hedgehog

I've moved!

2011-11-23T01:07:00.001-05:00

Just mosey on down to www.anniepoon.com for my new website and frequent updates. Wow! I'm trying lots of brand new things over there... plus ALL of my videos are now online.

xoxo

Annie

Movie Time for the kiddies!

2011-10-05T16:04:00.001-04:00

If you are going to be in New York City on Saturday October 15th...

You Light Up My Life

2011-09-20T23:04:00.001-04:00

This foam core and bead chandelier took me three days to make! I definitely wouldn't cut the mustard as a seller of handicrafts... I would starve to death because of my slow speed and low productivity... it certainly didn't help that I was watching Glee on Netflix the whole time! I have such a crush on Kurt. But it could never be. Alas, I think he would enjoy ballroom dancing with a miniature me under this beautiful sparkly creation!

Grandfather Clock

2011-09-10T20:34:00.000-04:00

Just finished this one today, it makes for a nice addition to my little 'room'. I wish this clock stood in my front hall and that I could listen to it's soft chimes while I went to sleep. But probably if I put it on the floor there someone would squish it, ha ha!

Vanity

2011-09-09T14:19:00.000-04:00

Here's a little something fun I made.... I collected some antique Sotheby's catalogues from the Strand Bookshop and picked through to find some of the most beautiful furniture to build on a miniature scale. This is part of a set I would like to complete that could include wall sconces, a little chandelier, a chaise, and a folding screen as a backdrop. A proper lady's boudoir. Made from glue, sharpie marker, and foam core. The ring inside the drawer was a gift on my wedding day. It's big and heavy and I love wearing it on my unpolished fingers at all the wrong times!

Goon alert!!!

2011-08-30T15:25:00.000-04:00

The scriptures are full of goons, and I get to draw them this week as a part of my newest animation Die Wicked Die: Ammon and the King's Flocks. The music is an intense 13 second punk track that I can feel melting my brain whenever I press play. I just sit in my seat frozen avoiding hearing it by checking etsy and making personal calls. Oh but I do love to watch those goons spring to life onscreen! So here's a peek of their faces...

The Muse Project- Limited Edition Archival Print

2011-08-26T14:59:00.000-04:00

This chart of beautiful faces is inspired by the many models who walk in and out of my husband's photography studio. When drawing I selected the faces from local modeling agencies so each girl is a real New York model, rest assured. Don't be jealous of their looks!

Each girl walks to the beat of her own drum, I especially love Tuanne, who came to my husband's casting in glasses :-)

Obsess with me over their beauty by hanging a limited edition print on your wall.
(Only 10 prints in the edition total).

11x15"
Signed and dated,
printed on fine art archival paper.

$35 on etsy.

Here are some details from the drawing:

Anniversary Present

2011-08-05T12:40:00.002-04:00

This week is my 9th wedding anniversary. Last night Kah Leong and I went out to celebrate at our favorite Italian restaurant in Chelsea, Don Giovanni's. For his gift, I gave him detailed plans and budget for a trip to Paris, with every day planned out broken up into morning, afternoon, and evening, with romantic city walks and outings to shopping areas, museums, and historic sights. The gift came with a folio of my pen and ink drawings of some of the places we might see when we go. He really liked the gift, especially the fact that it involves me learning as much french as possible before we go! Normally on a trip like this we would join up with a tour, but I really want to play tour guide and think it will be a grand adventure! Here are some of the drawings... I will make nice copies available on Etsy if people are interested.

Oh Puppy! It's the RAP VIDEO!!!

2011-07-23T13:26:00.001-04:00

I hope you enjoy my new short animation introducing Puppy and his friends! In my ideal world I would have had the Beastie Boys backing me up on vocals, but those old geezers were busy so here it is....

Casting call! Fashion models come one come all!

2011-07-23T12:58:00.000-04:00

Here is a drawing I made of Kah Leong's top picks for one of his photo shoots. I used the model's 'comp cards' for reference.

The Real Housedogs of New York City!

2011-07-22T14:06:00.000-04:00

Ha Ha Ha, I just wish I had a little dog to keep me company. I always offer to walk people's dogs for them but so far nobody has bitten, although my neighbor Richie did go so far as to leave a key for me at the front desk in case an emergency comes up and he can't get home to walk his mutt. I'm on friendly terms with a few dogs in the building: There's the carmel colored hound with the big puppy paws, there's the little fox terrier that lives with the installation artist, and there's the cute as a button 'Ziggy', a black mini mini pomeranian that I haven't dared to pet for fear I would grab him and rush out of the elevator screaming 'My Ziggy! My Ziggy' to the horror of the owner.

Careers

2011-07-21T15:36:00.000-04:00

I've been having fun painting and drawing this week while listening to 'Gone With the Wind' on audible.com. Love it! Here is a little sign I painted inspired by one that my kindergarten teacher showed my in class when I was little. I remember her saying to the class that we could pick ANYTHING on that picture to be when we grew up. I was so excited! I thought I wanted to be a singer or an artist. So here is my recreation of that chart.

This little mutt is supposed to be me...

This one is my mom.... she has a mane!

This represents one of my sisters, a scientist at Harvard.

From my Sketchbook

2011-07-21T13:12:00.000-04:00

Here is one of a lineup of funny small dogs I've been sketching, little dogs have such spunk!
Once I was a dog walker of a Shih Tzu. I was fired because the dog would lunge for my
throat when it's owner would walk around the corner. Then it would sit down in the middle of busy street
in defiance and refuse to let me pick it up. When I didn't give it doggie treats, guess what? Yes, attack mode again. This story has a strange ending... after I had stopped working for it's owner, I went to a random party one night. The owner came to the party and brought her dog. As soon as they came in the door, the little terrorist Shih Tzu raced across the room through everybody's legs and hopped up into my lap! Go figure! Maybe that little grinch did have a tiny beating heart inside after all!

So there is a dog story, and here is another favorite dog, the Brussel's Griffon, from my sketchbook. It came out better than the Shih Tzu :-)

Mister 3000!

2011-07-12T00:12:00.002-04:00

My husband and I were so thrilled to hear the news about Derek Jeter's 3000th hit! He was amazing, the story of the game and all the extra bonus details of the day brought tears to our eyes. What a story! Jeter, the team captain, was the first Yankee to reach 3000 hits, and it was a home run to boot! Derek is not known as a home run hitter so this was very unusual. Also it was his first homer in the new Yankee Stadium. The boy who caught the ball gave it back to Jeter because he had a heart of gold. Right after Jeter hit the ball the clock struck 2, which is his number! THEN, he went on to drive in the winning run!!!!! HOORAY!!! We were watching replays and interviews all night, history was made on Saturday folks!
Here is a picture I drew of Derek inspired by the naive style of a little girl I met on my mission in Croatia.

Good Ole Dress Up!

2011-06-15T17:31:00.000-04:00

The man of a million disguises, it's Puppy! The other day my sister asked me if Puppy was a girl or boy... well I think that when you are as young Puppy is, you can wear whatever you want, just explore all sorts of costumes and learn about you! Puppy does have a good dose of girl in him, that's fo sho!
One of my nieces requested an arsenal of weapons for Christmas. When I came home for Christmas she met me in the hallway with swords, a gun, and a holster all dangling from her teeny white overalls. I came back several months later and she dressed as a pirate every day I was there. She even wore a patch! So cute, just like Puppy would do. We had to wash the shirt sometimes a couple of times a day because she would drip popsicles and pizza sauce all over herself. Shout out, little niece! You know who you are!

From the Drawing Board

2011-06-08T16:47:00.001-04:00

This is what I go through... AAACK! :^) Today it has been such a challenge to keep on going, drawing and cutting all these little guys, so so tedious! But my favorite part is when I get to color Puppy's little cheeks! Usually they are pink but today he's not feeling good so they are green. Today Puppy meets his 'Inner Fierce' (Tiger in a bowler cap at the bottom). All the cutouts at the top are going to be swapped in and out on the screen to show Puppy getting sick and throwing up his new friend...

Foo and the Parrot

2011-06-06T19:25:00.001-04:00

From the Archives- coloring book page

2011-06-06T13:16:00.001-04:00

Here's a little peek at a page from 'The New Yorkies', a coloring book I made as a going away present. The doggie hopping over the fence is named Sebastian and it was my friend's little Yorkie. He was a real trouble maker!!! The dog with the funny tongue is inspired by one of those shows called 'The World's Ugliest Dogs'. The winning dog's tongue always stuck out sideways from his mouth. So cute!!!

