November 16, 2009 | Posted By: Annie
Filed Under Life, Opinion
The new catalog is so wonderful. Yes, gorgeous clothes. But with snow, so much snow! and these amazing trees! Prehistoric Monkey Puzzle Trees. Such sophisticated lines and silhouette. . . really, can’t you see some owls shining amongst them?
October 20, 2009 | Posted By: Annie
Filed Under Life, Like + Love, Opinion
No, I haven’t seen it yet. . . I will though. I watched the young actor actually named Max on Conan the other night. . . he was so nervous and tried to be so cool and grown-up. . . and then he told a wet fart story and the 12 year old showed up very completely in his silly boy laughter. I do have a silly boy too who laughs at farts, I also have a large shady damp yard that is a welcoming home to large crops of moss and mushrooms. . . I have counted over a dozen varieties this season. They are so mysterious, almost like a plant married a sea anemone and they birthed these spongey children in the grass. Marshall and I spend alot of time wandering around the yard hunting for clusters of mushrooms. In order to deter him from eating or squishing them I tell him they are Yucky Babies. “yucky” to prevent the temptation of biting one, “baby” so he knows to treat them gently. Though I do confess I let him stomp the withering ones with his blue boots.
Yes, the mushroom Max is indeed cut from a white milk jug, and yes, I may have super-glued my fingers together while positioning the tails on the their behinds.
Notes: please visit Terrible Yellow Eyes, my fabulous bro-in-law and also friend Cory Godbey’s site, and also page through the forts on BOOOOOOOM! though I think that far too many of the forts are just a bit too cool for school and Maurice would not approve of the Indie-ifying of his story. . .
October 15, 2009 | Posted By: Annie
Filed Under Artist Love, Like + Love, Opinion
Chris is actually much more up-to-date with the illustrator world than I am, but this time I did pay attention when we got these books in the mail, The Hallowed Seam Recess/Process vol. 3 by James Jean, Sergio Toppi Sparrow vol. 12, and a zine by Ward Zwart.
Recess/Process is a collection of sketches by James Jean and honestly I like his sketches better than his finished work, his lines are fabulous and the layers of colors are really beautiful. He is a very skilled draftsman. Also a weirdo. I wouldn’t show this book to your 12 year old, your grandmother, or your mother, or sunday school teacher. . .you get a very very thorough anatomy lesson. I’ll just link to the Book-By-Its-Cover review. . .you can look up his portfolio site on your own if you’re feeling brave and objective.
Sergio Toppi is another great line man hailing from Milan, Italy. He is actually in his seventies we found out. . . I like his work, very decorative and linear, I think more Chris’s thing than mine, but still cool. . .
The Ward Zwart is another guy Chris introduced me to, one more great, creative sketcher. . . this little zine is from Cafe Royal.
Anyways, bottom line, I need to sketch more and throw caution to the wind actually mixing mediums and colors and turn mistakes into strategic design elements. Sketchbooks are a serious artform. Bottomest bottom line.
James Jean first four then Ward then Sergio
September 4, 2009 | Posted By: Chris
Filed Under Life, Like + Love, Opinion
Just listened to Beyoncé’s “Halo” and then “2 Step” by Unk on the radio on the ride back to studio. Halo was really nice but 2 Step sucked.
