Banner for Select Dance

Because the Executive Director of Select Dance Academy & Performing Arts Center has been incredibly gracious to me, I thought I would try to create a new banner for her studio webpage...just for fun.

(By the way, that's my friend, Katie's silhouette.)

I sent it last night and it was well received!

What do you think? Does it make you want to take dance lessons now? 

It better. ;)

Oh, and if they decide to use it (which is entirely up to them), this is how it could look on the page:

Should I?

I need your help.

SO, I have these:

And I've been thinking about painting them with this:

Should I do it?

Before you say, "Go for it!"--You should know a little about these rose earrings.

I believe that they are vintage African ivory earrings from the 50's.

And according to eCrater they are worth $45 dollars.

But I NEVER wear them because I'm afraid that they would make my teeth look yellow. And I paid no more than $2.00 for them at a rummage sale.

 So, that's my dilemma.

What should I do?

They could even end up looking something like these marvelous earrings from Barberry & Lace

Close Ups

I am taking an art class. I've already decided that if I desire to grow as an artist, I have to get out of my comfort zone.

I have to make mistakes.

Then I've really been thinking about composition and the aesthetic behind the work.

These 3 paintings are predictable compositions. They are safe. The originals are centered within the canvas.Smack dab in the middle. I cropped them later on to attempt to make them more interesting. But can something this static ever be that interesting? They are still just paintings of a phone, a singer (Karen Carpenter), a little girl, and my Snickers. They don't really evoke any emotion (Except for the painting of my German Shepherd. I am fond of anything having to do with her, but I don't think others feel as strongly about her as I do.). I want to create artwork that is evocative. I'm not talking about the static blobs and geometric designs that hang above your Dentist's Waiting Room. 

I need to focus on goals. How can I make my paintings better? What paintings do I absolutely and whole-heartily admire?

Monet's Le dejeuner sur l'herbe

 Van Gogh's The Sower

And Edward Hopper's Sheridan Theatre

I never noticed this, but there is quite the theme between these 3 paintings for me. I'll have to strive for that commonality from here on out.

Do you see what they have in common? Care to take a guess?

Do you notice what you appreciate about a work of art?

"Dinner is served."

After months of forcing feeding a friend with tales and descriptions of Downton, I have finally succeeded in hooking her. She's 4 episodes strong into Season 1. My job is done.
How she resisted for this long, I will never know.

Seriously, who could say no to this crew?

To see this picture or  more Behind the Scene pictures from Downton Abbey on Masterpiece Classic, follow the link or visit pbs.org

In other Downton news, my copy of The World of Downton Abbey arrived Friday afternoon. I actually ran across the backyard through mounds of snow to catch the UPS man at the gate. Can I just go on the record to say it is beautifully designed and quite delicate? Have any other LaPine Design readers read it?

So, who else is counting down the minutes to the Season 2: Episode 4 premiere later tonight? Eee!

Happy Belated Chinese New Year

 I drew this dragon almost 3 years ago. The idea was proposed to a company I worked for, so that they could celebrate holidays with their clients. It would have been along the lines of what Google famously does and Yahoo famously attempts to do.

Even though our idea was rejected, it felt nice to see that yahoo may have liked it because they implemented a similar concept 3 years later.

 And here's what I drew in 2009 for Father's Day (Notice how the trade mark is also the bobber?)...

And here's Yahoo's Father's Day illustration in 2011.

Wow, do great minds think alike or what? The kid is even on the father's right side!

Is it me or are these really similar?

Left Brain , Right Brain

Fuel Your Creativity

These Mercedes ads stood out to me.  I'm so impressed with how they are done.  I love when a design for an ad is more interesting than the articles in the magazine.

Think Contra

You know how they say, if you are right handed, your strengths are harboured mainly in the left side of your brain. And if you are left handed, you should be more right brained? Well, do you think this is a myth? Mere folk lore? Or does it apply to you?

Also, did you know that if you brush your teeth using the opposite of your dominant hand, not only will you be engaging your mind, but you will probably make yourself laugh because it feels really odd.

If you are needing to remember something or are in the middle of creating something but you've reached some sort of mental block, I've read that you should write with your opposite hand for a while to free your mind.

So now, I want to hear from you!

Are you

left & right,

right & left,

left & left,

right & right,

or are you ambidextrous and equally left brained and right brained?

Downton Etsy

As I have attempted to articulate in previous posts, I am ever-so-slightly obsessed with Downton Abbey at the moment.

I may have to alter that "ever-so slightly" to "uncontrollably" now that I have composed this collection on Etsy.

Etsy is a gold mine of vintage oddities.

I guess so is the antique shop down the street, but do they allow their customers to create treasuries?!?!

Do you have an etsy account? If so, send me your link and I shall favourite it...that is as long as it isn't something with alien autopsy photographs...or spiders. I would like to sleep at night.

Also, dear Readers, do any of you have any suggestions for a future Etsy treasury?

