yelena bryksenkova

czech sports stars of tomorrow

2012-02-16T10:53:00.001-05:00

all about the up-and-coming girl athletes of the czech republic in the february/march issue of prague's men/women only. they are: denisa rosolová (athletics), dominika šteglová (floorball), šárka pančochová (snowboard), markéta audyová (yachting), kateřina cachová (heptathlon), kateřina elhotová (basketball), and veronika vítková (biathlon).

i love the opportunities to learn about new things from very specific jobs like this. now i know what kind of shoes olympic yachters wear and how to draw a biathlon rifle!

fairy folk

2012-02-11T13:28:00.002-05:00

fairies eating berries, from fairytale food. i have some new editorial work as well, which i hope to share soon!

jack and the beanstalk

2012-02-03T08:00:00.005-05:00

it's fairytale friday! i thought of this name on monday and had to wait all week to share the next chapter from fairytale food: jack settles down mid-beanstalk to enjoy a hearty packed lunch.

my illustration margarita was accepted into the communication arts illustration annual 53! i hear this is some kind of big deal so let's see if anything special happens when the book comes out. your positive response was the reason i chose to submit her in the first place - thank you!

february

2012-02-01T18:20:00.003-05:00

happy february! we are having unusually warm weather this winter.

sleeping beauty

2012-01-24T13:10:00.005-05:00

another illustration from the upcoming fairytale food by lucie cash: the prince offers aurora homemade chocolate kisses in the hopes of awakening her.

i spent two lovely days with b in kentucky (and southern ohio) and left with a lighter heart, knowing that i will be back in the summer.

brown paper bag studio visit

2012-01-16T11:56:00.008-05:00

sara of brown paper bag paid a visit to my home/studio last week, and we had a nice chat about illustration, inspiration, and future plans. thanks, sara! and tomorrow morning, i'm off to kentucky to visit b, because there's no better way to wind my spring for the coming year.

snow white

2012-01-15T16:30:00.002-05:00

in the months leading up to the release of fairytale food, i will share some of my favorite illustrations from the book. snow white's look was inspired by the illustrations of theodor hosemann in the 1852 icelandic edition of the fairytale, mjallhvít.

haruki murakami

2012-01-12T18:14:00.007-05:00

“i want you always to remember me. will you remember that i existed, and that i stood next to you here like this?”

happy 63rd birthday, mr. murakami. this is my small tribute. your books have deeply affected the way i think about life, love, loss, and memory, and i carry your sad and beautiful world of magic with me everywhere i go.

baltimore bride

2012-01-07T11:04:00.004-05:00

for an article about wedding photography / videography in the spring / summer 2012 issue of baltimore bride. in the background is mount vernon, my pretty neighborhood.

happy new year

2012-01-06T18:47:00.003-05:00

"she told me her name, the one she had chosen for herself: nadja, because in russian it's the beginning of the word hope, and because it's only the beginning." (andré breton, nadja)

i greeted the new year with my family in ohio, which was bleak and gray (just how i like it), with the occasional twenty-four-hour blizzard. the new year is enshrouded in mystery and fog, but i vow to be brave and sail ahead.

shop talk

2011-12-19T18:57:00.001-05:00

thank you to those of you who came to the MICA art market, bought my stuff, and stopped to talk to me! and to the people who buy prints from my shop; it's such a thrill to label envelopes with your addresses, from california to ontario to new south wales.

i had little pinback buttons made for art market (you can now buy them here) and since i got quite a positive response to my holiday cards, i'll get to work on designing some for other occasions as well.

AMMO magazine - monochrome

2011-12-09T07:51:00.002-05:00

for a long time i've wanted to draw my interpretation of this magical scene from mikhail bulgakov's novel the master and margarita: a naked and liberated margarita soars on a broom through the night sky, above the twinkling lights of 1930s moscow. i finally did it: for monochrome, the special black & white edition of AMMO magazine, out today!

i'm proud to be a part of this sophisticated illustration magazine and look forward to seeing the printed book. you can purchase your copy here! (£8)

iceland - heiðmörk nature reserve

2011-11-29T12:38:00.006-05:00

we hiked for eight hours through rauðhólar and heiðmörk without seeing a soul. iceland is a very quiet place.

