Practicing letters...

Practice makes perfect, right? Well, I have started my weekly lettering practice at the the sign shop recently and am really respecting all those who do this for a living. It is very difficult to do well. Right now I am basically tracing with my paint & brush each stroke of the letters. I'm trying to learn a kind of perfection with each stroke and a quickness of painting which I can someday be able to join the New Bohemia Signs artists in working on real signs instead of paper.

I love idea of 10,000 practice hours to mastery. Here is Malcolm Gladwell speaking about it with Anderson Cooper.



Here's a peek at some of my practice sheets. Damon created the original "well loved" letters in red. I painted  over them in blue One Shot Poster paint. I have a lot more practice to go and many more hours of painting to feel like I am ready for the real stuff. But I suppose you have to start somewhere. Here's to new beginnings!

It will be great to watch my own progress over the next year or so...I only have about 9,997 hours to go...

What has been the newest creative adventure you started? Were you scared to start?

Illustration Friday...Swept.

 Ok, I am one day late...again. But here is my illustration for this/last weeks Illustration Friday challenge, The word was "Swept" and I immediately thought of the 19th Century romantic notion of being swept out sea. Of course, it is only romantic if you are somehow looking for a lost love and dying to be reunited, which this young lady indeed is.

Hope you like her.

Scenes from a Art Opening...

Here are a few of my favorite shots from last weekends New Bohemia Signs/Jeff Canham & Steve Powers art show at the Guerrero Gallery in San Francisco. It was definitely an amazing event and I was very happy such a huge crowd came out to see it. A I am glad to report that a lovely time was had by all and I feel super proud to be part of it.  Take a look...

Damon hand painting the gallery intro.

Damon & Kerry being silly.

Ain't we cute?

Jimmy the Saint, Caitlyn, Candice & Heather (AKA meeting of sign painters)

A Crowd shot...

Candice and her "Paper Moon"

Steve Powers, Damon Styer & Ken Davis

Melissa, Scott & their wee one...

Caitlyn and her signs.

Setting up the show...

(top)Help Your Self (to Alleppey Timber Lorries)
  (below)Help Your Self (to 19th c. French Colonial “Specimens Typographies”, much as they helped themselves to their colonies)
by Damon Styer

By Stephen Powers

By Stephen Powers

Pre-Vinylite Society by Josh Luke

Help Your Self (to Stephen Powers) by Damon Styer

Signs by Ken Davis

A Quart Jar of Oil...by Jeff Canham

More fabulousness

A sleepy Damon...

Here is the link to the whole flickr set if you are interested...

Hope you enjoyed checking out the show.

New Bohemia Signs at the Guerrero Gallery

Here's a bit of a sneak peek...signs reflecting in gold leaf

I just wanted to tell you about the upcoming gallery show coming up this Saturday. My husband Damon and his fellow sign shop artists are having a art show at the Guerrero Gallery in San Francisco's Mission District.  They have been working so hard and creating such incredible artwork. If you don't already know, I've started  working at the shop this month.   This has given me a kind of exclusive access to all these artists their preparation to this show. It has been pretty damn inspiring. And I must say, I've been blow away by what they have all created.

So...If you are in San Francisco, come out and see the show. It will be amazing.

Here's the show flyer...

The show is not only featuring New Bohemia Signs but also Jeff Canham and Steve Powers...

Guerrero Gallery
2700 19th Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

The opening is Saturday, June 11th at 7pm. Hope to see you there!

And I will be there with camera in hand to take plenty of pictures.  I'll be posting the ASAP!

The Art of the Autochrome

As you all know, I have a deep love for vintage photography. It transports me through time. I truly love the surreal darkened colors of a Autochrome.  Although the early color technique invented by the Lumiere Bros. was only around for about 20 years, I love what has survived. Each photo looks like a strange dusty painting. A place lost somewhere between color and black & white.

I would love to study more of these autochrome colors. The pinks and blues are incredible. Don't you think they would make a lovely painting palette.

Sitting with mom in brilliant blue...via the George Eastman House

Girls with a pink umbrella via Lisby

Stuffed Birds, 1915 via How to be a Retronaut

Pretty lady in satin holding mirror via George Eastman House

These two gentleman via Lisby

Another gorgeous one via The George Eastman House

Listening to Music by Jean-Baptiste Tournassoud? via cinemalane

Ballerina by Gervais Courtellemont

Modesty by Alfonse Van Besten 1912

Skulls by Paul Sano 1912

Not enough? Want to see more?

Click on this link to the awesome site of Autochrome collector Florent Van Hoot.

Illustration Friday...Asleep

Here is a little painting I did for this weeks topic, "Asleep" for the Illustration Friday blog. I the love sweetness of sleeping animals and this little squirrel just seemed like a especially cute one to draw.  I'll will admit, I can't do super cute without throwing in a splash of darkness. In my mind cute always ends up a little bit creepy...

I hope you all like him.