Brooklyn Artists Gym (BAG) is an artist studio & gallery space in Gowanus, Brooklyn. They are literally down the block from me (7th street) only two avenues away, and it’s just crazy that I don’t frequent there more often. I have three Groupons for workshops at BAG that are expiring this month, so it’s time to take a walk over and get creative! Tuesday night I took Intro to Block Printing with Katerina Lanfranco (artist/instructor extraordinaire!) and had a blast getting messy with Speedball ink. My print below states exactly how I feel about it all:

First we got our concept drawings down together, transferred, and carved out the negative space from a rubber block.

We then inked and stamped at the inking stations Katerina set up for us with two-color choices, rollers, and baren.

Viola! My first rubber prints (above) along with some classmates (below).Then it was time to move onto linoleum, which was a little tougher than rubber-carving, but I liked the end result much better. Roar!

I really love the Brooklyn Artist Gym and will be going back for more workshops + a 10-session card for Figure Drawing Nights. See you there!

cell-phone photography © 2012 Andrea Sparacio (artsparrow); for more on Block Printing classes, visit Brooklyn Artist Gym & instructor Katerina Lanfranco

Check out this foxy poster I designed & illustrated for Housing Works Bookstore. Come to these fun events during Valentine’s week while supporting lifesaving services for homeless people living with HIV/AIDS. Your heart will feel better & all that soul-cleansing good stuff. See you there! ♡

illustration & design © 2012 Andrea Sparacio (artsparrow); visit Housing Works Bookstore Cafe

I’m always excited when a magazine article that I’ve illustrated a few month’s back is finally released into the wild, but this time I’m extra excited because this has been my favorite one to date! In this February/March 2012 issue of Vogue Pattern Magazine, Elaine May tackles the issue of “Fishing For Sewing Compliments, The Easy Way.” I really had so much illustrating this pretty one. Currently on newsstands, or you can check it out online here.

illustrations © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio); magazine layouts © 2011 Vogue Pattern Magazine, photography © 2011 Amy Sly

Hopefully this is the last post about being sick, but since this has been my life for nearly a month now it’s hard to escape it. I’m on the road to wellness, so I thought I would share the healing process in it’s various stages:

I tried every over-the-counter medicine to help quick-fix my bronchitis and get me to stop coughing so that I could rest. Nothing worked. The bronchitis cough is a beast with it’s own agenda and I slathered so much Vicks VapoRub on my chest that I considered just eating it straight-up with a spoon. There were so many long nights of staring into the darkness, existentializing life’s meaning, then giving into NetFlix at 3am when sleep (and not coughing) weren’t going to happen. So many rounds of antibiotics later, I can tell you the one thing that really helped the most: patience.

Speaking of medicine, remember Heroin? I visited the amazing New Orleans Pharmacy Museum back in November and they certainly remember it (not to mention live leeches) and all of Heroin’s medicinal uses. Pre-prohabition era, people rubbed it on their infant’s teething gums, dipped it on tampons tips, and suppressed those nagging coughs with lozenges and syrups. Move over Robitussin weak-sauce, let’s kick-it 19th century style!

When the fevers were high I couldn’t do much but freeze, sweat and watch movies from behind a blanket. But once I was able to sit up, making art helped distract me from ripping my lungs out (which later turned into ribs, because who knew excessive coughing could make you bust a rib muscle!?) So I made a few illustrations (see above) and drew a few comics about being sick, while throwing myself a pity-party in the process (click below to enlarge):

For more artsparrow comics, see my comics page!

When you’re a freelancer you don’t get paid for being out sick. But you also don’t have the strength to go out job hustling with a fever either so work had to take a tiny hiatus. Once I was feeling better (but still too sick to be outside) I started working on my Apartment Therapy Home Cure. The Kitchen is a source of good health (cleanliness, food & vitamins) as well as strength (energy & nutrition). If I wasn’t in a rental I would gut this kitchen with my bare hands and start completely from scratch. But I do love our Brooklyn flat and I’m determined to work with what I’ve got, cracked tiles and all. Here’s a before & work-in-progress example of my struggle to solve (or cover-up) the issues, while cleaning and softening the overall look:

 Healing of any kind always involves music. Right now I’ve been listening to The Rapture on repeat (because of TV show Misfits), but here is a song that always makes me happy no matter how crappy I feel. A Fleet Foxes original, covered by the amazing duo First Aid Kit (appropriately named). Enjoy!

photography, illustrations & comics © 2012 Andrea Sparacio (artsparrow)

I have been watching documentaries on NetFlix Instant on two of my favorite passions: food & art. I will spare you the politics of mass food production, but I will share this inspiring segment from Art City (season 1, ep. 3) “A Ruling Passion.” Sitting with Louise Bourgeois in her studio, she shows us how she draws and controls her fears. Being cooped-up and lamenting on my own, I was very moved and decided to do my own interpretation as well (above).

She starts with a circle. “This drawing that I am going to do now is stemmed from a fear. Everything is stemmed from a fear.” (Louise Bourgeois)

“So I am going to indicate my space – and I am going to put inside – what is in this space is under my control.” (Louise Bourgeois)

“I put the fear here, another one there, a bigger one here.” (Louise Bourgeois)

“Under my control, I want my fears. That means I have my fears under my belt!” (Louise Bourgeois)

I get all warm & fuzzy whenever she is on camera; something within me completely lights up. She is very inspiring to listen to and the act of drawing out your fears is very powerful (art magic!)

Speaking more on the topic of fears, the book Art & Fear (Bayles & Orland) on my bookshelf comes to mind. I keep a few art self-help books like this around when I’m working late into the wee hours and need a little boost.

