Caitlin’s Custom Accessories and Footwear

04/10/2013

Caitlin is a cute and creative woman that I am lucky enough to share a community with. We met months ago at a local event and have been friends and confidants ever since. We realized we had a lot in common but it wasn’t until recently when I heard someone asking her for custom accessories at our weekly coffee hangout that I realized just how much we really have in common. She is an artistic and crafty woman, stylist and beautician in the Broad Ripple area and communicates a cute and urban aesthetic decadence in every task she takes on. Upon hearing about and getting the chance to look at her creations I realized I must feature her work and give you the opportunity to order your own custom goodies. As I’ve heard from her past clients, the nonstop compliments will drive you bonkers if you decide to have your shoes customized by Caitlin!

What inspired you to start customizing?
Necessity is the mother of invention. I painted my first cowboy boots to cover a spot where I dropped hair color about 10 years ago.

What is your process?
I use sharpie poster paint pens to customize the shoes. I used to paint my vans with sharpie markers in high school 20+ years ago because I was bored in class and the hobby just stuck.

I let the shoe direct the design, they communicate to me the colors and placement of design. I originally started with Uggs after I got my first pair 20 years ago and everyone made such a fuss about how ugly they were. I felt “blah” wearing them so I had to dress them up.

I’ve always “accessorized my accessories”. Whenever an item passes through my hands it ends up painted, patched, ruffled, stickered, personalized somehow.

What are your prices for customizing?
I charge $50 for the shoes. I also sell a lot of denim tool belts recycled from old jeans, for hairstylists or crafters which are also $50.

Get customized
Interested in getting your accessories or footwear customized? Let us know and Caitlin will get back to you immediately about the specifics.

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Artist & Designer Features

Camilla d’Errico is No Ordinary Love of Mine

04/08/2013

As is pretty obvious by my own work and features here, I am involved in and very supportive of the Pop Surrealism movements in Los Angeles and Tokyo. Having seen Camilla d’Errico‘s work at Hello Kitty’s 35th VIP Aniversary Party in LA I just had to promote and feature her work and really wanted to understand a little bit about what makes such a beautiful mind, as communicated on canvas, tick.

How long have you been painting?
I’ve been painting (exhibiting) since 2005.

Did it ever become your main focus?
No, painting has never actually been my main focus, though it took center stage in 2007-2008. I’m a comic book artist, first and foremost, but after I first started showing in galleries, and my work was well loved, I was propelled into the Pop Surrealism movement in Los Angeles and I went with it!

What has been your favorite exhibition?
My favorite would have to be the Hello Kitty 35th Anniversary show in 2009. It was fabulous and so many artists interpreted Hello Kitty (I love HK btw) and it was a very well organized and fun show.

What inspires you most?
I’m mostly inspired by manga and anime.

What has been your favorite painting you’ve created?
No Ordinary Love because it has very special meaning for me. It’s about love, and not giving up on love, but holding onto that hope so dearly … until you are able to be reunited.

Do you have any crazy stories about one of your pieces?
It’s not crazy, per se, but I find it hilarious. My painting, Mountainhead, is a Helmetgirl with the biggest helmet you’ve ever seen. There are bits and pieces of everything on that helmet, completely overpowering her small frame. I painted that for my sister AdaPia because she is always thinking, plotting, planning. In fact, she’s my business partner! So I always like referring to her as Mountainhead.

Favorites
Color? teal
Food? steak
Animal? pug
Music? really into Dubstep right now
Magazine? Shojo Beat
Movie? Spirited Away

Do you have any advice for readers interested in turning their hobby into their main focus?
It takes a lot of determination, focus and willpower to move from hobby to professional. I suggest doing a lot of research about the specific artistic field you want to go into. That’s easy nowadays with Internet, but it’s good to also meet people in person – go to galleries, talk to the curators, owners, directors. Get a good feel for what’s going on. Also, make sure you know and define your own style. Be confident and comfortable with what you are creating. And in the beginning, it’s always a good idea to start slowly; don’t leave your ‘day job’ until you’ve built up a good client base or a collector base. And never give up, even when things seem bad; it’s just a learning phase and you’ll come out stronger.

What do you feel is a recipe for success?
Skill + talent + passion + determination + work ethic and a good dose of people skills!

