beetlegrass

Things Purchased in the Past Week

Had a niece visiting me last week, so we traipsed all over Providence: seeing the sites; experiencing the shops; feeling the rain. :-)
Here are some of the things I came away with...

This swivel chair ($13), part of the Designer Chair series from reac JAPAN, was purchased at The Curatorium, a great shop on Wickenden Street that I've mentioned before.
Wanted to show you Fabriczio (who loves all things designer-y) sitting in the chair to show scale.
I think I really really really need to get some more chairs. They are soooooo cute!!!

Little rubber elephant (50 cents) was another purchase at The Curatorium. 
Now he has found a buddy in a plastic elephant I have. Big Elephant helps Little Elephant see over the crowds at the parade.

Above, left: Stickers by Bob's Your Uncle; got 'em at The Curatorium.
Above, right: Red drafting tape (was in dire need), purchased at The RISD Store.
My alumni discount applies. Does yours?

Two hackey sacks ($1.50/pc.), cut up for my own nefarious purposes. (No, I didn't buy them this way.)
Purchased at OOP! on Westminster Street.

Movie ticket to JUNO; seen twice in two weeks.
It's really really rare that I'll see a movie twice in a theater, but this one is so worth it.
The writing; the acting; the animation sequence; the music: go see it. Really great.
Also saw: Atonement, and, while beautiful to look at, I'm not really getting all the hype.
Just felt kinda empty.

The above book, NOT purchased but rather was hand-bound by my niece and given to me. Nice!

Click on images to see them larger.
Images are © Megan E. Jeffery, 2008.
Finger puppet's concept, design, name, and image are the property of Megan E. Jeffery.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Booty Call

Santa saw fit to pay me another visit this year, even though some would say that I have been Nothing But Naughty.
Fortunately for me, my Santa is fairly lenient with me as regards behavior.
Without further ado, here's the bounty of treasures that was bestowed upon me:

Above: A sock giraffe! Asked my sister what I should name him, and, after a moment's consideration, the answer came back, "Nehi." Heeheehee... I said, "Nehi needs a necktie!", so of course, there needs to be a kids' book entitled, Nehi's Neckties, wouldn't you agree?

Awesome pail, more pix below...
Too-cute Ladybug racers, more pix below...

Wooden zwieback, so funny. Toast seems to be becoming a theme in my work right now. Guess I'll have to ride that wave for awhile.

A Box O Fun! Nehi's maracas are just ONE of the treats (out of 25!) that were inside. I will save the others (each individually wrapped) for dinner parties, etc.

Above: Ladybug races often bring out the worst in their participants.

Above: Zapp welcomes the Robot Pail into the fold. The inside of the pail is cool, too, with stars and a moon and the earth at the bottom.

Above: Robot puzzles (contains 3!) and miniature toys which I can't wait to use in future photos!

Above: Close-up of the miniatures.

Above: Stuff for the home and for the home office... Chopstick holders, Hello Kitty chipboard pieces (for scrap-booking or what-have-you), Lego coasters (perfect colors for my dining room), notebook paper reinforcements in funky colors/patterns, Santa Post-it notes, stickers, and Tiki pencil toppers!

Above: Fun crafty things: stickers & elastic & sequins & ribbon & postage stamps & a funny head pen.
(The Inanimate stickers are to put on items around your home to turn them into 'friends'. I'll follow up with photos on how I use these, don't worry.)

Above: A close-up of the Polish postage stamp featuring finger puppets! So cute. Love the blue hand on the left.

Above: Ways I can entertain myself... a movie, a homemade CD of Christmas music, and a reprint of a 1940s book, called How to Get Along with Boys. It may be too late for this book to have any good effect. Here's an excerpt:

"Dates" rarely happen. You must first meet a man and manage to impress him sufficiently to be asked. Then, if you like, you may affect surprise.

Do not neglect your girl friends; some of them have brothers; or their boyfriends have friends. In the normal social activities of a group, you may meet someone you like.

If you live in a small town where the eligible males are numbered and it is impossible to meet other men, you might prevail upon your family to move to a larger city. It is not advisable to consider moving to improve your marital opportunities unless you have family there or at least obtain your parents' consent and approval.

Also: A lip balm and some ham & egg bandages will see to my health care needs for the next year.

Above: More books to read! Hooray! All comedic memoirs, too, even better...

Above: Chocolates & Gum!
(Notice how I've cropped the cookie box and the blue bag of Kisses... Yeah, they've been opened and are being eaten...)

Above: Close-up of the gum with quite possibly the best. name. ever.
I'm almost afraid to chew it, I mean: look at those sad eyes! How do I dare?!?

Above: 3 tags that were on the gifts -- Santa is a right artsy old elf...

