MOTHER OF THE YEAR

SEEMS LIKE ALL THE CELEBS ARE HAVING A BABY (OR BABIES) TO BOOST THEIR SAGGING CAREERS LATELY. WHEN YOUR CAREER'S IN DOUBT, ADD A BABY TO THE MIX AND U GET INSTANT PHOTO OPS AND TABLOID ATTENTION! JOAN CRAWFORD WAS, OF COURSE, THE INVENTOR OF THIS SCHEME. SHE ADOPTED 4 CHILDREN WHO ALL FAMOUSLY TURNED ON HER. SHE EVEN ADOPTED TWIN GIRLS, SO SHE WAS WAY AHEAD OF THE GAME ON THE CELEBS HAVING TWINS AND ADOPTING KIDDIES, BOTH OF WHICH EVERYONE IS DOING NOW. OH JOAN, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU HAVEN'T TAUGHT US?

I HAVE BEEN WANTING TO DRAW THIS COAT FOR A WHILE. IT IS VIKTOR & ROLF FROM F/W 'O7, I THINK. I ALSO WANTED TO DO A PIC OF A FABULOUSLY DRESSED LADY WITH TOO MANY KIDS ON HER HANDS. SO I JUST MIXED THE TWO IDEAS TOGETHER. I USED WATER COLOR ON VELUM TO ADD DEPTH TO THE FLAT PHOTOSHOP COLORING. THEN I SCANNED A COURREGES FUR COAT FROM THE 60'S AND COLLAGED THAT INTO THE MIX AS WELL.

NO WIRE HANGERS WERE USED IN THE MAKING OF THIS PICTURE.

PEN AND INK OF BRISTOL BOARD, WATERCOLOR ON VELUM AND PHOTO COLLAGE + PHOTOSHOP.

MOCK, YEAH, ING, YEAH, BIRD, YEAH!

I LIKE SUPERHEROES A LOT! I USED TO LOVE WATCHING 'SUPERFRIENDS' AND 'WONDER WOMAN' WITH LYNDA CARTER WHEN I WAS A KID. WHEN I WAS A TEEN I GOT INTO COMICS VIA THE 'BATMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES' AND 'X-MEN' CARTOONS AND THE 'BATMAN' FILMS. I STILL LOVE DRAWING MY FAVORITE HEROES, OR, IN THIS CASE, RE-DESIGNING THEM.

MOCKINGBIRD IS ONE OF THOSE HEROES THAT I NEVER KNEW TOO MUCH ABOUT BUT REALLY LIKED ANYWAY. I WAS ALWAYS PAINFULLY AWARE THAT SHE WAS A CHEAP KNOCK-OFF OF DC COMICS BLACK CANARY, BUT I FELT SHE WAS NEVER REALLY GIVEN THE CHANCE TO GROW AS A CHARACTER BEFORE SHE WAS KILLED OFF IN THE 90'S. HERE I HAVE RE-DESIGNED AND RE-IMAGINED HER AS AN AGENT OF S.H.E.I.L.D. I'VE INCLUDED ALL MY LIL' DESIGN SKETCHES AROUND MY FINAL RENDERING.

I PLAN ON DOING A FEW MORE RE-DECOS OF HEROES I LIKE AND I'LL POST 'UM ALL UP HERE.

PEN AND INK ON BRISTOL BOARD WITH WATERCOLOR AND VELUM AND PHOTOSHOP

MYSTERIES OF THE ORIENT

I DON'T SMOKE MYSELF AND I THINK IT'S A LITTLE GROSS BUT I THINK IT'S WEIRD WHEN PEOPLE GET ALL UP IN ARMS ABOUT SMOKING ON TV AND IN MOVIES. I MEAN, IT LOOKS REAAALLLY COOL PEOPLE! THINK HOW AWESOME IT WAS WHEN BOGEY WOULD HELP BACALL LIGHT UP HER CIGGIE. WE ALL KNEW THAT KATHERINE HEPBURN WAS BETTER THEN EVERYONE ELSE IN HER MOVIES BECAUSE SHE SMOKED AND THEY DIDN'T. IT WAS A SIGN THAT U WERE SOPHISTICATED. LUCY SMOKED, ETHYL DID NOT.

I SAW A OLD POSTER ON THE WALL IN CHINATOWN THE OTHER DAY OF A ASIAN GIRL SMOKING AND LOOKING HAPPY AND PROUD. SO I RE-DREW HER TO LOOK KIND'A EVIL AND SINISTER.THE GREEN SOME HELPS MAKE HER LOOK SICK OR TOXIC. THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT CONTROLLED SMOKING THAT LENDS AN AIR OF MYSTERY TO YOU. WE HAVE ALL THOSE OLD NOIR FILMS TO THANK FOR
THAT.

PEN AND INK ON BRISTOL BOARD, WATERCOLOR ON VELUM, PHOTOSHOP

" my, what HUGE teeth you have . . . "

NORMAN NORELL USED TO BE CONSIDERED THE HIGHEST CLASS OF FASHION DESIGNER THAT AMERICA HAD TO OFFER. HE IS LONG GONE NOW AND PEOPLE DON'T REALLY TALK ABOUT ALL THE GREAT WORK HE DID ANYMORE. HIS GOWNS ARE ALWAYS AMAZING AND IF YOU GET A CHANCE TO SEE ONE UP CLOSE, TRY TO STUDY IT WELL 'CAUSE GOD ONLY KNOWS IF YOU'LL EVER GET A GOOD LOOK AT ONE AGAIN.

