Art Inspired by Music

I put out the call to my social media friends and followers once again, this time asking for music-inspired art and/or poster and album art. What I got was a rad and eclectic mix of poster designs, paintings, and photography. Check it out.

This painting is Sam Aplin's translation of Florence + the Machine's "Only if for a night" for the Secret 7" competition. © Sam Aplin Art 2012

The cover of "The Pattern Act" by M E D I A, submitted by @PunkSoda

From the "Envy" set (inspired by NIN's "Reptile"), as part of a photography series based on the 7 Deadly Sins. Shot and submitted by @AmberGhosh

A poster for Mixed Use Media & 22Thoughts in San Antonio, TX. Submitted by @PunkSoda

"Tangerine Trees and Marmalade Skies" - One of 2 lovely Beatles-inspired floral paintings submitted by Brandi Solomon.

"Sky of Blue and Sea of Green" - Beatles-inspired floral painting submitted by Brandi Solomon.

And, though this submission isn’t fine art, is certainly is creative design and would make an awesome gift for any music lover. Plus, I can’t pass up an opportunity to show off the seriously cool work my friends are doing. These coasters by Melissa Stewart at Crab Apple Designs are made from upcycled vintage sheet music.

(Click the photo for a link to the Etsy listing, where you can purchase this mega-cool coaster set.)

Next post theme in this series of curated art, just in time for Valentine’s Day: LOVE!
Send your submissions via Twitter to @JenHeartsArt.

Street Art

Hey, there! It certainly has been awhile, huh? In an attempt to resume keeping this blog current and force myself to maintain the habit of adding relevant content, a new series is born:

Each week, I’ll put out the call via Twitter (@jenheartsart) and Facebook (Jennifer Hearts Art), defining a new theme for the week. Ideally, friends and fans will then post photos for the next several days, the best of which will be compiled into a corresponding post here. Let’s call it curating a collaborative collection (I like alliteration. Duh.) of themed mobile images.

Here’s the first: STREET ART.

(I intend to call for more street art on a fairly regular basis as the number of readers and contributors grows. There’s a great deal of amazing and occasionally profound street art in Austin and beyond, and I’m itching to show it off.)

Spotted on S. Lamar by Kay Marley-Dilworth

Spotted by Greg Ackerman

Rogue poster placement, spotted by Jessie Riley

More unexpected posters, submitted by Jessie Riley

And, last but certainly most significant, Esme Barrera memorial street art:

R.I.P. Esme - spotted by Kerissa Bearce

 

If you see any notable street art, or have a topic you’d like to see curated in a future post, please send it my way via a Twitter mention or email jen@jenheartsart.com.

Movember-themed mustache painting on red rose background

On Friday, November 4, 2011, I will be getting all dressed up and going to the Movember Austin Mo-Tie Affair, where this painting will be a part of the evening’s silent auction. The cocktail party and fundraiser takes place at LIVESTRONG HQ, and benefits Movember, funding multiple men’s health organizations. To bid on this painting (among many other awesome silent auction items!), and for what is certain to be a great time, register at http://amotieaffair-eorg.eventbrite.com/.

My art contribution to the silent auction is this 12 x 12″ gallery-wrapped canvas, with red floral all-over design and a black mustache. The sides are painted as well, so the buyer doesn’t necessarily have to frame it, but I do think this painting would look sharp with a sleek black frame. One detail I couldn’t capture with a camera is the presence of pattern in some of the roses. I used other similar shades of red for a monochromatic effect, and the result is a multi-textured and visually rich painting, without the background patterns being overpowering or excessively busy.

Check out Movember Austin’s event page, where you’ll find tickets and more info about the Mo-Tie Affair and other upcoming events!

Brass Knuckles Media and Austin Details Art + Photo team up to teach Austin artists about marketing

Austin is well known for being a city where artists, designers, and musicians can thrive. Of course, to do so takes marketing skills in addition to whatever special talent you’re trying to sell.

