fifishead design & illustration

Name Change

2010-09-14T06:46:00.003-04:00

I've very excited to post that I've recently changed the name of my Design and Illustration business to Aileen Designs. You can check out my new and awesome website Aileen Designs which contains updated portfolios and features much more of my artwork!

My website was a true collaboration with Al Frazza, the owner of Premier Web Specialists. He truly captured the spirit and essence of what I want to convey with Aileen Designs (fun, color, energy etc.). If you are an artist, or any business owner for that matter, I highly recommend Premier Web Specialists for their creative, unique and client focused web design services. I don't think you will find a more collaborative web design company than Premier. If you want to talk to me about my experience with Premier, email me at aileen@aileendesigns.com. I'd be happy to share my experience.

New Work

2010-07-29T16:06:00.006-04:00

Working on some black and white spots (aka line art) for a client. For someone who loves color, rendering images in black and white creates a whole new set of challenges. How to draw detail without too much detail, how to render textures, depth etc. I recommend it to anyone who wants to challenge their drawing skills, cuz it sure has challenged mine!

Premier Web Specialists

2010-07-29T16:00:00.003-04:00

Al Frazza, owner of what was formally known as Page 17 Design, just revamped and renamed his growing web design and search optimization business to Premier Webs Specialists. I was lucky enough to create his logo.

I really recommend his company to anyone looking for a website. Not only is he very talented, he and his team offer a full suite of services. You can check out his new site www.premierwebspecialists.com

Illustration Friday - Giant

2010-07-07T07:02:00.004-04:00

Here's my submission for this week. I kinda like it. I was inspired by "Jack and the bean stalk". I remember loving that story when I was little. I spent many hours thinking about what a giants house would have in it and how cool it would be to have the bean stalk in my back yard!

IF Satellite

2010-06-28T09:14:00.002-04:00

This week I decided to hand render the IF topic. I had a vision of these aliens in my head and had to get them out. Not my best work, but it was fun. Again I was tight for time but wanted to get this done. IF is a great way to keep drawing and add pieces to your portfolio!

Illustration Fridy - Paisley

2010-06-25T08:47:00.002-04:00

Ran out of time on this sucker, not quite what I wanted but I got it done. It's funny how many illustrators did pictures of girls/women with paisley. HAPPY FRIDAY!!! The name if this one is "Crazy Paisley Patty"

Illustration Friday - Ripple

2010-06-16T20:17:00.007-04:00

This weeks "Illustration Friday" is about helping the Golf Coast clean-up effort. In addition to the Illustration Friday blog, we are all posting our pictures on ripplesketches.blogspot.com and for $10 you can buy them.

The best part is, 100% of the $10 is being donated to the clean-up efforts. We are putting our talent where it's needed and it feels great!

Although my picture may not represent the creatures that are impacted by the oil spill, they do represent the undersea world that we have a tendency to forget about. We all can do our part to help the environment and the folks who earn their living around the Gulf Coast. Please check out ripplesketches today and buy some art! It's all good!

Illustration Friday

2010-06-07T15:17:00.004-04:00

I decided to try Illustration Friday and this weeks word is "trail". I actually created two illustrations, this is the first one I completed. Definition for this picture:

a. A mark, trace, course, or path left by a moving body. The act of trailing. The fly is on a completely different "trail" (ha, ha, ha) - Oh Nooooo . . .

Happy Memorial Day

2010-05-31T17:03:00.003-04:00

What a beautiful weekend. I spent a great day in the studio, finishing up some projects and playing around with new techniques and this is one that I liked (I noodled around with chalk pastels and they were way too messy). I like it.

Although I didn't spend a lot of time on the drawing, I like the direction it was headed and the technique. I drew the picture in pencil, then applied watercolor. After the watercolor dried I went over the color with colored pencil and then a thin black pen. It's cool and added a new dimension to my "usual" illustrations which are typically done in black and white, or colored pencil. The drawing would definitely need more detail, but again, I liked the technique.

Next time I'm going to do the watercolor on top of the colored pencil to see how that looks/feels.

The Artist's Guide: How To Make A Living. Something to think about!

