Babushka

Just doodling some goofy old-timey old ladies- would love to work them up into a little Rackham style watercolour

Flapper

bangs

Doodle

Illustration Friday- Paisley

Fun fact: Paisley got its name from a town in scotland that wove extremely popular paisley shawls in the late 18th and early 19th century. In sanskrit its called mankolam.

Doodle

Museum Report#3: The Cloisters

There's something peculiarly american about the idea of buying up the remains of 8 french monasteries and lego-ing them into a museum, and while there's a weird sense of Disney-esque pastiche about the whole thing, with the gardens in bloom and the fountains bubbling it still reminded me of Florence.

Victoria

Museum Report #2: The American Folk Art Museum

The American Folk Art Museum is a really interesting institution i've kind of seen evolve- it used to be housed across the street from Lincoln Center and focus mainly on 18th & 19th century handcrafts, but in 2001 it moved to a modernist building on the same block as moma and expanded the collection into 20th century outsider art (there's a ton of Darger things up) and a more politico-historical view of its older holdings; there's currently a show up called 'Women Only: Folk art by Female Hands' that explores the media and modes of expression open to 19th & early 20th century women.


Personally, I love the simultaneous naivete & sophistication of early american portraiture.




These two children were painted by Ammi Phillips, who was known for this sort of portraiture- I love the softness of his faces contrasted with the brightly coloured abstracted geometry of the dresses. Plus, thats an awesomely weird looking cat.

Museum Report #1: The Franklin Institute

This Friday, a bunch of us went to go see the Cleopatra exhibit at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, for my friend Coleen's birthday.


The exhibit was largely about objects found during an underwater exploration of the submerged parts of ancient Alexandria, including this statue of a draped priest holding a canopic jar. I just loved the drapery and the sweetness of the pose.

Terrier

Maiko

Mermaid

When the saints come marching in

St Lucy, here depicted with a GOBLET OF FIRE, which is an interesting, and less morbid, choice than her usual attribute of eyes on a platter.

St Bettie

My buddy Frank's bday party is tomorrow, and he's a big fan of bettie page, so I made him a little drawing of ms page herself.

Rad Coiffure

The 1820s were a wonderful decade for awesomely weird fashion, and perhaps the origin of lady gaga's hairbow

State of the Callan

I turned 25 yesterday, so I decided to make a list of 25 things I want to do while I'm 25. In no particular order:

1:Update Blog everyday
2:Get my drivers license
3:Take a sewing class
4:Do some portfolio work
5:Figure out my website
6:Get an Illustration gig
7:Travel
8:Eat Better
9:Keep a daily diary
10:Date
11:Walk More
12:Draw a comic every week
13:Visit museums that I don't go to as often
14:Read a book a month
15:Craft more
16:Install a back up system on my computer
17:Make a Skirt
18:Sell art prints on etsy
19:Watch the dvds people give me
20:See more plays and performances
21:Be less self depricating
22:Do something for charity
23:Participate in Illustration Friday every week
24:Update my operating system
25:Create 200 textile designs

I'm hoping its going to be a good year!