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Blanket Magazine Issue 15
Cover image: Will Bryant (check out our Transfer Interview with Will on pg 61) Do you have a font you have made and would like it considered for the next Blanket issue?
THE C O M M UN - ICATION ISSUE WELCOME Welcome to the Blanket communication issue. It's an important issue for us and one we REALLY hope you enjoy. It's all about that thing we have to do everyday as artists/designers/photographers/ crafters… TALK to our audience in our own personal medium to communicate our feelings, our thoughts, our ideas. It's all about being open and unafraid: in art AND in life. And on that note… (yep, it's a seamless segue) I have some important Blanket stuff that I want to tell you about… And I have to admit, the prospect has me both excited and terrified; I've been struggling with the right words for weeks! But, it's time to pluck up my courage. It's time to tell you about some big changes that are coming. And I'm going to tell you the best way I know how: in this beautiful magazine that we all work so hard on. So turn to page 9 and let's get it all out in the open! Bec uncovering your creativity firstname.lastname@example.com 1 Inspiration Bec Brown 2 blanket magazine Cover image: Will Bryant (check out our Transfer Interview with Will on pg 61) Here's my work feature artist: Alexey Durasov CONTENTS 1-2 Welcome 3-4 Contents 5-6-7 Contributors 8 NEW! The Blanket Playlist... 9-10 Dear Blanket Readers An open letter from Bec 11-14 Craft with Jek! We communicate old school! 15-22 Here's my work... I hope you like it Our readers show us their work 23-26 Chain of Fools Jon dissects the pros and cons of chain letters... 27-44 Re_action: COMMUNICATION See how our readers reacted to our theme! 45-56 The Art of Communication How do you communicate with an audience you don't know? 57-64 Here's my work... I hope you like it Our readers show us their work 65-70 Transfer: Will Bryant We interview our cover artist for this issue 71-76 Pass It On Project: A selection of artists collaborate to create a piece of art 77-82 Transfer: Betsy Walton An interview with this amazing Illustrator/Artist 83-90 Here's my work... I hope you like it Our readers show us their work 91-96 Transfer: Coralie Bickford-Smith Communication through book covers 97-100 Transfer: Alvaro Sanchez An interview with a Blanket re_action contributor! 101-110 Here's my work... I hope you like it Our readers show us their work 111112 Craft-E Our favourite Bloggers! 113-116 Web_sight Dave looks at communication on the web 117-118 NEW! Blanket 'Pik Shaws' comic 119 Blanket Classified Ads Now clickable! 120-124 NEW! I'm a Showoff! A brand new advertising initiative 125126 Next issue Find out how you can contribute to our next issue. The theme: PORTRAIT 127-128 Thankyou A list of all who made this issue possible ABCDEFGHI JKLMNOPQ RSTUVWXYZ Blanket Font for this issue: 'Heavy Lou Edge' by Manueal Viergutz. Find it here: http://fontstruct.fontshop.com/ fontstructors/em_vii 3 Cristina Amodeo Sudeep Lingamneni 4 blanket magazine Do you have a font you have made and would like it considered for the next Blanket issue? Send a PDF example to: firstname.lastname@example.com Re_action feature artist: Cristina Amodeo CONTRIBUTORS CAITLIN GAHAN Assistant Editor What was the last object you used to communicate to someone? My ever trusty and always charged mobile phone. What did you communicate? How pretty that person looked as they drove past me in their car! What is your preferred method of communication? Oh, it's always, always going to be a text message on my mobile phone. How lovely does it feel when you hear that little "ding ding" (or whatever your ringtone is!) that tells you someone has been thinking about you. Bliss... Communicate in one word what art means to you? Connection JOHN FRY Blanket Website Designer What was the last object you used to communicate to someone? Through a microphone at work (teaching Graphic Design to students) up on my little stage... its all about the power baby! What did you communicate? I was telling the students all about getting a design job and what employers are looking for. They are all working on their portfolios at the moment and I'm about to send them out into the big, bad world. What is your preferred method of communication? Interpretive Dance... ever since Sunday School when I saw someone communicate SO much with just a few, dodgy 80's dance moves and mime. I was hooked. I still haven't worked out how to do lectures just with dance but it's a worthy goal to aim for I think. Communicate in one word what art means to you? Passion JONATHAN HULME Feature Writer What was the last object you used to communicate to someone? My computer using gmail chat. What did you communicate? In the middle of a serious chat, I was annoying my friend about my hatred of emoticons by creating one of my own: x+_>] which stands for "I hate emoticons" What is your preferred method of communication? I like yelling at people. Nah, not really. A face to face chat over a cup of tea is nice although I have to profess my hatred of phones. My mobile phone is nothing more than an expensive clock in my eyes. Communicate in one word what art means to you? x+_>] JESSICA WILSON Craft Writer What was the last object you used to communicate to someone? The arms attached to my person What did you communicate? Appreciation, lurve and fondness What is your preferred method of communication? Baked goods Communicate in one word what art means to you? Eudaemonic LINDSAY GREEN Writer What was the last object you used to communicate to someone? My mouth! What did you communicate? That my petrol came from pump number one and I would also like this bottle of water please. What is your preferred method of communication? Interpretive dance Communicate in one word what art means to you? Emotion DAVID SELF Web_sight Writer What was the last object you used to communicate to someone? Digsby. It's a neat little program that supports MSN, AIM, Facebook, Myspace and web-based email accounts all in one window. What did you communicate? Things I'd rather be doing than work - sleeping, playing Rock Band, sipping a cocktail, baking cookies, driving to the beach... What is your preferred method of communication? I'm a fan of every method in different situations. Online chat, forums, email, text messaging, phone calls, letters, postcards, coffee shop conversations, semaphore, smoke signals, morse code, telegram, strippogram, gorillagram... they all have their place. Communicate in one word what art means to you? Breathtaking MELISSA GARDNER Designer What was the last object you used to communicate to someone? My computer What did you communicate? The plan for the evening. What is your preferred method of communication? Online - skype, ichat, twitter, facebook, blogs, flickr... and the list is growing! Communicate in one word what art means to you? Inspiration DREW FELLOWS Designer What was the last object you used to communicate to someone? Twitter. It's an incredible thing. You spend your days talking in short sharp bursts to people from around the globe about useless things that don't matter. What did you communicate? How I felt about the latest Placebo single. (It's quite good if you're interested) What is your preferred method of communication? I am a digital junkie. I must have ichat, msn, twitter and facebook all running, all day.... I know... its shameful. I'm trying to find help. Communicate in one word what art means to you? Freedom 5 c o n t r i b u t ors 6 blanket magazine THE BLANKET PLAYLIST CONTRIBUTORS HERE COME THE GIRLS...THE MUSIC BEHIND THIS ISSUE OF BLANKET... I listen to a huge amount of music each time I put together an issue of Blanket so I thought I would share some of the latest artists featured on my playlist... I'm going through a girl phase... Bec x SANTIGOLD - SANTOGOLD (That's not a typo - she's just changed the spelling of her name) American songwriter, producer and singer. Good to listen to when: You're running late for an appointment, you need an upper when you're on a downer, you want to look cool. Listen here: www.myspace.com/santigold HOLLY THROSBY - A LOUD CALL LP (2008) Australian singer/songwriter. Good to listen to when: You're in love (or you want to be), it's raining outside and you are staring out the window contemplating life, you're knitting in a rocking chair, you're missing home (or maybe that's just me?). Listen here: www.myspace.com/hollythrosby Visit here: www.hollythrosby.com WILL BRYANT Blanket Cover Artist What was the last object you used to communicate to someone? Besides hollerin' at my wife in my redneck voice? It was an e-mail. What did you communicate? In the redneck voice, "I can do what I want, baaaybee. It's my life!" This was a joke. The e-mail was under the table business... sorry confidential information. What is your preferred method of communication? Real life conversation is the best. Preferably in a place with a pleasurable atmosphere and a refreshing beverage. I much prefer e-mail over the phone. I can get things done with e-mail. Communicate in one word what art means to you? Magnetism MANUEL VIERGUTz Blanket Type Designer What was the last object you used to communicate to someone? My mouth and my hands. My gesture. What did you communicate? About food. What is your preferred method of communication? Mostly my mouth, otherwise my handy e-mail or messengers like MSN or ICQ Communicate in one word what art means to you? Mind-blowing. JEFF STEPHENS Blanket Comic Designer What was the last object you used to communicate to someone? Nose wrinkle What did you communicate? Something stinks in the kitchen. What is your preferred method of communication? Punctuation Communicate in one word what art means to you? Unction CLAIRE CIMBORA Illustrator What was the last object you used to communicate to someone? My middle finger. What did you communicate? Thanks a lot for running me off the road! (a bit naughty I know!) What is your preferred method of communication? Cuddles - nothing says 'I love you' better than a cuddle! Communicate in one word what art means to you? Sleep-deprivation NINA KINERT - PETS AND FRIENDS Swedish singer and songwriter. Good to listen to when: You're cooking in the kitchen, you're wearing some old-school rollerskates (you know the one's that are adjustable), you're out with your lomo camera taking photographs of trees and skies, you've just discovered a new thrift store and you are rummaging. Listen here: www.myspace.com/ninakinert Visit here: www.ninakinert.com CLARA LUzIA - HEAR ATTACK Swedish singer and songwriter. Good to listen to when: You've had your heart broken (and you are determined that it will never happen again), you've just heard the bank is cancelling your credit card, you've run away to join the circus, you are on a roadtrip. Listen here: www.myspace.com/claraluzia Visit here: www.claraluzia.com LADYHAWKE - LADYHAWKE 7 c o n t r i b u t ors New zealand singer and songwriter. Good to listen to when: You're on the treadmill in the gym and you really don't want to be, when you feel like dancing instead of working, you're young (at least at heart). Listen here: www.myspace.com/ladyhawkerock Visit here: www.ladyhawkemusic.com Dearest Blanket lover, I have been trying to think of how to start this letter to you for months. Oh, there's been many a fancy line about change and new beginnings and the future of Blanket... But all of it just sort of sounds like window dressing for what should just be an open conversation, between you and me. Because if I want this to work, I really can't window dress. I have just got to talk. To you. With you. From the bottom of my heart. From Issue 16, The Portrait Issue, we will be asking you to part with a little bit of your cash to download your Blanket each time. It's a minimal amount - only $2 (AUD). But just because it's a small price to pay, doesn't mean it's not a huge deal, for you and for us. So let me explain why, after a lot of thought and planning, we're choosing to take this path. Hopefully you will stick with me right to the end so that you can better understand my decision. Blanket has been going now for more than 2 1/2 years. And pretty much the whole of that time, Blanket has been my full time, all-the-time, "lie awake at night thinking about it" job. There's been a whole lot of long hours and sheer dogged determination to bring Blanket to this point. If you are an artist, a designer, a photographer, or crafter who is trying to make a living from doing what you love, then I am sure you can appreciate just how amazingly rewarding and unbelievably