ísland

2011-11-22T09:36:00.000-05:00

it's no accident that i've had lopi sweaters on the brain. z and i are flying to reykjavík for a few days! i’ve had these tickets since august and have been trying not to think about it, but now that my icelandic dreams are on the precipice of coming true, i’m all a-shiver with excitement.

my shop will stay open, but any orders placed after today and through the 28th will be shipped on the 29th of november. see you next week!

holiday greeting cards

2011-11-21T15:22:00.002-05:00

i’ve been busy getting ready for the MICA art market, and decided to try something new this year in preparation for the holidays. i will be selling packs of five greeting cards featuring lopi sweater girl doing various indoor holiday activities.

the 3.5 x 5 in. cards are printed on neutral felt weave stock with a lovely texture, and packs come with five 4-bar envelopes in assorted colors. i also have individual 4.25 x 5.5 in. cards with a winter scene on the front, printed on soft white felt weave stock, with a matching A2 envelope. (thanks, smartpress!)

i put a few of both in my etsy shop as well; be sure to order soon to get them in time for the holidays! p.s. any order placed on or after the 23rd of november will be shipped on the 29th of november (more on that in my next post).

fairytale food

2011-11-12T22:16:00.005-05:00

this summer i worked with preface publishing (an imprint of random house UK) on 15 full-page illustrations for fairytale food: enchanting recipes to bring a little magic to your cooking by lucie cash. the cookbook won’t be published until spring, but it’s already available for pre-order from amazon UK (£11.99).

there are 15 chapters – each dedicated to a well-known fairytale – with six cheeky recipes in each one. i don't know what the inside will look like, but here are a few sneaky peeks at the illustrations (to give you a “taste”- sorry!).

cat nap

2011-11-09T15:38:00.005-05:00

the original "cat nap" has been sold (in fact our whole show sold out on BSDA in the first week - thank you!) but you can now purchase a print of it in my shop!

lopi sweater

2011-11-07T20:20:00.000-05:00

buy some damn art!

2011-11-01T13:28:00.001-04:00

i finally get to announce the launch of buy some damn art, a weekly sale of original, affordable artwork masterminded by kate singleton of arthound. the first sale starts today and features six paintings (three each) by me and by my best friend and very magical illustrator, becca stadtlander. check out our interviews with kate about our friendship and the work featured in this sale. and buy some damn art while you're there, too!

i came to your party dressed as a shadow

2011-10-26T12:14:00.012-04:00

the halloween spirit doesn't creep up on me all on its own quite like it did when i was a kid, but i'm finding ways to feel its presence. it helps that this is the most beautiful autumn baltimore has had in years. last weekend we finally made it out to a pumpkin farm and yesterday i made paper bag lanterns to carry around at the upcoming "great big halloween parade of light and luminaria" in patterson park.

i walked about five miles north of the city today (just because) through unfamiliar streets where the houses are tidy and beautiful and all in one moment, the wind brought the smell of wet leaves and chimney smoke and the afternoon sun moved so perfectly through naked trees that i could have believed that i will never let silly life things upset me ever again. "adieu to disappointment and spleen. what are men to rocks and mountains?"

in the country

2011-10-16T20:00:00.016-04:00

here are some details of the things i've been working on, which i will reveal very soon (hint: this project also involves b). the air is getting chilly and i'm listening to anna karenina as i work. how mr. tolstoy knew people so well, i'll never know.

why i adore the night

2011-10-10T15:52:00.007-04:00

this is my response to hila shachar's "why i adore the night" challenge on her blog le projet d'amour. when i think of nighttime, three different kinds - the most comforting, for me - come immediately to mind:

the silent, pitch-black night in the country. when the air is crisp and clear, the sky is covered with a dazzling display of stars, and crickets start to sing, i feel like i could live forever.

the mysterious, twinkling night in the city, when i imagine the lives inside of warmly lit windows. on a perfect city night, loneliness can seem like the greatest feeling in the world.

and finally, the most mysterious night of all: the cold and endless night of outer space.

tata-naka

2011-10-06T22:46:00.006-04:00

just a little simple something for the amelia's magazine coverage of the tata-naka spring / summer 2012 show at london fashion week. tata-naka is a british label by two georgian-born twin sisters, tamara and natasha surguladze.