Are you Miseducated?
Totally! When I was growing up, and even throughout college, everyone tried to persuade me not to go into comics because it isn’t a lucrative career. It’s barely enough for anyone to live off of, unfortunately. But I was obstinate and I wanted to be a comic artist above all else and I persisted in my dream. So first of all, I’m Miseducated because I didn’t do what I was told would be best for me, and also because I’m a self taught painter. Some of my fine art teachers told me I had no skills as a painter, no style … and as much as I am humble, I do get a kick out of knowing I’ve proven them wrong!

Gallery

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Diary Portfolio

Sunshine, Painting and Friendship

07/25/2011

Lately things have been a bit crazy for me! Hard to get caught up and still keep my office/house as clean and organized as I would like to.. I always say I’m going to do better when things settle down but they never settle down. I’m going to have to become a workaholic and blog everyday whether I feel like it or not!

Today I was taking some photos of my new paintings and someone wanted to jump in the shot. He always wants to be exactly in the middle of whatever I’m doing, haha. (Sorry to those of you who saw this on my portfolio already!!)

this is in progress~

This coming month is going to be a big one for girly fun. I can’t wait! Do you have big plans for the summer?

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Thankful for Monday

Thankful for Monday: Blossoms and Fondue

02/28/2011

I’m thankful for so many things this crazy week but if I had to choose just five…

♥ Fondue

One of my absolute favorite types of food that I very rarely get to enjoy. For my birthday my best friend took me to a delicious restaurant, The Melting Pot, where we had coffee liqueur and creme brulee fondue for a select time. There were cakes, strawberries and a plate full of sweets for us to plummet into the creamy-crackly, velvety white chocolate bliss. I wish I could share our dessert with each and every one of you, I’ll never forget it.

♥ Tiny Cactus

As you know these are one of my favorite things, I talk about them enough. When I lived in Japan the cactus displays left me permanently obsessed so I always make sure to check supermarket cactuses here. On a late night adventure with Pajamie I spotted a tiny cactus tray and grabbed one with a closed bud on top. Upon bringing it home I repotted it in cactus soil and placed it under a sunlamp. It bloomed immediately and continues to bloom each and every morning. Such a small reminder of the wonderful and beautiful world we live in.

♥ Painting

Lately I’ve taken up painting again to help relax and calm my nerves. I, already anxious, drink a lot of coffee throughout the day as I work then end up in a shaky mess when the day is through.. I’ve been stealing short breaks into my bedroom to paint macarons and rainbows and it’s been making me feel so much better. I missed painting after about a year.. I want to get back into creating art with my hands more, I’ve been getting a little rusty.

♥ Web Design

Many people hear around that I do web design on the side and I find fun little projects to complete during the weeks for new artists and indie businesses. It’s really getting to be a great way to meet new talented artists, even when I don’t have time to be hired for a design job I’m able to find new and interesting designers to feature here at Miseducated. You’ll be excited to hear about some new features coming in the future..

♥ Colette

Of course, the number one thing I’m thankful for in the whole wide world is my princess, Colette. Everyday she learns something new, she’s in such a fun stage. She’s standing, crawling and learning to be mobile.. she’s finding wonder and excitement at every turn. I cannot stop being inspired by her. She changed my life as far as my work and inspiration goes, being pregnant kicked me into gear and being reminded of how special she is daily continues to give me so much to work for. I’m so lucky I get to spend everyday with her!

What made last week magical for you? ♥

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Artist & Designer Features Visual Splendor

Meet Goldiloks: Jacktress of All Trades

01/17/2011

Goldiloks and I met awhile ago through this website. She raved about whimsy, color and all of the things we love here at Miseducated and we instantly became pals.

She’s been creating art since she can imagine and has been making her career revolve around it. She’s a prime example of why you have to keep doing what you believe in. Your dreams just may come true!
How long have you been painting?
Painting, all my life but I guess to narrow it down, around 2004 I started taking it seriously. Back then I was more into street art but slowly worked my way into using different mediums.

What is your favorite piece or set you’ve made?
Hamburger Playland. It’s a Junkyard Window piece I created for my daughter… I love it becuz… I dont know.. It represents everything I think a kid’s imagination should be filled with…. lots of pretty colors, whimsical characters and smiling things.

What inspires you most?
Pretty things. Clever things. Anything that make me feel good. If I see something that makes me smile, or want to be around it, It’s usually something that inspires me. Makes me want to create. which is a huge cycle, becuz of course, once you create something, it inspires you to produce more.