stressful that job can be. I'm not sure I could have ever imagined how popular Blanket would be and the amazing opportunities it has given both to me, my contributors and to my readers. When I meet people for the first time and they ask me what I do, I proudly say that I run an online magazine. And the next question they usually ask (with a slight head tilt) is "But how do you make a living from that?" The truth is I don't. I have tried lots of different paths to make Blanket a profitable business. Advertising, donations, merchandise. And while it has worked relatively well, (and I love hearing how much so many of you love your Blanket merchandise) it just can't make enough of a difference. It was painfully clear to me that if I want to keep producing Blanket, and to grow Blanket to one day achieve what I think it deserves to be - a printed magazine that we can smell, touch, flick through and keep - then I can't do it alone. What will make a difference is you. Your passion for Blanket, for the artists we uncover and promote, for the design we work so hard on each issue. If you are in a position to part with just a couple of bucks every couple of months, then I can absolutely promise you that we will keep delivering on all the things you love about Blanket... and lots more besides! For one thing, we have just launched a new and unbelievably improved website which is so very exciting! We've now combined the website and the blog together so that it's easier for you to read about the talented people and projects we uncover inbetween issues. In the coming months we're also going to have more merchandise, free wallpaper and font downloads and lots more to keep you coming back to Blanket and knowing that it's all worthwhile. For me, Blanket isn't just another online PDF magazine that you see on the internet. We are so much more than that. Blanket is considered. We spend many hours researching and writing stories, and designing each page so that the final magazine we produce is beautiful. I sincerely believe that no other online magazine rivals us in terms of content, design and style. The recent online survey shows me that you guys think much the same, and that you expect a lot of us. To keep delivering what you deserve, I need to be able to focus all my energy on the quality of our magazine, not on worrying about how to pay my next Internet bill. I could not imagine my life without this magazine. I know my contributors feel the same way. Hopefully you do too. And for those of you who will say goodbye - thank you for your support and we hope to see you again in the future. We will be waiting with open arms. Thanks for listening. And if you want to tell me how you feel about this, please feel free. Email me at email@example.com Thank you for your understanding, Bec xo 9 blanket magazine Dear Blanket Readers... 10 blanket magazine CRAFTY COMMUNICATIONS JEK TEACHES US HOW TO COMMUNICATE OLD SCHOOL STYLE! I am not a phone person. Most folks find this surprising because I am prone to whimsical attacks of logorrhea. To put it simply, I talk. A lot. Often. Okay, all the time. I talk to the cat, to myself, to strangers on the street. I talk to my car and to birds and even the honeybees in the garden. I'm a babbler, I confess, and I hate it. Most of the time when I morph into chatty Cathy, a voice clicks on in my head pleading with me to zip it. When I'm nervous I don't even stop for a breather, I just lala-la-la on and on and on and on. I know it makes heads spin. I know it makes eyes roll. That just may be one of the reasons why I don't like the phone. In person, I can get a feel for someone. If they are just as chatty, I feel relieved. If they are not, I am prone to stupidity. I find myself saying things just to fill the silence and more than half of them come out all stupid and wrong and make me appear to be some sort of nincompoop. Note to friend I just recently saw for the first time in almost twenty-years, I'm really not that obnoxious. Sometimes, sure but I was sooooo nervous I just went on automatic pilot and my automatic pilot is not very cool. Excuse me while I go bang my head on the wall. Even with all my moments of wittiness, I am not a fan of the phone. The phone we have at home, is connected to the wall. If you want to speak on the phone at the tiny casa, you must park yourself into the tiny nook we call the dining room and chat. It takes me away from my projects. No, I'm not a fan of the phone. Especially not a cell phone. I know all my friends tell me they HAVE to have one for work or their kids or whatever. But all I see is a parade of people walking around with heads down and mouths flapping and having conversations that by the time they reach my ears, make me shake my head for humanity. I see a lot of attachment to these things called cell phones so why not make a toy one, just for kicks? 11 Craft with Jek! 12 blanket magazine ITS SMAll ITS CUSTOMIzed ANd IT eveN hAS A RINgTONe OF SORTS Catch up with Jek in between Blanket issues on her blog: www.scrumdillydilly.blogspot.com Remember when we were kids, we made tin can telephones? Remember how cool they were? In honor of the times and all of you cell phone fans out there, here is a project to whip up a tin can car phone for you or your children to play with. It's small, it's customized and it even has a ring-tone of sorts. All you need is two small cat food cans with pull back tops, some paper or paint to make your "skin" super strong glue or epoxy, yarn and a , hinge. Gather your cans and wash them to get out that oh-so-nifty, cat food smell. Peel of the label and affix one of your own or paint it up with polka-dots or something. Poke a small hole through the bottom of each can (a nail would work) and thread one end of your yarn thorough each hole, knot it. Your yarn can be as long as you want it, I suggest to keeping it at least six feet long if you really want to play with it. Use the glue to hinge the lid back on and let dry. Ta-da! You now have a mini tin can cell phone of sorts. Dazzle your younger pals with your prehistoric technical wisdom. Take pictures of your phone in use and use it as an art project. Practice pulling on the thread to create different ring-tones. The bottom of the can pops with each tug. It's fun, it's kooky and it's ever so old school. Whatever you do, when you're ready to drive, hang up the phone! 13 Craft with Jek! 14 blanket magazine Here's my work... Cate Furey The joy of wet cement! What better way to declare love or leave a permanent record of your existence. There's a sadness with "pip" because it looks like someone has tried to scrub it out ... wanting to erase that communication ... but it's too late. {Cate Furey - Australia} Here's my work... Ashlie Chavez 15 Here's my work... 16 blanket magazine Here's my work... Danny McCran 17 Here's my work... 18 blanket magazine Here's my work... Jess Ganocha 19 Here's my work... 20 blanket magazine Here's my work... Dario Vigil Here's my work... Julia Martinez Diana 21 Here's my work... 22 blanket magazine 0ÅÉÌÉÜãÎfi '<?>r ΩHØˇ<?> äy∫__ r}‡'OA33ô3àÅ ? 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PiTALiSeDwi gABAnDinS LefTHimHOS He'SSTArTin riTeAgAin( PLeinTHe wiLLneVerw eTOTenPeO THiSArTicL eTO nD LyATTrAcTiV r,ifyOuSe OmeincreDiB LAnkeTreADe ec SOB rAnD LSuDDenLyB LuSTrOuSHAi OurSyOuwiL ArTicuLArLy neTTHreeH iLLHAVeP OBABLy Ancy-yOuw nDyOu'LLPr AnyOneyOuf LTAkeOffA LOSe wiL ,yOumigHT yOurcAreer ifyOuDOn'T rfecTSmiLe, APe ArTA LwinDfALL. ryLeAST,ST OffinAnciA OrATTHeVe VeSOmefOrm HA JOnATHAn... DwOrkLike ALLyOurHAr BAnD. AJOke! DOeS. THiSiSnOT rkS,iTJuST OwHOwiTwO iDOn'Tkn eLy, yOurSSincer erguy LeTTerwriT weirDOcHAin CHAIN OF FOOLS HAVE YOU EVER RECEIVED A CHAIN LETTER LIKE THIS IN YOUR INBOx? WILL YOU WIN THE LOTTERY? WILL YOU FIND LOVE? WILL SOMETHING AMAzING APPEAR ON YOUR SCREEN? WILL YOU BE TOUCHED (APPROPRIATELY) BY ANGELS? WILL YOU DELETE IT IMMEDIATELY? WRITTEN BY JONATHAN HULME • ILLUSTRATION BY CLAIRE CIMBORA 23 Chain of Fools 24 blanket magazine If you're like me, this cyber nuisance filling up your bandwidth annoys the crap out of you but alas, it highlights a terrible double standard for me. You see, I am a incredibly superstitious person and naturally I would be prone to act on such letters but because I get them through email, it somehow makes them less legitimate. Now when I say I'm a superstitious person, I mean I don't walk under ladders or put new shoes on tables. I will not open an umbrella indoors and will always throw spilt salt over my left shoulder. I always blow out my birthday candles in one breath and I will wrestle a black cat to the ground rather than have it cross my path. Its terrible but every superstition I've ever heard I believe in. If you told me I had to eat a cucumber every time I saw a white car to stop hair loss, I'd believe you and you'd immediately see me walking down the street with a bag of cucumbers slung over my shoulder. So, if I received a real chain letter, one through the post and hand written demanding that I re-write it ten times and send it on, I'd do it no question. When I was a child, I remember our family received a chain letter. This was pre-email, pre-cut and paste – old school. It said "re-write this letter and send it to ten people or something terrible will happen to your family. To put it mildly, " my tiny little superstitious mind was blown when I read it and my fertile imagination ran rampant with amazing scenes of death and destruction. When I asked my Mum about it recently she said she didn't keep the chain going but I can only assume she did because I'm still alive – it's the only logical explanation for my continued existence. Chain letters have been around since at least the 18th Century. Some ask for money, some say good or bad things will happen, and some are from Jesus. To be honest, if I got one from Jesus, I'd definitely follow those instructions - there are limits to my superstition but I'm not messing with the Son of God (even though I'm a committed atheist). Whoever creates them is probably a bored individual but I can assure you, if one turned up in my mailbox tomorrow, I'd follow its instructions - just in case. By the way, "just in case" is a superstitious person's justification for acting like an irrational lunatic. However, when it comes to chain emails, I just can't engage with them as a superstition. There's no effort in going through your address book and pressing forward. There's nothing scary about emoticons or little animations of angels flying up your page. I'm more likely to give my bank account details to the sole remaining relative of a Nigerian Prince than forward on a chain email. The other thing is, I'm at the time of my life where my friends are disappearing into marriages and child rearing. I presume I'll never hear from them again and I'm not even sure I have ten friends to forward a chain email onto (and if I did, I'd probably lose friends). I usually receive chain emails off my family (bless them) as they're probably as superstitious as me but I don't see them swimming in pools of Moet (and if they are, they're hiding it VERY well). There's no proof where if I broke a mirror I'd bet you $100 my next seven years were terrible. Chain emails are not real enough for me to take seriously - I need superstitions where I can touch and feel the bad luck coming. Anyhow, once my hair has recovered, I'm hitting the road with my new band, the Blanket Revolution. Its a ska fusion prog rock type of thing, its gonna be awesome. 25 Chain of Fools 26 blanket magazine SEE HOW OUR BlANkET READERS REACTED TO OUR THEME FOR THIS ISSUE: COMMUNICATION RE_ ACTION Image by Pako Arellano aka kOSUC 27 re_action: CONFESSION re_action: BLUE 28 blanket magazine From left to Right: Alvaro Sanchez, Felix Rodriguez, Michael lewis. 29 re_action: CONFESSION re_action: BLUE 30 blanket magazine From left to Right (Top to Bottom): Djordje Joksimovic, Ben Perkins, Nicole Tattersall 'True Love Birds', Helen Entwisle (aka Memo). 31 re_action: CONFESSION re_action: BLUE 32 blanket magazine From left to Right (Top to Bottom): Aliirfaan Nujjoo, Dan Hallett, Joseenrique Veloccia 'I have to tell you something', Yuen Xelia, lens Tyomkin. 33 re_action: CONFESSION re_action: BLUE 34 blanket magazine From left to Right: Tan Shiang Chin 'Old Notices', Sarah Holmes 'Fortunes', kara Santos 'Ouija', Jess Smiley 'Mirror', Vanessa letts, Elisabetta Gon 'Something in the Sky'. 35 re_action: CONFESSION re_action: BLUE 36 blanket magazine From left to Right (Top to Bottom): Jeremy Grant, Emilie Garcin, Ita Serka, Pierre-Paul Pariseau, Federico Salvador, Jonathan Wilson 'ikeadoo'. 