Singing in my Elvis voice: Merry Christmas, Santa, sure did treat me nice...

Click on images to see them larger.

These images are © Megan E. Jeffery, 2007.
The concept/design/image of the robot finger puppet is the property of Megan E. Jeffery.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Your Portrait in Roving.

Made a custom-designed finger puppet for a Christmas present. It's based on a character that the intended recipient has developed and performs as.
Her character's first name is Gladys, but for this MINIature version, I've gone with "Minnie", short for Minerva. Click on the images to see them slightly larger.

Max is a mumbler because his tail is always in his mouf. So he's not always intelligible.
Minnie's glasses are a flea market find --  a doll's (Barbie or the like) pair that I added fake rhinestones to.
The fact that I'm willing to let these glasses go should be proof of my love.
I stitched around Minnie's formidable boozum to give it extra definition.

Minnie's pillbox hat was made from a felted wool ball, wool felt, and some black netting. Did a Google image search on pillbox hats so I could do this teeny version. Details are important when making a character.

I don't know if the REAL character says the above, but since it was something that I grew up hearing, thought I'd cram the words in Minerva's mouth.
Dressing table and stool are from my childhood doll house.
You can see my arm in the reflection. I'm wearing a black sweater. :-)

Above: TV and phone are from my childhood collection of doll house stuff.

Above: An update on an old fave. Wallpaper and floor paper I've had since elementary school. Never used the wallpaper because I wanted to "save it for something special". Now that 30 years have passed, it might be time...
The cupboard is one of those cheap wooden ones you can get from the craft store. I blasted this one with spray paint for some other project.

Above, left: Here's the backside of Minnie ("Not my best side, you know! I'm afraid you'll have to use your wide angle lens, Honey"), showing the "pearl" buttons down the back of her dress.
The recipient of this puppet spun the yarn that I used to make the hair; thought it'd be cute to "give it back" to her in a different format.
The bun is a couched felted wool ball, and am so pleased with the way it came out!
The real character wears chopsticks in her bun, so I tried to replicate that by using sequin pins that I blackened with a Sharpie marker.

Above, right: This is how I'm going to package her, along with a little hang-tag.
I JUST HAPPENED TO HAVE this clear plastic pocketbook, and it is so perfect I could just squeal!
(In fact, I did.)
I don't even remember where/when I got it. Maybe someone housed a present to me in it?
Regardless: It's for moments like these that I never. throw. anything. away.

The concept/design of this puppet and its images are the property of Megan E. Jeffery, © 2007.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

RISD Alumni Holiday Art Sale

Here are some pix of 'my side' of Ginny's & my booth at yesterday's art sale!
The show was well-attended, and, as ever, a good place to view trends in clothing, hairstyles, and glasses' frames!

We didn't have as much space as last year's show, which was probably a blessing in disguise.
In other words: we left all of our furniture at home.
With the exception of Ginny's demi-lune table (love that word; I try to use it as much as possible), which became the 'stage' for my stuff. Came up with a title for a children's book called The Forgiving Skirt, due to all the stuff we shoved under this table that didn't show to the general populace due to the... forgiving skirt...
1 elf & all 3 snow bunnies sold.

Here you can see some of the junk I've collected from the flea market over the months.
It all gets used.
3 cows, a fly, and a Polar bear sold.

All of the penguins sold, and 3/4 of the Elepherinas (Ginny's word) went, too. I had made 4 more after the original 2 sold. (Little girls -- and one middle-aged man -- dig on pink)

The right-hand side in more detail, and the Aliens in the way they've been displayed in my home.
The eyeball ring is something I've always sworn I'd wear on my left hand if/when I ever get married to crack up my Husband-To-Be at the last minute when we're up at the altar.
(Act surprised if you're reading this and you're my intended.)
Sold 1 alien and 4 robots, and 3 reindeer.

Friends were kind enough to come out to the show & stop by to say "howdy''.
I still feel like a newcomer to this area, but now when I do something RISD-oriented, I like KNOW PEOPLE. Or recognize them enough to say, "Hey!"
Am greeted with hugs and kisses on the cheek now.
It's kinda funny. And really nice.

OK, enough emotion.

Some comments during the day:

• "I got it for $10 in Zanzibar!"
• "You eeediot! That's not a zit-- it really IS a third eye!!!"

A funny conversation:

Me, to a smile-y Guy: Hi, how are you?
Smile-y Guy: Fantastic!
Me: "Fantastic"? Wow, that's sayin' something!
Guy: Well, to tell you the truth, I'm hungover... and I really like your work!
Me, laughing: Do you like my work BECAUSE you're hungover, or in spite of the fact?
And maybe I shouldn't laugh this loud, seeing as how you're hungover and all!
Guy: No, I really like it! And, you see, our son took us out last night...
Me: Oh, sure, blame it on your son!
Guy: And he got us this (alcoholic beverage)-- Ugh! I feel like I'm back in college!
Me: OK, well, I'll hold your hair back if you have to vomit!

