Cosmonaut

recent (and not-so) Cosmonaut love

2009-04-23T11:02:00.005-07:00

I got another Etsy front page spot back in February; thanks, as usual, is owed to the Etsy Front Pagers on Flickr.

More exciting was getting featured in a blog post about plaid items at the The Experts Agree! (And they were nice enough to sent me an Etsy message about it, although my Google Alerts did pick it up as well.) It looks like a really awesome blog; the collections they put together are very well done, and they post on more than just art and craft sellers. They have some great posts on typography and graphic design. They are definitely on my design blog reading list now!

all-new math

2009-03-26T17:41:00.003-07:00

More New Math

trying to get back in the blogging swing

2009-03-15T13:06:00.004-07:00

It's been a long time since. I have a home now, and a job. I am trying to normalize my life. For me, this includes working on Cosmonaut; blogging, Flickring, making things, etc. I am trying to get re-inspired. I don't know how to operate this blog smoothly yet; whether I want it to be mostly about me, my creations, photos and drawings that inspire me, or some combination thereof.

The easiest thing to do is scavenge on ffffound for things I enjoy, so here's some of that:

etsy front page!

2009-02-02T13:35:00.003-07:00

Thanks to the Etsy Front Pagers, my Google alert picked up this screenshot of my Brown Woodgrain Belt featured on the Etsy front page (9th spot). My views and hearts went WAY up. No sales yet, but it's a good start! It makes me feel a bit guilty for not working on my shop more, but at the same tim it's invigorating and might kick me back into the "making' mindset. Either way, it was a pleasant surprise!

one thing keeps me going...

2009-02-01T01:39:00.003-07:00

I clipped a printed version of this comic once. This very nearly explains my continued existence.

via Wondermark

homeless

2009-01-27T22:30:00.003-07:00

The disturbing neglect this blog has received for the past month-ish is due to this fact. Fortunately not living on the street quite yet, but all of my worldly possessions are in something with wheels on it. I never thought I would feel what it means to be "in a recession". I have been searching HARD for a job for over 6 weeks now. I have gotten one call back, which never went anywhere. I never thought I could want to mop floors so bad. I would do anything right now, just to be making money.
Nowadays, I perform such glamorous activities as showering at the gym, sleeping on floors, and stealing WiFi while idling in front of Safeway.
The worst part of it for me is that I'm not making anything. I haven't been drawing. I can't even spare a thought for creative flights of fancy because they seem so goddamn luxurious, and I'm wasting my time because why aren't I filling out that application to stack bananas at Whole Foods.
Add to this the fact that I am trying to apply for grad schools, but they each want at least $50 just to decide I'm not good enough to go there. I had to decide whether to pay my phone bill or send 5 pieces of paper to Columbia University.

At least I'm back in the Bay Area and have access to good burritos. Nom nom.

ride it!

2008-12-24T12:32:00.003-07:00

Working on my illustration portfolio:

we're moving out tonight

2008-12-16T20:38:00.003-07:00

...which means starting tomorrow, I will be homeless for the foreseeable future.

I hate packing god I hate it so much.

odd things from around my house

2008-12-10T17:29:00.002-07:00

Giant praying mantis right outside the front door-

De-crowned stalk of broccoli-

Inadvertently buying color-matched foods at the grocery store-

my front yard at sunset

2008-12-10T17:24:00.003-07:00

Carpet of insanely yellow leaves.

Electric blue sky.

Shadow of a leaf.

About to fall.

Bright red berries.

