Finally here! Nerdy Totes!

Nerds Get the Chicks Tote @ LiPeony!

I know better late then never but I finally got one of my favorite prints on a tote bag. The reason behind the lateness was I wanted to try it out and it's been about two months that I've been wearing it out hanging with my friends. It's 100% cotton with a whopping 15 x 16 inches of space for random things. I love the size and simplicity because I just throw whatever inside and it's good to go. Most of all I really like how it has something I created on it and I took the time to research and put the print on the bag myself.

Nerds and Chicks @ LiPeony

Though it took me a while to get around to it I'm very happy I decided to try something new with what I already love doing.

Until next time... release that little idea lingering at the back of your head

Spot of Spring

Sunflower Love Song Print @ LiPeony

Oh you weather fiend... after months of coldness and snowstorms we just got a touch of Spring and right around Valentine's day so that's pretty awesome! I visited the Philadelphia Art Museum... yes the place where Rocky ran up those steps. The building itself was beautiful and the art inside was gorgeous. My favorite ones were the rooms modeled after Japanese Tea Houses, various temples and fountains from around the world. I also got to view some wonderful Monet pieces. If you are going to go every first Sunday is "Pay what you want" so I suggest going then as normally it's around $12 for student and more for non students. They do have a free coat check which is very appreciated. I still love the Met at NYC. hehe.

Until next time... visited any cool museums lately or anywhere during this break of wonderful Spring like weather?

Mmm Anime

I've yet to see Miyazaki's latest movie Ponyo but it's already making a huge splash overseas and in the U.S. If it's anything else like his other wondrous movies (Howl's Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro) it has be great. The stories told are so magical and what I love was how the animation and art though may be simple captures the tinest details that really make the movies come to life. Not relying on CGI the animation is drawn out and colored almost reminding me of a water painting. The characters in these movies are so whimsical and deep that it's hard not to love'em. These movies are great for the entire family... I've seen his movies since I was in 1st grade till now when I've graduated college they never cease to amaze me with their depth and details.

I'm a huge anime fan going to conventions and also cosplaying. As an artist I usually don't do fanart but I have made some if the characters or particular anime has really struck me. Hoping to go to the artist alley next year at Otakon I've made a few fanarts... this one below is by far my favorite.
It's the cast of characters from My Neighbor Totoro. This was the first drawing I did entirely on computer. Using my new Wacom tablet I hit the floor running as I got use to drawing onto the pad straight to the computer. It's much harder then one could imagine. I did several drafts against several backgrounds until I got what you see above. I'm sure to revise it as it gets close to the convention. I hope you guys like it... and really check out those movies. =)

Until next time... get inspired and inspire others. =)

Otakon Wrap Up!

Warning heavy number of images in this post!

So Otakon was simply AWESOME! This year the crowd was much much bigger though I spent most of my time in the artist alley selling, I still saw some pretty neat stuff! Unfortunately no one is allowed to take pictures at the artist alley or the art auction to protect the artist's work from being photographed and copied. So no pictures of my cosplay or my table =(. Though people didn't know who my character was except for one guy many took my picture because I was simply a "kawaii maid character". Fine with me. =D The above picture was taken when we were lining up to get our badges (my bf, his cousin and roommate)

This is the front entrance of the convention hall and you can faintly see the huge line of people, the line wrapped around the HUGE convention hall talking about at least 4 - 5 blocks and winded in a long snack on the opposite side. The weather was wonderful! Not too hot, not too cold and NO RAIN!

Here are some cosplays the one above is from Spirited Away a fantastic movie that the whole family can enjoy! Also in the art auction a beautiful art piece of Spirited Away was sold for $800 in the live auction! I did fairly well in the art auction and only one piece was not bid on (the one i worked the hardest on) yet the one I spent ten minutes fetched a rather high price. That shows you never know what people like.They also had a model contest in which people built replicas, painted them, posed them etc where they are judged and auctioned off according to certain standards. This one above was $10,000 not including shipping. You can see it was very large and the details are right with the show Big O robot it was modeled after.

King Boo from the Mario games was also there! Looks like a cute little marshmallow to me! =D Though some had much more elaborate costumes that looked like you would be sweating like mad inside. Others were so delicate and detailed it really took your breath away. These pictures are taken by my bf and he has a quirky sense of what appeals to him.
There's always some oddball cosplays like this guy who did the Sham Wow guy apparently punching a lady. It was all in good fun and unfortunately I didn't leave the artist alley and they usually have mass gatherings of cosplayers that post for group pictures.

