Rococo Cocoa

Here is the first draft of a little something I'm doing for my 9-5, an educational software company. The aim was to have a school subject (this one being astronomy) leap off the screen, and hopefully if the head honcho likes it enough, it'll be featured as a full marketing campaign.

I looked at some tutorials on how to get an aurora borealis look in photoshop at design sites Abduzeedo and looking at the art of James White, Justin Maller and God himself, but it took me a hell of a long time to get the fairly realistic look that I wanted. All and all, I think this was a pretty good go at it. I think I have a little refining to do... I'll keep you (all three of you) updated!

I know guys. The three of you who read my blog have been asking: where in the world have the posts been? Well all I can say is I apologize. Just know, as long as I still do art, and blogger is still in business, this blog will be updated... eventually.

I've been designing my new website for a while, and I've even had the web space for a full two months without even loading a coming soon splash page. Silly me. But all that is fixed! I have a theme, and consistent branding, et.cetera.

So this is what my site will look like eventually. A little more variety in the way of thumbnails, though. Stay tuned!

I will be entering this a lot. Simply cause it's so easy and a hoot. You should too. I just uploaded a drawing from college, Buh-Caw:
but I plan on doing a tequila related piece or two for it.

This has gotten me thinking about tequila at 10AM. Which I suggest you do often.

I kept forgetting to post this, so, instead of being asleep like I should be at this hour, I'm finally putting it up. Do click on the image to see detail.

This was a hand drawn character taken into Illustrator and traced. Then, I added texture and some other stuff (like her shadow) and ta-da! There she is. I love her dress.

For Liberator Magazine 7.2.

Finally, another illustration. I'll post my sketch for the next idea soon! Also, some information:

"The Shop presents Unique Art Auction in humanitarian effort Local artists will donate work for showcase event. In an effort to contribute aid and draw attention to hardships in Darfur, Africa, The Shop Salon will be hosting a unique art show. Local professional artists are graciously donating a wonderful array of artwork to be sold at a silent auction during this worthwhile event. Everyone is invited to attend!

TIME/PLACE: 6 PM to 11 PM; April 6 2008
LOCATION: The Shop, 8231 Woodmont Avenue, downtown Bethesda
Beverages and appetizers

A minimum donation of $10.00 per person (entry fee)


PROCEEDS from the cover charge and art sales WILL BE DONATED
to the SaveDarfur fund to help with humanitarian aid efforts in the Sudan.
PLEASE JOIN US AND HELP!

Proceeds will go to SaveDarfur.
www.savedarfur.org
www.one.org

www.theshopsalon.com"

So I have approximately 13 gifts to give. And this year, for some god forsaken reason, I told myself I wasn't going to buy anything, and that I was going to make everything. I have presents to make for (and I'm thinking out loud here):

1. My mother
2. My father,
3. My sister
4. My brother
5. My
   
6. four
   
7. (count 'em
   
8. four) roommates
9. My friends Carly
10. Lizzy
11. and Laura...

...as well as handmade cards for them and 4 more people. That brings our grand total of things to 26 items. Did I mention I have a cold? Did I also mention I haven't finished anything? Its going to be like college all over again. Yum.

PS. This means at least 11 posts next week with the results. Stay tuned!

About a month ago I participated in Visual AIDS's Postcards from the Edge.

"Famous in the art world as the most exciting and affordable way to build a collection of work by internationally renowned artists, as well as young and emerging artists, all works are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. The works are signed on the back and exhibited so the artists signatures are a secret till after the purchase.

Visual AIDS strives to increase public awareness of AIDS through the visual arts, creating programs of exhibitions, events and publications, and working in partnership with artists, galleries, museums and AIDS organizations.

By mobilizing the visual arts communities, Visual AIDS raises money to provide direct services to artists living with HIV/AIDS."

Postcards by Kiki Smith, Yoko Ono, (and me! as well as my beautiful and talented friend Carin Johnson) were in the show at James Cohan Gallery in NYC.

I'm only showing you now, because it was a secret previously, on the off off off off hand chance someone saw this before it was (hopefully) purchased. I like it. I love the dimensionality of a drawing in a diorama format. Its a good thing.

It's Christmas Party time at my job... where we get our clients into a pub, get them drunk, then try and get them to sign wild contracts that get us all their money. Not really, but it sure would be a lot more fun than the awkward cocktail conversations I have with clients I usually only speak with about copy and pantone colors.

Anyway, here's one of the options I provided. I think its very Starbucks-y. I included the artboard cause I thought the way it interacts with the red square is pretty nifty.

Coming tommorrow! Roomate Thanksgiving pictures!

The other day I visited my mother and father, who live on Memory Lane- well its not actually called memory lane, but for me it is. Whenever I go there, I do a couple of things: I make sure to I fill up on as many mom-made Haitian goodies as possible (otherwise I'd have to visit way more often....... too catty?) Anyway, she gladly cooks anything I want, as long as it's oily and fattening.

Like I'd ask for anything else.

This time, she made boullion soup, but at other times, I've gotten family sized portions of poule corniques et pois (cornish hen and peas) to Sauteed beef in brown rice to fried plantain (which doesn't sound fancy but its tasty!) She probably wouldnt mind it if I ended up looking like Biggie Smalls' heavier brother. But I resist (as much as I can.)

The other thing I do is go to my old bedroom (or, the memory closet, if you will) to see if theres any crap I can take out of there to add to the mountains of crap I have in my apartment. I was looking through a box and I found this sketchbook from highschool:



It looks like I did all this art around junior year of HS. Not too shabby. I seemed to be really into crosshatching. In this book, however, was a really detailed drawing of Trent from Daria. Which, I mean, was correct in it's movie like foreshadowing. Also in this sketchbook: really awful, and I mean REALLY AWFUL poetry. You'll never see it if I have anything to say about it.

PS. REALLY AWFUL.

I did three Illustrations for the Liberator this time around.


A full page (1) and a spot (2) for an article on Faith and Religion, and prayer.
This one was for a review on a documentary about Haiti. It involved a story about a Haitian man's house burning to the ground one evening. I wanted to insinuate the fire burning in the distance without representing it in the illustration. I fear it looks a little SpaceQuest9 though. You be the judge.

Check out the Liberator Magazine.
All illustrations © Joseph Lamour 2007