2010-05-06T07:03:00.003-04:00

I attended an artist workshop last weekend and the keynote speaker was artist Jackie Battenfield. She is a fantastic speaker and has written a book about her successful art career and how it has afforded her the opportunity to support herself and family through her art! No starving artist here! She was able to go on vacations, put her kids through college etc. all through her art. She wrote a book about it and shares tips for artists who wish to do the same. The link is below.

http://www.artistcareerguide.com/

One point she also made, that I thought was a great idea, was to approach your work from a "project" perspective, that way you might be able to apply for a grant to help pay your expenses and help the community as a whole while you are working. That is something I would never have considered as an illustrator, but I could create a "project" where I work with kids exploring where they live through "art" and then put a show on at a gallery, all the while I'm creating art that I can use elsewhere! I was definitely inspired!

Happy Friday!

2010-04-16T07:48:00.002-04:00

Greater Hartford Arts Council

2010-04-12T07:14:00.003-04:00

The seminar I attended Saturday was FANTASTIC. It was so well run, and so informative that I left the day feeling totally energized to be an artist. It also offered a fantastic opportunity to network and practice networking.

Some of my takeaways:
- Most artists have "hybrid" careers - one job to make the money, tons of other little jobs to execute their craft. Made me feel good that that's what folks do. It's hard to earn a living off of one thing.

- The seminar reinforced that ART SELLS PRODUCTS - hello, why are you attracted to that CD label, cereal box, wine label??? It's because the ART captures your attention. The world revolves around ART!!! We can't forget that!

- As artists we need to build our own communities for support and empowerment. Get your inner circle going and meet on a regular basis to brainstorm, critique each others work, provide support and share resources etc.

The keynote speaker was James Grace, an attorney (and author among other things) who founded the volunteer lawyers for the arts of mass. he was fantastic. He talked about a program he pulled together called the "Artists Professional Toolbox" its a program that helps artists develop the skills they need to move to the next level of their career and realize their dreams. it's definitely worth checking out. My take away from his speech was profound, and yet very simple. As we move ahead along our artistic journey, we need to remember that we are, and seek out opportunities to be:

- an artist
- a person
- a small business
- an agent for change
- a Community member/leader

My head is still buzzing! The next workshop is scheduled for May 1 in North Haven. I'm signed up and ready to roll. Go here for more info: www.letsgoarts.org

Morning Sketches

2010-04-10T07:02:00.003-04:00

I love it when I can wake up before anyone in the house and go to my studio/office and draw. This morning is one of those days. I was able to get these three drawings out of my head. It's a great way to get the creative juices flowing.

I especially like the barrel of Monkeys, I think I'll take that one a step further and refine it. It makes me laugh. The Ladybug drawing was in my head yesterday but as you can see with my post yesterday, I executed it in illustrator versus my handy black pens. The drawing of the bashful girl is loosely based on the four year old who is presently asleep in her room. She still has crazy hair, the haircut she gave herself last year (the Mullet!) is slowly, slowly, slowly growing out. Thank goodness.

I'm going to a seminar in Hartford today "Business Strategies for visual artists" I'm very excited to network and learn some stuff. I'll definitely post anything that I've learned. So stay tuned.

Happy Friday

2010-04-09T06:48:00.003-04:00

Coast Guard Academy

2010-04-04T16:53:00.002-04:00

My nephew is interested in going to the Coast Guard Academy in New London, so my sister and her family came up this weekend to take a tour and I was lucky enough to go along. What an amazing opportunity! First of all WOW what a great experience for any young person. You are taught leadership sills, get a fantastic education AND get a career upon graduation not to mention the fantastic opportunity to travel the world and do things most humans do not get to do. I wish him well and hope if this is what he wishes, that he gets it. but mostly, I was VERY happy my Federal Tax dollars go to something like this. Awesome stuff. For more info www.cga.edu

Come On Spring!

2010-03-27T07:18:00.003-04:00

March is the longest Month in the year when you live in the Northeast. It's cold, rainy, sometimes snowy and always gray - and you get little hints of Spring with an occasional day of 69+ degree weather - which is pure torture.

I've been very busy lately. I have a few projects in the works, mostly illustration which makes me happy and am in the process of developing more note cards.

I was going trough my drawings the other day and came across this cartoon and thought it was appropriate for the time of year, considering Easter is next week (time flys!).

Happy Spring everybody!

Artist Seminar In The Hartford Ct. Area

2010-03-17T19:22:00.002-04:00

The Hartford Arts Council is having a seminar called "Taking Care Of Business: Business Strategies" for artists. It's Saturday April 10th and looks pretty awesome, nice seminars and networking session. I'm signed up. To check it out go here:

Lets Go Arts

Happy New Year!

