Larissa Lee : Art and Design

2011-02-18T11:09:00.002-05:00

MOVING!!!
visit my NEW permanent blog

HTTP://LLEEART.TUMBLR.COM

Sweetest Sin

2010-12-27T17:37:00.000-05:00

Spent the last two days in the house, trying to use my time productively with the snow storm going on.

I finished this today...A very quick little painting, probably took less than two hours!
This was done very loosely with lots of transparent layers and a minimal color palette. I haven't had as much time lately to paint, and often found myself more frustrated when I tried. This piece was very relaxing to work on. I cranked Cake's "Motorcade of Generosity" album, sipped some hot cocoa, and just enjoyed the day.

2.75"x5.75"
Acrylic on Birch Plywood

Dump It (the end-of-semester-smorgasborg)

2010-12-16T15:46:00.002-05:00

"Why not just post more regularly?"
A VERY good question!

Unfortunately, I have no answer for that.

Here is a 2-part project from my Typography I class, a lesson on hierarchy.

The first is completely type and consists of 6 parts with specific limitations on how the type can be altered (line spacing, letter spacing, line weight, etc).

beginning:

end:

The next assignment used the same copy applied to a poster for the event. This one went through several incarnations. It progressed from dreadlocks to pure type to woven hemp to canvas to canvas patterns and finally paint splatter? The final product is much simpler than what I originally pictured but I find that that way, every component got a chance to hold together as a complete piece. Hurray, revelations!!

Time Time Time

2010-11-29T09:30:00.001-05:00

It seems that lately I haven;t had enough time to draw ANYTHING! If its not work, its the computer, and if its not the computer, its sketching something for the computer, and if its not for the computer at all, its me sitting around wondering whether this was a good idea at all.

I'm taking time now in class to simply take a good, deep breath, and take a little time for myself. I've revamped the look...POPPIES! I was watching The Wizard of Oz last night, and I always find myself fascinated by the scene with the field of sleep-inducing poppies. Substance abuse in a classic movie? No waaaayyy. Despite that, I've always loved the idea of a big MOFO'ing field of amazing red poppies! If I ever get that dream mansion with the dual marble lion statues, I will have an immense poppy garden populated by midget giraffes, garden gnomes, and white rabbits.

This has nothing to do with my art. But I'll try to post more of that soon as well.

Copley Square + Boston Public Library

2010-02-24T23:33:00.008-05:00

Copley Square is one of my favorite areas in Boston. Its flanked by the glass behemoth, the John Hancock building, on one side...and the fab shopping trap of Newbury Street on the other side. Walking down Boylston Street, the sight of Trinity Church against the JH Tower is really something else. Modern skyscraper meets Gothic Revival, its a pretty cool contrast.

Right across the street is the Boston Public Library. If I had a really pimping mansion, it might look like the BPL...its just that sweet and one of the real crown jewels of Boston history and prominence. And who wouldn't want a pair of giant lions adorning your stairwell?

Bates Hall is a beautiful, high vaulted ceiling room, and very conducive to intensive studying. But my favorite part might be the Abbey Room. Dark, molded wood, wide benches, with enormous paintings adorning the walls. The lighting is dim, and with the sunlight streaming through the windows, its almost unreal...serene. I can sit in the Abbey Room reading for hours, but it'd probably kill my eyes. :P

And here are a few sketches from this week :)

Bonjour mon lapin mignon!

2009-08-22T02:17:00.008-04:00

So, after getting my image red carded by Photobucket as well as Blogspot, I can finally provide a (rather small and insignificant) update! I usually refer to my rabbits as conejos and conejitos...but he (yes, a he) seems much more suited to the French style. So lapin it shall be. If you'd like to see Blogspot's demon spawn upload of the image, direct your eyes below:
I'd say evil lapin has his own charm as well as I keep looking at him. Maybe he'll make his own entrance someday.

Lapin came as a result of me realizing I haven't really touched Illustrator much this whole summer. I'll post some more paintings soon, but for the moment I've been sidelined by the digital programs. I'll be starting the fall semester at Bunker Hill Community College as a Graphic Design major (shh...this isn't betrayal, I swear!!) and I figured it would be poor showing on my part to pop into class as a transfer who sucks at digital art. Fail fail fail.

And for something to get giddy over, Brom is set to release his next illustrated novel, The Child Thief, inspired by the tales of none other than the puberty-stunted wonderboy Peter Pan.

I first picked up Brom's book The Plucker sometime last Spring, and I got hooked pretty fast. Brom's writing style is simple and the book is a pretty easy read if it weren't for the disturbingly perverse undertones. And his artwork...yeah, I'm not really verbally skilled enough to describe how much I love it. Its beautiful, its frightening, its freakin' amazing. Wicked pissah? Would that work?

Its set to release August 25...but of course there are lucky people in the loop who have already gotten their hands on it. *fans the flames of envy*

Captain Zee (WIP)

2009-06-18T19:35:00.007-04:00

In progress portrait painting of Boston Bruins captain, Zdeno Chara (formerly of NY Islanders and Ottawa Senators).
This is the first of a series of sports paintings, since this is summer and nothing says summer like raw manpower.

That is all.

