Yasmine Molavi's Blog

Kepi Cat

2011-11-20T04:15:00.000-08:00

Finally finished painting Cats Wearing Hats study #3. Introducing a very dapper Russian Blue in a golden bird embroidered kepi...

Dance

2011-10-13T06:15:00.000-07:00

Hands that dance as well as Christopher Walken...

Cats Who Wear Hats

2011-09-27T06:07:00.000-07:00

Having been sans Moosh (my cat) the last year, has left me itching for a new pet. I try to remedy this by drawing cats, as I know, now is not the time to adopt a new cat (even though it would be great to have a model for these paintings). Below are a couple of my new water colours, distinguished kittens wearing some highly fashionable hats.

A feather, a bird, and a very proper top hat.

A bow tie and a fez, a kittens best friend.

Have my prayers been answered?

2011-08-30T12:14:00.000-07:00

As an illustrator and graphic designer, I sometimes find myself quite frustrated when trying to translate my sketches to digital comps. That's why today I was extatic to see Wacom's launch of the Inkling. A pressure sensitive pen which you can pair with any sketch pad to create/transfer hand sketches into vector art.

I was expecting the price of the Inkling to be astronomical only to find out that it will be running for $199USD! What a steal, I can't wait for it's mid September launch.

Food from the Orient Poster

2011-08-25T00:14:00.000-07:00

I rarely put up any of my design work on the blog, but this poster had two things which I really enjoyed working on: food and hand crafted type. I tried to tie in some of the main ingredients in Yemenite and Indian cuisine to create an ingredient font.

Etch-a-Masterpiece

2011-08-23T01:09:00.000-07:00

While browsing, I came across the work of The Etch-A-Sketchist. An artist who solely works the etch a sketch knobs. Makes me want to go out and buy one, as I would love to see some Etch-A-Type work done :)

Bob Ross!

Dylan

Chewy & Han Solo

Chalk It Up

2011-08-10T07:34:00.000-07:00

I always marvel at chalk board signs at cute cafés and restaurants, and wonder who has hand writing so controlled that they can draw beautiful type with probably the yuckiest feeling substance in your hand (chalk is too dry for hands).

Yesterday while browsing various illustration and design blogs, I came across these gems. Dana Tanamachi, a Brooklyn based designer and chalk artist created these lovely type illustrations for Nagging Doubt Viognier in B.C., Canada. Her process was made in to several time-lapse videos, which you can watch below...

Nagging Doubt Viognier from Dana Tanamachi on Vimeo.

Nagging Doubt "The Pull" from Dana Tanamachi on Vimeo.

Cà Phê for All

2011-08-08T05:55:00.000-07:00

So excited today to see my Vietnamese milk coffee recipe posted on Recipe Look. Check it out!

Art for Your Feet

2011-08-01T18:26:00.000-07:00

Last week I was fortunate enough to participate in the State of Design festival's Art for Your Feet event. Obüs who sponsored the day in their CBD boutique supplied Melissa Fontessa shoes to each participant, along with a wide array of fabric samples, scissors, sharpies and even googly eyes to customize the shoes.

The store was packed with 20 participants churning out some truly awesome designs. Below are some photos from the event; big thanks to Obüs for providing such a creative environment and letting a girl without a reservation participate.

Now I'm off to go pick up my customized Melissa's and maybe buy a pair of fuchsia socks at their store :)

Obüs store front designed by Shayli Harrison

Working hard, hour 1.

My favorite design of the day, Melissa Moccasins.

Beautiful hand drawn type.

A close-up of my design, a sleepy eyed bootie for cloudy days.

Warm Fuzzy Feelings for Comic Sans?

2011-07-24T02:20:00.000-07:00

I just watched this stop motion short written by Mike Lacher and animated by Joe Hollier. A good laugh and frankly it makes you form a warm spot in your heart for Comic Sans, if that's what his personality really is like...

I'm Comic Sans, Asshole from joehollier on Vimeo.

Things I'm excited about this week...

2011-07-21T05:08:00.000-07:00

Justin's 30th birthday. Talk about an amazing year to wrap up 30 years of life with.
State of Design Festival in Melbourne, especially the Art for Your Feet event.
Making my very own tattoo to submit to Tatt.ly, a site of well designed temporary tattoos for the commitment-phobe in all of us.

Jg.

Customizing Melissa shoes...