2010-01-05T06:34:00.000-05:00

For All You History Buffs Out There

2010-01-05T06:14:00.003-05:00

My friend Al from Page 17 Design has created a fantastic web site that documents New Jerseys role in the Revolutionary War. I think by far, the best part of the website are the photos that document the historic markers and sites associated with specific events. You've got to check it out below. It's beautifully done and very interesting, definitely worth the visit.

Revolutionary War New Jersey

Stationary

2009-12-02T06:32:00.002-05:00

Had some fun designing stationary. The pumpkin theme was for my mom's birthday and she loves pumpkins (duh) and the other obviously is for me, I love Circus themes. What a cool concept to make personalized stationary and maybe even logos for people. Kinda cool!

Save The Date Card

2009-11-22T08:33:00.005-05:00

Working on wedding invitations and "stuff" and just completed a "Save The Date" card. The couple loves fish (has a big fish tank in their home) and they both work at Disney, so of course I had to think "Disney/Fishie". We'll see if the Bride likes any of them!

I painted the picture of the fish using acrylics, scanned it, did a bit of touching up in Photoshop (needed to add more space at the top and bottom) and then did the layout in Illustrator. I do use Indesign, but I prefer to do stuff like this in illustrator. Once approved, I'll probably do the final piece in Indesign because I'll have to incorporate the details on the back of the postcard. I'll post the final piece when it's done.

I think The Incredible Mr. Limpit was my inspiration

Christmas Land

2009-08-23T14:43:00.003-04:00

Now that it's 600 degrees out, I'm working on some Christmas images. In an effort to get inspired, I was thinking if Christmas was like a circus (which it kinda is these days) what would Christmas Land look like? Who would live there and how would they do things. It's a fun exercise. I was also thinking, because of the process I take to do a drawing, I'm gonna create coloring pages of my stuff before I color it in.

Here's what Christmas Land looks like before it's colored in. It can be kinda creepy, cuz I havent drawn in the eyeballs yet.

Candy, presents, animals and elves live in Christmas Land at the moment, and most of them sing and dance when I draw them (if you couldn't tell). The elves are presently in the tent, making gifts. It's a three ring circus after all, they don't have much time !!!

I'm thinking Santa lives in a beautiful coach pulled by reindeer. Also, the more I think, the more I believe there might be some gorillas in Christmas Land too and a bearded elf lady. I'm on a roll. More to come . . . .

Full Set Of Card Images

2009-08-21T11:47:00.001-04:00

Chair is done, more stuff on the horizon

2009-08-15T07:52:00.004-04:00

The chair is finally done and in place, it's at the Firehouse in New Preston CT. I wasn't thinking and didn't take pictures of the chair, but Chairish the arts did and you can find the finished piece on their website in the artists section under my name (aileen casey). All of the links are not working, but you'll at least be able to see the chair. The auction is in October, I'll post the date shortly.

It's been a busy summer, I have a few more commissioned pieces that I'm working on and I have my first round of note cards printed and ready to roll. I'm thinking about at some point, adding the ability to purchase stuff on my main website . More on that to come.

I'm glad we are finally having some "summer" weather here in the northeast, but they are predicting a heat wave this week (90's all week) and I'm not sure I'm up to it (what a wimp!!), I'll take it over snow any day though!

It's the Autumn Moon Festival and I am off to Dragon Boat races today with my daughter, if I get good shots I'll post them here. I love Chinese festivals, they are always so lively and colorful!

These are pictures of some hand painted boxes I've been working on. Painting them is like meditation for me, so I think by the end of the summer I'll have a thousand boxes (ha, ha, ha).

It's all good baby!

Note Cards Are At The Printer!

2009-06-19T08:00:00.004-04:00

Yahoo! My first foray into producing and selling my own work!

I created a series of seven inspirational note cards that are now at the printer. My plan is to take the prototypes around to local shops to see if they would like to carry them.
I designed them with the store Soft Surroundings in mind. It's a popular woman's catalogue with 4 stores throughout the US. One is in Evergreen Walk in South Windsor Ct. (very close to my home). It's probably one of the most beautiful stores I've been into and is truly a cool chick store! So with the help of my friend Claudette we'll be heading over there to see if they'd like to be the first retailer to carry the cards! I'll blog about the outcome!

