New Selling Location

Check out Shepherdstown for this years Christmas shopping. Plum is a jewelry retailer nestled downtown on German st offering an amazing collection of handmade and personalized jewelry options.
I just recently brought in a few of my recent necklace designs, which are available online at plumwv.com and in the shop. Here's one of my favorites which features a large coin pearl and vintage brass bar chain.

For the People

Date: 8.5.2011

Event: Craft Night

Outcome: graphics for good people

So about being local. It really comes down to the people you most commonly interact with. One of the new and my personal favorite new additions is "Stone Cottage" of Ephraim Door County.

Stone cottage offers a contemporary take on the Door County summer home or urban living environment; offering one of kind jewelry items by local artists, rare one of a kind and vintage decor and a collection of antique goods and hand made items.

Im pretty happy about the outcome of this one.

This graphic piece is for an ad in the Fall Door County Living Magazine. I love playing graphic designer for people that are worth supporting.

Check it out.

Ugly or not

Robert Rauschenberg is one of those artist that has always been an inspiration in all creative facets of my life. During the 1950s Rauschenbergs work came to prominence in the transitional period between Abstract Expressionism to Pop Art.

Today's fashions scream color, blending all sorts of styles, patterns and time periods into cohesive fashion trends. We are at the point of anything goes as long as its styled right. Pin up shorts paired with a vintage abstract appliqué cat shirt, belted with tap shoes to match. Through in the colorful oversized bag with fringe and your a modern art piece.

Dressing oneself is becoming more and more like an art if its own. My favorite part of dressing myself is finding the balance. Jest like an art piece, no matter what style or materials used, it must achieve balance.

Rauschenberg picked up trash and found objects that interested him on the streets of New York City and brought these back to his studio where they could become integrated into his work. He claimed he "wanted something other than what I could make myself and I wanted to use the surprise and the collectiveness and the generosity of finding surprises. And if it wasn't a surprise at first, by the time I got through with it, it was.

Take a look at the examples i've found of transitional pieces reflective of Robert Rauschenbergs work. I've posted one of his collage works to go along with the clothing.

An Old Flame

This shirt tucked in to a pair of high waisted shorts would be just the perfect blend of classy casual. I would pair it with an olive green belt and accessorize boldly for the pure fact that a can with a nice neutral like this. I couldn't find an appropriate green belt but i found a cream and brown one that would match the idea.

A bold color would stand out better but you get the idea.

American Apparel Zipper Shorts

These are a great vintage baby blue wash.

Paired with a pair of toms or dress it up with a chunky wedge. The ones i show here are by the designer Jeffery Campbell and are a classic thats always good to have around.

More To Come

It has been a while for i have been very busy. I am in the process of moving back to Door County there i will be taking up residence there until October. I have never had a Door County fall, seeing that i would always have to return for school in August. Now that i am done with school i can hardly wait for the experiences that lie ahead.

This summer my friend Kira and I will be kicking it fashion crafting in her parents vacant two car garage. I am so excited, and will be posting my new photos of her fashion collections coming very soon.

My new love is the high waisted sequin short. A little pin up with a twist. If i could find theses in pinstripe navy they would be mine. keep an eye out for this trendy item to hit the streets.

Love the LOOK

Vintage inspired trends fashioned for modern every day wear. Modclot.com has got it all. Moderately affordable fashion to give you that step above the rest look. Check out their new trends.

LUCAS & THE LOVELIES

On a sunday morning the Lovely's, accompanied by myself, venture into an antique shop and the vacant floors above one of my jobs for a photo shoot. It is still a challenge for me to photograph more than one subject at a time, but over all the photos seem to make it happen.

Ryan McGinley= Love

I love everything this man is and will be. I wish we could be friends. Effortless beauty, Most of his work is staged but there is a purity in the execution i only dream about achieving.

This is a piece from his 2004 Olympic Swim Team Series. I love that he still uses film, and his colors and framing are so consistently amazing.

Yesterday I received a random email about an artist i should look into. It turns out that i actually really love her work. Kristi Antonneau is an artist and graphic designer who's style is clean and simple. I often struggle with the fact that the last 3 years i spent fighting teacher about creating beautiful art just because i like it. To me even though its beautiful there are are other aspects such as execution, scale, material and others that all make something even though its not "contemporary" worthy of recognition. However i would argue that they way that Kristi executes her mixed media collages is more than enough to categorize her as a contemporary artist. There is no deep meaning or huge concept fabricated to make the work more than it is. Its simply good.

I personally like pretty things. Thorough out my college experience i was told that in the contemporary world of art there was no place for pretty or beautiful. Its like clipping a birds wings and telling them not to sing to take away the what is inspirational to them.

