Featured Artist :: Emily Finan Art & Illustration

This week's featured artist is Emily Finan Art & Illustration!

Senioritis: Name and location please.
Emily Finan: Emily Finan and I live just outside of Detroit, Michigan.
Senioritis: Hey Emily!

Senioritis: Can you tell us a little about yourself Emily?
Emily Finan: I'm a 20-something artist, art student, and teacher from Detroit, Michigan. I'm working on a degree in studio art as well as art education; and I spend all my free time drawing, painting, and playing with my puppy Vinnie. Lately I have been working on a series of drawings inspired by old photographs of little Victorian girls. After working with a fantastic print house I'm excited to be offering prints in my Etsy shop.
Senioritis: Very cool, what type od dog is Vinnie? Your Victorian inspired drawings are great. We especially like the way you can see the textures on the bows, clothing and accessories. It's as if a real bow is placed on the drawing, sweet work.

Senioritis: Curious George or Cat in the Hat?
Emily Finan: Book wise, Cat in the Hat. It was my absolute favorite as a toddler! Movie wise, Curious George; so much cuter than Mike Meyers in a cat costume.



Senioritis: Which words would best describe your style?
Emily Finan: Cute, Simple, Awkward, and Illustrative.

Senioritis: What's the best business tip you have ever received and who gave it to you?
Emily Finan: When I was starting to think about selling my work, my financial guru of a father told me "You'll work twice as hard as you expect, spend twice as much as you planned, and in the first year or so the best you can hope for is to break even (but you'll probably lose money.) Know this, and never give up." And he was absolutely right.
Senioritis: Excellent words of wisdom. We think it's pretty common to underestimate how much time and effort it will take to create, market, and sell our work. Sometimes the results don't show right away but we have found that if you love what you do and never give up people will start to take notice!



Senioritis: Emily, what's your favorite sport to either watch or play?
Emily Finan: Gotta love watching Detroit Red Wings hockey, and despite my lack of hand-eye coordination I really love playing badminton.
Senioritis: Wow, I haven't played badminton in ages. I always enjoy watching it in the Olympics, the athletes make you appreciate how much strategy is involved in the sport.

Senioritis: Alice in Wonderland or Charlie & the Chocolate Factory?
Emily Finan: The original Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, hands down. The movie entranced and appalled me as a child and as much as I love Johnny Depp you just can't beat Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka.
Senioritis: We would have to agree, original Charlie & the Chocolate Factory for the win!

Senioritis: Do you have a favorite quote?
Emily Finan: "Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten. Then when you hit puberty they take the crayons away and replace them with dry, uninspiring books on algebra, history, etc. Being suddenly hit years later with the 'creative bug' is just a wee voice telling you, 'I'd like my crayons back, please.'"
— Hugh MacLeod
Senioritis: Great quote. With art programs taking a back seat in many schools it seems that the crayons are being taken away at an even younger age these days.



Senioritis: If you could jump in the DeLorean and go back in time; what’s one thing you would do differently in your business Emily?
Emily Finan: If I could hop in the DeLorean I would probably pack it full of sketchbooks and go back in time and draw; draw everything I possibly could. As far as my business, I don't think I'd change a thing. It took a while, but I've finally found some sort of balance between making art and starting a business.

Senioritis: If the $100 bill needed a redesign, who would you put on it?
Emily Finan: I think it would be really cool to do away with faces on currency; or maybe do away with currency all together and trade vegetables and fire wood instead, hehe.
Senioritis: Hmm, an advocate of the barter system ;)

Senioritis: Where can we find you on the web Emily?
Emily Finan: My website, on flickr, and on Etsy.



Senioritis: The Flinstones of the Jetsons?
Emily Finan: Though I watched both shows equally, I think I would have to vote for the Flinstones. Dinosaurs are cool :)

Senioritis: Any shoutouts Emily?
Emily Finan: I'd love to say hi to my supportive family and amazing friends! You guys are the best :)

Thanks for spending some time with us Emily; your work rocks and we wish you continued success. Be sure to swing by Emily's Etsy shop to view more of her work!

And the answer is...

A little earlier we asked if anyone could guess how many prints we cut today without going over:



Well, the answer is:



We didn't get many high guesses so the winner is HeatherKingPhoto! Thanks for taking a guess Heather, your bookmark will be mailed out tomorrow ;)

Sketchbook Project :: Part 3

This marks the third week with our moleskin sketchbook; but sadly we don't have many updates to report this week.