The first abstract image is not the first time I have attempted to draw out my fears though. Working through some personal issues on resistance in 2009, Julianna Takacs (yoga coach extraordinaire) had me describe and physically create my fear (below) then mail it to her in an envelope. I loved the look on the postal worker’s face when she caught me “weighing” my gnarly-looking fear for postage and sending it on it’s merry way…

copyright in order of appearance: colorful circles © 2012 Andrea Sparacio (artsparrow), Louise Bourgeois photo © Annie Leibovitz, screen grabs © Art City/NetFlix, Louise Bourgeois linocut (left side) © 2009 Carri Skoczek, Art & Fear book cover © Image Continuum Press, “fear root”  © 2009 Andrea Sparacio (artsparrow)

Being down with bronchitis for weeks, I have been spending an extraordinary amount of time at home. It has given me an urge to rearrange the furniture again, as my home office/studio have been moved 2 times already (see here & here). I also eat up the Apartment Therapy blog with a spoon and spend my downtime flipping through home decor magazines and dreaming up color combinations. We have the luxury in our Brooklyn apartment to have a dining room, which I realize is just dead space since it’s hardly ever used. Time to reinvent the studio and carve out more art space! I can’t wait to get better soon so that I can dig right into this. Here are some inspiration photos (not mine) that I pulled off the web a while back. Enjoy!

© copyright note: these are not my photographs & taken from the web for inspiration. I do not have the original sources (except for the last photo on Grain Edit of Wayne Pate’s studio), but promise for better citation moving forward. In the meantime, please contact me to credit your photo. Thanks!

I have been sick for 2 weeks now, and even though the worst of it is over, I still have not fully recovered. In that stretch of time being feverish & bedridden I watched an enormous amount of NetFlix & Hulu Plus. This gave me a chance to catch-up on NBC’s dramedy Parenthood, my latest guilty pleasure. The two characters that keep me captivated are Sarah (Lauren Graham) & Amber Holt (played by the amazing Mae Whitman), and while I love all the characters (a shout-out to other dynamic mother-daughter duo Christina & Haddie Braverman), I hold a special place for Amber. I really identify with her, everything from her rebellious streak to her artistic sensitivity and teenage maturity. In Season 3, she cut & dyed her hair (causing mainstream America to have a Felicity-type reaction), but I think her new hairdo is kick-ass and brave just like her. Mae Whitman does an amazing job of capturing the many emotional dimensions of this character, and I can only hope that TV-land will have more teenagers like her in the future. For now though, I wanted to kick-start my own new series Inside the Portrait Studio with a portrait of Amber Holt…which simultaneously kick-started the creative anxiety I’ve been carrying around with me.

I have no problem working on illustrations for clients, no matter how high-profile the job, but when it comes to sitting myself down to work on art purely for myself, the anxious frustration roars like a lion. I spent two full days drawing & painting (then re-drawing & re-painting) different portraits until I was at least semi-pleased. I tried so many approaches with Amber and ended up feeling the most happy with the pen & ink (first illustration above), even though I had originally wanted a more painterly portrait.

Somewhere in the middle of trying to capture the awesomeness of Amber, I decided to take a break and dug into my inspirations folder for someone I had less attachment to. I thought this might ease the frustration and help quicken the process. Not the case.

Although this time I was not seeking to copy her face, I still struggled with how I wanted the final product to look. I repainted her face so many times that by the end of it I was most happy with 80% of the paint scraped off of her, leaving a more soft & subtle feel than I had originally started with. Now she reminds me a bit of Lizzie Caplan from Party Down. Too much TV? Maybe. But at least being sick ignited some artistic inspiration.

The truth is, I spend so much of my creative time catering to others, be it illustration, graphic design or pre-press production, that two days working through my own art hardly seems like a great defeat. I need to be less hard on myself and give more room for art-play. How good can we be to our clients if we don’t spend some personal time growing & exploring?

So I’m off to read a book that I ordered awhile ago and has been collecting quite a bit of metaphoric dust: Mastering Creative Anxiety (Eric Maisel, PhD). “This ‘creative anxiety’ can take the form of avoiding the work, declaring it not good enough, or failing to market it — and it can cripple creators for decades, even lifetimes. But Maisel has learned what sets successful creators apart. He shares these strategies here, including artist-specific stress management; how to work despite bruised egos, day jobs, and other inevitable frustrations; and what not to do to deal with anxiety. Implementing these 24 lessons replaces the pain of not creating with the profound rewards of free artistic self-expression.” -Amazon

photography & illustrations © 2012 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio), except for Mastering Creative Anxiety book covers (© 2011 New World Library)

I missed the boat on The Sketchbook Project 2011 tour last year and this year I am getting scarily close to missing it once again (paying gigs have taken precedent). But instead of resolutions in 2012, I am in the process of developing better habits and sketching for fun is one of them. The deadline is January 31, the paper is higher quality, and the pages are fewer (an actual time-saver!) This year I chose the theme “I Remember You” and plan to post a few pages as I go.

Speaking of sketching, I was an Assistant Stylist for a Corbis photo shoot back in October, and the head Stylist Christina Ruiz sent me this lovely pencil holder along with art supplies in gratitude for helping her out with the shoot and other art projects. Thanks so much, Christina! I feel like this bold type is just the kick in the butt I needed. (What it’s really saying is sketch, DAMMIT!!!)

Am I the only one who finds the paint scraps a work of art themselves? They create this lovely unexpected pattern while you are not thinking about filling in the lines, just color testing, and lost in the right part of your brain. They are so darn pretty. Come share your creative messes too! I would love to see others.

I can’t post it in full just yet, but the next Sewing Therapy illustration (above) for Vogue Pattern Magazine is my favorite one to date. I am totally ecstatic over how this one turned out and can’t wait to do some more just like it. Illustrating a column makes me feel a little like an art-version of Carrie Bradshaw. Maybe I should start buying nicer shoes.

