Since I’m graduating art school this Sunday after four long years (hot damn) and finally just got my new website up and running at Cargo Collective, I thought it would be a good time to post some of the portraits I’ve done over the last year or so!
Last spring, I started what was meant to be a series of Mighty Boosh portraits… the one of Mike Fielding is in progress, and I still have yet to tackle Rich Fulcher or Dave Brown. Now that I’m finally free of classes, it looks like I might finally have time to finish them up! And perhaps even turn them into t-shirt designs, ooh la la…
Noel Fielding
Julian Barratt
In other portrait-y news, I bring you Jemaine Clement of Flighty Conchords fame. (Since I’m renaming things, why not Might of the Boosh? I’m sure that will definitely catch on…)
Jemaine Clement
And a few more fun sketches for you…
Alan Watts
My boyfriend requested a sketch of Alan Watts a while back, and who was I to refuse?
Oscar Wilde, Bitch
I also have a wee bit of a thing for Oscar Wilde, that little minx.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
And finally, a little sketch from when Noel Fielding decided to bleach his hair and subsequently, the entire population of the UK collectively shat themselves. In all fairness, it was quite the shocker.
If you have any ideas of a fun subject for a portrait, feel free to drop me a line in the comments! I might even draw it…
Finally finished some new work! This is the poster I made for my thesis performance with my best friend and thesis partner, Tabitha Knight. We Buy Diamond$ is the name of our band, and you’re welcome to check out our music at the We Buy Diamond$ Facebook. And yes… Tabitha on the right is a T-Rex and I am vaguely unicorn-themed on the left.
Since I double-dipped and used this for a project in my illustration class as well, it was art-directed by Josh Ramp (joshramp.wordpress.com) He challenged me to create a glam trash explosion that would go with the theme of our thesis project. Additionally, he insisted I create the line-art and inking by hand, then scan and add digital color. It’d been a while since I’d used just straight-up ink, so it was a really fun project to work on… ridiculous content aside!
My roommate Trillian Spencer (Portraitoday) was kind enough to screen-print 100+ of these bad boys to post around our campus. Soon I should have some photos of those as well!
And in more awesome news… I get to do an apparel update this Monday and Wednesday at Anthropologie while the visual team is out of town working on another store. Basically, the main display at the front of the store as well as by the cash registers needs some changing up for the new spring season. I can’t believe they’re letting me paint things unsupervised, I am far too excited about this! I’ll definitely have pictures of that as well.
Thesis is so soon, I might have to go stick my head in the freezer and calm the eff down.
Just wanted to share a bit of the work I’ve been doing at my Anthropologie internship! If you live in PDX, you can go check out the downtown store and see it for yourself!
Anthropologie is a fantastic place for an art student to intern– especially if you’re at all interested in installation, set design, sculpture, or fashion (duh.) I wasn’t sure if I’d actually end up doing any work particularly suited for an illustration major, but the displays are constantly changing. Recently, I got lucky enough to be asked to create some little characters on wooden spoons! I was probably just a little too excited about it…
Here are some of the other windows and in-store displays I helped create!
The photos that look like they weren’t taken with a camera phone are credited to Nicole Faivre, the Display Coordinator and genius mastermind who designed all these wonderful displays! I’m bummed I’m graduating soon, if only for that my internship will have to end. It’s definitely been a very valuable experience.
People seem to have mixed feelings about internships, but I think the best rule of thumb is this: if it looks like it’s going to benefit you as well as the company, then go for it. Every chance you get to learn something new is a worthwhile experience, in my opinion.
The notable exception, of course, is people who just want you to work for free for them because “it’ll be great exposure and it’ll look great in your portfolio.” You’re the only one who can determine whether an internship (or working pro bono, for that matter) is going to be worth your own time.
So stick to your guns and seek out the opportunities that excite you. Not the ‘internships’ that consist of inputting data into Excel documents and massaging the CEO’s feet. Because… dude, that’s just gross.
A comment made to me and my thesis partner during our mid-term review got me thinking. One panel member had asked about our influences, and naturally, if you know our work, Lady Gaga was mentioned. They were instantly up in arms, claiming that Lady Gaga was not an artist–and thus, as the subtext went, was not a suitable influence upon an art school thesis. Even if said thesis heavily involved the blurring of lines between pop music and art.
At the time, the two of us were already a bit caught off-guard and weren’t quite sure how to explain that our view of art was simply broader and different– that we didn’t qualify an artist as only someone with an established career in the art world, as was the panel member’s claim. By that logic, I wouldn’t be considered an artist, either. Neither would most of my fellow students, and probably a few staff members. (Ha, just kidding. Maybe.)