After doing a bit of research online we were able to pick up a set of needles and wire that we plan to use when it comes time to re-bind our sketchbook:



I described what we're looking to do as far as the re-binding to a lady at the store and she basically said 'Oh, as long as you can sew a button you should be fine.' I've never sewn a button so we'll see how this one goes ;) If anyone has some sewing tips for sewing paper into a moleskin sketchbook we're all ears!

Hopefully next week we'll be able to make a bit more progress with our sketchbook.

We'll be giving a weekly update on the project here on our blog as well as posting progress photos on our Arthouse Co-op page.

If you're participating in the Sketchbook Project please let us know as we would love to follow your progress as well!

Happy Sunday ;)

Featured Artist :: Watercolors, Fine Art & Prints by Carla Lovato

This week's featured artist is Watercolors, Fine Art & Prints by Carla Lovato!

Watercolors, Fine Art & Prints by Carla Lovato - Enjoy the luscious colors and imagery of the whimsical creatures that inhabit the fantasy paintings of Carla Lovato.

Senioritis: Name and location please.
Carla Lovato: Carla Lovato, Oregon Coast.
Senioritis: Hi Carla, thanks for sitting down with us!

Senioritis: Can you tell us a little about yourself please?
Carla Lovato: I am a self-taught artist working in sculpture, watercolor and oil. I was born a Navy brat, in Hawaii, traveling most of my childhood from one coastline to the other. Long trips through the night in an old station wagon, I truly thought the moon followed me. I had never known what it meant to be “from somewhere” and learned very early, that life is about constant change.

Art always gave me comfort - a place to be “from,” perhaps this is why many of my images are about change, growth and energy. I no longer move every year, I spend time as a teacher and graphic designer. One day after many years of day-dreaming about this old derelict building, my husband and I purchased it. We fixed it up ourselves, paying as we went for all of the construction materials. We now live and work in the same building, doing what we love; creating art in a small coastal community. I recently found Etsy and it's a great way to get your artwork seen by a global community.
Senioritis: That's very interesting that you describe art as providing you with a place to be from. We have spoken to, and read about, many people who do a good amount of traveling and many have expressed similar feelings. No matter which coast or continent you may be on a blank canvas and a new sketchbook will always look the same. Art can provide consistency no matter where life may take you.

Congrats to you and your husband on breathing new life into a run-down building and doing it all on your own, that's awesome!

Senioritis: Marlon Brando: Streetcar Named Desire or the Godfather?
Carla Lovato: Streetcar Named Desire, I always depended on the kindness of others...



Senioritis: Which words would best describe your style Carla?
Carla Lovato: Colorful, Whimsical, Joyful and at times Surreal.

Senioritis: What's the best business tip you have ever received and who gave it to you?
Carla Lovato: An older gentleman who worked for SCORE (an organization that offers free help, guidance, and mentorship for small businesses) once told me:

*Be carful of what you spend on advertising - aim it at the right audience for what you sell
*Watch out for the hidden costs of doing business - insurance, fees, equipment, interest, shipping, re-stocking, supplies and utilities
I thought how can these relate to me an artist? Trust me they do.
Senioritis: SCORE is an excellent resource and those are some great tips. We think that with the advent of tools like twitter, facebook, and google adwords it has become easier for small businesses to reach their target audience on a global level; the trick still remains figuring out who that audience is ;)



Senioritis: Carla, what's your favorite sport to either watch or play?
Carla Lovato: Sport. . . hum . . . can I say Fiddle playing? Yes I know that is not a sport, but if you consider some fast fiddle licks, and dodging drunken customers while playing, it does occasionally appear to be like a sport.
Senioritis: Hmm, we were skeptical at first but if it involves dodging drunks we'll count it, not to mention the fact that it takes some athleticism to do anything this quickly.

Senioritis: Chevy Chase: Fletch or Three Amigos
Carla Lovato: Hum, how about Saturday Night Live? I loved his rendition of the clumsy president. If I had to pick one of these, it would probably be Three Amigos.

