MOTHERS DAY FREE GIVEAWAY!

Yay! It has arrived!

I was SUPER pleased to do the album art for my beautifully-talented friend's new lullaby album. Best. Lullaby. Album. Ever. If you know me and you invite me to a baby shower any time in the next 5, 10, 20 years, this is what you will get ; )

(cover)

I love collaborating with musicians on album art, ESPECIALLY when the musicians are friends, ESPECIALLY when they've got great photography to go along with it, ESPECIALLY when the great photographer is a friend too!


(inside left)

My fav song on the album is definitely "A Heavenly Lullaby". I listened to the rough mix of it on repeat while working on the art...for, like, hours. : )

(inside right)

(back)

And in honor of Mother's Day, I'm going to grab a copy of the cd (still warm from the printers, I believe), and give it away! Just leave a comment on this post about why you love your mom or why you love BEING a mom!

AAAAAND I will throw in an 8x10 print from my shop of your choosing! We're heading out of town for the weekend. So I will close the comments at midnight on Sunday and let you know the winner on Monday!

I have three mothers to celebrate but only one who endured 52 hours of labor to bring me into this world, wiped my countless runny noses, taught me how to sew in 1st grade when I was laid up in a body cast for 6 weeks with a broken femur, and taught me how to be an artist mom by BEING an artist mom.





Thank you, mom (grammy) : )

Creative Mom Interview

The lovely Evie S (designer, artist, crafter, mother, and freedom-fighter), just posted an interview with me as part of her creative mom series. I think she asked really great questions so check it out! And if you're a fellow artist/crafter, I encourage you to get involved in what she's doing at A Beautiful Idea. You can sign up to donate 100% of the sales of one/some of your products to World Vision's work in Haiti-- a little love for Haiti, a little exposure for you, it's a good thing all around!




And just as a reminder, here are the "A Beautiful Idea" products in my shop!

Hope your week is off to a good start!

Arian : )

Art That Helps Collaboration Project

I'm super excited to show you the product of the collaborative art project done in partnership with A Beautiful Idea. 20 artists, including myself, each created a piece of art based on the themes of love/justice/hope/haiti/etc and the lovely and talented Promise Tangeman put them together to create these 8 collages.

Check out the full post here and follow the links to all 20 artists' online shops where you can buy posters, cards, magnets, tote bags, pins, etc with these images on them. 100% of the sale goes to A Beautiful Idea's current charity (which, right now, is World Vision and its work in Haiti).

Here are the pieces I'm offering in my shop-- a signed print of the illustration I contributed and a set of 5 5x7 postcards.

So go check them out! The posters are awesome, the prices are low, and the cause is great!

In 12 hours we'll be boarding a plane for Dallas, TX for our OWL CITY trip!! WOOHOO!! Thanks, again, guys for all your votes and support!! I'll be sure to show you pics when we get back!!

Arian : )

"Whatever Is" Free Download

Alright, so these verses have been lovingly smacking me in the face recently. It's silly how often I miss opportunities to rejoice and be grateful because I'm focused on the very few things that aren't necessarily working out like I want them to. Funny how, the more you focus on your worries, the bigger and more insurmountable they seem to be. Silly worry.
(click on image above for the larger version then right click or drag to your desktop to save)

So I decided to take this little sketch I did in my sketchbook and color it really pretty like ; ) and share it with the rest of you. It's for making a list of some of those true, noble, right, pure, lovely things all around us that we tend to forget. Print it out and stick it on the fridge next to your grocery list or your to-do list. Tape it to your mirror. Tape it to your forehead. Laminate it so you can write and re-write on it often.
I'm thinking I'll make one for boys too since I've got a 5-year-old who also sometimes needs to be reminded that falling off his bike once or only getting 3 bedtime stories instead of 4 does NOT constitute "the baddest day ever!!" ; ) If I do, I'll share it here!

So print the image, email it, blog it, link to it, whatever! Just don't sell it or claim it's yours. : )

Peace,
Arian

Be Free print

Hey! I just added a print version of the painting I did here to my shop. So grab one if you're interested!

This week I'm working on album art for an album of lullabies that my friend is putting out. I've listened to the rough mixes and it's seriously great. It will be my go-to baby shower gift for sure! Plus she's got a super-talented line up of people contributing to the project (recording, photos, style). Can't wait to share the finished product with you!

Have a good one!

Blog Buttons!

Hey! Finally added some little blog buttons to the sidebar over there ----> So if wanna share the love and put a cute little button on your blog, just grab the code and paste it in! Have a good one!!

Arian : )

"Free" Shirts

Friday night's concert/live painting/t-shirt launch/social justice extravaganza was sooo great! Sorry I haven't had a chance to post pics yet. We've been going to all kinds of shows and staying out super late this past week and it's been awesome!

This is what I painted during the 2-hour show (better photos and print version coming soon) and you can see what Daniel painted here.

