Birthday Commission

At last, I can come out with interesting news that I've been sitting on for months, like a good goose.

I received an illustration commission to  create a series of framed place setters for an elegant Fortieth Birthday dinner party.

Each illustration was an amusing representation of the hosts and guests. The images incorporated aspects of their careers, and/or personal interests.

I am told the guests were delighted with the illustrations, and wandered around the dinner table taking in the different framed illustrations. It certainly became a talking piece for them

The Draft

© Melissa Gaggiano
On the Phone - Draft

Sometimes the draft looks just as interesting as the finished product.

Spring into these Digital Prints

© Melissa Gaggiano

For all you scrapbooking and paper craft champs out there: I've designed a couple of print sets for you. The great thing about this product is that it's a digital download. That means you can buy it now, print it now (no waiting for it to arrive in the mail).

And so you ask, where might I find these wonderful prints?

Look no further than my Etsy store.

Ukulele Family

© Melissa Gaggiano

Never Lonely

© Melissa Gaggiano

    In everything they do these siblings are never alone and never lonely. Even going to the toilet turns into a social event.

Umbrella Weather?

© Melissa Gaggiano

    What do you when you're in a rut? Switch to 'doing' something else. What do you when it rains? Whip out that umbrella and be like 'Singing in the Rain'. Now that's different.

Gossip and Doodling

© Melissa Gaggiano

    I have begun watching season one of Gossip Girl and I am loving the show. Yes! Yes! I know the show came out ages ago. I'm kind of a late bloomer.
    I had a little play in Illustrator which resulted in this Gossip Girl inspired doodling.

5 Minutes with Joshua David McKenney

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Joshua David McKenney
with Pidgin

    Joshua David McKenney is an inimitable, and celebrated lifestyle and fashion illustrator. Some of his clients include Harper Collins, Penguin Group, Saatchi Group, Scholastic Books, Elle Girl, Seventeen Magazine, Girl’s Life, Innovative Kids, Mattel, MAC cosmetics, and Nylon Magazine. 
    Beginning in 2009, Joshua's iconic fashion silhouettes took a three dimensional transformation with the creation and development of Pidgin, the fashion doll with a fan art following.
    And now Joshua takes 5 minutes:

Best breakfast ever…

is being spent a little hungover with friends and a bottle of champagne.

5 books I keep close by are...

Miss Piggy’s Guide To Life​­ Miss Piggy (as told by Henry Beard) 

The Biba Experience by Alwyn W Turner
Your Beauty Mark​ by Dita Von Teese
Mel Odom ­ First Eyes by Hiroko Tanaka

The Lonely Doll​ by Dare Wright 

Looking out the window I see...

Other windows.

JD McKenney: self portrait

I haven’t done this yet, but I would really like to...

Go to Barcelona and Berlin.

To get the creative juices flowing I usually...

just start working. It takes a bit of time but I find the best way to be creative is to start making things your hands and see what comes out.

My all time favourite Pidgin design is...

usually whichever doll I’m currently working on.

If Pidgin were a song she would be...

Georgy Girl by the Seekers.

Thank you Joshua, for your mentor-like generosity. You are pure awesome sauce.

For more information about Joshua and the elusive Pidgin:
www.pidgindoll.com
www.facebook.com/PidginDoll
www.instagram.com/jdavidmckenney/
www.artrepnyc.com/artists/joshuadavid/

Doodling #27

Melissa Gaggiano illustration

An Evening with Megan Hess

    A couple of evenings ago I put on my gravity defying black buckle high heels, coffee coloured lipstik and headed into the city to The Willows for a celebration of illustrator Megan Hess and her book Fashion House: Illustrated Interiors from the Icons of Style.

    The first part of the evening was spent looking through a gallery of Megan's work, talking with other fellow attendees of this soiree, and eating canapes [a first for me]. Champagne and wine was also on the menu but being that I was a bit dehydrated upon arrival I simply had a glass of water.