This is an image of one of the cards. I had a suggestion from a friend in Iowa, to put glitter on the cards and I'm gonna try that out. These will be packaged individually and will sell for about $2.00 each. I still need to figure out pricing for packaging all seven. So, more to come! Also, at some point in the near future you'll be able to purchase stuff from my website fifishead

So stay tuned!

CHAIR Update

2009-06-15T07:55:00.004-04:00

Had some time yesterday to work on the chair. It's coming along nicely. I need about another 4 hours and it will be done. Didn't have time to do anything else though, which kinda bummed me out. Need to figure out how to carve out more time.

We did end up going to the Coventry Farmers market, it was awesome. A ton of vendors, super produce and animals (mostly dogs and goats) walking around. Jade even got to get a ride in a horse drawn carriage and a pony cart (all by herself!!). I should have brought the camera!

I'm looking forward to Summer, cant wait till it starts, this weather is driving me insane.

Another Coloring Page!

2009-06-08T21:49:00.002-04:00

I just completed another coloring page for Andrees Creations. Claudette Azevedo, the owner of Andrees Creations and the queen of Waffalloons, will be sampling her delicious Belgian Waffalloons at the Coventry Farmers Market this coming Sunday. This coloring page will be available on her website and will be distributed at the farmers market as well.

I understand the Coventry Farmers Market is the largest in Connecticut, so if you live near by, check it out. This Sunday's theme is "farmers breakfast" and the food vendors will be offering free samples. From what I understand, there are also animals to pet, all sorts of locally grown and made food as well as crafts and other fun stuff. My husband, daughter and I are definitely going this week!

P.S. Waffalloons are definitely worth checking out. They are not your typical Waffle, that's why they are called waffalloons! www.waffalloons.com

CHAIRities Chair

2009-05-31T16:42:00.005-04:00

I finally purchased the chair that I'll be painting for the CHAIRish the arts event. I was looking around second hand stores (i.e. Goodwill etc.) because I wanted to recycle, and then figured I should probably paint a chair that's in good condition. I'd hate for someone to sit in the chair and have it break (and someone get hurt) - kinda paranoid I guess. So I went to the unfinished furniture place in Manchester and bought this chair "BRANDY-NEW" (as my niece would say). The shape of the chair is great and will be fun to paint my characters on. I'll also paint something on canvas and use it to recover the cushion of the chair.

I had about an hour today in the studio, so I got the primer on. I listened to some David Gray to get me into the creative mindset, I was listening to his White Ladder CD and it was all about love (lost and found) and kinda bummed me out so I switched to Space, a really fun band from the late 90's, I especially like their song "Female of the species"

This is from their first (of two) albums called "Spiders", all of the songs are really creative and fun to listen (and sing!) to. It definitely got me into the right mood for painting!

It's amazing what music can do to your mood! I need to remember that! (ha, ha, ha)

Al Frazza, Page17Design

2009-05-29T07:34:00.005-04:00

As I've mentioned in earlier posts I've been working with Al Frazza, owner of Page17Design, doing graphics/illustrations for his clients. He recently reinvented his website and I was lucky enough to be a part of the process, helping him with copy writing and as a sounding board for design.

I can't recommend his business enough, anyone in need of a truly unique website that works both visually and technically, he can do it. You can also trust him to do things well, deliver on time and to have your interests and needs in mind though out the whole process. Check his new site out through the link I've provided above (click on "Al Frazza"), he's done some fantastic work. You can also call him to discuss your website needs if you don't know where to begin, that's exactly what I did before he designed my website.

Goodwill And Discount Shopping

2009-05-25T08:20:00.004-04:00

Although it is in my genes, this economy is helping with the ol discount shopping. Lately my cousin and I are hitting all of the discount shops. Our favorite place to go is Goodwill. Not only can you find really great stuff, your purchases help a great cause.

We are lucky, we have quite a few Goodwill stores in close proximity to where we live, we also have a few "Goodwill Boutiques" to go to as well. WOW. So this weekend we were out and about and I was looking for a chair for the CHAIRish the Arts fundraiser, I didn't find a chair for that but I totally scored some chairs for our house. $40 a piece, including the ottomans. Unheard of! They do have to be reupholstered, but still what a score. I am learning though, that you need to buy it when you see it, cuz the good stuff doesn't last. I recently lost out on a great $50 table and chair set cuz I wanted to "sleep on it" - they were gone the next day.

