The Moldy Doily

thanks for the palette

I am almost done drawing my intergalactic space-travel graphic novel for Zune!  I have spent so many days sitting upright at my table that my back has collapsed and my eyes are pink.  I have consumed a dixie cup of water and on the few occasions I have been able to sleep for more than 4 hours, I have dreamed about ways to color the panels more efficiently.  I have saw my hand moving across the page coloring in every piece.  It's weird.  I can't imagine working a job on the stock market, I'm sure those guys go home and see floating numbers over and over.

I apologize for the lack of posts, and will promise to resume my normal pace after this weekend.  I need to tend to some much needed laundry and cleanup first.

I will post a few sneak peaks on Sunday for those of you who are curious as to how I drew my characters.  as for now, and still on the Super Hero Color kick...I wanted to share this rad inspirational clothing line called "cneeon". They design with a wild colorful palette that makes me want to get right back at the drawing table after this job.

I think they are from Berlin?  Not sure but love their concepts and colors and radical backdrops.  This latest line was influenced by this:

Summer. Winter.
Winter is harder. Not because it is actually cold. It
was cold before. In the past. There was snow which loomed in the streets, there were icy sidewalks, on which in the morning we’d throw our ashes. Ashes which only yesterday was still coal, coal to heat our rooms.

Now, the winter is mild. But that does not make it any better. Winters are still hard. We rise to the neon light of the morning subway ride – because the sunlight is still missing.

I have been told of a small country is not far from here, which celebrates the return of the migrating birds. The children there dress up as birds and play "Bird Wedding". The Magpie marries the Raven. This is not done in the spring, but rather in the middle of winter. Optimists, I guess. And why not us? Take the cap off your head, move it onto your neck! Your scarf was not made to warm your neck, but for the wind to blow! Go and tie it to your jacket!

(all pics copyright credit to photographers Alex Kohout and Shoji Fujii)

adoration scene

Evren Catlin is a fashion stylist from NEW YORK, I found some of her colorful styling work on the DripBook site, and thought I would share...

the Returns

Yesterday I had to go to L.A.X airport to pick up Scheid coming in from London and a long tour filled with outrageous band stories to fill a RAD Tour book. I can't wait til the day that he completes his Tour Managing Guide for Rubes. His stories definitely make for a good ride home stuck in traffic (and pretty much cure me of any delusional fantasy that a band guy could be a good mate). I will admit that on the numerous occasions that I have stood and waited in the Tom Bradley International Terminal for someone, I practically break down. Last time I stood there waiting for David, I saw my whole life flash before my eyes. I saw the past and the future on all of the anxious faces waiting for their loved ones. I saw women all fancy pacing as they anticipated seeing their man waltz up the ramp. Kids running into the arms of grandparents they haven't seen in awhile. It hurt my heart. It was like torture witnessing countless acts of love and return. I confess this because yesterday was no different. I decided that I perhaps could no longer wait inside that terminal for people in the future. Maybe my deep nostalgia for love and longing was too much for me to handle. I cry easy and often. This you may or may not have known about me. But for some reason watching people return into the arms of their loved ones is almost cinematic. (this sort of makes the "I'm with the Band" point funny) And TODAY, speaking of LONG OVERDUE returns, my pal Cindy is coming back to me and L.A. and pizza parties on my bed. I can't wait to be done with this job so that I can get back to my good friends, adventures and posting lots of inspiring fashion finds. I am almost finished with the Microsoft Graphic Novel job!! I can't wait for you all to see it. One of the more challenging things for me to make, considering drawing men and space aliens is not my specialty.

Just Hitched

Introducing the new Mrs Benjamin. The couple were married by her Daddy up in Mammoth with a heavenly view and dreamy snowflakes. That's right real SNOWflakes! It was incredible leaving L.A. and driving 7500 feet high up where the air is fresh and clear. We all stayed in a sweet cabin that was saddled up near a lake and tiny fishing boats. On the way down the mountain we ended up driving though a cute place called LONE PINE where we stopped for breakfast and to grab a few gem stone rare finds This little diner was closed, but it was shaped like a Merry Go Round Fran convinced me to buy these new Mystery Doritos. The gimmick is YOU gotta guess the flavor, and bag says..."that's only the beginning" Trust me (and my tongue) Yuck. If I could best describe, it was like a fruity burst of Buttermilk weirdness tingling your tastebuds. Oh by the way, the BEST BEEF JERKY stand was also a bust. The whole place was reminiscent of a Law and Order episode about to happen. I think that the sad chicken coup out back was a nice warning. Gaby liked that this pic made it seem like we had always hung out and drank coffee at this bar while watching Regis and Kelly. Sort of a Northern Exposure Twin Peaks sort of place

