Hello Holiday Shoppers!

For the next few days, you can find this season's monsters online!

www.melissasue.etsy.com

I also have a few more shows coming up:

December 6:  BAN Art Fair - 18th Street Brewery, Gary IN

December 13:  Geek Bar Holiday Craft Fair - Geek Bar Beta, Chicago IL

December 14: Revolution Craft Show - Revolution Brewery & Tap Room (Kedzie), Chicago IL

~and~

This Sunday, November 30, I'll be at Cleveland's

Ghengis Con

with Max Bare, and some limited edition plush pieces based on his work.

Stop by and say hello!

 xo!

Tis the Season!

Hey Chicago!

If you're ready to kick-off your Holiday Shopping, head on over to Wicker Park!

I have ornaments and some prints available at the Jackson Junge Gallery,

as part of their Holiday Handmade display.  They've also got a lot of other great work and a fun exhibit up right now, so head on over!

Jackson Junge Gallery

1389 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago  60622

Finished Drawing - Jeff

Done!

I recently finished this drawing of Mr. Fox!

Graphite & Colored Pencil on Hot Press Arches

I had originally intended to make a simple quick sketch, but I enjoyed the look so much that instead I hatched away for quite a while.  Most of the drawing was done cross-hatching with a sharp 6H, and then details were laid in with a range from 4H - 4B.  I used about five different blues for the background - they're Caran d'Ache.

Big thanks and hugs to my model, who was patient and gracious as I chipped away at this.  

Apart from being a friend and an all-around fabulous person, he's also very talented himself.  

Check out his photos on Instagram:

fox_photo

and more work/life/style/haberdashery can be found at:

jeffrey mark

xo!

Catching Up

August already!

So, haven't really been keeping up on the blogging, it's true.

Shortly after my last post here (April?) I dove headfirst into searching for and moving into a new home.  Apartment hunting in Chicago isn't too bad, but it can be all-absorbing if you're looking for a 'perfect place'.  Luckily, we found the perfect place!  I haven't taken too many photos yet, but it's really lovely - so much space to make art, surrounded by trees and gardens and quiet.  And still within the busy city in a fun neighborhood, and right next to the train.

My new commute to the day job

The office looming up high over everything as we putter along slowly through the treetops

Since I started taking the train I've been sketching little portraits of the other commuters

which is a great way to begin and end the crazy/busy days at work.

Apart from day job working, moving, and unpacking, I have also gotten some work done.  

There's been some large projects, which I'll post about soon, and then the usual constant sketching:

Bu at the housewarming party

Sketch portrait - made with Sktchy and last month's Art Snacks!

Small gouache studies (these are available in the Shop!)

Back to work - more soon!

Sketching and Studies

April already!

Early in the year, I made it one of my goals to really focus on study and sketching.  

So far it's been going really well!  It's always a delicate balance between the busy-busy-busy Day Job, completing large portfolio pieces, sewing up things for a spring Etsy update (coming soon!), getting sketchbook and study time in… and remembering to do things like …eat, laundry, sleep…  

never a dull moment.

I've been going to a lot of figure drawing sessions at Platform

where I've been having a fantastic time and meeting lots of fantastic people.  It's a nice mid-week break to sort of zone out for a few hours and just do some very focused drawing, and get dirty with conté.

Speaking of figure drawing:  

A big highlight of March was getting to finally attend a Dr. Sketchy event.  I've wanted to go to one for years! 

The March theme for the Chicago chapter was "The Spy Who Sketched Me" - all James Bond inspired poses, costumes, and music.

A fantastic afternoon with a spectacular model, good lighting, and a really luxurious setting.  Can't wait for the next one in May!

Another great resource I've been using is the new Sktchy app.  

I'm not sure how it started, but it's my favorite new thing.  Basically, people all over upload photos of themselves, and then an artistic community draws them.  Perfect if you're looking for inspiration, or just looking to practice portraiture.

I haven't done any "finished" pieces with it yet, but I have been doing very quick studies - about 30 mins each, just trying to grab a likeness as quickly as possible.  

And since they're all on my phone, I've been able to do most of these when I'm out and about.  Most of the above were done at random happy-hours with other sketching friends, or while waiting for the waitress to bring lunch, or like yesterday - at the laundromat.  

Anyway, back to work for me!  I'm trying to finish up a watercolor painting, as well as this graphite drawing of a friend of mine:

Hope to be done with this one later this week,

Work work work!

Happy Monday!

xo

Painting on St Patrick's

Since moving to Chicago I've spent every St. Patrick's Day holed up, in one place or another, making art all weekend.  After three years, it's become my favorite unintentional tradition!