Thing is, Lady Gaga did attend and even gained early admission to Tisch School of the Arts. The school focuses primarily on the performing arts, film and television, and music… seriously, the word ‘art’ is right there in the name. I know the school doesn’t make the artist, but if you’ve seen that video of her Tisch recital, clearly the time there did her some good. And as someone who spent just as much of my teenage years in the theatre or the choir room as I did in the art studio, I would be hard pressed to place visual art on a higher tier than performing art. Art is art is art, bro.
There is no question that I attend a fine-art school, and that Illustration and Design majors are somewhat the exception to the norm. Fair enough, I get it. I’ve taken enough fine art classes to have some indication of how they play the game.
That said, it is still difficult for me, as someone who believes art should be accessible to the world beyond the gallery-traversing crowd, to put myself in the shoes of a fine artist. Especially one who doesn’t think that a genre- and gender-bending Tisch drop-out who has read Warhol inside out, written a pretty decent essay on our perception of nudity in art, lives a life self-described as ‘constant performance’, writes and performs and plays her own songs, and routinely collaborates with all kinds of fashion and set designers, videographers, and photographers (just to name a few) doesn’t deserve even the most broad and generic of creative terms.
I mean, shit. If I’d accomplished all that before I was 25, I’d be feeling pretty damn good about calling myself an artist. Even Forbes, who recently placed her at #7 on their list of the world’s most powerful women, referred to her as ‘part singer and part performance artist.’ Maybe they’re not the world authority on art, but they know a thing or two about influence.
The rationale behind the panel member’s argument seemed to be that Lady Gaga was too famous and too ‘pop’ to be an artist– that she wasn’t actually pushing any envelopes or doing anything new, and although she was a self-described performance artist, that she was actually just deluding herself. Because she was still palatable to a very broad spectrum of the public, she wasn’t performing the way a real artist should.
Never mind that Ms. Gaga built up a massive audience far before she began to really push the envelope, helping to ensure their loyalty as she began to delve into ever more bizarre territory. Never mind that she promotes an alternative standard of beauty which incorporates what we commonly perceive to be grotesque, critiquing the fame that feeds her career and poking holes in her own cult of personality. That apparently is part and parcel of being a pop star, and any artistic merit she may have once had is invalidated by the fact that she creates popular music.
The thing about pop music is that it grew out of a variety of art forms– opera, theatre, cabaret, music hall, vaudeville, as well as the more obvious stuff like blues, jazz, folk, gospel, rock. It grew out of the Industrial Revolution, out of the invention of recording technology, Popular music has reacted to cultural, social, and technological shifts just as popular art has– in many cases, strains of pop music have been affected by the same movements that literature and visual art have, like Romanticism and Realism. To pretend that popular music has nothing to do with art simply because it is so brazenly open about the workings of its industry is naive at best– art has an industry as well, it’s just slightly more reluctant to accept that fact. There are just as many artists who don’t create their own work as there are singers who lip-sync, I would dare to wager. Every genre will have individuals of great integrity, and those of not-so-great integrity.
And pop is a surprisingly visual art form as well. With its roots in operatic and theatrical performance, the rise of the music video in the twentieth century only helped to cement the visual nature of pop. Unlike many other genres of music, it can be said that pop lives and dies on image just as much as sound. Visual communication is one of the greatest tools in the pop performer’s arsenal, and visual artists are a vital part of the cogs that keep the music industry turning.
Personally, I don’t believe art should be exclusionary, or elitist. I don’t think success or lack of success is what makes the artist. To me, art is ultimately about viewing the world in a way that inspires one to create. I don’t think art is truly about gallery openings and hors d’oeuvres and auctions– those are just mechanisms in place that allow artists to hopefully make a living at what they do. I also don’t think art is about forcing one’s personal opinions onto others– that’s why, if you disagree with me, I welcome you to thoroughly disregard this entire blog entry.
I just have a hard time sympathizing with such a narrow and seemingly-biased view of art, because art to me began as a method of expression and communication. To limit that perfect embodiment of our essence as creative beings seems frankly like a nit-picky waste of time– an ugly eraser smudge that is just there to rain on everyone’s parade. It just feels like poor sportsmanship and isn’t ultimately constructive. I have nothing against those whose views conflict with mine, I just think its important to recognize that we aren’t all going to share the same definitions, and it isn’t necessary to get up in arms about it.