My new favorite tattoo.

Who Wears Short Shorts?

2011-07-19T21:49:00.000-07:00

I read about this ad campaign for Kiwi fashion chain Suprette, and thought it too funny not to re-post. As a designer I'm constantly looking for new ways and places to spread the word, never had I considered people's thighs fair game. Ad agency, DDB Auckland cleverly left indented plates on bus stops, mall seats and park benches leaving imprints on people's thighs who took a seat. Now this is literally a walking billboard (pun intended).

A Face A Day

2011-07-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

While browsing through Cargo Collective's featured sites I came across A Face A Day. Designed by an anonymous Vienna based Designer/Illustrator, AFAD features a daily illustrated portrait of a Viennese person. Every drawing is paired with beautifully hand-drawn type telling the viewer a bit about each character. Her/His portraits are so simple and beautiful that I'm instantaneously an admirer of this mystery illustrator :)

Ca-Phe and Near Heart Attacks

2011-07-11T23:48:00.000-07:00

Hello my name is Yasmine and I get heart palpitations from drinking coffee, but while in Vietnam I formed a love/fascination with the country's coffee culture. Everyday along with millions of Vietnamese, I would visit whatever Cafe was close by; relax on a plastic stool or lounge chair and watch as my Ca-Phe slowly dripped into about a half cup of sweet condensed milk (yum!).

When I was leaving the country, I purchased about six or seven single cup filters, some Trung-Nguyen #5 coffee and illustrated a step by step guide for my friends and family to enjoy a little bit of my love for Vietnam.

Persian Haikoodles Part 3

2011-06-22T06:45:00.000-07:00

Part 3 involves my grandmother's active search for suitable photos. You'll see that the quality of pictures have improved since I enlisted the woman who reads the newspaper inside out daily.

But babe, I confess,
my fruit intake has been low.
My taste may be off.

Where are we going?
What are we going to do?
Masterbating helps.

I ate the fire from Laos.
Two types of jeow to the face.
Numb lips. A burnt butt.

Yes, forward progress,
justingenovese.com
is near completion.

A great wedding last night.
I ran from a Syrian.
She did not catch me.

I ♥ Farzi

2011-06-20T06:24:00.000-07:00

On my final days of raiding house at my grandmother's I found this photo of my aunt Farzi when she was merely 20 years old. She looked so beautiful I couldn't help but attempt (key word being attempt) to capture it in a watercolour.

Happy Fathers Day!

2011-06-19T07:01:00.000-07:00

I've spent the past month in my dad's childhood home in Tehran so it's pretty nostalgic to spend Father's day here without him. While searching through our old boxes I found this portrait I had drawn of my parents circa 1986. My dad doesn't look a day older :)

Modern Miniatures

2011-06-16T00:28:00.000-07:00

I recently visited Isfahan, the mecca of Persian miniature painting. While in years past I've marveled at the detail which goes into each piece, on this visit I found myself staring at large sloppy brush strokes which hardly deserved the title 'miniature'. I did however find a few gems, one of which I purchased. A small jewelery box measuring no more than 4" in length.

While I'm saddened to see an art form which dates back to pre 13th century Iran slowly disappearing, I'm happy to see a few crafts men and artists like Farah Oussoli carrying on this beautiful tradition.

Khorshid Khanoom Jewelry Box

Haikoodles Part II

2011-06-13T08:34:00.000-07:00

Some more haikus and their visual responses...

I see your kabob
and raise you matzo ball soup.
Ironic? Hell yes.

I'm proud that you're there,
scared that something might happen,
yet know why you went.

Digital Yasmine,
Yikes, your voice is oh so synth.
Love, My molecules.

Run away with me
to the far reaches of earth.
A place called Melbourne.

I just keep thinking
if these poems were really good
we'd get a book deal.

Persian Love Haikoodles

2011-06-11T07:52:00.000-07:00

While apart Justin and I have started an exercise of love, he sends me a Haiku daily and I send him a doodle on newspaper clippings from Iran. Below are the first five Haikoodles...

Oh, I miss your touch
Oh, I miss your muff, so much
Oh Iran, sniff me

Huh? Anyhoopers?
You said this in an email
It's not Farsi, right?

What! You touched his tush!
You juggle his soccer balls?
Abedzadeh poop.

Lover, I love love
your loving love lovingly
like lovers in love.