Elwood (Ugliest Dog in America)

Mister Fancy Crocodile

2011-06-05T00:54:00.000-04:00

Did you see the old Disney movie Robin Hood? I loved seeing Prince John counting all his money in his special money counting room! In this scene from my new animation, the crocodile shows a similar love of ye olde gold...

A duckie's wonderland

2011-06-02T12:17:00.000-04:00

Here is a fantasy created just for Miss Duck... inspired by everyone's favorite video games of the eighties... Miss Duck can hop from cloud to cloud earning various items that make up a well appointed boudoir. Each time she hits an item it dissolves into sparkles.

Carl hits the streets

2011-05-31T21:09:00.001-04:00

Here's Carl showin' Puppy how it's done! Breakin' and poppin' on the streets of NYC!
I've been in New York 14 years and still have to stop whenever I see break dancers in the subway.

From the Editing Room

2011-05-25T15:32:00.000-04:00

Puppy's pals get their groove on! Featured left to right are Carl, Mizz Hips, Mr. Fancy Crocodile, and Duckie the heart breaker. Right now they are dancing to Jay-Z and Beyonce but I'm going to create something fresh for them to dance to for the movie. Hmmm... how to become a rock star in 10 days... any help?

From the Editing Room

2011-05-23T13:38:00.000-04:00

From an exciting new project.... Yay! NEW!!!! Totally in love with this look! Puppy was only a twinkle in my eye during the eighties, but that's why he's so excited that I am dressing him in this awesome studded leather jacket! Right now he can't stop dancing!

More visitors from the past- the Lost District Gang

2011-05-19T11:28:00.000-04:00

I love these guys... they remind me a bit of the smurfs... (semi) peaceful ground dwellers. I had plans to make these into a quilt but it didn't materialize. Someday!

Visitor

2011-05-18T12:07:00.000-04:00

Sometimes a dove lands on my window. I look up from my desk and see him bobbing his head and peeking tentatively in through the dirty glass. It feels like a special blessing. I make a move and he flies away.

Wakey Wakey!

2011-05-17T17:25:00.000-04:00

Asleep on the job! Puppy has places to go, people to see! Good thing Puppy is always there to wake me up and send me back to the drawing board.

Spring Training

2011-05-05T13:36:00.000-04:00

I hear the little birdie tweeting on my air conditioner.... you will find him in this week's Puppy Comic!

It's funny, I would never think of a bluebird caring about maintaining his physique... Maybe it's cause all they get to eat is worms! Yuck- I'd be skinny too!

Take a swim with Pes!

2011-01-05T17:36:00.000-05:00

But be careful, these are dangerous waters!
Pes is one of my favorite stop motion animators- like me he specializes in short shorts. I have felt a special kinship with him ever since hearing him speak at my alma mater, the School of Visual Arts. His work has over the years become more daring and complex, going from goofy to elegant. I can't wait to share this animation with you! Enjoy....

From my sketchbook: The Letter F

2010-12-19T19:15:00.003-05:00

I am dreaming of creating an alphabet made up of animals... the finished product could be a poster where every animal is colored with only black and red. (After many sketches I came up with this sample, F for Fox.) I love when illustrators are super stingy with their color.

A great hero for me who maximizes minimal color is Maurice Sendak. In his illustrations for 'Little Bear', he manages to get away with using only brown and blue. The final result is so soothing and dreamy. Also it allows me to focus on the beautiful lines.

Fish Wife

2010-12-18T21:38:00.001-05:00

Find out how Puppy and his Fish Wife escaped from the briny underwater lair! With a little help from their friends...

Portrait of the artist as a young (?) woman

2010-12-18T01:44:00.000-05:00

Today my husband and I celebrated a special occasion by going to the Museum of Modern Art, buying a membership, taking in the exhibits and eating at the cafe. He gave me a beautiful handmade card with this portrait of me drawn on the front. I love how he included my mole, which he insists is a beauty mark. That is why I love him. And the nose is just a little teeny dot, his explanation is that I have a perfect teeny nose. The 'Twiggy' lower lashes he explains by grinning and wiggling his fingers under his eyes, pretending they are spider legs. I really like the funny trail of dotted lines where he plotted out his course before he drew it. His message inside was so heartfelt and beautiful I got little tears in my eyes and couldn't read the whole thing out loud, but that could also have been all the cheese I was eating talking... I had ordered a meat and cheese board and was struggling to get all the gorgonzola down without breaking my diet and spreading it over some flatbread :-)
I am truly feeling the magic of this season and the love of all my friends and family. Thank you!

Cuckoo Craze

2010-12-18T01:25:00.000-05:00

There is a mysterious broken cuckoo clock sitting over my work table. I always imagine painting it's light brown exterior in white with accents of pastel pink, blue, and minty greens. Finally after years of staring at it dreamily, I started googling cuckoo clocks online and to create a series of small paintings of clocks on paper. The first few were enthusiastically painted...

I don't have a lot of acryllic paint but I do have a little left over from when I painted Puppy's rosy cheeks and blue pants. Just perfect!!! The next have become a little more refined...(click for enlargement) My husband suggested a teeny brush might heighten the charm...

and I soon realized I could capitalize on this nostalgic feeling to encompass other objects like say this phonograph...

I am really looking forward to some quiet time tomorrow to listen to 'Heidi' on tape and make as many more as I can before leaving for Christmas when the cuckoo spell may be broken.

Meet the little Princess

2010-12-12T01:41:00.000-05:00

In yesterday's Puppy comic, Puppy goes down below the ice to meet a beautiful creature... Princess Winkelfinn! Find out how they came together and meet the lovely little lady I designed to look like an aquatic ice cream cone :-)

Click HERE for the comic....

A visitor from the past

2010-12-07T19:09:00.002-05:00

I came across this little sketch I did today and it gave me a little chuckle... what was I thinking??? Who is this gent and what is he reading? The price of coal? Or the gossip about the latest theatrical production? His pointy shoes and nicely arranged coiffure are so silly...

Martha Stewart Craft Show Inspiration

2010-12-07T01:40:00.000-05:00

I was lucky enough to attend the Martha Stewart Craft Show on Saturday with Kah Leong. It felt like a church function. They even had a cake walk and ornament making station. All the ladies and men who demonstrated were so chatty and proud of their wares! These are the staff of Martha Stewart from all departments who wanted to show the crafts they made outside of their job. I thought that was neat!
There was a man there who had an amazing black and white composition of his doodles of creatures, all arranged in a circle and printed out on posters. I loved it! I made one inspired by his- mine is on a rustic holiday theme. Click for a larger image.

Zoo flask by Sister Arrow

2010-12-06T13:17:00.002-05:00

This gorgeous print 'Zoo Flask' was given to me from a friend this week. (click image for bigger view). I love it for the trippy colors and ironic precision. It's one of only 20 and was made by a British artist 'Sister Arrow'. We got it at the Brooklyn Comics and Graphics festival in Brooklyn where all my favorite comic and zine publishers had tables set up with enticing wares. I was also thrilled to meet my secret zine-crush, Noah Lyon and his wife. Noah's work goes by the name of 'Retard Riot', I have blogged about his awesome zines before. I also saw brain-melting 3-D comics, a zine the size of my pinky nail, got my portrait painted in a minute for a dollar (it was good!), and heard Lynda Barry speak. Brooklyn is my Oyster!

From my sketchbook: Stationery ideas 1

2010-12-03T03:05:00.000-05:00

Here is a part of a pattern I designed using Puppy's face as a pattern, he has unlimited expressions and was a pleasure to work with. All I did was snap the camera as he just talked away, making the most curious faces! You can see that it could be incorporated into this stationery idea below. All thanks goes to my friend K. for the great idea!