At the end of the day, art doesn’t care what you call it. Like the honey badger, it really just does not give a shit.
Every now and again, I find myself going on an inexplicable art binge at 4am. Don’t ask me why the urge always seems to strike when I should be sleeping, it’s just something I’ve learned to deal with. On today’s particular excursion through the internet, I revisited some old favorites and remembered just why I wanted to learn the art of illustration to begin with…
Let’s start with Tomer Hanuka. From his comic-inspired, hand-drawn line art and radioactive color schemes to his compositional and conceptual mastery, this guy pretty much has already done anything you could ever hope to draw. Luckily, he’s so nice about it.
Kill Bill by Tomer Hanuka for New York Magazine
The Possibility of an Island by Tomer Hanuka for Playboy Magazine
MGMT by Tomer Hanuka for Rolling Stone
Old Moab by Tomer Hanuka for Playboy Magazine
Kent Ave. A by Tomer Hanuka
Next up is Sterling Hundley. I’d seen his illustrations in Rolling Stone when I was a teen and had no idea who he was at the time. I just knew I loved his bizarrely textural lines and subdued colors, along with his witty word- and image-plays. He also has an interesting habit of playing with perspective, which results in some pretty unconventional compositions.
Illustration by Sterling Hundley
Illustration by Sterling Hundley
Illustration by Sterling Hundley
Illustration by Sterling Hundley
Illustration by Sterling Hundley
And finally, Sam Weber has a similar knack for texture, but often takes his work in a darker, more ethereal direction. His images are crisp but hazy at the same time– his ability to mix charcoal-soft greyscale washes with punchy, graphic spot colors makes him well suited to editorial work, but he always captures an emotional intensity and a hand-drawn subtlety, regardless of the application.
Green Swans by Sam Weber for AI5000
Fisherman's Wife by Sam Weber for The Society of Illustrators
Abraham and Isaac by Sam Weber for The Walrus
Shattered Conch by Sam Weber for new "Lord of the Flies" edition
Inspired by Pam Hogg, referenced from Seiji Fujimori's shoot for Ponytail Magazine. Models: Ruby Aldridge and Martha Hunt.
So, I have a shameful secret to confess. I have a sick and twisted love for all things with both arm and leg-holes. Fortunately for me, this is apparently quite the common affliction. In celebration of this perversion of nature, this toddler’s garment stretched to adult size, let’s take a brief tour through some famous wearers of the jumpsuit… the good, the bad, and the downright disgusting!
This, of course, is only a small sampling of the various ways jumpsuits have been misused and abused over the decades… if your favorite was somehow excluded, feel free to remedy this grievous error by posting your own terrifying pictures in the comments.
David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust
Elvis Presley
Mick Jagger
Rod Stewart
Freddie Mercury
David Lee Roth
KISS
Joan Jett and Cherie Currie
Wendy O. Williams of The Plasmatics
Britney Spears
Scissor Sisters
Edward Scissorhands
Leeloo
Uma Thurman in Kill Bill
Noel Fielding and Rich Fulcher of The Mighty Boosh
I’ll admit, I don’t generally give a toss what Pitchfork says– which puts me into the distinctly un-cool camp of people who neither militantly love or militantly hate them.
But if you are one of those opinionated sorts, it may interest you that Memory Tapes’ “Seek Magic” scored an 8.3 on their musical barometer when it was released in September 2009. (Personally, I just think it’s cool that the many-monikered musician behind the project, Dayve Hawk, has a completely unnecessary “y” in his first name.)
Even more interesting to me is the fact that Hawk manages with “Seek Magic” to make a dreamscape-dance-pop-balearic-chillwave-whatever-you-wanna-peg-it record into a subtly compelling concept album about growing up in his South Jersey neighborhood. Effortlessly infused with a sense of nostalgia, “Seek Magic” is simultaneously melancholy and comforting, both otherworldly and gloriously mundane. It opens with the sounds of crickets and dogs barking in the distance, and quickly unfolds into a fantastic, woozy trip down someone else’s memory lane.
Drawing from a host of influences, notably the Cocteau Twins, My Bloody Valentine, and New Order, Hawk covers a good bit of musical ground in forty minutes. Each track has its own distinct personality with plenty of crossover from song to song, making for a coherent and well-paced album. Like summer, it seems to last forever– upon reaching the ending, you realize it was over all too quickly.
The first track I heard was “Bicycles,” which had been featured on Kitsune Maison Compilation 8. The first listen was not unlike being transported into a hazy, golden afternoon in the forest from Fern Gully– had Fern Gully been about 110% less terrifying (for a five year old) and possibly located either in Ibiza or outer space… Y’know, where the reverb comes from.