Disillusions

2009-05-06T23:07:00.004-04:00

The older adaptations of the story of Snow White include the evil Queen demanding that Snow White's heart be given to her after she is killed. I find this one detail of the story to be so frightening. She draws similarities to the infamous "Blood Countess" Elizabeth Bathory, which isn't any more comforting. I've been told that the legends of Bathory bathing in the murdered maidens' blood is NOT true...but any fact on her history has been so permeated with fiction, that its hard to tell whats actually true.

I've been looking back at the art that influenced me as a child. Henry J. Ford's illustrations in the Fairy Books series were one of my early obsessions. I was too young to really understand the stories, but I remembered the illustrations fascinating and haunting me at the same time. Beautiful women, twisted trolls, both magical and horrifying at the same time. I learned that I loved artists like Edmund Dulac and Arthur Rackham earlier than I ever had the capacity to remember their names.

I don't think there's enough fairy tales for the older generation any more. I guess they would fall under the fantasy novel genre, or graphic novels, but I haven't found anything quite like the Fairy Books in modern publications. If anyone knows of some good books to check out, please inform me!!

Bexoxo
- Larissa

Curly Straws

2009-04-30T23:59:00.003-04:00

A quick, simple piece for W27.
Clean lines, happy colors. Makes me happy.

I like curly straws...and I actually like the concept of beer-hats as long as its not beer attached. Orange soda-hats, perhaps? Or BUBBLE TEA HATS?

I've been busy with final projects, so its nice to distract myself from work that HAS to be done. And English papers? So over it. Write it, get it done, pass it in, sleep some more, watch a lot of hockey and soccer. I'm writing a psychological literary critique on a Murakami short story, so it won't be completely miserable. Five pages, what?

I don't exactly make sense at the moment. Forgive me. I might blame it on the slow internet.

"Sangre"

2009-04-21T18:29:00.007-04:00

"Sangre" acrylic on canvas

This was something that took me ages to start, but not very long to complete. The original layout was completely different, and I think there's about a million layers of gesso packed on after each time I changed my mind. You can blame PMS, which would make the title "Sangre" very fitting...

My favorite part of this was the red banners. They were an unplanned decision (much like this whole painting was, oh hey!) but I think they pulled everything together well. Unfortunately, they started as a desperate attempt to "bandage" another mistake, and somehow became the most endearing part to me. The banners also gave way to the title.

It was a hair puller, to be honest. I think it should have been titled "Mi Sangre, mi dolor...MIERDA!"

-Larissa

(PS. Boston win game THREE of their first round with Montreal! LETS GO BRUINS!)

Influences: Ken Wong

2009-04-15T13:04:00.006-04:00

credits to Ken Wong @ http://www.kenart.net

Ken Wong is an artist I've been following for about three years.

Wong is currently an art director for Spicy Horse, a Shangai-based videogame compay. He has worked with American McGee on the online game Grimm, and as recently announced, will be working on a sequel to American McGee's Alice.

Besides his versatility in style, there is an unmistakably magical quality about his artwork that drew me in long before I understood the finer technical qualities of art. Wong also pulls off these wonderfully crazy things with color and pattern that I adore.

I definitely recommend that people check out his work at:
Ken Wong Illustration & Design

In other news
For the time being, I will not be continuing my education at FIT, or at MassArt as it seems. I don't know whether I'll try to apply again, but I'll be taking some time off to contemplate my situation. I'm not too disheartened, though, so don't worry! I only just turned twenty (oh, what a birthday present...) and I still have time to figure out what I'm going to do about all of this.

Until then, I'll still be continuing making art...and I'll probably be looking for a job to pay off those loans once the financers realize I'm not a full time student anymore. Ouch!!

Besos
- Larissa

Soft things

2009-04-05T17:19:00.004-04:00

A nude study from anatomy class. I have a particular fondness for this one. It has a bit of a ethereal and calming quality that makes me feel happy inside. Haha, for lack of better words to describe it.

On another note, I'm planning a series of paintings in celebration of the current Boston Bruins season! The playoffs are coming up, so what better way to express fanaticism than in paint? They'll be a lot grittier than my usual subjects, full of testosterone and sheer manliness.
Hockey fans in the house?

GO BRUINS!

conejo, conejo, conejo

2009-04-03T20:56:00.004-04:00

I have a big thing for rabbits...bunnies, bun buns, conejos, lapins, 兔, furry bundles of love, whatever you prefer to call them. They're irresistably adorable, fluffy, soft, and squishy. I can go on and on. I've been bitten by one before, did not change a thing. Bunnies rule.

I think I'd like to have an adorable chubby bunny of my own some day, of course it wouldn't look like the enraged conejo I drew. That can serve as a reminder of the extreme caution one must exhibit when handling their pets. DO NOT PISS A BUNNY OFF.

rawr

Fresh Start

2009-03-29T00:08:00.003-04:00

-18"x24" oil on canvas-

Portrait paintings intimidate me, I admit wholeheartedly. So, I figured that as an inaugural post, I'd give you all...a portrait painting.

Before college, I wasn't very skilled at painting at all. Its taken a lot of practice to improve, so looking at what I can do now has been a great confidence boost. (Though, as I'm looking at the uploaded pictures right now, my nitpicking is really making my brain tick with how I can make this better!)

As it stands now, the portrait is not finished...might work on it more after I keep it away from my sights for a few days.

Thanks to anyone who took a few minutes to visit the blog via my Facebook notice.
I'm not sure who has a blogspot, so just drop a message so I can look at your stuff too. :D

- Larissa