two things

2011-09-19T00:26:00.004-04:00

1.) jessica stoner, this month's writer-in-residence at necessary fiction, challenged me with some very thoughtful and interesting questions in this interview 2.) hila shachar featured my work today on her beautiful (and my new favorite) blog le projet d'amour. warmest thanks to both of you!

good night.

orla kiely A/W 2011

2011-09-17T14:26:00.004-04:00

more orla kiely a/w 2011. all patterns are hand-drawn and colored / assembled digitally. (p.s. the new spring / summer 2012 collection premiered in london yesterday!)

orla kiely A/W 2011

2011-09-15T01:15:00.005-04:00

a mock fashion illustration for orla kiely's autumn / winter 2011 line, inspired by this lovely and magical little film featuring the collection. i have two more illustrations in the works, and am also learning how to make photoshop my friend, or at least not an enemy.

pendant la boule bleue

2011-08-30T17:53:00.011-04:00

i had another chance to work with dorothy publishing project, this time for a cover of manuela draeger's in the time of the blue ball, a collection of three magically strange stories. the volume was initially intended to have small interior illustrations, but since the idea was scrapped, i will share some of them here for added intrigue:

don't you want to read about jars of fire, flying jellyfish, gumball-selling wooly crabs, and a vermicelli noodle named auguste diodon? get your copy here!

evening solace

2011-08-21T22:31:00.003-04:00

part of a personal endeavor i'm working on between deadlines, which are mostly for projects that won't see the light of day until 2012.

herbarium

2011-08-05T17:41:00.001-04:00

roomhate

2011-07-27T13:03:00.008-04:00

for a feature article about clashing roommates in bust magazine's fall preview issue. (art director: erin wengrovius)

ohio

2011-07-18T10:49:00.006-04:00

z and i spent a lovely, much-needed weekend in ohio. we observed some geese, ate figs, saw "love's labour's lost" in a meadow, visited a little furniture factory - and are now fully ready to get back to work (p.s. i love instagram, it's the new claude glass).

rodya the hedgehog

2011-07-12T17:07:00.003-04:00

a private commission i recently completed. the sitter appears to be pleased with the result:

isadora duncan

2011-07-10T14:31:00.000-04:00

american greetings

2011-07-06T12:24:00.008-04:00

nobody knows when or in what shape these floral illustrations for american greetings will appear on the market, so i think it's safe to share them. be on the lookout! (close-ups on my flickr)

robit

2011-06-22T18:58:00.005-04:00

for vend, send, mend - a baltimore-based fundraiser for japan.

updated etsy

2011-06-17T21:37:00.004-04:00

i updated my shop: old favorites + new images, and prints have wider borders for easier matting and framing.

n.e.e.t. magazine

2011-06-02T10:35:00.002-04:00

my work is featured in the new issue of lovely UK online magazine N.E.E.T.!

det norske hus

2011-06-01T11:35:00.006-04:00

this little house was made with foam core and colored paper, inspired by the ones i saw in norway. i worked on it all of saturday while listening to norwegian talk radio.

bust magazine

2011-05-26T15:45:00.000-04:00

i never thought i would be illustrating for BUST - not so early in my career, anyway - but here is my editorial debut in the magazine's june/july issue, out now!

ELLEgirl korea: 100 global girls

2011-05-25T15:22:00.001-04:00

to celebrate its 100th issue, ELLEgirl korea asked 100 girls from around the world - who have contributed to the magazine in the past - about their favorite things. i'm lucky № 82: ten questions about my favorite items and products, including favorite tea and brand of makeup, as well as music, books, items of clothing, and miscellany: "i like beautiful books and notebooks, fresh flowers, traveling, collecting and organizing things, and making lists." maybe it says something terrible instead, but as long as i don't read korean, i can live in blissful ignorance.

india ink

2011-05-23T11:03:00.003-04:00

sometimes, it's good to just let loose.

cigar smoking for girls

2011-05-18T15:53:00.014-04:00

"deep inhale, sweet exhale": cigar-smoking guide for ladies in czech magazine "men/women only."

by jan pomuk štěpánek, art director petra kubíkova.

my mini bio at the start of the magazine says: "i was born in saint petersburg, and now live in baltimore. i studied illustration at MICA as well as prague's VŠUP. my favorite place in prague is a secret yellow field near bílá hora."

stylelikeu

2011-05-04T17:26:00.011-04:00

in february, i drew eight people (of my choice) featured on NYC fashion blog StyleLikeU (that's burberry model max hurd wearing his favorite peruvian sweater in the bottom right). here is a slideshow + interview.

