A Stranger in A Strange Land - Arriving in stores Sept 1st

The lovely Bernadette

I woke this morning to find a beautiful post & collage that the amazing Bernadette Pascua did for me on her blog featuring all Amy Kaehne !!!

Thank you so much Bernadette ! ♡

Stunning xxxx

decadediary.com

Bernadette Pascua

I first came across Bernadette Pascua a while back now after discovering her beautiful blog

- decade diary- which is a homage to over a decade of Bernadette living in New York.

What I find special about her work is the way in which she uses watercolour to create texture & movement… & of course because fashion is infused in my blood I am obviously drawn to her subject matter.  

(Bernadette has created illustrations for Vogue, W, & Glamour Magazine along with Dior, Tiffany & Co to name a few)

She is also an absolute delight & amazingly talented, this is why Bernadette is in my opinion one of the most sought after illustrators worldwide.

Please check out the interview I did below with Bernadette !

How would you best describe what you do? Finding beauty in ordinary things.

What do you enjoy most about your work? That I'm doing something that I truly love.

What has been your most creative/rewarding or fun project so far? The personal projects that I've been working on my own are definitely the most creative, rewarding and fun. When I'm working on a project with a client it becomes more theirs than it is mine, I'm simply just the medium channeling what they want the finished product to be. That's why all of my client projects look so different, because they were all conceptualized by different people. So I really enjoy when I am in full control. The things I make on my own tend to be more abstract because it’s like taking a break from all of the specificity. It feels really rewarding.

You do the most beautiful illustrations, is fashion something you are drawn to as a subject matter because you studied Fashion illustration & Textiles or do you also enjoy other types of illustration? Growing up I've always been drawn to Fashion because of my mom. My mom came from that time when women still had an old fashioned approach to dressing where you took the extra care to always look your best. But she also had a side to her where she liked dressing a bit edgier so she learned how to sew so that she could make her own clothes. She instilled those same sensibilities in me and my sisters, always making sure we were well dressed but also letting us be creative with what we wore. My mom would make clothes for us if we couldn't find it, so it went from her making me little floral prairie dresses I imagined for myself in fourth grade to homemade skinny leather pants in high school. My older sister's copies of Sassy magazines and music bands I liked really inspired me with clothes at a young age. But living in a small town, there weren't many cool places to shop at so my mom would take me to thrift shops. We'd find the most beautiful vintage pieces from decades past. That's when vintage was good. So it was never about "designer" fashion, it was just a pure attraction to a kind of self expression. It wasn't until I got to the city when I discovered Fashion Illustration at FIT, like it was meeting of two great worlds and I've been into it since. I originally intended to study general Illustration, so I do enjoy other types of Illustration, I hope to get into Illustrating my own Children's books one day.

 What do you like most about using watercolour?I like how capricious it is. No two strokes are ever the same. There's a real spontaneity to it and even though its nature is to appear really delicate and light, you can make it bold.

Do you have any hobbies/interests? Or collect anything? Illustration and Painting is pretty much my biggest hobby, but I also enjoy reading books and watching old movies. Listening to music and Rocky, our Shiba Inu. Gardening and cooking with Andrew. Andrew is a Photographer and has a small cache of all kinds of cameras so I love taking photos. Andrew also funnily enough got me into basketball, so just like knowing models names, I somehow also know all of these NBA players names. I hate sports but being active has also become a regular interest for me, I workout at the gym five days a week. It's become a ritual and I enjoy that I get to turn off my phone for those two hours.

The reason why Andrew and I had to move out to Brooklyn where the apartments are roomier is because I collect so much stuff! Right now I collect Art and Photo books, vinyl records and vintage hand painted china pieces. I love collecting things, it's always been something I loved to do. When I was little I used to collect stamps, rocks, pressed leaves and flowers. It's not so much about the value the collection accrues but more about collecting a memory. So even if I know a photo book I'm guessing is going to be worth something someday, I'll also remember that I got it on a Sunday, with Andrew and that the sun was out.