doll parts

My friend Taryn recently sent me a link to this sweet jewelry line that incorporates lovely dolly parts (little limbs and precious heads) into fancy pieces. The collection by M. Graves has an interesting story behind it as well. Check out the wares and then read about the artist below. Clever

departing images

have to leave town for a few days to attend the wedding, here's some sweet images to tide you over til I return...

sunday shower

MATT and VIV: CONGRATS! They are not only getting married, but VIV is also pregnant with a baby BOY. The happy couple held their big Bridal shower at the lovely Moroccan 1920's Hotel Figueroa dowtown. It was lovely, and later this week they will be getting hitched officially near June Lake by her daddy. I think it will be fun hanging out in cabins with tiny boats and good friends. We couldn't help lounging in the sun drinking pretty cocktails and eating luscious desserts and exploring the amazing place. This is the same hotel I went on my 2nd date with Mr. P and also caught the wedding bouquet of my pal Donita. If you have never been to this gorgeous Hotel, you need to get over there this summer and hang out by the pool at least once! (I snagged a few of these from Viv's pics)

BEADmania: ART TO WEAR

(amazing neck piece by artist Joyce Scott)

KRUGER, Daniel

envy

So we are headed for a heat wave this week and obviously I am bordering on delusion. I live on the fourth floor of an old 1930's building in an apt that could use a nice overhaul.

As of today I wish I were in this room, and it was mine to decorate (for the record my apt looks nothing like this, I only wish)

wearing this matching ensemble:

wouldn't hurt to have a body like this as well, I suppose:

maybe wearing this on my head? Ok, have I taken this too far yet?

(hair photos from Jennifer's blog http://moments-of-grace.blogspot.com)

Testing the new Duvet cover

Last night while in line for the restroom at a local bar, a cute girl approached me and said, "Are you the girl from the MOLDY DOILY?" After I said yes, she said she is a regular reader and a fan of Georgie Boy. She even admitted that she once looked at his whole thread on my blog. I swear he has a lot of darling groupies, maybe I should get him a headshot? The girl in front of me in line then turned and said, "I read your blog too." I was so flattered. Made my night.

Georgie has been having a slight love affair with Fran. Whenever she comes over, he has to monopolize all of her attention. She was trying to read a nice article, but Georgie wasn't having any of that. He made himself into a flat cat and covered the entire spread. We thought he looked like tasty burrito.

MUSE

Bought this new magazine MUSE the other day. It's cover says Return to Innocence and focuses on FASHIONART. There are stories on artists David HAmilton, Louise Bourgeois, and more. Too bad it's mostly presented in non-English. Anyway, liked some of these shots and thought I'd share

R.I.P. Rauschenberg

Oh no, another one of my favorite prolific artists has passed! A mastermind of all mediums, Robert Rauschenberg transcended all boundaries of art. He was known to be a printmaker and set designer, a painter, a photographer as well as compose and choreograph. According to the news, Rauschenberg suffered from heart failure at his home in Florida on Monday, he was 82.

I was always fascinated mostly by his unusual object installation sculptures, with overlapping paint and prints. My favorite when I was a student was BED. When I moved to California, my friend Kutmah and I went to see some contemp art show, and it was one of the pieces. I got very close to it, and my heart was pounding. I was excited to see it up close in all it's tattered glory. There was this energy being put out by being so close to his work. I can't explain it. It made me aware of reckless abandon and to not dismiss common objects as less beautiful. (very similar to Duchamp) Don't tell anyone, but I reached out for the first time in a museum and touched it. I know, I know, very classless of me.

How can you forget "Monogram" the piece with the stuffed GOAT!?

In the New York Times article by Michael Kimmelman there is this quote by the artist:

***************************************************************
“I really feel sorry for people who think things like soap dishes or mirrors or Coke bottles are ugly,” he once said, “because they’re surrounded by things like that all day long, and it must make them miserable.”

The remark reflected the optimism and generosity of spirit that Mr. Rauschenberg became known for. His work was likened to a St. Bernard: uninhibited and mostly good-natured. He could be the same way in person. When he became rich, he gave millions of dollars to charities for women, children, medical research, other artists and Democratic politicians.

