Home Town Art Heroes

Looking about the apartment, I noticed Drew and I have a lot of screen printed art. It just seems to work and it’s affordable art. It’s a good mix between oil paintings and screen prints. I’ll photograph it all one day. For about a year, I’ve been coveting everything from home town company Binth.

Especially this lovely piece.

Because we have all been there – running about the windy city and something flies away from our grasp. Do we play it cool, and loose it to the wind, or do we chase over it? The composition, the simplicity, the girl – it all works for me. I also like the subtle light blue of the sky. Pretty. >le sigh<

Their kids art is great too! I figure, if I have kids, by the time they are nine they will have quite the art collection.

p.s. i hope Drew, my friend Mark, and I get tickets for the Sigur Ros. Chicago show :X!!! Anything Icelandic works for me! > eeek< They are much bigger than they were a few years ago – so, it’s gonna be harder to score those tickets. I can’t stop listening to Gobbledigook!

Nesting Birds

Nesting Birds, 2 color gocco print on
Green Paper Company cover stock.

a little closer look

These are up in the shop

time to get cutting away at Tuesday… have a lovely day!

New Painting

She spent her time doing nothing in particular, acrylic on board

I may be MIA the next few weeks, but will try my best! Hope all is well.

Nie mam czasu na art!

One of my favorite Polish phrases. “I have no time for art! When I think about it, have I ever? I’ve always worked and gone to school. Art school counted. Especially when I scored two PT jobs on campus. Before this, the last time I ever remember having nice blocks of time is when I was little. I miss that. I am trying my best though, and if that is good enough right now – then I just have to work with it. Sometimes, I really don’t know anymore.

Love, Distance, and Everything In Between
acrylic on board. Always associated with my long distance relationship with Drew. I hope our adventures didn’t end there. With work these days, we haven’t taken a vacation together since last year and the rest of this year is looking bleak.

The lady and gent a little closer.

Adieu and goodnight!

Cutting along…

Designing a website takes so much energy! It’s coming along.

Last weekend I went to one of my favorite street festivals in Chicago- the Printer’s Row Book Fair. It had just rained, so a lot of vendors had packed up their goods – but I need manage to score two large woodblocks for Andrew and myself – now proudly being displayed in the kitchen.

I need to start working on new paintings this weekend. My August is going to be packed and I need to start gearing up.

Progress of Love, Distance, and Everything in Between

Why am I…

progress of Paper Parasol’s website.. the past 2 days.
always working toward something because it is fun and in turn losing lots of sleep? I guess that is the great thing about being creative. You don’t set dates. You’re not like, “It’s going to happen tonight, I am going to finish an art piece.” It’s all so organic and it just sort-of flows. This is exactly the case with the design layout to Paper Parasol. I am also hoping this is the case as I create new pieces for upcoming art shows/fairs. I hate remaining idle, so it’s a blessing in itself that I can function in everyday society without becoming a coffee fiend.

Happy weekend.

Depression-era Chicago

I totally have huge interest in Depression-era criminals. Yesterday my friend Erin and I went over to the Biography theater were they are filming Public Enemies with Johnny Depp + Christian Bale. I absolutely loved the attention to detail- especially in the signage and package design of the product. In one store front they even had old fashioned shopping carts! It also really made me wish I worked in the movie industry. Sure, the work is probably hard, but how rewarding! Here are some photos:

the new set up and the crowd outside when Dillinger was shot.

storefront

those little shopping carts!

Look at those prices in the bakery!

beautiful designs. The bird one is my favorite.

NRA rocked.
I love living in Chicago. There is always something going on.

Adventures in Pinhole Photography

Chicago has some beautiful old signs. With new condos creeping up in all directions, it may only be a matter of time before they do away with them. So, instead of painting the urban landscape with vintage beauties, we will have uninspiring copy and paste condos. A lack of character is never a good thing! This was taken with the Diana. With the cost of developing, I feel like it’s a little unforgiving when it comes to your wallet. Unless, I maybe start trying to sell prints. With due respect to the talented photographers out there, I don’t think my prints would be any interest. I think I may look into better negative quality scanners. Can anyone recommend one?
What I do love about the Diana and the Holga, is the element of surprise in the photos. You really can’t judge exactly your composition or how it will look. And when they do turn out, you have an amazing other-worldly looking image! That is what good ol’ photography is all about! I heard Fuji picked up Polaroid, so that is a relief!

The Indie Market at Schubas was great! There was a good turn out and I had a good response. More on that a different day!