The Family and Friends Dinnerware Collection

It's off to a small start, but a bright bright cheerful start it is! For Thanksgiving (2008) I asked my dad to paint me a cereal bowl at a ceramics store so I could have something I can use regularly that will remind me of him. He was visiting for a week and at one point he asked me what was something special I'd like to do/see/experience during his visit, having him create something at the paint-your-own-pottery shop was my immediate request. He was rather hesitant but considering the fact that the previous day we spent looking at an unholy number of military airplanes and other "exciting" memorabilia he kind owed me.

My dad is not exactly the crafty type, he does a great job drawing up blueprints and stick figures but asking him to paint/decorate a blank piece of pottery was really pushing it. He didn't have a lot of time to think up his masterpiece but what he did end up creating was better than anything he could have taken days and sketchbooks to work out. My dad raised me on his own pretty much from the time I was 5 to 12. He loved to pick on me and one of his favorite nicknames for me was/is "Sunshine Porcupine". He took this idea and went to hard work painting the brightest yellow sunshine he could to the inside of the cereal bowl. Underneath the bowl he painted a very very prickly porcupine. It was perfect! To finish it off he included one of my favorite creatures, the dragonfly and a "HAPPY THANKSGIVIN' 08 LOVE DAD" on opposite sides of the bowl. He had to leave before the bowl was fired and I could bring it home. He has been asking me for a few months now to show him the bowl... here you go dad, many many thanks for being a good sport and for starting off my first piece of FF Dinnerware. :)


The next victims in my new personalized dinnerware collection scheme was my closest friend Philip Estes and his lovely wife Sarah. They are very book smart and art is sort of a foreign language to them. But I mean that in the most endearing of ways. They appreciate art but are more comfortable doodling math problems and dissertations than drawing or painting. For Christmas I asked for a painted plate and I got an "I.O.U.". Two months later my birthday comes around and to my HUGE surprise they had taken the time to create two dinner plates, each one creating their own masterpiece. Philip was very proud to tell me that he had looked up the color wheel online and used it as his source of inspiration for his plate. Sarah, knowing my LOVE for sushi was inspired to paint a plate full of yummy sushi rolls, seaweed and fish. You know you're loved when this kind of present comes your way. I love these two so much and just having them in my life is a present enough. :) I'm so spoiled!

By the way, Philip was reluctant to paint the ceramics just as much as my dad, but he admitted that while they were there doing it they got into a kind of zen mode and really really enjoyed the process. Think he'd actually do it again too!

Thanks again, Dad, Philip and Sarah. Ok, who's my next victim, I could really use a second cereal bowl!

Dilkabear Please Come Here

It all started with this mini watercolor... my love for Italian artist Dilkabear's work grows with each new piece she creates.

Painting two from Dilkabear, I knew I had to keep watch on her work after seeing the first piece in-person and that's when the above watercolor stared me down and won me over. Dilka was inspired by the movie "The Science of Sleep" which truly is a creative and captivating movie.

The most recent piece I have acquired is Dilkabear's "Amelie in the Magic Forest", an original acrylic painting on a 5" x 5" piece of wood. I feel almost guilty owning this piece because it's so precious. There are so many paintings she has recently created that should have been in a show of their own, sharing the same walls at the same time. With the talent this young woman has she deserves to be showing in the U.S. I definitely have my eye on her!
For more of her work, take a look at her Etsy shop and watch for her Kokeshi coming in July!

Art Collection

Posting a few pieces from my little collection of original works. It's growing and I'm running out of wall space but it's a pleasant problem.

My latest acquisition is "Golden Forest" by Ande Cook aka Chickory.
Her portfolio site can be found at www.andecook.com and her Etsy shop at chickory.etsy.com.
I immediately fell for this piece when I saw it on her Etsy site. It's not a typical style I'm drawn too but there was something magical about it that called to me. In-person, OH MY GOODINESS! The colors are wonderful and vibrant! The online image does it very little justice. I really like the folk art feel of Ande's work and the colors she works with are mouth-watering. This painting is made with acrylic paints on maple and is 6" x 6".


I bought this adorable painting a couple months ago, also through Etsy, it's Jennifer Davis' "Smile". It's acrylic and graphite on pine 4.25" x 4.25". An instant chuckle and warm giggle came to me when I first saw this painting. And honestly, it still does. I love the school portrait day feel of this character. I would love to be in a class with this, um, creature. And talk about awesome pattern mismatching!

You can find original pieces for sale at Jennifer's Etsy shop jenniferdavis.etsy.com and view some really incredible and a few slightly more serious works on her website www.JenniferDavisArt.com.

This tiny piece was also found through Etsy and is by Cori Dantini, titled "A Sharp Trio". I really really like the way she uses old papers with doodles and in this case watercolor paper with musical notations. Her sweet color palette has an aged feel to it and her characters dainty, delicate and friendly. The piece is referred to as an Art Trading Card due to it's small size of 3.5" x 2.5". It's an original painting with watercolors, pen and pencil. You can find prints, original works, ornaments and even pocket mirrors with her work at her Etsy shop corid.etsy.com
Pikaland has an interview with Cori here: http://pikaland.com/2008/04/03/interview-cori-dantini

2 Months Too Long and Another Year Older

What honestly sustains me in this life is art. The drawn, painted, photographed and created visual stimuli that keep me existing for another day. My friends of course mean just as much and without them there would be little reason to wake in the mornings. I write this not to frighten anyone but to admit why I merely exist.