************************************************************
He also stated “Screwing things up is a virtue,” when he was 74. “Being correct is never the point. I have an almost fanatically correct assistant, and by the time she re-spells my words and corrects my punctuation, I can’t read what I wrote. Being right can stop all the momentum of a very interesting idea.”

bad girl and cat queen

Even though the Italian Vogue has been on the shelves for a little bit, the Meisel photo spread (literally spread) has been stirring up some controversial comments. The cover features actress Eva Mendes, and the inside has Steven Meisel's fashion shoot with her in bondage Sophia Loren get ups straight outta Madonna's SEX book. I have to admit I thought some of them were pretty shocking considering Mendes is the model. (I didn't include the one of her swallowing her own foot)

I personally thought they were pretty interesting and sexy to boot. I mean, what's a girl to do straight out of rehab? Of course, EMBRACE your bad girl persona and go for broke. Maybe it's my voyeuristic quality (I in fact am quite shy, therefore like witnessing the car crash of other people's overt sexual come-hither stance)

Anyway, I find it most funny that Kutmah went to high school with her. He said she was a popular cheerleader who everyone called "cindy crawford" because she was not only gorgeous but had the mole.
She recently was quoted in a tabloid story with other actresses saying that she was a geeky teen and very awkward. Not according to the yearbook Kutmah has. She looks saucy.

the next one it perhaps the most strangely erotic, wedged in a lawn chair.

my favorite editorial in the new Italian Vogue has to be the crazy CAT lady. So Grey Gardens with a hint of LSD

missed again

I am seriously bummed to the max about forgetting to bid on this fab silk flapper dress on ebay. It ended up selling for a mere $17 bucks. How did I forget to check ebay you may ask? Blame Georgie and his distracting cuteness.

remember my post a few month back on that incredible estate sale in Pasadena? Well the same crew recently sold off the estate of darling hairdresser Lily Dirigo, who worked on all the famous silent movie heads.

Some of the stuff in her estate sold yesterday for next to nothing- WHY WHY WHY did I forget to bid on these lovely things: they are old carved brooches and the pair sold for $9.99 You know how I love cluster pins!

she also had tons of cool pictures of the celebs she worked on back then, often with personal autographs on the back. I wanted to win Viv the Vint. 1932 Marlene Dietrich 'Shanghai Express' Photo. But it sold for a whopping $332!

This is a great set of two antique movie promo photos. They feature June Collyer and Mary Astor and they are standing in front of a two way mirror, miming each others actions. They were photographed by Max Mun Autrey. Their hair was done by Lily Dirigo, Carmen's mother.

This is a wonderful find, an antique movie still photo of Ms. Jetta Goudal. She was a silent film star in the 1920s and one of Cecil B. DeMille's stars. She is featured in this promo still, and the original owner has written her name on the back of the photo in pencil.

here's the info listed on their website for her:
Carmen was a Hollywood hair stylist who worked on many of the top stars during the
Golden Age of Hollywood, including Gary Cooper, Fredric March, Orson Welles, Gracie
Allen, Frances Dee, Ronald Colman, W.C. Fields, Mae West, Gary Grant, Merle Oberon(Wuthering
Heights), Joan Fontaine, Paulette Goddard, and Joan Bennett (Carmen's maid of
honor in 1940)etc.

She began as a dancer and showgirl in the Hollywood Box Revue in the 1920s. Carmen
performed in numerous theatrical productions including "No, No Nanette"
for Carter DeHaven and Oliver Morosco, theatrical producer, in "The Morning
After". She also performed at the Pantages and Egyptian Theatres in Hollywood.
Carmen became a hair dresser in the 1930s doing men's wigs and went from there
doing hundreds of films, two including two Oscar winning movies, Stagecoach and
Wuthering Heights. She ended up her career in television in the early 1960's.

Her mother, Lily, worked at the Carl Laemmle Studios (Universal) in the early 20's.
After convincing Carl Laemmle Sr. of the need for touch up and hair 'adjusting'
and styling, Lily became the first 'on studio lot', full-time hairdresser
in the motion picture business. She worked on Greta Garbo, Loretta Young, Priscilla
Dean, Una Merkel and many others in the silents and on into the talkies until 1957
with 'Around the World in 80 Days'.