Favourite places in the world? Paris. Being there is the same feeling I had when I first moved to New York City. It will always be that lover city in my mind, like when New York's treating me bad I always say, okay there's always Paris. Even the sunlight is different there. Living in New York you get spoiled with having everything at your fingertips so Paris is the only other city I've been to that can give New York a real run for its money. The cultural achievements that Paris holds is so incredible, to walk the same streets as some of the greatest old artists and writers is inspiring. I also like that Paris respects that, that it takes pride in keeping its old roots in its architecture and structure. New York has a tendency to tear down the old and build something disgustingly modern. I've always been attracted to old souls and Paris is the most beautiful one I've met.

Do you feel that living in New York inspires your work in anyway? & Is there a good support network of creative types? Even when I wasn't living in New York City it inspired me because it was that place I would dream about living in. It made me want to work harder so that could come true. When I did move to New York, I was still very young — seventeen, so my formative years in the city have totally shaped me. Just like Woody Allen says in Manhattan, New York is a place that has made me tough but also a romantic. I think that same combination can definitely describe the style of my work.

It's funny because readers of my blog always send me messages and ask me how it is that I get work with Illustration. And my answer to them is to step away from the computer and actually meet people. The majority of projects I've gotten were through word of mouth, people I've personally met during my eleven years here in the city. When I first moved to New York, there was zero social media and it was all about face-to-face interactions. I would go out a lot, go to a lot of parties and work with cool people at little shops. I loved being in the same social circles as a lot of young kids also hungry for anything creative. A lot of those people ended doing some really incredible things and getting great positions in Fashion, Art, Music, Food, etc. Everyone in those industries in New York is definitely connected somehow, there's no real support network because everyone is so busy, but it is nice when that web comes back to you and creates something good.

Favourite Book? Favourite movie? I have too many favorites. But if I had to narrow it down, it would be Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte just because it's got a little bit of everything, from true love to ghosts. Favorite movie would have to be La Collectionneuse by Eric Rohmer because I've never watched any other movie that causes such a visceral reaction that is not based on shock value but something beautiful, like you can literally really feel the summer on your skin.

What inspires you? Great artists from the past and daily life. I love going to museums, galleries and the library for quick inspiration. The real challenge is being able to find inspiration in the everyday, design is everywhere and I always keep my eyes open for those moments.

Favourite Places in NYC? Another answers where I have too many favorites to name. Though my all time favorites would have to be: Film Forum, Diner/Marlow and Sons, The Neue Galerie, The Met, The Morgan, The New York Public Library, Sprout Flower Shop, under the oak trees in Central Park, Dimsum in Chinatown, Barneys 4th Floor Shoe Department, and now that summer is here the Van Leuween Ice cream Store.

 Thank you Bernadette !♡

To check out more of Bernadette Pascua's work please check out www.bernadettepascua.com

Amy Kaehne is now available online !

www.amykaehne.com

Amy Kaehne Wrap Coat & Sweater

www.badlands-blog.com
Check out the Sami Wrap Coat & Sweater on badlands

Lauren Spencer King

I first came across Lauren Spencer King's work when I discovered her blog a while back. I was completely blown away by her beautiful watercolours , photography and her idyllic subject matter.

The lovely Lauren answered some of my questions ......♡

How do you like to describe what you do?

I am an artist. I combine my watercolors with cut glass, to make geometric objects that hang on the wall or sit on the floor.

As a "day job" I also have a small business, Spencer Studio, where I create hand drawn elements for special projects or events. I mostly do a lot of stuff for Weddings.

You grew up in the Midwest (Belleville IL) does this still feel like home to you?

Yes! This will always be my home. Growing up in a very small town, with a house set in the woods, really shaped my idea of what home means, and the kind of home I want for myself, and my future family. As a kid I spent time playing in the woods, swimming at our lake house in the summer, and sledding down our hill when it snowed. Because it was such a small town, there wasn't a lot to do, so we had to create our own fun. I spent a lot of time with my mum making art projects at the kitchen table. It really taught me that I can create anything and everything. It's funny now living in LA, I feel like I can always spot a person from the Midwest. It's not always obvious to everyone, but I feel like we are kindred spirits. Midwest people always seem to be very kind, and grounded. I am very grateful for the environment I grew up in.

What has been your most rewarding project so far?

