GIMMIE SPROUSE!!!

I GOT MY GRAFFITI ON WITH THIS STEPHEN SPROUSE PIECE FOR MY GIMMIE! FASHION SERIES. I HAD RECENTLY BEEN WORKING WIT MY BUDS AT MAO PR ON THEIR STEPHEN SPROUSE BOOK (OUT IN JANUARY KIDDIES!) AND I WAS INSPIRED BY HIS BARELY THERE STRAPPY SWIM-SUITS. I WANTED TO PLAY UP HIS TRADE-MARK GRAFFITI PRINTS, SO I USED IT ON THE COFFEE MUG THESE ROCK LADIES ARE WADING IN. GOTTA LOVE THOSE BUG-EYED SUNGLASSES!

PEN AND INK W/ LETRA-TONE ON BRISTOL BOARD

GIMMIE MUGLER!!!

YOU KNOW I CAN'T DO A SERIES OF FASHION DRAWINGS WITHOUT INCLUDING A MUGLER OUTFIT! THE MUGLER ROBOT-LADY IS PRACTICALLY MY FAVORITE FASHION MOMENT EVER. I HAVE SEEN THE OUTFIT ON DISPLAY AT MANY MUSEUM EXHIBITS NOW AND I NEVER GET TIRED OF IT. I ONLY WISH MR. MUGLER WAS STILL WORKING TODAY (AND NOT SO LOONEY!) SO I COULD WORK WITH HIM MAKING ALL HIS INSANE CREATIONS. VIVA-LA-ROBOT -LADY!

GIMMIE HALSTON!!!

THE STORY BEHIND THIS PICTURE IS THAT IT ORIGINALLY WENT WITH AN ALL HALSTON SERIES I STARTED YEARS AGO. SOME OF THE PIECES THAT WENT WITH IT HAVE SHOWN UP HERE. BUT I COULD NEVER MAKE IT WORK OUT THE WAY I WANTED IT TO, SPECIFICALLY THE RAIN. SO, I RE-DID THE PICTURE AS A FINAL THOUGHT TO THIS GIMMIE! SERIES AND IT WORKED OUT GREAT. THE RAIN FINALLY LOOKS AS GRAPHIC AS I'D WANTED IT TO BE ORIGINALLY.
HER LOOK IS MEANT TO BE KAREN BJORNSON-ESCE (ONE OF HALSTON'S MUSES)

PEN AND INK W/ LETRA-TONE ON BRISTOL BOARD

GIMMIE GAULTIER!!!

THIS WAS THE 1st PICTURE COMPLETED FOR THIS SERIES. IT'S ALSO THE ONE THAT CHANGED THE LEAST FROM INITIAL SKETCH TO FINAL PRODUCT. HER OUTFIT IS A JEAN PAUL GAULTIER DENIM SAILOR SUIT FROM THE S/S '89 COLLECTION. SINCE J.P.G IS A FRENCH DESIGNER, I GAVE THE GIRL A FRENCH-PRESS COFFEE MAKER TO SIT ON. MAKES SENSE, NO? THE CLOUDS AND SEAGULLS IN THE TOP LEFT CORNER HELPED GIVE IT A SEA-SIDE FEELING.

GIMMIE DIOR!!!

THIS IMAGE SEEMS TO BE PICKED AS THE FAVORITE OF THIS SERIES BY MOST PEOPLE. I HAD PLANNED FOR IT TO LOOK VERY DIFFERENT AT FIRST AND COULDN'T MAKE IT WORK OUT THE WAY I WANTED IT TO. I ALMOST SCRAPPED IT UNTIL I FOUND A NEW WAY TO RE-WORK IT AT THE END. I LIKE THE WAY THE LETRA-TONE LOOKS AS COFFEE IN THE AMERICAN-DINER-STYLE COFFEE POT.

PEN AND INK W/ LETRATONE ON BRISTOL BOARD

GIMMIE DOLCE&GABBANA!!!

THIS ONE TURNED OUT GREAT I THINK. THOUGH I DO THINK THAT THIS IS THE 1 IMAGE OUT OF THE 9 WHERE THE OUTFIT DRAWN IS MAYBE NO SO RECOGNISABLE AS A FAMOUS FASHION DESIGN. THE DRESS SHOWN HERE IS FROM A VERY EARLY DOLCE&GABBANA COLLECTION. NOT ONE OF THEIR MORE ICONIC PIECES BUT IT WORKED GREAT FOR WHAT I NEEDED. I WAS GOING TO ADD A LEOPARD PRINT TO THE DRESS (ONE OF THEIR SIGNATURE TOUCHES), BUT DECIDED TO JUST USE LETRA-TONE INSTEAD. THE DOUGHNUTS WERE A LAST MINUTE TOUCH. WHO DOESN'T LIKE COFFEE AND DOUGHNUTS!?

I GOT THE IDEA FOR ALL OF THOSE LINES AROUND HER FROM A 'VIVIAN GIRLS' EXHIBIT I WENT TO IN NYC. THE WAY ARTIST HENRY DARGER DREW CLOUDS WAS MY FAVORITE PART OF (QUITE ODD) SHOW.

PEN AND INK W/ LETRA-TONE ON BRISTOL BOARD

GIMMIE ALAIA!!!

I HAD ORIGINALLY WANTED TO DO 6 PICTURES FOR MY 'GIMMIE! FASHION' COLLECTION BUT I WOUND UP THROWING IN 3 MORE THAT I DREAMED UP ON THE FLY. THESE WERE THE CHANEL, HALSTON AND ALAIA IMAGES. THIS ALAIA ARTWORK USES THE FAMOUS IMAGES OF SINGER-ACTOR-ODD-BALL-WEIRDO GRACE JONES IN HER ICONIC ALAIA 'MERMAID' GOWN. I GAVE HER A SINISTER GRIN AND AN AX BECAUSE, WELL, GRACE JONES IS A KOOK.

PEN AND INK W/ LETRA-TONE ON BRISTOL BOARD

GIMMIE CHANEL!!!

IN THE MONTH OF OCTOBER 2008 I WAS ASKED TO DO A SMALL ART SHOW FOR THE 'GIMMIE! COFFEE' COFFEE HOUSE ON MOTT ST. HERE IN SOHO NYC. I WAS VERY EXCITED TO GET THE CHANCE TO SHOW MY WORK IN SUCH A HIGH TRAFFIC AREA AND CREATED NINE NEW PIECES FOR THE EXHIBIT. I TOOK THE THEMES OF COFFEE AND FASHION (TWO THINGS I LOVE!) AND MIXED THEM TOGETHER. ALL OF THE PIECES ARE IN BLACK AND WHITE AND FRAMED IN DIFFERENT BLACK FRAMES.

I WANTED TO PICK SOME ICONIC LOOKS FROM FASHION DESIGNERS TO MIX WITH THE COFFEE IMAGERY. THE 1ST ONE SHOWN HERE IS MY ODE TO CHANEL. OUR GIRL WEARS A CHANEL TWEED SHORT-SET WITH QUILTED CHANEL BAG AND MATCHING TWEED SAILOR HAT. I EVEN PUT A LIL' BOTTLE OF CHANEL No. 5 PERFUME AT HER FEET. SHE IS SUPPOSED TO BE DRINKING A GIANT FRAPPICHINO BUT EVERYONE SEEMS TO THINK IT'S A SLURPEE. I LOVE A SLURPEE ON A HOT DAY SO I'M OK WITH THAT!

PEN AND INK W/ LETRA-TONE ON BRISTOL BOARD