Aya's Art Adventure

Coffee

2011-10-13T09:41:00.001-07:00

Coffee, originally uploaded by Aya Rosen.

Coffee

moving

2010-12-18T17:49:00.000-08:00

I'm moving this blog to tumblr, hopefully, this will get me to blog more...

Day 2

2010-10-12T22:38:00.000-07:00

She woke up about half an hour after we all fall asleep, and cried, Ned woke up, open the box, stroked her and she fell asleep right back. In the morning we woke up at 7:00 and took her out. Then back home for food, and out, back home for water - and out…

She was really scared at first, every car or person is a reason for both excitement and fear. Her head and front legs want to play and investigate, but the tail and back legs wants to bolt - so she’s running to and away at the same time. Every few steps she stops and sits or want to run back to the direction she came from.

After 3 walks we all fall asleep for a couple more hours.

In the afternoon we went together to the pet store to get her a brush and a chewing toy, and she met a whole bunch of other dogs - she was so excited and so scared and so happy all at the same time - running and jumping and falling and being both timid and aggressive at the same time.

There were a lot of successes today - no peeing or shitting in the house at all, which is pretty amazing. A nice play with other people and dogs, some running and jumping and general friskiness both in the apartment and outside for a few moment, when she forgot to be scared.

In the morning her name was Molly, then in the afternoon it was Ginger. I’m not a 100% sure, but it might stay Ginger.

I’m having a lot of fun, but I’m also exhausted, and I just started to get back into getting some work done though really all I want is to play with the puppy and look at the puppy.

Cicada

2010-10-12T21:31:00.000-07:00

A submission for a book cover titled "metamorphosis"

Here's the original that's listed as doodle of the day

First piece of work that actually got done since the puppy came in.

home

2010-10-11T20:23:00.000-07:00

A really horrible morning, in which I had a scary dream, woke up early and then lifting a box I haven't touched in a long time, discovering a nest of baby cockroaches then throwing out half the food in the house just in case, and putting borax on everything else.

Then the shelter called at about 1:00 PM and told us we can come pick her up at 5:00. We went through a cleaning frenzy trying to get the studio ready, getting rid of a lot of stuff and trying to find proper places for a lot of stuff that's usually just piled up.

I went into the city to pick up a dog crate and those piss pads for puppies, then we went into the city together.

It's very very strange - she's beautiful and sweet, but a real baby, and we don't know her yet, it's hard to figure out what she needs and want, why she's crying what is interesting for her.

She was really scared to be outside, but after 3 attempts at walks, she circled the block, with many stops to smell stuff, wanting to run after each person, and freaking out from car noises and the vibrations of the train.

After the 3rd walk and a big piss and shit success, she was running, skipping and playing and looked perfectly happy. then fell asleep and haven't moved since.

I'm really scared to make mistakes, and somehow hurt or mess up the training. Ned and I keep saying "she needs to learn" or "she needs to know". I know it's not going to be easy, and that it's going to be frustrating in the next couple of weeks, but for today, I'm so happy and feel very accomplished even though I didn't do any work or took care of anything aside of feeding, walking and making a dog take a shit.

Waiting

2010-10-10T13:46:00.000-07:00

Ned and I are getting a puppy!!! I repeat, Ned and I are getting a puppy!!! I'm so excited, and I just can't wait till our approval form come through and we can take her home.
The problem is that now, I don't really feel like doing anything till the puppy get here and can't focus on anything.

So what do I do? what i usually do when I have no patient and don't feel inspired - cook.

Homemade Pastrami

Roasted peppers

Roasted beets

Tahini cookies

Pickled Lemons

Serving plates

2010-10-10T12:03:00.000-07:00

I like those so much, I'm almost tempted to keep them for myself. But, I am listing them in the store, since I don't really hold enough dinner party to justify keeping them.

bootcamp day 3

2010-10-07T10:07:00.000-07:00

so I messed up yesterday and didn't post anything on Etsy.... What can you do, it doesn't always work, I did make stuff, shot it and was distracted before I photoshopped and posted and then it was way too late to do anything about that.

So I took care of it this morning - 3 glasses for my Christmas collection.

Bootcamp, Day 1

2010-10-05T22:24:00.000-07:00

So I had big plans, but we were shooting today, and I'm feeling crappy. So most of them didn't happened, however I did finish 4 paintings I really love and posted them in the store.

Etsy Holiday Boot camp

2010-10-04T21:57:00.000-07:00

Well first of all, I don't like the word "boot camp" to me is associate with lack of sleep, taking showers in very odd times and a strange story about a girl who thought her stuff kept being stolen, while eventually it turned out she was putting it in the bag of the girl in a neighboring bed... But since Etsy is having their own Holiday boot camp for sellers, and I know that no folding blankets is involved, I decided to participate!

I'm going to follow their tasks and see if this can boost my sales, and also, write everything here so I can keep track of things and share what I've learned.

Well, the first thing is the very cute mascot for the boot camp - the most awesome Lou the monster that Ruti made! I'm really proud of her for winning this competition! that's one success story already!

OK, Now for business... The first thing to do is make a connection with another Etsy seller who caught my attention to partner for this. I chose Sharona, who I know for ages, though we never met in person, but, since I read her 2 blogs, follow her different Etsy stores and follow her on Facebook and flickr - meeting in person is basically small change...
and this is why I picked her - first of all, cause she's very nice and makes me laugh, and second of all, because she shares a lot of stuff online, both personal and Etsy wise and I feel like I neglected that part of promotion, so I would like to bring that more into my store and blog.

Second assignment was to check what are you best selling \ most viewed items. So I checked and actually - no surprises the best selling things are: Tapas plates, cup and saucer sets and little pill bottles. Also, drawings and paintings sells pretty well. As far as motifs - anything with birds trumps all, but (and this is the only surprise octopus comes pretty close behind).

The next question is deciding on merchandising, or rather creating a line of products for the holiday season.

I'm going to try and not do anything too Christmas like, since most of what I'm making now is going to a few trunk shows and fairs in NYC, which have a lot of people from a lot of different religions.