Set-up & Break-down went sooo much easier this year than last, because we had a guy helping us with the schlepping. No Icy/Hot or BenGay this year.
We treated ourselves to Chinese food, then home to collapse in front of the TV with chock-lit cake.
Thanks for another great weekend, Ginny!

The copyrights for the artwork shown in these photos are the property of the respective artists.
All rights reserved.
These photographic images are © Megan E. Jeffery, 2007.

Won't You Guide My Finger Tonight?

These reindeer finger puppets will be available for purchase at the RISD Alumni Holiday Art Sale, which is THIS Saturday, December 8th, 10am - 5pm, at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence.
Click on the link for details & directions.
I'll be at Booth #416 with Ginny Joyner, who will have framed & unframed prints of her beautiful watercolors for sale.

I made all these puppets Rudolphs because I figured no one would buy a black-nosed reindeer if given the option of sparkly RED.
The gingerbread houses are from the Martha Stewart line found in Michael's Craft stores.
They're supposed to be favor boxes, but: nahhhhhh, that ain't happening here.
The trees are from Plan Toys, courtesy of my Own... Personal... Santa...

Had fun with my sister Jane coming up with the snippets of conversation seen above.
Some of these are universal to any family; others are highly specific to our own "family of origin".
Click on image to see it larger.

Got the idea for the above scenario from the last craft show I did, where the majority of people were calling my Gnome "Santa". I thought the 'G' might have tipped them off, but: no.
So many people to teach; so little time.

The concept/design of these puppets and their images are the property of Megan E. Jeffery, © 2007.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Flashback Friday (various years): Artistic Influences: Jane

Jane, whom I've mentioned so many times in this blog that she PROBABLY should have her own category, is my eldest sibling, and one of the reasons I'm an illustrator is due to her influence and encouragement.

Growing up, it seemed that Jane (eight years my senior) was always doing something utterly fascinating and vaguely mysterious. She was was always reading or drawing or writing in her so-funny journal. Who in their right mind wouldn't want to pursue these activities too?

Thought I'd show early Jane-arific influences for today's episode of Flashback Friday.

Above: "Jane was here" written by me, year: 1974; I'm 9. "Ta-Da" with musical notes written by Jane; she's 17. Jane was the one who gave these mice that I liked to draw the name: "Chubby-faced mice". Her mouse is obviously much more masterful.

Above: (Still 1974) Secrets revealed -- one of my nicknames is Megum. Well, actually, it's a longer nickname than that. I still get phone calls that, when I pick up and say hello, I'm greeted with, "Is this Tiny Baby Megum?"
Why, yes it is.
(And, P.S.? I'm 42.)
Anyway: Jane's birdy and my two attempts, my second one looking like I was "trying to make it my own".
Jane's characters had eyes that looked like 6s, and her people's hands had index fingers that poked out further than the others. I liked to imitate that in my drawings.

Above: Still 1974 -- Jane has always liked owls, so above are my copycat drawings.

Above: More of our combined drawings -- still 1974 here.
1. Jane's leg movements
2. My attempt to get the same feeling in different configuration

Other Jane influences: the words 'brown' and 'stinky" used in close proximity.

Jane has always had a penchant and a knack for naming things.
When we go to museums together, she'll inform me at the outset, "I'm in charge of naming things."
When looking at paintings, she'll sum them up, and then bequeath them with a title.
Nine times out of ten, she'll be right on the money with what their God-given title is.
And the tenth time? Well, the tenth time is not fit for publication...

Above: 1977-- A page in my sketchbook that has been embellished with Jane's characters and their funny titles. Click on image to see larger.

Above: Here's my favorite of the bunch. Love his nose and his inexplicable birdy legs.

Above: Same sketchbook, opposite page, 1977, I'm 12. A page of characters conceived by Jane. that I've then illustrated. I like how I've made a note of 'who did what' at the top of the page. E'er mindful of intellectual property am I.   

On several occasions, Jane and I have worked collaboratively...

Above: Here is one of projects, done in 1978-ish; I'm 13-ish, Jane's 21-ish.
Walter Drake had flyers and inserts that came with the Sunday paper. The products always looked cheap and were begging to be satirized, so that's what we did.

I did the cover, done in the style that was so popular with Junior High students at that time: rubbing off parts of a printed photograph with a combination of SPIT and a PENCIL ERASER. You'd then go back in (after the spit had dried) with a marker and change the pupils, etc.