You wear your hijab
while I hang my with homies,
our distance is vast.

So Ugly I Couldn't Look Away

2011-06-10T08:31:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago I payed a visit to Jomeh Bazaar in Tehran, where I saw these two beauties. I couldn't erase them from my memory, so I returned this Friday and purchased them. Yup, two bearded uni-browed book-stoppers (not sure if this was their original purpose). I've since named them Beardo and Brow and they are so ugly and intriguing I can't stop looking at them. Now I need to figure out how I can get them to Australia with all their import restrictions.

Dancing Dervishes

2011-06-01T10:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my 85 year old grandmother gave me a picture of two dancing dervishes that she had clipped out of the newspaper. She asked me to paint the picture for her, but add a bit of colour because she found it to be a bit drab. The highlight though was seeing her chuckle about the dancer's fat chin when I gave her the watercolour today.

More Cats.

2011-05-28T00:56:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple more doodles from my Hill Cat/House Cat series.


Buy Something.

Eastern Delights to Western Grief

Hill Cats / House Cats

2011-05-22T00:55:00.000-07:00

While traveling through SE Asia I got a chance to learn a bit about the natural wildlife of their large cats and how quickly their habitats are being destroyed. We also visited a few animal sanctuaries where I realized how similar these big cats were to my highly energetic house cat Moosh. Even though they were about 50 times her size they were all still mesmerized by a moving string or wiggling toes.

I started working on a series of sketches showing House Cats and Hill Cats and a bizarre series of interactions between the two. Some of the drawings also involve a few of our day to day interactions with locals in the different countries we visited.

Here are a few of the sketches which I'm turning into finished pieces. Prints will be available on etsy in the upcoming month!

Justin was being fitted for a suit, I was doodling.

Justin playing with a 2 month old tiger cub.

The Mammie Bounce

Hearing about the Tsunami in Japan whilst in Dalat.

Customize It!

2011-05-12T03:11:00.000-07:00

During our extended stay in South East Asia I had the pleasure of working on custom save the date cards for SoCal couple Lucas & Gigi. Look for an addition of custom save the dates on the Mine Shop in the upcoming month.

Cut it Out.

2011-03-23T08:50:00.000-07:00

Yes, the title of this post is definitely a cheesy Full House reference but that's as far as it goes. While in Melaka, Malaysia some months ago we stumbled upon a small shop filled with hand made paper cut-outs.

The shop was owned by a humorous young artist named Ray who pain stakingly created 100s if not 1000s of cut outs which he sold in the store and the weekend night market. I asked him if he had anyone helping him with the cut outs to which he replied, " no one is crazy enough to commit to this kind of work. " Well apparently Ray is and I have to say I love him for that. Because after hours of scrounging through his work Justin and I finally settled on a beautifully cut tree housing a few perched birds.

If you're ever in Melaka make sure you visit his store which is located steps away from the Jonker Walk.

Our lovely purchase.

Paintings of Ray's cut-outs decorate the shop front.

A Very Long Journey: Sketches from Abroad

2011-03-14T06:27:00.000-07:00

Before leaving the U.S. I decided to grab a Moleskine and participate in The Sketchbook Project. I picked a theme, Down Your Street for my book only to spend the first month of my journey trying to figure out what I wanted to draw on those very empty pages. I can't think of too many tasks as daunting as filling a completely blank sketchbook with drawings that you have to share with others.

By the time we reached Malaysia (after a month of staring at the book) I had a plan; draw the people I'd met along the way. Two months later, when we reached Northern Thailand I had a sketchbook full of watercolors of the nicest, oddest, cutest and just plain bizzare people we had seen and met along the way.

Having been on the road for six months now, the list has grown extensively. I'm still painting new friends and people who I just stop and watch on the streets (there are quite a few of these). A Very Long Journey, my contribution to The Sketchbook Project is currently a traveling show touring the U.S. The Projects will ultimately end up in the Brooklyn Art Library as part of their permanent collection.

Below is a video and some photos of my drawings for the project. Click here to view tour dates and other sketch books.

My aunt and uncle in Orange County who set us off with
a lovely fruit basket that kept us busy until we
arrived in San Francisco 6 hrs later.

Robert Wong, a magician with pork. His restaurant had us
coming back for more during our stay in Kuala Lumpur.

