Dang it, Antoinette!

I did not make it to the 2nd round of Lilla Rogers' Global Talent Search contest 2015. I was surprised and, of course, disappointed. The majority of designs that made the cut are, for the most part, strong and fit the criteria. The presentations were also very professional and made me wonder if I should have worked harder on that aspect. I submitted my pattern/painting without placing it into a sneaker template and I added very few additional elements. This may have made no difference, it's possible my design just didn't appeal to them, but it's something to think about. Here's a bit of detail, you can see it in it's entirety in last week's post.

I am happy for my fellow MATS bootcamp friends that did make it! It should be fun to follow their progress and see their submissions. Although, I know it will be tough not to imagine what I would have done for each assignment.

Detail from my painting, 'Holiday' - seems appropriate to share as summer winds down. 

At the moment, I'm working on the 3rd season of the TV series, Power. I enjoy the walk down from the G train each morning to Steiner Studios in the old Brooklyn navy yard. There are some lovely and interesting buildings along Washington Avenue. I love these oxidized rooftops :)

Curious to see what these old buildings will become. There's so much work going on down here.

I'm also looking into other submission opportunities. The Society of Illustrators has their 58th Annual Exhibition in January. The deadline has been extended to Oct 23rd. Granted, there's a slim chance I'll get into this particular show, but I have nothing to lose! That's what Lena, the cat keeps telling me ;)

I need to find a way to gain more exposure and somehow reach out to companies I'm interested in licensing my work to. It can be tricky to find out contact information for buyers, but surely it's not impossible. Here is a portion of my Dream List (just putting it out there) - in no particular order...

• Anthropologie
• The Land of Nod
• Eeboo
• Galison/Mudpuppy
• Blue Q
• Poketo
• Oopsy Daisy
• Pottery Barn Kids
• Crate & Barrel
• Madison Park/ipop
• Robert Kaufman Fabrics
• And numerous publishing houses!

I realize writing this, that many of these companies are on the judging panel for the following rounds of the GTS contest. Admittedly, I feel jealous all over again, but I suppose it's important to recognize how much I want this for my work. I did submit, rather last minute, to Marie Perkins' Print & Pattern upcoming book on 'Nature'. I saw her call for artists the day of the deadline and sent 10 jpegs. Here are some - you never know?

I've created artwork for many years, but often on the periphery. I studied commercial and fine art and I've predominantly made my living painting sets in the film business. I've been lucky to be in a union, United Scenic Artists Local 829. I've also had success painting murals and taking on private commissions. I just feel restless and ready to go to the next level. I have friends who have broken through the tough field of children's book publishing and I want that also. I'm so impressed by the hard work my friends, Kristine Lombardi, Melissa Iwai and Yuko Katakawa put into their work. I see that perseverance can really pay off. I'm trying hard to finally put myself out there, get in the game ... and be resilient when things don't go my way.

Meanwhile, I've added a few phone case designs to my Society 6 Shop -

Below, is the one I bought for myself. 'Bunny & buoys' has received lots of nice comments from people, and not just from friends :)

I would love to see my work on fabrics, wallpaper, bags, stationery, home decor and anything in the kids' market. Ok, maybe in any market ;) I might take Lilla's Home Decor MATS class starting end of Jan 2016. Some of my favorite pieces have come out of her classes. We'll see. I'm also trying to save some money, in hopes of doing a little travel. A friend took his family to Amsterdam last spring and they stayed on a houseboat. The pictures are magical! He said it's one of the most stunning places, visually, he's ever seen. I can tell from pics on Pinterest, but it's so much better to see for yourself, not to mention all the incredible art located there. 

Ok, I know I'm not the 1st to decorate or frame my face with my own art, but I think I established a level of excess I haven't seen elsewhere ;) 

Hope you're still enjoying this long Labor Day weekend!

Thanks for taking a look! xo, A

Antoinette

This is the piece I submitted to Lilla Rogers' Global Talent Search contest this week. We were given a brief, or story, about a young Brooklyn based woman who needs a practical, yet lovely, pair of sneakers to ride her vintage bike to and from her charming shop each day. Her name is Antoinette and she represents the demographic for whom we were designing. Being a Brooklyn based artist, myself, I feel like I know this person. She's young, vibrant, creative and entrepreneurial. She loves the energy of the city and the warmth and funky trends that come out of Brooklyn neighborhoods. Lilla supplied us with many notes on her taste, interests, color sense, etc. Antoinette has a pretty, feminine style with some edge and a fondness for vintage. She gardens and loves flowers. This is what informed my choices. Plus, I love painting flowers and I think the hand made quality suits her sensibility. I sure hope so. I would really love to get to the 2nd round!

We were required to include, at least, one word in our design. Initially, I considered calling my piece 'Asphalt Garden' a play on 'Asphalt Jungle'. wink wink. I enjoyed lettering this, but in the end opted not to use it.

I also considered a tie-in with the ever popular High Line in New York's meat packing district (where very little meat is being packed in the area these days) so I made this little logo.

In the end, I opted to keep it in Brooklyn, calling it BKLYN bloom. I made this pretty quickly and had to tweak it quite a bit before adding it to the design.

I painted a light whimsical garden. I'm not sure where I thought I could use this, though I did include a few elements in my presentation where my name is located. 