Yeah, that bright.

today's project: botanical drawings

2008-12-06T13:20:00.003-07:00

These sketches were inspired by some Japanese Ikebana photographs. Quite happy with the understated compositions.
They are most likely not becoming permanent design ideas for Cosmonaut (unless there is outcry to the contrary) not because I don't like them, but because I think this kind of imagery is overdone; I see it on t-shirts and other screenprinted goods all the time.
I personally am more excited about using these kinds of concepts for tattoo designs; I think it is more innovative in terms of layout. I can especially see lots of possibilities for non-black-outline based tattooing that may resemble woodblock prints a la the background branch in the second drawing. (Yes, for those of you not in the know, I seriously would like to learn how to be a tattoo artist.)

little drawings I call widges

2008-12-05T10:57:00.006-07:00

Not sure why, it's just the word that popped into my head when I started. They were originally meant for a sprawling project which was a conceptual self-portrait in mix-tape form, including viewer/listener participation through personal emotional cartography. Yes, it's bizarre and complicated, and probably won't ever be completed.
Anyhow, the artwork portion was meant to include at least 25 more of these little archetypes, almost like the characters in a tarot deck. I like them so much that it seemed a shame to keep them hidden on my computer for some unknown future date when I get the project done.

The Carried Pet:

The Executive:

The Tree:

The Mannequin:

The Trophy:

thanksgiving weekend moments

2008-11-30T12:36:00.000-07:00

Erik and I unexpectedly spent Thanksgiving at our friend Stacey's house in San Diego. It was a 7 hour drive from Sedona, that we decided to make at noon on Thursday. Hooray for spontaneity!

My favorite things of the weekend were A) Stacey's apartment, which was full of cute furnitures, beautiful flowers, and other lovely objects:

(I used to dislike the all-white apartments I encountered in San Francisco, yearning for the ability to paint or otherwise add a splash of color. However, now that I've lived in beige-walled timeshare hell, I would kill for the crisp white rooms and cute architectural details of a home like Stacey's!)

and B) the opportunity to frolic in the Pacific Ocean!

Sea Cone!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Patrick Leger

2008-11-25T16:40:00.003-07:00

Enjoy some amazing illustrations by Patrick Leger. They are so beautiful it almost makes my teeth hurt. In a good way.

today's project: wallet!

2008-11-25T15:56:00.005-07:00

I get a queasy kind of feeling when I see a pile of thread from incorrect seams I've ripped out and it appears to be the same mass as an entire spool.

In other words, I'm trying to figure out how my sewing machine works again and making tiny baby steps in progress. The biggest problem is not that I don't know how to work it; it's that I'm using industrial felt, which is very unpredictable when I sew on it. And also, trying to incorporate reclaimed mens suiting material, which is woven and unravels like mad sauce :(

So after lots of frustration trying to make a rather complicated bi-fold wallet with credit card pockets, I decided to make a non-folding pouch/card sleeve. This got rid of the need to wrangle the suiting, stop fraying edges, fold seams under and press, etc.

Here is the result, made from 1/8 inch thick felt, silkscreened with red ink:

Back view (card slots):

Pocket for money:

Voila!

I am mostly happy with it because it uses the natural properties of the felt. That is, I can cut slits in it for cards and such and it is A. sturdy enough to handle being sliced nearly in half and B. won't unravel or fray.

I don't know that I've ever seen a wallet that didn't fold at least in half, if not thirds. Which makes me worry that no one will think it's a practical design. It is definitely minimalist; it can only hold some cash and 3-4 cards. But it's nice and low profile in my pocket. There is a small piece of hidden structure sewn on the inside that keeps the upper card from sliding all the way in. Otherwise, it's just a piece of felt, folded and sewn.

After troubleshooting is over, I am definitely making some for my Etsy shop. I have a few different designs to print on them that will work great.

And I'm still brainstorming other wallet design ideas, and will post if they pan out.

most amazing scroll-down evar

2008-11-22T11:53:00.003-07:00

This is the funniest thing I've seen in a long time. For the time when the Craigslist post is gone, I'll summarize: Hi, I am selling my car! The body is in nearly mint condition! I want $1000 dollars for it!

And these are a sampling of the photos included:

Hmm, okay, looks pretty good...

It's maybe a little dirty...

Oh, the seat has a small tear...

OMG WTF!

politics according to ffffound

2008-11-20T11:26:00.003-07:00

And for good measure, a birdie illustration by Alice Stevenson:

Why I Love San Francisco

2008-11-19T14:29:00.005-07:00

OK, the trip was crazy fun. I became too absorbed by the good times to post. But here are just a few reasons I love it there:

good morning, SF!

