Another Sketch 1/30

Sketched this during my daughter's voice lesson--about 30 minutes. One of these days I'm going to make one of these into a big painting.

Creative Weekend

And it's only Saturday!

Took these two photos at my aunt's house. It was only 20 degrees out with a crazy wind chill but it was worth it. The shadows on the pond looked amazing and the snow was sparkling in the sunlight.

These are the hearts I hammered out of aluminum and brass sheets. I am going to be selling my jewelry and photography at The Crofoot in Pontiac on Feb. 13th. Should be a crazy night! There will be live bands, dancing, drinking, and art. I just started cutting hearts and didn't stop until I used up all my metal.

I listed this necklace on etsy. It is completely made by hand, even the jump rings.

Working at my little Ikea table.

My new dapping block. How I love it so!

Can't just use it for jewelry....I had to photograph it too.

While I was taking product shots of the necklace I took advantage of the warm sunlight and took this self portrait too.

Again, I couldn't pass up the oportunity to take a picture of the hearts all laid out in the sunshine. I listed the print in my etsy shop too. Wonder what tomorrow will bring?

Friday's Favorites 1/29 Forum Thread

Most of these chosen from a forum thread I posted last week.




1. Charging Station by tomroche $45
2. Folk Art Paper Mache Cow by brownsco $50
3. Skull and Crossbones Scrabble Tile Pendant by wickedleymodpendants $4.95
4. Sale of four 8x10 Prints by joelquiggle $30
5. Blue Glass Beads Necklace by YellowBlackbird $18
6. Auguste Rodin Print by senioritis $15 Check out this shop! They have something for everyone!
7. Scrap Wood Hand Turned Pen by LadyHudd $25
8. Got Nerd T-Shirt by SentientWorkshop $4
9. Paths of Nature Hand Painted Suitcase by sabbio
10. Valentine Garland "I Love You" by MaggieMowbray
11. Queen of Hearts ring, pendant, or brooch by dernierefrois
12. Black Swirl Necklace by CLKbyHand
13. Personalized Fancy Glass Pet Bowl by luckypups
14. Twelve Colorful Spotted Birdies by KhaliNouveau
15. Signed Fine Art Giclee Print by BelliUccelli
16. 8x12 Signed Fine Art Photography Print by EmeliaJane
17. Ink Cartridge Chandelier by boxlightbox $150
18. Against the Grain Original Ink Drawing by blcorona $200
19. 17/277 Fine Art Print by Amilka $10

New Sketches

I have been doing at least one sketch a day. I'm trying to brush up and get ready for the fashion illustration class I am taking soon. Hopefully it will run this time. It keeps getting cancelled because they don't have enough people. If you already have a grasp for the figure and want to take it further or just brush up please consider taking the class. The instructor is incredible and she is moving to NYC soon so this is the last chance to take this class.

Big lips, big hair.

This one is my fave.

Some illustrations for my "drawing on your bag" idea. I especially love the vampire lips.

And since music influences everything I do so much, check out this new video from the Yeah Yeah Yeah's "Skeletons." Totally reminds me of a photo shoot I did in a graveyard back in college.

Ecclectic Gem in Clawson

Eight-O-Eight

In Clawson there is a hidden gem: Eight-O-Eight. It is a shop filled with original artwork, handmade a-plenty, and resale treasures. Where is Clawson?! Clawson is a unique city nestled between Royal Oak and Troy which is proving to be up and coming in Oakland County. It is quickly filling up with one of a kind bars like Black Lotus where you can get beer brewed by the owner, Royal Kubu where you can eat sushi and watch crazy Karaoke, as well as cool artsy stores like Leon and Lulu's a converted roller skating rink filled with home decor, furniture, and funky gifts. And right down the street from the downtown area on 14 Mile Road closer to Crooks Rd is Eight-O-Eight...808 W. 14 Mile to be exact.

When you first walk into Eight-O-Eight you are overwhelmed by color and textures and a big bright smile from the owners, Carmen and Michelle. The front counter is filled with jewelry and accessories, most are handmade from local artists. And did I mention super affordable too?

The entire back wall is filled with women's and men's shoes as well as a great assortment of purses and bags.

And yes, you can find LilacPOP jewelry there too! Ha.

I just dropped off a bunch of knitted hats and scarves too, all very reasonably priced.

New hand knitted and crocheted hats range from only $10 to a mere $22 for one with a cute brim.