37 re_action: CONFESSION re_action: BLUE 38 blanket magazine From left to Right: Igor Milanovic, Dorothea Huber, Anthony Zinonos 'talk talk talk'. 39 re_action: CONFESSION re_action: BLUE 40 blanket magazine From left to Right: Sarah Watts 'The Snake Queen', Fabelis,Tennur Bas 'Not war'. 41 re_action: CONFESSION re_action: BLUE 42 blanket magazine From left to Right: Alex kirkwood, Isobel Blake, Pam Golafshar. 43 re_action: CONFESSION re_action: BLUE 44 blanket magazine HOW DO YOU COMMUNICATE WITH AN AUDIENCE WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHO THEY ARE? THAT'S THE QUESTION WE WANTED TO ExPLORE FOR BLANKETS COMMUNICATION ISSUE SO WE FOUND THREE VERY DIFFERENT ART PROJECTS THAT DO ExACTLY THAT. ONE IS A HOTEL, ONE A TRAVELLING JOURNAL AND ONE BECAME A WORLD WIDE PHENOMENON... HOTEL BLOOM Hotel Bloom isn't just an ordinary Hotel - it's a functioning art gallery. When new owners acquired a hotel in Brussels they wanted to turn the original drab, under performing hotel into a light, bright contemporary hotel. But in such a competitive market this alone would not allow the hotel to stand out from the crowd. so an idea was formed. Why not put the call out to emerging artists all over europe to come and paint the walls? it was this idea that began a collaboration between the hotel and the european league of the institutes of the arts (elia). We spoke to some of the artists involved with the project and ask them what it was like to work on such a unique project. Sandrea Simons was completing an MA at Nottingham Trent University and was asked by the programme leader to go to Brussels to paint a room in the hotel as part of a pilot scheme to test if the project would work. And as they say the rest is history... Were there any challenges to overcome during the project? yes the mix of nationalities made it a multi cultural experience and those barriers, including language, made the project more interesting and made the students bond. the time you had in the hotel for the project meant you had to be prepared beforehand and work hard. you also had to make sure the work you executed would stand the test of time - to be something you would be proud of in the future, as the paintings would be there for a minimum of ten years. What was your favourite aspect of the project? making friends from different countries and cultures. i also liked the luxury of staying in the Hotel - the breakfast is fantastic! the hotel took us out for a meal whilst we were there and we got to see some of Brussels. the fact that all of your expenses were paid and you also received payment for the painting was great - plus a first commission for most to be put on your cV 45 FIrst Name Surname 46 blanket magazine You painted a mural in Room 301 - what was your concept about? As my work is autobiographical it is important for me to keep my artistic integrity at all times so I have to make work based on what is happening for me at the time. Part of my MA project was following and tracking the movements of Nigerian scammers on internet dating sites. The story I painted on the wall of the hotel is a love story that from a distance looks nice and floral and pretty but in fact when you get up close and read between the flowers there's something dark. It's about deceit, and lies all painted and expressed by the use of human organs, insects, birds and flowers. Louise Chappell and Becky Bolton from Good Wives and Warriors were also selected by ELIA to paint a fresco. They painted Room 402 of Hotel Bloom. How did you find out about the call for artists for Hotel Bloom? We found out through a friend of ours who knew two people from the Glasgow School of Art who had already been involved in the project. We talked to them about it, and they had really enjoyed the whole experience and recommended that we give it a go. We had been trying to do collaborative wall paintings at any opportunity, so it seemed perfect for us. What process did you go through to submit your work? As we graduated from the Glasgow School of Art, which is part of the ELIA, we were eligible to register. We then had to provide a written proposal, sketches and examples of past work. We received some feed back on our ideas, as the ELIA co-ordinators are keen to emphasise that the painting has to be suitable for a hotel room. Every few months, they take a batch of artists to Brussels to work on one floor of the hotel. We were selected and travelled to Brussels at the end of March 2008. Was it difficult or restricting working on the theme 'bloom'? It was actually really fun and a relief to be given a theme! I suppose you spend many years at art school worrying about themes and theory etc, and it felt quite refreshing being given the theme of 'bloom' that had to be people-friendly, or at least something that guests would want to see in a hotel room. I suppose we took the theme fairly literally, as we wanted to just paint beautifully detailed black and white flora and fauna cascading over the bed-head. Other artists may have found the theme restricting, but we loved it! What preparation did you do before you started your fresco? We had done a rough plan of the overall shape, and had printed out lots of source material, but apart from that, we just got out our tiny brushes and went for it! We only had 2 days to do our mural, so it was quite intense - long hours until we couldn't focus anymore but at least we only had to go down one floor and we could fall into our hotel room! What do you think about the concept on the Hotel? It is a great concept for a hotel. The idea of every room being unique is a lovely idea, especially in reaction to all the soul-less, cloned hotels in the world. It is probably a great selling point for the hotel and I'm sure all the artists had a great time, especially having everything paid for and being given a fee. Its pretty much an art students dream come true! Did you meet any other artists while you were there? We all had meetings together and meals, and we were all encouraged to have our doors open while painting the rooms so that we could pop in and chat to other artists. I think we were the only ones from the UK when we were there, everyone else was from all over Europe so there was a really good mix of nationalities. It was all designed so there would be lots of interaction between the artists. We were only there for a couple of nights so we missed out on the 'moules et frites' dinner out with everyone! What did you enjoy about the experience? I think we mostly enjoyed being put up in a good hotel and the breakfast spread! We have been painting collaborative wall paintings together for quite a few years now, so it is always exciting for us to have an opportunity to do murals. We also loved just painting flowers and not worrying about why or what we were doing. www.goodwivesandwarriors. co.uk/ www.hotelbloom.com/ ROOM 301 - BY SANDREA SIMONS ROOM 402 - BY lOUISE AND BECkY 47 FIrst Name Surname 48 blanket magazine POST SECRET THE ACCIDENTAl ARTIST {by lindsay Green} In 2004, Frank Warren created a global phenomenon when he invited 3000 strangers to share their secrets with him. Postcards bearing Warren's home address were left between the pages of library books and on park benches throughout Washington D.C. Recipients were asked to reveal a secret on one side of a handmade postcard. There were no restrictions as to what could be confessed, provided that it was true and had not been shared previously. The 100 postcards Warren received in return included heartbreaking confessions, erotic fantasies, fears, beliefs, regrets and dreams. These powerful and poignant confessions were displayed at an exhibition later that year. When the exhibition closed, Warren imagined the project was over. However, the secrets kept coming, and not just from Washington, but from different states, countries and continents and in a variety of languages. To date Warren has received over 150 000 postcards with approximately 200 more arriving each day. The beauty of the Postsecret project is that it taps into the universal truths of being human. According to Warren, "It's not unusual for me to get two postcards on the same day from two different continents, written in two different languages, expressing the same desire, or the same fear, or the same hope. " While factors such as mental illness and the increased use of technology mean that many people feel isolated in today's society, Postsecret reveals that "the feelings, thoughts, beliefs and fears we hold in private are often the exact same thing that unite us with others. " Warren believes in facing the painful parts of life and finding strength through sharing them with others. Seeing the postcards as both art and a form of therapy, he says, "I think sharing a secret can be thought of as a spiritual experience. I know that some of the postcards I receive display artwork and care that appears to have taken such an investment in time and effort. Much more than would be necessary to simply tell a secret. I think these cards represent something more than we can see. Maybe for these people, sharing their secret is a search for grace. " In addition to its cathartic benefits, Postsecret expands the definition of what art is and who can create it. The handmade postcards are constructed using personal items such as old photographs, invitations and x-rays. The subversive, do-ityourself nature of the project excites Warren as it reveals that "courage can be more important than talent or technique in creating meaningful art. " Postsecret's success is evident in the popularity of the website, which is updated every Sunday. Attendance at Warren's lectures at colleges, museums and conferences also reveals the relevance of the project to people's lives. "A Lifetime of Secrets: A Postsecret Book" , published in 2007 is the fourth , book in the Postsecret series. While Warren admits that he includes one of his own postcards in each book, he is reluctant to divulge any more information. When asked to reveal one of his secrets, he replies, "Maybe my secret is: I hope the secrets never stop coming. " www.postsecret.com 49 FIrst Name Surname 50 blanket magazine 1000 JOURNALS EndlEss possibilitiEs {by Jonathan Hulme} For most people, creating art is not a conscious thing they undertake. the creativity and imagination that fires us as children is often worn down by a world full of self doubt and adult worry. the 1000 Journals project looks to counter this and re-ignite the creative passion in its participants. started by a san Francisco artist who goes by the pseudonym of some Guy, the experiment is simple and elegant - release 1000 blank journals into the world and ask anyone who finds one to contribute something/anything and then pass them on. From an initial release of 100 journals in the san Francisco area in August 2000, the journals have crossed the globe and touched numerous lives of people who wouldn't normally contribute or create art. the journals can be logged at the project's website to watch their progress and while most of the journals remain at large, participants have sent in scans and images of the journals contents. the response has been extraordinary but the most striking result is the personal stories of the contributors that have come out of the project (some of which have been captured in a documentary about the project, (see www.1000journalsfilm. com for more details). blanket recently spoke with some Guy about the project. the project originated from your interest in what people wrote on toilet walls (which you photographed and compiled). i've often found it interesting that this private/public space allows people to express themselves in ways they probably wouldn't do in any other forum. did your initial exploration of this give you any insight into this phenomena? I bet a behavioral psychologist would have a lot to say about what people write on bathroom walls. From my perspective, I think everyone has something to say, and the bathroom wall gives them a chance to say it anonymously. Add to that a sort of cultural acceptance of writing on bathroom walls (since we were kids, right? "for a good time, call... and so forth?). I think " it was in the book "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell, where he talked about graffiti on the New York subway. If there is graffiti there, then people tend to add more. Most folks won't write on a blank bathroom wall. Except for taggers, and they're just jerks. 