I like the idea of making a Puppy stationery that uses a pale blue polka dot basis and a pretty rope bow, with a scalloped edge. When you open it the pattern could be reversed with blue dots, or they could be little bones instead of Puppy heads... just messing around at this point...what do you think? I think the stationary set MUST include stickers of puppy, hearts, pencils and bones etc. I love the Sukie stationary set, I know many of you own it! The little sticker sets that accompany the Sukie and Jill Bliss sets from Chronicle books are an inspiration!
SUKIE

JILL BLISS

Puppy and the Hypotrochoid

2010-11-30T23:05:00.000-05:00

Hi! I miss you guys! Just wanted to share some little ideas I had for a wrapping paper pattern... this one is just a draft but it has the energy I wanted...My goal was for a very doodly claustrophobic print integrating the lines of a notebook with Puppy faces and hearts. I used the 'Hypotrochoid' or spiral maker that I just bought as a birthday gift for my little sister... spilled the beans Caroline! I'll get you a new one! These puzzling devices from yesteryear are popping up around town in gift shops... so much fun, wow! When I was little it was a mystery how they worked and after a few hours of playing with one I still can't really figure it out! I love mysteries...

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-22T15:56:00.000-05:00

Mr. Turkey has something sinister on his mind this Thanksgiving...One lucky commenter to this week's puppy comic 'Busy Birdy' http://www.fredflare.com/blog/?p=6747, wins the Thanksgiving sketch below!

On a Rainy Day Everything is for Sale

2010-10-04T21:11:00.004-04:00

I just did a wonderful artist residency in Mt. Tremper, New York. The setting was beautiful but rainy, nestled into the Catskill mountains a few miles from Woodstock. Because of the weather I stayed in and mostly spent my time drawing a catalog of every item in the entire house. One of the items featured on this spread is the owl cookie jar my friends recently acquired. They must have told me four times 'It has eyes in the back of it's head!!!' I hope it wasn't too much an invasion of my hosts' privacy to optically ransack their place! I did stay out of the drawers and cupboards...Here is a spread from the kitchen portion of the catalog. It's entitled 'On a rainy day everything is for sale' and has 15 pages. I think it's a great time capsule of my friends' lives from an unusual viewpoint: their posessions.

(Click image to enlarge)

A Day of Life

2010-09-23T17:34:00.002-04:00

I created these animations for a photography website that treats a client's ordinary day with the same care that would be given to a birthday or wedding. In my animations, I focused on simple pleasures of life and gave them a nostalgic feel. I was inspired by homegoods store 'John Derian' here in NYC and by a postcard of flowers by Andy Warhol, which influences one of the opening scenes. Joshua Williams composed the music which was captured on a rickety eighties voice recorder. Which do you like best?

It's HEEEERE!!!!! Annie Poon aka 'mc Paper Cut'

2010-09-13T16:22:00.003-04:00

So excited to share with you my rap video! Thanks so much to Gonna Get Got for the Production help... This video is for an exhibit at Brigham Young University this October.

Boy did this piece have growing pains! It started out as cats cut out of felt moving around on a chalkboard. The final product draws directly from both personal experience and favorite stories. It is intentionally rough and raw, like my favorite youtube videos of rappers shot on their computer cameras... I got to try something new (rapping) and found out how much I love it! Is that okay for a nerdy 32 year old white girl? I think so...

http://natureandnurture2010.blogspot.com. Some of my favorite mormon artists are also in the show, so check it out if you are in the area this October!

Puppy Comic: Express Yourself

2010-09-13T12:21:00.002-04:00

Things are getting dicey in Puppyland! In this week's comic, Miss Duck quite unexpectedly shows up at Puppy's door after a long and mysterious absence. Will long lost lovers be reunited or will Puppy give her the cold shoulder? While Puppy decides, he observes her making the following expressions through the peephole... Click HERE to read this week's comic!

Darting Devils

2010-09-10T16:04:00.006-04:00

One of my sisters has been staying over, sleeping in my studio, and she enjoys looking at the ephemera from the movie making process that you miss in the finished product. She asked that I start posting some of it online.

Here is an image I am enjoying till I have to cut it to pieces in two minutes... it's a gang of devils that will fly across a colorful background. The way I have colored it outside the lines in the interest of speed makes it graphically appealing to me.

For the devils robes I was inspired by lighting bolts falling from the sky.

2010-09-09T20:48:00.002-04:00

In the spirit of the times, here is a video of me on my very first day of kindergarten. My twin Katie and I had to hang big signs from our necks so that the bus drivers and teachers could identify us. I am the one in the blue dress, surprisingly acting shy! I don't know where that came from, I think I've always been an attention HOG, just ask my sisters who complain that I constantly try to steal their friends... My kindergarten teacher was Mrs. Danoff. I still remember what she looked like... A softspoken but confident woman in her 60's with short sandy hair. She made the classroom feel like a delight by decorating it with seasonal pictures. I was so excited because the first assignment came as soon as we sat at our desks. We had to copy a sentence off the board to this effect: 'Today is September 4th, it is Wednesday, and the weather is sunny." I was VERY impressed by this challenging assignment, which was repeated every day. I had never actually WRITTEN so many words before, was I even comfortable with all the letters? But I had a feeling she wanted to throw us all for a loop and just get us out of our comfort zone to be ready for any and all challenges! It worked, I loved her and did anything she wished. I honed and polished my brown nosing skills in that class, and put them to work regularly now!!!

Snaps from the editing room

2010-09-09T17:58:00.000-04:00

Me rapping, and a bomb about to explode! Both are stills from 'Scripture Skits'... Coming in September!!!

Loving the RAINBOW!!!!

2010-08-21T22:33:00.004-04:00

I was looking through 'Ninja', a book by colorful doodle virtuoso Brian Chippendale, and felt inspired to take one of my scenes from drab to fab via the power of rainbow!!! I used my favorite highlighters to create this fun plaid pattern.
This was going to be a simple scene of two staircases, one going up and one going down, with characters marching on each one. But thanks to inspiration from Ninja, the whole thing freed itself and went nutso! The characters just sort of meander in the general direction they need to go, but I love the loss of structure and even the permission I gave myself to have fun with nonsensical character design...

Snapshot from the studio...

2010-08-20T17:05:00.003-04:00

Re-shooting the beginning of the animation 'Scripture Skits'. Thought I'd share this snap from today's work... In this scene we are introduced to the three main characters in my music video who can't seem to grow up and get a grip.
Aesthetically I'm trying to walk that delicate line between homemade looking and slick... where to stop and nit pick? Where to leave things as they looked at the very first try? Finally I decided that LIGHTING was not one of those areas I wanted to leave to chance, so I went out and finally bought some great professional lights. After almost burning myself and having to wear sunglasses while I worked, my good husband came in and used his genius move of turning the light away from my face and making it bounce at the ceiling. Aaah! No more melting hair and camera! Thanks Kah Leong!

MC Chris - Nrrrd Grrrl music video

2010-08-19T13:53:00.002-04:00

Okay everybody!!! So I made my first rap song for a soundtrack of an animation I'm making. My friend Mike G, who also produced my 'Tis the Night of Halloween'soundtrack, helped me record my song and added a little somethin' special with his beats and flava'... and now I'm so obsessed with writing rhymes!!! The day after we recorded, my dance workshop teacher introduced me to hip hop dance and challenged us all to write our own 'swagga' rhymes, statements about how AWESOME we all are... so now my week has been a big cloud of rhyming and booty shaking... Felt a bit self conscious at first, but my friends clued me in that I'm not the first nerdy white girl to embark into this journey of hip hop...Now I've been looking around the internet for some more examples of 'nerd rap'... I've seen housewives audition tapes, tween homework assignments, and some very rare and surprising stuff... Here's one I'm posting just cause it's clean and fun... stay tuned for my song which will I will post a clip of within the month when the music video is ready!!!

xoxo
Annie
aka
Paper Cut

2010-08-15T20:14:00.001-04:00

These performers at BYU use every part of the piano to create their song. The technique is called 'bowed piano' because of they use strings of rosin to create 'bows' that they draw across the strings inside the gut of the instrument. Their use of the whole piano reminds me of Chinese cooking. Such an eerie song, it sounds to me like the change of seasons from summer to fall...

Mercibeaucoup!!!!

2010-08-14T18:36:00.004-04:00

Was in a magazine shop and saw some designs by japanese designer MERCIBEAUCOUP on the cover, fell to pieces in bliss! So silly, so fun, would love to look great in every one!
Their statement is to 'everyday cherish the precious feeling of appreciation and thank.'

Teen Agent Mystery!

