Parasol Mag 6

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Welcome to Issue 6 of Parasol Magazine! As youll notice, there are some slight changes--thanks to your suggestions.

But overall, the magazine still stays true to its core of featuring both established and emerging artists. This issue was a joy to put together as Ive included a number of my favourites such as David Heatley, Nice Package, Makool Loves you and a number of other wonderful and creative individuals. I hope you enjoy going through this issue. And thanks for supporting us! xoxo Yasmine Surovec Editor + Designer

Cover image: Marie Hochhaus Page 2-3, 82-83 image: Victor K. Surovec

CONTENTS 4.Ricardo Vzquez Ortega 10.David Heatley 18.Marie Hochhaus 26.Nice Package 32.A Field Journal 40.Becky Drolen 44.Nadinoo 50.Makool Loves You 54.Ricardo Vzquez 62.Keri-Ann Pink 69.Overture 74.Royal Buffet 80.PicDit

Name: Ricardo Vzquez Ortega Location: Mxico City, Mexico Website: http://cartonesdeleche.blogspot.com, http://www.society6.com/studio/cartondeleche How did you start out as an artist? Well, I studied design in the National Plastic Arts School of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (Escuela Nacional de Artes Plsticas of the Universidad Nacional Autnoma de Mxico). The faculty has a humanist take given that there are only two careers: design and visual communication, and visual arts, and that being in permanent coexistence both fields tend to fuse. The school is very traditional and demands a lot of manual practice in the different tools and substratums. In fact I specialized in editorial design, and its in the workshops that I started to experiment and combine techniques until I saturated my notebooks of sketches. It was then that the image turned to typography and I found my way to create compositions. I love the juxtaposition of drawing and collage in your pieces. How would you generally describe your art in terms of your personal aesthetic? I believe in the constant search, given that through the process in which I create, I have reinvented that with which I started despite not having yet an unique technique. I believe I maintain an identity shown in the way I manage the elements, in the solid spaces and in my selection of the chromatic palette. I look to provoke the spectator eye, whatever its reaction is. Where do you usually show your art? Do you do a lot of commercial work as well? I like the editorial environment, the longevity of the images and the printed typographic blot. My work has appeared in magazines of independent taste with cultural and artistic contents, such as Picnic, Eneo, Souvenir, and a! Diseo. I have also collaborated with Channel 22 (Canal 22), and my works have been put up in the Luis Nishizawa gallery of the National School of Plastic Arts (Escuela Nacional de Artes Plsticas), the Franz Meyer Museum, the Spain Cultural Center

in Mexico and the Pladi gallery. Commercially I have collaborated with Reebok, and I have also made campaigns of massive distribution in multimedia and printed mediums. In Mexico there are artistic movements that are being established in their implementation on a commercial level, which I love. Where do you find inspiration for your work and who are the artists you admire? From observation in the nature of things, their simplicity and their immense complexity, for the stubbornness of the eternal search of its understanding. I like to draw altering the human figure, never stylizing, only modifying it. I love the animal kingdom, it is the biggest existing fiction. In this sense, I identify myself with the work of Mario Zoots (US), the way Maya Hayuk (Ukrania-EU) plays with the color; in the same way Bruno 9li (Brazil). The posters of Josep Renau (Spain) of his collaboration in the golden age of the Mexican film industry. Saner (Mexico), Steven Harrington (US), Audrey Kawasaki (Japan), Rob Carter (US), Betsabee Romero (Mexico), Richard Colman (US) and many, many others. Do you have a routine when it comes to creating art? What is a typical day for you like? I dont really have a routine, late night is the best time, but I work better when I am locked for a long time in a space: its my moment, and of course music. Do you have a favourite piece amongst your work? Each sketch, composition, work is evidence of my continual search in the image and the

otherness that exercise on the supports. As it happens in its lecture in paper and like in a wall. Mi familia (My family) is perhaps that work: I like the anonymity, that there are no main characters. Right now Im very excited to begin a series with this line of drawing, Ive been thinking about it for some time. How do you see yourself as an artist years from now? What are yourplans as a creative individual? I hope that theres still a lot left until I find my visual solution, travel for my work and collaborate in cultural projects.

