Do you Yudu?

Today a customer asked me if we had a screen printing product from a company called Yudu. It's suppost to be the new hi-tech printing wonder. I looked it up and didn't find it any more useful or easy to use than any other screen printing kit. It can hook up to a computer, but I'm not sure what the use of that is. The website was vague on that part.

I have yet to learn the ways of screen printing, but hope to find the time. Here's some websites that offer to print your own custom designs onto clothing, mugs, bumper stickers, bags, and a whole bunch more:

CustomInk (6 shirt minimum)

BrokenArrowWear (they offer a huge variety of different brandname clothing, 6 shirt minimum)

Zazzle (The best as far as custom making freedom and options, no purchasing minimum)

I designed some shirts on these websites just for fun, without ordering anything. Zazzle has the best options for letter fonts, and you can upload any jpeg or bitmat image from your computer. Cost for one sweater is about $34. The cost for a pair of keds shoes is $60- pricey, but it is fun to design one just for kicks and giggles.

I found images on the computer and applied it to the design of the above shoe (Toucan, orange flowers, and a whale tale). The nerd with the glasses is me in my 7th grade photo.

Toucan!

Whale tale!

And finally, some homemade slippers somebody created using only dollar store items! I currently am researching to see if there are instructions on making ones own outdoor shoes, but this is fun, too!

I'm posting this to win a contest, but in all reality I DO LOVE this blog. It is witty, wise, and... whimsical? Anyway, I enjoy reading the blog, and so might you! Also, the chick lives in the Portland area, so she's got an in on all the local shops! Check it out!

Daddy Likey

Hats n' stuff!

I really like the hippy, old-world style that's goin' on right now. Bohemian might be the word. These headbands and combs from whichgoose are a bit wild, but I would wear them if the price was a bit better.

Whiteowl uses recycled materials.

I could see these shawl-like scarves being worn by some of my college art professors as well as on chic students. Made by kiamichi7.

Since we're talking about handmade accessories...

I crocheted this hat myself! I'm so proud! I'm going to make one similar to it for my older sister for Christmas. My little sis is the model. :}

Jeanne-Claude, who with her husband Christo created amazing temporary artworks, past away on November 18, 2009. Every art class you enter will at one time or another mention this couple who have over 30 years of works under their belts. The materials they've used are usually large pieces of fabrics.
Here are some of the things they did together:





So far that I've seen in art history and studio classes, "The Gates" in Central Park are the most mentioned out of all of Cristo and Jean-Claude's works.


This is my favorite installation!




The Pont Neuf piece is also often discussed in art class.

Now this is my idea of what social practice art should be, although, these people may not consider themselves as social practice artists:


Right now the people at thefuntheory.com are accepting applications for more fun ideas on how to make the world a better place (one little step at a time). You could win 2500 pounds! Hopefully they could convert that money to American dollars?

The costume I made for Halloween 2009!:

My dad took the pictures and I guess he thought the branch hanging in front was artistic?

Tights!

Coincidentally, my friend Brit had the same Harlequinn theme idea for her costume this year. We were rockin' the monochrome that day.

Home Style

Sometimes I wonder
if I could live
in a simplistic,
ultra-modern house
where straight and curvy lines
are highly defined
by bright, boldly colored
and broad shaped furniture.
Then I look up a company
like Ligne Roset
and think,
yeah, I could live in that
as long as I have a studio
where I can throw paint around
as well as a separate house
for my future kids.

I like the clean look of contemporary furniture and interior design. The desire probably stems from growing up in a 70's house with a family of 7 people.

These chairs look like you could fall asleep in them.

I have a fetish for walls. It comes up in my art a lot.

This chair, called "Tip Up Chair," is aimed for video gamers... I have no idea why.

I also would love to have a room like this in my home, but I wouldn't feel comfortable, nor would I be able to eat macaroni and cheese in front of the fireplace.

In reality, if I were to somehow acquire fancy, contemporary, and EXPENSIVE furniture, I'd have to pull a plastic cover over all of it. It would just be one, big plastic sheet draped across the inside of the house. Squeak noises would echo through the rooms and hallways.

Bonus: take a look at these 21 insane shoes!

Sterling Hairbrush

A couple of weekends ago there was a six hour evening event held at the Portland Art Museum called "Shine A Light." It consisted of booze, music, and community involvement. A majority of the people who contributed to the event are part of- as a professor or student- the Portland State University Art and Social Practice MFA program. There were many booths to visit which were tucked away in different areas of the maze-like museum. I only stayed for a couple of hours, but was able visit a few of the booths.
The first one I found was run by Jason Zimmerman. His request from those of us who passed by was that we donate an object. Some suggestions were a piece of jewelry, a disposable coffee cup, or chewed gum, etc. I donated my small hairbrush which until then I carried with me everywhere, although I hardly ever used it. All the objects would later on be plated in silver. Here's how my hairbrush turned out:

Sweeet. I only wish I could use it now to brush my hair, but since I signed the paper, Zimmermann owns it now. Harrell Fletcher, a former teacher of mine, led a booth which also requested something from the visitors. He asked that we e-mail him photographs we've taken on our cell phones so that he could print them out as a larger size, frame them and place them next to the professional photos in the museum's gallery. The visitors could then take their pictures home at the end of the event. Well, I sent Fletcher a picture, but I didn't stay long enough to see it be hung and to take it home. I wonder if it was tossed in the trash. This is my picture:

Other booths I visited was an "art and labor" themed Apples to Apples game, and a talk on endangered languages. The Print Factory was also at the museum that night, which I was excited to see, but I didn't make a print. I hope this event happens again soon.