This year I spent most of my time at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Musuem.

In a new exhibit there, Lana Crooks is installing a large-scale plush "Fiber Forest", which will soon be a Storytelling Nook for children who visit.

While Lana sewed and constructed the large 3D elements of her installation, I mixed up some colors with the provided house paint (my new favorite medium) and dropped in the 2D forest background.  Max was a huge help painting and keeping up with the deadline.

The exhibit, "Nature's Struggle", opens

Saturday, March 22

There will be photos of the entire installation soon, but for now

here's a look at the mural's progress over last weekend:

A palette of warm tones, mixed up in take-out containers.

Working on the first section, the 'entry view' to the installation. 

Max comes to help, while Jarrett works with Lana (and a staple gun) on the Plush Trees

It looks quiet and serious, but we're really rocking out to the Pogues here.

The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum is located at

2430 N Cannon Dr,  Chicago, IL   60614

You can see more photos of Lana's entire Fiber Forest installation by checking out Instagram:

#fiberforest

Saturday, March 8th: Emerging Artists at Morpho Gallery

Hey Chicagoland!

I'm very happy to announce that I'll have three paintings on display at

The 9th Annual

Emerging Artists Exhibition

at

Morpho Gallery

Chicago

The reception is from 6 - 9pm, stop by and say hello! There will be plenty of great art on the walls, and maybe a couple beers. 

What else is happening?

The usual! 

I'm working on a 3D shop update with fun things for March

More on that later!

I'm spending a lot of time with my sketchbooks, exploring more

Just paint over everything.

Of course, the new day-job is keeping me busy.   A recent company move has improved my daily view:

Well, this is actually the view from a few floors up, where I buy my sandwiches.  

But, still.  Pretty great lunch breaks.  

And as always

Late nights at the drawing table.  

This will be a new watercolor portrait, once I pencil in a bit more of Shea's long curls.  

Never a dull moment!  

See you Saturday, Chicago!

xoxox

Friday, March 7th - Portraits

Hey, Indiana!

(or, South Chicago!)

This Friday, March 7th, I'll have three paintings on display for

"Portraits"

at Studio 659

Whiting, IN

The Opening Reception is from 7pm - 9pm

Show will be up until March 19th!

A New Shop with some New Stuff!

Just a quick note to say:

Custom Portraits are once again available!  

There's a few different types

and!

a whole bunch of other original paintings and art

in my new shop:

melissasuestanley.storenvy.com

xo!

Curious Beasts!

I've got some new monsters and creepy faces on display now at 

Clutter Gallery

Check it out in person if you're in NY - or online 

here!

Everyone's work in the show is amazing - worth a peek!

"Her Name Was Forgotten"

Who was she, before she left for the woods?  Before her chicken-legged-hut was full-grown, and before the stories were heard in whispers through the village at night?

(Portrait of Baba Yaga as a Maiden)

Watercolor and Colored Pencil on paper

14.5” x 7.5”

Available!  Either framed or unframed.  Drop me a message if interested.  

This one was a lot of fun to put together and paint.  It does look a wee bit like a self-portrait, but it wasn't intended to be one.  I needed a reference photo, and I was the only person in the room!  I think my chin and forehead came through the most.  

Details:

Bundled Up

As I'm sure you're aware, Chicago's got a case of th' Weathers at the moment. 

Nevertheless!

Late last week, as what became known as #chiberia began, I managed to get all the snow off the car and then drove (very slowly) to Platform for figure drawing.  A couple hours of hot coffee and good company later, I felt I had a good start to 2014:

Friday I stayed in, and kept busy with a couple sticks of charcoal and an 18"x24" pad of newsprint.

I've come back to this image of Jaime a few times now.  The original photograph is actually an Instagram selfie she posted a long while back.  I'm still not sure what my final take will be on it.  I think one more go, maybe with gouache.

The cold crept in over the weekend and, for the most part, I spent my time nested up at home.  Max got an interesting new stylus recently (Sensū), and I hijacked it to try digital painting for the first time.  

The first attempt was a sort of merpy made-up face, just trying to get the feel for the colors and brushstrokes and all that.

After that, I got down to trying an actual portrait with the thing:

The likeness started to get away from me - but I'm happy with the overall experiment.  It's addictive as real painting - except it's easier to do on the couch bundled in blankets.  

As fun as sketching digitally is, I think I'll stick with the real oils.  Must be something about the smelly messiness.  I'm hoping to get those out and moving around in a week or so - still roughing out the 2014 goals and work.

Shifting focus, or maybe just sharpening focus.  

xo