Bonnie, a young Australian who took us
back to our college days with a few buckets.

A 4 year old I met while in Gili Trawangan, Indonesia.
Alfie had a better vocabulary and command of the
English Language than most adults I know.
The only thing that gave him away for
being four years old were his 'E's

This lovey man is who I get to enjoy all these travels with. He's also kind enough to tolerate the little eraser bits I leave behind.

With Love, From Laos

2011-03-02T10:45:00.000-08:00

This Valentine's day was extra special as I got to spend with Justin in Laos. The hidden jem of South East Asia, Laos is home to some of the world's most hospitabe people. And not to mention some of the most delicious food. Here are some of the Valentine's cards I worked on while traveling from Luang Namtha to Luang Prabang.

Malit & Manop do Ayutthaya

2011-03-01T08:33:00.000-08:00

Justin and I spent a week in January at the home of my good friend Diane's mom Wandee in Sena, Ayutthaya. A lover of food and an avid gardener and fisher, she cooked up a storm for us in her lovely Thai outdoor kitchen without ever stepping foot into a grocery store for ingredients. We were christened with Thai names (Malit & Manop) and got to fish, play with Wandee's 50 or so pups and make some wonderful new friends, that I hope we'll get to visit again very soon.

Here are a few cards I made to thank Wandee and her family for inviting us into their home.

Kun Mai Wandee with a few of her beloved mutts.

Wandee's grand niece Pat. A spitting image of Punky Brewester

Yui is another one of Wandee's grand nieces.
She tried to convince us that there were crocodiles in the river
and was dubbed "the Crocodile" from that day forth.

Drawing on beaches, drawing in jungles...

2011-02-27T05:44:00.000-08:00

The past few months have been full of travels in Malaysia, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia with many make shift studios along the way. I've been busy mostly painting portraits of much loved pets around the globe :) Here are a few pics of recent projects and make shift studios.

My very own beach front studio in Tonsai, Thailand.

Finished piece of Jodee, the tissue loving cat.

Diggy, a big fan of tennis balls.

Cozy tree-house studio with Justin in Koh Lanta, Thailand

Max, a donut loving King Charles Spaniel, painted in Koh Phangnan.

Painting our travel blog header in a sweaty cafe in Bali, Indonesia.

3Ps - Penang Pet Portraits

2010-11-23T10:21:00.000-08:00

Currently staying in an adorable guest house by the name of Old Penang Inn in Penang, Malaysia. The building is a restored pre WWII house with some of the greatest natural light for drawing. Between snacking at Malay hawker stalls and sight seeing, I've squeezed in a few new pet portraits.

Axl, a faithful companion who likes to chew and tear.

Fancy, definitely lives up to her name.

Daya, a sweet choco lab pup who loves to dig holes.

My first horse.

2010-11-15T06:42:00.000-08:00

Well, I didn't buy one with my savings but I did get to draw a lovely old gentleman by the name of General. I illustrated his name with some of his favorite edibles.

I have been hanging out in a lot of night markets throughout Asia, so it's pretty safe to say I've taken some inspiration from chinese name portrait artists, for the typography on this one...

Haven't had this much fun with toast, since I discovered the Hello Kitty toaster...

2010-11-12T05:56:00.000-08:00

My love for Geoff McFetridge first blossomed at the 5th Ave. theater in Vancouver while watching The Virgin Suicides. Since then I have followed his work and drooled over it any chance I've had. His most recent work for OK GO's video Last Leaf is probably some of his most inspiring work yet. The entire video is stop motion animation of burnt images on toast. AMAZING!

Last Leaf

OK Go | Myspace Music Videos

Pet Portraits from Kuala Lumpur

2010-11-11T03:37:00.000-08:00

Being in Kuala Lumpur the last couple of weeks has been great. It feels a bit like we live here, running errands, doing laundry!

Here are a few of the portraits I'v worked on while in KL. Next, we are off to the Cameron Highlands, for some tea tasting and hiking and maybe a few more portraits...

Nicaraguan Kitties do Malaysia

2010-11-07T09:59:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Justin and I visited the Melaka Stamp Museum in Malaysia. Much to our surprise we came across these little gems in the gift shop...

Nicaraguan Cat Stamps Circa 1984.

A Great Full Post

2010-11-03T05:22:00.000-07:00

I was very lucky to have Lindsey of Great Fully Day blog write this wonderful piece about me right before the holiday season. Thank you Lindsey!