During this phase in our household, our mother was heard to exclaim in Utter Frustration & Defeat,
"Just ONCE I'd like to see Brooke Shields without her two front teeth blackened out!"

Above: Here, with my pedestrian layout skills and sloppy handwriting, are just TWO of the products that we lampooned.
There are more that we did, but this blog is attached to my professional website, and we don't want to get the religious clientele in a tizzy.
These were ACTUAL IMAGES in the Walter Drake flyers; how could we not change them???

A note: Jane's sense of humor was much more sophisticated than mine, so her gags were actually funny, while mine just wanted to be.
So, yeah, my blurb is the Popsicle Maker, and hers is The Space-Age Booger Grabber, which eliminated the need for "old-fashioned fingernails". Man, I love that.
This is what I can't believe about this photo: the motion lines are THEIRS!

Jane is a great one for bouncing ideas off of; for getting feedback on a project; for helping to make a joke more sharp; for hearing about a new artist/method/material; and for being a supplier of art stuff over the years.
Thanks, Zany!

Inspired by the Familiar: Li'l C

This little guy was inspired by my brother Craig. Growing up, he and my other brother were HUGE fans of the Cincinnati Reds, so they had "Rally 'Round the Reds!" bumper stickers and other Reds memorabilia in their room. Their love of this team is probably the ONLY reason I know that Pete Rose used to play for the Reds.

I did this drawing in colored pencils and oil pastels and scanned it into Photoshop, monkeyed around with the color a bit, then set it to 'Multiply'. There is also a layer in here that has a piece of scanned cardboard on it. My original drawing was done in my sketchbook which has white pages, and sometimes you want a little color & texture.

 

 
 

I thought it'd be fun to show the different Distort filters I made Li'l C endure:

1. Pinch Filter
2. Spherize Filter
3. Spherize Filter
4. Spherize Filter

They look like his reflections in a Fun House mirror.

These images are © Megan E. Jeffery, 2007, and may not be used without obtaining written consent FIRST.

Halloween High: Z is for Zombie & Zweater

This is Rob. Rob the Zombie. Ha-ha.

I was talking to my sister Jane one night recently, telling her I wanted to make a 'Z' is for Zombie finger puppet.
She made a good suggestion of, "His brain could be coming out of his head!"
I was like, "Yay, I can use the same pink wool balls that I use to make cows' udders and mouths!"
(And the way it came out, it looks like a "Brain Beanie"-- see the little string thing sticking out of the top?)

Jane went on to suggest, "And you can have him smiling with his mouth stitched closed."
Then she said, "Just because you're The Undead, doesn't mean you have to be The Unhappy!", which had me howling (like a werewolf) while I hunted for a pen and a scrap o'paper to capture the cleverness that IS Jane.
So the joke of this card is © Jane Jeffery, 2007.

Speaking of HAPPY, it is by total HAPPY accident that Rob is bent over like Igor from Young Frankenstein. I didn't even THINK of this body posture, and only discovered it when photographing him.

Photo above to show the 'true colors' (shining through) of Rob, to show off his Zweater, and to show you his other icky eye. (Eyes are glow-in-the-dark. Naturally.)
In the first photo, I made the blue swirly background paper look pink in Photoshop by going to: Image>Adjustment>Replace Color.
I "eyedropper"ed on one of the blues, and then used the sliders in Hue, Saturation, and Lightness to get the desired effect of BRAINS... BRAINS... BRAINS... and which also gave his face a sickly greenish pallor.

The design of this puppet and its image are the property of Megan E. Jeffery.
This image is copyrighted and may not be used without obtaining written consent FIRST.

Dance, Little Monkeys, Dance

I love this Arby's commercial featuring Irish step-dancing chimpanzees. (I think they're doing the hornpipe.)
I used to 'Irish', so can totally agree with the chimps: this music always makes me want to dance, too.
Pavlovian response.
I was never this hairy, though.
I think.

After a recent (public) dancing 'experience', I was telling my sister that Irish step-dancing has ruined my 'other' dancing life.

She asked why, and I told her, "I can't move my arms!"
She said, "Let me guess... they have to stay down by your sides?"
Me: Yes...
Sister: And your hands have to stay slightly curled, as though cupping small rocks?
Me: Yes!!!

Something tells me that dancing to Timbaland requires a different body posture.

Flashback Friday (1974 or 5): Doodles That Delight

I doodled this for my sister Jane back when I was 9 or 10 years old and she was a senior in high school, and she has kept it all this time. (Awww, sweetness.)
She says that whenever she runs across it, it makes her laugh.
(It's a service I provide down thru the ages.)
For the longest time, she would describe it to me, and I had no memory of it, so she recently scanned and jpegged it to me.
I'm thinking with a little revision, it COULD become my new logo!