rainbows, bananas and boobs
Posted: 02/28/2013 Filed under: costumes, craft, design, photography Comments OffI’m deeply saddened by the departure of a co-worker friend. Today was the first day that I did not have her by my side at work. I miss her support, her laughter and her impeccable eye for detail. I saw that her name tag was still up, her cube empty, and I felt hollow inside. I was tempted to take her name tag but the facilities personnel would probably discover me clinging to it desperately. Her departure leaves an empty space and I honestly felt like crying today at work. At least she is moving on to an exciting opportunity and I’m very proud of her! It’s amazing how having someone that you click with can make the toughest work load seem light. Not too long ago we took a moment to escape from a hectic-microsoft-excel-overdosed-day and enjoyed the view of a double rainbow outside our office.
On another day she left a banana sitting out on her desk and I drew a sweet little face on it to greet her when she arrived. She snapped this photo below.
And she also helped rekindle a favorite hobby of mine- making burlesque-esque costumes! She asked for some assistance with a Halloween costume that she knew she wanted to wear again, but it needed a few more finishing touches. Here are some shots of her Katy Perry-esque bra (I sewed and glued on the furry “icing” with some remnant fabric). We could not stop giggling when we saw this costume come to life. I want to make more of these and I’m thankful that she rekindled my passion for this craft. Thank you AEL!
we could NOT stop laughing!
Recently I also came across some photos that another friend posted on a social network site of some burlesque bras that I made for her a few years back. I was so pleased to see that not only are they still being used for burlesque performances, but also that they’ve held up to the wear and tear over the years (they’re 3 – 5 years old)!
bear bra
robot bra (Photo courtesy of Timmy Samuel at Starbelly Studios Photography, http://www.starbellystudios.com/)
robot bra
Christmas bra
Christmas bra (Photo courtesy of Timmy Samuel at Starbelly Studios Photography, http://www.starbellystudios.com/)
Making more burlesque costumes will definitely keep my spirits up!
xo
The Seea Swimsuit
Posted: 10/07/2012 Filed under: craft, design, environment, fashion, health & fitness, pattern, photography, surface design, vintage 1 Comment »-The Seea Swimsuit-
-An amazing Birthday gift from my love-
It’s a one piece suit, and like their website says, “These suits are made for you ladies, so enjoy them and play often.”
See more of The Seea’s amazing styles here. For anyone who burns easily in the sun, this suit is for you. It is so comfortable and well-made. Not to mention, a locally crafted and 100% Californian product.
Ahhh!
Gogosha Optique
Posted: 01/06/2012 Filed under: design, fashion, vintage Comments Off
Guess who is the “Face of the Day” at Gogosha Optique?!
Take a look here to see the photos and write-up.
I completely agree with the Gogosha Optique tagline, “Look no further.” In fact, you should go right to their website and you’ll see what I mean: http://www.gogosha.com/
YoOb
Posted: 09/25/2011 Filed under: design, dreamland, illustration, travel Comments Off
I really enjoy when famous people make an appearance in my dream world. My favorite celebrity dream so far involved slow dancing with Tupac Shakur. He was much more shy than one would imagine.
And this past week a very strange pairing made a visit to my subconscious mind- President Barack Obama and Yolandi Visser of Die Antwoord. They were deep in conversation with each other. Well, actually, Obama was dominating the conversation, and Yolandi was scratching the side of her head and patiently trying to find a moment to chime in. That moment did not arrive and you could see the polite frustration on her face. Meanwhile, Obama just kept talking and talking….
And when I woke up I realized that my husband was in the next room listening to Obama’s speech to the UN where he stated that the US will not back Palestinian statehood. Dream dissolved. Time to get up and go to work.
Termite rebuilds memory
Posted: 09/17/2011 Filed under: art, design, fashion, pattern, surface design Comments Off
When I picked up the drawings from the framer I thought I was alone in the car. Little did I know that an eusocial enemy prisoner was hiding in the back seat. It wasn’t until we were hanging the work at Bottle Craft that the imprisoned termite started pacing around the glass covered prison yard. I haven’t really seen a termite up close before so I didn’t recognize it immediately. But based on the shape of its mandible I knew it probably enjoyed chewing things, and suddenly this drawing looked very chewable. Here’s a photo of my reaction during the moment that this realization hit me.
You cannot tell from looking, but this is how I say, “The termite has to go!” using just my facial muscles.
I see countless houses in Southern California that suddenly morph into inflatable jumping castles while trying to fumigate one pest or another. The fumigation companies create custom-fit carnivalesque tents inside which they douse the house with chemical agents to kill the pests. It’s disquieting to think of all the chemicals that are released into the environment as soon as the inflatable castle deflates. Eck! But this pest was not welcome in my home either.
The framer removed the bug and apologized repeatedly. He was kind to the termite and set it free into the wild where it will reunite with its friends at the nearest lumber supply warehouse to gorge on sawdust and the world’s finest wood.