2008-11-11T11:33:00.002-07:00

ugly or pretty, it's still my city

2008-11-10T23:18:00.000-07:00

I'm in San Francisco :)

Taking off over Phoenix, the suburbs look like crop circles.

On the plane.

Abstract color composition as we were landing at SFO (San Mateo Bridge)

Got off public trans at Castro and Market. What a beautiful sight.

Amazing friends Danny and Danae and I headed to the most amazing burrito place in the Mission for some great food.

Before...

After!

Then to Bi Rite Ice Creamery for more deliciousness.

They make all of their ice cream by scratch, in amazing flavors like Honey Lavender, Salted Caramel, Snickerdoodles, etc...

Nom nom.

Then we had to get a ZipCar to go to the airport and pick up my missing suitcase.

I made some light paintings while we were driving down the freeway.

G'night, SF!

posting lapse filled in by old photo

2008-11-08T14:36:00.003-07:00

I've been really sick since Tuesday, so I've been lagging. I figured I should muster something up since I'm starting to feel better, but all I could do was find an old thing on my hard drive that I thought was mildly interesting.
But seriously, I do love that photo; one of my better still life attempts, I think. I can't do much more because I'm getting ready for an art show in San Francisco next Friday! Photos of that stuff will be forthcoming, and I'm probably going to blog from the road in SF.

Nikki Farquharson

2008-11-05T19:14:00.005-07:00

The illustrations of Nikki Farquharson are totally fueling my obsession with neon colors (hot pink especially...!)

he can has presidency!

2008-11-05T19:02:00.003-07:00

All I feel right now is overwhelming relief.

woman artists I can name

2008-11-05T13:32:00.004-07:00

Laylah Ali, Ida Applebroog, Kiki Smith, Shahzia Sikander, Joan Mitchell, Chakaia Booker, Lee Krasner, Helen Frankenthaler, Louise Nevelson, Marilyn Levine, Esther Shimazu, Kara Walker, Cindy Sherman, Meret Oppenheim, Claudette Schreuders, Wangetchi Mutu, Mary Cassat, Jenny Holzer, Jenny Saville, Eva Hesse, Diane Arbus, Margaret Kilgallen, Patty Warashina, Ruth Asawa, Tanya Batura

soft greys

2008-11-05T12:44:00.002-07:00

I'm working on projects nowadays, especially ones for Cosmonaut, that are made of industrial felt. I've already done screenprinting on it for coasters, and I have lots of other ideas in the works, but I am often left wondering what ink colors to use. I have a few inks left from last year's printing projects that work with the soft, mottled grey, but I need new inspiration.

I got some images from ffffound that give me wonderful color ideas:

I'm thinking definitely white ink, probably a bright mediterranean blue color, and possibly warm apple green or pinkish-purple.

Even in my fine art paintings, I seem to be drawn to soft grey monochromes:

The Three Fates, 2008

Saturn Devouring Her Children, 2008

I should probably just embrace the inevitable and stay away from bright, punchy colors. I tried that with my last screenprinted collection, and it worked out fairly well, but all of the things I was printing on were neutral colored, and the inks could have been more cohesive color-wise.

Speaking of soft grey, today's project (well, technically yesterday's) falls into that category. New painting on an old chair part (put on the garage floor for easier photographing.)

CAUTION

2008-11-04T16:10:00.001-07:00

No humping the dumpster at the Sedona Airport. :(

tasty biscuits

2008-11-04T15:45:00.000-07:00

Green onion and goat cheese biscuits (although the official way is with chives). Possibly the best food item I make on a regular basis. Recipe is here.

Nom nom.

today's project

2008-11-01T15:47:00.001-07:00

I am not a knitting person, but I seem to be doing a lot of it lately (never in a conventional way, thankfully!) Today, it's knitting with 24 gauge steel wire.

The texture is so yummy. I'll be posting details on why I'm doing this when the project is done!

climb on!

2008-10-31T15:45:00.000-07:00

I bought new shoes...

...so I can do this!

dinnertime

2008-10-30T19:24:00.001-07:00

Chopped veggie extravaganza for dinner.