2010-08-12T16:02:00.006-04:00

My character Miss Periwinkle, the artist and psychic on the Fred Flare 'Teen Agent' campaign was invited to create a series of watercolors of keys for use as backdrops to this mysterious story... I love how they look sprinkled in the background of these photos. These watercolors are inspired by old skeleton keys. Actually to be more truthful they are inspired by the one key I have held in my mind's eye from the book 'The Secret Garden', which fascinated me as a child. Now I have a walled garden out my window and I always imagine what it is like inside, I am just like the little girl in the book! To make these watercolors I took simple designs and added curlies and fanciful twisty tendrils to my heart's delight! Overworked? Absolutely. And for sale I might add! I created about 25, here are some examples...

Tweet!

2010-06-22T14:45:00.003-04:00

Just wanted to post a few images from my sketchbook. Always have loved birds, the way a little ball of fluff and feathers can be arranged... these are a collection from over the years....

Simple Pleasures

2010-06-11T15:11:00.006-04:00

Here are some shots from an animation I just finished for a friend... It focuses on the simple beauties of everyday life. Looking at them warms my heart and makes me either want to go cuddle up with a blankie and a book or go to an antique store, I can't decide. Much inspiration comes from one of my new favorite stores, John Derian. Although this animation is much more rough and simple in its approach than the other version I made, it conveys the message with more clarity and represents the product in a better way. I loved the finished product and the approach, and plan to use the exact same look for an animation I have coming up about memories of animals I have loved...

Portrait session

2010-05-29T14:34:00.004-04:00

I was so excited to get to do a little photo-shoot with Kah Leong, it is very rare, I just LOVE LOVE LOVE getting to play dress up and having my hair and make up done! The reason for the look on my face was that Puppy kept tooting and making the atmosphere almost unbearable for all of us, he blamed it on he 'Old Brooklyn Root Beer' that he was drinking... he's an addict... we didn't know whether to laugh or yell at him... I just said what I always say, "Oh Puppy you are incorrigible!"

clothes courtesy of FRED FLARE, Makeup by Jerry Lopez.

Whoopi goes whoopsie!

2010-05-25T23:36:00.004-04:00

Today I was distracted from my work by some very silly ads at the top of my screen of Whoopi Goldberg dressed as Cleopatra, Eve, Helen of Troy, and Mona Lisa. What in the world? I thought, inquiring minds have to know! I clicked on the ad and was richly rewarded to find a treasure trove of hilarious shorts about Whoopi being plagued with 'LBL' or Light Bladder Leakage'... Are you one of the 1 in 3 women who suffers this problem? You aren't alone! So does the statue of liberty it turns out! Click here to be entertained!

Ooh La La, Ha Ha Ha!

2010-04-27T17:22:00.004-04:00

This picture is a continuance of the series of illustrations I am creating in collaboration with the photography by Kah Leong Poon, styling by Joshua Williams, with Maddie Williams as the model. In this particular picture little Maddie recieves a moment of inspiration, she remembers how to tell a joke in french!

This little Toucan wears a costume that is inspired by the little get ups my little brother Johnny used to wear when we sisters used to dress him as a baby 25 years ago. His costume is my favorite thing about the whole illustration, which I spent the whole day on. Today I found a photo album put together with great care chronicling those times that inspired the costume. What inspired me to put that album together I don't remember now but I am so thankful for the little things that can suck me out of this present time and remind me that this moment is not the most important thing in life.

Le Cirque

2010-04-26T18:27:00.011-04:00

My older brother Bill spent some time living in France. When I was in college he mailed me a folded up cardboard French circus poster. All it said on it was 'Cirque' and it had the huge face of a clown. But it carried a strange and special spirit that I tried to capture when I made these illustrations.

Models: Maja and Maddie Williams, Photographer: Kah Leong Poon, Stylist: Joshua Williams.

Opening forbidden doors...

2010-04-21T21:35:00.007-04:00

These paintings of antique keys are inspired by my love of Hugo Guiness' stark black and white woodblocks I posted the other day.

I based the images partly on a real key I found in a bead shop, partly on my imagination... I live in a hectic block right by the Lincoln Tunnel in New York City, a dingy part of town. But from my 8th floor studio window I glimpse the birds gathering on the tops of a beautiful tree in a private ladies garden across the street. When I go shopping I walk by the high brick walls and sealed doors of this special secret garden. There are cracks in the garden wall and little tongues of ivy and flowers come through to tease me. Maybe with one of these keys I could sneak inside the ladies garden on a moonlit night and climb up into the branches of that forbidden tree?

A Late Giftie for your Basket!

2010-04-20T20:29:00.003-04:00

I'm still working on my series of illustrations for the children's shoot and thought this picture of Maja came out so cute! She looks like a little easter treasure just about to be delivered to a big blue basket... and quickly consumed!!!
I loved drawing the little chicks with their bulging eyes... I remember being so grossed out and fascinated at once by baby birds that would fall out of the nests on my driveway, seeing right through their transparent wrinkly skin. These little chicks have just opened their bulging eyes. The mom is modeled after the great white herons that would live on our lake down the hill from my house.Kah Leong and I collaborated on the concept of this image, Josh styled the clothing.

These underpants cast a spell on me...

2010-04-18T20:07:00.007-04:00

In one of my favorite little shops on one of my favorite little lanes hangs one of my favorite little prints by one of my favorite artists. It's a woodblock print of underpants by Hugo Guinness and it's cast a spell on me! Hugo is a British artist who displays his work at John Derian. John displays a bevy of Hugo's block prints of little oddities from typewriters to trucks, dogs, trucks, and soldiers... I get the feeling that each object figures into his personal narrative. But it's the honesty of those undies that pulls at my heartstrings most!

Dad's old baggy undies.... time to throw them away!!!

Hugo's work is available in antique frames...

I love weenie dogs! Because I can call them weenie dogs!

Looks like it got left in the sandbox...

Very pretty but a breeding ground for mosquitoes!

The springs have burst through the fabric but from where the audience sits it looks like a grand velvet throne. That is the power of make believe :-)

Keep the sheets drawn tight over your feet, I'll be back with the jello soon my pretty...

Fasten your collar with this now, we mustn't show our cleavage!

Type all your feelings out on to the page. It is important that we be as honest as we can with ourselves and others. Now. Burn the paper and bury the ashes!!!!

It's a pity the party had to move inside due to rain. My dress was practically ruined.

Gather just enough for the pizza but not so much that you to kill the plant!

My crushes Timmy and Tommy must have left him when they were playing our driveway...

A dyed egg takes longer to stink, don'cha think?

From Hugo's bio I gather that he was somewhat of an Edward Gorey child- sent away to boarding school at age seven, always loved making creations from toilet paper rolls, cornflake packets, and plaster, but hardly receiving the proper attention for it... finally persuading his parents to send him to art school in London where things began to unfold from there. But I like to imagine him as he describes himself walking through the park with his nanny and his twin sister observing the dogs, the trees, the old ladies, and the pigeons...

The series of woodblock prints currently on display at John Derian fascinates me because of it's restraint. Each is simply black on creme paper and looks like it could have been executed quickly, although the concepts are treasures that are the product of a lifetime of thought! They make me want to go out and get some wood to make me make my own woodblock prints. Isn't that is the sign of great art, when it inspires you to want to make your own! Hugo's work is artfully sprinkled throughout the store, like sprinkles on a cupcake, keeping me delighted as I browse among the other oddities. Hooray for Hugo!

Childhood Guardian

2010-04-16T00:45:00.008-04:00

When I was little my Dad loved to fill the house with treasures from his business trips around the world. We had a grandfather clock that would softly chime to us while we lay in our beds at night, a stately Japanese screen with representations of our family walking on clouds and carrying lotus buns, and a huge glazed oriental vase taller than I was into which we could toss our homework. But one of our family's dearest beloved treasures was a humble creature we called 'Snipe'. He was a tall black statue of a greyhound sitting at attention that lived in the front hallway under the grand curving staircase. I think my dad named him that as a joke and it just stuck. We all loved to give Snipe little love pats and caresses. He had sad eyes and drooping cheeks. When we got him he was almost taller than I was. Over the years as I grew up Snipe suffered many tumbles and spills and Dad mended his collar, nose, and neck many times with paint and wood putty. Finally I think Snipe had his ultimate spill and moved on to doggie heaven but the name will forever have a power over the heart of every 'child' in my family! This painting is in honor of our dear little hound... xoxo Snipe!

p.s. when my mom read this post she actually located poor little snipey and gave him a fresh coat of spray paint, posting an online gallery for you to see him. Click HERE to see...

