Art In Public: 2012 and 2015

Instagram:
I joined Instagram because a couple of people said it's a great way to promote your creative work (jewelry, paintings, etsy sites) and get your name out there.

Rant: As far as art goes, it's kinda like the "no-makeup just-woke-up-this-way" portion of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgWIxv5_6SE  Apparently everyone either works for Pixar or they're amazing artists who make daily masterpieces in less time than it takes me to shower in the morning. (Really? That oil painting only took you ten minutes? Uh huh....)

Ok, ok, rant aside, Instagram did gain me the attention of a tea shop owner who wanted to display my art!!

So I grabbed 6 pieces I had lying around that were good enough to show, but not attached to my creative womb with a pulsing umbilical cord of overprotective motherly love (image preview unavailable), and I did my best to make 'em look supa-good with matting and modest-yet-versatile frames....

I took my framed pieces over to the tea shop and the owners were so sweet and encouraging!

Vanitea Snow Lounge & Gallery

San Jose, CA

 

My art was hung on those walls for about three months! Whoo! It didn't sell, but hopefully it got my name out there a little.

Speaking of my art being abandoned somewhere, I painted a little something for a cupcake place when it first opened (2012?), since the owner's such a sweetheart and so fun to talk to.

 Pacificakes Bake Shop

Pacifica, CA

 I think, other than my graduation portfolio show, that's about as public as I've gotten with my artwork.
Guess I'm kinda shy or something I dunno... 

2015 Instagramzzz

On Instagram, I'm latenitecoffee.
(@latenitecoffee #latenitecoffee omg so trendy lulz.) 
But I realize not everyone goes to Instagram. (Hey, I know I didn't until fairly recently.)
So in case you're not following me there, here are some of the things you've been missing...

Comic from one day off...

Dinosaur having tea with a wizard...

"Draw yourself as a magical girl"... (Chyeah, well, I wasn't feeling too magical at work.)

Obsessing over Sia (and Maddie Ziegler)....

Trying to think happy thoughts during a 15 min break at work... Yoga = happiness...

Been watching too much "Bob's Burgers" (j/k, you can never watch too much "Bob's Burgers...) and needed a subject matter to warm up my watercolor skills before the big Renascor commissions (see next post).

Which gracefully transitions us to our next post!

March 2015: Renascor 2015

A gentleman occasionally commissions me for art. This year, he's asked for another in a line of paintings/drawings I've done for him in the subject of Renascor, or "Other Easter", a legend involving rabbits and zombies.

The concept of this year needed to involve "favorite activities" during this holiday, which essentially are festivities one would enjoy on Easter.

We went with the egg painting party.

I went to work rendering a final inked version of the rough draft before painting it with watercolor.

 And, of course, since I work in framing design, I partnered up with my client and his good friend and we framed it.

I felt really good about this project, and I think he was happy with the result too.

January 2015: Riss Challenge Makeover Pt. 2

January 5 2015 Riss Challenge:

My sister drew the above character and challenged me to redraw him as a "brooding bad boy" possibly with eyeliner and a leather jacket. She told me to give him one of the above animals (a bunny, iguana, or fish) and make him super giddy and happy about it.

Welp I got as far as sketching him out in my style, but kinda realized I wasn't feeling happy/giddy about anything, and I couldn't bring myself to make a happy character, so that's about where I left odd. (Ironically at the same time, I too wanted a pet, but couldn't get one for various reasons. So.. y'know... if I couldn't have one, he couldn't either. Sorry, dude.)

January 2015: Riss Challenge Makeover

On December 10, 2014, I received a text from my awesome sister. She sent me a drawing and the accompanying challenge:

This girl needs a makeover! Use this as the 'before' picture, and your drawing as the 'after.' She wants new clothes, lip gloss, and a better hairstyle. She sort of likes the necklace and the neck tie.

So of course I went to work straight away, redrawing her in my style and working with the necklace and the necktie. I also kept my sister's fashion sense in mind, though I wanted the character to maintain her own identity. 

It was tricky trying to get something that was a bit edgy yet classy, maybe bohemian or hippy-chic. In my mind, I was giving the character a haircut, dye job, spray tan, etc. (I even bleached her eyebrows. Heeheehee.)

It may have taken me a few weeks to go from initial ideas to the final product, but I'm pleased with how she came out.

 

I hope she likes her makeover!

Thank you for being my #1 fan and for always supporting me and constantly inspiring me, Riss. I love you!!!