Wednesday, October 29, 2008

one double wide post this week + ape is coming! + trees

Ok, I was doing really good with two a week, but this week has just been toooooo crazy! So I'm just giving you one large-ish post instead. I've been getting my stuff together for APE and let me tell you something about getting organized: it's HARD, and it takes a LOT of energy. I'm in CalArts-crunchtime mode right now, with a wackadoo sleep schedule and I've been fueled mostly by big cups of tea (with the occasional soy latte for emergencies) and packets of Emergen-C. But enough about me. I know why you come here and it's not for the jibber jabber!

I made a little series of family tree paintings for these crazy, kitschy frames I found.

First, an awesome frame shaped like a house! I can't take credit for the creation of the frame, but I can take credit for filling it with art.




This frame was really, really hard to photograph. It has a shiny finish on it, but the pic makes it look super glossy, which it's not!



The little paintings are digital, and I printed them out, cut them out, and put them inside of this awesome frame. I've never seen one like it...I wish I could find more. I'd do a whole series.


I got some of these "family tree" frames, too. They were really, really horrible looking when I got them. They're made out of some awful fake pewter stuff, and they looked like something your grandma would have on top of her TV, but not like a cool old school grandma. Like a REAL grandma who likes things that are made from pewter and filled with embarrassing photos.

I turned the first one into a librarian tree, complete with Miss Lib herself, and her owl friend, a fox taking in some new fiction.



These frames are double sided, so on the back I filled the frames with pages cut from an antique book (which, in all respect to books everywhere, was an awful book and kind of deserved to be used as decoration).



Here's the actual little paintings, since they're kinda hard to see in the photograph. Taking good photos is HARD!





This tree is smaller, but it's the runaway hit so far.

On the front: a handsome, 1920's-esque family...




...on the back, cut outs from a vintage National Geographic.





And here are the subjects themselves! Sean said that they seemed to be from New England, and that they instantly implied a story to him. He asked me what the story was, but I leave that up to the viewer. I didn't have a really clear idea of who they were when I made them, I just know that I like them a whole lot.




These, along with quite a few other one of a kind framed prints, are going to be on sale at APE this weekend! If you're going to be there then you should stop by, get your button, and check them out in person. I'm really really reeeeaaaally curious to see what kind of reaction they get...they're kinda artsy, but kinda crafty, but quite character design-y. Oh yeah, and there's more pics of them on my flickr!

So, I've still got some printing to do, but I will take LOTS of pictures on my little San Francisco journey and let you all know how it goes.

See ya next week!

19 comments:

Edward Juan said...

so much stuff gette! You got so much stuff done!!!!! i feel so lazy now. hahahaha! I need to get some work done this week.

Emil said...

OMG!!!! These are all so so good, I hate you now........:-)
I can't make it into APE this year, but if I can, I'll definitely look you up and buy the creepy family tree! This really sucks, I live right by the APE convention in SF, but I have to go visit my sis for a very- belated b'dae......

I love all your works! I came across your blog while blog-surfing one day and have been hooked since then! Keep up the good works little librarian!

IZA said...

Reallly Awesome is what these are! I wish I could be at APE to check out all your cool things!!!

Fabian said...

Beyond beautiful, you really put your heart and soul in this project. Wish you the best. Hugs!

Drake Brodahl (pumml) said...

These are fantastic! You have such a knack for color. I really like those tree frames and the super high glossy gloss house. ;)

And yes, taking good pictures is too hard. I may give up trying.

Gregory Sesma said...

Those family trees are awesome.

jen phifer said...

i am beyond in love with the two trees... especially the last one.

Heather Buchanan said...

Holy smokes!

I just found your blog in the Etsy blog love thread.

And holy smokes! I'm in love!

Stacey said...

Those trees are great! So clever how you made them look good, your paintings are perfect in them.

jonathan said...

wooow.. i really admire your work ethic.. omg.
ps- everything is excellence!

Christian Robinson said...

This is a really special collection of art. Everything is so lovely, I'm sure all these things will be sold. I'm going to try and see you this weekend and get my free button. My favorite is the bird in boots. Sooo! cute

Leo Matsuda said...

Beautiful new artwork, Brigette! I really love the ones in blue tone. So much character and charm. I loved that little fox too!

Stone said...

cheese louise, those are great!

Dave 'Diamond' Merritt said...

Hey Brigette. Why don't you make a mold out of the frame? You could make as many as you wanted and paint them different colours too! Great work inside the frame as well.

rose-a-petits-pois said...

LOVE THIS !!!
Love the frames and the concept. So vintage and it fits so perfectly with your style !
Love particularly the house one.
Are you planning to do some more ? It looks amazing !

victoriaying said...

my my miss brigette! these are fantastic!

Cindey said...

all so cool brigette!
I think this is the kind of stuff we would find in that store you spoke of when we asked you where you buy all the cool stuff we saw at your place. haha. you have such good ideas! Can't wait to hear how your weekend went. :)

Jenessa said...

these are so amazing bridgette~

Thierry Cattant said...

Awesome stuff!!! I'm a new one of your followers ;-)