New Craft Collective - KA-BLOOM!

sketchbook

figures....

drop in figure drawing session....

The New Craft Collective

I'm participating in a show and sale with The New Craft Collective on May 11, 4-10 pm (no minors) and May 12, 10-5pm at the Carpenter's Union Hall, 310-10th St NW Calgary. I'll be selling prints of some of my work, as well as my new line of home accessories. (images of home line to come....)

The Shatner Show

I have a piece in the upcoming "Shatner Show" at Uppercase gallery, here's where you can read the Captain's Blog: http://uppercase.squarespace.com/captains-blog/
I'll keep you posted as to a show opening date...There's a book that goes along with the show, here's the cover

awards and stuff...

I recently found out I won some awards, which is always nice news to receive...At the top: a book cover I illustrated and designed - Alcuin Society Awards for Excellence in Book Design. Middle 7 images won awards for this year's Applied Arts Illustration Annual, and bottom image won best illustration in the Alberta Magazines Showcase Awards. Thank you, greatly appreciated.

window illustrations

I've recently completed some illustrations for a local wine store, the artwork is printed on adhesive vinyl that sticks to the inside of the shop windows. There are six windows that will be covered in the illustrations, giving it a mural effect.
neato.
I'll post a photo of the shop after the vinyl has been installed.

The Shatner Show!

Yes! - a show all about The William Shatner. Visit the website at TheShatnerShow.com. I'm lucky enough to be participating in the show - and I can't show you my piece yet (it's a secret) but here's a tiny bit of it...

Drawn!

Thanks to Drawn! for mentioning me on Feb 16/07.
I visit Drawn every day...

Illustration Friday - Crash

Evil Trio Complete - Triptych update!

So, awhile ago I posted "Slowly Getting There", describing a triptych project that I was working on for a private commission. This week I completed them. Here is a bit of the process for these pieces...
First, a photo of the final pieces. I've been referring to them as the Evil Trio - in a loving way :)
I started with masonite panels glued to a wood frame. I glued patterned paper down, then screenprinted a pattern that I created on top of the patterned paper. Yes, I like pattern. I learned to screenprint for this project, mostly self taught and through ALOT of trial and error, and it's now opened up a whole new universe to explore - very exciting! More of that later...
Anyhoo, then I drew the dolls on the board and painted them with acrylics and finished with oils. The brown photo with the lacy veil is a test print for the middle doll's veil.
I made their clothing using new and vintage fabrics and trims (some antique lace that my mother-in-law gave me came in handy) and I dyed them with tea to 'age' their color a bit. I then sewed the little dresses and glued them onto the board.

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