1000 Journals took this concept and made it a more interactive process but allowing a greater freedom of expression than simply writing on a toilet walls. What have been the more surprising or unusual uses of the journals you have seen? People have done some interesting things with the journals. They've been used as a vessel of apology to mend a broken friendship (except that the apology wasn't accepted). They've been left in remote caves, used for treasure hunts, left in the lost and found, and stolen at gunpoint. People have added personal confessions and diary-like entries, or simply glued in ticket stubs from a show they enjoyed. What's most amazing about the project is the range of contributions. You can call them good, or bad... thoughtful or juvenile, but in the end, they're people being creative. 1000 Journals is not restrained by location, artist group or audience. Was that potential a driving force in the project's inception? Definitely. Bathrooms are typically visited only by someone who needs to use them, segregated by gender, and even more by geography. Allowing these journals to travel from person to person seemed like the most democratic (and adventurous) way to capture a slice of humanity. The search for journals 114 and 194, shows how far and personally the project has touched people's lives. When you originally conceived the project, did you realise the full implications the journals would play to those they reached? Absolutely not. When I launched the project, I had no idea how far the journals would go, or how they'd touch people's lives. Journals 114 and 194 are particularly heartbreaking, and I still hope they'll pop up somewhere. Further, the journals have become not only a site of artistic exploration but also for some, personal diaries and important outlets for feeling and creativity for which there was no other way to express themselves. With one of the key aspirations of the project being to unlock people's creativity, there must be some gratification in the response to 1000 Journals? It's funny, many people ask me if I feel the project was a success, given the low number of journals returned. My response is that if they could read the emails I get. If they could see that this project has inspired folks to start painting again, or begin writing again, or just be creative again, then they'd know exactly how successful it's been. The number of journals back pales in importance to the number of lives touched, and to me, the project has been far more successful than I could have imagined when I started it. Have most of the participants embraced the idea that the journals should be passed on or have you come across any journal hogs who can't bare to pass on the journals? (or is that even an thing that concerns you?) Oh, I'm sure there are some journal hogs out there. I mean, imagine if you had a journal that had traveled the world, full of amazing entries just sitting on your coffee table. Every time you had guests, they were amazed with it, and you invited them to contribute something. That might be a hard thing to let go of. I think most people get that the spirit if the project is sharing though, so for the most part, the journals travel around (and, peer pressure always helps). According to the map on the website, most of the journals have resided in the US but some of them have travelled across the globe. Did you expect them to go so far? It's sort of like a message in a bottle, you never really know what's going to happen to them. Some stay in the same town for 51 FIrst Name Surname 52 blanket magazine years, while others get handed off by travelers or left at hostels. What was the genesis of the documentary about the project? I was contacted in 2003 by Andrea Kreuzhage, a filmmaker from Los Angeles. She thought there was a story to tell, and wanted to create a documentary on the project. I was skeptical, but wanted to see how she'd create a movie about a bunch of journals. After a year of research, she began filming around the world. She brought to life the stories of the people who contributed to the project. I, the whole time, had been focused on the journal entries... what people put into the journals. Andrea looked into who those people were, and how the project affected them. Throughout this process you have kept your identity in the process rather low key which seems to give more importance to the project than the creator. Was this aim of maintaining your anonymity? It was. This project only exists through the contributions people made in the journals. Without them, it's just a bunch of blank journals. It seemed silly for me to take credit, when really all I did was provide the blank canvas. Everyone else made the art. I think it is reasonable to assume from your back story that you are an artist yourself. Has the 1000 journals changed or influenced your art since it began? I think the project has reaffirmed my faith in creativity. Everyone is an artist, even when they won't admit it. In my own work, I'm very interested in how people experience art, so some is based on that interaction between the piece and the viewer. The project also helped me understand that a journal is just a journal until someone opens it, smiles, and adds their two cents. It's the experience, the interaction that completes the piece. As only one journal has been returned, do you have lingering sense of anticipation when you collect the mail or check your emails that one of the journals may be coming back or has the low return rate made you pragmatic about the chances of the journals being returned? There are actually close to 30 journals back, though most were returned during the filming of the documentary and in putting the book together. Most were only 1/2 or 3/4 full at the time, and hard to consider "complete" . I think, as time goes on, they'll continue to trickle in at random times. For example, two weeks ago, one showed up on my doorstep, mailed from Florida. There was no note, and when I went online to see where it had been, the last sighting was in 2002. It's not very full, but that's how this project is... things show up and disappear on a whim. I've had to get comfortable with that. What do you hope will be the final outcome of the project or do you see a time when you will formally end the project? I'm not sure there will ever be an "end" to the project. Twenty years from now, a journal could pop up and have an amazing story to it... The longer they're out there, the more interesting the entries will be. My hope is that the ones I do have back can continue to travel in exhibitions, and people will still get to see them / add to them. www.1000journals.com HAVE yOU sEEN THEsE jOUrNALs? In March 2001, a 1000 Journal contributor named Andy (also known as Bearfut) was killed in a motorcycle accident in Australia. Andy had contributed to two journals (numbered 114 and 194) and his family have asked that if these journals are ever returned, they would like to get copies of his entries. Journal 114 was last seen in Hobart and left in an unknown location around this time - it hasn't been logged since. In 2001, Journal 194 was taken to the Rainbow Serpent Festival in Beaufort, Victoria and was given to someone named Claire. From there, it was supposed to go to a DJ called DJ Becca and head to Melbourne - but it hasn't been heard of since this time. If you have any clues that could help track down these journals (for example, if you know of DJ Becca), please contact Some Guy at 1000journals.com 53 FIrst Name Surname 54 blanket magazine THE SUNDAY PROJECT OVERWHELMED BY THE PREVIOUS LARGE-SCALE PROJECTS? YOU CAN STILL BE CREATIVE AND COME UP WITH A SMALLER, MORE MANAGEABLE PROJECT. ALEX KIRKWOOD DID! HERE'S HER STORY... Can you explain a little about what the 'Anonymous Postcard' project involved? Every second Monday I delivered a photo of a customised postcard back to the lovely shop, Aroha Lamour, that I originally got the postcard from. I'd drop them off early in the morning before anyone was there. Why did you decide to start the 'Anonymous Postcards' project? I had a collection of Aroha Lamour postcards from all the times I visited to look at their beautiful things. I'm not very good at sitting still, so I couldn't help but start cutting them up or drawing on them. It wasn't until after I'd made them all that I decided to deliver them back. I only delivered photos because I wasn't sure they'd appreciate the originals! Why was it important to remain 'anonymous'? I didn't know the owners of Aroha Lamour so I didn't feel it would make sense to tell them who I was because it just wouldn't mean anything. Besides, I thought it would be more fun to have a little intrigue. How long did the project last? It lasted 2 months. I had hoped it would last longer but I went in to restock my postcard supply and there weren't any on display! I was worried they realised I was flogging them. Plus, I was moving from Napier back to my home town of Perth, so I felt that it had to end eventually. We're you caught out? I was caught out! I wrote about each postcard on my blog and Aroha Lamour followed some clicks back to me. The wonder of the internet - I should've seen it coming! I realised they found me when they posted about the postcards on their website. It was the impetus I needed to deliver the original postcards and introduce myself. Of course, while I was there, I couldn't help grabbing some more postcards. What did you learn from the project? That sometimes it's not just what you create but also the effect it has that makes something work. Was this a good marketing tool to introduce yourself and your craft to people you admire? Whilst I didn't set out to market myself, it certainly helped me meet people whose work impresses me. Had I not been moving back to Australia, who knows where it might have led? I didn't know many people in Napier and it made me feel that I had made a connection with the creative side of the town which, until then, I had just admired as an outsider. the-sunday-project.blogspot. com 55 FIrst Name Surname 56 blanket magazine Here's my work... Veronica Romanenghi 57 Here's my work... 58 blanket magazine Here's my work...Nicole Tattersall 59 Here's my work... 60 blanket magazine Here's my work...Marcelo Granero Here's my work... EXO Here's my work... Sarah Carter 61 Here's my work... 62 blanket magazine Here's my work...Mundocaco 63 64 blanket magazine Here's my work... Could you tell us a little about yourself and your background? Well, let's see I was born into an amazing family in Murfreesboro, TN in 1985. I spent most of my life in the piney woods of east Texas playing basketball, collecting Michael Jordan memorabilia, drinking Jones Soda, destroying people's sadness with miles of smiles and chasing after my childhood sweetheart who is now my lovely bride. In High School I was an athlete and a social butterfly with interests in Radiohead and album art. A magnificent force led me into a creative field. From 2004 - 2008 I was cutting loose in Starkville, MS while studying Graphic Design at Mississippi State. This is where I learned how to see, draw, kern, screen print, deejay, and manage a bank account. I was taught by the amazing Kate Bingaman-Burt and hung out at the Public Design Center, a non-profit design resource center headed by her husband Clifton. The past few months have been really exciting for me... I graduated, moved, got married, honeymooned, and then settled in Austin where I'm freelancing while looking for fulltime work before heading into grad school IN THE FUTURE. Eventually I would like to be a professor while keeping the freelance dance alive. Where does the 'Mr Fancy Pants' reference come from? I first used it in a tote bag design for Rare Device. Then again, at some point I referred to myself as Mr. Fancy Pants Bryant on my portfolio site. Recently, the ever so kind TandA blog read this reference and assumed that this was my moniker. After discovering this 65 Will Bryant 66 blanket magazine I decided it was too ridiculous to pass up and now I've embraced the fancy thus resulting in "Mr Fancy Pants" having an EIN number! When did you first realize you could make a living from your art? I actually don't know that I've realized this just yet. ha! I sure hope it to be true, but the bride and I are getting by at the moment. In college (uhhh 3 months ago) my art/deejaying was all going into my diamond sparkly fund. Now it's helping us to pay rent, buy groceries, and make dreams. So these next few months will be very interesting. I am searching for other opportunities and would like to gain more experience in identity and branding. What have been the challenges working as a freelancer? Apart from finding consistent work and trying not to worry about paying bills there are a few struggles I've encountered. I think staying organized and breaking into a routine have been tough for me. I thankfully have a trustworthy organizational application that keeps me on track. As far as the routine, I've only been married since January so it's been exciting living with my bride. We're adjusting to each other's sleeping habits, my work methods, and jokes. With that said, I haven't been freelancing full time for very long. There will be plenty of challenges to speak of 6 months from now. How do you promote your artwork? My fantastic internet friends help spread the word, my mom tells her friends, and I use the all-knowing flickr. The internet is magical... some of my favourite clients have just appeared out of thin air! (probably by portkey) The internet would be the main method or promotion, but I'm working on some promo cards that I hope to get printed at the amazing Pinball Publishing in Portland! Do you think you need to be self-motivated to make it in such a tough industry? Oh my yes! It's a must. Being motivated is crucial, but staying motivated can be the challenge. I really don't create a whole lot of projects that don't have my whole heart and soul poured into. Having a passion for what you do will always help you stay motivated... as well as glass bottled Cokes, my wife's cooking, new music, and a pleasant e-mail in the inbox. This issue is about 'communication' how important is it it communicate a feeling or emotion to your audience through the work you create? The most important aspects of communication are found in relationships. Most often the concept or message of my artwork is masked by my lighthearted approach, which is the mainspring of my relationship to art (and too often other aspects of life). I think it's very important to communicate the feeling I have towards line, shape, and colour. 