With out a question, it's my Graduate Thesis Show. During my first term in Grad School my mum passed away. I took the next term off. And when I came back and started working in the studio again I realized my focus had totally changed. What I was wanting to create was so new to me, and it was coming from a totally new place. It was so deep and personal and raw that I found it really challenging to talk about in a setting that was so academic and where discussions were so heavily based in theory. For a few terms I really struggled with this. And as I was thinking about my thesis show I had this realization, that it was the last chance I was going to get in school to speak my mind and share my voice, and I just went for it. I felt like I risked a lot putting that work out there. Some people didn't get it, and I finally stopped caring about that. But, some were really supportive and it was really liberating and interesting to have conversations about the intensity and mystery of death, and the complicated feelings of grief. I think there is such beauty and pleasure in those things. And that was what I really wanted to share. And I feel like I did.

Do you have any hobbies or collect things?

Minerals, gemstones, crystals! In the last few years I have become an avid collector! I love learning about them, I even go to the awesomely dorky Mineral and Fossil shows in the middle of nowhere. But, it is so fun! And I end up learning a lot from the people who are there. The shapes and colors really inspire me in my work.

You seem to be drawn to watercolour what do you enjoy about this medium?

I just love watercolor! I took a set with me about ten years ago when I went to Europe one summer, and I did a series of small watercolors of all the hotels rooms I stayed in. And the medium just kind of stuck with me ever since. In the beginning I loved them because no one else in school was using them, and I felt like I really wanted to revive watercolor and rescue it from being the medium for "Sunday Painters". I wanted to make it serious. I laugh about that now. But once I started making the work I am now, it really started to make sense. Light reflects through watercolor just like it does with gemstones, and glass. Light moves through it. And the pigment and colors just can't get more brilliant!

You live in LA do you find that this creates a certain element to your work?

Not really. But I will say that living in LA you have a lot of resources. Because the entertainment industry is here there are so many places to get any kind of material you could want, or get anything made you could dream up. Also, not that this influences my work, but it fascinates me... the quality of light in LA. It is really particular, and beautiful.

Thank you Lauren , you are a true artist ! ♡

To find more of Lauren's work please check out

www.thesphinxandthemilkyway.com

www. laurenspencerking.com

SOUTH OF NO NORTH

Jordan Sullivan is a NYC based artist. despite the fact that all of his photographs are amazing, I initially fell in love with the essence of Americana he has portrayed, it felt as though I was transported back in time , and riding shotgun with Dean Moriarty on Route 66.

His photos are made of pure captivation.

I was fortunate enough to have him answer a few of my questions...

You were born in Houston, Texas …do you feel that this is reflected in your
work? 
I was only in Houston when I was very little, but Texas is definitely in my blood - both my parents grew up there, and much of my family is there. I lived in central Texas last year. Texas is a really complex and diverse state geographically, and I think my work was definitely influenced by the light and the landscapes and the openness of that place.
How would you best describe what you do?
Love letters to people and places
What do you enjoy most about your work?
Creating it
What has been your most creative or fun project so far?
My upcoming solo show Natural History at Underline Gallery in NYC
Your photography has a nomadic portrayal to it … is this intentional?
Not really, but I like the association. So much of what I do is about documenting wherever I am in my life at a particular time, and then arranging it to explore some sort of emotion or idea. I grew up in a lot of disparate places, and have spent a great deal of my twenties roaming around. I always shoot more when I'm on the road.
Do you have any hobbies/interests? Or collect anything?
I really love basketball and I've played in a lot of bands over the years. I used to collect coins when I was little, too. Collecting is something inherent in photography, whether I'm collecting moments or just keeping a record of what I saw. My photography is very much influenced by family albums and that whole idea of collecting a personal history. Family albums are often chronological, but they are still curate, they are arrangements meant to explore time and place. A lot of what I do stems from this basic notion. I heard someone once describe my work as somewhere between a family album and Texas Chainsaw Massacre and I kind of like that. So much of what I do uses personal history to explore something spiritual or collective. 
Favourite places in the world?
Deserts and beaches.
Do you feel that living in NYC inspires your work in anyway? & Is there a good
support network of creative types?
The people more than the city have inspired me. I have some really great friends and a girlfriend here who I would be lost without. Most of everything I make is with my family and friends in mind. I really believe in unconditional love - as difficult as it can be to put into practice. I believe in the idea of family, whether biological or otherwise. Life is so weird and rough and abstract. I believe people should hold onto one another. I've seen people go through these horrific periods alone and it is so devastating to watch. I think having the support of people, whether for my art or just in life, is the only way I've gotten through all the bummer times. 