The past couple of years, had a nice success with the little bottles and the cups, and the most sellable pattern (aside of birds) was polar bears in gray and red. I'm definitely going to make those again. But I would love to have another something special for the holidays, I'm trying to decide between penguin, chipmunks and owls - any ideas?! I'm going to have to decide in the next week and start working...

Also, I'm hoping to make a line of glasses for booze in more manly designs \ colors and try reach a men market with them.

The other thing I want to have ready is a small inexpensive item which isn't a glass \ ceramic, I'm hoping for a small stocking stuffer style gift that will be priced at about 10$. I'm debating between a small notebook, a set of bookmarks or a small art print. again - any preferences?!

Last thing - I have 20 glass ornaments I'm going to paint and have ready. and I have an idea I'm going to show in an Etsy craft night on December, so I want to make a couple for my shop as well.

Wow! this is going to be a lot of work....

A couple of extra ideas

1) I really want to list more till the holidays, It's going to be difficult, cause I'm so busy with so much stuff. but I think that from tomorrow, I'm going to try and list 1 thing each day - who wants to join me?

2) how about a small Etsy sellers secret Santa game. Maybe getting about 10 people who will swap handmade presents in December. Who wants in?

Fall Fashion Accessories

2010-10-04T20:54:00.000-07:00

First day of real fall in NYC, it was rainy, very gray and cold! all my winter cloths are still in boxes and I wore my only sweater and a rather summery jacket today, and were still chilly. Due to the rain, the chill and me being too easily impressed by the notion of being warm, I went into a Feiline's Basement to get some towels and end up coming out with a new hat (17$), a new pair of gloves (10$), a little faux fur scarf (12$), and 3 pairs of stripy socks (6$).

Now I just need to take the sweaters out of the boxes, ro I'll go into a shopping rampage...

First blood...

2010-10-04T20:09:00.000-07:00

Remember when I got a new box of watercolors last October? so now, almost a year afterward, I really really finished the first half pan. Of course it was black (cause it's always black...) pretty far behind and the next one to be replaced is probably purple (who knew I use so much purple...) the greens are barely touched, I like mixing it from yellow and blue.

cooking day

2010-09-28T23:02:00.000-07:00

It's been a very domestic day of cooking, eating and sorting out the closets trying to make some sense of a huge pile of shoot cloths.

Panyhose

2010-09-26T22:41:00.000-07:00

I was commenting of a fashion forum thread about how to wear skirts in the winter and still not freeze today, but then realized it'll be easier and quicker to take pictures instead of trying to explain this in words.
From left to right:
Leg warmers and thick pantyhose
fishnet pantyhose over pantyhose
skirt over skinny jeans
socks over pantyhose

Some new Tumblers

2010-09-25T23:57:00.000-07:00

Special for Halloween...

Micheal Book for Moleskine exchange

2010-09-24T20:08:00.000-07:00

And the winner is...

2010-09-23T20:20:00.001-07:00

Line Nord! who won the doodle a day raffle today!

Immediate gratification

2010-09-18T21:33:00.000-07:00

At around 9:30, I read this recipe for whole wheat honey cake in a cooking forum, an hour and a half later I already eat one and were color correcting the images...

moleskine exchange - funny train story

2010-09-18T18:34:00.001-07:00

I got Micheal's book from Heidi a couple of days ago, in the middle of fashion week. Ned and I were shooting some of the shows, and at the same time, I was also working on the biggest illustration project I nailed since moving to NY (it's secret, so I can't talk about it...) basically, no sleep and just work for about a week.

On Thursday it was basically all over, and I was left with a lot of errands I had no time to do over the week. So, I went on a long ride to IKEA to get some cheap dishes for a paint on porcelain class I'm teaching next month. Since it's about 45 minutes on the train, I took Micheal's book to start working on it.

I started drawings and one stop after me this cool looking girl came on the train and sat by me - she started asking about my drawings and said she just moved to a new apartment and it trying to find the right art for her bedroom and I gave her my card and we went on chatting. Then, right before she took off, I realized that all this time what she really liked on the page was Heidi's garlic on the other side of the page!

So Heidi - if you are getting an e-mail from an excited new Yorker looking to buy some paintings, that's how she found you...

today was the first rest day after everything was over and so, I finished my first double spread on Micheal book.

Fashion week

2010-09-11T22:36:00.000-07:00

Ned and I are shooting Fashion week again! I'm having so much fun and very little sleep, and we have it easy... We did 2 shows on Friday and 3 on Saturday. I think tomorrow we have nothing so we'll edit everything we shot so far.

It's such an interesting experience. I'm learning a lot about fashion, about myself, about photography and about accepting the fact that I am a professional photographer and have as much right to be there as everyone else (which I don't really feel just yet).

2 more doodles

2010-09-07T19:30:00.000-07:00

To choose from if you want to participate in my doodle a day giveaway.

Apples

2010-09-07T18:51:00.000-07:00

Strangely enough, I was working all day today on photos and illustrations of apples, only to remember that it's Rosh Ha'Shana in a couple of days and that images of apples and honey are everywhere today...

A doodle a day giveaway!

2010-09-05T20:09:00.000-07:00

Have you heard about my doodle a day project?! It's a small drawing project that's about taking things less seriously and making small fast sketches and drawing and be adventurous and try new things. I'm selling all of them in my Etsy store for 10$ each, no matter how big \ small \ simple \ complicated they are.
Also, I'm documenting the whole series in this blog.

So, I decided to hold a "doodle a day"give-a-way and let everyone have a shot at owning one of those cool pieces of art.

This is what you need to do:
1) go to my shop and choose which one of the Doodles a day is your favorite.
2) then go to my facebook page and let me know which one you like best by posting a link for it on my wall.
3) if you don't follow me on facebook yet, you are invited to add me.

That's it, quick and easy!
I'm going to hold the raffle on September 20.

New Moleskine (long story!)

2010-09-05T11:57:00.001-07:00

A few months ago, I had a really inspiring conversation with a friend who was visiting NY, she said how she decided that every birthday she'll do one thing she's scared of. I thought it was a damn good idea and decided to try it as well.