At the event, the Stop Traffick Fashion folks launched the shirts I designed. Check out this little blurb about the shirts from their website:

This 100% Fair Trade, organic cotton T-shirt is made by the women of Freeset in Kolkata, India who were once marginalized and trapped by poverty and prostitution.

Pretty sweet!!


(based on this print)

And since I don't get a cut of the sales, I can shamelessly promote them : ) So go buy some shirts, I did!
(Note: t-shirt not backwards in real life ; )

ps--extra, random photos from the week for your viewing pleasure

NeedToBreathe show....t'was awesome.
Mother/daughter tea...t'was also awesome. Mom's laughing at the recordings Andrea made of her stomach growling...you know, tea party things.

Have a good one!!
Arian : )

Art That Helps

Happy Wednesday!

I just finished my contribution to the uber-talented Promise Tangeman's collaborative art project. I'm super excited to see what the other 19 artists contribute and how Promise puts them all together into one piece!
I decided to go with the "Love Wins" theme. It's too easy to loose heart in the face of pain and suffering, to become so inwardly-focused that we get lost in discouraging thoughts. So I wanted to encourage people to TAKE heart, not loose hope, to be freedom-fighters, to switch focus and start looking out for other people when your own troubles seem like a loosing battle. Love does win. I'll let you know when the finished collaborative poster is available in my shop.

Also, if you're a local (or if you feel like a road trip!), Daniel and I will be doing live paintings this Friday night while Artists and Authors and Flaregun perform. The show proceeds are going to Stop Traffick Fashion. And they'll be launching the t-shirts I designed.

THIS Friday night, 8pm, $5, Rohs Street Cafe! Good music, good art, good coffee, good cause...what's NOT to love?!

Hope to see some of you there!!!!

Finishing Up!!

Just finishing up an illustration and logo design job with the lovely folks at Aeolidia Design (check out their new website!)

Aaaand we're wrapping up the book---WOOHOO!! It's been nearly a year-long project--- fun, challenging, loooots of work!!



As I was putting together the "About The Authors" page and the "Dedication" page it hit me again just how special this project has been. It's truly been a family endeavor-- mom and I writing it, me taking photos and laying out the design, Daniel doing illustrations, my sister modeling and helping with all the thrift store shopping we had to do, my brother-in-law contributing to the chapter on sound design, my cousin helping me with revisions, and my aunt doing all the editing. AND, most of the old papers, fabric swatches, textures, and old photos I used on all the pages came from Granny who passed away half-way through the process.

What a fitting tribute to her, her creativity, her work ethic, her thriftiness, her love for family, and her love for the arts!!!

Still have several unfinished projects on my plate and new ones coming in. They are all fun and good so I'm excited!

You know what else is exciting??--- WAAAAARM WEATHER!! Yay for being able to wear short sleeves today! We're gonna celebrate by WALKING to dinner. And this video makes me want to wear flip flops, flowy skirts, tank tops, and drink something made with ice and coconut milk.

Hope you're getting to enjoy the weather in your neck of the woods!

Arian : )

The Happy Janssens

I can't remember how I first came across the lovely and talented Sara Janssen. Maybe it was the Apartment Therapy house tour of their RV or perhaps it was while looking for raw food recipes. Or it could have been through her Etsy store...or maaaaaybe it was her flickr page. Who knows, she's everywhere!! But I'm just glad I did!

Her family's new travel blog just went live and features the little banner illustration I did for her. I was happy to be able to make a small contribution to the Janssens' efforts of spreading their healthy-living, healthy-planet, "smaller is better" message all across the country. I love her "Walk Slowly, Live Wildly" philosophy on life and she definitely has inspired me over the past couple years since I've been follow her blogs.

Hopefully their travels will bring them to the Cincinnati area some day and we'll get to meet in person!

So if you haven't already, set aside a couple hours and explore all of Sara's links. You will definitely be inspired!!

This Old House

The journey of settling in and making our place home continues. I've been playing around with this little corner of our bedroom. It's been such a winter wonderland outside for the past couple weeks and the colors in our room seem so wintery and cool. So I brought a few elements from outside in to create this little homage to winter.

The "a" is from this post.

Snowy terrariums made with vintage jars, a few found objects, and polyfill.
A garland of pictures Granny took through out her winters in Kentucky.
Pine cones with glitter and more "fluffy snow".

I'm trying hard to wrap up big projects this week so I can finally move on to some new things!! Among the new things--- a blog overhaul, a few new paintings, a couple tattoo designs (for other people, not me....though I'm not against the idea ; ) , and some more free downloads for you folks. Good stuff!

Have a good one!!
Arian

Book Preview!

Here's a little preview of a project from the book! It's a trick I learned in college working on props for one of the musicals. A dozen galvanized steel buckets were to be used in a dance number with lots of tossing and spinning . . . and the possibility of clanging, denting, crashing in mid-air—not to mention possible concussions.

So we snagged a bunch of Kentucky Fried Chicken buckets and followed the following steps to turn them into galvanized steel-looking pails. This works on cardboard, foam core, or heavy paper. I just made this big "a" out of foam core for above the mantle in our bedroom.