Perfectly catchy without falling into the trap of too much repetition, the ethereal vocal harmonies and arresting hang drum riffs play off a rolling rhythm with plenty of synth, piano, and guitar melody. The song builds intensity, then dips into a lull before building up again as it gently cycles along. Think of it as one of those pre-programmed runs on your treadmill– all peaks and valleys, without any of the sweat or uncomfortable, bunching Lycra. Tasty.
And, because I accidentally stumbled upon it on Youtube and couldn’t not include it, “Asleep at a Party” is off the Call and Response EP, which was released as Memory Cassettes. It’s addictive and vaguely haunting, for all its crisp pop sheen. Like the rest of Memory Tapes’ growing oeuvre, it’s a perfect soundtrack for driving under the canopy of a massive old growth forest, or walking down the sidewalk on a crisp, sunny afternoon. Possibly wearing uncomfortable, bunching Lycra…
Just finished up a digital poster for Robots in Disguise, advertising their upcoming album and new single, “Wake Up!” (Of course, they don’t know this yet– but hush, that’s not important.*) We paired up and art-directed each other in my Advanced Illustration Studio, which turned out to be a really good move across the board.
*Update: I tweeted it to Dee Plume, who replied that she liked how they looked like superheroes. Fun fun
In my case, I had to create a poster for something fashion/music/theatre- related. I also had to use a limited color palette and incorporate full figures in a state of motion. Thought I’d surely end up pulling out my hair over this one, but it actually went alright! Might touch up the fonts and placement, we’ll just have to see…
If you want to find out more about Robots in Disguise and support them in self-funding their fourth album (which you should, because they’re bad-asses) check them out at PledgeMusic as well as at RobotsinDisguise.com.
And since I know you’re curious… here’s the video for Wake Up!
Perhaps a more accurate title would be, “Music To Avoid Writing Essays To.” But hey, details. Gay society in the Victorian Era can wait, my non-existent readership needs this post, stat! It is still finals season, after all…
Now, this all depends on what kind of writer you are. I know there are some among us who really cannot listen to music with lyrics when they’re writing.
I know I’ve had episodes where I’ve started accidentally quoting Morrissey in the middle of talking about Giant Hogweed infestations in the Pacific Northwest. And let me be the one to tell you… Moz might know a thing or two about tender hooligans and baby seals, but an expert on invasive species he is not.
So. Take these suggestions with a few grains of salt. (And some tequila… and a lime…) I’ve only listed songs and albums in my possession, this is by no means a complete discography of any of the artists.
If you’re into something mellow and New Weird America/folksy…
ALELA DIANE
(The Beyonce of indie folk, as far as I’m concerned. Her strong, stunning voice and well-considered instrumentals were what won me over, not to mention the amazing, often quite narrative lyrics. The collaboration with Alina Hardin is wonderful, their harmonies are spot on. I can and do often listen to her all day, easily.)
Album(s): To Be Still, The Pirate’s Gospel, Alela & Alina (with Alina Hardin) Favorite Tracks: White as Diamonds, Bowling Green, The Ocean, Tatted Lace, Take Us Back, Dry Grass & Shadows, Amidst The Movement, Rake
+++
THE BATTLE OF LAND AND SEA
(Haunting female vocals and atmospheric, and lovely electric guitar. The album is a bit same-y in places, but thankfully that just means it’s all equally gorgeous. Definitely a mood setter.)
Album(s): The Battle of Land and Sea Favorite Tracks: Saltwater Queen, Birdsong, The Beautiful Ones
+++
EMILY JANE WHITE
(Beautiful dusky vocals, mostly just her and her acoustic guitar with string arrangements and hints of blues/jazz influence. Fantastic.)
Album(s): Victorian America, Dark Undercoat Favorite Tracks: Dagger, Hole in the Middle, Wild Tigers I Have Known, The Ravens, Victorian America, Time on Your Side
+++
MARIEE SIOUX
(Stunning, delicate female vocals and waily electric guitar. It’s as if you’re out in the middle of the desert at night and it’s a bit spooky, but not so eerie that you can’t stop and stargaze a little. And it’s totally not weird at all when it starts snowing…)
Album(s): Faces in the Rocks Favorite Tracks: Wizard Flurry Home, Flowers and Blood, Buried in Teeth, Bundles, Wild Eyes
+++
A little more poppy, but still mostly mellow…
STARS
(If you’re an Amy Millan/Broken Social Scene fan, check it! They’re ridiculously prolific and kind of adorable. They have a pretty good range of upbeat and relaxing songs, you’re sure to find something you love. Their Smiths covers are always great. I’ve adored them since high school and just keep coming back.)