Location: USA Website: http://davidheatley.com, http://youtube.com/user/davidheatley How did you get started as a comic book artist/graphic novelist? I drew my versions of childrens books my parents happened to have around when I was a little kid. I would obsessively make these little books based on Peter and the Wolf and The Smurfs and Michael Jackson. I still have a few. By age 9 or 10 Id discovered Spider Man and X-Men and that was it. I was hooked. I guess its the typical story of sad, lonely kid who has trouble relating to other people escaping into fantasy through comic books. By the end of jr. high school I was embarassed by all of it, but in college I discovered Clowes and Ware and was hooked all over again. Weekly trips to the comics store became a big part of my life again. I really immersed myself in the whole 90s alt / literary / arty comics that were being published by Drawn and Quarterly and Fantagraphics. That informed a lot of what I did over the next 10 years and to a large extent, still does. Who are your influences? See above, plus Gary Panter, Julie Doucet, John Porcellino, Debbie Dreschler, Carol Tyler, Ivan Brunetti, Seth, Joe Matt, Chester Brown, Charles Burns, Ron Rege, Fort Thunder. Etc. etc etc. Too many to list. Im also heavily influenced by 80s video game design, painters like Guston, Peter Saul, Jim Nutt, Henry Darger. I just love visual culture, from the trashiest to the most refined as long as its good. I listen to music almost all day long, every day. Everything from lo-fi masters like Franklin Bruno & Daniel Johnston to classic rock (Dylan, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen) to hip hop (Native Tongues, Wu-Tang, MF Doom). When I first saw your work (in Kramers Ergot), it reminded me somewhat of Linda Barrys style from her news weekly strips: very loose and casual, but lots of details scrunched in sections. How would you describe your style when narrating your stories, particularly in My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down? Thanks for the comparison. I really like her stuff. I actually have 3 distinct styles in the book: large panels, painterly, cinematic

approach to my dream comics; tiny, diaristic, obsessively drawn panels for my diary strips; multiple panel, cubistcomics (showing different the same subject from different points in time) for the portraits of both of my parents. I find it interesting that you seem very frank and honest about exploring sexuality in your book. How did people receive this openness? I think most people find it liberating in some way. The people who are titillated by it might have missed the point, since its ultimately about bad meaningless sex and longing for an actual connection based on love. And what were the reactions of those close to you? Ive got my familys blessings for which Im grateful. Any of my closest friends who appear in the book are just flattered. And some people who appear in the book that Id lost touch with have gotten back in touch. ts been a great experience all in all. I see that you also do a lot of illustration work. I love your New Yorker covers in particular. Do you enjoy doing that as much as your personal comics? I do enjoy illustration work and in some ways I work a little harder when Im getting paid really well and I know my work will have a huge exposure (in the case of the New Yorker). This always stretches my skill set and I can bring back any lessons learned to my comics. Aside from comics, what are your other projects? Interests? Music, music videos and possibly some day a

film or TV show based on my book. Ive gotten serious about writing new songs and performing after a 10 year hiaitus. It feels great. Like riding a bicycle. I just played a show in Barcelona which was probably the most satisfying of my whole life. I was relaxed and comfortable and could feel the enthusiasm being transmitted back from the crowd. Are you working on more graphic novels? Im working on a fictional book called Overpeck. Its the name of a town I invented, home to characters that came to me in my dreams. ts dark, but also funny story about childhood sexuality and abuse but with magical realist kinds of moments. The main character has the ability to turn herself into a duck. It will probably take me 2 years to finish it. Pantheon will publish it when its done. Im probably going to serialize it online starting this year.

Name: Marie Hochhaus Location: Hamburg, Germany Website: http://flickr.com/mariehochhaus What sparked your interest in photography? I cant tell, since I remember I was interested in pictures. Starting to take pictures was something that felt natural. Are you self-taught or did you go to school for it? I study visual arts since 2007. Who are your favourite artists and photographers? I love: the dream worlds of Tim Walker, the large size skills of Paolo Roversi, the coolness of Hedi Slimane, Peter Lindbergh for giving every women a secret, Ellen Von Unwerth for her sense of sexiness, the heroines of Bettina Rheims, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Helmut Newton because they dont need a reason to be admired, Terry Richardson because he made fashion look like porn, Lina Scheynius for the intimacy in her pictures,Ssteven Meisel for his never ending fashion stories, and Olivia Bee the prodigy, and and and... What are your favourite things to photograph? What are the most challenging? Girls, girls, girls! Everything else is a challenge. Do you work out a scene in your head or on paper, or are many of your photographs spontaneous? I always frame where, who and when I take pictures. sometimes I think something like I want to put cats on the head of someone but I dont have a detailed idea of how the picture should look like in the end. Aside from flickr and your website, where do you usually show your work? At the moment my flickr is the best updated place. What are your goals as a photographer? To be satisfied with my work, to earn money (at the same time, haha).

