The making of a mini book...Part 1

I'm a book addict...so what is the best thing to do when you are addicted? MAKE YOUR OWN!

Step 1: Choose a story:
I decided to make a 16 page mini book of the story, "The Seven Ravens" by the Brothers Grimm. I chose this story because it was dark and very visual. I thought it had an unusual twist because the hero in the story was a young girl. Instead of the familiar damsel in distress story, the girl was the one sent off on a dangerous journey to save her brothers.  She finds her courage, takes some big risks and succeeds. One of my favorite parts of the story is when the girl visits the Sun, the Moon and the Stars to ask for help. It will be so fun to illustrate. Another reason I chose this story to illustrate is because is part of the public domain,  this means  there won't be any copyright issues to deal with. In the end, I will probably rewrite it a bit  to make the tale a bit more contemporary.

Amazing book full of insight...

Step 2:  Starting a Book Dummy
I began laying this story out in Adobe InDesign. You need to made sure there was enough space for the text to fit in the format. I chose a 5in x 7in page document. Working with the layout will give you an idea of where to place your illustrations and if you need to play with your type.  Here is a basic example of a good mini page layout. Of course, all of this can be adjusted later. But it gives you an idea of all the pages that should be included in a mini book.

I always think it is easiest to create a tiny book out of paper to get a feel of how the book will actually feel in your hands.
 
Step 3: Start laying out the illustrations.
This is what I am working on right now. I am currently making the sketches for the final illustrations. I started by first making thumbnail sketches, then drawing larger more detailed sketches and now I am starting the final sketches. I'm creating the illustrations about 4 times the size of the final book(19 x 13) so that I can create a lot of details within the illustrations.

I'll post these sketches by the end of next week...

This will be a multi-part series...ending with a finished book dummy and 3 full illustrations, one book cover and 2 to 3 spot illustrations.  Due Mid-October...

Yay for Weekends!

My birthday angst is slowing loosening it's grip and I'm ready for the weekend of fun having. So much to do in the city this weekend, perhaps a few hours spent at the park and some drinks with friends. Maybe see a show or two. Who knows where the wind will take me...or maybe I'll have a staring contest with my kitty Pierre. Have a good weekend everybody!

Turning 39

Hey there lady...It no more excuses for you, you ain't so young anymore...now git going.

 It is my birthday today and I am 39. I'm not happy about it. I always thought that turning 40 would be hard but talking to a folks, 39 is gonna be a hell of a year. And not the fun side of hell either.

I think we put so much pressure on what it means to be 40. And the fact at 40 we should have all of our shit together and know who we are, where we should be and know what want out of life. We should be successful adults. We should be strong in mind and body.

Well, if you are getting closer to 40 and you don't know these things yet , you better get there fast.  This is where my 39th year comes in. It is time to play catch-up.

Let me be honest here...I do have a pretty wonderful life. I am happily married to a wonderful guy, who loves me and makes me laugh, and keeps me calm when I have my depressive moods. I have lots and lots of friends who I can talk to about anything. I have a wonderful family that understands me(mostly). And I have this crazy idea that I can do this art thing.

That's were thing get a little bit screwy, the art thing. I've always been a late bloomer and finding myself as a super motivated and self sufficient person has kind of eluded me a bit. Well... no more excuses or feeling bad for myself is allowed. I must figure out all of this NOW, because time is running out. I've got 365 days to understand where I am going in this life of mine. And I need to figure out how to get there. And Go...and be there with myself.

So stick with me all and let's watch this transformation happen.

What has been your worst birthday year?

Art Hero...Otto Dix

 

The Neue Galerie in New York City just opened an Exhibition of one of my all time favorite artists Otto Dix (1891-1969). He is an amazing painter who uses the faces of passion and emotions. His work hits you in the guts, hard. Dix's paintings are dark and dirty with the stench of real life thrown in. Most of his models seem twisted and a bit deranged, their faces have this sense of sadness and horror. Even the most innocent of his subjects seem to have a real grittiness about them.  He seems to show that through ugliness one can find beauty or at least some sense of truth.

 If you don't know about Otto Dix he is one of the artists of The German Expressionist Movement. Most of the art created during this time was done between the wars in the 1920's & 1930's.  For me, this was one of the most incredible eras of art. These artists seemed so free. They were rebellious. They said what they wanted no matter who saw. Their work was political, erotic and very raw.

 This sense of freedom stopped when Nazis found these works of art.  They quickly banned these artists from exhibiting and they labeled their work as "Degenerate Art". It was exactly the opposite of the kind of sterile world Hitler was trying to create through out Germany. Many of the artists had to flee the country and over 1000 works of art were destroyed including some by Otto Dix.

Here are a few that I could find of Otto Dix's work. Warning Some of these are NSFW.