Fake Summer Break

2010-11-03T05:17:00.000-07:00

The last 3-4 months have presented some great changes. The biggest of which was quitting my job of 4 years as the Art Director at the Museum of Tolerance, and moving across the world for a year of work and holiday. One which, will hopefully include more illustration work than I've done in the past. The last few months were spent holed up working on my portfolio (which was in desperate need of an update) and visiting friends and family all across the US and Canada for a final fellware before our departure. Currently, I am sitting on a bed in the middle of a cotton candy pink and baby blue hostel room in Kuala Lampur with a leaky air conditioner providing the soundtrack to my new life.

Although I've been MIA on updating my blog, work has steadily been flowing my way. Below are a few of my most recent Mine Shop pieces and here is a link to my new site which is still a work in progress. Also if you are interested in my whereabouts and travel stories visit 2 Schnauz Abroad.

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-21T13:17:00.000-07:00

I really missed being home with my dad on Father's Day this year so it was nice to have been able to add a special little gift to a few others; here are some portrait's from the Mine shop for Dad's special day.

All grown up.

2010-06-04T16:05:00.000-07:00

Just finished working on my friends Kevin and Jen's wedding invitations. I created an illustrated invitation incorporating their wedding theme granny smith apples. What perfect subjects to draw an adorable couple and a hyper active long haired cat :) Can't wait for the wedding.

Swedes have Style

2010-06-04T15:55:00.000-07:00

Just found a wonderful fashion blog by Elsa Billgren on Swedish Elle. Elsa, if you are reading this you can dress me and decorate my home anytime. I love love love the use of shoes as home decor accents, after all good shoes are a work of art. Here are a few of my favorite pics from Need Help Dressing?

Love is in the air...

2010-06-03T16:22:00.000-07:00

It's spring and love is definitely in the air, I've had no shortage of wedding portraits and cards coming my way. Here are a couple of cards I just finished.

Monday feeling Tuesday

2010-06-01T17:11:00.000-07:00

Back from a weekend of relaxation and fun, needed to find some inspiration to carry me through the work day and here is what I came across:

John Kenn's Post-It Drawings. A little window into a different world, made on office supplies.

Stephen J. Penry's "giggle in cubical like a mad woman" inducing watercolors.

More More Mine

2010-05-28T15:44:00.000-07:00

Some more new work from the Mine shop.

Seduce Me Isabella Rossellini !

2010-05-28T15:34:00.000-07:00

Just watched Seduce Me last night, a series of five short films by Isabella Rossellini about the mating habits of five different animals. The combination of Rossellini and the art in the films is so quirky and irresistable. Next up Green Porno.

And here is to the Pet Mama's out there...

2010-05-09T16:43:00.000-07:00

Let's not forget about all the loving pet mom's out there. My favorite pet portrait story came from Danielle who purchased a portrait of her mom's 16 year old Chihuahua Chico, I felt like I knew Chico by the time I was finished reading this:
"He is 16 and still very chipper when he "sees" (really senses because he is partially blind and partially deaf) family members (especially grandkids). Everyday he goes outside while the students from the elementary school up the street are getting out for the day-everyone knows his name and stops to pet him because he is so kind and loves affection. When he was just a young man, he used to sleep in the nook of our retired racing greyhound, we believed they had an unlikely quirky love affair which could be titled "Chico and the Long-Legged Showgirl" . He loves to be swaddled in blankets and stay cozy in the winter or to lay in the sunshine on the patio in the summer and bake himself. He also is prone to licking my mom's ankles compulsively while she watches TV and tries to ignore it, as well as following her around nonstop. He has the disposition of a champion and out of all of my mom's many pets over the years I think Chico is the dog of her heart."
Below are portraits of Chico and some of the other lovable canines I was lucky enough to paint.

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T16:23:00.000-07:00

This mother's day has been exceptionally busy and exciting especially with the start of my portrait shop on Etsy. Here are a few of the lovely Mother's day gifts I was fortunate enough to create for the mama's out there.

Some things I'm loving in the Month of May...

2010-05-04T16:45:00.000-07:00

Sasha Prood
Gavin Bunner's Hatercolors Daily
The Blue Violets

Still can't believe this kid is 19...

