Photographed by: Jennifer Emerling

Hair by: Tanya Ramirez

Make Up by: Danie Cansino

Styled by: Aurora Lady

Words by: Alexandra Franzen

Model: Alexandra Stayer

I especially loved the second look: my mother made the dress for me when I was in seventh grade! Seeing Ali dressed up in it, & combined with my headbands, made me so happy and made me feel connected again to my mother. I’m pretty sure she would have loved the finished product!

That said (and I feel it must be disclosed!) I was overjoyed to receive a pair of glittering diamond earrings from Anjolee. Sartorial challenge?! I’m in!

When the word “sparkle” entered my noggin, so did the image of the one, the only…Tom Jones.

Diamonds, ruffles, and a get-in-my-pants attitude. All I needed was a tennis bracelet dripping off my wrist and a highball.

Anjolee was my first diamond “experience”, and I was expecting unapproachable and snobby, because I have stereotypes from movies in my head. No such luck– the woman who helped me seemed totally rad: kind, pleasant, and totally chill. Their site offers various lines of diamond-y jewelry, but I found myself especially drawn to the custom option, and their vintage looking goods. I think their diamond engagement rings are especially utilitarian– most of the time, like it or not, we end up wearing rings at certain points in our lives. Utilitarian is sexy. Just like Tom Jones.

I ended up choosing their “Surrounded by Diamonds” diamond stud earrings, which were custom made for me. Damn. I love the internet! What sort of world do we live in if we don’t even have to leave the house to have custom diamond stud earrings made for us?! I plotz!

Alright, you beast, I cave! I’m never taking these earrings off. The shoes, the shirt, the attitude: yes. But the diamonds? Never! Mama didn’t raise no fool.

Part I:

Photographed by: Jennifer Emerling

Hair by: Tanya Ramirez

Make Up by: Danie Cansino

Styled by: Aurora Lady

Words by: Alexandra Franzen

Model: Alexandra Stayer

***

I took my time creating a set of headbands, and, after wearing one out, I knew I needed to pull together a team and do a photo story. It fell upon me like a fog I couldn’t get out of (really, it was all I could think about!), and I set forth, collecting and selecting my Dream Team to make my vision a reality. I ended up with the best of the best: women who really understood what the concept was, how to execute, and how to make magic! I’ll definitely look upon this shoot as a sort of crossroads for me creatively; it was my first time formally art directing and styling. What a blast!

This is Part I; I’ll be releasing separate headband looks over the course of a few weeks.

xoxo

                             Photo of Lenora Jayne by Brooke Nipar for the Badoo Project

Lenora Jayne is a self-described “Brooklyn-based & Neptune-bound illustrator, designer & creative dilettante”. How fabulous is that?! I hope she comes out to Los Angeles someday, because I have a fantasy of us sitting down together, trading art supplies, and going completely nuts on the side of a fusion food truck on La Brea. Til then, this interview will have to suffice. We dish on managing artists, influences, and developing a style. She’s cool. Real cool.

You’re a sort of Jill of All Trades—aside from your visual artist work, you also list Artist Management as part of your skill set. What does this mean and how does it work? It seems that a lot of artists, so much of the time, have to manage themselves, and it’s a total trial and error adventure.

It’s true! I come from a very DIY background.  Almost everything I know about art, business, design, and programming, I taught myself. I’ve found that many of the artists I know are focused more on making art, and don’t know how to advocate for themselves and get their work in front of more eyes.

Managing artists is a new thing I’m attempting to work my way into, which is really a natural extension of branding and design, I think. The art collective that I’ve been running for the past four years (The Lowbrow Society for the Arts) is currently in the process of dissolving. One of the big things that I’ve learned in those four years, is that I love connecting people and building creative community as much as I love making art. And it really comes from this desire to support other artists and advocate for creatives who are just starting out, because it’s tough and can be isolating at times, and I want us to all make it and get paid!