Portrait of Journalist Sylvia Von Harden 1926

Portrait of the Art Historian Dr. Paul Ferdinand Schmidt

To Beauty 1922

Portrait of Mrs. Martha Dix I, 1928

The Salon I, 1921

The Portrait of Heinrich Stadelmann 1922

The Seven Cardinal Sins, 1933

Portrait of the Artist's Parents II, 1924

If you want to see more I would highly recommend checking out the book, Dix by Eva Karcher, published by Taschen. To learn even more about the German Expressionism try New Objectivity by Sergiusz Michalski.
Both are fabulous books and are very eye opening.

(BTW, the images I used here are of the tamest of Otto's work. I would love to be a fly on the wall of the Neue Galerie and here some of the reactions.)

I must say, looking at this artwork leads me to wonder...What are we doing for political/rebellious art now? Where is hunger?

Back to School?

We'll, maybe not for me this year (I wish) but the kiddo's in San Francisco went back on Monday.  Going back to school was always awesome in my book.  It reminds me of the excitement I would feel the first day of class. I loved seeing all my friends and all the changes they went through that summer.  Do you remember showing off all your new school clothes and hoping you got it right this year? Do you remember the dusty smell of old books versus new notepads and pencils?  Oh yes, and do you remember the secret happiness of so many learning possibilities (yes, I am a geek and I'm not afraid to admit it)?

I came across these wonderful pictures of the innocence and stark reality at the Library of Congress site on Flickr, and I thought I'd share them.  Step into the time machine...

It is pretty cool/scary to see what changes have happened to this map since 1940.

Many kids squished into a tiny classroom.

Could you imagine if they still did this in schools? Get your shots kid, no crying.

"Buy War Bonds" and no books on the shelf...Damned Depression.

I'm thinking this must me a one room school house...could you imagine?

All of these pictures were taken by John Vachon in a small town in St. Augustine County, Texas in 1940. Pretty amazing,..Don't you agree?

Look to your right...

I just put a brand new "page" on my site.  See it?  You can finally see my portfolio in one spot. I'll be adding some new work as soon as it is done. Please check out what I've added so far. What do you think?

What a great way to start my day!

San Francisco Center for the Book : Metal Type

I am going to start volunteering at the San Francisco Center for the Book.  I'm so excited. It was amazing to be shown around all the different printing presses and book making binding areas. It sure gets my creative juices flowing. As a volunteer, you can earn free classes too. I'm already planning on taking all the letterpress, and book making classes I can handle. So cool, now that I don't work on Saturday's the opportunities are endless.

To add to the sweetness of my day, on the walk home I stopped by the donation center for the San Francisco library. They had a little cart outside with books for a dollar. I was so happy to find, "The Illustrated Treasury of Children's Literature edited by Margaret Martignon" 1955 ed. Lovely.  Here are a few pages from it.

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood: Illustrated by Howard Pyle

The Wind in the Willows:  Illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard

The Farmer's boy: Illustrated by Randolph Caldecott

The Wizard of Oz: Illustrated by W.W.Denslow

 Two Happy Little Bears: Illustrated by Phoebe Erickson

Tweedledum & Tweedledee: Illustrated by John Tenniel

Halfway Down: Illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard

 So wonderful, aren't they? I just love the simplicity of all of them. (This book must contain a hundred of them.) I love finding old books filled with little artistic treasures. And I don't know about you there is something cool in finding a a old book and smelling all the dust and dirt (and the crayon) and trying to imagine who heard these stories when they were little. What were your favorite books growing up?

Happy Friday the 13th!

I'm in a kinda dark thoughtful mood today. Trying to figure out where I fit in the  art world. Where do you fit when you're not looking to go the art gallery thing, the graphic design, or the crafter world, I'm feeling stuck somewhere in between. My work is too serous for one place and not serious enough for the other. It has made me question what I am trying to do. All I ever wanted to do was tell stories and illustrate them. How do you do that and create a successful business? Let me just say I've been getting a lot of interesting business advice lately that I think I need to stop listening to because it is messing with my mind. Perhaps, I need to spend the afternoon writing in my journal, meditating and trying to figure things out. I need to get back to my own ideas of what I want to create and bring into the world. Does that make any sense?

Saying that, I am pretty excited about the new project I've started. I'm making a mini book of, "The Seven Ravens" by the Brothers Grimm. I've started the layout and am doing the sketches for the paintings...I'll post a bit of a work in progress when it a little more complete.

For now, enjoy this wonderful song by The Velvet Underground with Nico, "All Tomorrow's Parties". There is nothing like a good song to bring you back to your true artistic soul.



Now get out there and enjoy your weekend.

places to place my plants...

One of my favorite places to visit in my hood is the lovely and bizarre Paxton Gate. It is filled with taxidermy, animal sculls, strange and wonderful artwork and many, many plants. I started my little collection of Succulant plants there and every time I go I want to pick up a few more. I suppose there could be worse addictions...

