Fan Art!: The Bird and the Bee

So, I've really been wanting to do a music poster for a band for a while now. 

I was listening around and found a gem by the Bird and the Bee called

 "Love Letter to Japan."

...and then I saw this poster in my head:

I thought it would match the 70's throwback references, the cuteness, 

the tongue-in-cheek social humor. Case in point: the music video.

The Lyrics go like this:

"My beloved, oh my sweet

All the gifts you have given me

The patience and the peace,

Cherry blossoms and the candy,

I am yours, I am yours

For as long, for as long as you will have me...

From the west to the east I have flown to be near you

I have come all this way to be close, to be here with you

And now, all my heart I will lay down precisely at your feet..."

And all of their music has this awkward awesomeness about them. 
Which subsequently reminds me of this music video:

*Sigh... I think I'm in love.

And I'm pretty sure this is what I look like while I'm dancing at Zumba...
and I don't care. :)

"Dress classy and dance cheesy."

Psy got it right.

-M-

I Wear Pants Pants

You wear short shorts!

I wear pants pants!

These are my super wide leg tan dressy slacks with green piping and handmade, hand-painted buttons. Now doesn't that sound posh? I also made the plum stretchy cotton shirt that has the breezy cutout in the sleeves. That's air conditioning for you. Very nice. AND I also made the little green peter pan vest. The binding was a pain, but I finally got the hang of it! It only took me three tries, ha ha ha. I'd say that  it was a win!

Again, I designed the clothing, drafted the pattern, cut, stitch, etc. Again, I'm having love affairs and late night trysts with sewing text books. My goal is to make clothing that is high quality, that looks great, feels great, and wears great. Something I love so much that I wear it out.

Speaking of love, I love wearing these pants to work, with the exception being windy days. It's like I'm trying to walk with two sails attached to my legs! All jokes aside, I think I will enjoy wearing this outfit this spring.  It's different and I think I look cute, and I like those two things. :)

Next on the radar for my learning to sew adventure: a Katwise style sweater coat! I'm very, very excited. Bring on the patchwork colors!

Happy Spring!

-M-

Burn

Here's some primordial soup mix to go with that fire.

Burn with ambition people. 

BURN.

And then go make some cool stuff. 

-M-

Illustration Friday: Voice

There's an elephant in the room, and she's singing at the top of her lungs.

I decided to try and draw with mostly flat angles on this one. I like how it turned out!

13 Decades of Women's Swimwear

A brief review of the history of women's swimwear through a century of social change in an infographic-like illustrative design. I've been working on this one for a while now. Super excited that it is FINALLY DONE. Yes....

Here is the long, originally intended version. 

And here are some cuts so you can easily zoom in to see it.

Illustration Friday: Prehistoric Piano Lessons

I take jazz piano lessons from my good friend Mel, and the praying mantis stance is kind of inside joke. Okay,... so this me, practicing jazz. 

I like playing the piano, and I like jazz, don't get me wrong, but I've been working a lot on playing like I AM A pianist. With confidence. If I don't, Mel says I look and act like this:

And then Mel's all apologetic and says she's being a brat, and I'm all, "NO! Please be a brat!" 

I need the extra push so I'll work through all my insecurities.

And then she play acts what I act/look like and we both laugh and laugh. 

NEEEEEEAAAAUAUUUGGGGGHHHH.......

LOL

:)

RootsTech 2014: Animated Short

I was lucky enough to be a part of the kickoff animated short for the 2014 Rootstech Conference, held last week in the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah. There were so many amazingly talented peeps on this project! Really truly!

And here's the group after the kickoff viewing in the Salt Palace Convention Center.

Tim, you are tooooooo funny. :)

Margo, Tim, Travis, Joe
Melanie, Heather, Cheryl

This photo is missing the likeness' of Stephen Anderson, Ellis Elkins, and Adrian Ropp.

This is what I did:

Which led to more texturing and lines:

And more and more! 

Too see more samples of my work from the short, visit my Behance portfolio here.

And of course, be sure to watch the film:

Y'all are fab! Simply fabulous!! 

-M-