*all of the "SLU sittings" series seems to be missing on the website at the moment, so the link appears broken. maybe they posted mine and decided the project wasn't worth it after all

my-edge

2011-04-19T14:45:00.003-04:00

last month, m-edge accessories launched my-edge, a new web app that allows users to design their own e-reader covers. i'm happy to finally announce my work with them over the last few months: you can choose from four of my designs in the style library (formatted to fit the ipad, kindle 2 and 3, and the b&n nook)!

cosmonautics day

2011-04-12T13:42:00.002-04:00

fifty years ago today, on april 12, 1961, soviet cosmonaut yuriy gagarin orbited the earth aboard the vostok 1 spacecraft, becoming the first human being to journey into outer space.

"sketch" at transformer gallery

2011-04-04T15:22:00.004-04:00

the show "sketch" opened on saturday at transformer gallery - i will be at the show this thursday, april 7th at 5 pm to give a little talk about my sketchbook. come watch! (1404 P street NW, washington, dc)

circo senza animali

2011-03-21T20:53:00.005-04:00

i've been invited to contribute an original drawing to a festival called circo volante, which will take place mid-may in cagliari, sardinia. the festival is meant to teach children and teenagers about circus arts, and the illustration exhibition, themed "circo senza animali" ("circus without animals"), will accompany various creative and educational workshops and conferences based around the circus in art.

(organized by the italian cultural association foglivolanti; curated by illustrator giorgia atzeni)

recent acquisitions

2011-03-15T13:41:00.002-04:00

new gems from the last few months, clockwise from top: brecht evens' night animals, beautiful litho printed book toska by lizzy stewart, which just arrived from edinburgh this morning (i actually caught it as it slipped in under my door), sachiko umoto's illustration school: let's draw plants and small creatures, jillian tamaki's indoor voice, and tove jansson's novel the true deceiver, with her original artwork on the cover.

peaches

2011-03-12T15:12:00.000-05:00

sketchbook project

2011-03-04T12:26:00.004-05:00

the traveling sketchbook project exhibition is coming to the hillyer art space in washington, d.c. next month! i was asked to participate - along with a group of other local artists - by filling out a blank moleskine sketchbook for a complementary show called "sketch" at transformer gallery. i am trying to be a little more experimental and free than usual, so am mostly working with cut paper shapes and collage.

23

2011-02-19T17:57:00.005-05:00

"ce que j'ai aimé, que je l'aie gardé ou non, je l'aimerai toujours." (andré breton)

au revoir simone

2011-02-17T19:31:00.004-05:00

just because i love them (i dressed them in orla kiely)

ada zanditon

2011-02-16T10:07:00.004-05:00

london fashion week begins this friday, and to start things off, a preview of ada zanditon's autumn/winter 2011 collection in amelia's magazine online.

the place where i am happy

2011-02-12T12:49:00.009-05:00

issue № 4 of oh comely magazine made it to my mailbox nearly two months after departing london's biscuit factory studios. i have a full page illustration to accompany jane flett's essay "the place where i am happy."

and this sunny day brought some other good news: z and i both got into the society of illustrators student competition this year! i will frame and send alice and the ziegfeld girl off to new york city for the exhibition in may.

night and night's travelers

2011-02-04T19:48:00.001-05:00

"i seemed to be growing smaller, and the invisible sky, horizonless, the formless immensity of space, without clouds, without stars, receded, extended and grew bigger all around me." (stanisław lem, solaris)

flutterby

2011-01-31T07:30:00.000-05:00

on a recent visit to the walters art museum, i was fascinated by the butterflies on display in the chamber of wonders and had the idea to make my own, illustrated specimens. parnassius apollo (above) is the prototype. i hope to make a few small collections and hopefully find some attractive-looking riker mounts to display them in.