One of the things I wish I had space for was a Wardian Case (a fancy version of the terranium). (Paxton Gate has some lovely ones BTW.) They are so lovely and Victorian. Just a bit of glass and decorative metal and you have an amazing little house for all of your little plants.

This is Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward he was the inventor of the Wardian Case. More info about him here. He seemed like a very "interesting" guy. Perhaps not the most fun person at a party...

Here are a few lovely Wardian Cases that I found in my search.

 A classic drawing from Victoriana.com

Steampunk version via popgive.

Modern Wardian Case via Eastlake Victorian

Over the top version via wavehill.org  

Check out the faces on the legs of this thing..."They're all gonna laugh at you."
Love the creepiness.

Another super crazy one via here. Could you imagine what the
house looks like to which this belongs?

If you can wait till you can find room for a giant Wardian Case, may I suggest a little DIY, this pretty and simple terrarium via sewtrashy.com

 Just a little pretty way to start my day. Hope you like them...and maybe you'll be inspired to get your hands a little dirty.

Here is a lesson on terrarium making from Apartment Therapy.

Art Hero...Arthur Rackham

It is really funny to me that some of the darkest and scariest stuff for children was done a over a hundred years ago. I guess the world was a more dangerous place and these folktales were used to keep the kids in their place. One of my next projects is to do a few illustration from the Brothers Grim. I love their work and it just blows me away how twisted their minds were. Even though most of the tales are pretty short there is a lot to be told between the words.

As an inspiration I have been looking at a lot of the illustration that goes along with these stories. My favorite illustrator of creepyness? Arthur Rackham. Although he was born over 100 years before me, it is amazing  how much I feel connected to him and his art. Arthur is a huge inspiration in my life. I'm hoping that I too can get to the dark world that he comes from.

If you don't know him, here are a few examples of his work:

from Old Woman in the Wood

from Adventures in Wonderland

from Sleeping Beauty

Lovely aren't they...and those colors(or lack of)are incredible...

August Meetup

Ok...Well July was a crazy month...camping, birthdays, quests, getting together with friends, so busy with living life. I now realize SUMMER may not be the best time to start a business, oh well...
This month I got a lot of stuff started but not that much finished.  Here is how my July went...

 I am proud to say all my startup business stuff is done. I'm fully licensed and got all my bank accounts and everything done, I published my ads in the local papers (a requirement in San Francisco). It feel good that all if this is done. I just hope I haven't forgotten anything...

I've been getting the hang of the blog thing and have been getting used to writing more frequently along with putting more on Twitter, Facebook and Flickr. It has been pretty fun watching how it all really works and getting more comfortable with finding my voice and speaking out. I did manage to change my blogger header and I think it gives a lot more color to the blog.

Although I haven't finished any of the pieces 100%...I figure July was a month of just getting some drawing done. I has been so long since I've had the time to just sketch/draw. .. I will be working on completing these in August.

Here are a few of my "works in progress":

 

August is here and I suppose my two months of semi-vacation/freelance transition is over. I'm ready to get to work and get even more completed.

My August Goals: 

1. Complete all my paintings I've been sketching (I have about 15 ).
2. Get better at completing paintings for Illustration Friday(Isn't it amazing how quick the week flies by?)
3. Create some new themes on the blog.
4. Continue doing more paintings for my portfolio 
5. Find some volunteer opportunities (I'm starting out at AIGA and San Francisco Center for the Book soon). This will help me get to know more people in the real world and get me some new experiences.
6. Find better Time Management Solutions. I still need to figure out a balance here.
7. Continue looking for new stories to illustrate. Illustrate them.

I think that is enough for the next month. What do you think?

For those wondering about "The Meetup", it is a monthly goal setting group in which we all encourage to GET THINGS DONE! More info about joining up...here.

Renegade Craft Fair

I had a such wonderful time at the fair. There was so much to look at and I must admit perhaps I was a little bit overwhelmed. So much goodness in one place. I could only spend a few hours poking around on Saturday  but I managed to take a some pics of my favorites. Hope you found some new favorite things there too. Thank you for introducing me to some many cool new artists, Renegade!

from birdmafia

cute plushies from munaluna

ok... so I'm a sucker for all of the cuteness here is a few more from OhMaFelt.

Adorable posters from Hero Design Studio

beards and such from I made you a beard

me being fashion forward and fuzzy faced.

beautifully delicate porcelain by heydeydesign.

more lovely ceramics by Sara Paloma

the always lovely, the small stakes,  Jason Munn

Amazing prints by Alice Jarry

There was much inspiration had. I can't wait till next year and I can spend the entire day admiring all the cool things that flashed before me. Good luck to all the artists and designers who I met and were kinda jealous of. And here is to the day I can join you all with my own art and illustrations. Until next time....