I consider myself a sort of self-styled “advocate for artists”, I suppose. I’ve given more than one “pep talk” to friends that were dealing with difficult freelance clients or who were undercharging for their work. It’s a challenge sometimes, to fight for your right to make a living off of art! It feels like we’re cheating the system, because we have this really intense love for what we do.

But my goal is to be able to use my range of skills to help others build a brand, develop their online presence, and connect them with the resources that they need to produce more and better work. And to foster collaboration! Because what’s cooler than working with other people that can inspire you and inform your work?

I adore all of the bright color you use in your work, and the fact that you don’t use much black to harness in your color. How did you develop your style? Your work is unusual, because even though the content and palette is cohesive, you don’t seem to stick to any one medium. On the front page of your blog alone, you see work in cut out paper and gauche, acrylic, and digital—but they never seem to mix. What informs your decision to use a certain medium for a certain piece? How did you develop your interest and skill in each medium?
Color has always been something I’ve been intrinsically drawn to! Bright colors just express a certain joy, energy, and excitement that I identify with. There’s a lot of “myself” in my art, for better or for worse. In terms of media, I really have a hard time with the fact that I don’t work in one style. Sometimes I feel like it’s a failing. When I was attending Parsons for illustration, it was a very, very common critique: you have to develop a recognizable style and work in a preferred medium in order to get hired for work. I hate that! I want to do everything!

Each medium has its own voice, and they all lend a certain emotional tone, for me, to a piece. I think I also have a different handstyle in each medium as well. Working digitally feels modern and clean, gouche and rag paper have a sensuality to them, they seem more personal and tactile.

I’ve been basically working in every medium I could get my hands on since I was a kid: watercolor, colored pencil, crayons, charcoal, acrylic, oils, collage, silkscreen, etc.

One of the most revolutionary tools was the computer. When I first really started perusing the internet, at age 13, I discovered all these amazing artists (on Geocities, of course) who worked digitally, and I had never seen that before! I loved the bright colors and the clean lines. And so, I did my research, asked questions, and dove in with a mouse, a downloaded copy of Gimp (an open-source image editing program) and a crappy digital camera to photograph my sketches.

You have a very tight hold on your content—ladies in “various states of undress” (as you put it). They sometimes seem to be aware of the viewer, sometimes not—almost as if they are making the choice, not you, and that’s what gives them their personalities. They sometimes seem caught in the act—particularly the women eating ice cream. Why women disrobing and what questions are you exploring for yourself with this idea?

I swear I do draw more than naked ladies! But in the past few months, I’ve primarily been doing my “Not Safe For Work Friday” posts. NSFWF is my time to play with various combinations of digital and traditional media. I like drawing girls because it’s my way (as a queer, tattooed and rainbow-haired artist) of subverting the norms of what a “pinup” is, and exploring what beauty is, as well. I’m recognize I’m still getting there, but I want to really push my own (and others’) perceptions of “sexy” by including a spectrum of body types, races and genders, because in the real world, sexy is so much more than Victoria’s Secret models. And you know, sometimes it’s easier to be subversive and slip in a little bit of a message in there when you sugarcoat it with sex.

I love how pop inspired your work is, and it’s pretty apparent that you are clued into icons as far as movie actresses from the ‘50’s and ‘60’s. Who are your art influences and what attracts you to their work?

Where to begin? I’m inspired by mythology, fairy tales, the future, color, psychedelic art, femininity, fashion, storytelling. I think I’m still learning how to translate that to my work, though. I have so many favorite artists! I originally went to school for fashion design, so fashion has a huge, huge influence on me still, especially Hussein Chalayan, Alexander McQueen and Prada’s Fall 2008 collaboration with illustrator James Jean. I love Ellen von Unwerth’s photography, which features women who are alluring and powerful and in-control of their sexuality (and meticulously styled!). And I’m a total sucker for graffiti art, all of the girl artists out there; Swoon, TooFly, Miss Van, Lady Aiko, Fafi, they all present these strong images of femininity that I find incredibly inspiring and empowering.