Co-­Create (at Austin Details Art + Photo) and Brass Knuckles Media  are teaming up to present a seven-part education series on how to market and sell yourself as a creative professional. Classes start October 5, 2011, and run every Wednesday through November 16, 2011. Each class will run from 6:30-­8:30 with time to meet and greet from 6:00-­‐6:30 at the CoCreate offices located at 106 East 8th Street in Austin (just east of Congress Ave).Each installment will feature a 2-­hour hands-­on, interactive workshop on topics such as basic branding (and what it means for you), how to build a community around your work, social media marketing for busy creative professionals, how to leverage your work, and how to make and use your own videos.

This series of classes will be packed full of valuable information for anyone with a creative business — fine artists, photographers, designers, and crafters alike. At $45 per individual session, the price is great, too. You’ll finish the course armed with the know-how and skills to handle most of your marketing tasks yourself, wherein many creatives haven’t got the slightest clue and end up having no choice but to pay someone else oodles of cash to do it for them.

To view class details and register visit http://austindetailsart.com/calendar/workshops. Austin Details Art + Photo is a visual arts flex space and gallery that offers coworking and meeting space at CoCreate, with business amenities for
creative professionals; and art services, wideformat archival printing, and event rentals for visual artists, designers and photographers.

Brass Knuckles Media provides comprehensive PR & marketing strategy and implementation for socially conscious  ventures. Just like brass knuckles, they expect their clients to “leave their mark” by taking a stand, forcing conversations, and doing something to make the world a better place. Learn more by visiting www.brassknucklesmedia.com. For  questions you can contact Shennandoah Diaz, CEO and Master of Mayhem of Brass Knuckles Media, at sdiaz@brassknucklesmedia.com or at 512-551-4023.

I won’t be able to make it to every session, but certainly wish I could. I’ll be there for at least a couple of the workshops, though, soaking up the info and expertise of some of Austin’s best and brightest creative businesspeople. See you there!

New paintings at a killer presale price!

Looking for some fresh new art to spice up your home for the fall season? You are totally in luck! I have two brand new paintings in progress, both of which will be ready to deliver next week, sold separately OR as a set, available this week only at a special presale price.

Each painting is a 12″x12″ original floral piece on gallery-wrapped canvas. No frame needed, as I’ve carried the design around all sides to the very edge, although it could completely transform the feel of each piece if you do happen to have the perfect frame laying around. Once complete, these paintings will contain more detail and color variation in each petal, but will retain the same composition and vivid pop-art feel.

One is yellow, and the other red. Again, they look fabulous together, but could each make a lovely and bold statement individually. I’m offering a 25% discount for presale orders, and would recommend this option to anyone seriously considering obtaining one of these pieces. Each finished painting will cost $100, so reserving one for $75 is a steal (and ensures that no one else gets his/her grubby paws on your new art)!

 

Want one? Awesome! Email me at austinartevents@gmail.com for payment options and availability. ❤

 

EasyCanvasPrints.com makes it easy to create professional art prints on canvas

Whether you are an artist looking to print replicas of your work, or a person with a loved one for whom you’re seeking the perfect customized gift, EasyCanvasPrints.com may be your answer!

Canvas print by EasyCanvasPrints.com of an original painting by Jennifer Cunningham

Based in Austin, EasyCanvasPrints.com (brought to you by the awesome people at Build-A-Sign) offers reasonably priced printing on canvas. The process is pretty simple, too. You just need a high-resolution image of the design you wish to have printed, and that can be anything from original artwork to photos of friends or family. Through the company’s website you can complete the order and pay, then have it shipped anywhere in the country. Although this is a locally-based business, they serve customers all over.

As an artist myself, I recently tried out the canvas printing and must say I am quite impressed with the quality of the finished piece. EasyCanvasPrints.com is also very user-friendly and responsive, providing excellent customer service.  I would absolutely recommend them to any artist, photographer, or gift-seeker who wants to have a custom canvas printed locally at a great price.

For my first order, I chose a 16″ x 20″ teal version of one of my floral paintings, with gallery-wrapped edges. Check out the photo below of it hanging on the wall at Cypress Vanguard!

Canvas print by EasyCanvasPrints.com, designed by Jennifer Cunningham, and shown hanging at Cypress Vanguard with handbags by Anne Marie Beard.

Blog post about JenHeartsArt!