amelia's compendium of fashion illustration

2011-01-30T11:15:00.000-05:00

i sadly missed the launch, but i finally have the book in my hands! amelia's compendium of fashion illustration features 30 fashion illustrators and 45 fashion designers to promote the best in ethical fashion and jewelry design. the book was printed in kent, united kingdom with vegetable-based inks, and is not just a joy to look through, but also very pleasant to hold, touch (and smell).

my illustrations are spread out over ten pages, but my favorites are the ones printed alongside an interview with isobel davies, founder of yorkshire-based knitwear company izzy lane, which i am very proud to represent. there is also a two-page interview with me, in which amelia gregory has lovingly changed my "colors" to "colours," and my "favorites" to "favourites."

i am honored (honoured) to be a part of this project and i look forward to more exciting opportunities in the future! (do purchase the book here, £20 / $32)

london not calling

2011-01-28T15:50:00.010-05:00

a stubborn snow storm descended upon new york and after two days of rescheduling canceled flights, i could not even get out of baltimore, let alone make my flight to london. i am utterly crushed to miss out on such an important social and professional opportunity - that i have been anticipating for months - but i suppose there have to be some missteps and letdowns once in a while, lest i forget that i am generally one lucky duck.

i hope last night's launch for amelia's compendium of fashion illustration went brilliantly for all of the other illustrators involved. and here is a video of my october skype interview with amelia gregory!

ELLEgirl korea

2011-01-25T17:26:00.006-05:00

look what arrived all the way from seoul! editor joo hee yoo interviewed me (and three other artists/illustrators) for a feature called "my own sketchbook" in the february issue of ELLEgirl korea. the magazine is so beautiful and designed with love (note my little drawing in the first "o" of the word "sketchbook"!)

nyc

2011-01-23T08:48:00.012-05:00

this weekend i took a bus up to new york city to visit darling c, who just made the bold move from north carolina to brooklyn (i highly recommend her beautiful photoblog about it).

in exactly 24 hours, we: ate beautiful desserts in eataly market, browsed books at the strand, met with a dear old friend, slept like logs then greeted the new day from brooklyn bridge, ate pork buns in chinatown, found me a dress for the london launch party at anthropologie, ate trendy rice pudding in soho, saw pretty quilts at the american folk art museum, visited my elephants at urban outfitters, stopped for fika in true swedish style at a swedish café called fika, and even fit in a little people-watching at MoMA. for the casual visitor, new york feels like a giant playground, so i consider it such a luxury to now have close friends there.

ёшки-матрёшки

2011-01-13T15:23:00.007-05:00

matrëshki (requested by sheila) thanks for all of your interesting suggestions; i would like to draw all of them! and for being so nice, you get a coupon to use in my etsy shop: use the promotional code THANKYOU at checkout for 20% off of your entire purchase! (now through saturday)

laura marling

2011-01-10T10:16:00.005-05:00

the lovely english folk singer-songwriter laura marling for amelia's best albums of 2010. i was very tempted to draw her white hair and barely-there eyebrows, but since this is about her latest album and she is a brunette now, i thought it best to respect the change. (listening to "new romantic" )

north, three + london

2011-01-06T21:00:00.003-05:00

...continuing with my sketchbook of northern wonders. as i await for the combined efforts of royal mail and the united states postal service to bring me my copy of amelia's compendium of fashion illustration, i have this exciting news: i shall be attending the book's launch party at 123 bethnal green road in london on the 28th of january! goody gumdrops indeed and what a pleasant way to kick off the shiny new year.

happy new year

2011-01-01T00:00:00.002-05:00

2010 was an important year for me. milestones reached, opportunities seized, beautiful places explored, woe overcome, bonds strengthened, lessons learned. for 2011 i wish myself wisdom, magic, sound judgment, creative fulfillment, new muses, and the strength to move onward.