A new year means a new planner, and I have a secret that I’ve been keeping for a long time now: I am a total planner dork. Yes, I still use paper even though I have a smartphone, and I would be lying if I told you I wasn’t professionally surveyed once inside of Staples when I was caught perusing the paper planners in this digital age. But I just love them oh-so-much. I like the feeling of pen to paper, crossing things out, mindlessly doodling, and having ample room to not be rigid inside of something already seemingly rigid (like a schedule). I thought I had seem them all, but when I found the Leuchtturm1917 on the blog of a fellow planner enthusiast (a politer way of saying dork), I was on a quest to find the USA version of these amazingly designed German notebooks (check our Laurie’s Leuchtturm blog post here). Luckily, Amazon also has 2012 in stock and they offer free shipping…weeeee! (I know, I know, total dork out).

Lastly, I am most excited about some new projects that I’m working on this year! One is wrapping up an animated open for a new DIY show on MTV, another is an upcoming gig with HGTV. Maybe 2012 is the year I return to my television roots? My friend Keith did lovingly refer to 2012 as “The Year of the Sparrow” so we shall see how it all unfolds. Happy New Year to Everyone & May All Your 2012 Wishes Come True! xo, Andrea (artsparrow)

photography & sketches © 2012 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio), except for Leuchtturm1917 notebooks; my sewing illustration was photographed © 2011 Amy Sly

I just saw this great post from Grace Bonney on Design*Sponge: Current Obsessions: Navy Blue and Red. It reminded me of my own post a while ago (from my old blog foodsparrow) and it was one of my very favorite posts!

Here is the old post (2010); it’s spirit reincarnated:

I saw this awesome jacket in The Look Book style section of New York Magazine (2/7/10). There was no mention of her jacket in the interview or footnotes, and even after some Googling around the web I still couldn’t find it. Some time later, I hit the vintage shops with a subconscious lust for red & blue:

Scarf from Odd Twin $22; skirt from Beacon’s Closet $11.95; striped shirt from a neighborhood stoop sale in Brooklyn $3.

While not finding the exact jacket, I found my craving satiated by these other red & blue accessories. You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes…

Design*Sponge (2012):

photography: photo 1 © 2010 New York Magazine, photo 2 © 2010 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio), photo 3 © 2012 Design*Sponge

…these are a few of my favorite things! I received several messages from friends to get to Bergdorf Goodman right away to see the Holiday Windows; those who know me know that I love animal art & often put animal heads on human bodies any chance I get (like the illustration from my business card below). Bergdorf’s windows this year are a fantastic animal-head wonderland!! I’m so glad I caught them while they were still up, even if I had to fight the massive day-after-Christmas crowd to grab a few snapshots.

For another winter treat, here are Fleet Foxes: White Winter Hymnal. xo, Happy Holidays. For more Bergdorf Goodman Holiday Window photos, see “Carnival of the Animals” on their website here & here!

photography & bird head illustrations © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio)

By the time the holidays roll around, I usually don’t know what material possessions to ask for. There are so many things I want and yet most of them seem intangible things I must do for myself. For starters, I need the gift of time! Endless hours getting lost in making art, making messes, being creative, learning programs and new techniques. Can busy New Yorkers ask for more time? We don’t play enough and over-schedule every inch of our lives. Other materials I want are usually for my art career (I know, I’m obsessed) and things I will never ask of others because they’re for my own business. I did create this style board of office supplies I plan on purchasing over the next year (although the wolf pillow is just a reminder to make more animal-themed crafts.) Have a Creative & Happy Holiday! xo Andrea.

mail & paper sorter cube, faux-leather camera bag, studio designs oak wing table, Nikon lenses, Ross Menuez pillows, Crate & Barrel industrial stool, Print Workshop by Christine Schmidt, Blitz Translucent Drawing Board

photos & style boards © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio)

This time last year I began illustrating a bi-monthly column for Vogue Pattern Magazine called Sewing Therapy. The new Dec/Jan 2012 issue’s Sewing Therapy tagline is: “Do you suffer from Delusional Holiday Gift Sewing?” along with my full-page illustrated spread. Check it out on newsstands now! And just in time for the holidays. ♡magazine layouts © 2011 Vogue Patterns Magazine; illustrations © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio)

This past Summer I was asked by the awesome editors at Slice Magazine to participate in a comic swap with Grayhaven Comics (see previous comic teaser here). My 4-page contribution is finally out for purchase in their “Love Letters” anthology. It was an awesome challenge for me to tackle the issue’s theme: Romance! You’re surely in for a treat.

Order your copy today; $3.75 at ComiXpress!

Comic pages © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio), The Gathering (love letters cover) © 2011 Grayhaven Comics

illustration is 1/4 © Corbis stock & 3/4 me © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio), photography © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio)

It has been 7 months since the book I illustrated The Zombie Autopsies: Secret Notebooks from the Apocalypse (Grand Central Publishing) came out, and there is already a buzz it might get picked up for the big screen. Making a zombie movie is one thing, but rumor has it that zombie legend George Romero (Night of the Living Dead) is currently writing the script! iO9 was the first to start buzzing, and my illustration was right at the top. (See article &  2-page illustration spread here). Other websites & sources have been talking about this film adaptation since then, so fingers-crossed it will truly come to fruition!

In the meantime, I was approached by the art director of Stanford Magazine to illustrate an article on 88′ alum Steven Schlozman, MD (author of Zombie Autopsies) for their November/December 2011 issue. The illustration was a full-page print, but can also be seen on the web right here. Ann Marsh, who interviewed Steven, also takes note the movie adaptation in the Stanford article:

“The most exciting part of his second career is that Romero has taken him under his wing. The director sends Schlozman old horror movies to watch and is working on a script for a film adaptation of The Zombie Autopsies. In Toronto, where Romero lives, they went to see the premiere of Survival of the Dead together. In Boston, they took in a stage production of Richard III. It was a modern interpretation in which the deformed king dispatched one victim with a chain saw. “It was an homage to every horror movie ever made,” Schlozman says. “At one point, I leaned over to George and said, ‘You know this is your fault, don’t you?’”

“Sometimes,” Romero responded ruefully, “even I want the classics to stay classic.”