Ever had a chance to read a concise, informative, and flattering description of yourself from another person’s point of view? I hadn’t until very recently, and I love it! Writer Susan Lahey and I met during a Freelance Austin meeting at which I was the guest speaker, and we hit it off right away. She came to visit me at Cypress Vanguard shortly after, and THIS awesome post illustrates her (impressively accurate) grasp on what I do. Very interesting shift in perspective for me…

Here’s the url, in case that link doesn’t work in your browser- http://www.fishpondcontent.com/2011/08/pop-art-social-media-finesse-jenheart/

Love it! Thanks, Susan! ❤

RCF sneak peek: Robo Roku + This Creative Life

All week we’re revisiting some of our favorite art and craft vendors from last year’s inaugural Austin show for Renegade Craft Fair, and previewing some of the awesome new stuff they have to show this coming weekend. The list of featured artists includes lots of Etsy Austin team members, and this one is no exception. Next up in the series is Robo Roku, which will be sharing booth #161 with an equally fun new business called This Creative Life!

This will be Robo Roku‘s 5th RCF, and their 2nd Austin Renegade Craft Fair. Last year my kids and I walked away from their booth with some awesome notebooks that we’re still using. 🙂

Notebooks by Robo Roku. Photo: Number 9 Photography

The Austin-based business is the collaborative effort of designers Josh (Robo) and Renee (Roku), and was founded in 2006. Their RCF offerings this year will include some of the familiar character illustrations and products we love, as well as some exciting new items, including prints from their Tofu Who collection. Limited edition prints will be available of the last 2 Doctors, and you’ll be able to sign up for the Robo Roku mailing list while you’re there so you won’t miss the announcements when new Tofu Who characters are released!

Alongside the Robo Roku booth you’ll find This Creative Life, a solo endeavor wherein Renee makes uncommon art and illustrations. Available at RCF this year will be encaustic and acrylic paintings, screen-printed polo shirts, and accessories ranging from found object rings to original laser-etched wooden brooches and necklaces.

Here are a few examples of the cute, handmade goods you’ll find at the TCL booth:

embroidered dandelion painting, This Creative Life

mix tape screen printed polo, This Creative Life

laser-etched wooden tile brooches and necklaces, This Creative Life

In addition to the polo shirts, the mix tape design will also be available in a variety of colors on paintings. No shortage of fun, functional, creative items in this corner of the craft fair!

We can’t wait to see what other surprises Robo Roku and This Creative Life will have this weekend. Of course, there will be pics and info following the event (on the Jennifer Hearts Art public Facebook page), but you’ll have to check it out in person to get your hands on some cool of the craft goodies for sale. You can also follow @RoboRoku and @CreativeLifeATX on Twitter to get first dibs on announcements and event info.

Holiday shopping special – Kalei Doscope Aromacare, wearable art at Armadillo – Austin wearable art | Examiner.com

Holiday shopping special – Kalei Doscope Aromacare, wearable art at Armadillo – Austin wearable art | Examiner.com.

Check out the article I posted about Chantell Champlain‘s business, Kalei Doscope Aromacare, and the booth where you can find her products as well as creative fashion by Animated Closet.

One of the awesome things you will find there? (And your spoiled gift recipients would love to get?) A limited edition body scrub featuring label design with roses from Jen <3s Art and scents selected to complement the colors used. 🙂

Also in the same booth space, Animated Closet has super-cool clothing with an illustrated vibe. Comic Book Couture? Can I call it that? If so, I’ve got some of my own art and fashion that will fit in nicely to the category.

Have you heard?! Glam, Glitter, & Gore is coming!

Hey, friends! Did you know that the first-ever (hopefully first annual) Glam, Glitter, & Gore fall festival and shopping event is happening next weekend? It’s going to be absolutely awesome, filled with Halloween-y goodness and tons of incredible art, craft vendors, and fashion designs by talented local people.

Longer post to come soon with more details.

Meanwhile, here’s the FB event page, where you can find more info: http://on.fb.me/GGG1023

Our kick-ass poster design was done by Aaron de Leon: http://deleon-revulsion.com

GGG1023 - Glam, Glitter, and Gore at Starving Art Studios!