Get Busy Ladies!

2010-04-14T00:58:00.009-04:00

The other day I caught a snippet of one of my favorite movies, Little Women, on T.V.
I love the way girls of this era spent their time constructing creative activities for themselves: Creating clever crafts out of what scarce supplies were available, knitting, sewing, inventing costumes and putting on plays, and of course, playing outside! When I think of these industrious wholesome ladies I like to think of my mom and my sisters... my mom was sure to teach us all how to embroider, to quilt, and to sew. I'm not sure what purpose any of these skills will serve me but it does make me feel like a 'refined lady'! Around the time I saw this old movie I was inspired to take up an old pass time that I never quite got the hang of, watercolor! I am quite certain that Louisa Alcott would have fully approved of my replacing late night T.V. time with watercolor time! I've developed a secret habit...of ducking back into my office late at night to make one watercolor in my lined sketchbook before bed. It only takes a moment but I feel in those minutes like I've got a passport to another time and place! I just think of a theme and let my inspiration take me there. Some of my watercolors look like they belong under a magnet on Grandma's refrigerator but each little painting seems to get a little better than the last.
Previously I was focusing on birds inspired by the antique bird sculptures at Anthropologie. Right now the whole world seems to be a little bird crazy! Here's an owl that I think came out particularly well.

Lately I've been visually exploring the Galapagos islands and have gotten to know the seals, tortoises, penguins and blue-footed boobies... I've been looking at travel magazines and wishing I could go there and see the magnificent docile beasts that Charles Darwin encountered. The following are all animals found on the Galapagos islands...

Kah Leong thinks the boobie in this picture looks like it's wearing a snorkel mask and just needs a breathing tube to make the picture complete...

I loved painting the shimmering fur on this 'fur seal'.

This amazing 'Marine Iguana' is the only lizard that spends part of its time under the ocean- it forages for algae growing on the underwater rocks!

The ocean behind this group of penguins was dark blue with a green reflection but I let it become a pattern of abstract stripes without realizing it. I think David Hockney would approve :-)

The last penguin in the line had a little accident of some kind, as you can see his tail bled a little, he is also in some sort of a big hurry! Maybe he is embarassed because of it? Anyway, the combination is sort of comical to me...

The colors on this giant Galapagos tortoise painting are so muted and old school, like something from the 70's, it reminds me of something I would look at in a picture book in my parent's basement when I was a little girl. I can imagine the corners of the pages would be mildewed...

That's the end of my art show! Come again! All paintings can be purchased on my Etsy!

The Williams Sisters

2010-03-30T19:48:00.006-04:00

My photographer husband and I got to collaborate with our young friends Maddie and Maja Williams on their very own fashion shoot. Maddie came up with the idea of staging an animal tea party. The two sisters got to dress up in fancy clothes and brought along their tea set. Their dad Josh styled the photos, Kah Leong shot, and I drew the illustrations in post production. Here is my favorite image so far....

I love this family! I think the best part of old friends is that you get to watch them grow. I think I have known the Williams family since I moved to New York city ten years ago. About eight years ago Josh (the girl's dad) and I were working on composing the soundtrack for my short film Runaway Bathtub, and we had the movie playing on the TV. We couldn't concentrate because little Maddie (below) wanted to dance around in front of the television and sing, competing for our attention. She was so charming and hilarious that we gave in to her wiles and decided to use her voice for the soundtrack for the movie! That key decision turned out to be the most popular element of the film!

Now Maddie has grown long, lean, and quiet, with her nose buried in books. Her little sister Maja (below) has stepped into Maddie's old goofball shoes and entertains us with dramatic interpretations of 'Don't let the Pigeon Drive the Bus'. It's so funny to see the girls go through the predictable yet delightful and somehow surprising stages of youth. I guess one of the things that makes us love children so much is that they never quite seem to know it all yet, but seem to be learning so much every day-it's fun to witness a little girl soaking it all in.

In kindergarden I was invited to be in a commercial for the Salvation Army. To arrive on time for the shooting, I needed to leave school a couple of hours early. I kept running up to my teacher about every 5 minutes asking 'is it time for me to go yet?' Finally my teacher was exasperated and tried to show me how to read the big round clock over the door, saying 'When the hand points to the number 1, then come up to me". I went back to my low wooden table. The only problem was, I couldn't tell which hand to watch, so I kept getting the second hand confused with the minute hand and proceeded to drive myself and my teacher crazy by a series of ill-timed guesses! I kept going up and she kept sending me back! I wasn't too young to feel embarrassed but there was NO WAY I was going to miss my chance at MOVIE STARDOM!

I hope this little fashion shoot will made Maddie and Maja feel like the little stars they are to me! xoxo Maja and Maddie!

My Little Bambino

2010-03-23T22:31:00.007-04:00

My sister Mary and I were wandering the streets of the city on Saturday night on our way to the Strand bookstore, and I asked her to tell me a story. She is always reading something good, and she told me the entire tale of 'Where Angels Fear to Tread' by E.M. Forster. In this story, an upper class English woman named Lilia runs off with a young Italian son-of-a-dentist named Gino. The result is a sweet little Italian bambino. Poor Lilia dies in childbirth, but Gino loves the baby so dearly! Mary's description of Gino and the baby was so heartwarming, especially when she told me about how he lay the baby down on the dirty carpet and would wipe it dry with whatever there was lying around. He sounded like a sweet buffoon. It inspired me in my current animation project. Here, I decided to depict a tender little baby just like Gino's. These are screenshots from the scene I was working on today. This is my little Bambino Italiano.

The baby's head, hands, and eyes are cut from paper. The hair and cheeks are a watercolor wash. I had fun sewing the red silk blankie and picking out the trim from the trim shop... why didn't someone tell me you can't iron lace? Good thing I bought extra! Mine melted! So you may notice I sewed on an extra layer.. but I like the look of the double layer. The darkened edges of the frame are also inspired by Mary, she has been taking lots of pictures with a Diana camera, which was sort of dirty and old so it was giving these shadowed antique edges. I put a glass filter on my HD camera lens then painted over it with carmex mixed with black paint which I manipulated with a q-tip and eye makeup brushes... I really like the way that came out! Also I'm thinking about the effects of pinhole cameras lately. Just thinking about how to get that tunnel vision effect.

The Artist is Present

2010-03-17T18:43:00.005-04:00

Today I got to participate in Marina Abramovic's performance art piece, 'The Artist is Present'. This is an endurance performance ocurring in the atrium of the MoMA. I went with a friend and was completely cynical about the piece, not being a fan of Marina's work before arriving. We arrived quite early in the day and there were only about 10 people in line ahead of us. The idea was to sit in the chair facing Marina, and the guard instructed us sternly that we were not allowed to put our hands on the table, speak to Marina, or mouth words to her, and that if we tried to he would know it and we would be removed. Marina will sit in the atrium at this table from open to close of the museum without break, through May 31. Most people in front of us in line seemed to use their opportunity in the chair across from Marina as a chance for their own personal performance, and took between 10 minutes to a half an hour to sit with her. Some people closed their eyes and just sat there, allowing Marina to silently stare at them. One woman stared at Marina until they both unexpectedly began to cry. Bridgette, a girl in line with me, said she fell into a trance. My friend Susan that came with me was completely star struck and trembled for minutes and said she couldn't leave the chair until the trembling stopped minutes later. The ones that puzzled me were the people who sat and stared into Marina's eyes for more than half an hour... Were they getting excited by the crowds standing around the gallery staring at them? Where did they get their sense of pleasure? Why were they hogging so much time? Yes, there was something nice about Marina's gaze, I imagine she was a bit like 'Amma', the woman who comes to New York twice a year to give hugs, people line up for hours to get a hug... I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised by the feeling I had once Marina readjusted herself and fixed her gaze on me (she had to center herself by closing her eyes and shift in her seat between every interaction). I was shy as I took my seat. Would Marina detect that just two hours ago I had joined the line scoffing at her piece? That I hadn't been an ardent admirer, and now I was on the MoMA's live, feed, a piece of history?

here is a screenshot of me from the MoMA live feed- excuse my bad posture, I was nervous!!!