Steven also had some very kind words to express towards me as the illustrator of Autopsies:

“Andrea’s exquisite attention to detail coupled with her unparalleled ability to put into drawings what I saw in my own mind’s eye made her an outstanding artistic collaborator and a potent creative force. Without her careful work, I wouldn’t have had a novel. It’s that simple.”

-Steven C. Schlozman, MD, Author of The Zombie Autopsies and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

And lastly in zombie news, I have finally given into Walking Dead. It began airing around the time I was coming to a close on the book illustrations, but I stayed away from all zombie material in hopes to bring something fresh to the book. Contrary to popular belief, I was not a previous zombie affectionado and had little experience with them, but the book brought me closer to understanding the infatuation. When I first began illustrating I originally had nightmares (due to the autopsies & graphic medical content), but recently I had a dream that I fought off the zombie apocalypse with large mural paintings. While it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense in my waking hours, I do know one thing is certain: art is always the answer. Happy drawing! -as

illustrations © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio), Stanford Magazine © 2011 Stanford University

I attended Shanghai Mermaid’s party in Brooklyn this year for Halloween, and although the theme was 1930′s, the invitation had mentioned Edward Gorey. Once I saw his name, I didn’t need to look any further! Homemade costumes are my absolute favorite, and I instantly imagined painting the children on a black skirt to represent the “tines” in this Gashlycrumb tale. While I didn’t have enough time to finish the skirt painting, the impression got across just fine. It was also blogged by my awesome new pal Rachel Fershleiser on Tumblr. Check it out at this link here.

“A is for Amy who fell down the stairs” (-1963, Gorey) A is also for Andrea & Artsparrow & all things Artistic! Which letter are you?

all photography, costume design & photo retouching © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio), except for The Gashlycrumb Tinies book cover (Amazon)

My first experience with D&D was being the little sister of a brother who didn’t let me anywhere near the game. Not only was the game itself magical with fire-breathing dragons and half-elves, but even more so as I watched in my pj’s through a tiny crack in the door hoping not to be noticed. My brother humored me a little (I am six-and-a-half years younger) by playing what he lovingly referred to as “Dungeon and Dragons,” but it was merely just hiding his 20-sided die (which I thought of as jewels) to keep me busy and out of his hair. It was more like hide-and-go-seek with sparkly things. Occasionally, my brother would wrap himself in a blanket and pretend to be a monster, but I had no real experience with what the role-playing game was actually about, nor would I find out for a long time.

Not until I began dating a nerd (or do we say “geek chic” these days?) did I learn anything about role-playing as a truly creative game, and he was really serious about it. After being begged to give it a try for over a decade, I finally budged and agreed to play at least once in my lifetime. Tim rounded us together and called it “the virgin sacrifice.” We were hand-chosen; first for never having played before, and second for something he saw in each of us as being an asset to the game.

After some squirming, giggling, and one hell of a vegetarian brunch spread (thanks gang!) we began to get into it. We made all our own characters, and I went from begrudgingly mumbling “I’m a tiefling” to exclaiming “I’M A TIEFLING!”

As the game unraveled, so did my reservations towards it. I can see the fun once you get past all that paperwork (my least favorite part). I enjoyed the fighting, the storytelling, and the united team efforts. Dare I say it, but I would play again sometime! A perfect fit for this near-Halloween rainy afternoon.

In other news: unbeknownst to me pre-game, one of our D&D guests was also author of Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure Rachel Fershleiser. The amazing coincidence is that I was designing a cover for my Gourmet Typography class at SVA on this very same book! From the moment Rachel walked through the door I knew I liked her, but when she saw my homework (ie. her name!) up on my home office cork board – it completely sealed the deal. Here’s to new friendships, BT McWizardson! ♡

Sneak peek at my book cover typography class assignment:

photography & retouching © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio)

One final D&D note: other experiences I’ve had with the game were through comedy. The It Crowd, Community, and Freak & Geeks. One of my favorite scenes of all times is when Daniel Desario (James Franco) names his character “Carlos the Dwarf.” His first experience was all too familiar!

A year ago today, some friends and I got together for the birth of “Photo Parties” at my Brooklyn apartment. We chose Twin Peaks to start with, as most of us were avid fans of the show and there were plenty of characters to choose from. Although, a year ago I was less seasoned in photography and still just learning the ropes. Now that time and experience have passed we are brewing another Photo Party (involving another awesome TV show!) and I was going to have to edit a few photos from the first shoot in order to recruit others for the next. This following shoot is going to be so much fun I can hardly contain myself, but I will keep the show a secret until we make all the props. More on that to follow.

In the meantime, press the arrow for Twin Peaks theme song & the full Twin Peaks experience. Can you guess each character below? Enjoy!

models in order of appearance: Karen Zacconi (as Audrey Horne), Andrea Sparacio (as Shelly Johnson), Tim Mucci (as FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper), Kevin Kolsh (as DEA Agent Dennis/Denise), Marie Penny (as Laura Palmer), Max Berman (as BOB)

photography, art direction & retouching © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio), all original Twin Peaks images were borrowed off the internet (and not owned by me).

I was asked by Amanda Bullock (events coordinator of Housing Works Bookstore) and Sarah Lynn Knowles (of SARAHSPY) to create an 8-foot scenic background for Storychord‘s “Around The Campfire.” I was also the featured in Issue #36 that very same week! (see illustration below) Sarah does such an amazing job of combining writing, music and art & I was so happy to be part of this.

Prepping & painting the mural the night before:

The stage setup at Housing Works:

The hosts, writers and musicians below: Amanda Bullock, Sarah Lynn Knowles, Miles Klee (audio clip), Michelle Augello-Page (audio clip), Tim Mucci (audio clip), Katie Mullins (website), and Will Stratton (website). Also, a very special thank you to Sarah for this super awesome introduction to my art & illustration! ♡ (audio clip)

My table of zombie merch: The Zombie Autopsies book, Zombie bookmarks, and free artsparrow  pencils:

And no campfire is complete without S’mores! (Thanks Kurt Christenson of Power Play for demonstrating the deliciousness factor). Housing Works Cafe: truly the best S’mores I have ever eaten in my life.