2010-04-23T16:12:00.000-07:00

Made this card for my not so little brother's 19th birthday. It trips me out everytime I think about him being this old. Long gone are the days of dressing him up in my figure skating outfits, sigh...

Invitation Inspiration

2010-04-20T16:53:00.000-07:00

Came across these lovely little invites on my most recent inspiration hunt...
The invitations were created by Bird & Banner for Grace Bonney of design*sponge and were printed on vintage handkerchiefs.

Re-Nest

2010-04-20T10:38:00.000-07:00

Visit Re-Nest, the green living portion of Apartment Therapy for a feature on Mine Shop today.

Newest Bday Card

2010-04-19T16:50:00.000-07:00

A very belated birthday card I made for my friend Vivian, who in her 29th year has become a master cake maker.
V - please keep the cakes coming and seeing as Casa 1309 is no longer around you might find me lurking at your doorstep for more yummy cakes :)

See:Saw Project

2010-03-22T14:12:00.000-07:00

Artist L Filipe dos Santos makes the unintentional purposeful in his See:Saw series..

Numero Due

2010-03-19T00:40:00.000-07:00

Learning Italian

2010-03-18T23:30:00.000-07:00

My most recent projects were a pair of birthday cards in Italian. I never thought I would be picking up a new language while illustrating :)
Here is the first of the two.

TYPO

2010-03-17T12:06:00.000-07:00

When designing I always feel the pressure to keep my work light and simple while being true to my illustrative side and love for intricate line work; Italian designer and Illustrator Albert Severo's ability to meld organic illustrations with clean modern designs does just this.
Below are a few examples from his Destructive Vintage TYPO experiments circa 2008.

Pikaland: The Illustrated Life Portrait Giveaway!

2010-03-16T10:02:00.000-07:00

Hurrah for Tuesday! Mine Shop portraits are featured as this week's give away on Pikaland. Leave a comment on Amy's blog post and you could win your very own custom portrait.

Things I thought you couldn't do with paper

2010-03-15T17:24:00.000-07:00

Taiwanese artist Mu Pan is best known for his vibrant paintings however, I feel his Origamu paper sculptures really showcase his versatility as an artist and his 3D capabilities.

Words I learned today

2010-03-10T17:36:00.000-08:00

Wow today is shaping up to be quite an educational day, first I learn that the plural of octopus is still octopus then I discover that if you are from the Netherlands you are to be referred to as a Nijmegen. Which brings me to my third discovery Esther Aarts a Nijimegen illustrator with an affinity for hand lettering and humorous doodles.

Plush Pals

2010-03-10T17:21:00.000-08:00

Hine Mizushima's plush creatures are so CUTE! There is really no better word to describe them. Black cats with boom boxes, love sick octopus ( I just looked up singular for octopus and apparently it's still octopus) and snails more enchanting than Gary.

A Couple of New Portraits

2010-03-05T12:49:00.000-08:00

The last few weeks have been stressful and crazy to say the least. However I did manage to squeeze in a couple of portrait projects in to the mix. The first is of John, his girlfriend Jaime had a portrait of him made including some of his favorite worldly possessions, a banjo, a misfits shirt, and a vintage typewriter.
The second portrait features Ashrita Furman aka Mr. Versatility, current holder of 114 Guinness Book World Records. Ashrita is accompanied by Pepe the Sloth in defeating the world record for the fastest time to blow a postage stamp 100 meters.

Moosh Needs to Wash the Dishes

2010-02-17T10:53:00.000-08:00

Although she is probably the best companion, sometimes I do wish Moosh would tend to our daily household chores while I went to work. Instead she naps all day and pounces toy mice all night.

Some recent portraits

2010-02-16T10:35:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of new portraits from the ol' Etsy site...

A Lactose free Valentine's Day

2010-02-15T15:33:00.000-08:00

Happy belated Valentine's day to all Lactose intolerant lovers especially one in particular...

YUM YUMMY MCYUMMNESS

2010-02-11T17:10:00.000-08:00

Delicious recipe from one of my favorite bloggers.

Pet Portraits!

2010-02-11T11:01:00.000-08:00

Here is another illustration project I have been working on, Custom Pet Portraits for only $35 you could have your very own fuzzy friend painted.

This particular watercolor is of my cousin's dog Mitzie, she passed away last November at the ripe old age of 14. She was particularly fond of bananas and grapes and did a mean playing dead trick.

