My First Landscapes

Besides a couple of class assignments in junior high, these are the first landscapes I've ever done. I've been flirting with the idea of trying one for a few years now. I LOVE painting people, but it was nice to try something new, after all, don't they say variety is the spice of life?

I did two different versions of the same scene--an abstract version and an impressionistic version. Although I like them both, the bottom one is more my style. Which one do you prefer?

I'm so excited to try some more! I love painting...

You Might Be An Artist If...

Jade

I love symbolism. You'll find symbolism in most of my pieces and even blogs about what certain symbols mean to me. In this painting, I added some warrior paint to the model's cheek. Lately I've been going through a doozy of a trial and sometimes just getting up in the morning and facing another day takes a great deal of courage. On the other cheek I allowed paint to drip, making it almost appear like a tear. I feel much like a warrior, going to battle, on a daily basis. Sometimes I feel strong and fierce and determined, other times I feel too fragile and break down and cry. In this painting I feel I captured both strength and vulnerability, a combination I find beautiful and intriguing in a person. 

Introducing: An ABC Book for the Despairing, Disheartened and Depressed

I've been wanting to write and illustrate a children's book since I was a child myself. Actually, I did do just that when I was nine or ten, but needless to say nothing ever came of it. Sooooo, my brother and I, who both love dark humor, were in a somber mood one day and started thinking of funny and depressing alliterations to cheer ourselves up. We ended up with a big old ugly list and then thought, "Hey! Let's turn this into a book!" And so we did. It's not technically a children's book--adults will probably appreciate it more. In fact, it might give smaller kids bad dreams.

An ABC Book for the Despairing, Disheartened and Depressed is a darkly humorous book about some of the crappy things in life that happen to perfectly nice people. From the severe (Atrocious atomic annihilation) to the trivial (Zealous zits), this children's book for adults is full of witty alliterations, and somber and silly illustrations. The authors' goal is to bring some cheer to those who are down in the dumps. They believe it is, in part, through humor they have been able to survive some pretty bleak times of their own.

Buy your copy HERE

Milla

Although it was not intentional, this painting reminds me a little of one of my favorite painter's work, Francoise Nielly. It's interesting to see little bits and pieces of my favorite artist's works in my own work. If you look carefully, you can see Charles Dwyer, Klimt, Van Gogh, Michael Shapcott and Francoise Nielly (among others) have been major influences for me as an artist. The music I listen to also influences my mood and therefore my paintings. I listened to Bat For Lashes as I worked on this piece.

NYC Trip

 I had the pleasure of hanging out with my brother in NYC. Being only fourteen months apart in age, we've been besties since we were in diapers.

 We had a blast exploring the city.

 I saw all sorts of cool murals and street art.

 I really like this one.

 It was uber cold, but my cute hat kept me warm.

 I love the buildings there. So pretty.

 We checked out various art galleries in Chelsea. This piece is by Yoko Ono!

 Another awesome mural. (My brother took most of these shots.)

 I love Times Square!

 One of my all-time favorite pieces of art at the MoMA. I could spend days staring at the art there.

No trip to NYC is complete without a visit at Madame Tussauds to see all your favorite celebs. I've had a crush on Johnny Depp since I was thirteen. Someday I will meet the real Johnny Depp, just you wait and see.