“and above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you, because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. those who don't believe in magic will never find it.” (roald dahl)

but most of all, when snowflakes fall

2010-12-24T07:34:00.004-05:00

we made funny sugar cookies – they were my first so i am very proud of them. z didn’t understand the hedgehog silhouette (as you can see), but his bespectacled moose made up for it. if you are a baking novice like me, here is the easy peasy, stress-free recipe.

thank you for all of your very thoughtful suggestions on what i should draw next; now i have some personal projects to work on in the winter months. happy christmas! (i really hope it snows tonight.)

sweet juniper holiday card

2010-12-22T09:47:00.000-05:00

in the last few weeks i have had the pleasure of illustrating and hand-lettering this year's holiday greeting card for jim griffioen of the blog sweet juniper! and his very cool, detroit-based family (their amazing home was f eatured on design*sponge back in 2007). as you can see, i really enjoyed drawing them. thank you for the opportunity, j. and w.!

maîtresse-en-titre

2010-12-19T20:02:00.000-05:00

thank you for your comments and messages; i read and appreciate them all. i wonder:

is there anything you would like to see me draw?

oh comely magazine

2010-12-17T21:02:00.001-05:00

last month i illustrated an essay called "the place where i am happy" - in which a young woman describes her weakness for the glowing romance of the bar at el quijote beneath the chelsea hotel in new york city - in london-based oh comely magazine. those of you in the UK can pick up issue № 4 now (stockists); i will be eagerly waiting for my copy to arrive with the post!

poppytalk

2010-12-12T10:44:00.000-05:00

pleasant surprise: my lace is on poppytalk today! i am particularly flattered to be featured alongside finnish illustrator anna emilia laitinen (on whom i've had a secret crush for years) and UK-based clare owen (i bought that sewing machine print immediately). good morning! (actually it is a very glum, rainy morning. listening to velvet underground's "pale blue eyes.")

(art market went very well for me, i think, but i wish you were with me, b. minding the inventory felt like a chore without you.)

new business cards

2010-12-09T15:02:00.000-05:00

once again, my new business cards (from overnight prints) arrived just in time for art market. this time i chose czech lace for the front.

helix

2010-12-03T21:47:00.000-05:00

yesterday evening a crowd gathered in mount vernon square to watch the washington monument light up. it felt magical and wholesome; my favorite part was watching the fireworks dissolve into gold dust. i can see the monument now through my windows, glowing in the cold night air. "bright are the stars that shine; dark is the sky; i know this love of mine will never die." it's such a simple song, and after twenty-two years of listening to it, why does it still always sound so new and so poignant?

art market 2010

2010-12-02T12:14:00.000-05:00

the annual MICA art market is coming up next week; i am participating as an alumna this year (which feels a little odd). on friday, december 10th, i will be working at the illustration table, probably all day, so if any of you are planning on coming, do stop by for a chat!

"the MICA art market is a venue for the sale of original artwork and hand-crafted wares created by students, faculty, staff, and alumni. the event fosters professional development, peer to peer networking, and provides funding for need-based student scholarships. admission to art market is free."

MICA leidy atrium, brown center. 1301 w. mount royal ave. baltimore, md 21217.

mermaid

2010-11-21T19:09:00.001-05:00

i watched two versions of "the little mermaid" this week: karel kachyňa's "malá morská víla" (czechoslovakia, 1976) and vladimir bychkov's "rusalochka" (ussr, also 1976).

něco z alenky

2010-11-19T12:23:00.000-05:00

inspired by jan švankmajer's wonderful, wonderful "alice" (czechoslovakia, 1988), i made a new and improved version of my alice that i feel is good enough to add to my portfolio.

close encounters of the bookstore kind

2010-11-16T14:05:00.001-05:00

i work at a major chain bookstore, where i am oft subjected to the madness and rudeness of the general public. these frequent encounters make me practically run home to tell the story in the evening, and are often so dazzling that i have taken to making quick ballpoint pen drawings of the local eccentrics on scraps of paper the second they are out of sight. i share them:

and hey look, my "swedish horses" drawing was on where the lovely things are on sunday! i only started looking at the blog this week, on b's recommendation (she was featured in this gems of the week last month). i love a sensory overload!