Today is the day!

Check out my spankin’ new webstore, where I’ll be housing all of the Cathedral of Rebellion Saints.

I created the Sweet Shoppe knowing that there needed to a be place on the internet to obtain pieces that would empower and inspire the same characteristics that our Seven Saints embody. Need to invoke your inner Antoinette? Merely pin her on your jacket and summon her queenly nature! Want to slam-dunk a co-worker verbally? Courtney’s your gal. Better get on that one!

Today it goes live– so you’ll find all of the prints, buttons, and other goodies your little heart could ask for. Go forth. Check it. And I hope you love the Cathedral of Rebellion as much as I loved creating it.

xo

I have always liked Stanley Tucci– especially his dad role in “Easy A”. How rad would it be to have Stanley as your etiquette teacher? I. Plotz!

Two hours later, I had this handsome Scorpio:

Pretty sure Lonely Boy would be the ultimate Stanley Tucci pupil. Someone, write Mr. Tucci into Gossip Girl (aka my favorite show), quick!

Lime Crime is releasing a new pressed eyeshadow palette, called Palette D’Antoinette. It’s gorgeous– five uber pigmented, intense pastels inspired by a modern Marie Antoinette. Doe’s been busy putting together a few looks already with the set–you can peep them here.

Here’s the big news: When you order the palette, you’ll also receive my St. Antoinette sticker from the Cathedral of Rebellion collection, tucked away amidst the pretty tissue paper!

Needless to say, I’ve been absolutely in pain waiting to share this with you guys! Doe’s a consummate businesswoman, and someone I truly respect, especially after seeing her and her team in action. True badasses!

I feel like I went on The Dating Game and came out with a perfect match: I’m thrilled to work with a company that values art and doesn’t mind being a bit subversive. Oh! And, to top it all off, most of their products are vegan. Dream date, or what?!

You’ll be able to order Palette D’Antoinette on May 1st (the same day I launch Cathedral of Rebellion at my new store!) through the Lime Crime website. Make sure you schedule that, because these goodies are sure to fly fast!

xo

It’s beautifully written and inspirational. I’m proud to not only bring you this candid interview, but to call this strong woman my friend. Check out “My Drunk Year” on her Etsy page.

“My Drunk Year” is all about your experience being in love with an alcoholic. It’s heart-wrenching to read: you go through so much in so little time. What was your thought process when going through the task of putting all of this to paper?

This spring, worship at the altar of your favorite bad girls. Wear your icon on your lapel, in your cube at work, on your bike–wherever you need a reminder to stay strong and invoke the power of your respective “Cathedral of Rebellion” Saint. Buttons, prints, and stickers– all priced so you can tithe your heart out afterwards.<3

For press inquiries and all other matters of communication, contact alady@auroralady.com.

Get in the know first about my new projects, sales, and shows! Sign up for my email newsletter. I don’t get spammy, but I do love you!

I found her work at the L.A. Zine Fest(and really, didn’t that place have the best artists?!) and totally fell in love. Gabrielle agreed to an interview and here it is. Hope you enjoy this peek into her world as much as I loved asking about it. xoxo

Your “Remote Viewing” series is HARDCORE! I love that the content centers around recognizable pop characters, juxtaposed with images in nature or more traditional content. How did you put together certain pieces, particularly “Heaven and Hell”?

I wanted to work with images that had significant personal meaning for me. I spent a lot of time alone with my imagination as a child, and I spent a great deal of time with media, particularly television and radio. My childhood memories are inseparable to me from the pop culture images I consumed growing up in the 1970’s and 1980’s. I have approached the works in the “Remote Viewing” series as drawn collages, not pre-planned in detail, but arranging the composition as I go, to create some spontaneity in contrast to the detailed graphite work.

“Heaven and Hell” documents my adolescence, and the change from the innocence of childhood to the terrible insecurities of the tween years. Middle school was hell for me. But I leave it up to the viewer to decide which side represents “Heaven” for them, and which side represents “Hell.” When my mother first saw it, her only comment was a guilty “Well, television did raise you!”