Another great place to shop is Ocean State Job Lot, but you have to be careful because some of their stuff is overpriced. BUT this weekend they had slipcovers on sale for $25 versus the $150 you'd have to pay at Target/Walmart etc. So yes, I did go out and splurge on a few slip covers for the house, mainly for the new (free - thanks peter and Terry!) couch we got for our basement last week. Here are a few pictures, including a shot of some $1.00 baskets I bought to decorate our wall in the basement. And by the way, the slipcover has been jump tested by my 3 year old, that's why it looks so lumpy.

Focus

2009-05-16T08:14:00.003-04:00

Been very busy and have been rethinking my fifi's business plan cuz it's not working! Having attended Surtex last year I find I've been very scattered and unsure of my direction (Surtex can be overwhelming from an artists perspective). I've been drawing, painting, doing graphic design etc, but have not felt that I'm making any progress.

Through The Art Of Licensing group (on Yahoo) I connected with Suzanne Cruise an artists agent and owner of Suzanne Cruise Creative Services (cruisecreative.com), she was so generous with her time, and gave me fabulous advice. FOCUS! Find the one thing you love to do and work to be the best at it. Simple huh?!

So I'm going to focus on my illustrations - the pumpkins, veggies, bees and crazy characters will be back in action. I also decided that I was going to focus my energies locally first, gain some traction here, before attacking something like Surtex again. I'll be attending the Glastonbury Applefest this year and will also participate in CHAIRish The Arts tour and auction. It's all good.

I'm also thinking of drawing weeky coloring pages, that will keep me moving. Here's one of my first. Stay tuned for more!

Flowers

2009-04-28T20:33:00.004-04:00

This time of year, all I can think about is flowers. Here's the latest in the series of stylized flowers!!

Spring has Sprung!

2009-03-29T20:53:00.003-04:00

Got to love Photoshop and family members!

Happy Spring!

2009-03-28T09:23:00.004-04:00

Been working on a series of inspirational greeting cards, have done a few more logos and newsletters etc. Am also exploring social media opportunities for artists - boy, there are a ton of ways to get the word out about what you do! Focusing is becoming harder every day! Here's a few samples of the inspirational greeting cards hope you like them (the words and images are all (c) fifishead), let me know what you think!! Email me at aileencasey@fifishead.com

Working on Collection of images

2009-02-27T08:30:00.002-05:00

I'm working on a collection of images based on some photo's I've taken at cemeteries. The images are meant to be inspirational, not depressing. If you look at headstones outside of their "context", you can really see the craftsmanship and beauty in the work. I'm hoping these images convey that.

Another Logo Completed

2009-02-04T14:40:00.006-05:00

I'm having fun lately working on logos for small businesses. Al Frazza from Page 17 Design connected me with the folks at North Jersey Handyman and I was able to design the logo for their website, I've also been able to do a couple of others lately as well -- citadel packaging llc and media design works, llc .

These are fun to work on for many reasons, mostly becuase they put a face on a business!

Chuckles Saw Her Shadow

2009-02-02T08:50:00.002-05:00

6 more weeks of winter - BLAHHHHHH. But That's OK, I kinda like snow.

Photoshop Classes

2009-02-02T08:45:00.003-05:00

This year I'm focusing on improving my technical skills.

I'm working with Al Frazza from Page 17 Design - Website Design and Search Engine Optimization. He is teaching me Photoshop remotely, it's cool, we set up the session through "go to meeting" and we conference over the web and he can access my desk top. Very cool stuff and it's definatley helping me out.

Al Frazza also does great web design, so check him out (he's an artist, so he understands artists!). He can be reached through his web site www.page17design.com

Ground Hog Day!

2009-01-29T19:43:00.003-05:00

Monday is ground hog day and I will be spending it at the Lutz Children Museum with my buddie Claudette. We will be making Waffalloons for all of the folks who will be waiting to see if "chuckles" a.k.a. Molly will see her shadow.

I created a coloring page that will be on the waffalloon website so if you are inclined, print it out, color it in and have some fun!

I'm hoping chuckles will NOT see her shadow, I'm done with winter!

2009-01-26T14:42:00.002-05:00

Waffalloons - Authentic Belgian Waffles

Here's the link to the waffalloon site, these are the best waffles you will ever taste. I had a great time working with Claudette Fantin Azevedo from Andrees Creations LLC and Al Frazza from page17design. check them out, they are worth the trip!