Etsy Shop is Finally Up and Running!

2010-02-05T16:44:00.000-08:00

Hurrah I've finally got my shop up!
Get your very own custom portraits and cards at my new Etsy shop.

Stitch Stich Stich

2010-02-04T16:17:00.000-08:00

Jen Mussari manages to create the perfect marriage between illustration and embroidery in her quirky stitch work. She is also a great illustrator, you can have a look at more of her work here.

Numero Quattro

2010-02-02T10:09:00.000-08:00

Portrait #4 is of my amazing boyfriend Justin, who was worried he was no longer my muse since he shaved his moustache off. I hope this restores his confidence.

Art Moosh Would Love

2010-02-01T17:47:00.000-08:00

See more of Lisa Hanawalt's work here.

Portrait #3

2010-02-01T10:25:00.000-08:00

Ok, so this may not be Leslie's favorite outfit, but that is definitely her most beloved dog/pug/animal in the whole world. Portrait #3 is of my dear friend Leslie with her furry accomplice Nacho.

Video Poem

2010-01-29T14:27:00.000-08:00

Beautiful visual poem performed by Lou Doillon for Vanessa Bruno's spring collection. I love how the music, clothing and choreography are so seamlessely combined in this piece.

Ladybug

2010-01-29T14:02:00.000-08:00

Since I know USPS is delivering this today I don't feel so bad putting it up on my blog and ruining the surprise. I guess this is actually portrait numero uno. My boyfriend's sister Jaime dressed as a ladybug for Halloween.

In house Foil sweat shop!

2010-01-29T13:03:00.000-08:00

Stamp Carving from Geninne D. Zlatkis on Vimeo.
Brilliant! Now all I need is this.

Mine shop

2010-01-29T11:06:00.000-08:00

Here is a sneak peak of my latest obsession: hand-painting watercolor portraits. The first finished piece is for my lovely friend Clarissa in her favorite outfit (for this month at least :)); Hopefully, if all goes according to plan, the Mine shop will be up and running by the end of February and then anyone can commission me to paint portraits, of them in their much loved threads. Stay tuned as I finalize things over the next couple of weeks.... until then, I'll be practicing with friends.

The perfect lookbook

2010-01-26T17:51:00.000-08:00

I love love love the mix of illustration and photography in Dear Creatures' Autumn '09 lookbook.

Happy Birthday Irie!

2010-01-26T16:37:00.001-08:00

Some Newish Work...

2010-01-26T16:01:00.000-08:00

Something I worked on over the holidays but couldn't show as it was a Christmas present. It's a portrait of my cousin's cat who passed away a few years ago. She was a peculiar siamese with a soft spot for a red shoe string and a red headed man.

2010-01-21T12:44:00.000-08:00

One day I hope my home will look like this...
RIP Mac + Delfin & Postigo house

Haiti

2010-01-15T15:56:00.000-08:00

Some must see images from Haiti pre earthquake. It's so sad that a country that is already suffering so much would be devastated with such a major natural disaster. Below are some links to where you can donate to the cause:
Direct Relief International - Non-political, non-sectarian organization that “provides assistance without regard to race, ethnicity, political or religious affiliation, gender, or ability to pay.”
Doctors Without Borders - An international medical humanitarian organization working in more than 60 countries to assist people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe.
Partners in Health - PIH has been working on the ground in Haiti for over 20 years. We urgently need your support to help those affected by the recent earthquake.

Partners In Health (PIH) works to bring modern medical care to poor communities in nine countries around the world. The work of PIH has three goals: to care for our patients, to alleviate the root causes of disease in their communities, and to share lessons learned around the world.
Based in Boston, PIH employs more than 11,000 people worldwide, including doctors, nurses and community health workers. The vast majority of PIH staff are local nationals based in the communities we serve.

Records were meant to be broken

2010-01-15T10:52:00.000-08:00

I've successfully accomplished sending my secret Santa gift almost a month late. (This year's resolution is to disguise my faults and short comings as desired skills and assets). Sorry secret Santa gift recipient, I'm sure you know who your secret Santa is by now.

Theme of the Day is Creepy Art

2010-01-14T14:21:00.000-08:00

Another kinda creepy but extremely beautiful work of art by a Berlin based studio called It's Raining Elephants.

Der kleinere Raum from it's raining elephants on Vimeo.

