The past couple months I was given a super fun project to work on at the Milwaukee Art Museum. I got the chance to work on this years illustration for the Spring Art in Bloom weekend event. I had some good illustrations a long the way, before I got to the final draft, so I thought I would make a post about them to show the process. I started with playing with real paint splatter and color themes. I was also asked to somehow give a nod to the main marketing image for our Feature Spring Exhibition, Bouquet of Flowers, by Edward Steichen.

After working by hand for a week, I jumped to the computer to start the real illustration. The past couple years have been very vibrant and heavy on the black outline look. I worked with the Steichen image for get the outline and shape of the flowers in illustrator. I then took the outline into photoshop where I began to color it in. I went through many revisions on how to treat the color, but we concluded that the hot pink was working best with a side of yellow.

Each time I had an version ready I would place it in a poster layout to see how it was working (above image). The splatter in the background was one of the hardest parts to finalize. Even with the center flowers nailed down, the spatter could really change the overall look. The shape of the design was much different and the whole flow of the design depending on the background. Some ideas went a little too far with the splatter and some didn’t push it enough. In the final I ended up having a little bit of both, and had a lot of fun in photoshop along the way. I really like how the final design turned out, lots of color which is what I am drawn to when painting. The final design is really fun to play with in different layouts and printed materials. So far we have done a brochure, ads around the midwest and a poster–but you will soon it on a Large Banner covering the bridge from downtown to the Milwaukee Art Museum.

Tickets just went on sale and it is going to be a great event. Whether you love floral design or not, it is great to see what people do when inspired by the art in the Milwaukee Art Museum. To find more details about this event and to see the design live on the web, go to mam.org/bloom. See you at the event and I hope you enjoyed the illustrations!

Reginald Baylor

Reginald Baylor is a local well-known Milwaukee artist whose work can be found all over the country. I have had the pleasure of meeting him on multiple occasions around the Milwaukee art scene and he has always been a delight to talk to and inspiring to listen to. Born and raised in Milwaukee, Reginald’s home base is here in Milwaukee, even though his work is represented all over including New York and California. He went to school for fine art, art education and sculpture at UW-Oshkosh. He spent some time after college in southern California working for various Art Museums. For some time he worked as an owner-operator for Mason Dixon trucking to pay the bills while working on his art career on the side. He is now one of Milwaukee’s most established artists and I love love love his style.

“Sir and Mister Paper Dolls in Blu”
72×60, Acrylic on Canvas, 2010

“Second Tree and Its Fruit”
96″ x 72″ Acrylic on Canvas, 2011

In the past 15 years Reggie, as I have heard his friends call him, has had his art career sky rocket. He has gotten to a level many artist dream of and is a professional full time working artist–and an phenomenal one. His large scale acrylic graphical paintings take over any room they are in. Photo do not do his work justice, you have to see the attention to detail and vivid colors in person. He is inspired from light in everyday settings, pop art and geometric patterns.

Recently the Milwaukee Art Museum has even added one of his works, On Duty, Not Driving, to their contemporary collection. It holds it’s own next to Warhol and Kehinde Wiley. In 2009 Baylor was the Pfister Hotel’s first artist in residence. For a year, guests of the hotel could watch him work and have an open dialogue with him while he developed a new series. In 2005 he became a studio manager for the now ever growing group of artists called Plaid Tuba, in the Marshall building downtown.

“On Duty, Not Driving” 60 x 72, Acrylic on Canvas, 2010

This past gallery night I got to tour Plaid Tuba and I was incredibly impressed that such a space existed in Milwaukee. 7+ creative professionals working under the same roof, each creating their own work but feeding off of each other for inspiration and critiques. I personally feel comfortable in my studio inside my home away from the world and often wonder what I am missing from a collaborative space. It looked like there was definitely some great vibes happening around there.

“They Won the Land” 50×72, Acrylic on Canvas, 2008

“Black and Blonde, Blonde and Black Paper Dolls”
72×60, Acrylic on Canvas, 2009

If you have not checked out his work before please do at the number of links below. And check out his space at Plaid Tuba on the corner of Marshall and Water St downtown Milwaukee.

