JOANNA MULDER ILLUSTRATION

JOANNAMULDER.COM RE-MIX!!

2011-02-21T12:51:00.008-05:00

Hello devoted followers! (...is this thing on?)

Just a little quickie to announce the TOTAL REVAMP of my illustration site,
www. joannamulder.com. There is definitely no rest for the wicked and/or the strongly motivated! I’ve given the site an extreme makeover, and I must say, I am quite pleased with the overall results. Here you can see a sampling of my professional work, and how it’s applied! So come on over and give it a looksee!

"I FEEL YUCKY-The Candy Colored Nightmare"

2011-02-21T11:39:00.003-05:00

Greetings Joannarchists!

I have some very exciting news involving the art series I have been working on every waking second of my life! I have been invited to have a solo show exhibition at the Gitana Rosa Gallery in Williamsburg! The work involves big, bright and often disturbing cartoonish imagery with an eye-melting color palette...almost all the work is confrontational portraiture, with the goal of making the viewer feel slightly uncomfortable, and if I may say so, YUCKY. The fact that I am able to have a solo exhibition (and gratefully so), showcasing all of the work that represents how much black tar is stirred up inside of me on a daily basis, and to have it celebrated and spotlighted is an amazing vindication. It makes me feel like I am doing something right, or at least on the right track. It reiterates how important it is to follow your dreams and passions...and how nothing should take those things away from you. And it also makes me proud of myself and my work, and don’t think there’s anything wrong with saying that. When you’re told countless times a day what’s wrong with your drawing, your composition, your graphic, your colors, your font, etc...you get used to it. There is something getting programmed inside of you to automatically assume that what you’ve done will be wrong in some shape or form. Then you get too many cooks in the kitchen, and it becomes a nightmare... A DAILY nightmare. So for once, it’s not just nice, it’s AMAZING for people to not only like your art, but like it the WAY IT IS, and respect what it is about....what a concept!!!!

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: "MUDDY"

2010-02-09T15:44:00.004-05:00

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: "FOCUSED"

2010-02-01T21:28:00.004-05:00

SAN DIEGO COMIC CON!!

2010-01-07T23:04:00.006-05:00

Yeah, this is my sweet table this year before the madness begins. I went for the "kissing booth" look, which surprisingly enough got lots of compliments. I think it was just because it lit up...

Check it out...it's Peter Mayhew! He signed one of my shirts, and bought two. What a wookie!

PILGRIM'S PROGRESS

2009-11-25T11:19:00.011-05:00

Good morning, jive turkeys!

It's a lovely Thanksgiving Eve here in NYC... Most people are out of town, which is just the way I like it! I'm not big on holidays, or holiday decorations for that matter, but walking to the train this morning, I saw one of the most brilliant window decorations I've ever seen. Why change them every few weeks when you can combine them all into one? YES! Finally, its "Skeleton Santa Holding a Gourd". Genius. (the pic isn't the greatest, but you get the idea.) It's things like this that make me happy to be alive:

Now on to business...
Joannarchy.com on Etsy sales have been steadily awesome! International sales are at an all-time high, and much like David Hasselhoff, I seem to be quite popular in Germany! I've just received a fresh batch of Android Love tees, hot off the presses, ready for BLACK FRIDAY, and the newcomer, CYBER MONDAY. (which I think is hysterical.) Get them quick if you want them for Christmas, as I will be advertising up the wazoo!! (and the shop will be on hiatus beginning Dec. 22nd. until Jan. 2nd.)

International orders ready to embark on their treacherous journey:

The TOP SECRET project is coming along nicely, and I am bursting at the seams to complete it. Thanksgiving is really usurping all of my freetime this weekend,and as usual, my projects have to take the backseat. Bah Humbug! Until I have a few solid hours to work on this baby and post pics of its completion, here is a tiny teaser... I dare say it will be DIABOLICAL!!! Mwah ha ha ha ha!!!

The Exclusive Sneak Peek:

Well, until next time!

And Happy Thanksgiving er, whatever.

THE ARTIST TEMPER TANTRUM

2009-11-11T09:53:00.006-05:00

Hello dear readers,

Today I'm going to discuss Artist Temper Tantrums and How to Control Them.

So, the afore mentioned ruined painting has now become my testing ground for various art materials, to insure that no more paint debacles occur. I've slapped all kinds of media on that unwanted orphan just to see how they interact with the canvas, as well as with various fixatives and varnishes. (since I'm using light reactive paint, it's important to choose the right varnish, with UVLs, without UVLs, blah,blah,blah...) The result? Nothing seems to be working the way I want. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Enter the Artist Temper Tantrum. It's not like a "fling yourself on the ground, kicking and screaming and crying" kind of tantrum, but it's close. You have the hopeless, "I don't want to do this anymore" feeling. It is accompanied by the, "this painting sucks anyway" feeling, as well as, "I'm not even sure this is the direction I want to go" sensation. Then you think of the other painting ideas swimming around in your noggin, and those start to look mighty dubious as well..what you're left with is an overwhelming sense of defeat. It sucks.