67 Will Bryant Will Bryant 68 blanket magazine I'm infatuated with their relation to one another; whether they're consciously or subconsciously created. To communicate this energy to my audience is the ultimate goal of creating something new. Besides art what other interests do you have? I've had a long obsession over sneakers, but I'm trying to replace it with outfitting my bicycle. I also enjoy basketball, football, disc golf, and running. My wife and I LOVE to play wii, ride bicycles, watch movies, cook, and clean! (My interest in music would need to have it's own question) When are you at your happiest? When there is music playing, I've just made something, and my wife is laughing. Tell us something about yourself that we don't know? I almost tried to walk-on for basketball at Mississippi State. My old flatmate is a manager for the team and thought I had a good chance of sitting the bench. I'm pretty quick and can drain a jumper, but decided against it because I was actually interested in school for the first time. Also, I've broken my nose 9 times. What was your concept behind the front cover of Blanket? Like most of my concepts, it's business casually based on something. This time it concerns my attention span issues. To explain, I'm easily distracted and often get caught up in something that's not really important. Rather than looking up and responding with a smile, I'm sometimes frozen with a toothless gaze. I kinda made this up, wink. Can you tell us about your creative process when creating the front cover for Blanket? My process usually starts with pen to paper. So I started drawing until something made me laugh (at it, not with it) then dreweth some more until I got stuck. After getting stuck I slapped the sketchbook on the scanner bed and then lost myself in the moment with mom's spaghetti. I decided on texture and thought I'd like to see a collage element which almost made sense. This led to tweaking and finalizing on colour. Wow, after reading what I just wrote I've decided I'm going to start having some more conceptualization in my process... not! Actually maybe... www.will-bryant.com/ 69 Will Bryant 70 blanket magazine 6 artists, creating a piece together, with no face-to-face contact. It's a crazy idea. It's the ultimate in artistic communication. It's a blanket first. ON project the PASSIT 71 Pass It On Project Joe Penrod 72 blanket magazine This is how it all began... caitlin gahan >> all the artists Hello everyone! blanket magazine is an bi-monthly online magazine that aims to uncover artists-designers, photographers and crafters. Every issue, we have a theme that we work around, and our April issue is all about "Communication" Brainstorming about . this theme, editor Bec and I had an idea... To recruit 6 artists to create a piece together and TALK about it as they do it... one after the other, ending in an incredible piece of collaborative, beautiful art! We'd really like you to be one of those artists. The catch is, we know that it's impossible for people to find the time to get together (especially if they live in different countries), so we wanted to create the whole project over email. So, the plan is that one artist starts a little something (e.g. draws a big red line) and then emails it on to the next artist (you'll need illustrator or something similar me thinks) and explains what they were thinking when you created the red line. And then the NExT artist takes over and adds to the red line (e.g. with a big blue circle) and then emails it on to the NExT artist with THEIR explanation. Then, in the spread, we'll show each step in the creative process and include all the emails that you send to each other (including this one I'm writing to you!) Is this crazy? Perhaps! Only time will tell! Please let me know quickly and I will email everyone again with the running order of who goes 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc etc. Thanks in advance! We really want you on board! 73 74 blanket magazine catherine ryan >> shawn creeden Hi Shawn, Here's my drawing. My idea is pretty simple -- I like the ambiguity of not knowing whether it depicts a cat this is living or dead (possibly a stuffed trophy) and and am open to all interpretations. The drawing was originally done in charcoal. I can't wait to see what you do next! Best, Catherine "My idea is pretty simple" shawn creeden >> jess gonacha jess gonacha >> rose lazaar Well I hope this works. Do whatever you will with this! I left in several layers so things could be rearranged. I guess I just wanted to fill in the space some more and put the animal in more of a setting, so I added the water around him. And when I drew the faucet, I thought it needed some color, so rainbows were the natural fit! "Well , I hope this works" Pass It On Project Joe Penrod Caitlin Gahan Editorial Assistant, Blanket Magazine: Uncovering Design + Photography + Art www.blanketmagazine.com "I thought it needed some colour" anna copron & sean auyeung >> jessica white "Be mindful , there is al ways a bigger fish "... Hi Jessica & Caitlin, When we saw the baboon eating the cheetah (leopard? panther?), with the fangs overhead, we thought - "Be mindful, there is always a bigger fish... " Thanks for the fun project and we look forward to seeing the finished drawing! Let us know if you need more info on our part of the illustration... Anna & Sean... Sub-Studio jessica white This drawing gave me the giggles. After looking at it for a while, I thought, "hey, where's that rainbow water coming from? Well, it must be from the mouths of babes. " So I added Betsy with her handy universal translator. And then I gave her a little attitude. It wasn't until I was done with the drawing that I remembered the theme - communication. How perfect! This was a fun project! I'd love to do it again sometime, maybe this is the start of a series? "And then I gave her a little attitude" rose lazaar >> anna copron & sean auyeung artISTS Shawn Creeden Hello Anna and hello Caitlin So, I have added to the drawing! Here is what I have done... when I saw the baboon eating the panther my initial thought was "oh goodness" hence that is what I thought the , baboon's initial thought to seeing a panther would be. I drew the vampire teeth dripping out the words "oh goodness" to represent the thoughts of the baboon. Oh what a lucid baboon! It was done in marker, india ink and gouache. I love animals. (un)fortunately I have no mind for math nor stomach for dissection, so my career as a zoologist was cut short rather early on. I am from New Hampshire but I currently live in Portland, Oregon where I make music in the basement and watch birds from the bathroom window. Jessica Gonacha The brain of artist Jessica Gonacha never stops turning. Since she was a tiny girl growing up in Boulder, Colorado, she has been a maker of things, always hungry for new knowledge and new ways to express the images in her mind. 75 Pass It On Project Joe Penrod 76 blanket magazine The Sub-studio: Anna Corpron & Sean Auyeung Sub-studio was formed in 2006 when Anna Corpron and Sean Auyeung forged a design partnership to combine their individual creative interests. At the moment we draw inspiration from the flora and fauna of the natural world, urban remnants, the anatomy of machines, and the creatures we imagine. Jessica White Originally from Taipei, Taiwan, Jessica White discovered the anxieties of American suburban life when her family moved to Cary, NC at the tender age of nine. She survived the first year conversing only with the neighbour's cat, and, occasionally, her brother. After adjusting fairly well over the years, Jessica is now a printmaker, bookmaker, papermaker, and zinester. Sometimes she has a hard time distinguishing between good and evil, but she continues to believe that she is able to communicate with animals. Catherine Ryan Catherine Ryan was born and raised in New Jersey. She moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1996 and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting from the California College of the Arts in 2000. Her work has been published "100 Artists of the West Coast" and "Downy Bird Art Kingdom" and the , "2008 Pacific Coast Edition of New American Paintings. " Rose Lazar Rose Lazar is a printmaker by trade, but loves to draw. She was always found at an early age ignoring the muppets and drawing in notebooks. She designs and prints by hand a line of stationery and paper goods called the great lakes. Rose recently had a book of drawings published called Gyromancy with artist Robert A.A. Lowe. "Oh what a lucid baboom" many thanks to our amazing artists. we'll see you again soon! BETSY W ALTON Could you tell us a little about yourself and your background? I live in Portland, Oregon. I graduated from art college nine years ago. I majored in printmaking at Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. I've been a working artist for about two and a half years. I also like math, science and being in nature. I am a curious person and my interests are broad, but lately I have been focused on learning more about spiritual traditions. This investigation has been going on for the last couple of years, and it has been a big influence on my work. Where do you find inspiration? I don't know that I can concisely and definitively answer that question. One of my teachers in college said that inspiration comes from work, and that seems to be the only way I can progress as an artist. I have to be there to paint and draw as much as life will permit, so that I can catch the ideas that come to me. "The tough part is working even when I feel flat or totally uninspired." 