This year I decided to finally get started on the A3 moleskin that I got almost a year before but were to afraid to deal with, it's much much bigger then the size I'm comfortable drawing on.

So, on my birthday, I took the book out to Blackbird parlour and started working on it. Ned came to pick me up and we walked into a store or two then headed home. The next day, I wanted to take the book with me again, and - it was gone! I couldn't find it anywhere...

I went to the stores and the cafe, and turned the apartment upside down, and - nothing! no book! and it's not an easy thing to not see, I mean it is about 12"X16".

After 2 days of searching I decided it was simply gone. I decided to take it as a sign and come to terms with it. I ordered 2 new books online, an A4 and an 8"X5", and waited for them to show up so I can go back to drawing. After 2 days I got so angry and decided to ignore the stupid sign. I went to the book store and got a new A3, and started it right away.

2 days after that, I was drawing in Blackbird parlour again, and the waitress came over and asked "did you loose a big moleskin?!" turned out, she found it, and was afraid if she'll leave it in the cafe, someone will spill something on it, so she took it home with her till she see me again! how nice was that?!

So now I have enough moleskines for a couple of years... and I'm slowly getting use to the huge A3.

Mosquito

2010-09-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

An illustration of a mosquito for a book cover. I really hope it'll get accepted! it'll be cool to see this on a cover of a book.

Spaghetti Meat balls

2010-09-03T21:03:00.000-07:00

This goes against all my cooking rules, it's not healthy, it's made of meat, it's a lot of work, and it messes up 3 different pots. But every couple of weeks, when I really want meat, Ned and I go to the meat hook and get something meaty and delicious, and I make a lot of mess, and by the end of it we stuff our faces with something really yummy.

Playing tourist in NYC

2010-08-30T23:20:00.000-07:00

I had such a nice time going over the photos I shot at Gloucester that once they were all done, I felt very sad about the vacation being over. So, today I decided to play tourist in NYC and took my camera to Union Square Farmer's market.
I came home with about 200 photos that were shot in less then half an hour, and so now I can pretend that I just came back from a beautiful vacation in New York City!

A large piece

2010-08-29T19:19:00.001-07:00

I'm working on.

32"X12"

seagull plates

2010-08-28T21:00:00.001-07:00

I wanted to make something that relate to our trip to Gloucester MA last weekend, and one of the things that really stuck with me was a very quite afternoon spend on the shore at low tied walking on seaweeds and talking photos of the many seagulls.

Mary

2010-08-27T22:40:00.000-07:00

A beautiful and fun model we shot today called Mary.

A doodle a day

2010-08-27T22:19:00.000-07:00

Since Ned and I started to have breakfast at home, I've stopped doing the little "buy me Breakfast" drawings, and I really missed them. So I decided to try a new series of small doodles, which will be called "A doodle a day".

They are going to be listed in the store, and all be sold for 10$ regardless to size or material.

Also, you'll be able to follow the whole series in this special A doodle A day tumble.

Store update

2010-08-26T21:21:00.000-07:00

I've been very busy with drawing and shooting recently, and never got around to making and posting new stuff on the etsy shop, so yesterday and today I decided to finally get down to it and paint some new dishes.

There are going to be a few more exciting dishes listed tomorrow and the next day to.

I hate those mornings

2010-08-26T08:19:00.000-07:00

when I wake up feeling like I have no skin and I'm so exposed to the world. The mornings when all I want it to cry and hide and not ever talk to a living souls. Angry, and disappointed with the world and everyone in it and mostly, with myself, feeling like there's nothing left to do in this life but get old and die.

Ho well.

Lunch break

2010-08-19T12:54:00.001-07:00

After 3 hours of pretty rough riding on the free way. We are about lo leave CT and enter MA in a few minute. It's exciting and odd to be in a place I'v never been to before, even if it's just a roadside diner.

I feel like a stranger today, and not just because of the trip and the road.

2 shoots and a half

2010-08-18T21:54:00.000-07:00

2 shoots today, it was pretty challenging. We had a couple of double shoots lately, but we shot with just a hair stylist and no makeup artist. So this time we had makeup, but didn't designate for it and so everything felt rushed and confusing.

I'm pretty happy with the photos we got, even despite the stress.

After the shoot we met with Persiana, she was telling us about the wedding preparations, and how she already got a dress, but didn't make any other choices. Then we went into a vintage store and she fall in love with another bridal gown. I was telling her about the bridal gown I got a few weeks ago in the Salvation Army store and she came over to try it out.

leftover broscatta

2010-08-15T20:27:00.000-07:00

A 2 days old bagel, some olive spread I made last week, last piece of mozzarella cheese and a zucchini made a really nice breakfast today.

Onions

2010-08-14T15:50:00.000-07:00

Some chicken is cooking in the oven right now, this is how it started.

Rethinking pens

2010-08-13T22:59:00.000-07:00

For the past 10 year or so, I've been using the same pen, it's a pilot gel pen called G-TEC-C4, it's not very common in the USA, in fact I only found one stores that sells them here, which is a Japanese book store, But in Israel they are pretty common as your slightly more fancy then ordinary ball point pen. They cost around 3$ in Israel, and 5$ in NY.

I always loved this pen, but in art school a teacher told me that writing pend are for writing and drawing pens are for drawings and I need to be more professional about my choice of pens. At the time, I switched to pen and ink, which has the most beautiful line, is waterproof and really messy.
Later on, I realized that in the where and when I draw, it's not a choice between a gel pen and a pen and ink, but a choice between a gel pen and a not-drawing-cause-this-is-too-much-hustle. And I went back to the G-TEC.

But, a few days ago, a friend forgot a rapidograph in our place. I remember those from my father and from high school and suddenly I kept wanting to try his pen, however, there was no ink and it was all dried out. So, on Monday, I decided to give myself a birthday present and got 2 of them. One is by Koh-I-Noor, and one by Rotring. It was sort of nice to find out that the pen design and color is still the same as it was when I last bought one of those, which was about 18 years ago.