recent acquisitions

2010-11-15T14:02:00.002-05:00

books, books, books! i love them. i finally have a copy of the exquisite book (by also design)! other new treasures, clockwise: zombies vs. unicorns with a brilliantly exciting cover by josh cochran, the penguin classics deluxe edition of hans christian andersen's fairy tales, issue 3 of ammo magazine with a lovely cover by anke weckmann, belgian illustrator brecht evens' mouthwateringly beautiful graphic novel the wrong place, and florence parry heide's dillweed's revenge: a deadly dose of magic, illustrated by carson ellis.

another darling

2010-11-11T16:54:00.000-05:00

the cat's meow

2010-11-09T13:48:00.000-05:00

the first in a series of jazz age women. as the mica art market - and holiday season - approaches, i am working on a series of note cards to package and sell in sets of four.

amelia's magazine

2010-11-08T10:57:00.000-05:00

i used to work at a very cool shop called harbor news, in the harbor east neighborhood of baltimore. in addition to the typical american newsstand publications, we carried many, many (often obscure) domestic and international newspapers and magazines. baltimore wasn’t ready for a shop like harbor news, unfortunately, and it went under.

but it was during my long shifts running the floor of the shop by myself that i first became acquainted with amelia’s magazine. it was a beautiful printed magazine from london that came out twice a year for five years. the covers varied from sparkly, metallic, laser-cut, encrusted with swarovski crystals, scratch n’ sniff - what have you, and the inside was a sensory overload of fashion, illustration, photography, music, and interesting articles. the magazine is no longer in print (although a few collectible back issues can be purchased here), but continues to thrive online at ameliasmagazine.com.

last year, amelia gregory produced her first book, amelia’s anthology of illustration, and this year we await the release of amelia’s compendium of fashion illustration. i am one of thirty illustrators to be featured in the book, which is anticipated to come out in time for the holidays. you can pre-order your copy here! the book is £18 ($30) or can be purchased together with the anthology and issues 7-10 of the magazine for £50 ($80).

proszę słonia

2010-10-31T00:42:00.001-04:00

"do as the elephants do - when they're unhappy, they just disappear." (à bout de souffle)

today, i was sitting around, contemplating elephants, and had a passing thought about polish children’s book author ludwik jerzy kern. my first elephant experience was in the form of one of his books, which was read to me when i was very small. in russian it was called listen up, elephant... and i still have the same old copy in my collection, as well as a german version, my elephant is called dominik (which has the same cover illustration as the original polish edition). the 1967 book is about the adventures of a boy named pini and his friend, a porcelain elephant.

i mention jerzy kern because as the thought of him drifted into my mind today, i absentmindedly looked him up and suddenly found that he had passed away yesterday, in krakow, at eighty-nine years old. goodbye, goodbye, and to every elephant that ever vanished: goodbye. you always seem like the last, but a new one comes ambling along when i least expect it.

wah nails

2010-10-28T01:07:00.000-04:00

illustration for matt bramford's article in amelia's magazine about the barbican centre beauty party (part of the exhibition "future beauty: 30 years of japanese fashion") featuring wah nails, a nail art boutique in london.

also, it looks like i am one of the thirty illustrators who will be showcased in amelia's compendium of fashion illustration! on tuesday morning i gave a brief skype interview about my work to amelia gregory, which will be posted online as a supplement to the book sometime in early 2011.

north, two

2010-10-28T01:04:00.000-04:00

north, one

2010-10-26T14:40:00.000-04:00

the first two spreads from my "north" sketchbook. more coming soon!

"elephant dream" at urban outfitters

2010-10-25T21:00:00.000-04:00

"elephant dream" is now available at urban outfitters, printed on 12 x 12 inch stretched canvas. the wall art is available for purchase here at urban outfitters online and will be appear in stores as well! in other news, i am cozying up to the digital world by jumping on the bandwagon of iphone users and those who tweet. click here to follow me on twitter.

consolation prizes

2010-10-19T14:51:00.001-04:00

i found quite a collection of beautiful things on my trip. arctic cloudberry liqueur and marimekko from finland, dala horses from sweden, norwegian wool. i love wonderful objects. i surround myself with friendly items and books the way i do with wonderful people. they all come through and save me in moments of sorrow and despair.