All photos are from reginaldbaylor.com, the Pfister hotel or from articles from the Journal sentinel.

reginaldbaylor.com/

thepfisterhotel.com/Hotel-Overview/reginald-baylor.asp

jsonline.com/blogs/entertainment/95729084.html

urbanmilwaukee.com/2012/08/20/profile-reginald-baylor/

Newaukee at the Milwaukee Art Museum: Live Interactive Art

Loose Ipad of Initial Idea for Interactive Piece

This year we brought in the new year in a big way, a big interactive way. 2012 was a big year in my life and I wanted to treated as so. Newaukee and Art Milwaukee were hosts at NYE MKE at the Milwaukee Art Museum. The evening consisted of a twenty foot tall hop-drop created by my boyfriend Jason Hilleshiem and other entertainments like dancers, djs, vjs, acrobats, photobooths, oxygen bar and four live painters inspired by the elements. I was going to be creating and bringing an interactive piece to involve the crowd.
Initially I wanted to do my regular group painting. I was planning on bringing a large board that already had a black outline sketch on top to paint live on top on like a coloring book. With that as a backup plan, I also explored other ways to involve people but without the burden of paints. New Years is not a time for everyone to be grabbing paints and getting messy, there had to be an easier way to involve people.

Final Sketch on computer of total piece

Since that was not enough of a challenge, we thought if there was a way we could also backlight this entire thing on a lightbox, the whole piece would jump to a new level. We saved that for the end and just kept moving foward with cutting and priming the board and laser cutting out the circles. When the circles were done, I simply super-glued metal washers on the backs in preparation for the magnets. When everything else was cut, we found out piece of plastic to create the lightbox out of. We cut over 100 holes in a swirl shape that was going to fit perfectly inside the opening in the board. We then pounded the magnets in so they would be flush with the board. After we had all the pieces we put them all together and added some lights. And then it was time to take it to the Milwaukee Art Museum for set up!

Steph Davis / The Waxwing

I always admire a anyone who is willing to risk a little to gain a lot. If you are looking for a young woman who has done this recently, look to Steph Davis, local artist and new business owner of the Waxwing in Shorewood, WI. I met Steph when responding to a craig’s list post about a new store opening in Shorewood, looking to feature local arts and crafts. I applied and was luckily accepted into the Waxwing family with open arms. I showed some paintings and prints there in March 2012 and sold all of them! On Waxwing’s website the store is described as,

“The Waxwing is an artist consignment shop and its main goal is to host the work of local area artists and help introduce them to the community. The Waxwing is an artist consignment shop and its main goal is to host the work of local area artists and help introduce them to the community. The Waxwing also hosts d.i.y. workshops that are hosted by local artists in order to help the community get in touch with their own creative side.”

After meeting Steph you can tell how hard of a worker she is. She had an idea, determination and has made her dream come true–She is her own Boss. Not only that, her job is to get other local artist in front of the community! It is truly inspiring to watch how passionate she is for her mission. If you have not checked out the Waxwing yet, please head North on Oakland towards Shorewood and stop in (just past capitol). It is the perfect place for that one of a kind gift you have been looking for in Milwaukee.

Sunday-Monday: CLOSED, Tuesday:11 am-7 pm, Wednesday:11 am-7 pm, Thursday:11 am-7 pm, Friday:11 am-7 pm & Saturday:10 am-5 pm

 

As an artist, Steph has been showing her work all around Wisconsin and Illinois for some time. Her work ranges from drawings to mixed media pieces to jewelry. Dragonfly, Sparrows Collective and Friends of Boerner Botanical Gardens are just a few places you can find her work, among others around Milwaukee. She is drawn to black and white linear work that is really heavily integrated with patterns. I love her attention to detail. You can find more about her and her work online at stephdaviesartmusic.com.

Here is a gallery of a few of the artists who show work at the Waxwing

Ermou

Kelli Busch

Matt Cipov

Danidorem

Jenny Janecke

Heidi Keys

Steph Davis

Hills of Clay

So be sure to check her and her store out soon! Have a great weekend all!