The Pinpoint Method

I recently discovered that our friend Kelly of the super rad Bueno Bueno sisters is working on a brand new project! The pinpoint Method is a fantastic journey across America to meet with creative designers and work with/learn from/collaborate with them. All will be put into a design lifestyle documentary at the end of her journey.

If you know me, one of the most important things in the world to me, and to Doug, is supporting other artists and especially friends as sweet and genuine as Kelly and co. I know times are tough for everyone, but if you have a few extra dollars to spare and want to make a contribution to the art community, pop on over to The Pinpoint Method's website and take a peek. You can also like the facebook page, tweet about the project and share a link on your blog!! I really want to see this project reach fruition and can't wait to see where the journey goes!

WEBSITE // FACEBOOK // BLOG // CONTRIBUTE

xo,

Beca

Pastel Pups by Rosita Mustache

Today I was going to blog about food. We made shrimp coated in Panko last night and I love it so much, I wanted to share, but I just couldn't do it, knowing I have these beauties to share with you. So you'll have to wait until next week to read about my love affair with Panko.

But now, oh my. Now, you get to see the amazing paintings that showed up in my mailbox today from Miss Rosita Mustache. Er, on my stoop because they obviously don't fit in my mailbox. They are huge! Life size, really! Except Ollie, he's too big to have a life size anything. Only life size hugs from that lovable oaf.

I love painting with watercolors, but I am not a painter with oils or acrylics. I just make a big old mess, so I have so much respect for painters who can give life to a painting using those mediums. Rosita Mustache has captured my pups personalities perfectly! (say that five times fast!)

The colors are incredible. The sunshiny day isn't doing these beauties justice, the colors are so pastel, they remind me of candy!

I am head over heels for these paintings and I can't believe I have them in my house now. Probably the best little birthday surprise ever!!

Charlie was being uncooperative while I was taking photos of him, he just wanted to snuggle, but seriously, the eyes are a perfect match. Charlie has the most expressive eyes, and is such an Eeyore, that his expression in the painting kills me.

Check out Danielle's blog post about the portrait she got from Rosita Mustache in the mail today!! And seriously, take a peek at her shop because there are a lot of pet portraits out there, but I've never seen any with so much personality or originality. Now I just need to figure out where to hang them!!

xo,

Beca

Smile Forever

I have a lot of artists that I like, and admire, but my all time fav is Michael Sieben. I wanted to share some of his work with ya'll so you can love it too! All the images belong to him and you can find them on his website! Enjoy!

And, for the kicker! I swear I'm not a creeper, I just really liked these paintings, and so they ended up on my hands. Not the most traditional hand tattoos, I know, but I love them and can't even imagine what my hands would look without them. And I'm not going to lie, I totally sent a photo of them to Michael Sieben a few years ago and he wrote me back! That was nice! Thanks, dude! {I even wrote in the email that I hoped he didn't think I was a creep or crazy, but I was/am totally enamored with his art!}

Who's art are you loving right now? I'd love some new suggestions! Be sure to share the links so I can check them out!

xo,

Beca

The He(art) of DIY

So, I'm going to spill my guts for a quick second. But first, go ahead and laugh, that was me and my pal Rachel, the year we graduated from Film school.

So here it is. As you know, I have my BFA is film production, and spent a good five years of my life living and breathing everything film. From 16mm to HD, I spent 20 hours a day totally engulfed in it, I usually dreamed about it too. And coming from not very much money, everything I did was DIY. I made or thrifted all of the props, got grants for all my equipment, had a ridiculous amount of bake sales and learned as I went.

My films were probably not great, but I loved them. I loved making films. I am sad that old my computer had a complete meltdown and the only photos I have from film school are from my friends' facebook pages. (All of the photos of my thesis film were taken by Michaela Pentacoff during production) And my greatest memories are staying awake all night building paper mache pterodactyls and printing out fliers for casting calls, sewing costumes, baking sweets for bake sales, decorating props and dying dresses to fit our production design. I made movies for kids while I was in school, so everything I did was loud, colorful and fun, which I think is still reflected in my artwork.