NOW, THIS PARTICULAR NORELL DRESS WAS A BLUE/GREY COLOR, SO I HAVE NO IDEA WHY I SAW IT AND THOUGHT OF 'LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD'. IT JUST SEEMED TO FIT. I HAD DOODLED A GIRL COWERING AWAY FROM THE SILHOUETTE OF THE BIG BAD WOLF EARLIER AND THEN DECIDED THAT THIS NORELL DRESS WAS AN OBVIOUS CHOICE TO PUT HER IN. KIND OF A 'BEAUTY AND THE BEAST' THANG. I WOULD LOVE TO DO MORE FAIRY TALE KNOCK OFFs IN THE FUTURE.

PEN AND INK ON BRISTOL BOARD WITH PHOTOSHOP.

FEELS LIKE SEX!

WHEN I FIRST DREW THIS PICTURE, I MEANT ALL OF THE "SEX"'s TO BE IN REFERENCE TO VIVIENNE WESTWOOD'S 'SEX' STORE ON LONDON'S KING'S ROAD, HOME OF THE BRIT PUNK MOVEMENT IN THE 70'S AND 80'S. BUT AFTER I FINISHED I FIGURED IT COULD JUST REFER TO THE FACT THAT THE CHICK IN IT IS IN A RUBBER GIMP SUIT AND GOLD LEATHER BONDAGE MASK. EITHER WAY, YOU'RE GETTING SOME SORTA' KINKY SEX VIBE FROM IT.

I USED MY SCAN OF A LaCROIX GOLD LAME' JEAN JACKET AGAIN TO HIGHLIGHT THE 'SEX' SHE'S SITTING ON. I FIGURED THE LACES ON THE JACKET ALSO REFER TO THAT SEX/BONDAGE THEME. THAT LaCRIOX JACKET SCAN IS QUICKLY TURNING INTO THE NEW LETRATONE DOTS: I USE IT FOR EVERYTHING!

PEN AND INK ON BRISTOL BOARD WITH PHOTOSHOP AND COLLAGE

THE STAR OF THE SHOW!!!

MY LOVE FOR MR. MUGLER'S WORK IS WELL DOCUMENTED BY THIS POINT. THE GUY IS A GENIUS! WHO ELSE COULD DESIGN THIS GOLD LAME' COWGIRL MEETS WONDER WOMAN ENSEMBLE AS WELL AS HE? NO ONE NOW-A-DAYS IS FUN/CRAZY ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO PULL OF WHAT THOSE DESIGNERS BACK THEN DID. IT DOESN'T HELP THAT FASHION HAS NO SENCE OF HUMOR ANYMORE. EVERYTHING IS SO DULL. ALL THE MODELS ARE SO LIFELESS. BLAH! MUGLER'S MODELS WERE ALWAYS HAVING FUN AND DANCING DOWN THE RUNWAY. OR THEY WERE MAD HIGH FASHION CREATURES: CRUELLA DeVIL MEETS MARYLYN MONROE.

THE STARS IN THIS PIECE WERE MEANT TO LOOK A TAD LIKE THE MUGLER 'ANGEL' PERFUME BOTTLE. I CHANGED THE DENIM SKIRT TO BLACK TO CONTRAST ALL THAT SWIRLING BLACK HAIR ON TOP. I PAINTED WATERCOLORS ON A VELUM OVERLAY FOR MOST OF IT AND COLLAGED A SCAN OF A GOLD LAME LaCROIX JACKET FOR THE BRA AND GLOVES.

WILL SOMEONE GIVE ME A JOB JUST DRAWING MUGLER OUTFITS ALL DAY, PLEASE!!!?

PEN AND INK ON BRISTOL BOARD AND VELUM W/ WATERCOLOR AND COLLAGED ELEMENTS.

SEEING SPOTS

I HAVE NEVER BEEN THE HUGEST FAN OF JEAN MUIR BUT I DO VERY MUST RESPECT HER VISION. SHE WAS AT THE TOP OF HER GAME FOR DECADES BUT NEVER RECEIVED THE KIND OF UBER-FAME THAT OTHER BRITISH DESIGNERS OF HER TIME PERIOD DID. I THINK THIS IS BECAUSE HER WORK IS MORE TIMELESS, NOT SO TREND DRIVEN. SHE DESIGNED FOR WOMEN WHO LIKE CHIC AND COMFORT.

WHEN SHE WAS ASKED TO DO A ONE-OFF KNIT WEAR SHOW IN AUSTRALIA SHE DID THESE GREAT BLACK AND WHITE FIGURE HUGGING SHEATH DRESSES INSPIRED BY THE GREAT BARRIER REEF AND ALL THE AQUATIC ANIMALS THAT LIVE THERE. I'VE DRAWN THREE OF THE DRESSES HERE. I LOVED THE CONTRASTING BLACK AND WHITE ON THESE PIECES. I HOPE SOME DAY TO SEE THEM IN PERSON.

*PEN AND INK ON BRISTOL BOARD