Album(s): Nightsongs, Set Yourself on Fire, In Our Bedroom After The War, A Lot of Little Lies For the Sake of One Big Truth EP Favorite Tracks: This Charming Man, My Radio (AM Mix), My Radio (FM Mix), When? Your Ex Lover Is Dead, Set Yourself on Fire, The Night Starts Here, Take Me To the Riot, There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, Barricade
+++
KISSES
(If elevator music were actually cool and made you want to hold hands and sip a mango smoothie as you walked down the boardwalk with your sweetie, annoying everyone else with how blissfully happy you are, it’d probably sound a bit like this…)
Album(s): Heart of the Nightlife Favorite Tracks: Kisses, Midnight Lover, Women of the Club, People Can Do The Most Amazing Things, Bermuda, On The Move
+++
BROKEN BELLS
(Aka Danger Mouse and James Mercer of The Shins. Aka you probably already have it, because it’s awesome.)
Album(s): Broken Bells Favorite Tracks: The High Road, The Ghost Inside, October, Sailing to Nowhere, Vaporize
+++
A little electronically/downtempo mellow…
BONOBO
(Imagine if Yann Tiersen (Amelie soundtrack) lived somewhere in a sultry tropical rainforest with a breakbeat producer, a pile of violins and woodwinds, a few amazing vocalists, and a Brazilian jazz quartet. No, wait… a jungle under the sea. On the moon. I really can’t give this guy enough praise, nor describe him adequately, so just lissen!)
Album(s): Black Sands, Days to Come, Animal Magic, Dial “M” for Monkey Favorite Tracks: Kiara, Kong, Days to Come, El Toro, Nightlite, Kota, 1009, The Fever, If You Stayed Over, Transmission94, Change Down, Wayward Bob, All in Forms, Animals
+++
CARIBOU
(Somewhere between breakbeat and trip hop, Caribou [formerly Manitoba] is just hanging out bein’ awesome and Canadian. A good mix of pretty and rough, mellow and more upbeat. Ultimately, quite chillout-able and perfect for when you want something calming that won’t just put you to sleep.)
Album(s): Marino EP, The Milk of Human Kindness, She’s The One Favorite Tracks: Sunsesame, Lord Leopard, Pelican Narrows, Yeti, Hello Hammerheads, Handelschnapp
+++
And a bit of all the above…
BENOIT PIOULARD
(He’s a wizard at combining field recordings, acoustic guitar, nigh-incomprehensible vocals, and bits n’ bobs to create some amazing music. I found him through KEXP’s Song of the Day podcast back when I lived in Washington, then ended up living down the street from him in Portland with his ex-girlfriend. Small, weird world.)
Album(s): Precis Favorite Tracks: Triggering Back, Moth Wings, Palimend, Needle & Thread, Sous la Plage, Patter, la Guerre de Sept Ans
+++
RIO EN MEDIO
(Sort of folksy, sort of experimental, sort of beautiful, totally strange. Each song is different and odd in its own way. I adore her to bits and would just ruin any description I tried to cobble together, so let your ears do the judging.)
Album(s): The Bride of Dynamite, Frontier Favorite Tracks: The Diamond Wall, Never Get You, The Light House, Tiger’s Ear, Frontier, Kill the Messenger, Heartless
+++
SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS
(I’ve heard them called dream pop, dance-shoegaze or newgazer, but you should just listen and not worry about subgenre trivialities…)
Album(s): Alphinisms, Disconnect from Desire Favorite Tracks: iamundernodisguise, Prince of Peace, White Elephant Coat, ILU, Windstorm, Camarilla, Half Asleep, Dust Devil, Joviann
+++
GLASSER
(Just because I love her and am listening to this tiny EP like mad until I can track down her album, Ring. If you can imagine Bat for Lashes + School of Seven Bells + a bit of Rio en Medio, that’s roughly the idea)
This isn’t the first time I’ve dipped my toes into the world of blogging, but this is the first time I’ve been quite so enthused about it.
I realized I’d have a lot more to say about others’ work than just about my own, and I love drawing and painting the objects and people who inspire me. The more I thought about making a music and fashion blog, the more things started to click into place. I already spend far too much time doodling Jeffrey Campbell wedges, why not do something with it?