Name: Ez + Marichelle Location: New Jersey Website: http://shopnicepackage.com, http:/nicepackageshop.com, http://nicepackage.etsy.com How did Nice Package get its start? How did you end up being a team? Nice Package was started by Ez in April of 2009 and after she relocated to the East Coast later that Summer we decided to combine forces and build Nice Package as a business together. We first met and became friends through our blogs so it seemed natural to work together on something we were both so passionate about. Both of you have popular blogs and a keen eye for design. What made you concentrate on packaging? We both love the creativity that is possible with packaging. Visual presentation is something that we are all exposed to on a constant daily basis; from packaging at the grocery store - driving our desire to purchase one item over the other to beautifully wrapped gifts - the ones you cant wait to open first. The idea that so much is possible with just the smallest touches of creativity is really inspiring to us. Being in a partnership, what are your roles in your business? Working together has been great. Weve definitely had some trial and error working out which sections of our business we should head up individually and which parts we should shoulder together. Thankfully our personal strengths compliment one another, so it has been pretty easy to sort out. Flexibility is really the key to it all. I absolutely adore your styling. How would you describe the overall look of your shop and your products? Thank you! We really want to let the products speak for themselves and try to keep our styling as clean as possible.

Instead of saying this is a red bow and this is how you have to use it, we hope to inspire our customers to find new ways to use our packaging supplies. Our customers are amazing and creative people and we have been so inspired by them and the ways theyve put their purchases to use! What would you say are the highs and lows of owning a small business? Anyone who owns their own business knows how much work goes into the back end of things.

The lows would definitely involve the sheer amount of non-creative hours that go into keeping things running smoothly (accounting, web design, correspondence, etc). The highs are that every day we get to wake up and do something we love and work with customers who are the best. There is nothing more rewarding than that! Have you branched out to brick and mortar shops as well? No, at this time weve decided to just focus on our online shops.

What are your plans for Nice Package? How do you see it years from now? Well of course we would love for Nice Package to become a household name eventually. Realistically that means years of hard work, but we love what we are doing and cant wait to see what the future has in store for Nice Package. Aside from Nice Package, what other projects are you working on? Marichelle is working on several home improvement projects and Ez continues to work on her blog and enjoys taking photographs whenever there is a glimmer of sunlight available.

Name: Livy Location: Los Angeles, United States Website: http://afieldjournal.blogspot.com How long have you had your journal? And how did it come to be? A Field Journal was started in 2007, the summer after my first year at college. Craft and design blogs were a new discovery for me at the time, and I decided on a whim to open a blogger account. As a failed diarist, I wasnt very convinced Id keep up with it then, but somehow creating and sharing is something Ive found easy to do. You have a very distinct style to your work. How would you describe it? Im very drawn to pastels, especially in warmer months. But I love rich colors, especially in autumn. Im not very sure how Id characterize my style - nostalgic perhaps. I do love the past and hope that shows through a little. What has been your favourite project in your blog so far? Its hard to narrow it down so I guess I will go with one of the biggest projects which was the Craft Closet I put together last year. Runners up would be the dollhouse and my birthday celebration. Who are your favourite artists? Historically I love Neoclassicism and Jacques-Louis David. I also love the Dutch Baroque, those serene genre scenes and opulent still life paintings. What is a typical day for you like? Im a student so my schedule varies day to day. Its usually a mix of listening to lectures, studying when I can, household chores, emailing, spending far too much time on the internet and of course spending time on freelance and creative projects. As an art history and history student, what particular time in history are you drawn to and why? I like the late 18th century. My dad was a history buff and I grew up learning about the American and French Revolutions. What I like most about this period and others is the visual history - the fashions, the interiors, city streets, everyday objects, in short, the viewable world of the time.