If you are inspired by something just because its beautiful then its should be that way. I have a hard time dealing with pretentious concept artist that make horrible work but can run circles around it explaining why its the shit. Its still Ugly. When it comes down to it wheather it is the most conceptual, well executed pile of dog crap on someone's face it still stinks.

Doubt climbs a young tree

Wind and rain endured before

Belief seeps in through the thirsty roots

To swell a blossoming soul

Till uncertainty clings no more

-Kristi Antonneau

http://www.littletreestudio.com/splash.html

The Wait

This is one of my favorite shots. All of them have so much potential. This one was hot with the flash lighting up the closest plats making them look lighter and a little out of focus. The soft look of these are something that i want to continue in my work to come. As i continue to shoot i feel like i am allowing my self to shoot more like i use to. It sees as if though out my college education i was forced to focus so conceptually that i lost a little of my individuality. I felt forced to come up with concepts and create work within the confines of my idea. I have no idea what this means to me or other people. And honestly i don't think it even matters. I know that i love the balance, colors, framing and feel. Weather it is conceptional or not matters little to me. I love if for what it is not.. It is merely a fabrication, this did not happen by chance, a staged reality. I could go into a whole explanation of fabricating identity and staging a false reality but what does that really prove. The fact is that i made this happen. It was a moment that we shared. Piggy backing one of my closes friends through the snow as to not mess up here heals in a field found randomly off the side of the road, while my boyfriend watched her 6 mont hold son as we run around dressed like we mean it. Its nothing more than the urge to wear your mothers heals, dressed to the T, with your makeup all smeared. This is the way we do it, and we do it well. Tara you are absolutely stunning!

A Little Vamp

I love the affect of just a little contrast and saturation alteration.

Dearest tara

This is one of my close friends. Its always wonderful working with her. You know how some people just have the ability to make you look like a great photographer with the smallest effort. well this was a 15 minute shoot on one of the coldest days just before we had a huge snow storm and it was rather cloudy. Despite the weather and it being rather cloudy she always looks so flawless.

More From THe Day Before

A collection of the past

Lately I have been having trouble having the desire to take photographs. I was not surprised when I woke to a grey dull morning topped of with a touch of crisp wind. As I busied myself around the house I contemplated venturing outside. One of my friends had offered her self up for a brisk photo shoot the day before and and as it reached noon a stream of light passed through the window slightly blinding me and giving me a glimmer of hope for a successful shoot. Its been so cloudy and cold out i have had a real problem getting motivated. Around 2pm i assembled an outfit of vintage cloths that I've collected from a few vintage clothing stores over the years and called my friend kate to start the hair an makeup process.

This outfit was compiled of a bright gold vintage clutch, a belted vintage poly blend plaid oversized shirt, leggings, wool socks, and classic black leggings and boots.

At about 4pm as the sun was about to set we headed out to an abandoned warehouse here in hagerstown. It was so cold out we tried to move very quickly so i only took about 50 shots but this is one of my favorites.

This shirt and Clutch are available on my Etsy site ButtonsnBones.

Wire Working Experiment

This is my most recent addition to Etsy. Its been a slow process getting my page up and running and i have yet to make sale, but now with school over i have plenty of free time to focus my attention towards it.

I work at The Potomac Bead Company in Hagerstown MD. Working there has been wonderful, I have learn so much and continue to learn new things almost every time i work.

This is the newest piece i have created. I personally love it. It makes me feel great wearing something completely fabricated that i made.

Newly listed on etsy!

My grandmothers collection of vintage buttons is finally being put to use. This is just the start tip of the ice berg of whats to come. More to come.

Love the Vintage!

This photo is so striking! i love the soft cyan edges and the high contrast.

TOPSHOP

I am inspired by the company TOPSHOP. Its like the hybrid version of Urban Outfitters. The defiantly have a vintage one of a kind feel, which a like. I could defiantly see myself as one of there photographers. they even have maternity cloths. how cute. Even prego's have to look good .

New Love

This is pretty much one of the coolest sites i have ever found as far as dressing your self ideas go. I am in love!

Fashion Utopia

I found this adorable Hanes add. I think I'm going to recreate it in the near future. Love the idea though.

How To Deal

I have just graduated from College with a degree in Photography. I am feeling a little like a starving artist and the worst of it is the fact that i am feeling uninspired. This blog is and attempt to focus my vision, find myself again to examine and find those things i've come across, loved and forgotten. No more will i pass up that beautiful vintage sweater, luscious red lips on a vintage print. This is for what inspires me. Be it fashion, painting, a vintage toaster or what ever. The collections of wishes, beauty and whatever i feel like.