If you were having the worst writer’s block ever what is a sure fire way to help you out of it? What works for you?
HA! When I figure this one out, I’ll let ya know! No, really.. when I get into a blank space, I usually fill it with inspirational stuff like recipes I want to try, Japanese fashion magazine clippings, love notes my husband writes me, or pretty pictures. New ideas always come when I fill my little space with new stuff.

JUST DO IT! And DO YOU! No one ever succeeded in life by just WANTING to be successful.

How would you encourage other artists staring out to get online, in galleries, in craft shows?
JUST DO IT! And DO YOU! No one ever succeeded in life by just WANTING to be successful. Branch out, find people in your niche and dont be shy!! Introduce yourself becuz you never know, that person could be the person to open doors for you, or vice versa. Its all about networking, working towards a goal, but most importantly… DOING YOU.

Are you miseducated and why?
I believe so! I’ve never been the type to be put in a box, and never will. I’m a creative soul, love anything cute and whimsical….so I guess that makes me miseducated!

Goldiloks also made us these collages~

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Crafts DIY

An Introduction to Colorful Art Mediums

01/12/2011

Sometimes getting your hands (your clothes, your surroundings…) messy and covered with a rainbow of colors is part of the art/crafting experience. I’ve gotten pretty familiar with several different mediums and I’ll give you a little run-down of why I love them and how I use them. If you haven’t used some of these before, I hope I can inspire you to try them! Note: I’m not an art expert, just a lover.

Oil Paints

Creamy, dreamy, vivid. I love working with oils because you can do so much blending (they dry slooowwly) and the colors are so rich. In school, we got to stretch and prime our own canvases ourselves. You can go to the art store and buy a canvas all ready to go, but you can get some satisfaction out of doing it all yourself. The only thing I didn’t like was the fact that you have to use turpentine to thin them and get the paint off of your brushes (it smells), but its a small price to pay.

Watercolor Paints

Of course, the first kind of paint I ever used. They aren’t just for kids though, as you can do so many different tricks with them! Since you can re-wet the paint once it is dry, you can blend existing colors. If you want to layer different colors without disturbing the layer underneath, you can use the next kind of paint on the list…

Acrylic Paints

I’m a big fan of acrylics. You can use them to paint many other things besides canvases. I’ve used them to customize wooden boxes, journals, jewelry, and I’ve painted wall murals with them. They dry very quickly and once they are dry, you can’t re-wet them like watercolors.

Oil Pastels

Messy, bright and beautifully blendable! These may be my favorite of all to work with. I keep some wet wipes handy to clean my fingers if I’m going from a dark color to a light color. I also like to use an in-between color to blend two other colors together. Blending them with my fingers is a lot of fun and makes me feel like I have even more control over the colors.

Colored pencils

They can do a lot in the way of blending, if you vary the pressure, use strokes in different angles and layer the colors gradually. The kind of paper you use will also determine how your picture looks. I like using paper with a smoother “tooth” (roughness), but if you like the gritty, textured look, a rougher tooth is the way to go. The more rough the paper, the more your colors with stick and, consequently, the sooner you will need to sharpen your pencils. Make sure your paper is acid-free so your artwork lasts longer!

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Mise en Snap Visual Splendor

Mise en Snap: White Oleander and DIY Inspiration

01/15/2009

I had the luck of watching one of my favorites recently and decided to take photos of more delicious mise-en-scenes to oogle at later and to show you. This movie was originally a novel by Janet Fitch and was later -after being turned into a screen play- directed by Peter Kosminsky. Although movies from books are commonly *sniffle* trash this one was quite good and had more than a few visual gems for me to appreciate. I believe it should not remain unsaid that the lovely Alison Lohman is absolutely perfection on screen here, either, just as much perfection as Michelle Pfeiffer is (in the movie) and still just beginning to sparkle into a star. It is about how toxic a mother and daughter relationship can sometimes be.

*hint* make your own lovely goodies and sell them at a local market stall 😮

Suitcase your Memories

movie inspiration
The character’s suitcase art was really interesting to me as well, they were almost like collages and memory jars as an art form within old suitcases. Why not try to find a cheap, old suitcase at your local thrift store and create a very large sort of locket of a favorite memory or time in your life? Add scraps from it, sketches, drawings, everything you don’t want to lose. Decorate it with colors, patterns, words, letters, paintings, textures.. open it and put these special items on display whenever you’re feeling nostalgic rather than keeping them tucked into a jewelry box and rarely admired.

Amazon.com Widgets

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