I've used Moleskine exchange book to give the first one a try. The line is a bit thicker, which I don't mind so much (the Rotring is thinner) and the color of the ink is beautiful - super black and dark, the pen really flow nicely, though - more ink, more time to dry, and also a bit of spreading (but really just a tiny bit). The nicest thing is that unlike the G-TEC, the ink is not water soluble so when I do the painting part, the line stays as crisp which is great.

I'm still trying to decide if I like the result though I feel like the drawing I made with it is more illustrative in style and less artistic, probably because the lines are so crisp.

What do you think? can you even notice the difference?

G-TEC

Koh-I-Noor

breakfast

2010-08-13T21:51:00.000-07:00

We both woke up tired and out of it this morning. I decided we deserve a breakfast treat and so, half a box of fat free ricotta cheese, the last egg and some blueberries became tiny blueberry pancakes. We had them with the homemade jam from a few days ago, and it was yummy!

I can't really call this health food, it's more like damage control junk food. Still probably not even half as bad as eating pancakes in a restaurant, since the main ingredient was fat free cheese and it was fried in Canola oil and not in butter.

Ballookey's book pages 2 & 3

2010-08-13T21:41:00.001-07:00

Started the second page today and finished it this evening. Ned and I were shooting in the morning but things were going all unorganized, one of the models cancel, the hair stylist was late and then didn't show up either.
It was very nice to escape to a world that doesn't depend on other people...

The moleskine coated paper is giving me trouble, but I'm trying to resolve it in different ways. Some markers, a different type of markers and some crayons. My favorite markers work really nice on this, but the tip is very narrow and it take ages to cover the areas I want to paint.

Also, some interesting pen testing, which I might write more about it a bit.

I'm not sure how my next few days are going to be work-wise, but if nothing happened, I hope to get the book out to Anders on Monday or Tuesday (but we'll see what happens).

Dinner & Breakfast

2010-08-12T20:35:00.000-07:00

This is what we had last night for dinner. at homed we almost always eat vegetarian but since we decided to not eat out anymore, I get those meat urges every week or so. So, we went to the Meat Hook, a butchery inside the Brooklyn Kitchen - it's rather expensive and all organic meat store, but since we don't eat meat often, it might as well be good.

We got half a pound of ground beef and I made tiny meatballs to go with some whole wheat spaghetti. it was a heavy satisfying meal that went really well at the end of a very busy day.

In the morning, I mixed the leftover meatballs with some more chopped tomatoes and broke a couple of eggs in there for a meatball Shaksuka.

Ballookey's book for Moleskine Exchange

2010-08-12T20:29:00.001-07:00

We've been having a very busy week, Ned and I started working with a new department at "Ford" modeling agency and somehow managed to book 5 shoots in one week. So between deciding on cloths, cleaning the apartment, editing, editing more, photoshopping, picking up bagels and having beautiful young and tall woman going in and out of our place - I didn't get to draw since last Saturday.

Last night, after 2 shoots, dinner, 5 editing rounds and it being 1:00 AM I couldn't take it anymore and decided to put the first few lines into Ballookey's book. I stayed up for another hour drawing while Ned was working on 2 of the images to send to the agency.

This morning I woke up not wanting to do anything but draw.

So I dumped answering e-mails, running errands and taking care of work and spend about 6 hours on this. Then went to the art store to get some new markers and crayons, I forgot how difficult the regular paper was with watercolor.

Banana Bread Muffin

2010-08-10T19:04:00.001-07:00

Remember the jam from yesterday? It came out delicious! as I found out while having some banana bread muffin this morning.

Jam!

2010-08-09T22:51:00.000-07:00

We go grocery shopping on Monday, before we store the new produce in the fridge, we go over what's left in the fridge and trow out all the stuff that's going bad or wasn't used during the week.

This Monday, I noticed a bunch of fruit I never eat, they were too soft to eat fresh, but still not bad enough to throw out, so I decided to make jam.

I chopped 2 soft peaches, 4 aging red plums and one apple, and put them in a pot, squeezed one lime over the fruit and slicked the pill of half of the lime and added that in.

Then added 2 cups of confectionery sugar left over from a big baking project in may.

Then turn the stove on, mixed everything till the sugar melted and turn the stove to a low temperature, and let it cook for about an hour and a half.

Vi Foraelde feature

2010-08-09T11:44:00.000-07:00

The louchelab store was featured in a cool children magazine from Denmark!

A new sketchbook

2010-08-07T19:58:00.001-07:00

A3 watercolor moleskine, I'm nervouse...

leftover pasta

2010-08-07T13:19:00.000-07:00

We did the shopping last Monday, by Friday, a lot of the produce are getting to that not-so-fresh stage, and then I start cooking by who's coming to that so ripe stage that I have to either eat it or throw it out. I hate throwing out food.

The cherry tomatoes was half gone already. I had to throw out half of them, and the rest were out on the counter all day. We were shooting and I always put out some snacks and vegetables out. So after the day was over, the tomatoes were even more wilted and soft.

So - mixed with purple onion, so much garlic, chopped basil and white wine (which honestly has seen better days...) it made a lovely dinner.

Shoot today

2010-08-06T22:23:00.000-07:00

I was really nervous about this, there were a lot of new things, 2 shoots in one day, a pretty new agency we started working with and who I really want to think good things about us, a new hair and make up artist, trying to figure out some new stuff about wardrobe.

So now, at 1:20, Ned and I are done with editing and I can say for sure that those were two super awesome shoots. I'm so happy with the results.

Smoke

2010-08-05T09:16:00.001-07:00

One of those mornings

In which I was a smoker

Exhailing out the somke, in a sigh

A perfect dramatization of

Dealing with tough times,

In a stoic brave manner.

Tapping the cigarette,

On the edge of an ashtray,

Spraying those gray specks

Like dirty snow.

Inhaling smoke, having a physical need

Rather then an emotional one.

Breathing in fire.

Complaining about the smell,

About having to go out of restaurants to smoke,

About how hard it is to quite,

Rathen then about fear, lonliness and fear.