Sassy B'Day Package

2009-01-25T16:36:00.002-05:00

Experimenting a bit with styles, I did this one with watercolor, something that scares me to death because you can't fix goofs easily. But it's coming along, I might overlay a bit of colored pencil to add some depth, I like depth!

Having so much fun!

2009-01-23T07:19:00.003-05:00

I'm working with Andrees Creations on the launch of their latest product, Waffalloons. I'm creating illustrations for the website which is due to launch any day now. Here's a sample. More details to come.

Happy Birthday

2009-01-10T07:43:00.004-05:00

I'm working on some images for a birthday collection. I had a bit of time this morning and I noodled around with coloring my drawing in photoshop. Not my style, but it was fun and I think the images look pretty good.

By the way, the candles are singing "happy birthday to you . . . " if you didn't notice.

Nice to be back!

2008-12-21T19:36:00.006-05:00

It's been snowing for the past three days, and I've gotten Fifi pretty much situated just need the drawing board and a bit more storage. It's very nice having the studio inside of our House, I loved my space in the back yard at the old house, but when you have a 2.5 year old, It's a TON easier having your space inside of the house.

So I was able to create a holiday picture today. My inspiration - the snow for the past 3 days, the big FAT squirles that try to sneak the food off of our back deck and the snow (did I already mention that?).

Happy holidays everyone!! Here's to a great 2009!

P.S. I live in the holiday house now, it's definately helped me create images for the holidays!

Here's another picture I drew this morning, I just need to color it.

Fifi has landed

2008-12-20T19:22:00.003-05:00

We'll it's been a while. We moved and fifi was out of commission for about 3 months. We encountered more work than anticipated but we are getting settled and looking forward to the holidays.

I was actually able to do some creative stuff today for the first time in a WHILE and it was great. New stuff will follow shortly.

Get Jiggy With It!

2008-09-29T09:08:00.002-04:00

I was looking through the archives, this is a fun one perfect for this time of year!

So - Get jiggy with it this Halloween!

Studio Newsletters Are In The Mail!

2008-09-22T08:46:00.003-04:00

Check your mailbox in the next few days for news and updates from fifishead. Not on our mailing list? Please email us your name and address and we'd be happy to put you on the list for the next mailing!

aileencasey@fifishead.com

Some paintings

2008-09-16T09:04:00.004-04:00

Wow - it's been a while!

2008-09-11T17:33:00.005-04:00

The studio was hopping towards the end of the summer! We've been working on a few new projects - adding to our surface design collection, have developed some logo's for local companies and have even created a blog for a Charity a few friends and I are starting. If you liked to check out our charity click here.

http://www.coolchicksforcharity.com/

Painting

2008-07-15T09:16:00.005-04:00

I had some studio time this weekend and I challenged myself to complete a painting in one hour. Well, I almost did it. This painting took about 2.5 hours. But still, it was a great way to get me moving!

Photos and words

2008-07-02T13:45:00.004-04:00

Here are some more gifts I've done for family members, these are their kids of course. To read the words that I wrote for each of the pictures (I took the pictures too), just double click on the image to make it larger.

Painting

2008-07-02T13:31:00.005-04:00

As I was looking through my photos I found these pictures of gifts I had made. I'm gonna make more!

Textures

2008-07-02T13:19:00.004-04:00

I love textures and patterns. I also like to take pictures of "things" that provide inspiration for testures and patterns.

These are some of my favorite photos, I think I'll need to work them into the whole "green aileen" thing.

Nice Horoscope, Huh?

2008-06-18T06:40:00.000-04:00

This is from Rob Bresney's Free Will Astrology (www.freewillastrology.com), I love his horoscopes and passionate ramblings. Sometimes they are so spot on it's creepy.

This has been a great year for me in terms of focusing on what I want to do for the rest of my life (art!!) and I've made some giant steps (attending Surtex, kicking ass in the studio, picking up jobs etc.). I'm still trying to find some balance (working full time outside of the art world, being a mom, wife, getting fifishead out into the world etc.) but I don't think that's going to happen for a while (maybe it never happens and it's just a myth the "finding balance myth" ha, ha, ha).

Thank GOD I have a fantastic support network of family and friends. Cuz ya know, with out them none of this would be possible.

I think you should all go to www.freewillastrology.com and check out your horoscopes!