Above, is most similar to my original painting. I didn't alter it much, but I did adjust the color tone and add text. I actually think this pattern would look cool really faded, but I didn't want to risk altering it too much. I assume if this pattern was applied to sneakers, there would be several color options.

I have taken a MATS class with Lilla and her Bootcamp, which definitely preps you for what to expect. I always enjoy the exercises and reference she provides as warm up. I really enjoyed seeing and reading about just who 'Antoinette' is. It makes it fun and the parameters keep you in check. As my friends know, painting is probably my favorite thing to do, but I need to learn more photoshop skills. My only regret is that I did not place my design on a template or draw a sneaker to place it myself. I love seeing what everyone shares in our Facebook group, I tend to stay in touch with fellow Bootcampers, since I just took that last spring. There are so many smart talented artists and designers participating, it's at once inspiring an intimidating. 

Cross your fingers for me! Right now, I just want to get through to the 2nd round. Nothing would make me happier.

Hope you're enjoying this last weekend in August! I've spent most of my time working this summer, whether on scenic jobs/commercials or on my own portfolio, but I always feel a little sad when summer fades. I adore September and fall clothes and of course, 'Summer End' sales, but I think most of us never get over that "school summer break" feeling coming to a close. 

Thanks for taking a look! xo, A

Mish Mash

Hi August! I've been busy with scenic work on commercials lately, but I have continued to work on some new paintings. I was excited to stumble upon Instagram's Layout app, so I decided to post here as well as on Instagram Hope you enjoy these mini mash-ups :)

“What’s Stopping You?”

I recently saw this quote and I had to ask myself the question. I know what my strengths and weaknesses are. I also know that my work is good enough to, as I like to say, exist in the world (in more than the tiny way that it does). I want to license it, I want to write & illustrate kids' books, I want to do more custom work and sell my art & products. I've been painting for over 20 years. It's not that I haven't experienced success, in film/TV business and with my custom work and murals. It's just that I never really experience a breakthrough or gain the amount of exposure necessary to snap up the kind of projects I'd love to do. Am I not ready? Is it my own fault? I know I'm not alone in feeling like this and I look at other artists' work all the time and think damn! that's so great! I guess I ignore the really terrible and bland stuff out there (and there's a lot of it ;) I think I'm sometimes easily discouraged. I've never been a quitter, but I wonder how long I will simply strive for a new career, that in the end, exists as merely a hobby. I think, if I'm honest, I'll feel heartbroken. I could be in a weird mood, since I am pretty tired after some long hours on a couple of jobs this week. But, this comes up for me again and again. Sometimes, I'm just happy to paint and other times I walk through say, Anthropologie and think why can't I have work on tea towels, ceramics, fabrics...? I've really enjoyed taking Lilla Rogers MATS courses and connecting with other artists. It seems like every day, one or more of them are getting cool projects or an agent for representation and I wonder if that will ever be me. I have to start doing things differently and I have to stop living my life like it's a "dress rehearsal" (Yes, I get hooked on quotes!) I'm excited to participate in Lilla's Global Talent Search, starting next Friday and yet, I'm afraid that I won't get through the 1st round. It shouldn't matter so much. I need to push myself to get out there, regardless of how I size up in contests. I hope I won't always feel like an outsider. Ok, don't worry - I just needed to express some feelings today. I think frustration can too easily become part of your personality and it bores me. I am boring myself.

I'm about to go out and enjoy the nice weather and a lovely cocktail at Leyenda If you live in Brooklyn and haven't tried it, they serve up very tasty food and cocktails.

"After all... tomorrow is another day!"  Scarlett - 'Gone with the Wind'  / Though my favorite quote comes from Rhett "No, I don't think I will kiss you, although you need kissing, badly. That's what's wrong with you. You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how." ;)

Little skunk has been hiding in the woods. Will he come out? 

I like this bear. She's making her way into a little story. Look forward to seeing where she goes...

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great sunny weekend! xo, A

I love buoys

I've always had a thing for buoys, particularly lobster buoys, although I don't eat lobster. They signify summer and the bright mix of colors charm me, especially those faded by the sun. 

 The shapes and candy colors resemble popsicles, as well, which can't be a bad thing ;)

I'd like to create a pattern with a repeat for this bunny piece, above.

I'll probably paint some more of these, too. It's always hard to adjust to how fast summer passes. It seemed much longer as a kid. I hope you're enjoying yours and have had some time to spend at the beach! Thanks for stopping by. xo, A

Under the Sea!

I'm still getting used to the new blog here. This is a new painting. Friends come in all shapes and sizes ;)  Hope you're enjoying your summer so far.  Thanks for stopping by! xo, A

Hi July!

Today I decided to integrate my blog with my website. I started Blipadee blog on April 20, 2009. It's a snapshot of my life in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. I shared my artwork, exhibition news and work by my friends, posted some neat interviews and shared some news about businesses & characters in and around the neighborhood... You can visit my archives here -  Blipadee blog 

Now, onto some new summer paintings. Currently, I'm somewhat addicted to painting florals and you can often find an animal or two in the mix :) These are all done with acrylics on gesso board.

I also changed my logo. It's a poodle, which you might have noticed on the top left of each page. I'm testing her out at the moment. I like her face. Hope you enjoy these new pieces! 

Thanks for stopping by! xo, A