You made a comic called, “Miss Lonely Hearts”, centered around a man who is hired to be an advice columnist. Would you ever be an advice columnist, and what sort of advice column would you have? Who is your favorite real life advice columnist, and why?

I love to give advice, and like most people, I am far better giving advice than taking it! I wouldn’t mind trying my hand at a relationship or manners-type of advice column, but I have been told that my best advice is usually about art materials. So if someone wants to hire me to write about paper weights and gesso, I’m all yours!

Dan Savage gives the most helpful advice, but Slate’s Dear Prudence is my favorite to read because she seems to be an obsessive pop culture nerd like myself. She can’t help but relate someone’s problem to a film plot at least once per column. Right now she seems really fixated on comparing her advice seekers to Downtown Abbey characters.

You’re an art teacher in San Francisco. What’s it like living in Northern California, and having such a rich artistic cultural history around you? How does this play into what you are teaching your students?

It is incredibly inspiring to be able to say “Diego Rivera made that mural,” “Dorothea Lang’s studio was right here,” “Bruce Connor taught in this department,” “Charles Schultz drew his strip there,” etc., etc. It is soooo easy to take students on field trips to see inspiring local art…the Di Rosa Museum is a collection of entirely Northern California art since the 1960’s, for example. The difficult part is making them care.

Right now I’m on a mission to make my students aware of the California Funk artists and their descendents, such as Robert Arneson, William Wiley, Mildred Howard, David Best, etc. In my youth, the Funk artists staffed the art departments and filled the galleries through out Northern California, but now I worry that they are being forgotten. I guess maybe their work has too much humor and fun, and not enough transgression to be fashionable to the contemporary art establishment.

It’s obvious from your work that you have a strong connection to rock’n'roll. Did you grow up with that music around you? Was there a point where that music informed your decisions– your lifestyle, your attitudes? Does it still? And who was your rock’n'roll icon growing up? Do you have one now?

 I have a brother who is eight years older than me. He trained to be a radio disk jockey, and also deejayed weddings and proms. He made me very aware of rock music from an early age, and when he wasn’t home, I had free access to his record collection. As a little kid I used to listen to a local radio station that played the Beatles all day on Sunday, so I still remember where I was when John Lennon was assassinated, and how my dad didn’t understand why his 7-year-old daughter was in shock.

Punk music came into my life when I was about 13 or 14, and I’m going to say the cliché: Punk rock changed my life. It really did. It was a subculture that became my culture. It taught me a d.i.y independence that has served me well as an artist. It also taught me to live my convictions, which can be a miserable thing to do at times.

I still love rock’n’roll and roots music so much, and my idols are always changing. But an artist who is also a great lyricist or songwriter can really stop me in my tracks. I was crushed when Big Star’s Alex Chilton died a couple of years ago, but I was glad I got to see him play before that. Lately I’ve been really into the songs of Daniel Johnston, but I must admit that I prefer it when someone else performs them, and the late great L.A. band Love.

You do a lot of work centered around books and things people can transport with them– that format really informs how the piece is set up. Do you see your work continuing in this direction? How do you see the future shaping up for zines and zinemaking folks?

I hadn’t really thought about it before, but books and publishing has been a huge part of my life. I worked at the legendary Comic Relief comic book store, and at the underground comics publisher and distributor Last Gasp. I was a member of the Berkeley-based comics publishing collective and zine distributor Puppy Toss, and I’ve been making zines since the late 1980’s. And I married a former lit major. So it makes sense that my work would gravitate towards books, and it probably always will.

It feels like the zine seems to be having a renaissance, which makes me happy. I think people have been missing the hand-made object. While the blog has replaced many zines, there is still so much room for the small run, hand-made book you can hold in your hands, especially if it is image-dependent. And I can’t stand reading comics online, so I prefer to print mine. For the zine culture to maintain its momentum, there needs to be a more centralized distribution. In the 90’s we had Factsheet Five, which listed practically all the zines that existed, and told you where to order each one. The zine fests springing up all over is a great start, but there needs to be some sort of online “Factsheet Five.” And, no, I’m not volunteering to do this!

