the dancers. As ever, I am incredibly honored and excited to be a part of this event. If you have the chance, I really urge you to come out on Sunday night and check it out!

Another painting for Collidoscope...

2008-10-15T21:07:00.000-07:00

Fairyqueen
acrylic on wood

You can click on the image above to see a larger version. Here is a close-up of some details. I might work on it some more I think.

Interior of "bw" - A Coloring Book

2008-10-09T02:07:00.000-07:00

serpent

fairy queen

gemini

lotushead

some angel

burdenedback

There's still books (particularly ones with the pink cover for some reason) & prints available of all of these.

I have millions of pictures of other things from the show, and I will do my best to put those up soon!

blood ghosts

2008-09-03T18:38:00.000-07:00

So I added some things to Lulubell, even though the show is getting taken down at the end of this week. No worries - everything will still be available for sale either through the website, or directly through me. Most notably, there are now:

BLOOD GHOSTS

100% cotton, hand sewn, hand decorated, etc etc etc. let me know if you want one, they're pretty squishy and come in all different sizes.

I also bought a domain & hosting last night so I'll be presenting you with a very very primitive version of lunariusgraphics.com in the near future.

2008-08-19T14:32:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much to everybody who came to the opening!

I can't begin to tell you how much it meant to me. There was awesome company, live music, wine, cookies, and fire breathing...and I even sold some stuff. Couldn't have asked for more.

Because I was working on stuff right till the very last minute, I don't actually have pictures of any of the work or of the opening (typical), but I'll go in and take pictures this coming week. I'm also going to be adding things - some paintings, prints, books, and mayhap toys - and I'll keep you updated about that.

MEANWHILE, the coloring books came out magnificently: see for yourself

bw
a coloring book

They're all hand-bound, come in 5 different colors, and feature 10 black & white illustrations that I made specifically for this show. Should you want one, I would absolutely love to send one to you - they're $10 at Lulubell, and $5.00 each from me directly (plus shipping.) You can email me at lunariusgraphics@gmail.com.

2008-08-08T23:25:00.001-07:00

The actual cards look like this:

Reproductions messed up the colors & the alignment, so I had to re-cut them. Ick.

more Collidoscope things...

2008-08-03T00:08:00.001-07:00

I'm considering putting together a small coloring book/catalog of my black and white drawings to have to sell. We were initially planning to have one for all three show participants together, but I think that isn't going to work out. I'm actually very nervous for this show - its my first one with so few other people, and I'm paranoid that something is going to go terribly wrong. I think that's normal, though.

An Introduction, complete with bow and flourish

2008-07-04T00:11:00.000-07:00

Ah well, I suppose I should write something here to launch this off :3

Let's see: I'm an illustration & psychology student at the University of Arizona one semester away from graduation. I'm currently preparing for a show at Lulubell Toy Bodega in August called Collidoscope with two friends, and I'm very excited. I'm going to be creating a series of characters loosely based on the theme of a an alien fairytale.

Here are some ideas for the postcard promoting the show: