Patiently Waiting.

I'm not sure how I didn't learn about Lilla Rogers sooner. But her body of illustration, creative work, and advise is phenomonal. Now an agent that represents 38 illustrators world wide I just wished I got on her boat sooner. Though it is never too late and her new course will open up the amazing world of creating portfolio pieces that will authentically target the market that I 'm trying to reach. It hasn't been the easiest, this last decade out of college. I've been pursing mostly in web designing & various graphic design industries. I moved from different countries. Got married had a child. So how I managed to get to this point has been a fullfilling road of failures and successes. I also worked in the animation licensing area for some years. But it was mainly for animation industry which is VERY DIFFERENT market. I find designing for children's books, merchandise, products, fabric, stationery, and many more a lot more flexible creatively. Now I'm patiently waiting for this course to bloom! 

A Growing Vision.

 

I should've, couldv'e been blogging like a maniac, working on art like crazy and be ready for spring. It has been a very interesting few months interms of weather on the southern east coast area. Its been cold, warm for A DAY and then cold again. The sun is shining and we are not fully in T-shirts yet. I haven't been as motivated as I was like the begining of the year. BAM! This occured. I was called upon by three awesome ladies Amanda Page Stephens, Jenn Stringer, and Hannah Serrano. For the project Better Block. I heard their voices. Filled with love, and enthusiam on what I can contibute to this. That's all it takes really. I had two afternoons to get this done. I wished I had more time. But don't we all wish we had more time. So I pulled out super new york, chinese/hungarian, butterpop skills and just got this together. Spray paint, some house paints, and a thumbnail sketch. Concept is a girl envisioning a growing city, with a star on her head in reference to the texaco bldg. The graphics along the side are my personal signature of underwater organisms. Attaching and detaching into clusters of melting something.Three panels put together making a 12ft, by 8ft art. The guy at Lowes thought I was insane to do this in two days. I said it was so nice to be able to paint outside in this great weather barefoot on a weekday!!

Here are some photos from the event, I also have prints online for sale if you are interested in the art work that I also brought out to see the public finally. It was a great event. Cheers to more!

 

 


Why I am doing this?

Lately what has been on my mind is why I draw, and why I make art, or why am I so devoted. It is something I have been doing all my life. I can't tell you how much my art has saved me from the amount of troubles I got into. Or how it saved me from anxiety attacks, how it lifted my depression. How it helped my confidence. HOw it got me through some horrible relationships. How it got me a scholarship despite all odds against me. How it helped me with my ideas to land my first paying job in NYC and how it helped me connect with some amazing people on this planet. My flyer I first designed was a club flyer, I hand drew it. I got paid for it. I was like 15, and completely stoked. I kept going. I did my largest mural in the city of Hong Kong. Its been a long time since that project, and till this day when I think of it, it still gives me jolts of electricity through my veins. 
My art has mostly been around women and nature. Women I know in my life, past, present, or future. Nature and people are a reflection of me to them and back. I make art, I draw, I connect with it, so that I can be a better human being of character. These days a better mother. I have a love for biography art such as Frida Khalo, manga, the beatnik movement, my chinese history, japanese painting, the beginning of postmodern new york city, vintage signages, hand crafts, my childhood, lists of artists, designers and movements. I hope that their deaths are not wasted, that I can learn from them. I soak in the lines, layers, emotions, and moments like a human video camera when at museums or turn the pages in my library. Through authentic inspiration of what I love I like to make sure it expresses and interwine then explodes delicately onto the page. At moments raw, black and white. Clear and natural like chinese calligraphy paint drops or paint strokes. And at moments controlled, repetitive, organized and zen.
 
I'm not just doing this for a living, this is all I have. This is my soul speaking. This is my hell and heaven of joys. I did a lot of things so that I can keep what ever I create sacred. So I'm wondering why you should buy my art. Why you connect with it so you can buy it and hang it on your wall. I feel that I don't need to know the answers to all that. And that all I have to focus is on what I love to do, and how I can master what is in my mind on to that page everyday, and how I am able to get it to you nicely and affordable. That is all I care about, because where ever my art lives, there is love in that space. There is hope, there is possiblity, there is abundance, there is probally so much more then I can possibly see, because the art becomes your friend, and its not my business to know why it speaks to. So some days for you and some days for me. But every day I will rock this out, and give you all that I got. 

Star stellar January and Febuary hearts of blues..


January was amazing start of the year, I had my first little art show opening locally in Norfolk at a wonderful handmade shop called Kitsch. Followed by a Q&A article on Altdaily. Then I got my 2012 Sketchbook Project in on time to Brooklyn Art Library  to go on tour for 2013. I slammed out a website, and finished a logo for a local non-profit Prevent Child Abuse Hampton Roads and topped it off with a hand lettered Etsy Banner for Gymbohannah. I've been mentoring my intern fiercely, and sticking to her goals she landed her first design job in a desired location. In between all this, I have a household to run, drawing and writing whenever possible, and then a child to run around and be present with. It's been amazing, but I do not prefer this to be happening like this every month. I have a child and family to be part of, and they are my core values for who I am to my word and to my work. So being that said, inorder for me to completely thrive creatively somethings will have to give. More to come on that! But in the mean time the Febuary hearts of blues is already singing me a new tune, things are getting better this month already, I just dropped off new prints at Kitsch. So be sure to look for them when you visit their lovely store. I just love everything in there!


2013 Calendar is done and some updates and recaps!

It's been an amazing AMAZING, busy, fun, relaxing year to be ending soon.. I like to write more but I have to get back to some things and then finish off my day so I can be with my little family.. My daughter Ellie picked out her clothes today, and insist on putting them on herself. It's enough for me to have a slight break down, but yes its bitter sweet..This feeling of growth and change, and we are in the midst of begining of winter. Funny how a child can make it feel like spring all year around, and well some days loud as thunder. 

Lets start with the epic 2013 Calendar, I have to thank my intern Christina Cagle, she has really helped me moved foward in getting this done, and then advised that I should get into our local indie, handmade shop called Kitsch in Norfolk, Also my dear friend Chelsey Barnes, her Company Parallel Graphics, got this printed out for me super quick, and awesome price..without delay this is some shots of Instagram of the products: 

This is a well contained 12 month 2013 post card style calendar, limited edition set of unique black and white illustration of female characters. (These characters and illustrations have never been used in projects, its all been self promotional work, all from my private journals..) I have another 10 sets available to mail out on http://www.etsy.com/listing/116441215/2013-calendar-of-butterpop-studios

These imaginary characters are from self portraiture, people in my life, and sometimes into my daughter's world.. The original illustrations are very hard to part, and very hard to price, so I created a calendar that will present it self in a belly band, mini wooden clips, and hemp string. All the items will come in a box, that will be decorated by one of kind hand drawn illustration outside the box. Its ready to go for the holidays. And you can use them as postcards, or to adorn your surroundings with high contrast of love and energy..

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And to recap back to begining of Fall my Ever so wonderful friend and Art Director I use to work for in NYC finally came out with her book, and she chose me to illustrate it! It's made it on AMAZON in the UK, and also we are trying to get it published in English, I know it will happen, because new moms will want this version then the big old dictionary they get at baby showers. Flavia's blog: http://mamaesabetudo.blogspot.com/ is absolutely adorable and addicting, so much cool stuff for kids, moms, teenagers, I LOVE IT!! Anyways check it out and leave a comment! I'm going to interview her hopefully by January 2013, so if you guys have questions about motherhood, shoot away here, and I'll try to get them on the blog Q&A..

With the same publisher Silvia that owns Dash Editoria I was also able to cross out my bucket list project for a children's book called Serafina, its about a little goat that won't stop jumping.. with Author Marianna


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Besides Illustrations, I have been working on  AGENT 88 Coffee Book Project with Old Friend Digger, and Jan from 88Transmedia His kickstarter project helped realized his dream come true: This is the coffeebook I'm working on right now. Its been a bit tough as we are on different coasts, but the book is going to look so beautiful, and ready to be send out to all the supporters on this project. It's recently made it on to LA TIMEs, so happy about that!!

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More to come on this project..