After almost a six-month hiatus, I’m BACK!

What I mean is, I’m back to accepting your incredible commissions into my regular sched.

It’s been an awesome little vacay–I’m still with the company I signed on with in November, and I still love working with them. And I’ve been taking on some rad projects that will be shared soon. In short, I’ve been busy! The best kind of busy–with things that are creative and breathtaking and inspiring. Things that inspire full moments of learning.

But the truth is, I’ve so missed doing intoxicating one-on-one portraits, and have been actively creating a space to start doing that again (in fact, Ben and I just moved, and I now have an office!). I’m so glad to be back.

I’m building a new webstore–no more Etsy!– with a programming super genius, but til it’s launched, you can check out my “Get a Portrait” page and email me what you’d love to have created for you.

I’m ready. So ready. Bring me your thoughts, your vision, your favorite fables and your truths. Let’s make them live. Let’s make your dream a reality!

So. So excited. xoxo

Annakim is an artist, and her whole life is lived that way. Her personal style is undeniable, and it’s the first thing that drew me to her. Bright colors, vibrant prints, an ever-evolving hairstyle… that’s the way to live!

Fortunately, there’s lots of Annakim goodies on the internet. Here are some of my favorites:

Annakim Violette for Stylelikeu.com from StyleLikeU on Vimeo.

This video is worth it’s weight in gold. Stylelikeu has fast become one of my favorite sites. So thoughtful and sweet!

from tryharderpants

Source unknown: link me if you know it!

from Papermag’s “Weetzie Bat” shoot by Autumn De Wilde.

From The Selby.

Or so I thought.

I found a three piece suit at my friend Cassie’s house when she hosted a clothing swap. Because I am really into Diane Keaton, I tried it on. It fit perfectly! This never happens with pants! Instantly, I was charmed.

These are the pants. They are short, they are blue, they are pinstriped. Since I’m curvy as the heavens are wide, I felt I had to further femme it up and sport some heels.

Lesson learned: I’ll wear pants, if they are those of an uncle of a friend. Here’s to more free clothing adventures!

Pants: Cassie’s Uncle, no brand name, free!

Shirt: Forever 21, $4.99

Heels: Report, via Goodwill on La Brea

Belt: Lane Bryant, via Goodwill on Blackstone in Fresno, $2.99

Ring: Locketship, gifted

Good friends of mine know that I’m totally nuts about the food processor we were gifted (the little engine that could!), so was I ever stoked when I stumbled across Healthy Blender Recipes. This blog has options for vegan, gluten free, or raw recipes…or there could be some combination of the three! Everything sounds creative and fun. The pictures are sexy. I can’t wait to try some of these!

Dr. Bronner’s castille soap is a staple in our home, but this is the first time we’ve indulged in the almond scent. Oh. My. Gosh. It’s heaven! It smells absolutely amazing and actually makes me look forward to a shower! I’ve seen that the Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soapbox documentary is streaming on Netflix right now, and I wanna check it out. I can’t get my friend review of it out of my head: “Yes, Dr. Bronner was crazy, but no more crazy than one would expect of someone who covered his soap in crazywords.”

I know I’m totally late to the party, but this week I finally saw a Marilyn Monroe movie! Three, actually. I totally get it now. I’ve never thought of her as a comic actress, but oh oh, she’s so charming. Intense research took place. Now, it’s love.

I started taking vitamins again, and my hair is growing! It’s at my shoulders, and that’s the longest it’s been since maybe high school. Whoa. I’ve been pouring over vintage hair tutorials, after seeing this style posted up on Instagram by my hair genius, Tanya. How sexy is that picture? And how sexy is that hair?! I found a great beehive tutorial at A Beautiful Mess. I’ll be experimenting with my hair in the very near future!