Foil for Dinner, Letterpress for Lunch

2010-01-14T14:00:00.000-08:00

Working on new stationery and art for the 2010 SWC/MOT dinner. Below is the beginnings of this year's dinner package... I chose to go a different route this year and have everything foil stamped instead of going with traditional off-set printing.

2010-01-14T13:48:00.000-08:00

Beautiful and haunting paintings I came across today by Canadian artist Brian Donnelly.

Dear God, It's Me Yasmine (again).

2010-01-13T12:13:00.000-08:00

Dear God,
If you can't grant my first wish please try and bless me with type skills as understated, fun, and beautiful as Shaz Madani's.
Sincerely
Yasmine Molavi

Dear God, It's Me Yasmine.

2010-01-13T11:46:00.000-08:00

Dear God,
Why didn't you bless me with type skills like this.
Sincerely
Yasmine

Hot Off the Press!

2010-01-12T15:04:00.000-08:00

The Steps to Tolerance Activity booklets were delivered yesterday!

All Things Pretty

2010-01-07T17:10:00.000-08:00

Just found this blog for Bleu Bird Vintage, this girl is so stylish I think I might like her as much as the Cherry Blossom Girl.

Happy Two-Zero-One-Zero

2010-01-07T17:04:00.000-08:00

The holidays are over and I'm back at work. I'm grateful that I got to start the year off with some new illustrations. The drawings will appear in this year's Museum of Tolerance Steps to Tolerance Activity Guides which introduce younger audiences (fifth and sixth graders) to the Holocaust exhibits without completely scaring the poor kiddies.

2009-12-14T17:47:00.000-08:00

It's becoming increasingly difficult to work...

see more vintage ads here.

2009-12-09T11:07:00.000-08:00

For my lovely boyfriend on the last days of stache.

View more work by Karen Kurycki.

Just like an arrow through my heart

2009-12-07T16:57:00.000-08:00

I've spent the last week trying to figure out what this font is only to find out it's Hoefler & Frere-Jones Archer font which runs for about $400. wah wah :*(

I Heart Winsor Newton

2009-11-18T20:47:00.000-08:00

Finally tried out my new watercolour set today at work. Here is an illustration I worked on for the MOT's monthly Family Sunday program.

NBC4 SUNDAY LA - The Power to Play: From Trash to Treasure

2009-11-18T10:18:00.000-08:00

View more news videos at: http://www.nbclosangeles.com/video.

Doodling on the Beach

2009-11-16T16:57:00.000-08:00

I took my new Micron Pens to the beach with me this saturday and doodled a bit while J was surfing. I was really surprised at how detailed I was able to get the line work on textured watercolour paper.

Corner Deli

2009-11-13T15:01:00.000-08:00

I am a big fan of all things edible and drinkable, which by defualt makes me a huge fan of food and drink related designs. I found this identity package designed by A-side Studio and instantaneously fell in love with the look. I think the use of words as images is truly delcious!

The Power to Play on NBC4 This Sunday

2009-11-13T14:54:00.000-08:00

Museum of Tolerance Director Liebe Geft will be a special guest on KNBC’s Sunday L.A. news program with Ted Chen on November 15, 2009. She will discuss The Power to Play: From Trash to Treasure exhibit at the MOT through December 31st, 2009. Sunday L.A. is a one-hour news program that airs on Sundays from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. on digital Channel 4.2, which is available in 2.3.million households in Southern California. The program repeats until noon, and streams live at www.nbcLA.com, the same morning.

Power to Play: From Trash to Treasure

2009-11-11T17:00:00.000-08:00

Just found out the new exhibit I designed at The Museum of Tolerance is being featured in NBC 4s Sunday LA and Daily Candy! I am ecstatic to say the least. Stay tuned for timing etc...

Klaus Haapaniemi

2009-11-11T13:27:00.000-08:00

I came across Klaus Haapaniemi's illustrations on my friend Jami's blog. His pieces are extremely intricate yet still maintain a simplistic elegance. His plates remind me of the vintage china my parents purchased while we were in Sweden.

Jars & Jam

2009-11-11T13:10:00.000-08:00

Found this great how-to on Design*Sponge, anyone want to have crafts night with me?

Salty Stache

2009-11-09T15:40:00.000-08:00

Dear Boyfriend,
Please buy this for me.
Love
Yasmine