THE SOLUTION
Work on something else. Something manageable, and something you are confident will work. Walk away from the offending eyesore, and create something awesome to give your damaged ego a little boost. A band-aid for your art boo boo, if you will. And that's what I did. I'm not going to reveal what it was, as it's part of a larger multi-media sculpture I'm working on, and for now, it's TOP SECRET. But it turned out better than I could have hoped, and confidence was restored. The painting will be figured out, and I guess when you have to do something over again, it's a great opportunity to improve things that you might not have been satisfied with the first time around. After a good night's sleep, things definitely look better in the morning,too. No more temper tantrums. In the sage-like words of Jedi Master Yoda, "Try not, only do."

What a wise little muppet...

BLOGS IN SPACE

2009-11-10T18:56:00.001-05:00

I know this is way geeky, but I just got an app for the iphone that allows me to post and publish directly to my blog...so all that boring hangtime I have on the subway can now be utilized by typing away at my whimsical musings. The beauty part is, even though I'm miles below the earth's crust and don't get an internet signal, it automatically saves the draft, and it's ready to send when I do get one. I just thank god this application doesn't come with a "smell feature". (Like right now, this guy next to me has what I'd imagine to be a gallon of the world's WORST cologne on...bleh.)
Whoops, here's my stop! See ya! :)

FLUORESCENT GREEN NIGHTMARE...

2009-11-10T09:55:00.007-05:00

Let's talk about Golden brand fluorescent green acrylic paint for a moment. In a word, its CRAP. I used some of this awful product last night, and ended up ruining the entire painting. It's funny how you keep working it, refusing to believe that it is INDEED that crappy. Put on another layer, that'll help! But alas, it did not help...For one thing, it doesn't move nicely. Its not a particularly thick paint, which I knew, but I was thinking I could get a nice transparent layer. As you try to smooth it around, it builds up layers of chunky grossness, which just get thicker and more unmovable as you try to correct it. These areas get drastically darker, and as a result, it loses the beautiful eye burning sensation of fluorescent colors all together. Kinda defeats the purpose. Although I only used it in a small area of the peice, it was the focal point of the entire painting, which is now muddy and chunky and gross. Totally disappointing. I had used the
other fluorescent colors before, and they were okay,(fluorescent pink is a huge let down too.) so I was duped by the green. At first, I thought, maybe I'll just take this thing in a new direction, make it look chunky and distressed on purpose. But I know myself, and everytime I'd look at the finished peice, I'd curse that green paint, and myself for not starting over to achieve what I had originally intended. So that's what I'm going to do. A MASSIVE pain in the butt, but gotta get it right....stupid paint.

KING CON BROOKLYN RESULTS!

2009-11-09T14:52:00.025-05:00

My spokesmodel, Big Heath ---------*love you!*

Hi everybody!

So this weekend was King Con Brooklyn,held both days at the Brooklyn Lyceum in Park Slope. I exhibited with my dear friend G.B. Tran, as well as the unflappable Jamie Tanner, responsible for the graphic novel "The Aviary". Also appearing at our table were copies of "Rehabilitating Mr. Wiggles", written and illustrated by Neil Swaab, who was unable to attend in person.

This particular con was a bit on the small side, and I would say walkable in approximately 15 minutes. There was a nice mix, however, of different representations of the comics world, as well as some nice panels to attend.( or so I hear, I was at the table the entire time). There were also a few professionals doing signings, and the ever popular portfolio review. (a.k.a. "Hey kid, work on your anatomy.") I can honestly say this was perhaps the LEAST successful comic convention for me, as I didn't sell even ONE measly t-shirt the second day. BUT! I did have fun, and unlike many other cons, this one had BEER. Very nice. And looking on the bright side, it was still a great opportunity to network, and make new friends. I have noticed a happy spike in Etsy sales as a result, and a few new blog sites posting nice little write ups about my stuff! Here's one of them:

www.io9.com

Thanks Meredith Woerner!! That's so awesome!!

Now that the busy con weekend is behind me, I can get back to work on the various projects I have underway. There are several paintings in the works, of which I will post some pics as they are completed or perhaps a little before-and-after feature. (those are always fun.) I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that I'll win the lottery and can spend every day working on my own stuff, because as it is, there just aren't enough hours in the day to do everything I'm dreaming up...(and other stuff too, like oh, idunno, laundry?) But I know I'm not the only one in that boat. I guess that's what caffine is for. In closing, I will end with an incredibly cheesy sentiment:

I'LL SLEEP WHEN I'M DEAD.

Cheers, until next post!

COMIC CON IN BROOKLYN??

2009-10-18T12:36:00.010-04:00

Yes, that is correct folks! Coming up soon, too!
It's King Con Brooklyn, November 7th and 8th.