Favourite Book? Favourite movie?
Book - Song of Silent Snow by Hubert Selby.
Movie - A Page of Madness by Teinosuke Kinugasa
What’s your favourite photo of all time?
A picture of Van Gogh (or at least who they believe to be Van Gogh). I saw it in Amsterdam. It's one of only two or three photographs of him I believe. The image sits so well next to the mystery behind him. In the picture he is sitting alone, with his back to the camera, outside this deary cafe. It's a really bleak and beautiful image. 
How do you feel about the death of film?
The more film recedes into the background the more a subculture will develop around who will continue to push it's boundaries. I only shoot film, though I have nothing against digital or photoshop. If Man Ray were around today I'm sure he'd use photoshop. Computers are modern dark rooms (with limitations of course), but they've opened up a lot of new directions.

Thank you Jordan !

Please check out Jordan's website for more info

www.jordan-sullivan.com

Studio Visit

Recently Jessie from wethepeople.com dropped in to do a studio visit with me & while we chatted she took some lovely pictures of some of my clothes.
I don't enjoy having my photo taken ... but I felt comfortable around Jessie x
To see more visit wethepeoplestyle.com/2012/02/amy-kaehne

Winter 12

LUKASZ WIERZBOWSKI

Lukasz is a self-taught polish photographer whose work is organic and insightful like you have stumbled across an intimate moment between subject and photographer.

Lukasz has been added to my favourite photographers of all time list along side Mark Borthwick! and we all know how much I love Borthwick!

Here’s my interview with the extremely talented photographer..... 

Where did you grow up? And do you feel that this is reflected in your work?                                   

I grew up in a small city in the south of Poland called Lubliniec. I always felt very closely connected with this place. Living very close to a forest I’ve had this urge to discover new places. Being surrounded by all the nature was wonderful. Most of my models are my friends and family and the experience of sharing almost the same space of one city always inspired me. Lubliniec has it’s own pace, rhythm that still rocks my heart even if it’s not the city I currently live in (which is Wroclaw). Also my parent’s house and garden were, and still are part of the scenery for many of my photos.

How do you describe your photography?                                                                                               

I don’t really know how to describe it; I guess its portrait photography with a twist. My work is very much based on a relationship with a model and the surrounding. Each session is an adventure, as I don’t like planning all the details in advance. 

You have a beautiful organic approach to your work; do you think this is a result of being self-taught?                                                                                                                                              

Maybe. I’m still in the process of learning. I guess it’s easier when you obtain knowledge from your studies. It took me some time to find out how it all works and I still think that I suck when it comes to the technical stuff. I guess that's where the organic approach comes from as I always wanted to keep my work simple, very basic. That’s why I like film so much, it gives me space to make mistakes.

In your opinion what makes an amazing photograph?                                                                     

The vibe you get while looking at it. It can be anything: strong emotions, good concept or just being in the right place at the right time to capture unexpected or extraordinary moments.

How do you feel about the death of film?                                                                                                

It makes me sad but I feel that it was unavoidable. I don’t think that it will ever be forgotten.

What inspires you?                                                                                                                           

Everyday life. People I love, places I go. I guess it can be anything; the whole life experience seems like a never-ending inspiration.

Favourite book and or movie?                                                                                                               

“In Search of Lost Time” by Marcel Proust.

What are up to at the moment? & What has been your favourite project so far?

Quite alot of thing is going on right now. I'm working on a few projects and collaborations. I would love to release my second book this year.

Each of the projects I have been working on has been a great experience. Last fall I traveled to Taiwan to shoot photos for a lovely singer Wai Wei. I have met a lot of amazing people and was surrounded by breathtaking places and tasty food. I really enjoyed it!


Please check out lukaszwierzbowski.com to see more of his work 

Dziękuję bardzo Lukasz ! ♡

 

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY ♡

Capture the Castle ♡ capturethecastle1.blogspot.com

Style Me Romy /Issue 2  ♡ Featuring Amy Kaehne Hand Knit Sweater

HAPPY NEW YEAR !

Pictures by Mark Borthwick