The clothes range in price as well. You can browse their half price rack and get a skirt for only $4 or you can find higher end fashion labels such as Michael Kors and Prada as well as jeans from Seven For All Mankind and Citizens of Humanity. I picked up a cute pair of skinny leg American Eagle jeans for only $8 yesterday.

And you can bring in your own gently used clothing and put them on consignment. Please call first because they only take clothing on certain days. 248-439-1798

One of my favorite parts of the store is the floor! It is completely covered with fashion magazine photos.

So if you are anywhere near 14 and Crooks make an effort to stop in. You will not be disappointed!

Andrea Despot Photographer and Giveaway

You come across a lot of talented photographers on etsy who make very beautiful images but Andrea Despot not only makes stunning images with her grasp of composition, form, and light but also with her own personal style. You won't find the ordinary portraits in her etsy shop but powerful images full of striking shapes. She is a true fine artist, who uses her camera to paint with light in striking ways. Andrea also creates amazing self portraits and has entered the prestigious "The Power of Self: an image competition" put on by Artist Wanted in New York City. It is juried by actor and art lover Steve Buscemi, director and producer Chris Weitz, curatorial assistant at the Guggenheim Museum Helen Hsu, and Flavorpill founder Sascha Lewis.

She describes herself as a shy person in her bio:

"Looking through the images of the past two years, I've found that in all of my favorites, I've hidden my face. I think this makes for an interesting self exploration. My shyness is something that I obviously realize, but to see it come out unintentionally in photographs is something that has surprised me. "

How did you get started?

"I can’t remember what made me want to start doing photography other than the fact that I’ve always loved art and I’ve always loved photographs, so I guess it was obvious that the two would meld together at some point. I bought my first camera the summer after my freshman year of high school. Three weeks after my high school graduation I attended The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale where I majored in Photography. I graduated during the summer of 2007 and I’ve been doing freelance jobs since then. I am currently working at a printing company as a photographer, though truth-be-told I am doing mostly color-correcting work at the moment."

What is your favorite creative thing to do?

"Photography is obviously my favorite creative outlet! I used to draw and paint, but it’s been a long time since I’ve done either. If you count reading and watching movies as creative activities, I’m always doing both of those!"

How long have you been doing this?

"I started doing photography in 2002 and I think even sold my first photograph that year! During high school I entered several art competitions where I sold work and won awards. I would say that, technically, I’ve been working as a professional since 2005 because that’s the year my first photography internship began and also the year I started at the Art Institute. I had several more internships during college, but I’ve been working in the field as a photographer since 2007."

What is something most people may not know about you?

"Most people know that I have always been a very quiet and shy person. What most people don’t know, other than very few close friends and family, is that once I open up I tend to be very talkative, to the point that I interrupt people because I get so excited about what I’m talking about. I can also get really loud and really silly, which can sometimes be embarrassing when I think back on it."

When did you realize that photography was your calling?

"There wasn’t an exact moment when I knew I wanted to be a photographer. I’d been photographing through high school and I loved it better than any other artistic medium I’d experienced. I always knew I would be an artist because I’d always been one, so by the time I needed to start applying to colleges I knew it would be for photography."

Who is your favorite photographer of all time?

"I absolutely do not have an all-time favorite photographer! There are way too many amazing photographers and amazing photographs for me to choose only one. I am not exaggerating or attempting to dodge the question! If you really want to know, I have a blog dedicated to all of the amazing photographs that I come across: http://www.andreadespot.blogspot.com/ "

*Giveaway*


One winner will receive a beautiful 5x7 print from Andrea Despot Photography of the image of your choice.

To Enter:
Visit AndreaDespot and leave a comment telling me your favorite item in her store. Don't forget to leave your e-mail so I can contact you if you have won.

Extra Entries: please leave one separate comment for each entry.

•follow my blog with google - 1 extra

•follow me on twitter (lilacpop)-1 extra

•become a fan of LilacPOP on Facebook - 1 extra (and there will be a random giveaway when my facebook page hits 200 fans--you will be automatically entered)

•tweet this giveaway and post the link in your comment- (may do this daily) 1 extra/day
Copy and paste below:
I just entered to win a 5x7 print @lilacpop http://lilacpop.blogspot.com/

•favor me on technorati , stumble upon or any other social networking site- 1 extra

•Put a link to my blog on your blog - 2 extra

•blog about this giveaway - 3 extra

•buy a product from AndreaDespot - 5 extra


Contest will run for 2 weeks. Ends at Midnight on the night of February 9, 2010. Open to All Countries. Winner will be chosen by online random generator. Winner will be notified by e-mail on February 10, 2010 and will have 3 days to reply or another winner will be chosen.