It is through art that I see people, life, stories, love and passion. Things that life would be so plain without. Strangers' interpretations and desires become embedded in the work they create. And though it's impossible to meet everyone in the world to hear their unique stories, through art I can cover great distances and populations.

Art brings a smile to my heart. It's why I'm drawn to positive imagery the most. It's the smiles I get that feed my heart to produce smiles of its own.

I have surrounded myself with beautiful, fun, colorful, sweet and happy paintings and drawings. I have an addiction to collecting original works, I feel more connected to the artists and the pieces when I know their creator was right there, applying the brush strokes, surveying the piece as it developed and lovingly tidying it all up to be a completed piece. The art pieces I own have soul and I'm never truly alone in this apartment I call home.

Vormator Publication

You can read the text on my flickr site where the images are a higher resolution:
Bio
Main Copy

First time to have my work published in a book and I'm quite proud. The Vormator project started about 2 years ago and the book was finally released in October. The book is an import and can be ordered online here.

Taken from the book:
"Vormator is the ultimate design challenge that requires each artist to create a one-page visual by using only eight shapes within a set of given rules.

The goal of the Vormator project is to show the importance of limitations on creativity. The result is shown in this book and proves that even with a large number of limitations and a few graphical elements to start with, a huge variation of quality graphics is still possible.

The best works published in this book were selected from over five hundred submissions from all over the world. The variety of art works is mind-boggling. Each creator also explains how the art work was made and provides insight into the process of creation, which gives this publication an educational value as well as an inspirational one.

Vormator has been very successful on the internet and is widely discussed on design portals, blogs and design forums. Now the best results of Vormator are available for the first time in print.

Vormator is an initiative by two Dutch designers: Wimer Hazenberg of Booreiland and Jan Willem Wennekes of Zeptonn."

Here are a few of my favorite designs in the book:
Hicalorie

MWM Graphics
Mykola Dosenko
Mishfit
David Polonia

My New Mug

I found this super awesome crying baby through Etsy. The shop, "Plants on the Brain", caught my attention (who doesn't love baby heads???) and I couldn't resist inquiring if a handle could be added to my favorite one and Viola! a mug was born (pun intended)! Can't wait to start my mornings off right by drinking caffeine out of a screaming baby's head. Test run shown above (my first effort at animating pics, so silly), serves up a lovely cuppa chai. :)

Dreams to Dreams

The phases Nature Otokonoko went through while in my possession.
My final customized vinyl Daruma (about the size of a volleyball).

The next show I'm in! I edited the back of the virtual postcard so my fans can recognize me on the list (lol). How I ended up amongst such a marvelous group of artists I'm not entirely certain, but complaining I'm not! The artists' reception is this Saturday (Dec. 6) at JANM from 1pm-4pm. I will be there proudly grinning ear to ear, if you see a geeky red-head please say "hello" and if it happens to be me, I'll surely give a warm "hello" right back. And then probably talk your ear off about the amazing museum, my Kokeshi project and any advice on the best place to visit that night while in LA.

My Daruma's title is Nature Otokonoko (Japanese for 'boy'). I named him after a friend I was visiting in Washington state that inspired the theme of my piece. The real "Nature Boy" lives next to a salty lake, hidden away from busy streets and noisy neighbors. I was in-love with his location and working outside on the patio, viewing all the lovely foliage and nature at its best definitely influenced my work. Thanks Wil aka "Nature Boy".

There will be around 50 custom Darumas in the show, all for sale, with proceeds benefitting the museum, which needs all the support it can receive during these trying times. Also, small blank vinyl DCTO Darumas will be for sale and some artists will be available for signing.

Project curated by Maria Kwong (director of JANM Store) and Dacosta (designer of the DCTO vinyl Daruma).

Here's JANM's write-up of the project:
Dreams to Dreams
December 2, 2008 - January 4, 2009

SPECIAL ENGAGEMENT
The Japanese American National Museum in association with Dacosta of Chocolate Soop bring you the first custom vinyl toy show in a museum.

Just in time for the holidays, 40-50 artists will customize Chocolate Soop’s DCTO (Dream Come True Object), a futuristic vinyl version of a traditional Japanese New Year’s folk toy. Artwork will be on display and on sale at the Museum through the month of December and through the Museum’s Oshogatsu celebration. Pieces from this show will also be available for sale online in December on the Museum Store Online.

DCTO (pronounced dik-toe) is an urban vinyl version of a daruma, symbol of the 5th century Buddhist monk who meditated so long he lost the use of his arms and legs. Daruma dolls come with unpainted eyes. The owner uses Daruma as a symbol of personal dedication to a new venture or new beginning. Painting in the left eye shows commitment to a goal; once the goal is achieved, you paint in the right eye.