77 Betsy Walton 78 blanket magazine w w w The tough part is working even when I feel flat or totally uninspired. Feeling bored can be a great opportunity to become inspired, if I can find a salve of new information that can drive my next move in a painting. This information could be anything, something that I see in the world somewhere that just clicks somehow, or an idea that just pops into my mind, from who knows where. I think inspiration comes from being engaged with the materials and being present during the time I am working. Its always about trying to get in touch with the 'new' idea, the idea that feels strange or unfamiliar. That can be a really inspiring moment, and a great opportunity to change the direction of a painting. Its like an internal wellspring, that I can never really see or touch all at once, it just sends out little showers of ideas now and then. I don't think I'll ever get to see where the spring is or what it looks like. I do think I know what it feels like however. It is the most amazing feeling of total engagement and surprise. I am motivated and thrilled by works of art in all media that radiate the precision energy, laserlike focus, and skill that all need to come together to make a beautiful object and/or transcendent experience possible. I feel driven by the possibility of feeling resonance with other people and works of art. It feels like being a part of an unfolding consciousness and creation of our own experience. Well crafted (conceptually and technically) works seem to raise the quality of my experience of the world. It refines and shapes the way I understand the world. I think that creative works help us to be more sensitive to life. How do you begin your creative process? It depends on the project, but it usually starts with a thought that I need to get to work. Then I make a cup of tea, and queue up a couple hours of music or podcast material to listen to. I go through a process of setting up, getting the materials ready and maybe straightening my desk. I choose the sizes I will be working on if I am making paintings. Then I start painting. The first stages are usually priming with a tinted primer. This is a fun stage, I am just trying to find a colour that feels right. Its all layers after that. Sometimes I have had an idea that came to me for an image, or an element, and so I set to work to try to get it down on the panel. Sometimes I gather reference images from google images of a particular element I want to work with. Recently I was looking for images of fungi. Do you keep a sketchbook for inspiration? I do have several sketchbooks which I use to jot ideas down or to think through options for compositions or gallery installation plans. I am making a paper sculpture right now, so I used the sketchbook a lot to try to figure out how I wanted to make it. Do you have a particular subject matter you like to explore? I have developed an affinity for certain symbols, figurative and formal elements which I use to try to describe the complexity, mystery, and seeking nature of our experience. I seem to keep returning to some, but they also shift and change over time. w w w Have you created any pieces that you can't part with? Generally, I like to share my work. I guess I do have a drawer of projects I feel are unresolved, which may never see life outside the drawer. I also have a few things that I made for myself. When did you first realize you could make a living from your art? I was inspired to try after having given it a great deal of thought and having seen the example of successful artists around me. This was in 2006. I went to college for art because I felt a funny feeling w w w 79 Betsy Walton 80 blanket magazine w w w about it - it seemed so mysterious and intriguing, and I didn't really have any clear thoughts about the future. Since I made the leap, to my surprise and continual amazement, my work has been warmly received and supported, enabling me to keep working. I didn't fully realize that it was possible to make a living from my art until it started happening during the last 18 months or so. I had fully internalized the idea that making a living as an artist was impossibly difficult and miraculous, and probably would not happen for me. But, as I began to see my peers succeed, this idea started to fade, and I got enough confidence to take the risk. What have been the challenges working for yourself? Oh, there are many, and there are many rewards. For me, organizing and prioritizing all the responsibilities is difficult. I think it is also key to be able to be effective at accomplishing the day to day work, yet still be able to step back and view the big picture, like where do I want to take my work, what do I want to be doing in the next 5 years, etc. How have you handled the business side of being an artist? I generally like the business side, but it is a challenge to balance the creative and administrative tasks. I have a hard time doing both types of work in the same day. The administrative to do list seems to be growing just as much as the creative to-do list. What do you use to promote your artwork? I post images of most of my work, including some work in progress and sketchbook things on Flickr. I also have a portfolio site, an etsy shop, and a blog. I also show my work frequently, which helps bring my work to new communities. The internet community has been huge for me. There are a few kind and generous people who have really embraced my work and mentioned it in their blogs, which has snowballed into some traditional press, illustration jobs, and other opportunities. What kind of artists do you admire? I like artists who have a generous spirit, take risks, and push their work to be the best it can be. Besides art what other interests do you have? Gardening, swimming, The New York Times, my cats, and cooking. www.morningcraft.com "I didn't fully realize that it was possible to make a living from my art until it started happening during the last 18 months or so." 81 Betsy Walton 82 blanket magazine w w Here's my work... Katrin Kirojood 83 Here's my work... 84 blanket magazine Here's my work... Andrea Gonbelt Here's my work... Marco Eychenne 85 Here's my work... 86 blanket magazine Here's my work... Mario Sughi 87 Here's my work... 88 blanket magazine Here's my work...Thomas Tibitanzl 89 Here's my work... 90 blanket magazine "I used to see dyslexia as a weakness but now I consider it a strength. I might see things in a different/unusual way, and come at something from a different angle. Coralie Bickford-smith " 91 Coralie Bickford-Smith 92 blanket magazine Remember the saying 'don't judge a book by it's cover'? We'll that couldn't be more true for designer CoralieBickford Smith who overcame obstacles such as dyslexia, to work for the world's most recognized and iconic book publisher Penguin. Can you remember the first book cover that made an impression on you? It was a cloth hardback edition of Muffin the Mule by Annette Mills. It had a map of the garden printed on its endpapers. I must have been about four yeas old when I picked it out of a second hand bookshop, and I carted it around with me almost obsessively. I don't think I ever read it, I just loved it as an object. http://tinyurl.com/muffinthemule Publisher: Binding: Illustrator: University of London Press, London Cloth Molly Blake and vice versa, so in that sense you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. But a great cover should find a way to inventively but honestly represent the content, so as to entice readers who will appreciate it - including those who might not realise it until they have the book in their hand. Penguin is such an iconic brand that is known for it's beautifully designed covers - are you ever daunted by this perception? That's why I wanted to work for Penguin. It has such an amazing design heritage and takes design very seriously. To work in that kind environment is a privilege. Of course the reputation can be a daunting thing to try and live up to at times, but it's also an inspiration and a motivation to do the best work I can. Do you believe in the saying 'don't judge a book by it's cover'? In the way that phrase is generally used, yes. In the literal sense, cover design is all about creating something that people can judge books by. There are so many cues, obvious and subtle, to give you a sense of whether you might like this book rather than the one next to it in the shop. At the most basic level are genre conventions - you can spot the crime from the chick lit from the business manual without reading the titles. Obviously you can put a beautiful jacket on a terrible book A friend of mine worked with a designer who was dyslexic - she said he was a great designer because he didn't see the letters as 'words' but images instead. Do you think this is a true comment? I think that's true for me, but obviously I've only ever encountered words in the way my own mind deals with them so I've nothing to compare it to. But it's how I imagine I might deal with words differently. It may allow me a certain playfulness with them instead of treating them as text. I used to see dyslexia as a weakness but now I consider it a strength. I might see things in a different/unusual way, and come at something from a different angle. I loved the covers of the gothic novel series of Penguin books you designed. How did you start your creative process when coming up with the book covers? Thanks its nice to hear you liked them. At the time as I was doing some teaching at London College of Communication with tutor Wendy Chapel. Wendy and I were trying to get students to engage in the creative process without focusing on a final product, a method we expressed as "Stop Designing Start Playing" . That's the way I approach my own projects, but it's quite an intuitive process, and having to think formally about it in order to communicate it to students was really helpful for me. It reinforced my belief in the experimental stages of design and gave me confidence to spend quite a lot of time trying things out and making a mess at the start of the horrors project. How much research and how many ideas had you thrown away before settling on the concepts for the book covers? Loads. I still have a drawer stuffed with all the things I tried - lino cuts, crazy type treatments, all sorts. Some of it is terrible, some is ok, and a lot of it bears no resemblance to the final covers, but without that process I wouldn't have ended up where I did. Were you allowed to have much creative freedom - or are you art directed? (ie. do you show the art director your ideas and drawings and he gives you a direction to take?) It varies from project to project. My Art Director, Jim Stoddart, is great at balancing creative freedom with constructive input and guidance, and with the horrors I had a very open brief. That creates an atmosphere in which I'm comfortable going through the experimental stages without feeling that everything I produce at that stage has to be a viable solution in its own right. Nothing gets designed in isolation though - design is about communication and feedback is a crucial part of the process. 93 Coralie Bickford-Smith 94 blanket magazine I am so pleased someone is bringing back the art of cyanotypes! I thought they were a dying art. I love their ethereal quality - was this part of the appeal for you as well? Absolutely. One of the inspirations that led me in this direction was Romek Marber's iconic Penguin crime series. His photograms combine graphic simplicity with a fantastic atmospheric quality, and I thought a similar approach would work well for the horror books. The ethereal effect of the texture and line you get with cyanotypes made it the perfect medium for these ghostly tales, and the fact that this early photographic process was contemporary with some of the titles made it irresistable. Our next issues theme is 'communication'. How difficult is it in book design to communicate a story through your imagery? Book covers communicate several stories simultaneously. Sometimes that can include very literal representations of characters and incidents, such as with the Boys' Adventure series, but those illustrations also communicate a sense of period that taps into a particular nostalgia, reinforced with type and restricted colour palette, which also communicates the idea that these books belong together as a set. Other covers don't take such a literal approach to representing the content of the book, but communicate more symbolically. People are exposed to an incredible amount of visual imagery, and an important function of cover design is to contextualise a book within the sophisticated visual dictionary we all carry in our heads. Books - especially the classics - have such a wealth of material to work with that the difficulty isn't so much communicating the story in images, but deciding which story to communicate. In your opinion even if it's a great book to read will a badly designed cover affect its sales? In a lot of cases I would say that's absolutely true. There are so many books published every month and many of them will have no marketing apart from the cover. Of course if a book has a great reputation, or is by a very popular author, it will have a guaranteed audience who will seek it out regardless of what is on the cover. But for impulse purchases, and in cases where several editions of the same title are available, the cover is crucial. How do you think the introduction of e-book reading devices will affect the publishing world? How long have you got? This is a massive subject, but the short answer is they will have a huge impact. The technology and the user experience will keep improving and will become a major part of how we consume text of all kinds. Publishers will still have a crucial role, but distribution and pricing models are bound to change. Having said all that, I'm confident