She literally seemed to want to give me everything she could with her eyes, and I felt unworthy. She seemed prepared to sit with me for as long as I wanted even if it meant she had to stare at my plain Jane face all day! I thought I would give her the best gift I could for doing such a tough job, so I sat for only a minute. I noticed how hot and tired she looked, how beautiful! She is in her sixties but I didn't notice any wrinkles on her face, just lots of foundation and the shine of the lights. Her hair was so dark and shiny, like a pantene commercial. She wore a long dark gown that came down way past her feet and gave her a regal queenly aspect. Her pores looked enormous. Her eyes looked tired but luminous and full of inspiration...I took in all I could in a quick instant, smiled, then left hurriedly to the joy of those behind me in line.

Undone

2010-03-16T12:36:00.003-04:00

Undone from Hayley Morris on Vimeo.

This video by Hayley Morris is dedicated to her grandfather, who had Alzheimers. It touches me because it is related to a current project I am working on about mental illness called 'The Split House'. I think Hayley dealt with this subject in a brave and beautiful way and I was surprised and delighted with the development of the character at the very end.

Excursion to the Vineyard!!!

2010-03-15T23:53:00.004-04:00

My husband and I just spend a windswept weekend in Martha's Vineyard where we were guests at the annual Martha's Vineyard Film Festival! It was wonderful, though the weather was completely spooky and our inn felt like the setting for the opening scene from the pirate's meet-up in 'Treasure Island'! The wind literally was crying Wooooo ooooo! the whole time, and the rain was coming up with all sorts of creative fake outs and coy moves to keep us guessing.... We saw wild turkeys, rabbits, a badger, a scampering field mouse, were haunted by a howling innkeeper's cat, and told tales about the native american whaler who built the dwelling where we now slept. (Click on this picture of The Duck Inn for a larger image. Picture by Kah Leong Poon).
The festival was screening my film 'Puppy's Super Delicious Valentine's Day Biscuits' at the Chilmark Library, next to the community center located at Beetlebung corner. At first I have to admit I was a little less pumped when I heard it was showing at a library and not a theater, but then when I realized that the library was a place the children love to go, not a big dark theater, and are comfortable with, I checked my ego and got excited! It turned out great... The organizer, Lyndsay, put down egg crates for the kids and blankets, had everybody take their shoes off, and had a comfy cozy fest for the 2-4 year olds that she described as 'a little one's introduction to the movies, for kid's who may have never seen the movies ever before'. I was so honored to be included in such a program! The movies were followed by story hour, music and games. The storyteller magically knew all the children's names by heart! I couldn't believe it. That's a small town for you! It was a perfect memory for me and I couldn't remember a more cozy perfect setting to show my films. What a great lesson that was for me...
After the fest Kah Leong and I explored the island. You may know he is a professional photographer so that will explain the following amazing black and white photo he took of a former windmill we discovered on an exploratory drive through the middle of nowhere...Now the arms of the windmill are dismantled and it has been turned into a working bed and breakfast called 'Captain Flander's House'.

This picture by Kah Leong is of one of the famed gingerbread cottages in Oak Bluffs.

Its late so I must conclude this post. I will just have to leave you with some key words that I came away with... insane weather, wild, gritty, countryside, stonewalls, scraggly, hardy, turkeys for pete's sake, turkeys! damp that sinks into the bone, solitary beauty.... thank you Elise of the Duck inn for the daily morning muffins!

Alexander McQueen's Legacy

2010-03-09T19:18:00.003-05:00

Perhaps because of all the media frenzy surrounding Alexander McQueen's death, I felt it was a must to stop in the boutique in the meat packing district and really study his work there. I came face to face with one of his most stunning dresses, one that I met once before, I call it the HORNET DOODLE DRESS!!!! I love this dress!!! It looks like something my little sister would doodle on one of her college notebooks, applying intense pressure to leave dents that almost cut the page, then spend the whole period trying to mirror the lines symmetrically on the other side. The pointy gothic patterns on this dress have something so forbidding, psychotic, and dreamy about them, so poisonous and masculine! Somehow the designer managed to capture it in gauze and overlay the imagery like giant hornets buzzing over a soft buttercup frock.... luscious! The sweet flowery scent of a designer Alexander McQueen candle wafted from a little cubby hole next to the dress and kept me completely entranced! The shopwoman was very kind and offered to send me a picture of this dresswhen she saw me pull out my cel phone, it was in my email by the time I left the store. My experience with shop people in these types of stores is that they are usually very friendly and don't judge! I would encourage my friends not to be shy in these types of shops, just relax, explore, and enjoy as you would in an art museum. Because you really are!

Utopia

2010-03-06T22:53:00.006-05:00

Jonathan Adler the Master Ceramicist
Utopia Faces platter

Lord and Lady Reversible Mugs

Steward and Stewardess Reversible Vase

Williamsburg Hipsters Reversible Vase

Butter Dish

Women Pitcher

It's UTOPIA just thinking about Jonathan Adler's fabulous collection of stoneware peeking through sheer white glaze.... Jonathan Adler is the Lewis Caroll of interior Design.... He's a local New York designer who I got the chance to see up close at a charity brunch in Brooklyn. Seemed really sweet and such a megatalent!!! I have been a huge fan of his Utopia collection for years and keep a constant eye on it online in case of sales... As you will see on his website, not all his work is created in this soft etherial style, he is a man of diverse styles and talents, but this is my favorite body of his work. These pieces are so etherial, so soft... they remind me of something I could find in a thrift store in a dusty side street in some european city I have yet to discover, a place where the cheese is so stinky and the grapes are so sweet, a place where it's fine to be naked in the herb garden and where the old ladys use twiggy brooms to shoo grey cats away from the rooftops... I got my mom the Lord-Lady reversible mugs for mother's day last year and told my husband that should we come into great fortune this year I want to buy myself a special prezzie from this same collection! Just one special cup, please oh please! I love the reversible faces on these items, especially some of his latest creations, the hipster and hipsterettes, inspired by the characters seen around Williamsburg. (A neighborhood close to Johnathan's ceramics studio and not far from my house. Williamsburg has become so trendy so and overrun by so called starving artists, that it has become a parody of itself! These mugs are a perfect time capsule, their faces capture the poser inside all of us!!!)
Jonathan started as a ceramicist but his talents have sprouted to include needlepoint, furniture, leather stuffed rhinoes, butter dishes and Christmas ornaments to name a few... always so practical! Pick up his book here!

Sadie Benning

2010-03-02T00:33:00.004-05:00

Today I've been swept away by memories of a couple of films that I saw when in art school. Sometimes you only have to see something once and the impression is just left in your mind to influence you artistically forever! Today I wanted to share the work of the wonderful Sadie Benning(click the camera for video clips). Was the first one I ever saw 'A Place called Lovely'? or maybe 'Girl Power'? The youngest artist ever to be included in the Whitney Biennial, at age 19, she had already been creating fantastic videos since her father gave her a toy Pixel Vision Fisher Price camera at age 15. (The Whitney Biennial just opened for the year, btw, so if you are looking for a person to go with, gimme a call!)
Anyway, back to the camera... The fisher price Pixel Vision recorded very low distorted quality black and white movies on AUDIO CASETTE TAPES!!! It's lack of quality made it an instant flop to consumers and a favorite of artists. Now these cameras are very hard to find and usually need to be specially rigged to be compatible with standard equipment. But I'm already begging my husband to give me the okay to add one to my wishlist! The effects are so amazing!!! Somewhat similar to a Super 8 camera but even more raggedy.

Sadie Benning was born only a few years before me, but when I saw her work in college, she became an instant pop legend in my heart. One of the biggest ways she influenced me was through her use of text... She liked to use still frames of her own handwriting, like snapshots of lines of her own poetry. The use of her own handwriting gave such a nice energy and flavor to each piece. She would allow the camera to shake and scroll across the words (see the examples in the links above)...

Sadie used her camera to make visual diaries about being a teenager, her angst, lesbianism, humor, love of punk music, and relationship to her parents. She eventually incorporated rough animation, bits of live action, and moved on to use a Super 8 camera. (Usually this camera is not thought of as an 'evolution' for most folks, hah!) Sometimes Sadie's most eloquent moments are when she simply points the camera at her face. When I saw her films as a freshman in Susan Anker's art appreciation class I felt an intense jealousy of her mind and wanted to swap minds with her to steal a little bit of her genius!!! Her talent was so raw and unhampered. I feel like my true feelings are so untapped, always kept so safe under lock and key, maybe I can blame my mom for raising us six sisters to be like Victorian little ladies and always making 20 varieties of tea available at breakfast???