New book

2010-08-04T09:37:00.001-07:00

The fear, the anxiety

Getting old

Parents

Worried about money

About work

About getting old

Changing and not changing

Taking too much space

Taking too much space.

what we eat for breakfast this morning

2010-08-03T17:10:00.001-07:00

Spinach and basil Caprase salad with plum tomato and mozzarella cheese.

A strange metal exercise...

2010-08-03T13:25:00.000-07:00

A few month ago, in one of Ned and me conversation about our least favorite topic - how to turn photography into an income, we spoke about stock photography. Ned was approved as a Getty images photographer for over a year, but we've never really done much with that, I don't even use a Getty approved camera and their process of accepting people is really jarring.

I do however take so many photos every day and I thought that it might be cool to be able to generate some income out of it. I decided to try one of those micro stock photography sites and see if I can sell some images through them. In my mind this was supposed to be easy - I mean, those people sell a photo for 1$ and give the photographer .20 for each 1$ they make - so if you are getting .20 for a sale, it can't be too difficult right?!

I picked 3 photographs of a cup of tea I took in an Asian restaurant the night before and send those out to the site. A couple of hours later I got back to fill in all sort of details about the files and images. about 5 days later, I got a long e-mail explaining to me why each of the images were rejected.

It gave me that horrible warm feeling in my belly, a combination of shame and failure. I scanned the words quickly, and threw the e-mail away.

Then I tired again, and were rejected again.

After about 5 files, I realized that this was a mental exercise in being rejected.

When I send the first photo, I though I can somehow change the way stock photography look and that what I do is far more cool then a stupid photos of a banana on a white background. After a few images I realized that this is not about cool, but about matching a certain style that the site is looking for, that it's not me being rejected but an image I made and that it's being rejected because it doesn't match what the site wants, not because it's bad, not because I'm bad.

After around 30 rejected images, I got distracted with other projects, and just gave up on it. This week, I decided to give it another shot. I shot and worked on almost everything Ned and I were eating and all the food I made. I send about 10 images, then finally one got approved!

So far, it had 3 views and no sales... it's really not all that exciting on a practical level, I do however feel very proud of myself for being able to keep going and modify the way I was shooting thing to match a criteria set by a client. I feel like as far as turning the photography into a business rather then a vocation, this is a really big step for me.

Anyway, if you, or anyone you know needs a photo of a pasta salad for anything - here it is. or you can just click the link and make me happy cause I'll get more then 3 views...

I feel a bit pathetic bragging about taking a step into the lowest form of photography work, however, it's still a step, so I guess bottom-of-the-pile is still better then not-in-the-game.

The awkward stage

2010-08-02T10:16:00.001-07:00

With every painting, there's a moment when I feel the composition just isn't working and the colors look all wrong. Then I start fixing it till the painting is done. Now it's in the "starting to get better" part.

The beginning of the end...

2010-08-01T19:11:00.000-07:00

I started this A4 book on November, it's got 30 pages, and I've worked in double spreads, so basically, 15 large paintings, all 24"X8". Today, I started the last one, then the book will be done. I'm hoping to take it apart for either a show in Louisiana next year, or a show in NY (if I can get one...).

Now I need to decide if I'm going to order another A4 book, or if I'm going to brave an A3 book I got at the same time I got this one, and didn't dare to open just yet.

The past few days

2010-08-01T10:35:00.000-07:00

Very low on energy, don't know if it's some sort of virus or my body getting used to a lot less junk food. Trying to keep active as much as possible, though I feel like I've got a rock strapped to my back and that it makes me do everything super slow.

Trying to be brave, but mostly, failing.

Breakfast at home

2010-07-26T08:49:00.000-07:00

Twisted my ankle last week, which meant a couple of days of house arrest till it heals.
In those days Ned and I skipped our regular tradition of breakfast out and instead had breakfast at home.
after 2 days of not eating out we both noticed a lot less craving for sugary fatty food, less hunger in general and feeling overall much better.

Talking about it we realized that what we like most about the eating breakfast out is the leisure of sitting and talking, being out of the house and interacting with people, and spending time with each other away from the computers and the chores at home.

We are going to try and find new ways to have all those things in a not-related-to-food ways.

I don't know if it'll last or not, but I do know that after a big salad and a slice of bread, I'm feeling more energetic and calm then after a grill cheese sandwich or cornbread and egg hash.

Awesome gifts!

2010-07-05T18:21:00.001-07:00

look what my sister made! she's so talented. Her dolls have the best personality, and somehow, they all look like they belong in our family (though in a good way...)

Check out more of her awesome creations in monster etc.

Note to self

2010-07-05T11:08:00.001-07:00

Give voice to unspoken fears.

Big shadows become smaller when you take them out to the light.

Urban nature

2010-07-02T15:14:00.000-07:00

We woke up this morning from a bird chipping, it took me a minute to figure out it was louder then usual, yes, it got into our apartment. Our upstairs neighbor decided to put a bird feeder outside her window a couple of weeks back, and birds been banging on our window since, I guess this time one found it's way in.

It fluttered around and tried to get out, banging itself against the ceiling and the walls, and chirping loud. We opened the windows more, but it just wouldn't go out. After half an hour, we left the apartment hoping that if we are not there, the bird will be less nervous and fly out. When we came back, it was gone.

And the winner is...

2010-06-30T21:14:00.000-07:00

Finally got around to throw the raffle for the No use crying over spilled dishes raffle today.
It was the best raffle I've ever had - over 40 people participated by "liking" me on facebook.
And the winner is... Veronica from Switzerland, congratulation!

I'm going to throw another raffle real soon, so stay tunes...

I just want you to be happy

2010-06-30T14:28:00.000-07:00

breakfast drawings

2010-06-28T22:16:00.000-07:00

A dream

2010-06-28T14:31:00.001-07:00

In my dream you had a baby, it was born prematurly.

I had to get you and the baby to the hospital.

The baby was tiny, I held her in my feast, but her body was proportioned like and adult.

She had long brown hair, like mine.

I couldn't find the way to the right ward, and you were dragging behind, you were being so mean, insulting me, laughing at me. I used my other hand to drag you. You kept blaming me for things I knew I didn't do and I kept saying "fine, fine, we'll talk about it later".