ART & ILLUSTRATION PROJECTS & TUTORIALS DIGITAL DOWNLOADS aprintaday.blogspot.com

Name: Becky Drolen Location: Bloomington, Indiana Website: http://beckydrolen.etsy.com, http://rebeccadrolen.com Tell us about your shop. How and when did you start Becky Drolen Vintage? I started my shop in the spring of 2009 on a whim really! I had some spare vintage knick knacks and clothes lying around that I figured could use a better home. I took some less than lovely photos, and they sold pretty quickly. That must have lit the entrepreneurial flame within me because shortly there after I began to go shopping and hunting around vintage with the only qualifying factor being the question, Would I wear this? The midwest is great for vintage! I also got really into doing my research by looking at a lot of successful etsy shops and figuring out what it takes to stand out amongst the multitude of vintage shops on etsy. I must say that the most distinguishing factor of shops that do well is great photographs! You have such a great eye and shows in your etsy shop. Is there a look or styling that youre going for? There is definitely a style that has developed over time in my shop (it certainly was a lot looser in the beginning). I like classic, simple pieces, am in love with 50s fashion, and always geek out over vintage shoes. On the flip side, I really love what one woman wrote in her blog about some of my items, describing them as having an Urban Frontier feeling (fur, leather, earth tones, etc). I love that! While I certainly house a lot of very pretty and sophisticated garments, I get most excited about the pieces that have some sort of a post-apocalyptic earthy feel but are still really feminine and lovely (leather satchels, tall boots, fur hats, wool sweaters).

What attracts you to vintage? Many factors draw me to vintage...I get excited about a garments history. I love that items can carry stories and life that come attached. I have a great respect for that. Also, my personal politics concerning waste, sweatshops, excess, etc, really detract me from buying much of anything new when so many perfectly useful and beautiful items already exist. I am happy to share with others that vintage clothing can be really practical and a part of modern looks. If buying something at my shop means that a person will not be making a trip to the mall later that day, I find that pretty pleasing. If there is a particular decade, or era that youre attracted to, what would it be? And why? I love the 50s! Circle skirts, wiggle dresses, cute hats and oxfords...they are all coming back around (possibly thanks to Mad Men?). The 50s have an elegance and femininity that is unmatched if you ask me. As a business owner, what is a typical day for you like? I keep very busy! I work two other jobs outside of my Etsy business, which means that most of my shop work is at night or on the weekends. By far, the most exciting part of the process for me is getting to go shopping and hitting all of my favorite thrift stores, antique shops, and vintage stores. It is great fun to be able to shop freely and not be concerned with whether something fits or what excuse I can make for myself to wear it. Shopping for other people is so much more exciting than shopping for myself! On a typical day, I will photograph and list several items, answer messages, package up several more items and get them ready to ship out at the post office the next morning.

What are your projects outside your vintage shop? I recently finished my graduate work and got my MFA in Photography. I am now teaching a couple of Photo classes at a community college nearby and trying to make time to continue my own artwork! I also work at an organic foods co-op market in my town... it is one of those jobs I just cant seem to quit even though I dont quite have time for it (too good of people and awesome food!) I also have three amazing dogs between my fella and me and can often be found romping around the woods with them. It seems that vintage objects have been received so enthusiastically as of late, and you notice it quite a bit in blogs, and the influx of shops among other things. What would you attribute to this? That is a tough question to answer, but you are quite right. Just a week or so ago, my 50-something aunt in Texas wrote me a text saying that the Today Show predicted that vintage dresses would be the big thing in 2010. Maybe it is shows like Mad Men that glorify certain time periods or even principles of the green movement that are leading people back to classic styles that dont need to be recreated because there are so many great dresses that already exist. It is a cliche to say that fashions always come back around, but I do think that particularly in the past few years we have seen so many different decades come back in full force... the kind of boho 60s looks, puff sleeves and secretary ascots of the 80s, early 90s grunge, and definitely 50s full skirts and tilt hats. I think that modern looks are pulling from vintage styles more than ever lately.

Name: Nadia Izruna Location: London, England Website: http://nadinoo.com, http://nadinoo.blogspot.com How and when did Nadinoo get its start? It was around this time last year that I finally made the decision to leave my cosy design job and set up Nadinoo. Designing for a brand was a great experience but I missed all the hands on processes involved in making a garment, most of which you become very detached from working for a huge company. So I was sat at my office desk attempting to look busy while sketching and dreaming up ideas of what Nadinoo could be? I loved the idea of hand sewing a garment just for the intended wearer, making it special and unique for them. I Began my first collection with only my final pay packet. Its a wonder what you can achieve with so little. I was only hand sewing very small quantities to start with, most of which were custom orders with fabrics, colours and sizes specified by the customer. I think setting up and selling online was the right move, as Nadinoo has developed a wonderful dedicated following, with customers from all over the world. What got you interested in fashion? From an early age I was excited about clothes. My mum used to sew my and my sisters matching floral dresses with big bows and puffy sleeves. I found the whole process fascinating, after finishing she would offer me the scraps of left over fabrics and trims to use to make dolls clothes. During my time at art college I remember pouring over Hussein Chalayan and Rei Kawakubos collections, loving how they manipulated clothing to create 3Dimentional masterpieces. I was fortunate enough to meet my idol Hussein Chalayan and work under his creative direction at Puma, for a shy guy his ideas were so brave and limitless. At university I became fascinated with Japanese designers and the art of experimental pattern cutting, which I enjoyed exploring in my final collection. There is still so much more I would love to learn and experiment with in fashion, I hope that Nadinoo is just the beginning. Who or what inspires you most as a designer? I find ladies fashion from the early to mid 1900s incredibly inspiring. I cant help dipping into Eras and plucking out details and silhouettes that are too good to be forgotten. I chop and change between my favorite eras, Im currently smitten