It is with deep regret that I say I will probably never get to watch all her videos, they are squirreled away by Video Data Bank and you have to be with an organization to order them... maybe someday when I am a teacher? It's a plan!

This movie is ABOUT sadie benning, created after her style: very informative...

Desire

2010-02-25T21:33:00.002-05:00

I sincerely hope this puppy was rewarded with a big sticky cupcake in the end!!! Puppy asked me to track down his address so he could bake him a batch of his frosted bacon biscuits...

Seatbelt commercial

2010-02-22T20:05:00.002-05:00

I forgot I was in front of my computer...

The Blue Aspic

2010-02-20T11:43:00.003-05:00

Edward Gorey (1925-2000)
I always admired Edward Gorey for his abilities to use the technique called 'crosshatching', using close parallel lines to create shading. I place Gorey at the top of the list of a group of modern children's book illustrators who rock this technique, including Maurice Sendak (Where the Wild Things Are), and John Tenniel (Alice in Wonderland). Each of these artists uses crosshatching to create amazing richness of form and the illusion of light and shadow. Grandfathers and masters to this technique are Rembrant and Durer who are the recognized masters for their control and use of crosshatching in religious etchings.

And then there was 'The Blue Aspic'.

In this illustrated childrens book by Edward Gorey, the author and illustrator uses the crosshatching technique to confound and confuse the eye in a way I have before seen.

Amazingly, the cross hatching seems to become a character all its own. At first the illustrations are standard Edward Gorey- amazing, intriguing, but standard. The plot opens with a man named Jasper Ankle, who is obsessed with an opera singer, Ortenzia Caviglia. The story progresses and the illustration style develops. Ortenzia undergoes a meteoric rise to fame. Jasper transforms from silent admirer to shifty stalker. The tale of unrequited love unfolds. And the crosshatching. Goes. Bananas. It literally starts to come forward off the page. As Jaspers reasoning becomes more and more clouded, the hatching visually begins to mask the socially neglected stalker from the other figures in the picture, heightening his isolation. As in Rembrandt's 'Crucifixion' states, Gorey uses hatching here to skillfully create atmosphere. The textured air blends seamlessly with the hatching on the Jasper's shabby coat for a delightful game of hide and seek. His meaningless existence is only questionable to the viewer. The author plays so many games with blocks of rich black ink to emphasize the blatant status of the portly paying opera attendees versus the slinking sneaker Jasper who gets hardly enough distinction to stand out from the page at all. For the best example of this, not pictured here, go to the bookstore and look for the example of Jasper trudging through the rain. Your imagination can already probably take you half way there.
Released in 1968, 'The Blue Aspic' is treasured as one of Gorey's iconic masterpieces.

Maurice Sendak's 'Where the Wild Things Are'
John Tenneil's illustrations of 'Alice in Wonderland'

Rembrandt's 'Three Crucifixes'
Durer's 'Adam and Eve'

2010-02-18T20:55:00.001-05:00

Puppy And Duck - The funniest home videos are here

The Heron and the Crane

2010-02-18T01:02:00.003-05:00

This was amazing to see on the big screen... It's made from paper cut-outs!!!!! Yuri Norstein takes cut-outs to a new level...
He talked about how each movie he makes is autobiographical and described a scenario with his mother-in-law which inspired the scene with the umbrella. Apparently, things were getting tense when his mother-in-law was staying in his home, she left in a huff, only to return by train the next day. He saw her when he was out by the train station in the pouring rain and offered her his umbrella. Later at home it came out that she had no idea who had offered it to her.

I love this animation because it reminds me of the times in my life when I have had incredible opportunities... but they came when I wasn't mentally ready and I tragically missed out. When I realized what happened, it was too late! I always tell myself to accept opportunities when they come because I want to correct this tendency, but it happens far too often still :-( Work, relationships, it happens to me all the time!!! It's usually pride that gets in my way.
You will see a perfect example in 'The Heron and the Crane".
Yuri talked about how fairy tales can be quite serious, and I think you will agree when you see this beautiful short film...

The Little Prince

2010-02-17T23:08:00.003-05:00

I was in the Strand the other day perusing picture books, when I came across a deluxe pop-up unabridged edition of 'The Little Prince' by Antoine De Saint Exupery. Before I could even look at all the pop up elements the text sucked me in and I was spellbound by this little fable!!! I couldn't buy the popup book, but ended up returning the very next day to buy the softcover and quickly inhaled the rest of the story on the subway! Now I feel like a dunce for having gone so long without reading it... it's like finding out about kermit the frog when you're 30! If you have also somehow missed this book, here is a little excerpt to entice you...

"That's right," the fox said. "For me you're only a little boy just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you have no need of me, either. For you I'm only a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, we'll need each other. You'll be the only boy in the world for me. I'll be the only fox in the world for you..."

This book was written by a french aviator. I really like the fact that it was written by a pilot, not a writer. I believe that like this pilot, every person carries one or two stories in their heart, writers, dishwashers, sanitation workers, housewives... and that these stories are pure and powerful. And that if pressed each of us has a little prince inside. Who's your little prince?

Puppy's Super Delicious Valentine's Day Biscuits

2010-02-15T23:03:00.002-05:00

Are you still in the Valentine's Day spirit? Good 'cause love's a year round occasion! Realized I missed the boat on posting this, should have had it up for ya last week! Hope you enjoy my little movie! It's Puppy's screen debut. In it you will see his first ever batch of biscuits (he's famous for them) and get to see what Puppy and Duckie's life was like before they both came to the big city!!!

This movie recently screened at the Museum of Art and Design on Columbus Circle as part of 'Slash- Paper Under the Knife'. If you would like to see more cut paper animation by other artists, you can go to 'movingpaper.org
There you can also see another one of my films, 'Paper Doll' featured :-)

Yuri Norstein

2010-02-15T22:35:00.003-05:00

Hello! Tonight I saw a presentation by Russian animator Yuri Norstein at the SVA theater in Chelsea. His little film 'The Hedgehog in the Fog' was so simple yet so rich technically.

Yuri also defended his heavy use of black and white, which endeared him to me even further. He spoke of the power and force of black and white, which color cannot achieve. Speaking about why he does everything by hand, despite the fact that the audience member said it could be achieved using computer, Yuri said, 'There is a very short line from the heart to the hand. The hand captures things you cannot possibly put into the computer'. He also spoke at length about his philosophy of character design, "Each character can only be asked to say and do what is in the scope of its existence and persona'. In this short film you will see that he revels in the timid sweetness of the hedgehog's personality and revolves the whole plot around this. He uses everything from conte crayon to watercolor and even etching, all combined seamlessly; even integrating live action (for example the fireworks and water effects)

I've said enough, so please enjoy this movie!!!

The Turkey and the Feast

2010-01-24T22:37:00.003-05:00

Hi Everybody!!!
I know it's not Thanksgiving, but just humor me...
My little niece Winter wrote this story called 'The Turkey and the Feast'. It was so cute and inspiring I had to illustrate it! Hope you like!

It was Thanksgiving day, and turkey was getting ready. On his morning walk, he saw racoon. He asked her this: "Can I invite you to my feast?" "OK" said the racoon, so on they walked in cold air. They they saw a big bird, and the racoon asked him if he wanted to come to turkey's feast. "OK".

So they went back home and started to cook. They carefully followed turkey into his kitchen. They blindfolded the turkey because they secretly wanted him to be the dinner. They made him walk up the stairs, to go into the oven. He went in and they slammed the door shut.
Fifteen hours later they go check on the turkey. When they open the oven door the turkey is inside. He is laying peacefully.
The racoon touches him gently to see if he is dead or alive. The turkey's eye pops open and he says: "You forgot to preheat!" Happy Thanksgiving!

Winter Ashurst
~Second Grade Creative Writing Story 4
Illustrated by Annie Poon

Genesis

2009-10-29T11:12:00.004-04:00

R. Crumb, the most famous underground comic book artist EVER has just published his illustrated edition of the book of Genesis!!!
Can you believe it? His artwork is usually completely insane, it's cool to
see someone with such an unpredictable imagination use his forces for something so GOOD! From the interview I learned that he doesn't believe the book is true but he still feels the stories are very powerful.