Between my one hand holding your wrist and the other holding the baby, I had to drop all of my stuff, my hat, my jacket, my handbag, and just run and run, with you dragging me back.

When I woke up my fist was cletched so hard and my hand was full of sweat.

On the train

2010-06-27T20:05:00.001-07:00

Real chanel handbag with a chain hendle

Wine color toenails that matches your lips

A monogram nacklace

A golden watch

A perfect tan.

One of those polka dots jumpers with the puffy sleeves that are Ho-So-fashionable now.

Would I want to be you?

No

Yes

No

Maybe yes.

cool people

2010-06-26T00:50:00.000-07:00

Went to a really cool art opening in CultureFix tonight. I love how though NY is so hot right now people still take the time and effort to dress really nice and creative.

Campai!

2010-06-23T22:50:00.000-07:00

I really love my new sake set!

Things I think about while having breakfast

2010-06-20T10:21:00.001-07:00

Artist studios

Nomad culture

Virginia Wolf

Belonging to sub-cultures as a way to feel both an outsider and also a part of a community

Paper plates

Mortality

The passing of time

Becoming a family

Plastic toys

Authenticness

A thing, and a description of a thing

Money

Changes

Birthdays and what I don't like about them

Gifts

Communication

Beauty

Robert Frost

The future

Dreams

Morning drawing

2010-06-17T11:13:00.001-07:00

A couple of days ago I bought some very tiny plastic animals in an art store, without any idea of what I can do with them, they were just too cool to not buy.

This morning, at breakfast, I realized I forgot all my reference images at home, and so the little bear became my reference for the morning drawing.

Thrift Store finds

2010-06-15T22:44:00.000-07:00

I was really inspired by this blog entry, a mother and her daughter celebrated the daughter's 11th birthday on June 11, by going to 11 thrift store and getting a whole bunch of super beautiful stuff. I don't know if they are just better at me in thrift store hunting or if they have better thrift sores where they are, but I've never came home with such an awesome loot.

The blog entry did motivate me to maybe start and shoot what I do get in thrift stores and not just what gets on the models when Ned and I shoot.

Today, we went to get some exact-o blades in the art store and next to it discovered our old favorite thrift store, Atlantis Attic, that used to be right by our house then moved away.

I guess I was in a sparkly mood, cause I found a beautiful beaded golden purse and an even more spectacular black and white beaded silk top. Ned found a little handbag made out of wooden plates that he intend to take apart and build something new from.

No use crying over spilled dishes giveaway

2010-06-14T19:36:00.000-07:00

One of the things I was the most nervous about before Renegade craft fair was "what if I break something" this fear was quite intensified by the fact that they placed my booth right by a soccer field (the ball made it into the booth quite a few times...) and a tornado alert in Brooklyn.

As it happened, nothing broke at the fair, however, upon returning to the safety of the studio, I managed to break 3 dishes! a glass, a Japanese cup and a coffee cup, which left this Saucer all alone in the world...

So I decided to see if I can find it a happy home and throw a giveaway raffle! it's a very sweet saucer with birds on a pink background.

All you need to do to win this is become my friend on facebook, then leave a comment in this post so I'll know who you are. if you are already my friend on facebook, just leave a comment.

Raffle will be held on July 28.

Give the poor bird a home, you know you want it...

Tillie

2010-06-12T21:58:00.000-07:00

<

Tillie told us that her name means a sad clown, we read about it after she left, it's specifically the name of the clown that was painted at the Amusement palace in NJ. A building that was demolished a few years back.

Ned and I talked a lot about aggression in the past couple of days, about control and loosing it and the things we gain from loosing it.

Joined effort

2010-06-12T20:22:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things is getting privet orders from people, not only it's nice to know what I'm making is what they want and that it's going to get bought, but when people are specific, I end up designing things that were not in my natural range of thought.
I really like insects, but spiders? and Tarantulas at that?! I thought no one would even considered something like this as a nice thing to have on their coffee table... However, as it turned out, some people would cause I got an order for a "Tarantulas in black and green" sugar bowl and milk jugs.
This was really fun to make, especially after a week of making all seahorses, birds and octopuses for the craft fair...

At the bank

2010-06-10T13:42:00.001-07:00

Feeling so low today, sticky and sweaty. Feeling like the skin on my face is sagging, like I'm getting fatter by the minute.

Hate masseges on my voicemail. Hate hearing my father's voice so sad, not knowing if something really bad happened or if it's just his usual sadness, or is it just mine.

Can some things be as simple

2010-05-28T22:20:00.001-07:00

As just not being young enough

And thin enough?

Life in the city

2010-05-25T10:55:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I watched a super cool video my friend Heidi from Moleskin Exchange made. It was called "hot Chicks" and were showing her new chickletts, soon to be chickens. Watch hot chicks here.

Heidi lives in a farm, her life is as different then mine as I can imagine being surounded by both farm animals and widelife.

Today, on my way to breakfast then into the city for a couple of important meetings, I found my hot chick - a yellow rubber ducky waiting to cross the road...

A random thought about death

2010-05-24T10:37:00.001-07:00

This morning I was thinking about this blog entry I read last night, Uri was writing about lips-syncing as a new cultural phenomanon (or rather a new u-tube thing) and I commented that lips-syncing isn't new, but having an audince to lips-syncing is. And that the reason we all want to watch it, is that it's something everyone does and so, it makes us feel less alone.

This morning I thought about the amount of time, effort and range of actions I take to make myself not feel alone, compare to the amount of time and effort I put into staying alive for as long as I can. I think that my fear of lonliness is far far greater then my fear of death.

Then I thought that there's no difference really, that the thing I fear most about being dead is being lonley.

Strange Days

2010-05-22T16:31:00.001-07:00

Of doing nothing and talking to nobody, of long circular conversaions, threads left undone and picked up hours later as if time of video games and news paper reading never occured.

Days of too many thoughts and too many feelings so that the outer world feels like a wallpaper, flat distraction. A shiny thing of no consecuinces.

Days that are heavy and liquid, that drip into one another, black coffee and fries. Hot dogs and pocicles. Bridging the gap with food and shopping.