ARIES (March 21-April 19): We're halfway through 2008. It's a perfect moment to take inventory of how well you're capitalizing on this year's unique opportunities. So let me ask you, Aries: Are you working your ass off in order to stoke the fire in your belly? In other words, are you doing everything you can think of to get more motivated? Are you trying hard to supercharge your ambitions and refine your passions? If so, this will be the year when you finally figure out how to do what you love to do a majority of the time -- and how to get rewarded by the world for doing it. It's high time to answer your highest calling.

Latest Work

2008-06-16T07:11:00.000-04:00

So I've been focusing on holiday artwork and fleshing out some of the images in my portfolio. Here's a sampling of the stuff I worked on over the weekend.

I need to draw some more!

I'm also working on a fifishead newsletter, that should be ready to go out the end of this week. I figure that will be a good way to keep everyone posted of the "goings on" at the studio.

The Booth!

2008-06-10T07:14:00.000-04:00

Here's a picture of what our booth looked like at Surtex this year. It's cool to compare it to the drawing I did, it was great to see something go from an idea in my head, to reality.

Although the booth looked pretty good, I think I missed the mark on a few things. First of all, folks walking the show need to see tight comps and full product lines of merchandise. My booth was too image oriented, so next year I need to take my drawing and expand them into more patterns, products and "lines". The second thing I probably wont do next year is produce prototypes of "stuff". I had T-shirts, Bags and Greeting Cards in the booth, I think that caused confusion. Folks didnt know what was going on, where these products I was selling or stuff that I had licensed? So I could have saved myself a little bit of money.

All in all the show was great. As Imentioned in an earlier post, I have a lot of leads and have a greater understanding of what I need to do next year. So on to the studio to flesh out designs, draw some more and work my contacts!!!

I started a Yahoo group for artists interested in making it big in the licensing world, if you are interested in joining (artist looking to network, manufacturer looking for awesome art, agents looking for the next best thing), email me and I'll send you an invite aileencasey@fifishead.com

WE'RE BACK!

2008-05-29T14:21:00.000-04:00

What a whirlwind, it's been a week and what a crazy week it's been. The show was great, we met a ton of people and some really great and talented artists. I'm spending this week catching up with folks and following up on leads.

One benefit to doing Surtex is you get a masters degree in what you are capable of doing (and not doing). You get a good sense of where you fit in and the work you need to do to navigate this crazy world of licensing. One very strong message I got was my art is definitely whimsical and geared towards kids and "happy" products (lawn and garden, stickers, balloons etc.). I wouldn't have even thought of that prior to the show.

The one thing I didn't get out of the show were leads for publishing houses, but I hear there is a book show out on the west coast and one in Italy that I should attend. So again, you learn about your niche and where to reach the audience who is interested in it. IT'S ALL GOOD, this artist is happy.

So now I'm going to work on art for stickers, wall decals, balloons, children's books and all things green (another big market out there looking for great images) and happy. I'm also going to paint some more. Stay tuned!

DayTwo

2008-05-20T07:18:00.000-04:00

We had a great day and made another batch of contacts. The energy of the show was completely different than Sunday, it was more "professional" and quiet versus Sunday's numerous bursts of energy.

I'm psyched, I met some folks from Sullivan Papers, they were really cool and are located in Springfield Mass, about 45 minutes from the studio. They manufacture paper and paper products, I think the folks we met do the fundraising side of the business (schools sell their wrapping paper to raise money). We also met a really nice guy from Hayes Company, they manufacture garden and outdoor items and some folks from Pearson publications. ALL GREAT!!!

We are headed into Day Three and we are all POOPED and our feet hurt, but we are having a ton of fun, are eating well, and are meeting really great people. YAHOO!

Day One

2008-05-18T22:28:00.000-04:00

The first day of the show was fun and VERY long. We've met a ton of people and might have a contact or two. The show ended at 6:00 and we went on a networking cruise around the Hudson and danced our butt off. We've been told that Monday is the busy day, we are very excited and I'll keep you all posted.

fifi has landed!

2008-05-17T16:27:00.000-04:00

We are here! Set up began at 8:00 this morning. We were one of the first teams to show up and had everything set up and ready to go by 11:30. We are super excited!

The show begins tomorrow at 9:00 am. This is a picture of the booth and of Suzie in front of the marquee. The other artists in our row are super nice (and talented) and are also first time exhibitors too. Stay tuned!

Aileen

It's coming together

2008-05-01T11:15:00.001-04:00

I should be able to pick up the booth panels tomorrow, I'm hoping they turned out well. I have one portfolio together and need to make copies, I also need to order some products and work on the media kits. AHHHH there's a lot to do and I only have 2 weeks. It will all get done! Here's some new art . . .