Lately I have noticed a trend in artists losing a bit of that DIY passion though. It's almost as if you don't have a fancy dslr, business cards from a printing press, an over the top website and some kind of shock value, you aren't considered an innovator, or even an artist. I appreciate all the incredible work that printers do, and website designers, and photographers. But I am tired of seeing people make fun of other artists for what they are attempting to do. It may not be the "best" or the most innovative, or the cutest, but it is an attempt at keeping art alive, and keeping the passion strong for a diy lifestyle.

I don't make films anymore, but I still work in an incredibly artistic field, and also an incredibly competitive field. I am not the best pastry chef, and for the most part, I get orders for pretty traditional stuff. I don't get too much of an opportunity to expand my horizons, although I try to put a little of myself into each cake/pie/cupcake/cookie that I make.

AND damnit, I have a hell of a lot of fun doing what I do. I know I don't always make the hippest cake, or the coolest, most unique cookies, but I am 100% self taught/learn-under-fire kind of pastry chef. I've had a lot of jobs in my life, like teaching this kid how to be awesome and draw pictures of my old 79 Ford truck:

Making moccasins and constantly sticking awls into the fleshy part of my hand in a pretty horrible way:

My first pastry job, eventually leading to my first Bakery manager position:

I am proud of my work. In all the work I have done, whether it be teaching art to kids, making mocs, runing a bakery and of course, making films. In everything I have done, at the heart of it is DIY. Learn under fire, read books, learn from masters, and make hundreds of mistakes. I have been made to cry at work, belittled, made fun of, but here I am, still wading through the swamp, pushing past the smog of negativity. I still have to face a brick wall on a daily basis, due to my age, my looks, my gender, my decoratibg style, my writing, etc. (which has definitely inspired this post,) But that is what being an artist is all about. Yes, I print out our biz cards and stickers on my printer at home. I learned how to make buttercream roses from youtube, and I have the scars of mistakes all over my hands from every job I have ever held.

BUT I will never stop doing it myself. And I hope you don't stop either. Don't worry if you can't afford to pay someone to design your website yet, or if you don't have the dopest camera, keep doing what you're doing and be proud of your work. I know a lot of people who are starting up their biz/blog/career but don't think it's legit because they don't have ridiculously expensive business cards, don't have the funds to dump into a start up idea, or keep working their day job! I think all you need is love and commitment to be successful and the endurance to push through the crowd of people who don't believe in you and do your best to surround yourself with positivity and self confidence! I believe in you, and I believe in me!

Thanks for indulging me in this mini-rant. I hope you liked seeing all the photos of my past-lives. I would love to hear any stories you have of preservation, DIY, and learning to be confident in yourself in the beginnning stages of your biz/blog/career/life.

xo,

Beca

Lovely Ladies Vol. 1 - Sandra Kafka

So, as I mentioned in my last post, I am debuting a new feature called Lovely Ladies, an artist series, in which I feature one very lovely lady a week who creates art, in all shapes, and let you peek into their world, through their words and images. This week, I am so very happy to introduce to you my friend Sandra Kafka of Backstitch Betty. I have known Sandra for years and have witnessed the incredible transformation she has made with her craft. Sandra is also a huge part of the Tucson Fashion Week, which is slowly growing into one of Tucson's premiere events. So, here she is.

Name: Sandra Kafka

Location: Tucson, AZ

Occupation: Hair stylists & Fashion Designer (and I work at a cafe for fun)

Website: Shop & Blog

How long have you been creating art?:

Well I was always involved in art classes growing up. I took anywhere from ceramics, figure drawing, photography, acting, chorus. I started college for photography and dropped out to go to cosmetology school instead. I have been doing hair professionally since 2005 and making hair accessories and sewing since 2007 but launched my clothing line in 2009.

What is your favorite medium to work in and why?:

I love all things. ha! except I feel I can not paint to put food on the table. I love to knit, especially during the fall and winter.I grew up back east and it is important to keep your core warm, and riding a bicycle around your neck gets really cold. So my bestie taught me how to knit a few years back and I have been in love since.