with the 1940s and all the wonderful accessories a lady must wear: gloves, hats, broaches, petticoats, stockings..., the list goes on! I love the freedom they had with designing as so much was hand worked. I enjoy scouring vintage stores, flea markets and second hand shops for beautiful finds and inspiration, even just to look at the constructions that we wouldnt dream of attempting today. What would you say are some of the challenges of operating a small business? There are so many challenging aspects to running a small business. Every day I would probably give you a different answer. Todays would be the lack of hours in a day--managing everything yourself means you have very little time for yourself. Im currently working 24-7 as I have the new season to design and make alongside our big move to London at the end of the month. Do you have employees or do you design and create everything yourself? Currently I design and hand make all the collections myself, although I hope to bring on some little helpers when we move to London and a few professional machinists. Setting up in Nuremberg, Germany was a great starting point but in order to move onto the next stage we definitely need to be in a big city. I have a wonderfully supportive partner who has been in the apparel industry far longer than I have, having his wisdom on board has given Nadinoo a wonderful start.

What is a typical day for you like? Im currently working on the new Spring/ Summer line, so I wake up grab a mug of tea with me upstairs to the studio and look through my sketches to choose a design to work on for the day. I select the right pattern block for the style and begin to adapt it. I will cut and sew a toil (prototype) to check the fit and details work and alter where needed. I then make the final sample in the correct fabrics and trims which will be used in the photo shoots. Of course there are lots of other processes in my daily routine, most of which I do without realizing anymore, all glamorous stuff like washing and ironing the fabrics, I cant wait for a helping hand! What are your goals for Nadinoo? With our move to London I hope to establish Nadinoo as a British label and build on the companies infrastructure. This should hopefully prepare us for exhibiting in trade shows later on this year, moving us into cute boutiques in key cities around the world. Im also still dreaming of setting up a Nadinoo boutique with a studio in the back where you can get our designs altered and customized to fit. I really want to keep Nadinoo true to its values not losing the personal connection we have with our customers, as this is what got me excited about Nadinoo to begin with.

Makool Loves You

Name: Anisa Makhoul Location: 2505 SE 11th ave., Portland, OR, USA Website: http://makoollovesyou.com, http://makoolclothing.com

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Location: Greenfiel d, MA, US Website: A http://op ertura.or http://ov g, erture-im age.blogs pot.com

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Royal Buffet
Name: Mollie Greene Location: Greenville, South Carolina, USA Website: http://royalbuffet.etsy.com, http:// molliegreene.com

FEATURED BLOGGER: PICDIT


Location: Toronto, Canada Website: http://picdit.wordpress.com/ How long have you had your blog? About 2 years. Whats your blog about? Art, photography, design. Whats the best part about having a creative blog? I get this great feeling knowing Im informing my community about extraordinary art and photography in the world. Least favourite? The spam + press releases I get in my inbox on a day-to-day basis. What do you do outside blogging? I am a student, so I dont have too much time to do other exciting things. But, I like to ski on the weekends and I also keep a sketchbook, where I try to doodle some stuff. Whats a typical day for you like? Wake up. Check email. Go to school... Come home. Blog. Check the RSS reader. Watch some TV. Who are some of your favourite artists youve featured? Julian Duron, Cody Hoyt, Matt Furie, Corey Thompson & Jessica Snow. Among the the following, which would you choose as a pet, and why? a.) Griffin b.) Pegasus c.) Jackalope d.) Unicorn Id go with a Griffin, due to the fact that its the most badass out of the four.

Image by Sweet Station

If you Craft, Youll ParasolCraft! Click on each image to preview!

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All images that appear in Parasol Magazine are the property of each respective artist unless otherwise noted. Please do not use these said images without the permission of the artist. Thanks for your understanding.

Photo by Victor K. Surovec

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