Carmen started painting the 1980s and passed away at the age of 99 last year, 2007.
Watch for our other auctions featuring more paintings, movie stills, Carmen and
Lily at work photos, jewelry, Hollywood history, postcards, sheet music, Equestrian
paper, and other historical ephemera.

some can be found here: http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZsyes
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I also couldn't afford this stuff on ebay either...
from other random sellers- alas the auctions are kaput

hey, you win some you lose some, right?
and as we all know the last thing I need is more stuff. But of course sharing it with you folks makes it seem more comforting

Why the Sanford and Son Theme song may as well be mine

Sometimes the Rose Bowl is a super success and sometimes it's just a dud. I have to admit I had much higher expectations for my payback and hard labor. Seeing all of your collectables and clothes strewn across a 10 foot square makes you feel ill. You immediately think, "how the hell did all this fit in my place?" and then, how come my place is still cluttered, and then finally "I'm not taking this stuff back home." It's worse when old friends you haven't seen in awhile run into you (with your bleary eyes and sad day old makeup) and comment on all of your bric-o-brac with amazement. Not good wonder, but the bad back handed remarks like, "it's like a collectable show over here, is this ALL yours." Thank God it was mostly all Walden's retromania. I don't wanna take credit for too many crazy clown heads and fonz pillows. Fran made some glorious sandwiches and snacks and we fought the early am call time with some humor. Dressing like a freak-a-zoid seems to really scare off the crowds

I got this old patchwork denim skirt when I worked at Wasteland. The woman who sold it said that it belonged to her sister in the late 60's and that she used to add all kinds of patches and fabric to it before she died of cancer later in life. I've never been able to sell it.

excuse the 4:30 am morning faces in these photos

you won't believe it, but I had to be TALKED OUT of buying this. I thought it was a $50 dollar dream lamp. My friends thought it was a sure fire way to guarantee no dates in the future

I spent a good portion of the day reading Laura's old time comics. Because for those of you who haven't heard about it 24-7, I got a cool gig creating art of a Graphic Novel for Microsoft!! Seriously

Saw this crazy taxidermy booth by the restrooms. This crazy fur placed screamed Annakim /Cindy

but it was screaming...this lady EVEN MORE-

Whoa insane SKUNK lady. (now that's a top hat)

here's the guy who bought my mannequin for $25 bucks

It wouldn't be Mother's Day without the dynamic duo Emma and Val. They always make the Rose Bowl time go by much faster

Emma scored my New Years Dress. It has been enhanced with much FLAIR on my part

I've waited til now to mention the WORST part of the day. THE HICKORY SMOKY BBQ booth saddled up next to us. Serious burning tri-tip meats and garlic fries cooked on gas grills pouring into our space and stinking up our stuff and ruining our game

Walden was either A.) loopy from the smoke fumes b.) delusional from the lack of sleep c.) or basking in her Stevie Nicks glory

Although the point of selling at the Rose Bowl is to rid yourself of clutter and make money...Walden decided she just had to have a creepy creepy doll with sad limbs. Her boyfriend was petrified

She also had to have a pair of Red Baron airplane goggles. She said she has always wanted them. For the end of the world of course.

I bought these shoes for Cynthia, hope they fit.

I felt bad that on Mother's Day I couldn't be with mine, and since I can't really brag about her enough...let's reflect on my appreciate mother post from my past- so I don't repeat myself too much:
click here
Mother's Day Past

tassel castle

Everyone knows that Fifi is my "other mother". Fifi is the Egyptian mother of my dear pal Justin. I have known her son for exactly 10 years this May. WOW, ten years! She is an outspoken creative soul who raised a good son on her own, and makes meals that are better than any restaurant in L.A. Her magical home has a peaceful garden loaded with succulent plants and tons of tassels. They are on every drawer, chair back, door handle, wall hanging etc...Every inch of her pad is painted by her or decorated with tiles.
She takes little charms and broken necklaces and dangles them from statues of Egyptian ladies. She should be an event planner or at least have a catering truck available to others. Crushed garlic and marinated eggplant never tasted so delicious!

If you love her place and things make sure to visit her at the Hollywood VINE/Cahuenga Farmer's MARKET this sunday (and every SUNDAY!) for mother's day. She makes one of kind reversible tote bags, hats, hair clips and more. She is closest to cahuenga and has blonde hair and gorgeous skin

MOOSE!

This cool Dutch contemporary art magazine asked me recently to participate in their latest issue. The final six page s