Or perhaps you would like to discuss the latest episode of Downton? What parts stood out to you?

Ah, next Sunday feels so far away....

More From Period Film &C.

I'm enthralled, intrigued, hypnotized, and absolutely spellbound by this tumblr page.

mmorrow or period film &c

Please, go there now.

If I could only get one website on my computer--Google, I'm sorry, it would have to be this tumblr page. 

They seem to re-imagine all my favourite scenes of period films.

I'm not entirely sure if they created each picture as I was too busy saving, but I believe these images have all been posted through period film &c

Aren't these fantastic?

from Atonement

from Atonement

from Atonement

from Sherlock Holmes

from Atonement

from Bright Star

from Boardwalk Empire

from Becoming Jane

from Atonement

Nicole Kidman from an unidentified film...possibly a photo shoot.

from Inglorious Basterds -"Wait for the cream."

"Jane, of whom do you think I speak?"

from Jane Eyre (2011)

from Becoming Jane

If they are okay with me re-blogging their creations, I assure you this won't be the last time I post their stunning cinema captures...

The Downton Epidemic

I am pleased to see Dowton Abbey influencing the world around us.

This remarkable mini-series has definitely made an impact.

The attraction is unprecedented. 

Everywhere I go people are infected.
I babble on about it as if I am aquainted with all the cast members--calling them by their first names.

And it has definitely spoiled all other televisions shows for me. I'd rather watch the same episode over and over again than subject myself to the plot line of Glee or anyother show that airs for that matter. 

Why is this so?  Can it be explained?

Is it that it is precisely the perfect equation of qualities one could ever look for in a show?

A screenplay by Julian Fellowes

+ 

the edwardian era

+

exquisite costumes

+

a historical estate in England

+

an orchestral score by John Lunn

+

Maggie Smith

-

Jersey Shore, The Apprentice, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Tyra Banks, Lindsay Lohan, & especially Paris Hilton

=

The Best Show of the 21st Century

What's there not to love? But can that be all there is to it?

So, tell me, why do you think Downton is such a success?

What are your theories?

If you have not had time to view the series(coughKatieWilberPhillipscough), you can watch the 2nd season here,

Isn't it amazing to see it influence our culture? It is causing hem lines to drop. I am sure of it.

Do any other readers have symptoms of this Downton Influenza?

(Images from period films &c.) I've been obsessed with this source page for the past week. They have an incredible collection of screen shots. Forgive me if you feel over-whelmed by them.   Sincerely, Jana

Picasso at the LaPine Design Agile

"Something Picasso. He'll never amount to a thing, trust me." Billy Zane- Titanic

Rubber Chicken Theater has asked me to design another poster for them.  I am very thankful to have the opportunity to design again. Especially since the play for which I am designing for takes place during the Edwardian Era and was written by Steve Martin.

Ergo, win-win.

Having been separated from my computer for nearly 3 weeks, I have approached this project with suppressed anticipation.

Thus a new designer has immerged.

A new standard.

I think this may be my Jerry Maguire moment.

As Picasso had to leave his Blue Period in the dust, I too have moved on.  I hope.

From now on, I will only submit designs that I am proud of.  (I hope.)

Well, you may have thought, "Something had to have spawned this reaction." I'd like to think it was this poster.

It's an inspiration piece by aliakbar01 via Pirate Lawyer

I'm in a new mind set to treat posters as book covers.  What covers would I like to own editions of? I'm hoping this translates.

So to reiterate, I did not design this Atonement poster. I've only gawked at it....for days.

I knew that I wanted to represent the premise of the play which takes place in 1904 when Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso happen to meet in a Parisian Bar.

My first thought was to represent one of those mirrors with the gold filligree, but I opted to create the actual bar with a wood pattern.

Here's what I came up with:

Have any of my readers seen this show? Would you mind offering suggestions to help me progress?

Do you find my poster a rip off of the Atonement design, or do you think it is okay to use it as inspiration?

Janta's Workshop: Part 2

As I explained in Janta's Workshop: Part 1, I spent the vast majority of my December rolling magazine paper. You wouldn't think it would take so long, but if you doubt me, go ahead and try it for yourself.  I suggest having a mini-series to listen to while you roll.

While others wrapped, I rolled...

And rolled the rolls...

 And glued the rolls to frames...

 Even glued to rolls to each other...

And then I traveled through the seven layers of the candy cane forest and watched Buddy the Elf for a 2nd time in a row...because it is just that good. Then I got sick of rolling paper, so I moved on to buttons....

I was suddenly inspired to design  this frame.  It's more of a Wizard of Oz theme.  I wanted to create the ambiance of Kansas compared to Oz.  Okay, maybe the Elmer's Glue fumes were finally starting to get to me...You know, now that I think about it, I found the 2nd viewing of Elf funnier than the first.

 And this little green frame was inspired by The Forgotten Garden.

If you see anything you like, I'd gladly take orders.

I'd even personalize them, that is as long as you're not on the "naughty list."