Carrying my mural home (on the subway) in two 4-foot pieces. Ah, the artist life.

illustration, photography & retouching © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio), except for s’mores photo © 2011 Amanda Bullock

Sit back & enjoy the amazing talent of these writers, artists, musicians on this specially themed night; just in time for Halloween! (art bonus: I designed & painted the scenic backdrop)

For more info, please visit the Storychord website here.

I’ve been super busy these days (as is often the case!) but this time between hustling and working freelance gigs, planning a City Hall wedding with Tim, making our own invitations from scratch (see above envelope), painting and decorating the apartment; I feel like I’ve truly earned “She’s Crafty” (Beastie Boys, only without the sexism). Play song for full effect! Color-coded books are so pretty on the eyes! I got a chance to try this out on our paperbacks (above). After wanting to paint the Living Room gray for the longest time, we finally went with Benjamin Moore’s Silver Fox (below).

I’ve had my eye on Eames chairs forever, specifically the white molded plastic backs with real wood legs. Unfortunately, as a working artist they’re still above my budget. I noticed that Overstock has a replica pair for $225.99. And while I don’t love the dark wood legs as much, they might be the most affordable option. Fixing up the office/dining room is next on my list.

Speaking of dining, sometimes the craftiest place is in my kitchen. We had an abundance of leftover stewed lentils (modified from Martha Stewart’s recipe/minus the chilies) and an intense craving for raviolis. I used Tang’s whole wheat dumpling wrappers (previously collecting freezer burn in my icebox), filled it with the leftover lentils, and whipped up a quick sauce. Viola!

The final result! Total deliciousness:

photography & retouching © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio), except for Eames chairs via Design Within Reach

If you know me, you know how much I love the Animal World. I don’t eat them, I love them aesthetically in my art, and my cat often makes an appearance on this blog and twitter. Before Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge hit the stage to talk at ABC Home & Carpet (see previous post), I had the chance to walk around the store and get inspired. I fell in love with their animal creatures (meant for kids, but they got me nonetheless). I couldn’t justify spending $80 on a stuffed fox, so I took their pictures to enjoy the design and colors of them.

I drool over this faux-fur throw every time I go into West Elm (the gray or platinum/but not the cheetah pattern), although $199 is a little steep for me on a throw blanket.

So when I found this one faux-fur blanket left at T.J.Maxx (below) for $39.99 I was ecstatic! I grasped it so tightly in the store my knuckles turned white. After my purchase, it joined the other animals at home: a bird duvet (originally from West Elm) and a vegan faux-fur pillow case from Posh Pelts (that I received as a party favor three-years ago at Woodstock’s Farm Sanctuary ThanksLiving.)

Another animal infatuation: feathers! Here is a great feather wreath, also from West Elm.

all photography © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio), except for feather wreath (West Elm)

I’ve been following Design*Sponge and Apartment Therapy for many years. I so LOVE these blogs and can’t get enough of them. So when I heard that Grace Bonney put out a new book and Apartment Therapy was hosting a Meetup where she will be talking, I jumped on it immediately. So did others, as the RSVP’s filled up so quickly that they were maxed out at 300 people. Her blog is well loved, as is her back-story, and behind many of us who love design is the hope that we too can one day live out our own entrepreneurial dreams. Having recently quit my 9-to-5 desk job and going freelance, the timing was perfect. What made the whole night even better was being hosted at ABC Home & Carpet, a store I love (and can’t afford) but still find wildly inspirational to walk around and drink it all in.

While they were setting up the stage for Grace, I took a few snapshots on my phone inside the store:

My personal favorite part is the evolution of her book cover design and final illustration by Julia Rothman. Read all about it here!

all photography © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio), except for Design*Sponge book cover (Amazon)

I was asked by the Editor of Life in Action Ian Ruder to create three technical illustrations for seated yoga poses in the magazine’s first issue (care of NSCIA and United Spinal Association). Thanks so much Ian, and best of luck with your new magazine! (Become a Facebook fan of Life in Action here). Also, here is the illustrated result in print:

In yoga news, my cat Smush’s favorite pose is Savasana (laying) and putting his dusty paws all over our yoga mats!photography & original illustration © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio), magazine cover and inside layout © 2011 Life in Action

Fall is my absolute favorite season. It is boots with skirts, sweaters, scarves, wool capes, crunchy autumn leaves and crisp October air. It is earth tones and pops of color. I greatly look forward to breaking out the tights again, and I wear every color imaginable. New York Magazine just ran a piece this week called Man vs. Tights, giving different brands a rundown on strength and durability. I ♡ tights! The brighter the better.

Speaking of October, how fitting that my Zombie Fashion gals are wearing brightly colored tights. They are dressed up & well accessorized; just in time for Halloween! Love & brains xopaint palette photography & zombie illustrations © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio), fashion at home article © 2006 Domino Magazine / Orla Kiely

Smush is sitting on my lap, purring loudly as I type this. He’s so soft that we think he deep conditions his fur while we’re out doing things. But really, he probably just sleeps (and steals my drinks).

October 4th is World Animal Day! “Encouraging people to use this special day to commemorate their love and respect for animals by doing something special to highlight the importance of animals in the world.” (read more here)photography & illustrations © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio)

Growing up I remember wanting to play with Shrinky Dinks, but my Mother didn’t like the idea of melting plastic anywhere near her bakeware. I would have to sneak off to a friend’s house to enjoy the immediate rush of doodling and shrinking, although it’s not something I did often. Since a bunch of us artists got tired of saying “let’s get together and make art” (but never actually doing it), Laura Lee rounded us all up at Bishop’s amazing loft in Bushwick to make some Shrinky Dinks. As a result, our monthly craft night named Bushcraft was born.