that demand for books as physical objects will remain. And lastly what words of wisdom would you give to someone wanting to get into designing book covers? Immerse yourself in book design, look at what's out there and see what works for you and what doesn't, and best of all, what nobody has thought of yet that you can bring to the table. Be bold and imaginative and let your passion show through in your work. www.cb-smith.com 95 Coralie Bickford-Smith 96 blanket magazine What do you like about submitting work to Re_action? I remember the days when you couldn't find a space to show your work and here in Guatemala it was even worst, so for me the internet, and all this media revolution, was what I was waiting for all this years. The chance to submit my creations and have this crazy feeling that somebody maybe on the other side of the world is going to love or hate your work. It's amazing that you don't need to go to the galleries begging for space. Now you just have to take your time, do good work, and wait for the next submission dead line - then wait to see your work published. That is a very delightful feeling for me. an artist. Another important thing to mention is that Blanket Magazine is one of the most constant and consistent online magazines I ever take part in. I love to see that you guys take this seriously, and the fact that it helps a lot of artists like me to have the chance to showcase our work, makes the Blanket community and magazine one of my favourite magazines. What inspires your art? I guess inspiration for me and for any artist comes from everything around, in my case there are some basic sources I get my inspiration. One is definitely music, I'm a music junkie, I have a big music collection. I can't design without HERE'S MY WORK... FEATURE ARTIST ALVARO SANCHEZ What do you like about the Blanket community? Coming from a country like mine it is very difficult to get a chance to be seen. or to be shown with other artists. It is refreshing to know that your work fits in with a community like Blanket Mag. A lot of amazing work comes from different parts of the world. I receive tons of feedback, and it makes me grow as music (actually as I answer this The Beatles are on the background). Music, in my case, is a very big part of the creative process. Some times I choose the music too create a certain mood to design to. I particularly love to design with music like Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Joy Division, a lot of garage rock bands, a little bit of punk, and a lot of post punk and classics like AlVARO SANCHEZ HAS BEEN SUBMITTING WORk TO BlANkETS RE_ACTION SECTION SINCE OUR THIRD ISSUE. WE ASk HIM WHAT HE lIkES ABOUT BlANkET (OH AND SOME STUFF ABOUT HIMSElF AS WEll...) 97 Alvaro Sanchez 98 blanket magazine Chopin too just to name a few. It's incredible how music dictates a lot of the final results. Also literature is another amazing source. One of the last books I read was After Dark by Haruki Murakami. The book for me was very cinematographic, and there were some times while reading that certain images just detonated in my mind and gave me the "neurostarter" (that's what I like to say) to go and create. Films too definitely are an influence. I like a lot of old movie classics like Godard, Pasolini, Fellini, and a more contemporary films like Jarmusch or David Lynch. The biggest influence I guess is my city, Guatemala. It's a huge box of surprises, it's weird, it's crazy, it's wild, it's violent... Living in this city has had a huge impact on my personal point of view of everything. The streets are full of a very special graphic code which is a trademark on Latin American countries. Everything is so kitsch, you just have to take a ride in the oldest part of the city to see it. The signs, the logos, everything is a big ode to the kitsch and bad taste. But at the same time that's what makes this city so cool. I know is not the best tourist propaganda for my country but it is what it is. Guatemala is a big inspiration despite the fact I have this love/ hate feeling to this city. And last but not less important, painting. I love to check on the new design trends but my real inspiration comes from the old masters, the old paintings movements, like nonrealistic, DADA, surrealism etc. for example Francis Bacon work is the most inspirational source. Works by Basquiat, Duchamp, Andre Breton, Warhol are definitely an influence in my work. I prefer to study the painting movements than new design trends. I mean nothing is original anymore. It is a nonexistent thing now a days so I think at some point you have to come back to the basics What would you like your art to express about you? I never really thought about it. I create because I have an undeniable thirst for creation. I mean I don't create for people to have a certain idea about me, I want them to focus on the art work rather than the artist. What have you learned from another artist lately? Ohh a lot!! Rather than new ways to do things I have learned valuable lessons like 'do what you really want to, with out putting limits on yourself'. Do what your instincts tell you no matter if it going to shock people or not. I learnt this some years ago when I was in Venezia, Italy and I saw a huge expo in the Palazzo Grassi. It was the first time I saw the work of Jake and Dinos Chapman, Damien Hirst, Takashi Murakami, Maurizio Cattelan, just to name a few. I was shocked to see their amazing artwork, especially the Chapman brothers work. It was shocking, in a good way. They are not afraid to take art to the extreme, and that's when I decided to do what my instinct tells me to do. The other big lesson is 'work, work, work' - never stop working. I remember Francis Bacon´s quote 'inspiration comes from constant work.' www.redbubble.com/people/ sanchezisdead 99 Alvaro Sanchez 100 blanket magazine Here's my work... Rui Sousa 101 Here's my work... 102 blanket magazine Here's my work... Rodolfo Vanmarcke 103 Here's my work... 104 blanket magazine Here's my work... Selin Yurdakul 105 Here's my work... 106 blanket magazine Here's my work... Alexey Durasov Here's my work... Morgan Maher 107 Here's my work... 108 blanket magazine Sarah Cuningham Here's my work... Ali Collins Here's my work... Sasha Solovjova 109 Here's my work... 110 blanket magazine craft-e ...our spot to introduce you to the talented people behind the web stores you know and love. Amy Ng from Pikaland Lara Cameron from "Kirinote" A blogger's life is all about communication— sharing their innermost thoughts and their daily happenings with the rest of us! And some extra clever bloggers also pepper their musings with beatiful and arty things that they either make themselves or promote for others. It's what we love best at blanket, which is why we've devoted this craft-e to some of our favourite blogging beauties! Meighan O'Toole from "My love for you is a stampede of horses" Alarna Zinn from Little Jane Street "LIvINg the illustrated life..." "textiles, design ANd crAft..." "Illustration, street art, craft, "uNIque, d.I.Y cuLture". How long have you been blogging for? I have been blogging on and off for 3 and a half years. "My Love for You... has been going " steady for about a year and a half now. What makes a good blog? Hands down it's passion and original content. Blogging is very time consuming, and it is really easy to lose steam if you are not driven and focused. I constantly have to psych myself up to get posts done in a timely manner! Coffee also helps, lots of it! Describe your blog's vibe in 5 words. Color, Inspiration and Passion. Three seems like a good place to end! What do you advertise/promote/sell on your blog? At the moment I do have advertising space on the blog...that's available on a monthly basis. The blog's main focus is on art, and usually what comes with that for many working artists today is product. So the blog is always promoting artist's work whether it be actual art or items and prints in their online shops. What do you have on your blog right now to drive a blanket reader crazy with joy? Gosh, well I think pretty much anything on "My love for you... could make Blanket readers " go crazy...so many artists and links to just get lost in! Everyday the blog features artists and crafters making art and being creative in some form or another. Just writing that makes me really excited! I want to get off the computer and go make something right now...ha! myloveforyou.typepad.com hand designed stationery" How long have you been blogging for? I've been blogging for about three years now, two on my personal blog, www. remakeables.com and one year on my art & illustration blog, www.pikaland.com. What makes a good blog? There are lots of things that make a good blog. I personally prefer blogs that either entertain, inform me of the latest happenings, or one that is simply inspiring. The voice of the blogger is very important to me as well, and I prefer reading happy blogs the most. Describe your blog's vibe in 5 words. Pikaland is...Happy, friendly, communitybased, inspiring, encouraging. What do you advertise/promote/sell on your blog? I sell PikaPackages: quarterly randomly packages bursting with goodies from artists and illustrators. It's a promotion tool (it launches with a giveaway!) and also a community where participating artists also get a package in return filled with items from their peers. The packages left over are then up for sale to cover the costs of running the project, and there's only very limited packs available for each round. What do you have on your blog right now that would drive a blanket reader crazy with joy? A PikaPackage! See more in our shop! www.pikaland.com How long have you been blogging for? I started blogging properly since March 2006 - so almost exactly 3 years I guess! What makes a good blog? I'd say good photography is first and foremost! But then right after that personality and good writing. I'm still not very good at the good writing bit but I try to keep it friendly and personal(ish?). Describe your blog's vibe in 5 words. Ooh gosh, that's a tough one! I'm trying to imagine how it might seem from the outside. Friendly, personal(ish), inspiring, open, textile-ey. What do you advertise/promote/sell on your blog? My own range of hand screen printed textiles, and also my yardage screen printing studio Ink & Spindle which I run with two other creative ladies Bianca and Tegan. What do you have on your blog right now to drive blanket readers crazy with joy? Lots of unique, hand screen printed textiles for sale in the Ink & Spindle shop - constantly changing in colour & design & basecloth. kirinote.blogspot.com 111 Craft_e: {Bloggers} 112 blanket magazine How long have you been blogging for? I have been writing the Little Jane St blog for almost 1 year - phew, seems like I started last week, must be having fun! What makes a good blog? I generally enjoy reading blogs of the design variety and look for visual beauty and inspiration to accompany my early morning coffee. What I believe to make a good blog would be unique thoughts, a down to earth nature, sincerity, honesty and a creative spirit - and of course lots of pretty pictures to drool over! Describe your blog's vibe in 5 words. A creative journey I am taking..... What do you advertise/promote/sell on your blog? The Little Jane St blog was fundamentally set up to show a behind the scenes look into the workings and projects of my stationery design business. I often feature vintage finds, patterns, textures and whatever else that inspires me along my journey. I like to show what I am working on, both personal crafting projects and upcoming working projects, events and stationery products that will soon be available through my online store. What do you have on your blog right now to drive a blanket reader crazy with joy? Right now I am excited to be showcasing some new products. I very recently did a sneak peek of a range of vintage inspired natural ribbon that I designed - hopefully you will like it! littlejanest.blogspot.com WEB_SIGHT BY DAVID SELF COMMUNICATION HUH? YEAH THE INTERNET CAN DO SOME OF THAT. EMAIl, INSTANT MESSENGER, SOCIAl NETWORkING, BlOGGING, VlOGGING, TWITTERING, VOIP, FORUMS... www.yourfonts.com Nobody writes letters anymore. And if you've ever opened up an envelop to find crisp, personalised stationery lined with smooth looping caligraphy oozing class or roughly folded reams, scrawled and scratched with intensly passionate and personal machinations, you'll understand why I think it's such a tragedy. Handwriting fascinates me and at yourfonts.com, if you can use a scanner, you can easily turn your own handwriting into a .ttf font file and install it on your computer. Imagine sending all your emails in your own script, or modding your desktop theme so all the text is written in your significant other's hand. Pretty cool right? www.passiveaggressivenotes.com So you live in a share house and you notice that someone keeps drinking your milk. Do you a) introduce a "special ingredient" and laugh maniacally when you spill the beans to the horrified milk thief b) call a house meeting and calmly explain that this milk is your milk and it's only fair that everyone buy their own milk or c) get really angry about it in private and leave a post-it on the milk bottle asking the unknown milk thief to knock it off. This is a website dedicated to all those Cs out there. 