Studio and Surprises!

This is one of those random, no-real-theme kind of posts. I just wanted to share a couple of new things going on lately...

Studio:

I made a trip to IKEA the other day in an attempt to make my completely cluttered studio a bit more organized. I was running out of places to put my new work, and I ordered a ton of shipping materials in bulk that I needed to find a home for. There's something so very motivational about having an organized space to be productive in. 

Workspace: I love to have all my paintings up off of the ground! Not only does it keep them safe and out of the way, but they serve as temporary studio decoration until they're sold.

Top: TV- Oddly, I've always been more productive around with the TV on. Top shelf: Oil Paints, Paint Thinner, and Some Inspirational Books. Second Shelf: Acrylic Paints- My Medium of Choice. Bottom Shelf: Colored Pencils, Some Canvas Photo Frames (future projects), My Art Journals, and "Play Paints" (cheaper paint used to experiment in my journals)

 

There's something I just LOVE about blank canvases... Oh, the potential!! The painting in the back is the beginning of a commissioned piece.

Business/Packaging Area: Laptop, Shipping Scale, Packaging Materials, Business Cards and Coupons. Under the table are bins filled with stuff I take to Art Shows with me. On the wall is one of my favorite prints, "How to Be an Artist" by SARK.

As for the "Surprises" part of the post title, I recently finished and sent a surprise belated wedding gift to my friends Brad and Meghan Otto. You may remember Brad as the guy who commissioned this "Hamster Riding a Chicken" piece.

I knew I wanted to paint them something for their gift and given their sense of humor, I thought they would find a portrait as them in "American Gothic" as fun as I did. So here's the finished product- I had so much fun doing it!

The best part was when I got the text from Brad saying "Are you [effing] kidding me!??!!**!?!?**". Not only did that let me know they received it, I think they enjoyed it. :)

 

Studio Away From Studio (and other new happenings!)

Let me first start by saying my boyfriend is amazing.

Now that that's out of the way, let me explain why. We spend a lot of time together which is great! However, he also lives about 25 minutes away from me so I would often joke that I felt like a child of a divorce-- When I was at his house I would realize I left something at my house. And when I was at home, I would realize I had taken something to his house and left it there. Usually these "things" were related to my artwork. I would be at home and inspired to paint, then realize that I had taken my painting to his house to work on. Or, I'd be at his house and get a brilliant idea to add ribbon to my painting and realize I left all my ribbon at home. Frustrating.

So, my boyfriend (Hi Kyle!), being so very supportive like he is, offered to give me a whole room in his house just for me to "go crazy and create" in. A "Studio Away From Studio" in my home away from home! :)

I got it all set up yesterday and I am SO excited to get in there and create!!

I'll have to add more photos once I get things on the walls and such. But hooray for my own little space, and an extra HOORAY for giant windows with natural light!

On a somewhat related note, I have also been commissioned to do a GIANT painting which I'm very excited about. It will be a huge undertaking but I've always loved the idea of working on a larger scale and now's my chance! Okay, so it's not billboard-sized but it still looks pretty funny and awkwardly large on my easel, haha. (I kept Sadie, the dog, in the photo for a size comparison)

Custom Portraits!

MoKoPo Creations is now offering custom portraits! As of now, all portraits will be done on canvas in black and white oil paint. Prices based on size and number of subjects. GREAT gift idea! Please email me at mokopo@gmail.com for details!

To get an idea of sizing, this is a 16x20" painting:

The Greatest TShirt That Ever Was...

Just a quick note to let you know that the Hamster/Chicken album cover drawing that I did for my musically talented friend, Brad Otto is now available for purchase on a T-Shirt!! You can get one via his website at: www.brad-otto.com

Check him out and buy yours today!! :)

Penguin Pool Party

Newly finished!

This one is by special request from my little sister, Briana- A beautiful "squirrel" with a wicked sense of humor. Thank you for your wit, your honesty, and for being my sidekick. (Oh, and thanks for the ugly nail polish, haha)

Sneak Peek of my NEW Line!

It's been a little while since I've written, but boy have I been busy! I'm just dropping in briefly to give you all a small sneak peek of what's to come. The picture below isn't part of the new MoKoPo line itself, but more of the inspiration behind it... Stay Tuned! ;)



The above is commissioned album artwork for musician, Brad Otto .

MoKoPo Murals

Well, I finally finished my cousin Gracie's bedroom mural! She wanted a "Fairy Wonderland" so I went crazy with the girly-ness. Tons of flowers, bright colors, beautiful fairies, and of course, Tinkerbell! I absolutely love doing murals because it's basically my childhood dream-come-true. I used to beg my parents to let me paint on my walls but was never allowed to. As it turns out, now that I'm a grown-up I get to paint on walls and get paid for it :)

P.S. I'm now available for commissioned work! Just shoot me an email.