    Further into the evening we were led to a conservatory. From there we watched and listened to a relaxed, couch side conversation with Megan Hess, conducted by Sally Williams.

    Then we finished the evening with a book signing, which included a quick chat with the lovely illustrator of the hour.

    It was a happy and inspiring evening for me. At a time when I was thinking of retiring my drawing hand, Megan encouraged me to keep at it. I also learnt that she works with Japanese brush pens, so that'll be next on my art supply list.

    Oh, and I just have to say, Megan's book, Fashion House, is dreamy and gorgeous. It is a wonderful piece to have in my library. I have been staring at the pages every day since I came home with it.

An evening with Megan Hess

Copyright Megan Hess

    This blogger is quite excited as next week she will be spending An evening with Megan Hess. Megan is a wonderful fashion and lifestyle illustrator. And there are so many questions I shall want to ask her, I hardly know where to begin. If Megan Hess were a sorcerer, I'd so want to be her apprentice. 
    I loved her work even before I knew her name. For those not quite in the know Megan is the artist behind many of Candace Bushnell's book covers. Additionally her client list does include Chanel, Marc Jacobs, Vanity Fair, Italian Vogue, Christian Dior, just to name a few.
    To find out more about Megan, you can check out her website:

www.meganhess.com

Cool Girl

Vector art by Melissa Gaggiano.

    It has been quite a long time [a few years in fact] since I last worked on any vector art. Years and years ago I started out doing most of my digital art in Illustrator. I eventually made  the transition to Photoshop as I became more confident with that program. This year though I thought I'd reacquaint myself with Illustrator and hone my technique.

Ladies Illustrate It

    Here is a lovely little video from Nivea. I love it becaue of the focus on a group of illustrators working together and separately on their art pieces. Who wouldn't want to work in an environment like this? I love all the different works that appear in this video, and of course, one of my favourite artists, Marguerite Sauvage, does appear in this.

Marc Martin's A Forest

    I have this book on my list of 'absolute must haves'. It is a watercolour illustrated book by Marc Martin titled A Forest. I first heard of this wonderful artist [and book] via Jacky Winter. A Forest is available through Penguin publishers. Yay for us!

Illustrated book by Marc Martin.

Illustrated book by Marc Martin.

Appreciating Bree Leman

Illustration by Bree Leman

    This week I discovered another artist who inspires me, and her name is Bree Leman. Bree is a fashion and glamour illustrator and let me just say her work is so smooth. Her line work is perfection.

Illustration by Bree Leman

Illustration by Bree Leman

    Following is a useful interview link in which Bree discusses her work and process:

http://vector.tutsplus.com/articles/interviews/interview-with-bree-leman/

Illustration by Bree Leman

Illustration by Bree Leman

Visit Bree Leman at

www.breeleman.com/

Izak Zenou

    Izak Zenou is on my list of favourite artists. Check out this short intro and you'll see why...

Illustration by Izak Zenou

Illustration by Izak Zenou

Illustration by Izak Zenou

Visit Izak's website at

www.izakzenou.com

Yummy Food

Just some of my fave, crave, raves…

Antonio Lopez

It is something of a surprise that I am now writing about an artist known as Antonio Lopez.
I borrowed from the library, a book called The Beautiful Fall, which follows the career paths of Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld. I was both fascinated and appalled at the lifestyles of these designers, but as I continued reading I was more drawn to the people who surrounded them. More particularly fashion illustrator, Antonio Lopez.
Antonio was for a few years a part of Lagerfeld's entourage, if memory serves correct this was roughly the early 70s. Wanting to catch a glimpse of this man's work which happened to grace the pages of many major fashion magazines, I jumped on the computer and googled away.
I have found a new source of inspiration. My goodness, I want to be able to illustrate the way Antonio could. Of course, it helped Antonio a great deal by having models pose for him while he did his work.
Following are some lovely examples of his art.

Pretty Good Idea

I was doodling in Illustrator when I came up with this little piece. I think this would make for such a pretty bed quilt. What do you think?

The Beach