norway

2010-09-29T16:34:00.000-04:00

we spent the night in oslo and today we drove eight hours to voss, where we are now staying in a wonderful lodge. norway is cold and hearty in a way that makes me very glad to be alive and to be here. on the way from oslo, we drove through mountains and rose to such altitudes as to see patches of snow laying about here and there. and everywhere, neat wooden houses surrounded by quietly grazing sheep.

from somewhere at sea

2010-09-27T15:02:00.000-04:00

today we left saint petersburg behind, drove through karelia, crossed the finnish border, and reached helsinki. now i am writing from the night ferry to stockholm. tomorrow morning we will get back in our car - which is traveling with us on a lower deck of the ferry - pass through stockholm (which, like helsinki, we will examine thoroughly on the way back) and go straight to oslo. (p.s. i love helsinki - more on that in my sketchbook)

northern wabi-sabi

2010-09-21T16:24:00.000-04:00

above: empty studio at the stieglitz st. petersburg academy of the arts; below: the cold and windy gulf of finland.

let's get out of this country

2010-09-17T09:55:00.000-04:00

i am going away for three weeks, on my annual trip to saint petersburg. this time we will be driving up to finland, sweden, and norway, too! i bought a new, tiny sketchbook for the occasion, and even though my internet access will probably be very limited, will try to share my whereabouts through this blog.

sketchbook, fourteen

2010-09-16T21:00:00.000-04:00

last week i finally went to see this wonderful exhibition, featuring textiles by british designer lucienne day (1917-2010) (and a few key pieces by her husband, furniture designer robin day), as well as two of her contemporaries, marian mahler and jacqueline groag.

sketchbook, thirteen

2010-09-16T20:55:00.000-04:00

one of the last scenes from andrei tarkovsky's "solaris" and a poem by his father, arseniy tarkovsky.

who was changed and who was dead

2010-09-11T23:13:00.000-04:00

today in the mail i received two copies of barbara comyns' who was changed and who was dead from the lovely dorothy publishing project. i had the pleasure of illustrating the cover for this intriguing novel (originally published in england in 1954), as well as dorothy's owl logo. dorothy publishing project is "dedicated to works of fiction or near fiction or about fiction, mostly by women." this high quality, paperback edition of who was changed is endearingly small, very pleasing to hold, and is available for purchase directly from the publisher here.

new prints + milk and peas

2010-08-31T14:55:00.000-04:00

"swedish horses" is now available as a print (in two slightly different sizes) in my shop!

in other news, my dad has curiously become a musician called milk and peas.

lace - grandma's curtains or fabulous fashion?

2010-08-25T00:21:00.000-04:00

illustration of a dress by minna for this article by stephanie ellis in amelia's magazine, as well as a couple of lace drawings. i could draw lace all day; it's so meditative.

book by its cover feature

2010-08-20T18:07:00.000-04:00

after a long and rather exhausting day at work, i came home to see my sketchbooks showcased on julia rothman's book by its cover! this news is just the cat's pajamas and my day has certainly been salvaged. thank you, julia!

swedish horses

2010-08-17T19:14:00.000-04:00

dealing with my desire for this blanket.

tamsin wilson

2010-08-10T23:37:00.000-04:00

an illustration of singer/songwriter tamsin wilson, accompanying rachel clare's review of a nu-folk night at london's legendary jazz club ronnie scott's in amelia's magazine. tamsin's music is quite lovely.

animal bandido

2010-07-15T09:40:00.000-04:00

illustration for spanish street-wear label animal bandido, for this article in amelia's magazine online.

for b.

2010-07-13T12:52:00.000-04:00

friends, i hope you are well.

izzy lane: cozy, ethical fashion from the yorkshire dales

2010-07-07T17:42:00.000-04:00

three fashion illustrations for amelia's compendium of fashion illustration, which will be out later this year. my ethical designer of choice is izzy lane, a tasteful, yorkshire-based knitwear company. izzy lane's mission is to save sheep that "would have been sent to slaughter for being male, missing a pregnancy, being a little lame, being too small, being too old or having imperfections such as a black spot in a white fleece" and give them a happy home. in addition to supporting the ethical treatment of animals, izzy lane keeps the british textile industry alive, utilizing victorian machinery, as well as local spinners and dyers. i hope i make it into the book!

(the top two are available as prints in my shop)