Lydia Hearst for Vixen Magazine Spring 2010.
Image Credit goes to Fashion Gone Rogue!
Non-sequitur for the day, because we could all use a little bit of brightness.
(It’s dreary and raining all week, here in NYC.)
And, this is kind of my dream hair, if you couldn’t have guessed.
This week I finished painting a huge panel for a new building at my work, which is under construction on Avenue D. (I do graphic design for a non-profit in the LES that does work with youth development.)
My panel is about 5′ x 10′ (I think), which is a LOT bigger than I’m used to working. It was kind of challenging to translate my style to something so big, but it was actually a really great exercise to work in a different way.
I’ve found that, when you draw a very specific subject matter (which, if you haven’t guessed, is pretty girls) it’s really easy to get stuck on drawing the same thing over and over again, because that’s the how you’ve trained your hand to move. Drawing is quite literally muscle memory, and that’s part of what defines individual style.
Working so large forced me to concentrate in a different way, where my whole body (rather than just my hand and wrist) was involved in the process of painting; felt like I was dancing once I slipped into a flow state. Here are a few images detailing how the project came to completion:
Sometimes my artmaking process is a little weird. I like using traditional and digital methods, due to the sensitivity that I can achieve by hand and the speed and editing that can be done digitally.
Starting out, I usually do my thumbnails in pen because it forces quick decision-making, rather than going back in and editing and erasing and overthinking ideas. This is the third step, having scanned my rough thumbnail into Photoshop, cleaned it up and blocked out the shapes, and then printed it out to draw on top of, to fill in details with a pencil.
Painting on the board, where I block in a lot of the painting by “sketching” it out. I gravitate more towards drawing methods, even when I am painting.
Here’s the final result! It was a super fun project, and it was really wonderful to work alongside some wickedly talented artists while I painted (including TOOFLY!)
Yay! I got my first order of vinyl stickers in today!
The illustration is a revision of the illustration I did for Newmindspace‘s Tokyo party flyer.
I ordered a small first run of 100 from the Long Island City-based print shop 4over4, to test the quality.
I’m so happy with how they came out, and I think once I run out of these, I’ll reprint them bigger and do diecut!
Want one?
I’ll send some to the first 10 people to hit me up in the comments or via email: hello@lenorajayne.com!
It’s so nice to complete work for myself, for a change!
My most recent piece is a collaboration with Amy, of Vaunt Designs, who had asked if I’d be interested in doing some illustrations of her design work and sent over photos of the ever-talented Apnea in the “Nostalgia for Nothing” jacket, taken by Corwin Prescott.
I decided to trek back to a similar style as the VividBraille illustrations, working from an original photograph and drawing/painting digitally over it. Tons of layers, here, of photographs, textures, linework, and color adjustments.
I’m really happy with the sort of ghost-like holographic quality that came out. Though, admittedly, the clothing does take second stage to all the design-y bells and whistles, but it does feel like a good segue into doing more fashion illustration again, which is one of my goals.
There will definitely be more collaborations in the future!
PS. Amy specializes in beautiful, custom-made pieces ranging from deliciously translucent bodysuits, hand-painted dresses, feathered fascinators, and jewelry. Her work is sculptural and sensual, using visually tactile fabrics like latex, lace, rope, upholstery, and organdy. Go check out her site (and Etsy): www.VauntDesigns.com
“Life imitates art, more than art imitates life.” (Thanks, Oscar Wilde.)
But as much as I love when art and fashion intersect, there are just some things that don’t translate.
These weird open-toed sandal boots remind me of Magritte’s painting, “The Red Model” more than the classical Greco-Roman era that they’re supposed to evoke. Gross!
Figured I’d appease you from my absence by posting a drawing from my sketchbook. Much love.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Brooklyn Fire Proof
119 Ingraham St (at Porter Ave)
7:00pm–4:00am
Join the Lowbrow Society for The Arts at Brooklyn Fire Proof
for a night of art, drinks, dancing, debauchery, and SMUT!
Featuring a gallery full of photography, installation, video and illustration to feast your lascivious eyes upon.
Throughout the evening we’ll be featuring:
- Burlesque performances
- Live body-painting on a supple young subject
- A bevy of barely-dressed go-go boys for your amusement (if you’re lucky)
- Make a splash and show it off at the Gerrification Wet T Shirt Contest. We’re all winners!