We got out our pens, pencils, sharpies, and scissors, slowly transforming from our usual “work mode” adult selves to giddy children as we watched in amazement through the oven window.

Everyone had a a great time letting go and getting into some creative fun. Birthdays were celebrated; cupcakes were eaten. I can’t wait to finish off my sheets and make some wearable art. Hooray for Shrinky Dinks!

all photography © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio), except for group shot by Laura Lee Gulledge

The photo below I took of Desert Island’s comics store in Williamsburg; it reminded me of one giant mass of Shrinky Dinks. (I hold a special place for Desert Island, rented next to what used to be Sicilian Bakery called Sparacino’s. Just drop the “n” and you’ve got my name!)

]]> http://blog.artsparrow.com/2011/09/shrinkydinks/feed/ 0 http://blog.artsparrow.com/2011/09/fleetfoxes/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fleetfoxes http://blog.artsparrow.com/2011/09/fleetfoxes/#comments Tue, 27 Sep 2011 17:42:50 +0000 artsparrow http://blog.artsparrow.com/?p=4622

When I saw The Walkmen & Fleet Foxes tickets go on sale back in June for this Saturday’s show at Williamsburg Waterfront, I knew I had to act fast. I love both of these bands, and it seems rare (to me) to look forward to both opener and headliner equally. What an amazing show! If you haven’t already listened, I highly recommend both these guys – especially latest albums Lisbon (Walkmen 2010) and Helplessness Blues (Fleet Foxes 2011), which could do no wrong in my opinion. Every song is simply perfection.

I played around with an illustration (above) in response to the show, and below is “Fleet Foxes” typed in Afrika RockArt F Animals1 font (still experimenting around with typography):

music poster / illustration © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio)

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I knew I made the right choice the second I walked into Ilene Strizver’s Gourmet Typography classroom at School of Visual Arts (SVA) last Tuesday. While I did not base my choice on it’s title, the food terminology originally enticed me. The truth is, it was time to face the music; as a classically trained illustrator who fell into Graphic Design, I have had working experience in television, web & print, and yet my typography skills were in need of a tune-up. I could not have picked a better instructor for this; Ilene is a fine artist who also fell into Design and created her own company called The Type Studio. Her course description spoke directly to someone like me, while her teaching style is intelligent, enthusiastic, and personable.

Typography is not only about font – it can be anything you want it to be. You can use graphic elements and pictures, forming relationships and dialog between words and images. You are communicating. This reminder stirred me beyond measure (and perhaps, with too much caffeine pulsating through my veins) I dove into my garbage and picked out banana peels, mustard bottles, and food scraps – all to communicate in my own way how much I already love this class and my excitement for the upcoming weeks.

Since the class is located in a slightly inconvenient area for me (2nd ave & 22nd), upon dismissal I ate my way up the avenues before grabbing my train back to Brooklyn. All for good cause, of course, as I already notice typography more than ever. Like in the photo below: Candle Cafe’s Peanut-Butter Chocolate Tart from Whole Foods. I love the sophisticated type treatment (while being the most amazing thing I have ever eaten). Thanks, Ilene! I think it’s already working.

Inspiration web find: Karen Cantú’s good food typography (below). Good enough to eat!

photography, retouching & typography © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio); original Camera 360 (pre-mustard pic) © 2010 Tim Mucci

When you’re trapped inside on weather watch with bottles of water and onions, what do you do? Make onion rings of course! Okay, so maybe the excessive water has nothing to do with it, but we also had an abundance of onions, bread, and a visit from Candypenny – who braved the gloomy Brooklyn streets with an armful of perishables and a smile. When she arrived we hopped right to it: rinsing, chopping, laughing. The result was pretty amazing for such simplicity. For dinner, a vegan Niçoise Salad:

For more oniony matters: after drooling over the Baked Onion Rings photos in Appetite for Reduction, we thought we’d give it a try ourselves. Unfortunately, our homemade breadcrumbs were too wet and didn’t cling to the opinions properly…but none of this stopped us from eating them all anyway. We’ll have to try making these again soon.

Also, let’s not forget: I’m the dork who wears these onion goggles: (tears no more!)

Finally, some onion pics from the previous week: caramelized peppers, onions, mushrooms, and seitan strips in my own tweaked version of this quick steak sauce.

photography & illustrations © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio)

I’m not one to make a big deal of things, especially the way the media would like me to, but I can’t discount the potential seriousness of a hurricane warning. So I am all stocked up and housebound, doing the indoor things I like best (at least until the power goes out). Aside from flashlights, candles, and tape on the windows, my survival kit includes: drawing, painting, cooking, coffee and whiskey. Not bad at all, but the hurricane hasn’t even hit Brooklyn yet. I hope no harm comes to anyone out there; be safe all!

In lighter news, this new freelance life has temporarily turned me into Susie Homemaker. I’m the best version of myself with time on my side. I reply to emails, see my friends, make art, and cook up a storm (no pun intended). I can even keep my bathroom clean. Until work picks up again, I am enjoying life’s little catch-ups. One of them being, what to do with all this leftover vegan cheese? Make nachos, of course!

ingredients: quinoa, blue corn chips, amy’s organic refried beans, homemade vegan cheese, avocado, tomatoes, lime, and salt; lowfat yogurt on the side.

First Aid Kit’s Ghost Town. Enjoy! xo

photography © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio); Get Excited and Make Things poster tweaked from original copy © Matt Jones

1. 1 1/2 water
2. 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
3. 5 tablespoons agar flakes
4. 1 cup raw unsalted cashews
5. 2 tablespoons sesame tahini
6. 1/4 cup lemon juice
7. 1 teaspoon sea salt
8. 2 tablespoons onion powder
9. 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

• Combine water and agar flakes into saucepan, bring to a boil. Simmer, stirring often, until dissolved for 5-10 minutes.
• Process/blend nuts down so they are chopped to a fine crumble or powder.
• Transfer to blender with agar liquid (be careful, it’s hot!) and all other ingredients. Blend until completely smooth.
• Pour your cheese into mold of choice (I used a 1 quart glass Pyrex bowl), and refrigerate until cheese cools and hardens.
• Flip over onto serving dish and viola! Cut and enjoy.

