The Long Way Home

I'm working my butt off trying to get some new work finished for my showing at the Gulu-Gulu. There are so many great little ideas crawling through my head. This show has a bit more of a fairytale theme, inspired by winter childhood wanderings in the woods. I will be working straight through to Christmas eve. Then I will take a little break for my favorite, Christmas baking. It's starting to look a little more like the holidays around here, I just got my tree yesterday. It smells so good. Shortly I will have some preview and process photos up, and maybe a little holiday treat. Below is the post card I will be sending out next week (if they are delivered on time}. If you would like me to send you one please request to be added to my mailing list.

Holiday Shopping

This holiday season I will have some of my work at the Fort Point store in Boston. You can check out the link and find directions here.. I will also be listing some new items on Etsy within the next few weeks. Soon I will be posting more process photos of the paintings I am working on, maybe after Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! -Jen

All About Pies

Thanksgiving always brings back my urge to bake. The cool air of fall is much cozier with a warm oven and the rich smell of spices. We usually cook at least two pies, pumpkin and apple. I think I will also bake a key lime pie this year. When I was growing up the best pie shop was just down the road Pie in the Sky. Ymmm, Bumble berry pie. All this pie talk makes me want to watch Pushing Daises, what wonderful magical-realism, with such a sweet spirit. I loved to watch for the fancy wardrobes and all those pies, ingredients piled high on lightly floured marble counter tops and a glorious kitchen. What a sight! I recently quelled some of my Pushing Daisies craving with a movie called "The Waitress" What a great movie! so many pictures of pies and they relate perfectly to enhance the mood of the movie.. Maybe it was just the uniforms, but this movie also reminded me a little of Twin Peaks -mmmm Cherry Pie

Cheese Shop Print

This is my first limited edition print, just in time for the holidays. It came out so nice, what fine quality and attention to detail! For more information and to order please visit my Etsy. It has been a little warm here lately I'm hopeing for some more fall weather before Thanksgiving.

Pay it Forward

I had almost forgot about the Pay it Forward project when I got this cute little Halloween surprise in the mail. Kelly Vivanco has such detailed work and what a wonderfully glossy surface on the painting. For her blog visit here: http://kviva.blogspot.com/2009/10/remember-pay-it-forward-thing.html

Open Studios Baking

I love baking,, once upon a time I had dreams of being a pastry chef. For open studios I originally wanted to by a bunch of sugar skulls and decorate them, but they were to expensive and not that tasty. Later I was browsing e-bay for sugar skulls and found these really cute cookie cutters. I decided to make a big batch of skull cookies. I also made some cupcakes to go with my new working cat series. Yum!! My mini-cupcakes came out a lot better this year, they had a more even size. I used Icing in a can, for the first batch. How easy! I had a great time at open studios. A big thanks to everyone that made it out in all the snowy stormy weather. After a very busy weekend, I'm planning on kicking back for a few days before I get started on new work for my "The Long Way Home" show in January. -Jen

Fort Point Open Studios oct 16-18th

Fort Point Open Studios this weekend. Oct 16th to the 18th! I'm cleaning up and will be baking tomorrow, warm banana bread, skull cookies and of course lots of art. For More Info.

Little Things Along the Way

These past few weeks I've been out of my studio a bit more, collecting picture frames and doing some art sales. Between running errands I found some cute things. I ran into this girl at the Boston Arts Festival that makes cute little ornaments out of wicked soft spun cotton. My boyfriend got an octopus and I purchased a pointy-toothed fox. Check out more of her work on her website http://www.vintagebycrystal.com she also has work on Etsy. She has all kinds of cute things and some great vintage Halloween animals and ghouls. While wandering through Chinatown I came across this cute little piggy snack-cake. He was not the best tasting pig, but he had a lovely face and great beady little eyes . A while back I also got sent this cute little packet of goodies from Brandi Milne. This box of trinkets was from a Pay It Forward project she was doing on her blog. The whole packet was wrapped up with star paper enclosing Double Bubble, a cloth strawberry, a pink-haired doll-person and Starlight mints. The little strawberry is precious, it has a tiny bell in it. I'm sure my cat would adore it, but it is safe in my display cabinet for now. I really like her most Brandi's most recent work with toothy bunnies, strawberries and German text, check out her Blog. Her work reminds me a little of Nouar. - Ok, I'm back to getting prepared for open studios -Jen

Murder of Crows

Some pics from the Boston Arts festival, last weekend, painting zebras. Painting for a show in Oct, should be really cool, lots of comic book artists! A Murder of Crows: A Children's Primer New Works Based on Terms of Venery October 3, 2009 6-9 p.m. Gallery Meltdown 7522 W. Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90046

The Cutest Thing

I was browsing around the internet this morning and I found the cutest thing. It is a kitten passport painted by Yoko Tanaka. To check out the sweet photos of the inside please visit Gallery Nucleus. I also found a new artist, William Basso. His work reminds me a little of of Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas and old German Halloween prints. He has some great pieces to get you in the fall spirit. Today I'm wishing I had money to buy all my favorite art.