Lenora Jayne
Gwynn Galitzer
Annie Sprinkle
Gerry Visco
Lorna Gaddis
James Matthews
Tamara Porras
Kelly Macario
Russell Harris
Live video mixing by Joshua Sophrin
Featuring videos by Jennifer Blowdryer & Irie
The Gerrification Wet T Shirt Contest & Burlesque performance by Ariel Wolf
DJ’s TBA
Free entry from 7-9pm
$5 after 9pm
$10 after 12am
Desire: A Group Art Exhibition
Saturday, May 22nd, 2010 // 11am–7pm
The Chelsea Hotel, Suite 1024
222 West 23rd St.
Come see my artwork this Saturday, creeping in the corners of a swanky Chelsea Hotel suite!
Curator and artist Laura Sheedy (who you Lowbrow-sers may remember her sexy-leg skirt at MOVE!), brings together a wildly talented and eclectic group of artists to give their unique and thought provoking perspectives on desire. We will converge upon a swanky red suite in the Chelsea Hotel and transform it into a luscious rich jungle of art. Expect to be moved, dazzled, inspired, and in awe by what they present to you at this show. The work will be informed by their unique and diverse set of influences and backgrounds spanning taxidermy, sculpture, fashion, film, architecture, photography, installation, performance art, and graphic design.
For more information and full list of artists, see:
desiregroupshow.blogspot.com
Image from the You Are Beautiful Project, Kip Stutzman
I got this question in my Formspring the other day, and I thought I’d share my reply on my blog as well. Forgive me for a minute for being a little off-topic, but this is something that’s important to me. I believe that we (as females) should all band together and fight back on all fronts, the notion that we need external validation and improvement to feel worthy or “good enough”.
How does one learn to love oneself? Most people tell me things like “I can’t tell you, no-one can except you”. I find this answer unsatisfactory and cryptic. Got anything better?
The first thing to ask yourself is this: “Do I believe that I deserve love?”
One of hardest things you can do, is accept the fact that you deserve to be loved, by yourself (or anyone else).
You do. And if you don’t believe it just yet, trust in me, just this once.
You deserve to be loved.
Self-loathing can be based in so many, many things, but I’ve found, most significantly, it is rooted in fear.
The fear of being yourself, of being your one-hundred percent, of not being accepted for who you truly are.
We’re afraid of our bodies being far from perfect, that our clothes are ugly and outmoded, that our teeth are not white enough, our hair not straight enough, our laugh too loud, our voice too shy. Growing up, it’s all too easy to learn from peers, lovers, family, media, that we are Just Not Good Enough and that we will never be Perfect.
Take a deep breath and listen.
You will never be perfect.
And it is in your imperfections that lay your greatest beauty.
Over the years, I’ve found my best path to self-acceptance lies in accepting those imperfections. Instead of trying to hide the things about myself that weren’t quite in the realm of “normalcy”, I learned to put them in the best light. Understanding yourself and indulging your inner eccentricities will make you happier than you will ever know.
Now, I could tell you a lot of really hokey things that I’ve read in therapy packets, you know, things like “write ‘I am a beautiful and unique snowflake’ on your mirror, or to give yourself compliments everyday, but that’s silly and won’t work if you don’t believe it.
And hell, a little bit of self-awareness and self-criticism is a good thing. Honest.
Being realistically aware of where you are at in your life, and where you need to be (and want to be) is how you grow as a human being. Problems develop when your expectations or evaluations for yourself are unrealistic, and there is a significant gap between the two. Know that where you are today, who you are, right now, is exactly where you need to be. There are lessons you are (or should be) learning, and tomorrow you will be one step closer to your one hundred percent self.
You have some idea of who you are, what you love, what your values are, what’s important to you.
Act on them. What can you do to be one hundred percent you?
What are you afraid of? Why do you feel incomplete? What don’t you like about yourself? How could you begin to change these things in a healthy way? How do you imagine your ideal self? (And NO, it does not include wearing a size zero or having a boyfriend/girlfriend.) What can you do each day, to step closer to that image?
One thing that I’ve found to help me focus myself, is to write often, in a private space. Question yourself, push yourself to answer honestly even if’s uncomfortable. Go beyond your comfort zone, because that’s where change lies. Strength cannot come from standing still, but from running just a little bit further every time. Even if it’s hard.
Surround yourself with friends that love you. They are out there, and they think you are amazing as-is.
Don’t be afraid to ask them for support or reminders, when you’re feeling low.
It’s a little bit of a process, don’t get me wrong. It takes time and tears and practice but more authentic and true to yourself you are, the happier you will be, and the more you can love yourself, and share that love with others.
Illustration Friday – Spooky Rusalka
Finally! I’m doing an IF challenge! This week’s theme is “Spooky” and I was thinking about weird slime monsters, and of course, that ended up as a sexy girl monster.
A rusalka is a type of Russian siren or water nymph, but inherently more sinister, sort of a “zombie mermaid”. According to the lore they are able to climb trees, lure men to their doom, and generally cause trouble until they find peace. I just may have found an idea for my Halloween costume…!