HIV isolation

Here's part of a piece I did for the Ventura County Reporter about the frequent feelings of isolation when living with HIV/Aids. For the full piece, visit my website karenklassen.com

Illustration Friday - Red

fabric + illustration = love

My best friend just had her first baby, so I embellished some shirts for her son...
And, another sunday, another blouse...

Illustration Friday - 80s

In 1987 there was this movie that came out called "Fatal Attraction". I didn't watch it, being only 10 years old at the time, it would have been really inappropriate for my impressionable little brain. I did watch it a few years ago, and there's a scene where the coocoo lady is stalking the married guy she had an affair with, and he finds out that she's put the family's pet bunny in a pot of boiling water. Fluffy stew. The married cheater is played by Michael Douglas, back in the day when he was hot. No wait, he was never hot. My bad.

stitches

Here are a couple recent sewing projects. (my apologies for the horrible badness of the photos.) On a side note, I'm working on incorporating illustration and sewing, my two favorite things to do. I'll keep you posted on the frankenstein that is born from that union.

Illustration Friday - Buzz

Illustration Friday - Help

slowly getting there...

So this triptych I've been working on since the dawn of time...
I realized that when I don't know how to do something, or am afraid of failing, I procrastinate horribly. I've been learning new skills for this triptych in an effort to grow and stretch and stimulate the grey matter, but in learning those new skills (aka screenprinting) I've been hitting some roadblocks. Kudos to anyone who is self-taught in anything, it is not an easy road. Anyways, I have finally overcome the technical difficulties I was having and am now at a good place - ready to finish these! and excited about the outcome.

process

here's a bit of process stuff for a recent assignment...there's a bunch of text that will go on the suitcase

life drawing

Annual Report

See the annual report illustrations I did for Fort Chicago in the 2006 Applied Arts Design Annual...

Faxing Grill

life drawing

Eulogy

A lament for my favorite drawing tool:

My sweet, sweet Bic. I'm distraught over your passing.
Why have you run out of ink?
Why can't I find more of you? Doesn't Bic know that I love to draw with you more than any other? For me, there is no other. Only you.
(or any other Bic-orange-barrel-ballpoint-finepoint-pen-in-black)
After many pleasurable drawing sessions, I bid you adieu.
rest in peace, little fella.

Illustration Friday - Clear

I went to school with a girl whose skin was so pale and transparent that you could see tiny blue veins in her cheeks. When I was young they kind of grossed me out and fascinated me at the same time.

life drawing

Birds and skulls

After months of 'analysis paralysis', I have FINALLY made some progress on the triptych I'm working on, here's the test piece...Sometimes thinking too much is a bad thing.

Illustration Friday - Wind

practice

this is a little study for a triptych i'm working on. i wonder why doll makers put such a blank and creepy expression on their little faces? whatever the reason, i like blank and creepy.

fig-er draw'n

I've been attending life drawing sessions again - always good to exercise those people drawing muscles.