Process Moustache and Cherries

Here are some process images of my pieces. I'm continuning a seres of these little circus theamed paintings that I started for the show at the Monkeyhouse gallery ( I currently still have two pieces from this series there). After these two pieces I think I will do some more paintings of animals at carnival games. I love having a reason to incorporate text into my images.

Piggy Buka

I just sent out my painted Piggy Buka to the Monkeyhouse gallery in LA. He is soo cute, I painted two strips of bacon on the back and on the front is an egg. -enjoy -Jen

Buka Show at Monkeyhouse

Seeds and Painting

I've shipped out my 5 Pay it Forward packages and if they have not arrived yet, they should be at your doorsteps shortly. Recently I've really been wishing that I had the space to plant a little veggy garden. I do not have a green thumb, but when I had the space I would always try. This series is focused around veggies and the animals that like to destroy your garden, except the earth worm and the farmer pin up girl, I guess. Below are some process photos: The next big event for me is The Boston Arts Festival, check it out here or on the Facebook events page here. Thanks to all of you that participated in Pay It Forward. I look forward to seeing your creations posted on your blogs. -Happy Monday -Jen

Monkeyhouse Toys,

FREAKS, GEEKS, AND SWORD SWALLOWERS Sideshow Themed Group Show & Toy Release Curated by Jared Deal June 27 - July 12 Opening reception: Saturday, June 27th, 5-9pm Monkeyhouse Toys La. CA

Art For Five

I was stumbling around some of my favorite blogs this afternoon and I found this neat little project thing

on Brandi Milne's page.. I thought it would be a ton of fun so here it goes: I am entering into the following contract with the first 5 people who comment on this post and then commit to do the same on their blog. Just read below and if you feel up to the task copy the following into your blog and leave me a comment.
1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make. Whatcha get is whatcha get.
2. What I create will be just for you, with love.
3. It’ll be done this year (2009).
4. I will not give you any clue what it’s going to be. It will be something made in the real world and not something cyber.
It may be weird or beautiful. Or it may be monstrous and annoying. 5. I reserve the right to do something strange. 6. In return, all you need to do is post this text on your blog and make 5 things for the first 5 to respond to your blog post.

7. Send me your mailing address - after I contact you.
Come on, don't be shy. Even if you don't think you're the creative type, you might end up surprising yourself - and making 5 other people very happy too! So there you go, be the first 5 to leave a comment and be a part of it! Please leave your email address as well so I can contact you :) PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESSSSS!!
PS. Brandi Milne got this idea from MUCH LOVE blog, go visit her.

Process Pictures

Here are some pictures of my pieces in progress, for the Carnival/Sideshow at the Monkeyhouse gallery. On the top is "Wolf Boy" a side show attraction that is only fed meat. Next to the painting is a neet looking swirly-purple taro bun. Below him is the painting "Sword Swallower" and "Carnival Fox".

RISD Sale 2009

Here are some old pictures I found of the RISD sale, It looks like it was a really bright day. The sun kept peeping out.

Something Really Cool

I was checking out Etsy this morning and came across this bear rug made by Fringecollection. This is similar to something I've been working on for a while. I finished a tiger rug in college but it was never as durable as I wanted it to be and the orange color started wearing off. Currently I'm working on a wolf rug, but it is months to completion, and I have a million projects to complete before I can continue working on it. The rug above looks wicked durable and fuzzy. It is custom made and comes in a verity of colors, from dirt camofloging black to candy bear pink. Check it out for sale on Etsy.

Japanese Things

My parents just visited from Japan and brought me a ton of cool things. Now I have all kinds of neat little inspirations; toys patterns and stickers. Below are some pictures of some cute sweet little candies with sugar sparkles. The upper left guys with the fish are boy's day candies and the lower right are Girl's day candies. She also found me this tin of candies which seems to have a little parade of daemon critters and monsters on it, which is kind of odd because this is a theme I have been working on in a few of my most recent paintings. Maybe I will do some research ant try and figure out what these little creatures are, they may just be random besties. Below are some stickers with Japanese Engrish "Animal Panic, Can you understand this variation?" soo cute and odd. Finally some really cute animal soy bottles for kid's Bento "lunch" Boxes and some Japanese fabric.

RISD Sale May 2nd

Wooot!

My annual participation in the spring RISD alum sale is rapidly approaching ! (this weekend May 2nd 2009) To celebrate I have ordered these cute Shopping Raccoon stickers from Sticker Robot. They just arrived in the mail today, how shiny! If anyone is in the Providence area this weekend, come check out the sale, I will be there rain or shine with new prints, paintings, buttons and more. Happy Day

Opening Space 242

The opening of the Space 242 show was awesome! The work looked great, I'm glad so many of you guys showed up. I have a few pictures from the opening. Amanda and me signing posters for the show, and below is early in the reception.. It got very crowded! Some of Amanda Clarke's work, cute bunnies and such, and below my favorite piece, the girl with squirrels in her hair. Some of my work below, the images I got of my pieces were a little more blurry. Thanks again to everyone that showed up and you guys that helped me carry my work around. For anyone that missed the reception, the show will be up until March 20th Fridays 6-8pm or by Appointment. Be sure to RSVP for the artist talk Thursday March 19th. http://www.space242.com/