totoro hat

And thus, I have completed maybe my favorite hat so far. It's a size 7 3/8 New Era/Marvel Comics "The Hulk" hat, with my design based on the movie My Neighbor Totoro by Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli, and Disney. Anddd I think that is perhaps all I have to say about this one, besides of course that you should check out my flickr for more pictures and details. Enjoy y'all

mas trabajo

So I spent a good three hours working on those same two hats today, the Totoro and Houston ones...mostly just lots of leeeettle tiny time-consuming background details, like cleaning up edges and making things blend better and shit. 

I did, however, entirely redo the background of the Totoro hat. The colors (a light pink-yellow-orange fade) actually came out perfectly, really pastel and almost buttery.

I also did the letters, which actually took over an hour in themselves -- first I had to paint the background color fade around them and then in all the crevices with a little bitty brush, and then go over each outline (which were originally embroidered in red thread) in a metallic gold Sharpie paint pen, and then touch up any mistakes in the white letters themselves with thatsame tiny paintbrush. Ayayay.

Here's a close-up of the letters...not a great pic (thanks Photobooth) but the fade around them came out very nicely. I was, however, hoping the paint pen would be a brighter, more yellowy gold -- anybody know of a better brand?

I'd really like to finish either this or the Houston one before winter break, but as of right now today is the only day I've allotted myself to not study or work on my many final papers, so we'll see if I have time. The Totoro design will be really cute.

So....esta todo! Buenas nochesss

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EDIT: it just occurred to me that a lot of people actually don't know what/who Totoro is. I had to introduce him to my poor deprived roommates just this year. Totoro is a creature in the Hayao Miyazaki anime film My Neighbor Totoro...I suppose technically it's a kids' movie, but it's fantastic. Honestly the most comforting, content, zen piece of art I have ever had the pleasure of viewing. So here's Totoro, for those of you who don't know:

Nowww you understand. Exciting right? Yeahhh just WAIT.

two important things

...that I just wanted you all (all being the, maybe, three people that read this) to know.



Number One:

IT'S CHRISTMAS.

Yeah. Black Friday marks the official beginning of the season. Which means that as soon as I got back to Miami yesterday I put up my fucking adorable Christmas tree, as pictured at left.





and Number Two:

I MET RICK ROSS YESTERDAY.
Yes. The real Ricky Rozay. He was on my flight from ATL to MIA. Travelin' real incognegro like, ya know...no security, no bling, not even any luggage. Hmmm SUSPICIOUS MR TEFLON DON. Anyway, here's me and the big man himself:



Uh yeah wtf. Awesome. I should have tried to show him my hats...oh well. I'm still hoping maybe he'll respond to my tweets to him haha.


So yup, that's all. Just a random update. Hopefully I'll get to work on some more hats before winter break, but first I have to get through two and a half weeks of academic hell. So in the interim...merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

major milestone

I have officially crossed the threshold of true (if still not very legit) bloggerdom...I HAVE A FOLLOWER WHOM I DO NOT PERSONALLY KNOW! I'm exhilarated. That's all.

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EDIT (five minutes later): Just wanted to make it clear that, as excited as I am about this faraway follower...I could still use more. In case for some reason you thought maybe I was happy with my two followers and didn't want you. That isn't true. So. Ahem. Back to regularly scheduled programming.
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In other news, I am going to continue with my lame-ass habit of posting old artwork when I have nothing new and good to show for myself lately. So I guess that isn't really news. Anyway though, here's an old illustration I really like:



papi naturo (as I originally called it...which I now think is lame but I don't really have a better idea so for the moment "papi naturo" it is)
summer 2008?
Bic art markers on sketchbook paper











ps. For those of you who haven't realized it yet, Halloween week is now over, which means that tomorrow it can offically be considered THANKSGIVING!!! MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY EVER!!! YES!!!!! So HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL, and to all a lovely chilly autumn night!

a new era

...pun entirely intended. (So I hope someone else got it.) I feel like I am kind of starting a new era in my art though; I'm starting to figure out what's really my type or "genre" or whatever.

Anyhoo - two new hats are in the works, both of which I'm really excited about. Here's me wearing them as pasties:



The red and purple one is for my friend Jackson...I'd explain the symbolism of the whole deal but I don't have the energy. I sleepy. Soo I'll do that when I post pictures of the finished hat. Here's the in-progress:





The other is going to be a TOTORO hat! This one was thought of totally on a whim, but I might give it to my sister for Christmas (assuming I finish it by then). Here's its done-in-a-hurry, kind-of-ugly, going-to-be-softened ground painting:



So, ja, das ist all. Just wanted to share where I am. I apologize for the shitty quality, btw...I just did a lot of work on the H-Town one and decided to just snap a few Photobooth pics before I went to bed. Hope ya like em anyway doe [Kat Stacks voice], feedback appreciated.

goodniiiiighttt

OH. NO.

Some extremely disturbing information has just come to my attention.

Once you've posted over 200 photos on Flickr, if you do not have a Pro account (i.e., if you're in college and poor and not planning to pay $30 to put pictures online when you and everyone you know has a Facebook), you will only be able to see the most recent 200.

WHICH IS INFURIATING! GAHH. I'm so mad. I just uploaded something and got a little notice that said "We noticed that you have reached 170 photos in your Photostream. Once you get to 200, you'll only be able to view the most recent 200. Nothing will be deleted. Would you like to upgrade now to a 1-year Flickr Pro account for $27.99?"

You wanna know what I said?
I said,
NO BITCH! I'M PO!

Yeah. That's right. That's what I said. I really am pissed. That's really NOT a lot of pictures, and the whole reason I have a Flickr is because it's a free, well-organized vehicle to show my art. So clearly, if that's why I'm doing it, I don't want to pay for it! Who do you think I am, Flickr? Why do you think I don't have a Pro account? You wanna know? BECAUSE I'M NOT A PRO! I am, in fact, quite the definition of an amateur! Don't you think I would LIKE to have a Pro account? Obviously. But if I don't, there's most likely a good reason. WHICH THERE IS. Beef. That's what this is. Me and Flickr are beefin'. We're not on good terms right now.

In other news, my boyfriend Jake broke his ankle today. Actually, that's euphemistic. He is in New York on a trip sponsored by our school's marketing department and got hit by a car this afternoon and broke his ankle. And obviously, I am in Miami and can't go there because I have to go out of town tomorrow too. So I am stuck here while my baby's all lonely in a NYC pediatric hospital ward (why? I don't know. I assure you he isn't a minor). Fuck. Bad evening.



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EDIT [some five minutes later]

Some good news! Jake just woke up from his surgery and called me, his ankle isn't actually broken. Yay! That just boosted things a little. And it probably should be sleepytime now so byee.

travel log

I am very belatedly adding to my Flickr the pictures from my trip to Ghana in March. (I was going to put them up in June but ran out of space, and then in August but that was when I had my little loss-of-Flickr-login-info disaster.) So, thought I'd share a few. Check out my Flickr to see more.