Senioritis: Carla, do you have a favorite quote?
Carla Lovato: Because our building was hit by a freak tornado while we were under construction my favorite quote is “Toto, I don’t think we are in Kansas anymore” said by Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of OZ.
Senioritis: Oh wow, there was some pretty crazy weather here in NY last week that we haven't seen in a while. Hopefully everything was ok and you didn't notice any witch's feet sticking out from under the building ;)



Senioritis: If you could jump in the DeLorean and go back in time; what’s one thing you would do differently in your business Carla?
Carla Lovato: Back in time...High School: I would hang out and work harder in math class instead of drawing cartoons on the black board for that "pity C” from the teacher. I sure could use the math now for doing taxes and bookkeeping. I lived in the art department.

Senioritis: If the $100 bill needed a redesign, who would you put on it?
Carla Lovato: I was rather fond of “Bill the Cat” from Bloom county. I think he would be fabulous, that eternal look of suprise, being stoned or run over by a car. It’s how I feel at times when I see one of those bills, especially in this economy.
Senioritis: We think Bill the Cat would work well on the $100!

Senioritis: Where can we find you on the web Carla?
Carla Lovato: My Etsy shop, and on twitter.



Senioritis: James Bond: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, or Daniel Craig?
Carla Lovato: No doubt on this one Sean Connery! Does that date me?
Senioritis: Nope, apparently the love of Mr. Connery transcends all ages!

Senioritis: Any shoutouts Carla?
Carla Lovato: I love our area here in Lincoln City Oregon! It is a great place to live and vacation: Taft Beach, Oregoncoast.org and my favorite Tavern for playing fiddle: Snug harbor Bar and Grill.

Thanks for sitting down with us and letting us know more about the person behind all of your great work. If you find yourself out on the Oregon Coast pay Carla a visit at the Once in a Blue Moon gallery where you'll find a great collection of whimsical, unique gifts & fine art!

Sketchbook Project :: Part 2

We've now had our sketchbook for one week. Let us begin by saying we have no previous sketchbook experience and our immediate reaction when we opened our moleskin was, 'Wow, this paper is pretty thin.' Well, the paper IS very thin. We tried a pen on a couple of the sketchbook pages and tore right through; so, we made our first big sketchbook decision: we are going to use thicker paper.

This first decision paved the way for our second big sketchbook decision: we will be creating our sketchbook digitally. Much of our work is currently done digitally so we figured it's only natural to carry this style over to our sketchbook. We will ultimately print out our work and have to figure out how to rebind our sketchbook (sure that will be fun).

Enough of this rambling though, this is what we accomplished this week:

Photographed a pen & pencil drawing of Jack that we had so we could get him onto the computer:



After we got Jack onto the computer we redrew him in crisp black and white:



We then gave Jack a bit of color:



That's pretty much where we're at for now but we're excited to see where this week takes us ;)

We'll be giving a weekly update on the project here on our blog as well as posting progress photos on our Arthouse Co-op page.

If you're participating in the Sketchbook Project please let us know as we would love to follow your progress as well!

Happy Sunday ;)

The Wait Is Over (and some free stuff for you)

If you've been going shirtless until now, good news, we can help you out! That's right, the wait is over. We are very excited to announce our new line of graffiti inspired Streetwise Seniors apparel & accessories. All items will be available through our Etsy shop.

All of our garments are screen printed by us using non-toxic water-based screen printing inks. Short sleeve designs are printed on American Apparel's super soft tri-blend track shirts while for hoodies we went with American Apparel's warm & comfy flex fleece zip-up. For starters we will have several designs and colors available, even some glow in the dark offerings ;)

Here's some quick shots of our new line:











Now some good news for you! To help introduce our new Streetwise Seniors line we will be including a FREE Streetwise Seniors canvas tote bag with the FIRST 5 apparel orders* placed through our Etsy shop. *Limit 1 free tote per order. No promo code necessary.

Our tote bags are made from 100% cotton 6 oz. canvas and measure 15"x16", here's a few photos:







Please visit our Etsy shop to see more of our work. Any questions about the new line or how to get a free tote don't hesitate to comment below or send us an email, info@senioritis.net.

Happy Friday!

Featured Artist :: Everybody Else

This week's featured artist is Everybody Else!

Everybody Else - Art & Cards by Melody DuVal

Senioritis: Name and location please.
Everybody Else: Melody DuVal. Goshen, IN.
Senioritis: Hi Melody!