The Booth Design

2008-04-14T17:00:00.001-04:00

Scott and I worked on the booth design for Surtex, and it's awesome, now I just need to produce it. AHHH. Here's a comp.

I'm getting very excited for the show!

Inspirational Image

2008-04-02T17:13:00.000-04:00

I love this series of photo's I took at the Cedar Hill Cemetary in Hartford. I'm having so much fun converting them to black and white and coloring them.

I imagine these images printed really big on canvas and hanging in a modern apartment somewhere.

More art

2008-04-01T09:39:00.001-04:00

I haven't drawn anything is a long time, I've been focusing on the Green Aileen and Funcasions compuer drawings, so this weekend I got out the colored pencils and drew this. My friend Terry told me to make sure I have Christmas images for Surtex becuase May is the timefame for producing Christmas stuff. So I'm hoping to do more Christmas themed things so I can add them to the "collection". This image is called "Christmas Cheer"

Ad for the Surtex Program

2008-03-25T08:44:00.000-04:00

It's coming together, we have the three categories and logos. This is our ad for the Surtex Program guide, I like it!

I got all of the exhibitor paper work done, I'm working on the media kit and now I need to figure out how to produce the booth!

I think the countdown has begun, it's only two months away . . . ahhhhh. Also, the row that I am exhibiting in is not sold out, I checked out the floorplan from last year and I don't believe it was sold out then either.

On The Surface March Newsletter

2008-03-18T16:10:00.000-04:00

We were picked up in Surtex's monthly e-letter - yahoo! Click on the link below and choose the March edition of "on the surface". We are located on the right panel under "SNEEK PEEK". Look for the picture of the grasshopper . . .

http://www.surtex.com/showinfo/news.html

Some new stuff

2008-03-05T15:22:00.000-05:00

I've created a line of images called "greenaileen" that are perfect for the whole recycling/green movement. I'm having fun and hope to have at least 20 images for Surtex. These would be good for grocery bags, T-shirts, journals etc.

The meeting was great

2008-02-27T08:27:00.000-05:00

So we had our official "prepare fifi for Surtex" meeting and it was great. We identified categories for fifi's art, I have a referral for an attorney and we are working on a press kit. I also know what art I need to fill in the gaps.

I was checking out the floor plan for Surtex and the section we are in is not sold out yet, but we have a few agents and really good artists all around us. Pretty intimidating!! This is scary and fun at the same time.

Next thing I need to get my head around? That I might actually generate some business. Ha, ha, ha.

Latest Designs - Inspirational

2008-02-12T09:03:00.001-05:00

Here are some of my latest "designs", these are for my "inspirational" category. I took the pictures at the Cedar Hill Cemetary in Hartford and then converted them to black and white images. The color/text was done in Illustrator. These would make perfect cards/postcards. What do you think?

Meeting At Headquarters

2008-02-07T08:45:00.000-05:00

I'm hoping to get together with my circle of very talented friends so they can help me develop my strategy for Surtex. We are looking to get together 2/23 to discuss the industry, where fifi fits in, we'll discuss our sales strategy as well as booth design and fifis portfolio.

I am very lucky to have such talented and successful friends. They are also a ton of fun and provide all the encouragement a girl could want. I'll post the outcome of the meeting as well as some pictures, cuz you know there will be some dancing going on!!

I continue to work on "stuff". I'm focusing on filling out my "Inspirational" line with some computer generated images for some of the things I've written. These would be perfect for calendars, cards and card decks. I'll post some of them later
.

Web site

2008-02-01T08:18:00.000-05:00

My new and improved web site is about ready to roll. It's pretty simple, but was created to be updated as I learn more about the industry. One of the things that's really hard is to figure out which pieces of art to showcase, so I just went with my gut and will bring everything to Surtex :)

Now that the web site is done, I can focus on the other Marketing opportunities Surtex offers. Got to get the word out about fifi!

Here we go!

2008-01-14T08:03:00.001-05:00

After walking the floor at Surtex the past two years, Suzie and I decided that this was the year for Fifi! We have created this blog to capture the fear and excitement of being first time exhibitors at Surtex, we are also hoping this can serve as a resource for those of you who are contemplating Surtex. Ya just got to do it!

Please feel free to post comments on the site, we need some support and encouragement! (ha, ha,ha). Really, we do!