Just look at that beauty, sitting pretty in it’s glass dome. I’m as passionate for cooking as I am about art; the creativity, colors, and endless possibilities. (Swoon). Now, let’s move onto those Seitan Steaks!

photography © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio); recipe based loosely off Joanne Stepaniak’s The Uncheese Cookbook © 2003

I was asked by the awesome editors over at Slice Magazine to participate in a comic swap. There will be a comic from the folks who create The Gathering Comic Anthology (Grayhaven, 2011) published in the next issue of Slice, so The Gathering held a space for someone to represent Slice Magazine in return. I was really excited at the opportunity, and while I’m still sharpening my comic-making chops, it was great practice to try 4 full pages this time (as opposed to my usual 6 panel max). I’m not quite where I want to be yet, but it was still an awesome challenge for me to tackle the issue’s theme: Romance! I couldn’t be a worse person to ask, truth be told, so I wrote Romance as I know it best. You’re surely in for a treat! Order your $3.50 copy of The Gathering Volume 5: Love Letters, The Romance Issue, in September 2011. Pre-sale coming soon.

Medieval comic panel © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio), The Gathering (love letters cover) © 2011 Grayhaven Comics

Having gone freelance just last week, there is a laundry list of things I need to do to better myself as a whole. Aside from these entrepreneur disciplines, the first thing starts with eating a healthy breakfast (I hate breakfast), exercising, organizing, decorating, and working on my own art/blog. I was at a severe lack for time (not to mention sleep) on my previous schedule, but now here I sit under the bright open windows with my laptop, fresh fruit, and illustration work in hand. It took a long time to get here, and not one single thing came without years of hard work. So I’m taking it easy for a change…reveling a little in this brand new life.

photography © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio)

When the Creative Director for Vogue Pattern Magazine complimented my personal fashion sense on “color blocking,” it really got me thinking more about the term. I have always been very attracted to this style, have been doing it for years, but never knew the precise name or that it has been declared a “hot trend” for 2011. Then, lo & behold, Anthropologie’s catalog arrived on my doorstep, and now I am seriously craving those awesome green pants.Check out these pops of color from Anthropologie, Zara, and Orla Kiely.This all reminded me of my own color study that I was doing back in March on Twitter. I had a vision that I would wear one pop of color every day at the office, take a picture, and storyboard it (and man, do I love storyboarding!) This is what I had so far:

When Alyson Greenfield asked to use my Michael Cera illustration for her rap on stage at Mercury Lounge, I gladly obliged. And Tim Mucci getting to wear my life-sized drawing (on a stick) made it all the funnier!

Shane Maux, Alyson Greenfield, Tim Mucci (Michael Cera) and Zachary Timm

***************View the rest of Alyson Greenfield/Michael Cera Flickr set here!***************

photography & illustration © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio)

Come see Alyson rock out with her glockenspiel, plus a special guest & one of my illustrations – live on stage!

Last weekend in McCarren Park, I assisted Artist & Event Organizers Adam Aleksander & Laura Lee Gulledge with a live public art mural for Red Bull Creation 2011, along with Alyson Greenfield, Chris Ams, Danger Dan & many others. The theme was “Energy in Motion,” and our mural was circuit board themed. Anyone could grab a brush, object, paint, glue, glitter, drill, hammer…and join right on in. Collaborative art mural; what fun!

******************View the rest of my Red Bull Creation 2011 Flickr set here!*****************

photography © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio)

Public Mural for Red Bull Creation 2011. The theme is “Energy in Motion,” and anyone can contribute to our art mural. 4 panels, tons of brushes, supplies, crafts, and artists. Open to the public.

Tonight is: Pale Gold gouache, Badly Drawn Boy, magazine illustrating, finishing BBC shows & dreaming up my next comic.

photography © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio)

My lovely art bud Laura Lee Gulledge suggested we turn off our left-brain thinking, finger paint, and watch the whimsical Doctor Who. What a nice treat! I can’t believe I haven’t done this sooner; I will definitely get into the tempera paints next time I am stuck, over-thinking an illustration, or just need to take an art break. ☆

xo © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio)

The August/September 2011 issue of Vogue Patterns Magazine is hitting the newstand! I have illustrations on page 12, 13 (two-page spread) & 29. Ever over pack for a sewing retreat? How about a little creative bartering with friends & family for something in return? Pick up your copy today to find out more, or catch this 12-page sampler here on their website.

(Funny tidbit: Being a child of the 80′s, whenever I see suitcases & station wagons heading off on a road trip, I will forever think of Holiday Road from National Lampoon’s Vacation).

While I have yet to barter my services for culinary or housecleaning (see article below), I have traded artwork for concert tickets. My friend Saba & I recently did a trade: 1 portrait of his 2 friends (zombified), for 2 tickets to see Bill Callaghan next Monday in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Thanks, Saba!

magazine layouts © 2011 Vogue Patterns Magazine; illustrations © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio)

In my next illustration for Vogue Patterns Magazine’s column Sewing Therapy (June/July), Elaine May’s article struck the ultimate cord: do you have a hidden fabric stash? Because I have several. I thought it was my dirty little secret, but thankfully I am not alone. While friends may compliment my clutter-free household, what they don’t see are the hoards of fabric stuffed into every nook & cranny.

This was so much fun to illustrate! To read more on this, pick yourself up a copy today! Now available online & in stores.