Senioritis: Can you tell us a little about yourself please?
Everybody Else: As a kid I just couldn't draw enough. I covered all available surfaces. At first that got me into trouble, but as I got older I started getting compliments and even requests. I went to college for graphic design and, thinking I wouldn't be taken seriously otherwise, kept my doodles out of the classroom. My last semester a friend convinced me to use them for a project, the professor raved about them and told me I should be in illustration. I was flattered, but I hadn't studied illustration and didn't think I would make the cut. After college I got a job designing local advertisements, but my boss noticed my in-meeting doodles and put me to work illustrating some books we were printing. Around the same time I heard about Etsy.com and thought it would be pretty low risk to print out some of my personal art and try to sell it on there. I started with cards, because I write a lot of letters and printing my own cards was cheaper than buying them in the store. I just printed extra and posted them on etsy. I wouldn't call my art an instant hit, but I'm slowly drawing an online following.
Senioritis: I used to draw all over everything as a kid also! Unfortunately I don't draw as much as I used to. We think your work is awesome Melody, really dig your style. We're glad your friend convinced you to use your doodles for the class project ;)

Senioritis: Marlon Brando: Streetcar Named Desire or the Godfather?
Everybody Else: Streetcar Named Desire.



Senioritis: How would you describe your style Melody?
Everybody Else: Colorful, Whimsical, Bright, Innocent.

Senioritis: What's the best business tip you have ever received and who gave it to you?
Everybody Else: I've never received any tips directly, but the Etsy forums have been a great way to find information and ideas.
Senioritis: The Etsy forums are a wealth of information indeed, we learn new things all the time.



Senioritis: What would you say is your favorite sport to either watch or play Melody?
Everybody Else: I'm not a sports person, but I enjoy a good game of soccer.
Senioritis: We've never really played soccer but we always enjoy watching the World Cup.

Senioritis: Chevy Chase: Fletch or Three Amigos
Everybody Else: I've never seen either.

Senioritis: Melody, do you have a favorite quote?
Everybody Else: “Imaginary evil is romantic and varied; real evil is gloomy, monotonous, barren, boring. Imaginary good is boring; real good is always new, marvelous, intoxicating.”
- Simone Weil
Senioritis: That's a very interesting observation.



Senioritis: If you could jump in the DeLorean and go back in time; what’s one thing you would do differently in your business Melody?
Everybody Else: I'd have more work ready to sell before I opened up shop.
Senioritis: Great point Melody. We're currently looking into selling at craft shows and the like and we've had to do some serious planning about how much inventory to build up before these events.

Senioritis: If the $100 bill needed a redesign, who would you put on it?
Everybody Else: I'd let Ben keep it. As a graphic designer I know you can't get too extreme in your re-branding or you lose your identity.
Senioritis: It's all about the Benjamins. We'd say that the current $100 bill design has a pretty strong identity ;)

Senioritis: Where can we find you on the web Melody?
Everybody Else: My Etsy shop, my blog, and on flickr.
Senioritis: We're glad to hear everything worked out ok with the bronze!



Senioritis: James Bond: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, or Daniel Craig?
Everybody Else: Sean Connery
Senioritis: Just when we thought the Connery trend was changing...


Thanks for sharing some info with us Melody. We wish you continued success and hope your online following continues to grow. Please swing by Everybody Else and check out all of Melody's sweet work!

Sketchbook Project :: Part 1

This weekend we received our sketchbook for Arthouse Co-Op's 2011 Sketchbook Tour Project! For those not familiar with the project, you can read a bit more about it here.



The theme we went with was 'The Greatest Story Ever Told.' We've done a bit of brainstorming and have a few ideas to get the ball rolling ;)

We'll be giving a weekly update on the project here on our blog as well as posting progress photos on our Arthouse Co-op page.

If you're participating in the Sketchbook Project please let us know as we would love to follow your progress as well!

Happy Sunday ;)

Featured Artist :: Scarlett Design

This week's featured artist is Scarlett Design!

Scarlett Design - Nature inspired illustrations, photography, and stationery.

Senioritis: Name and location please.
Scarlett Design: Ryan McGurl, Virginia Beach.
Senioritis: Hey Ryan, thanks for sitting down with us!

Senioritis: Can you please tell us a little about yourself?
Scarlett Design: I grew up in New England, living in both northern New Hampshire and the Boston area. After high school I took some time off, before I attended both the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Boston University, for graphic design and art history.
Three years ago I moved to Virginia Beach, where I currently live with my boyfriend and our two very spoiled dogs, Chewie and Panzer.