I call it "Beethenge".

fyi

2008-10-30T15:43:00.001-07:00

who does she think she is?

2008-10-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

In light of my post on Claudette Schreuders, I wanted to bring up this new documentary I've been hearing about, called Who Does She Think She Is. It's the story of five woman artists, and their struggles to be taken seriously as creators while also maintaining partnerships and raising children. It's a quandary that men simply do not have to face; no one would claim a man working late in the studio on a painting is neglecting his duties to his child or lover. I haven't seen the film yet, but the trailer alone almost brings me to tears. One of the artists, Angela Williams, who is a dancer, says of following her creative vision,

"I feel like I am in the middle of a forest. There are no paths. I have no companions. And I hear wolves."

Just hearing her speak such a powerful truth out loud is like having an electric current run through me. Yes, I think, yes. One of the other women relates that a museum director was in her studio, and told her point blank that she would never be taken seriously because she is a woman and a mom.
In another clip, a couple on the street is asked to name 5 female artists between them. They can't. I think I'm going to sit down some time and see how many I can name. I am pretty sure it's more than 20. I'll probably post my list. And I hope to see this film as soon as possible.

today's project

2008-10-28T12:22:00.001-07:00

Knitting blood! With hot pink yarn!

For those out there who would ask why would you knit that, it's for a sculptural installation involving roadkill, feminine archetypes, and emotional disconnection. (I know, I don't get it either. Yet.)

Now that it's made, I'm totally loving how the knit pattern looks unexpectedly like cell structure.

Claudette Schreuders

2008-10-27T13:03:00.001-07:00

I was just reminded of the sculpture of Claudette Schreuders the other day when I came across a booklet of her work that was in a pile of random stuff. Her artwork is so amazing; perfect craftsmanship, first of all. She carves all of her sculptures herself out of jacaranda wood, and she also hand-draws lithography based on her sculpted figures. The proportions and personality of the people she creates are childlike and quite serious at the same time. A lot of her conceptual ideas focus around her South African upbringing post-Apartheid. I hope someone publishes a full catalogue of her artwork soon; These are just what I found on a Google Image search.

thrift store finds

2008-10-26T12:20:00.000-07:00

I used to suck at finding good things at thrift stores, and I was perpetually jealous of those who could. Recently, I decided to never browse the clothing section ever again. Not that there aren't some amazing treasures hidden there, but something about digging through rack after rack of mostly unappealing garments puts my aesthetic radar on the fritz. I always felt a little icky afterwards, and I was in a hurry to leave. That meant I skipped over the framed artwork, home goods, shoes, etc, which have now become my most successful sections.

Erik and I went to Savers (like Goodwill) the other night, and I found these amazing little bowls from Mexico. They're hand-painted, so each little bird on the side has a unique personality. Someone must have gotten rid of a huge collection, because we found lots of other pieces; a pitcher, some little snack plates with sauce partitions. But everything else was cracked or chipped, or glued back together. So I only went for the tiny bowls.

And I got some shoes. These are considerably more femmey than I generally go for, as I am usually glued to my Converse, accessorized with jeans, plain tank tops, and buzzed hair. First of all, I needed dancing shoes for the Ballroom Dance class that Erik and I are taking. I had been using some flat sandals, but we're learning the rumba now and I did not feel appropriately vixeny in them. So I found these shoes with totally great colored straps, and they have smooth soles, perfect for the dance floor.

And my main stroke of luck ends up being a pair of Ferragamos, and they are in pristine condition except for a bit of wear on the bottom. I am not fashionable in a label kind of way, Erik even less so, and he's like, "You have to get them." Ding! They are mine, for $9.99. Oh yes. And they fit me perfectly.

mortal enemies

2008-10-26T11:57:00.001-07:00

I made this illustration for the blog header, as you can probably tell. But I only used half of it. (p.s. clicking makes it bigger)

sedona right now

2008-10-25T16:52:00.001-07:00

I live here now. Yes it looks like this, no photoshop necessary. My favorite thing about the landscape here is not how red the rocks are, but how green all of the plants look in comparison. (yes, there are green things in Arizona.)