Official site:
King Con Brooklyn

Yours truly will be setting up shop once again, and in my own backyard, to boot! All the Joannarchy.com merch will be up for sale, and possibly even a few new items, including signed prints. I'll be exhibiting with my con partner in crime, Gia Bao Tran. Check out Mr. Tran!

http://www.gbtran.com/

Also this year, we'll be sharing the table with another talented gentleman, Jamie Tanner.
Check out Mr. Tanner!

http://www.jamietanner.com/

It's going to be a great time, and I hope to see a nice big turn out! (mostly because if it's lucrative, it'll become a regular thing.) Okay Brooklyn, show us what you got!!

Ciao,
-J

THE BOOK IS DONE!

2009-10-17T18:05:00.013-04:00

Greetings Joannarchists!

More great news! The book Burlesque Poster Design, The Art of Tease is OUT!! I was approached about a year ago to submit some of my burlesque artwork for this collected work, and have waited on bated breath for it's arrival...and it's FINALLY HERE! It's published by Korero Books, which have a really great collection of art books, relating to kustom culture, pin-ups, tiki lifestyle, rockabilly and burlesque! They are beautifully produced, and are very inspirational. I am incredibly honored to be a part of this project, and I am excited to the CORE! The book is available on Amazon.com.

And if you'd like to see it on the Korero Books website, here is the link: http://www.korerobooks.co.uk/burlesque.html

In other news, the afore mentioned painting I did for the FEED fundraiser for my friends out in San Francisco is becoming a tattoo! Apparently the proud owner liked it so much that he's getting it stamped on his body forever!
Pretty cool...

Here's the painting: (yes, it has a maribou frame)

And here is the line-art for the tattoo:

By the way, if you want a tattoo design, drop me a line...tell me what you're looking for, and I'll totally do it!

Cheers!

TOPLESS ROBOTS AND MUSCLE CARS

2009-10-17T18:04:00.013-04:00

Found another one!

Topless Robot featured my "Mustache Rides" t-shirt in
Geek Apparel of the Week! Thanks Topless Robot! If you'd
like to check out the blog, here it is:

www.toplessrobot.com

(my direct link no longer works..oh well.)

In other news, the painting I sent to "FEED the Fundraiser" in San Francisco apparently did well. I was informed that it was, quote, "The first to go." WOO HOO! I hope with all my heart it went home with a very loving owner, because, well, it was made with nothing but love....and rhinestones!

Tomorrow is one of my very favorite NYC happenings..The Rumblers show! Rockabilly goodness with all kinds of hot rods and muscle cars under the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway! I will definitely be going to that, and taking all kinds of photos...You really haven't lived until you see gigantic flames shooting out of the tailpipe of an old rusty Ford pick-up! Get your bobby socks and your greasy pompadour and let's GO!!

LOOKIE! I GOT TO SIT IN THIS SWEET LITTLE HOOPTIE!

*photo by Mike Shapiro*

Happy weekend!!

SHOP TIL YOU DROP!

2009-10-17T18:03:00.004-04:00

More places to shop!!

More exciting news, I have started up my very own Etsy shop! You can purchase all the goodies you see in the "SHOP" portion of this website, and pay with Paypal! Here it is:

http://www.joannarchy.etsy.com

And if you really like something, give it a "heart"...

Peace!

GEEK WEEK!

2009-10-17T18:01:00.004-04:00

Hello Joannarchists!

Good news! My Android Love t-shirt was mentioned on gaygamer.net... That makes me so incredibly happy!

If you'd like to see the write-up about this, check it out:
http://gaygamer.net/2009/08/fashion_fab_the_gayest_tshirt_1.html

Awesome!! Thanks guys for giving me a shout. YOU RAWK!

These shirts will be making an appearance for "Geek Week" this Saturday at the Tank Theater, during the sure-to-be
INCREDIBLE burlesque extravaganza "Video Game Vixens"!! Bonnie Voy'age will be making an appearance as Street Fighter's
*CHUN LI*, and she'll be selling my merch, some of which will be donated as raffle prizes as well!

I can't wait!

Maybe I'll see you there, cuties!

PAINTING FOR "FEED"

2009-10-17T17:49:00.005-04:00

Hello!

I just recently cleared all of my news entries, and starting fresh! So summertime is finally getting hot here in NYC, and instead of taking a beautiful vacation to some exotic locale, I'm deciding to stay here, and make some art..hooray! I'm very excited to be participating in a fundraiser for my friends Dottie Lux and Val Killmore, to raise money to develop their in-the-works
film: "*Feed*". The film is a "savory, sensual, slasher, love story" with gruesome undertones...They were approached by a producer to develop a short film into a feature length,and they need funds! So currently, I'm working on a painting to donate to their live auction, with hopes that it will actually generate some dollars for a great cause. For more information about LuxKillmore productions, check it out:

http://www.luxkillmore.com

I may post an image of the finished piece, and will let you know how much it fetches!

TTYL,
J