Also, some fabrics from my own hidden stash:

(page 12) magazine layout © 2011 Vogue Patterns Magazine; illustrations & photography © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio)

They say April showers bring May flowers – but this May has been more like April in that regard. It’s been raining all week long, and for the first time today we are finally starting to see a hint of sun poking through the gray clouds.

I’ve had Tom Wait’s Rain Dogs on the brain, and it doesn’t help with today’s announcement that Rain Dogs will be revisited on a European tour by some of my favorite musicians (Tiger Lillies & St. Vincent, to name a few). Now Holland, England, Switzerland, and France are on my immediate radar. I’ve been looking for an excuse to travel anyway!

Inside a broken clock
Splashing the wine
With all the Rain Dogs
Taxi, we’d rather walk.
Huddle a doorway with the Rain Dogs
For I am a Rain Dog, too.
Oh, how we danced & we swallowed the night
For it was all ripe for dreaming
Oh, how we danced away
All of the lights
We’ve always been out of our minds.

I also made a promise to open my ETSY store this May. Although things have been crazy busy for me these days, I plan on getting a few pieces up by the end of the month. Stay tuned!

Even though gray skies can be a downer, it’s nice to work alongside rain pounding against my window (verses a nice warm Spring day when all my friends are sitting on the outside patio of a neighborhood bar). For times like these, Shirley Manson can say it best:

The video kinda goes on forever, but you get the point. I wasn’t terribly into Garbage as a whole, but I always did love Shirley Manson. I got to see her back when she was head of Angelfish and she had captured me ever since. I prefer layered & complicated over easy & breezy…even though I am greatly looking forward to frolicking in Prospect Park come Summertime.

video © Tom Waits / video © Garbage / illustrations © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio)

“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. … No artist is pleased. [There is] no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.” -Martha Graham

Martha Graham would have been 117 today; she started her dance career late (for a dancer, age 22), and died at 96. The anniversary of the late American choreographer’s birth is celebrated with this absolutely stunning Google Doodle today by Ryan Woodward. Here’s to this extraordinary woman!

***Side-note: I also couldn’t help make the visual comparison of another one of my favorite artist’s, Paula Rego’s Little Miss Muffet (1989) to Martha Graham’s dance pose.

Another fun illustration for Vogue Patterns Magazine, this time a two-page spread, plus the very funny writings of “Selfish Seamstress” Elaine May! (Side note: This is the article I was referring to in my Hue Magazine interview; I will use any excuse to sneak animals into my illustrations!) There are more articles to come, but it’s too soon to post as they have not yet been released. As soon as they hit the newsstands, I’ll let you know. ♡

layout © Vogue Pattern Magazine; illustrations © 2011 artsparrow (Andrea Sparacio)

]]> http://blog.artsparrow.com/2011/05/voguepatternsmagazine2/feed/ 1 http://blog.artsparrow.com/2011/05/comicswednesday/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=comicswednesday http://blog.artsparrow.com/2011/05/comicswednesday/#comments Wed, 04 May 2011 05:04:46 +0000 artsparrow http://blog.artsparrow.com/?p=2522

Working as a Graphic Designer by day, Illustrator by night, and drawing for myself {squeezed} someplace in between – I’ve been trying my hand at comics. While this is not new to me in the amateur sense (I grew up reading kid’s comics & drew them for friends), I have very little “real” experience drawing comics. But my brain is always seeing and storytelling in comic form, so it’s time to get it down on paper already! Join me on this new comic journey on Wednesday, as I hope to make this page one where I can scribble around, experiment, over-share, laugh, commiserate, and stylistically separate myself from the other published works I’ve done. I’m also looking forward to drawing some of your stories too! Here’s to the laughs… xo

comics © 2011 artsparrow

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When all the work was done, body references tucked away, the book finally released, and event planning complete…it could only mean one thing: TIME TO PARTY!!!

Putting aside the paints & pencils for a night, I decided to throw a big art party to celebrate my first illustrated book! Whether the reviews come back good, bad, or indifferent, we all put a lot of hard work into it; author (Steven Schlozman, MD), editor (Celia Johnson), publicist (Dana Trombley), my research partner (Tim Mucci), the Hachette Book Group team, and so many others. We had an amazing turnout; packed with people, zombie cakes, gummy brains, goodies bags, artist signings, brain eating. What an awesome party!!! Here are just a few photos (as I didn’t get to shoot any myself that night):

Starting from the top pic: 1. Andrea Sparacio (me), Bruce Marmon, 2. Andrea Sparacio & Laura Lee Gulledge 3. Tom Mallin, Andrea Sparacio & Karen Zacconi 4. Laura Lee Gulledge 5. Laura Lee Gulledge & Daniel Kramer 6. Karen Zacconi 7. Tim Mucci & Phil Gelatt 8. Andrea Sparacio 9. Jared Drace & Andrea Sparacio 10. Daniel Kramer, Kurt Christenson, Rick Lacy, Reilly Brown 11. Mini brain cakes!

Much like the zombie autopsies themselves, here is my “Dissection of a Goodie Bag:”

Thanks so much to everyone who made it out, to those who couldn’t but sent their love & support (especially Steven Schlozman & Celia Johnson!), and to the people who got creative with zombie make-up & t-shirts. Thank you, thank you, thank you so very much!!!

A special shout-out to my zombie bakers the night before. While brains are definitely not vegan, these mini-cakes sure were! Over 200 zombie cupcakes with the help of Candypenny, VeganVictuals, Emerie, and Dani. Also, cookie baker extraordinaire Tim Mucci! Thank you so much, everyone! ♡ The Zombie Autopsies also made the front page on CNN.com yesterday, and you can still find the article here; as well as this awesome trailer for the book here (with 5 of my illustrations animated by Hugo Perez!)

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Original party photos by Kurt Christenson, Laura Lee Gulledge, Tim Mucci, Danielle Fisher, Karen Zacconi. Photo retouching by artsparrow. Cupcake photos, 100 goodie bags, graphic design and all other art & photography © 2011 artsparrow.