The 201 pages are about to go on display at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, followed by a tour that will include New York City.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISS DUCK!

2009-10-14T13:10:00.003-04:00

I created a super fun ad for my friends over at FRED FLARE this week and am so happy with the way it turned out! Here is a tiny piece of it... I will post the whole thing soon but if you are curious you can head over to Fred Flare.com and click on the 'Sugar Daddy'image. In this comic Puppy's Biggest wish just might come true!!!!!!!

Paper Mache Genius

2009-10-05T12:41:00.004-04:00

This week I have been thinking a lot about making some projects from paper mache, at the suggestion of a good friend. When I think of paper mache, I think of erupting volcano projects at the school fair and the pair of alligator shoes I made in high school. (A pair of lady's pumps transformed to look like silly alligator heads complete with fake eyelashes and pointy teeth).

In researching a good recipe for the paste, I stumbled across some INCREDIBLE beauties made from paper mache. Here is a gorgeous creation by an artist named Monique Robert.

These next sculptures are made by an artist named Jonni Good. The pig is actually a piggy bank- the torso is an empty Morton Salt container so it's hollow for all the loose change. She made it for her grandson. What an amazing gift!!!

She also made a soulful looking whale, for me it was love at first sight! Tell me- who knew paper mache could be so elegant and delicate looking as this perfect little creature?

You can make the paste from elmers glue and water, or just equal parts flour and water with a couple of tablespoons of salt mixed in to prevent mold. Then just dip newspaper strips in the paste and lay onto form. I am very excited to try my own!!!

Gemma Correll

2009-10-03T00:16:00.004-04:00

I have a new favorite artiste and her name is Miss Gemma Correll- her work is so silly! Gemma lives in England, but her cartoons reminds me exactly of the hipsters I see whenever I head out towards Brooklyn. From what I can tell, she is completely obsessed with pug dogs and second hand clothes. She did a series called 'What I wore today' and which is quite intimate and gives me a great sense of what Gemma is like. Her flickr site is a gold mine of inspiration!

Confounded Confession!!!

2009-10-02T23:41:00.005-04:00

Click HERE to see Puppy's attempt to 'lay it all on the line' with Miss Duck! A lot has happened with Puppy since this post, but if you want to be up to date you'll have to check FRED FLARE's BLOG every Saturday morning for the latest!

A Crush is Born!!!

2009-09-01T20:05:00.008-04:00

I saw this lips couch at the New Museum and fell in love myself.
Click HERE to see Puppy's latest Fred Flare blog post about the influence of the 'Lips' couch.

Zizzle Zazzle

2009-09-01T19:06:00.005-04:00

Puppy's been running circles round this sleepy blogger lately! I thought I should take an evening to catch you all up on the little rascal's escapades through love, life and the city.... Click here for his excellent solution to a poor pickle's wilting self esteem.

My interpretation

2009-08-26T21:20:00.003-04:00

Here's my interpretation of Etka's artwork... My mom is a great tennis player and played the muse for this one.

Etka

2009-08-26T11:05:00.003-04:00

I love the work of this artist from Sweden and wish I had this grid of faces as a print over my desk... click the image for a good look. How creative! I had some fun sketching from these faces for ideas this morning. It's interesting to me to make as many variations on a simple face as possible. Right now I'm trying to learn to put more expression onto the face of Puppy for a wrapping paper concept....

2009-07-31T16:11:00.002-04:00

OH MY GOSH!!!!! This little bunny is so cute, it looks like a snowball! It's called a 'Lionmane' bunny and my sister told me she has four of them living in her garage. When I asked her 'why four?' she said, almost indignant, 'why not?'. She told me that this time of year all the 'easter bunnies' given as gifts to local children have now grown to an unwanted size and are all filling up the shelter. She says aside from her small family, she still feels she has lots of leftover love. So she felt partly responsible to rescue as many of these little bunnies as possible and let them share her wonderful home. Her little lionmanes love to eat dandelions, and every day she goes into her yard to pick a fresh crop that she and her two little girls feed to the bunnies. Sounds like heaven on earth to me!

Where oh Where is Puppy?

2009-07-31T15:38:00.003-04:00

I lost track of Puppy's wanderings for several days, he finally turned up at my local pool where he was happily splashing away. It looked like so much fun I had to do a little comic about it. Click HERE to read...
Then tell me this: Purple cloud... Urban legend or no? I seem to remember it happening to me...

Moving On!!!

2009-07-22T16:38:00.004-04:00

Hello Friends,
This week Puppy met a very wise caterpillar in Central Park (No sillies, not the statue, a real one!) Thanks to Puppy's new friend, he was able to learn a thing or two about letting go. Click HERE to read this week's comic, 'Moving On'........ and then get up off your booty away from your compootie!
xoxoxo

Tell me oh Tell Me

2009-07-18T10:40:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone,
Lately I'm working on a syndicated comic over on fredflare.com.
I hope you will hop over to their blog and read this week's comic, "Tell Me oh Tell Me, Which Love is Mine?"
This week Puppy was feeling introverted and bit melodromatic. His heart was a little bit in a ruckus, what with being new to the city and surrounded by so many people who already seem to know eachother. You can read the comic by clicking here.

LOL!!!!

2009-07-09T08:51:00.001-04:00

LOL

Atom.com: Funny Videos | Spoofs | Sing-Alongs

"So unless you're a mean snobby Southern Belle, clap your hands and say LOL!!!"

Wish you were here!!!!!!!!!!

2009-07-05T00:21:00.004-04:00

Hee Hee Hee

The Moon

2009-06-21T23:44:00.004-04:00

This is a spot created for the New York International Children's Film Festival.
I like it for it's dumb simplicity. My favorite is the rabbit.

Puppy Takes the Cake!

2009-06-17T16:10:00.006-04:00

Hi friends, Kermit the frog here reporting from the Kids Film Fest at Soho's New Museum: According to the jury, 'Puppy's Super Delicious Valentine's Day Biscuits' got the most giggles from the kiddles... so now Puppy takes the cake (and the biscuits) with the Audience Favorite award! Time to celebrate with some gummy worms and coconut chutney :-)

It was a wonderful day, so sunny and bright, when my loyal friends descended with me to the dark basement of the museum to watch the festival lineup.

Little did we know we would be wined and dined with goodies from Kid Robot! We had much fun tearing at the wrapping of our little zoomies, while we waited for the films to start. The fest, run by my friend Lisa King, was a true delight.

In my film, Puppy decides to try and win the heart of his neighbor, Miss Duck, by baking her something special for Valentine's Day. Her unexpected reaction and ingenuity lead to a creative and heartwarming conclusion. One of my other favorite films was 'The Magic Stamp' by Tomoko Oguchi. In this film, a little boy is given a stamp by his grandfather, who tells him that once it is affixed to an envelope, his one wish will come true. This movie is very touching and addresses the priceless love the boy has for his grandfather.

For some images from the fest, Click here.
After the fest was over, we went up to the skyroom on the top floor and wandered about taking in the beautiful view of Manhattan. (aargh, the doors to the balcony were sealed!!!) The after party dwindled down to a handful, the most loyal continued on to central park to catch the last rays of sun on the damp grass. Finally we progressed to my sister's house for hot chocolate and dinner, followed by talk of science until late into the night. Thank you Puppy, you never fail to disappoint! (What's this I hear about you making a new friend? More on that TBA...

Spy Camera

2009-05-22T17:45:00.008-04:00

I have to be super stealthy to take photos in stores. They always seem to be suspicious that I am from a competitor. At Duane Reade, the store set a big burly security guard after me! Anyway, I did manage to take some blurry images of things that strike my fancy. I love store packaging!!!

A Dastardly Ditty

2009-02-17T23:54:00.002-05:00

An Evil musical fantasy by our green friend Vendetta

My Fiendish Weakness

2009-02-16T15:17:00.004-05:00

One of my favorite animators is Amy Winfrey! She created the series 'Making Fiends', a bunch of web episodes that I fell in love with and watch again and again. To summarize the series, Grade school girl Vendetta is constantly concocting fiends in her little home laboratory to terrorize her classmates. Meanwhile, little Charlotte will do anything to make and keep friends, even one as evil as Vendetta! The dynamics between them will have you giggling all day at your desk.

Be sure to watch the original web episodes, they are the best ones!!!