And then I complete a illustration/comic like intensive for a wine marketing company, called Connoisser Live. Animation collaboration work By Michael Jefferson | Gravy Graphics.

I will post the final animation soon, after it is render ready for the web. I'm also revamping a new site on squarespace6.. Here is a quick screen shot: You can find the Hat company off their Facebook Page:

 

Oh Also I uploaded some products to my society6 account:  They have throw pillows now, and it is so cool I ordered one myself!!

So I'm ending it with my butterpopstudio girl on a meditation cushion, and this blog post is finally caught up, and I'm back at Angela Philips Yoga studio lately for her Wednesday Bliss Yoga Class, its been absolutely wonderful to shift from hot yoga back to her classes, so that I can breathe again, tomorrow I'm also heading over to Brianna CeCee to get some color in my hair, she is amazing! 

 

Serafina, its here!! Childrens Book!

It was so much fun working on this project. I can't thank how all this came into place. But its here, and even though the children's book is published in beautiful Sau Paul Brazil & in Portugese. It just amazes me still that with the power of the internet, connection, and the love for what you do as an artist, anything is possible. And it was such a pleasure to work on it with Marianna Oliverio & Silivia Ribeiro (dasheditoria)

Preparing art work for Photoshop and Illustrator.

There is something so sensual, intimate, delicate, and vulnerable about hands on working with pens, brushes, pencil, or whatever you are playing with. It is a different experience when translated  into digital image. It also slows your over thinking mind down a bit, so that you actually...um.. enjoy the process? But at moments, work will call for speed. So for me I just balance and see what the client is looking for and a time line they are expecting from me, and I go from there. 

My newsletter next week will be focusing on preparing art work for photoshop & illustrator, this intro tutorial is for beginners, students, or anyone interested in Butterpop Studio's work process.

 

 

I would love for you to continue to travel and travel more, no matter what..

The world is sometimes small, we live day to day, month to month, in our routine lives, doing what we must, to stay alive, get ahead, or maintain. What ever kind of warrior you are, I like to remind you that its okay to get that you sometimes get sucked into a small world. But always have a passport handy. Always look at plane ticket prices to anywhere in the world during break time. Because it is so worth it, I promise you. You are very fortunate to have family all over the world, it helps your travel expenses an (ENTIRE-bit-fully) easier. Though the rather unfortunate part is, you miss your family way too much. And it stirs up an insatiable emotional travel itch, seasonal actually, scratching away your insides and causing an adrenaline motivated restlessness that finds you on that plane. This time, with your toddler, whom never been on a plane before. Yes how dare you bring Ellie on a 15 hour plane ride. But you had to go. It was way too long since you've been back. Your hunger for family, love, inspiration, food, culture, scooters, millions of chinese characters, brightly litted sinages, small crammed streets filled with objects and food. People, your people, your childhood. To have memories, and smell senses of old airports you frequented often as a child is a gift and curse. Even at your busiest days living in a small world of routine back in the states. These memories were never lost, they came up like suttle flashing film negatives, and harder and more clear they came once the tickets were booked. So why were you ever so worried about not being able to get home. Why were you ever so worried that your world was even so small? The worries had stopped. Your world is actually quite big really. It is so big like an unending resource of experiences, memories, senses, inspiration, passion, power, inside of you. The librarian was just busy on some days, waiting for your heart to come in and check some books out. This time, one of the books came with two tickets. One for you, and one for Ellie. There you go.

 

Dreamscape

I created this illustration in my sketchbook based on a reaction from a very strange dream I had sunday night. I'm not sure I would want to go into too much detail with it. Though the reaction to this dream was very much a spiritual or healing one I believe. I'm noticing the fluidity of nature and pattern in my new work lately that is changing a bit from last year.

 

digging deep, waiting, working, and planning..