Nobody is just one person. We are all many facated. But still, I feel very isolated from myself.

Roasted peppers

2010-05-20T01:36:00.000-07:00

Ned sprained his ankle last weekend, which means, we spend most (or rather all) of this week at home. It was really nice to cook a lot, and just be here, not doing too much. Today, after finishing all the food in the house yesterday I went to the market and got some new groceries. I got 3 large pepper and when I got home, I roasted them.

It came out is good that by tonight, there's nothing left...

Bird Slip

2010-05-19T23:55:00.001-07:00

It was very cool to change surface and draw on something different then paper or dishes for a change....

Leftovers salad

2010-05-18T18:23:00.000-07:00

We didn't go grocery shopping in about 2 weeks, We got a lot of stuff for Ned's birthday party, and went to the small store for some yogurt and snacks a couple of times, but the fridge is in a bad state... a couple of days ago Ned hurt his ankle, and so, we are mostly home bound letting his foot recover.

Today, I was going over what's in the fridge and basically had to somehow make dinner from all the leftover. Honestly, there's even no rice left...

So, we had half a bag of green Lima beans I bought by accident thinking there were green peas, and that's how this salad started. It came out so nice!

Lima Beans Salad
1/2 bag of green Lima beans
10 cherry tomato
1/2 small onion
2 celery sticks
Dressing
1 T chopped parsly
1 tsp grated ginger
1 chopped garlic clove
juice from 1 lemon
1 T olive oil
1/2 green chilly chopped fine

Lima beans are odd creature. It's a bit of a hassle to prepare, but really worth it!
Boil water in a pan, and once it's hot, pour Lima beans in. Cook for 5 minutes, then strain water and wash in cold water. And now - for the fun part... the means have a nasty shell that isn't fun to eat at all, so you need to peal them, just press the bean gently and it pops out, sometime, if the skin is too tight, you'll have to break it with your fingernail.

Once that's all done (it took me about 1/2 hour to peel them all) slice cherry tomato in half, chop onion into small bits and chop celery into slices. Mix everything.

I made the dressing in a little jar so I can put the lid on and shake it. then pour it over the salad.

We ate the salad with Cuscus, which I think was about a year old...

Jack Rabbits

2010-05-17T00:58:00.001-07:00

New movie in our louchelust site, chack it out, it's awesome!

Metro Tarot cards

2010-05-05T23:18:00.000-07:00

This is a small project that managed to become a rather big project I've been working on over the past couple of weeks. A couple of artists living in my neighborhood is organizing an art show in which all the pieces will be done on MTA metro cards. You can read more about this cool idea here: singlefare.blogspot.com/

So as I was thinking of an idea for this project, I realized that metro cards, aside of being a way to get into the metro, are, indeed, cards - and from there, the path to Tarot cards was really easy...

All the imagery used for this deck was taken from Fashion magazines of May 2010. I wanted to use something just like the metro cards, which is transitory and of the moment. Combining patterns, tarot archetypes and imagery for something that isn't so traditional as classic Tarot and isn't entierly of now.

The Single Fair show is taking place on Saturday, May 8th at 4pm until late. The artists’ studio at 224 Grand will be transformed into the “Single Fare” exhibition space through May 12th. Come over to see the original if you are in the neighborhood! Or you can buy a deck here

Single Fare

2010-05-05T00:02:00.000-07:00

I'm so so tired! I had about 4 hours of disturbed sleep last night, then a very busy 13 hours day lout of the studio with one activity and meeting leading to another.
Now it's 3:00 AM and there's still so much I want to do! I'm seriously slacking on e-mails and there are so many projects that are half way done or that their deadline is almost here... Oh well...

Anyway, I just finished and packed my Metrocards tarot deck to be delivered tomorrow for a gallery in the neighborhood. I'm pretty excited about this show, and hope that though the open-call did say there is no limits to the amounts of cards each artist can submit, a 23 cards set isn't too much. And that they will show them all.

I'm going to make a print copy to be listed in my shop the moment I have some extra time.

Fire

2010-05-03T10:09:00.001-07:00

Words are important,

Music is important,

Everything is important.

For everything I finish there are 10 more I just don't get to,

There's just not enough time.

I feel like I'm running faster and faster, till I'm just going to burn into cinder,

And still not get to where I was heading to.

Dragonfly

2010-04-30T13:29:00.001-07:00

Nina Simon's singing

Please don't let me be misunderstood

In a cafe's speaker system.

I'm looking at photos

Of dragonflie

On my phone.

Everything is a copy of a copy

Though my feeling still feel

As authenic as ever.

I don't like feeling like I'm

A character in a movie or a book,

Like I'm a copy of a copy.

But feeling like I'm the only real person

In the world

Is just about as bad.

Winner!

2010-04-18T17:47:00.000-07:00

I know I was supposed to hold this raffle ages ago, but with an unexpected trip to LA and then both Ned and I getting sick, it just didn't happened till now.

But, Better late then never, I guess, I held it today, and the winner is...

Rebecca!

Congrats!

Cake Topper

2010-04-18T15:56:00.000-07:00

A couple of months back a really nice girl bought one of my cups, and told me she is going to use it as a cake topper, it sounded really cool, but I just couldn't imagine it on top of a cake. So I asked her if she would send me a photo, once the wedding is done.

Today, I got a lovely e-mail from her telling me about the beautiful wedding they had, and sending me a photo of the cake, which turned out to be personal serving of flowerless chocolate cake.

I'm always surprised and so happy when people send me images of my art in their houses, I learn so much from the creativity and style they use to make my items something i never thought about.

Sick

2010-04-18T11:13:00.001-07:00

My brains feel like mush, body feels all sogy and damp. I hate being sick.

First coffee

2010-04-10T11:06:00.001-07:00

After a day of airports and airplanes and being elsewhere.

Trying to patch up the memory of an angry dream, something about Ned and sex and abandonment.

Trying to find a way to stop feeling so threatened by all those new families in my neighborhood, those J.crew wearing young mothers, and their designer strollers.