I really enjoy making skirts and dresses. I feel it is my strongest I adore lace and sheer overlays. This last year I loved making a swim suit collection and hope to do it again this year.

For hair I really enjoy doing color and styles(for weddings and events). I actually got into doing design from working for years behind the chair for local fashion shows. I like creating that crazy messy/put together look. It should be effortless, that is why it is important to have a talented professional team(hopefully they work for trade or charity).

Where do you get your inspiration from?:

oh man! where don't I? I am really inspired by the Arctic. I know it sounds silly for a girl who lives in the desert, but it is true. I love snow and ice. I do love all seasons though as well.I just love nature!!!! I really love a lot of stuff that just does not fly in the South West. Lucky for me I do love skirts and dresses. I think that layers are my biggest inspiration. "okay what can I layer over this or under this to add some texture?" I get really inspired by other's work. It all comes in handy.

What words of advice do you have for new artists?:

Take your time! Learn as much as you can from other's mistakes. Really have your stuff together before you decide to jump feet first into making it a business. It is better to take it slow and really grow than to sink in a big pool of others around you. If you love something go for it! Do not let anyone tell you, you won't be able to make it. There is always a market out there growing, pick something that is fresh and may not be all the rage, but that is lasting. And what I am finding is very important is.. life skills out beat the education they all say you "must have". I am sorry to say it. It might take you a few years longer to get where you want to be, but it is worth it when you get there on your own.

What is something that you have learned in the past 5 years when it comes to being a working artist?:

It is hard! There are always going to be slow seasons, you have to learn to balance out your year. Like I know that almost all year long I will be booked with doing weddings on site, except for june-september.(it's too hot here) I also know that those are the times when I can get in the most of sewing for my fall line. I could not do it all on my own. Without the help of some awesome friends and amazing husband I could not do half the stuff I do. The faith and support of them is helpful during crunch time and shows for sure.

What has been the hardest hurdle you have had to overcome as a working artist?:

Learning not to spread myself too thin. I am kind of a planner but Tucson is very last minute town. So I have picked up on some of those bad habits. The absolute hardest for me was and is pricing my work. I am a bargin hunter, so knowing that I spent such amount of time on a garment and have to price it accordingly is tough for me. I am afraid people won't buy it if it is "too" pricey. But when it comes to hair, I am firm on my cost, due to the fact that I am still paying off school for my skills and working for a corporation helped me with that.

Where do you see yourself and your art in 5 years?:

ooo! I would love to start making wholesale orders. I am trying out this year for the first time just a few core pieces and just in different colors. Fingers crossed this is how I can run things. I would like to open my own online store (I love etsy but it is huge and over saturated). I would also like to bring in a few friends and work with them a little bit more and help them sell their goods. Hopefully be able to be at home or a studio and work not having to work at a cafe (though I love my job). Big dreams are to open a little boutique with lots of cupcakes being served and DIY classes.

Be sure to stop by Sandra's blog and say hi. If you are interested in being a part of this weekly feature, please email me at tumbleweeds.shop (at) gmail (dot) com! And don't forget to enter in the giveaway contest. It is open until February 27th at Midnight!

xo,

Beca

Paintings

All I want to do today is paint little pictures. Here is one I just finished. My scanner is packed away so I wont have a good copy of any of my paintings until after we move.

Boo!
xo.

Making Creepies

I mentioned yesterday that I was thinking about painting on vintage found photographs, and I don't know if it's the season, of if I just felt like "making creepies" (as Chris calls it) but here is some of little paintings I did yesterday. I don't know if I am going to put any of these in the shop, but we'll see how I feel after dinner. ;) Dougie said he likes them better without the writing. I think I might too. But I am a messy, no-thought, hodgepodge artist (usually, except watercolors) and I was just playing while we watched TV with our roommates.





I really do love ghosts and orbs and scary stories and I love LOVE scary movies, so it's only natural that Halloween time and October are a favorite time of year.
Hope you liked my little altered ephemera. Altered for your alter.

xo.