You’ll need:

- black acrylic paint
- paint brush
- natural sea sponge (natural is more expensive than plastic or foam, but
there’s a world of difference in the final effect. They’re available at craft, art, or hardware stores)
- oil-based silver enamel metallic paint
- paint thinner
- cleaning rags
- newspaper.

How To:
Do a test piece first. Paint with black acrylic. Let dry. Dip the sponge into the silver paint and work it into the sponge a bit. Dab the piece completely.

Enamel takes a while to dry and is more trouble than water-based, but the finish lasts longer and is generally shinier. Clean out the sponge with paint thinner after every use. Natural sponges—like good brushes—can be used for years if thoroughly cleaned.

When the first coat is dry, sponge on another coat. Step back and compare your work with the actual look you want to achieve. Continue adding layers until the black is covered.

..........................

Have fun! And make sure to send me a link if you try this project for yourself!

Arian : )

ARMSTRONGS BRING HOME THE GOLD!!!

(here!)

Woohoo!!!! Thanks, everyone, for your votes of support! We're super pumped!! The trip, of course, will be awesome. But I think we're equally excited that our first attempt at doing a project like this together was so well-received. And we're hoping this opens the doors to lots of opportunities to partner our art and animating skills with the work of amazing musicians. So thanks, Owl City! We're excited to come see you!

Arian & Daniel

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!

I love coffee shops.

I love the smell, the lights, the ambiance, the comfy couches, live music, local art, scones, and the "stay as long as you want" vibe.

Friday night I got to combine some of my very favorite things: the coffee shop, friends, family, my man, soy lattes, acoustic guitar, social justice, my sketchbook, my camera, freedom, and creative collaboration.
Ryan Adcock-- singer/songwriter/photographer/freedom fighter-- raising money for his trip to South Africa. Go Ryan!
Working on an illustration project.

My favorite dude and 2 other pretty favorite dudes.


And HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Miss Ruby!!! Thanks for inviting us to your rad party!

You're so cute it hurts!
p.s.-- do you know if your skirt comes in adult sizes??

Well, HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY to you all! Hope it's full of love and dark chocolate!

Arian : )

p.p.s.-- no word yet on the results of the Owl City video contest. I confess I was eagerly waiting by my computer at midnight on Friday night when voting ended, hoping the results would be posted at 12:01. After hitting "refresh" about 25 times, I finally just went to bed. I actually have no idea when they will post the winners. The rules are unclear on that. (Wait, let me go hit refresh again....nope, still nothing) Guess we'll find out when we find out! : )

VOTE FOR THE ARMSTRONGS!!!!!

YAY!!! We made it to the final 10 in the Owl City Fan Video contest! So take a look at the final 10 and VOTE for your favorite!! (ours is the one with the little character guy sitting on the hanging star by "abrooke10")

Thanks!
AA

We Finished It!

YAAAYYY!! Our little secret project is complete and ready for public viewing!!




So, about a month ago Daniel and I had this really great, inspiring conversation on the ride home from his hometown while the boys slept peacefully in the backseat. We were dreaming about where our creativity could take us and how sweet it would be to work on projects together. We thought it'd be super fun to try our hand at a music video using my illustrations and his new animation skillz. I specifically mentioned Owl City's song "Vanilla Twilight" because the lyrics and music are so sweet, I hadn't seen a music video for that song yet, and I know firsthand the heartsick feeling of being away from your love for a long period of time (Daniel and I spent a year in separate countries while we were dating/engaged)

So I was pumped to find out last week that the folks at Owl City were holding a "Vanilla Twilight Fan Video" contest. PERFECT!!! So even though it meant working several laaaaate nights, we did it! Of course I wish we had three weeks to work on it rather than three days but I'm super happy with the results!

So check it out!! Owl City folks will pick 10 finalists, the public will vote for the winner, and the grand prize is airfare, hotel, and tickets to any Owl City show in the country. I will be sure to let you know later this week if we make it to the finals so you can vote!

Even if we don't win, it's been totally worth it. The past three nights of flirting over video chat while we worked on the project in separate rooms of the apartment have been really sweet. And I think this contest has been the kick in the rear we needed to start working more together. So thanks, Owl City : )

Lots planned today! Have a good one!!

Arian : )

VALENTINES DAY SALES!

I've dropped the prices on a few love-related prints this week in honor of Valentine's Day. So if you're in the market for some V-day gifts, take a look at these!

"I Do" print: was $20 .... now $15
Customize with your own wedding date!

"BeLoved BeFree" prints: were $18... now $12

Print your own Valentines Day cards or postcards with the "BeLoved BeFree" pdf or the "Love Never Fails" pdf for $5.

I loved Valentine's Day long before I ever had an official Valentine to share it with. Who doesn't love a day dedicated to giving and receiving love?! So get out there and show some LOVE!!

Arian : )