Saturday, February 22, 2014

Friday, February 7, 2014

This is going in my Etsy about me section.

As a kid I was always painting and drawing.  There is video of me on Christmas day as a child, laying on the floor with crayons and blank paper rather than playing with all of my new presents.
       When I was in elementary school I started my first business.  There was a white binder with plastic sheet insert sleeves that was my portfolio. I would draw Looney Tunes characters and Disney characters and some of my own characters and sell them to my classmates on the bus ride to school.  I hired a good friend of mine to be my secretary; she took orders and kept track of my portfolio. I traded for lunch money, toys or trinkets, or whatever they had that I could make use of.
         My parents were always encouraging with my artistic talent but my business idea ended up being inspired by encouragement from my 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Joseph.  I had done a Beauty and the Beast drawing that she loved and at the end of the school year asked if she could hang on to.  This was a giant compliment  to me at the time; I'd never been particularly popular in school, I wasn't athletic, I was great at academia and now I felt like I knew what I wanted to do... pursue an education in the arts and see my work on products and in magazines and wherever else!  This is quite an early age to make such a decision, but there I was... a second grader so sure of her future.
         Ever since those days I continued drawing and painting, working on creating my own style and creatures of my own instead of just being able to draw from life or copy the characters of others.  I went to the College for Creative Studies in Detroit to study illustration.  Even before graduation I'd been showing my work in local businesses and galleries.
         Now I do freelance work and sell my original works and products here on Etsy and at local craft fairs and shows.   I've been a vendor at the Motor City Comic convention, Pengicon, Noel Night Detroit,  The New Dodge Lounge in Hamtramck, I've shown work at Cranky Yellow in Saint Louis MO, 323 East formerly in Royal Oak MI, Mike's Comics and Games in New Baltimore MI, L.A Cafe, The Phoenix Cafe, Metal Moon Tattoo Studio and art gallery, Tattoo Nouveau, and many more!   If you are local to the Detroit area you most likely have seen my work.  
         I'm highly influenced by things from my childhood, old toys, cartoons, video games, emerging technologies and japanese kawaii culture and well really anything cute and asian.  I feel like the combination of cute and colorful and morbid would be a fairly accurate description.  I paint regardless of happiness or sadness.  I love the feeling when you finish a work and something exist where once there was blank canvas or paper.  I make something exist.  That's the real fun in this.     These days I continue to show my work and promote online.  I appreciate every one of you who watches my shop and enjoys my work.
     
thank you!

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Kittens and Dreams


Local business shout out!



Metal Moon Tattoo studio and art gallery in Warren Michigan
L.A. Cafe in Waterford Michigan
and
Treat Dreams in Royal Oak Michigan

Thank you all for supporting artists and displaying local work in your shops!
I currently have work on display at the first two and will have work in Royal Oak at
Treat Dreams come spring or summer this year!


So, keep warm and cuddle your kitties, if you are in the area come check out my works!