I did fairly well in the artist alley though not too many people were gung ho about cards but I made twice my table fee. The people next to me who did mostly fan art and prints were selling like mad. The reason why I didn't do fan art and such was I've seen some of the artist's work and they are amazing makes me think a bit less of my own skills. However next year I will be trying to sell and this time with my art. My bf got me the Bamboo Tablet I've been drawing and creating like mad! I'll post some pictures next time.

Otakon was full of win... had a super blast and so so so so wish I was back there again! I'll be selling at the Brooklyn Indie Market this Saturday July 25th 11am - 7pm so stop on by if you're in the hood.

Until next time.. Otakon 2010 or bust!

A New Piece of Art - O

That's my newest piece of art. I love chiyogami paper and well origami paper in general because they're so diverse and very pretty. I'm planning on buying the more intricate ones and making special edition origami dolls. Although the above art looks simple it took me upwards of 4 - 6 hours to make. I had the original design out in pencil where I cut it out on a transparent plastic. Slowly I cut the details with the X - ACTO knife and boy did that take so long and my fingers were hurting. I used white acrylic paint and painted it on and outlined it in black. I really like how it turned out... bright... colorful and a twist of the manga/anime style drawings I usually do. I'm planning on making a huge intricate one for an art auction in July but haven't gotten the huge piece of white paper I need.

Until next time... Chibi Girl says byebye!

Just You and Me

I'm actually very nervous on putting up the first of my Black/White and Red Series. This one has no red but I absolutely love it so much. I got this idea when I was thinking of my significant other and of a story I was in the middle of writing. It's in pen and pencil but to me it's one of my best works. I'm extremely proud of it and evokes the feeling of not being alone in a sometimes lonely world. I set the price high because that's just how much I love it and so proud of it. I will not lower it and if it does not sell... that's fine. I'd love to keep it and frame it up on my walls anyways. =D

Until next time... when the world has closed it's doors and shut it's shutters to you... just hold my hand and it'll be fine.

Bookmarks Galore!

Yeps ever since I got my new beloved 1.25" hole punch cutter I've been cutting a whole bunch of Bristol paper circles and drawing faces on them. Then I got this stroke of genius and created the little bookmarks above available in my shop. At first I noticed that with the heads the 1.5" x 6" white blank bookmark lacked that bit of oomph. Doodling little circles and polka dots I came up with those designs. I love how they turned out!
I also made bookmarks of my ACEO images and hand colored them. These are also available in my shop. Right now I made a little key chain type thing that I sprayed with three coats of Kyrlon Acrylic Spray and carrying it wherever I go to test the durability. I'm a bit iffy on laminating and resin which I hear stinks to high heaven!
I've also been working hard on some art I'm getting ready to put up in an art auction next year in July. I know that's really far in the future but I want a good variety of art since it takes me about a week or so to make each one from the pencil drawing to outlining in pen to scanning it and getting it on photoshop and another week or two weeks to decide on the paper and place to print them. The first one I print I do more designing by hand adding to it's uniqueness. The one above is the black and white version of a piece of art I sold last year but with my new photoshop I'll be recreating it and also adding some extras.

Until next time... create what your heart desires.. =D

ACEO? What the??

I SEE YOU!
Lolol. Now what is that painted eye looking at you? That's something called an ACEO or Art Card Editions and Originals. They're basically really small artwork that are 2.5" x 3.5" and are considered collectibles or for more info here's a wikipedia article ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artist_trading_cards ). The above one is by 5erg at www.5erg.etsy.com and is actually one of my favorite artists on etsy. The detailed cards like the one above are awesome and well I was never good with oil painting and I like those a lot! Before etsy I had no idea what ACEO are or that they even existed! Here's another artist that I love too.

This one is by fatedveil at www.fatedveil.etsy.com... her are fantastic mixed media meaning they use a lot of different types of techniques and materials. The one above it stood out to me at first sight. I really love the blue color and the picture not to mention the extra gleaming gem! It's really an awesome piece of work! Depending on how intensive the process is ACEO prices range and frankly if you're cheap and poor.. i.e. me... you may want a print of the originals which are cheaper but well there's nothing better then having an ORIGINAL copy is there?
Well The above two are my attempts at ACEOs which I must say pales in comparison to the ones above me and what is so appealing is that I don't like making giant pieces of artwork. Reason... I got no space to work with in my tiny cramp room... so tiny cards of art are awesome! Plus I love using permanent markers and I think they turned out very well! Of course I'm still going to do my origami but this lets me expand on ideas and also take a nice rest! If you love art but have no space or money gander at ACEOS on www.etsy.com!

Art in your pocket... think about it!