SWIMMING WITH THE SHARKS.

I was really excited to show at Interbike 2011 in Las Vegas this month, as a contributing artist to the ARTCRANK exhibit. Pretty happy being kept in the company of Chris Piascik & Farizwan Fajari, among so many other fantastic artists! Next year I'll have to get down there myself!

ARTCRANK AT INTERBIKE!

This September, ARTCRANK is happening for the first time ever at Interbike in Las Vegas, otherwise known as the largest bicycle expo in North America. And last week I found out that I've been selected to exhibit!

This is the first ARTCRANK showcasing work from the international bike community, and one I'm so excited to be a part of. Also, $5 from every poster sold, goes to People For Bikes, which is pretty rad.

So, now for the late night bike-themed poster making! Let's just say mine's an elegant interpretation of a quote by everyone's favourite Toronto mayor...

BFF TORONTO & BACK BREAKS.

Next week the Bicycle Film Festival stops in Toronto. This year I've been more involved than ever in helping out. Among the many hours both behind and ahead of me - the lovely & talented graphic designer Frank Maidens & I worked together, to create a series of posters promoting the festival. His design saavy combined with my illustrating prowess. Go team!

So, while you may see them plastered all through Kensington, or alongside the bike lanes across our fair city, I swear it wasn't me you saw wheat pasting at 1 am..... :).

But next week it all goes down. art. films. parties. races. goldsprints. dancing. bikes.

AND the Canadian premiere of my short film FABRIC BIKE is happening at the Royal Theatre Saturday Aug 13th at 9 pm. Meanwhile, the fabric bike itself is going to be exhibited at the Gladstone Hotel, as a part of the Back Breaks exhibit opening wednesday Aug 10th at 6pm.

Excited!

All around, I'm still wrapping my head around the fact that our film is going to be touring with the festival across the world. But for now, you can check out the whole program & buy your tickets for Toronto's BFF HERE!

CALL.

A poster I did for a short film in the works by Adam Bentley & Zenon Turczyn.

Incidentally, after this ridiculous heatwave, I feel no call to the city. AT. ALL. Rather I'm counting down the days til cottages, campfires & cliff jumping. Three to be exact.

FABRIC BIKE IN NEW YORK.

So tomorrow's the big day. The one where we get up ridiculously early and drive 9 hours to the New York City, where the Bicycle Film Festival circut for 2011 begins Wednesday.

This year is a big one. My collective, The Deadly Nightshades are premiering our short film FABRIC BIKE (directed by Kirsten White & I) in the BFF's Urban Shorts Program. We are also exhibiting the bike itself at the opening for JOYRIDE in Soho.

This is my second time showing as artist at JOYRIDE in New York, but my first year participating in the festival as a film maker - and I think ecstatic is the only way to classify how I'm feeling right now.

JOYRIDE

Thursday, June 23rd

Spencer Brownstone Gallery

3 Wooster St

Opening: 6-9 pm

URBAN SHORTS

Saturday, June 25th

Anthology Film Archives

32 2nd Ave, at 2nd St.

Screenings: 6pm, 8pm & 10 pm

NORTHSIDE QUALIFIER!

So the Northside Qualifier for NAHBPC is coming to Toronto in a few weeks, and I got to illustrate the tournament poster!

As for the tournie, we're pretty excited! And more importantly getting all our couches & floors ready for everyone we love coming in from out of town. Check out bikepolo.to for more details (on the tournament... not my couch).

THREE OH.

Thirtieth birthdays for friends come but once. Good thing dance parties to the supremes & joe strummer can happen any old day. But on Friday, I decided to commemorate only one of those events with a poster.

Which made me think of the last birthday party I attended for the big 3-0, where I was forced to dress like loretta lynn and bike out to sunnyside pool. Some people say 30 is the new 20. I say 30 is the new off-season halloween danceparty.

Man I love my friends.

FABRIC BIKE!

It's time. The top secret project will be secret no longer.

Over the past 3 months, my bicycle gang/arts collective The Deadly Nightshades have come together on a project that combines our love of fashion, art and cycling. Documenting our process step by step, we've created our ultimate bike out of unconventional materials - to scale, 3D and down to the tiniest detail. So, after hours of sewing, constructing, screen printing, problem solving, filming & editing - we reveal our top secret project, a sneak peek the bike that has (literally) taken over my life, and present the trailer for our short film FABRIC BIKE.

SCREENED SNOW.

Despite that snow storm last week, I believe that warm weather is coming. Or rather, I am convincing myself of this fact. I biked home with no gloves on tonight, and willed my hands not to be cold. However, the warm light shifting across my studio floor was rather convincing, as I spent the afternoon silk-screening. Happily basking in it's faux summer glory with bare arms and an equally warm themed playlist swimming from my speakers.

I always forget how much I love to silk-screen. There is something undeniably satisfying in the ritual of it. The steady pressure. The repetition. The way you peel fabric off a wet screen like sun burnt skin. The ink staining your finger tips and forearms. Its precise and yet wily nature.

Today's project was a series of wedding invitations I designed & printed on vintage handkerchiefs. I thought them especially pretty strung across the room drying. Dozens blanketing the mantle, tables and floor. Like snow. My preferred alternative to the grey mounds clinging curbside outdoors.

LOVE LETTERS.

Secret projects have been the name of the game since the new year.

They have consequently been dominating my free time, and causing me to neglect a number of other things - namely my own personal journalsketchbookextravaganza, indirectly my blog... and potentially doing my laundry. I have some pretty awesome collaborations in the works. Sculpture, installation, film & otherwise. A departure for me most definitely. But one I'm finding both challenging and motivating. Hopefully I'll have some teasers to post in the next few weeks. Big things & exciting times.

But in the meantime, a poster I designed for a post-valentines day show.

But love letters from a stranger? creepy concept? or just endearing... guess it depends on whether i'm a glass half empty or half full kinda girl, huh?

BUFFALOES & BULLS.

My zodiac sign is Taurus. And while I may be loyal & good at holding my own, otherwise it's not a group of characteristics I've ever particularly related to. On top of that, visually I've always liked buffalos better than bulls.

Above is a tour poster I've been working on. Not done just yet - but I quite like it at this stage and wanted to share in the process.

TEA & TATTOOS.

Holiday aftermath is good for two things 1. Leftovers. And 2. Getting to hang out with friends who've come back for the holidays - but have yet to return to their regular lives.

While drinking tea & eating zucchini muffins with one such friend - I was also able to photograph this tattoo design of mine. It was really exciting to finally see it in person, instead of over blurry skype attempts.

Thanks Doug for trusting me with your arm, and to the amazing Jeremy Riley at Tattoo Union in East Van, for executing this piece so beautifully.

Check out my original sketch here.