113 we b s i g h t 114 blanket magazine www.uniqlo.jp/uniqlock/ "What time is it?" probably one of the most asked questions in the world. Sure you can answer with a series of numbers or "half past whatever" but what kind of , communication issue would this be if I didn't show you a cooler way to find out the time? A crappy one, that's right. UNIQLOCK sure is a unique clock. It uses music, colour, fashion, architecture, and even dance to tell you the time! The more you watch, the more clever little details you'll notice. www.meebo.com So if you're anything like me, you use instant messenger a lot. It's free, it's easy to set up and find your friends and it's more relaxed than email. But msn or aim or yahoo chat, everyone uses a different client and if you want to talk to them you've gotta download a bunch of programs and unless you're on your own computer it's kind of a hassle. Unless you use meebo. Meebo runs right inside your web browser so you can use it anywhere with a net connection, and best of all, you can log into all of your chat accounts at once! MSN, AIM, ICQ, yahoo chat, myspace chat, facebook and gmail chat all in the same window. 115 we b s i g h t 116 blanket magazine www.najle.com/idaft And now for something pointless and fun. Ever wanted to recreate a daft punk song? Ever had the urgent, insatiable need to answer simple questions in a robot voice? I know I have. And now, with the daft punk console, you can. Communicate whether you want your steak "harder" "better" "faster" or "stronger" with the , , touch of a qwerty keyboard. Open the page, let it load to 100 and press "make it" , then giggle with nerdy glee as you bash away at your keyboard. PIC SHAWS BY JEFF STEPHENS INTRODUCING 'PIC SHAWS' (THE CUTEST COMIC STRIP EVER!) BY JEFF STEPHENS. JEFF JUST HAPPENS TO BE OUR BRAND NEW REGUlAR CONTRIBUTOR TO BlANkET MAGAZINE AND WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE HIM ON THE TEAM! I THINk YOU WIll AGREE HE'S WHIMSICAl CHARACTERS '0' AND 'o' ARE AN EXCEllENT ADDITION TO BlANkET! www.madeit.com.au www.curiousllama.etsy.com CLASSIFIED ADS FOR $15! BE SEEN BY OVER 20,000 BLANKET READERS ALL OVER THE WORLD! WANT TO BE A SHOW OFF? Über-kitsch handmade jewellery featuring vintage kimono fabric, ribbons, buttons and felt. Perfect for whatever life throws at you... INTRODUCING A BRAND NEW ADVERTISING INITIATIVE BROUGHT TO YOU BY TWO OF YOUR FAVOURITE INDEPENDANT MAGAzINES BLANKET AND MANKIND MAG! DOWNLOAD OUR AD KIT TO FIND OUT HOW YOU AND YOUR WARES CAN BE SEEN BY THOUSANDS OF OUR ENTHUSIASTIC READERS! JUST ONE CLICK! sarah-sculley.pdf 24/2/09 9:50:33 PM W HO I'M A A. M I? .. C Y CM MY CY CMY K Artist: Katie Wilson ExCLUsIVE LIMITED EDITION AND ONE OF A kIND pIECEs FrOM EMErGING ArTIsTs AND DEsIGNErs. artists, photographers, designers and crafters... get ready for your closeup presented to you by: m a gazine.com S www.nushkadolls.com sweet hand-painted gifts H O W M O F F Who Betsy & iya What Old house numbers become the sexy adoornment to your favorite address. How much? $45 (US) Who Variation What Little handmade dolly made of vintage lucite and glass beads. Plays guitar. How much? $15 (US) Website www.variation.etsy.com Who Nadirah Bostick at Aquarian Thoughts What 14k Gold-filled Growing Tree Earrings.... organically handmade with love. How much? $75 (US) Website www.AquarianThoughts. com Who Suzannemade What A sweet little unicorn and three colorful crystals dangle from a silver chain. How much? $35 (US) Website www.suzannemade.com Who Melissa Cunningham Lissa Rose Designs What Original Abstract Painting on 8x 8" Canvas Board How much? $80 (US) Website www.LissaRoseDesigns. etsy.com Who Benconservato What 'Perplexed Monkey 01' An original piece created with gouache and ink on Fabriano 3030 Etching Paper. How much? $60 (US) Website www.benconservato.etsy. com Who Liz Kalloch / Athena Dreams What "Flying in Spite of Everything" print of original mixed media painting How much? $10 (US) Website www.athenadreams.etsy. com Website www.betsyandiya.etsy.com Who Sloe Gin Fizz What 'DREAMING' Archival print of original drawing. How much? $22 (US) Who Sumaiya Potts from Najmuthakib What Najmuthakib's Signature Solitaire Necklace "a mix of ball chain and sparkling gems" How much? $35 (US) Who Caroline Hancox Photography What Beautiful photographic print of an original polaroid. 7x7 inches, professionally printed, archival quaility. How much? £25 (GBP) Who PterodactylPants What Giant handmade plush Maggot, creepy, adorable, and perfect for snuggling. How much? $40 (US) Website www.pterodactylpants. etsy.com Who Natalie Prikhodko from everyday-wonders What 'Pure + Simple' - Fine art photographic print on archival qualitypaper. How much? $15 (US) Website www.everyday-wonders. com/shop Who Something Else Perhaps What "PRETTY" Custom Made-To-Order Upcycled Vintage Glass Plate Mirror How much? $24 (US) Website www.windshine.etsy.com Who AnnLuise - illicitly beautiful! What A necklace, a ring and earrings match a misterious gleaming set. How much? $129 (US) Website www.annluise.etsy.com Website www.sloeginfizz.etsy.com Website www.najmuthakib.etsy.com Website www.en.dawanda.com/shop/ carolinehancox Who Something Else Perhaps What Original Custom Word/Text Portrait 'Look Closely' How much? $300 USD Website www.windshine.etsy.com Who Orchids Dream by Emily Bittner What Scarlet Damask Ponytail Holder How much? $9.50 (US) Website www.orchidsdream.etsy.com Who Karine Ardault Photography and Mixed-Media What Original fine art photograph of zanzibar wooden carved door. How much? $32 (US) Website www.karineardault. myshopify.com Who Rhymes with Orange What Rhymes with Orange Adorable 1970s vintage sundress. Perfect for warm summer nights. Lively and fun. How much? $35 (US) Website www.RwOrange.etsy.com Who Ali J Art & Illustration What Limited edition print of 100 of an original illustration measuring 8.5" x 11.5" How much? $66 (AUD) Website www.shop.alijart.com Who Minta77 What Earrings with bold orange jade drops and raspberry swirl glass flowers How much? $22 (US) Website www.minta77 .etsy.com Who Miss Crowland What Custom Couple Portraits How much? $36 (US) Website www.misscrowland.etsy. com Who Ciao, Chessa! What Ciao, Chessa! is a fine art photography print shop by emerging artist Monica L. Shulman. How much? $35 (US) Who MeanderThroughLIfe What 'Blue'. This is a 8x10 print of a original painting done by Heather Jerdee. How much? $15 (US) Who Nina Renee Designs. What Freshwater pearls and Swarovski crystal bridal cuff bracelet. How much? $210 (US) Who Emily August What zines and handmade CD-rs as well as vintage clothing and housewares How much? $2 to $4 (US) Website www.emilyaugust.etsy.com Who Plywerk What Your digital image mounted on 8x8 maple or bamboo plywood. How much? $30 (US) Website www.plywerk.com Who Softspoken by Rachael Oglesby What Chain drop circle scarves How much? $15-35 (US) (depending upon length) Website www.softspoken.etsy.com Who Suzannemade What A gold bangle sparkles with stone, glass and gold charms - so pretty! How much? $20 (US) Website www.suzannemade.com Website www.ciaochessa.etsy.com Website www.MeanderThroughLife. etsy.com Website www.ninareneedesigns. etsy.com NEXT ISSUE How to Contribute THERE ARE MANY WAYS FOR YOU TO BECOME A PART OF BLANKET, READ BELOW TO FIND OUT HOW... Re_action Next theme is "PORTRAIT" Each issue we give you a specific theme and we want you to submit a piece of original work that reacts to this theme! Use your creative skills and your imagination! Include in your emails: 1. Your original image created for re_action (a maximum of 1 image please) 2. Full name 3. Country of residence 3. Title of piece (if any) File submission: Filenames: firstname_lastname.jpg All images to be RGB - PDF or JPG Landscape 1020 x 624 pixels OR 360 x 220mm @ 72dpi Portrait 510 x 624 pixels OR 180 x 220mm @ 72dpi Square 624 x 624 pixels OR 220 mm x 220 mm @ 72dpi Email: re_action [at] blanketmagazine.com Here's my work, I hope you like it: General gallery of work Each issue we show off emerging creatives and we want you! Send in your original artwork, design or photography. If sending multiple images please place them in a Folder with your full name and number the images (eg. Bec_Brown_01, Bec_Brown_02, and so on... otherwise I might mix them up and credit someone else with your work!) Please do not just send your personal URL as 's I receive so many submissions I don't have time to review them all. You are more likely to have your work published if you make it as easy as possible for me. Please send examples of your artwork and follow my image specifications below. Include in your emails: 1. Your image/s of work (a maximum of 6 please) 2. Full name 3. Country of residence 4. A relevant website (or any other URL) address where readers can see more of your work. File submission: Filenames: firstname_lastname.jpg All images to be RGB - PDF or JPG Landscape 1020 x 624 pixels OR 360 x 220mm @ 72dpi Portrait 510 x 624 pixels OR 180 x 220mm @ 72dpi Square 624 x 624 pixels OR 220 mm x 220 mm @ 72dpi Email: inspire [at] blanketmagazine.com See the Blanket website for more info www.blanketmagazine.com Please note: By sending in a submission you are allowing Blanket magazine to reproduce this image/s for the particular section it has been submitted for. Unfortunately not all work can be guaranteed a place in the magazine due to high demand, time and space issues. All copyright belongs solely to the artists and no images from this magazine are to be used without the artists prior permission. Blanket accepts no responsibility for the copyright of artworks used. The PorTraiT Issue 16 eyes ears nose face body skin dna 125 126 t h a n ks And finally those who have been uncovered... A BIG THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS CONTRIBUTED TO ISSUE 15 OF BLANKET! THANKYOU Jeremy Grant Jess Smiley Jonathan Wilson Joseenrique Veloccia Kara Santos Lens Tyomkin Michael Lewis Nicole Tattersall Pako Arellano (aka KOSUC) Pam Golafshar Pierre-Paul Pariseau Sarah Holmes Sarah Watts Tan Shiang Chin Tennur Bas Vanessa Letts Yuen xelia Cate Furey Cristina Amodeo Danny McCran Dario Vigil ExO Jess Ganocha Julia Martinez Diana Katrin Kirojood Marcelo Granero Marco Eychenne Mario Sughi Morgan Maher Mundocaco Nicole Tattersall Rodolfo Vanmarcke Rui Sousa Sarah Carter Sasha Solovjova Selin Yurdakul Thomas Tibitanzl Veronica Romanenghi Disclaimer: Please note no part of Blanket magazine can be re-produced without first seeking the permission from the publishers. All submissions to Blanket magazine are protected by copyright which belongs solely to the artist. No images from this magazine are to be used without the artists prior permission. Blanket accepts no responsibility for the copyright of artworks used. THE BLANKET TEAM Blanket contributing designers Bec Brown Caitlin Gahan Melissa Gardner Drew Fellows CONTRIBUTORS A big thanks to all our interviewees: Will Bryant Coralie Bickford-Smith Betsy Walton Alvaro Sanchez 'Someguy' from 1000 Projects Becky & Louise from Good Wives & Warriors Sandrea Simons Miss Bloom - Hotel Bloom Marion Flipse Frank from Post Secret Alex Kirkwood Amy Ng Lara Cameron Meighan O'Toole Alarna zinn Rose Lazar Jessica White Catherine Ryan Anna Corpron & Sean Auyeung from Sub-studio Re_action Alex Kirkwood Aliirfaan Nujjoo Alvaro Sanchez Anthony zinonos Ben Perkins Dan Hallett Djordje Joksimovic Dorothea Huber Elisabetta Gon Emilie Garcin Fabelis Federico Salvador Felix Rodriguez Helen Entwisle (aka Memo) Igor Milanovic Isobel Blake Ita Serka Blanket contributing writers Caitlin Gahan Jessica Wilson Jonathan Hulme Lindsay Green David Self Bec Brown Blanket Cover Image Will Bryant Blanket Font Manuel Viergutz Here's my work... I hope you like it: Alexey Durasov Ali Collins Andrea Gonbelt Ashlie Chavez The Pass it On Project Jessica Goldfond Shawn Creeden Jessica Gonacha Blanket Illustration Claire Cimbora 127 128