Its been an awesome almost 3 months now into 2012, and things have been falling into place quite gracefully, with work and personal life..I have been working on a childrens illustration project, that will soon to be revealed. Amongst some other FUN projects that are in process of coming into butterpop's studio space. I like to keep things private and intimate with current and ongoing projects till they are complete and ready to shine like a peacock! Besides working on Digital Illustration Art work on my mac, I've created a side table, where I also have been playing with collaging. Its been helping me with motherhood, and creatively allowing me to see things differently when I go back to the screen..Its getting a little messy, but its a beautiful organized mess in revealing who I am, and exercising parts of my creative self, that seems very controlled at times. I'm also in process of travel plans back to Hong-Kong, and Taipei. Things will be in full motion with that next week, with some definite finalization on dates. Its been awhile since I've been back home, so I like to record the adventure process somehow either through a small on the go travel journal..It could be challenging or a suprise on how my daughter will be during this trip. Though I have faith it will unreveal itself through trust.. 

My New Muse

The Art Work: Wooden frame is covered & collaged by old vintage postcards from Paris. Her eyes are green it looks lighter in person. 5 X 7, Micron & Markers

The Muse: Meet Cecilia, daughter to a magician called Hector. Characters are from a book Called "The Night Circus". The story takes place in the 1800s, and around the world.. Cecilia is a brilliant and magical little girl. I've been following her journey in becoming a magician. I am completely tantalized by the story so far.. More to come.. 

2012, We are here.

 

I wrote my goals out this month, they have changed again since last year. I've accepted that it's okay to change it. Its okay to let go of somethings, to bring in the new. Its okay that you can't do everything, because it will allow you to focus in and do extraordinary things. So thats what I was able to do today, to type out my 2012 goals and turn it into a butterfly. Because whatever it is, it is already transforming and happening..

 

Happy Holidays!

 

This end of the year has been an unusual downer for my xmas spirit. Its been a whirlwind of emotions,  getting raw and real on whats going on inside my soul. I'm grateful, thankful, yet slightly unenchanted by America's pessimism on our economy. I think the real effort starts with the change within ourselves, through our work, our art, and our community. Lately the more I draw, write, paint, and create, the more life is starting to feel simplified & focused. Though, with all this burst of creative energy, I have been plagued by recent news of my close cousin that is diagnoised with cancer. I'm not sure how I have been able to respond to it, though I've had friends that reached out to give me some really great and sound advise on how to proceed. So thank you, Simon Birch. Your story of conquering cancer has given me strength, to move foward with resources that has been compiled and sent overseas. This week is xmas, it's hanukkah, its brunch at the weiss's. Its baking cookie madness, and yes indeed, it's simply love. May everyone be happy, and please LAUGH, LIVE your life to ridiculous heights of happiness till 2012 & beyond. It's the best medicine, I'm trying here, and hope you are too.

Happy Thanks Giving!

I'm opting out on any turkey illustrations, pilgrims, leaves, pumpkins what have you for these two little characters today. Just because I already designed a few thanks-giving newsletter graphics, and I'm done. Its been an AMAZING full year so far, I'm looking foward to going into the mountains of PA, where my husband's family are and just chill. I'm thankful and full of grattitude for my inner self and the people around me. You all are awesome! Remember that set backs are opportunities to look at something new for yourself. If you have crazy family members showing up during the holidays, sorry, I can't help you on that, but only to suggest to utitilize the stored crazy energy a day after, for yoga, walking or running. Love to all!

Entry to fall has been a huge box hitter vibration!

I am so ever grateful of the things happening in my life. I landed in Virginia Beach, with 2 suitcases, it was going to be just a pit stop for me, I ended up staying a bit longer then expected. Then I just say I'm going to do this, no matter what, and no matter where I am in the world. I think it takes a very unique individual to create a path of earning a living from what they love to do, be successful at it and continue with it for the rest of their lives. So this week, is in mid process of another mural project. I'm working with a wonderful soul Brianna CeCe, She's an awesome interior designer & hair stylist here locally. Her client from my home town nyc is opening an eyelash salon in this area. Just looking at the design of the space by Brianna was enough to get inspired to come up with something together with her. All of my characters have a story to them, they are formed out of the souls and spaces that it plans to be in. Besides the big public impact and visual traffic of murals, I truly love how each of my characters come into place on the walls. I have a simple technique with my characters when it come to public spaces, it's usually black & white, with various color splashes. With this comp, I used a collage effect to play with different backgrounds, I prefer not to use the computer when I'm going through this process, to help get my hands a bit dirty and engaged with the feeling.