The termite may have made me a bit anxious, but watching it navigate across the flowered background of my drawing reignited a memory of a few insect patterns that I truly love.
Wallpaper by designers Stine Gam and Enrico Fratesi
You can see more of Gam and Fratesi’s work here.
Wallpaper by designers Stine Gam and Enrico Fratesi
And then there’s the work of fashion designer Charlotte Taylor. I enter a dream world when I see her work. In her words, “Trashy grannies, penguins, old soap operas, movies and the eccentric within provide fuel for the fire in this bold yet elegant collection.”
Charlotte Taylor Autumn/Winter '11
Charlotte Taylor Autumn/Winter '11
You can see more of her work here, and please don’t miss the Spring/Summer 2012 short film on her blog. Imagine going to a one-minute ballet where Busby Berkeley meets the itsy-bitsy spider and you are left feeling the effects of aphrodisiac-dipped ants crawling lightly on your skin. That is how her video makes me feel.
Charlotte Taylor Autumn/Winter '11
Lastly, to the termite who carpooled with me last week– thank you for rebuilding my memory.
Need Supply!
Posted: 08/28/2011 Filed under: design, fashion Comments OffNeed Supply is now officially my favorite online store that I never shop at. I pretty much love everything that this Richmond, Virgina store has in stock, so you can understand my dilemma. But I think you should shop there or at the very least peek at their blog! It will be time well spent and you might learn some new sewing techniques or find out about a really great book.
I’m not one for super high heels because I’m scared of heights. But if I had to choose a time, season, location and a pair to tumble in it would be:
5:10 PM// Fall// Chicago, Illinois
The intersection of Ogden Ave., Milwaukee Ave. & Chicago Ave.
Jeffrey Campbell’s Cat Tapestry Lita heels
Ta-ta!
orchids
Posted: 05/22/2011 Filed under: art, design, environment Comments OffI just came across the work of the Sascha Nordmeyer Design Studio. His paper orchids are so delightful. They are handcrafted out of tinted, painted, folded, cut and assembled paper (and sometimes fabric too). Simply gorgeous!
Artificial Flower by Sascha Nordmeyer Design Studio
Artificial Flowers by Sascha Nordmeyer Design Studio
Artificial Flower by Sascha Nordmeyer Design Studio
Artificial Flowers by Sascha Nordmeyer Design Studio
Nordmeyer’s artificial flowers reminded me of a project I did a few years back of floating orchids made of felt, wool, and wire. The wire was hidden within each leaf and stem so you could adjust the shape just like “real fake” flowers. And they were hung with fishing wire so that they would slowly shimmy when the air currents in the room shifted. I think it’s clear- orchids are fantastically inspiring.
Three Floating Orchids by Katie Scott
work in progress, floating orchid by Katie Scott
work in progress, floating orchid by Katie Scott
floating orchids by Katie Scott
There is one more reason to explore the work of the Sascha Nordmeyer Design Studio- you must see his “communication prosthesis.” This piece is hysterical! At first glance I thought the communication prosthesis was a minimal sculpture, and then I took a look at the portrait series for this piece and busted out laughing! I love work that brings a smile to your face. And maybe a bit of a wince, too. Here’s a sneak peek:
Communication Prosthesis by Sascha Nordmeyer
Communication Prosthesis Portrait Series by Sascha Nordmeyer
Communication Prosthesis Portrait Series by Sascha Nordmeyer
meet me at the garbage dump
Posted: 04/11/2011 Filed under: art, design, environment, fashion, movies Comments OffTwo excellent documentaries to watch:
Waste Land, directed by Lucy Walker, follows artist Vik Muniz to his homeland in Brazil. For three years he collaborates with the catadores (pickers) who work and live near Jardim Gramacho, the world’s largest garbage dump. The story is inspiring, but also shows the repulsive underbelly of our disposable society.
In Gasland, Josh Fox travels across the United States, hand-held camera in tow, and exposes the wide-spread damage caused by the drilling technology of “fracking” or hydraulic fracturing in search of natural gas. Residents across the US are able to light the water from their tap on fire due to toxic chemical leaks caused by the drilling. Fox’s film is incredibly touching, and an important warning for all of us to pay closer attention to who’s playing in our backyard.
These films take me back to of few projects in which I used waste and “garbage” to create something new and imaginative. I recycled imagery and down-cycled items that would otherwise be headed towards a landfill. I used broken bicycle helmets, bras that no longer support, scraps from by boss’ paper shredder, glass from the street and a multitude of other salvaged items. These projects were all extremely fun to create and the end product is what I call a “textural circus.”
These two documentaries remind me that less is more and even down-cycling something broken and making it charming again doesn’t reduce the overall waste. I will be more conscious of this when making creative projects from here on out.