I enjoy hiking, camping, going to the beach, art, photography, knitting, crocheting, reading, traveling, gardening, and cooking, and I'm a dork. And I love that most days my job doesn't feel like work. I consider myself fortunate to have lived in several places, and experience the unique beauty of different areas.
Senioritis: Very cool Ryan, we have a bunch of family that lives not far from Boston. That's great that you have been able to move around a bit. What type of dogs do you have?

Senioritis: Marlon Brando: Streetcar Named Desire or the Godfather?
Scarlett Design: Godfather, I've never actually seen Streetcar.



Senioritis: How would you describe your style Ryan?
Scarlett Design: Fun, Colorful, Joyful, Intelligent.

Senioritis: Ryan, what's the best business tip you have ever received and who gave it to you?
Scarlett Design: "If at first you don't succeed, try again." I'm not sure who actually created that quote, and I know it’s a bit of a cliché, but recently while watching a documentary on American history I was struck by how often people who influenced history had failed before they became a great success.
Senioritis: We read a bunch of biographies and history books and have also found that it's those who are willing to fail the most that often find the greatest levels of success. Great tip Ryan!



Senioritis: What would you say is your favorite sport to either watch or play?
Scarlett Design: Hiking.
Senioritis: Hailing from New England we were a little concerned that you were going to say watching the Red Sox ;)

Senioritis: Chevy Chase: Fletch or Three Amigos
Scarlett Design: Fletch.

Senioritis: Do you have a favorite quote Ryan?
Scarlett Design: "There is a crack in everything, that is how the light gets in" Leonard Cohen
Senioritis: Very cool, we hadn't heard that one.



Senioritis: If you could jump in the DeLorean and go back in time; what’s one thing you would do differently in your business Ryan?
Scarlett Design: Spend more time on marketing when I first started my business
Senioritis: Absolutely, it definitely takes some effort to get the word out, especially in the beginning.

Senioritis: If the $100 bill needed a redesign, who would you put on it?
Scarlett Design: John Adams, he always seemed overlooked; perhaps because he wasn't as witty as Franklin.
Senioritis: We think Mr. Adams would look great! We recently designed a tribute to John Adams; he didn't quite make it on to a $100 bill but he did get on to the front of a composition notebook ;)

Senioritis: Where can we find you on the web Ryan?
Scarlett Design: My blog, facebook, flickr, and on twitter.
Senioritis: Looks like you have quite the web presence Ryan!



Senioritis: James Bond: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, or Daniel Craig?
Scarlett Design: Not sure, it used to be Roger Moore, but I'm really liking the new ones with Daniel Craig.
Senioritis: The new Bond movies are excellent.


Thanks for sitting down with us Ryan and letting us know a bit more about the artist behind Scarlett Design!

Mark Your Calendar, Senioritis Style

What's the date of the third Thursday in March?

Well, we don't know either, but our new 2011 calendar has the answer ;)

We're very excited to unveil our Senioritis Remembers Famous Seniors 2011 Art Calendar. If you're looking for a fun, colorful, and inspirational way to keep track of 2011 we may have your answer.

You may be thinking, what's an art calendar? It's a calendar that incporporates artwork of course ;) Our art calendar goes a bit further than that though. While each design provides colorful inspiration for 28+ days, at the end of each month break out your scissors and our calendar is instantly transformed into an 8x10" ready to frame print. Decorate your office, hang them in your house, give the prints as gifts; whatever you choose is sure to be fun for all!

We started by sketching the layout and deciding which tributes to include in the calendar:



We ultimately decided on having the designs alternate between famous men and women as well as the following specs:

*Calendar measures 11x17"
*Multicolor designs printed on 80 pound cardstock paper
*Sprial bound across the top
*Hole punched for easy hanging
*Calendar can be cut down to make 13 8x10" ready to frame prints (12 months + cover)

When designing the calendar, in an attempt to keep things cost effective =), we sized our prints to fit in standard 8x10" frames which means no custom framing or matting is required (our Einstein print is shown in an 11x14" frame matted to 8x10")! We are also pleased to announce that we will be offering free worldwise shipping for our calendars ;)

Enough jibber jabber though, here's a few photos:



A slight variation on our tribute to Mr. Einstein graces the calendar's cover:



January features Amelia Earhart:



Mr. Melville helps welcome April showers:



Boris Karloff reminds us that Halloween is near:



For more detailed photos of each month's design please check out our Flickr page.

These guys are currently available in our Etsy shop ;)