First coffee

2010-04-10T11:04:00.001-07:00

Misplaced

2010-04-04T15:49:00.001-07:00

After 3 days of running around like crazy, great frustrations and greater amazments and successes, We woke up this morning with no real plans and nothing urgent to do. Both Ned and I were feeling so out of sort and aimless it took us over 2 hours to decide where we want to have breakfast, eventually landing is a spot that isn't great or quite, but that was a little familiar from our last trip. We ate in silence playing with our phone and too confused and tired to communicate.

Eventually we decided to drive to the beach. It's easter Sunday, and the boardwalk was packed with families heading to the amusment park, shreaking children and seagulls mixing their shouts.

We took our shoes off and walked on the send, I felt my bones stretching, and my mind swinging between anxiety and relaxation. We stayed there for a long time, I'm lying down on the sand, and Ned sitting, trying to protect his camera from sand and salt. We took some photos, looked into the ocean, and at the people and the birds.

I feel like I was falling through a tunnle for days, then the sand on the beach broke my fall, and I finally woke up, back into my body, covered in sand.

8:00 PM in LA

2010-04-02T20:32:00.001-07:00

A very long day with plenty of misfortunes, errors and snags. It's 8:00 and feels like 4:00 AM. Our flight was delayed, then canceled then moved to 2 hours laterm we set by an apathic mom traveling with 4 kids who yelled and laughed and cry, a woman behind us fainted, the plane was half way ready to land in Denver, and then a doctor was found on the plane who fixed her up.

All this in the midth of your regular flight drama, crowd, noise and too many TV screen.

We were so happy to be off the plane, and we went to pick up the rental car, as we were driving out of the lot it turned out that we were in the wrong car and so we went back to change.

We drove about 45 minutes to where we are staying, and as we were getting the bag out of the trunk, it wasn't there. Turned out we left it at the trunk of the first car.

So now, back to the airpost, sitting in a car and waiting for Ned to figure out where did the suitecase got to and who has it.

I felt so great about this trip, scared, but ready to take on the world, now I just feel tired and nasty, my mouth taste like stupid chips I stupidly ate on the plane then fall asleep for 20 minutes, my skin feels oily, dirty and dry at the same time. I feel sticky and nausious and just beaten by life.

I know that tomorrow I'll be able to laugh this off, but now it feels like the worst thing in the world.

Religion - a submission for WHCreation

2010-03-31T21:04:00.000-07:00

We are all born into a world in which someone else knows best and that if we follow their rules things work out, and if we don't bad stuff happens - that's what parenting is all about.

The notion of nobody making the rules but myself as long as I bare the consequences for my action as well as the notion to total chaos and the fact the world doesn't have morality built into it, and the fact that things might get really really bad and there's no one out there to always save me - is very scary.

I think that most people I know who were drawn to religion were, in fact, trying to reach this feeling of safety they had when they were children and parents knew best, and the world had a very define order and rules, which if you just stuck to most of the time, you wouldn't get into any type of serious trouble.

Almost every time when secular people talk about religious people, they mention as an after thought, that it's not all religious people and that some of them are in it for the right reason. That might be true, though personally, I have yet to meet a person who went into religion out of love of god, rather then out of fear from life (or fear of death).

Karin + Raoul interview

2010-03-30T14:54:00.000-07:00

Karin + Raoul: Ned and Aya Photography from Creative Control on Vimeo.

how cool is this?!

Watercolor

2010-03-30T12:45:00.001-07:00

The way one shade of blue

Covers another.

The way the forgin language

Conversations masks one another

In a cafe, the white noise

Blending into the white noise

That's alive but unified, like

A wallpaper of sound.

The way my thought all try

To float into the surface at the same time -

Dead bodies floating in a lake,

And I'm drowning in emotions,

Can't tell my face from the others.

Tears

2010-03-30T12:36:00.001-07:00

All the tears

I didn't shad

Are coming back to haunt me.

I find them

At the bottom of coffee cups

And empty beer bottles,

In fleeting colors and ending of books.

In the quite between songs

And in the mirror.

All my history is written on my face.

I wish I didn't have to read it

Each and every line,

Each and every morning.

I wish I could look forward, the

Way I look back,

And see more lines of laughter

Then lines of sadness and anger.

Phone

2010-03-29T14:12:00.001-07:00

Forgot my phone at

Home today

Now I feel disconnected.

Hate this isolation, and even more,

Hate to admit my dependence

Of the thing.

Writing on a piece of paper

Instead of typing.

Ha! What is the use of sadness

if you can't share it with

others.

New Camera

2010-03-26T00:03:00.000-07:00

Never thought that getting a 5D would be the depressing option for anything, but there it is. We've been having a lot of technical problems with Ned's Hasselblad for the past few months and it's been getting really annoying and really expensive to fix, and so, after talking about little else for the past couple of weeks, we decided to replace it with a 5D. It's a very logical choice and it makes sense, and yet, Ned's feeling really sad about loosing the other camera's charm, style, and some of the style of it.

I'm pretty sure that once we start shooting, we'll be happy with this choice, though now the new camera feels like an uninvited stranger.

Coloring book Giveaway

2010-03-22T22:42:00.000-07:00

This blog seem to take a turn into random thoughts, dreams and feelings, and I feel like I haven't wrote anything coherent here in ages...

Anyway, here is a proof that I'm still sane and that I'm doing other stuff aside of think, dream and feel. I've been working on a small coloring book, which is something I've been wanting to do for a while. Now that it's done I decided to raffle one of those to everyone who reads my blog.

So if you want to win this lovely package of a coloring book and 5 cool color Crayola crayons, please visit my store and tell me what's your favorite thing in there.

Also, if you buy anything from my store, you automatically win one of those little books.

I'm going to raffle the book on April 6th.

Enjoy!

Just like suicide

2010-03-16T12:18:00.001-07:00

Today I learned that a man I never met and only heard about a few times killed himself last May. He was married to a woman I know, they got married for green card and couldn't decide if they want to be a real couple or not. I haven't seen her in a couple of years, then, run into her in the street and she told us about his death.

It's strange how suicide makes me feel instantly connected to someone, even though I had no emotions toward him when he was alive.