shit... now that i wear earrings im gonna have to whip up an earring rack to hang them all in plain sight, lest i forget they exist...

Super Galaxy Elise from League of Legends // Cosplayer : Lumi.Star.Cos // Photo : SpellboundHeart

When deciding what League of Legend skins I want to bring to life there are always two things I consider. How much the outfit will challenge my skills as a creator and how many other people have made that same outfit. The most rewarding ones for me require me to get a bit more creative and while it can be frustrating at times, the end result is always worth it. I also always get a lot of excited people who are just happy to see their favorite skin created in the flesh and it feels great to help be a part of creating that happiness. Super Galaxy Elise, in particular, had a lot of challenges I had never attempted before: spandex bodysuit, extra limbs, and interesting shoe requirements being three of the largest ones.

Super Galaxy Elise was a massive project that took a while to complete and had a lot of readjustments along the way. On my Instagram Lumi.star.cos you can view a lot of WIP posts about the processes but it boils down to a few aspects. The bodysuit is made of spandex. The back brace for the legs is made of worbla to give it more rigidity in supporting them. The legs themselves are made of EVA foam and attached to the brace via Rigid Pet G Tubing which is a sort of acrylic like rod. Finally, the shoe stilts were designed and created by myself and Darkflame cosplay to give me the right standing silhouette and are made from metal. This project took about 36 weeks but that’s including other projects and a few weeks vacation that interrupted the flow at times.

At Anime Weekend Atlanta (AWA) I gave Elise a test run and am so glad I did. My favorite part of wearing her around the convention had to be the absolute shock and awe surrounding the foot pieces I was wearing. The first thing about them that usually drew attention was the sound, I hadn’t put any sort of rubber bottom on the metal so each step made a pretty significant amount of sound even in the loud con environment. Once they looked my way through the comments usually started coming in to the degree of, “How are you even walking?” or “What’s up with your feet?” or outright exclamations of astonishment. It was fun to hear and have the opportunity to show off what Darkflame and I had created.

Overall Elise wore great and I was really happy but I did end up with a bit of a snafu when one of my spider legs started to snap. I had just finished with a larger photoshoot when I noticed this and the other community members were so helpful and kind about finishing up and pointing me in the direction of the cosplay repair booth. Unfortunately, before I could arrive the leg snapped off fully but once again everyone was so understanding about needing to put that costume away early for the rest of the con. I was really grateful for how respectful and supportive everyone was of the situation.

Ever since that first convention I’ve always loved cosplay. Each year I’ve handmade more of my costumes until I was doing it from scratch and each year I’ve cosplayed more characters per convention and expanded the number of conventions I attend. Now it plays an even larger part as I’m working towards creating a cosplay supply store based in Raleigh. One of the biggest hurdles of making my own cosplays was finding the materials and advice for how to make more complicated things I was interested in. I have a lot of plans to put together a storefront that can serve as a place for people to solicit advice, practice their skills, and even work on projects in addition to being able to find the materials they need and want for their projects. If you or any readers are interested in seeing something like this happen then they should follow me on Instagram. I’ll be posting updates there and opening up a Gofundme soon to try and help raise starting costs once I finish doing all of my research and figuring out all the bits n’ pieces.

My best friend was always a huge cosplay and anime fan and in middle school, she dragged me to Animazement with her. At first, I was a bit skeptical, sure that if I wore a costume with her I’d stand out and be weird but when I arrived, the opposite was true. Within about three hours of being at the convention, I went down to the dealer’s room and purchased my first cosplay, a black and white lolita cat getup. The next year I made sure to come prepared with an actual costume of my own, Suigintou from Rozzen Maiden. That cosplay was purchased and modified slightly for accuracy in my mom’s sewing room with her guidance and is what led me down the eventual path of creation.

SKETCHY BEHAVIORS | INTERVIEW W/ CRYSTAL HABITATS

Combining stain glass, metal smithing and mineralogy, founder of Crystal Habitats, Rachel Pitler transformed her drawing and painting skills into a magical world of 3D stained glass and molten metal sculptures – from jewel adorned cardholders, wands, daggers (athames), to ring holders, just to mention a few. Not only one thing, Rachel is also a co-founder of Bitchcraft, an unique holiday event featuring over 60 vendors, selling everything dark & magical. We’re excited to talk to Rachel and find out more about how she started her creations, what inspires them, and what she has planned for 2019! 

Take the leap below!

Photographs courtesy of the artist. 

Introduce yourself. My name is Rachel Pitler Hsiung. I am a mixed-media artist (stained glass, molten metal, oil painting, and clay). Originally I am from Detroit; however, I have been living in Los Angeles now for many years. My professional background is in the rock & mineral industry. Working in this field allows me to travel to all the big gem shows where I am able to work with interesting specimens on a daily basis... as well as being surrounded by these beauties is a huge creative plus for me and where I draw much of my inspiration.

Tell us a little about your background in art? I never had any formal training in drawing & painting. My mom is a fantasy illustrator, so growing up I often sat with my mom and watched her paint/draw, and I took to it myself pretty quickly. I got a job in my 20s teaching art to kids & teens on the basics of drawing, watercolor & oil painting. I taught art for 8 years. It was a really important time in my life for me to grow as an artist. Through teaching others I discovered a lot about myself, I learned to enjoy my process of making art, to never stop learning, and to push myself out of my comfort zone into new mediums.

How did you go from working with traditional material like oil paints and pastels to a medium like stain glass and solder?  When did you start creating pieces out of glass, metal, and so forth? A little over 5 years ago one of my best friends Erin Coovert (Moontan Stain Glass) started taking a glass class. She encouraged me to try out her class, I did and have been forever changed by this incredible medium. I am so grateful to her for sharing this path with me as it opened up so much more for me in terms of my creative abilities. It's really hard when you have a lot of creative ideas, but little tools to make them into reality. I was such a two dimensional art person trying to be a 3D artist and for whatever reason stained glass opened that part of my brain up to problem solve and tackle art projects that I would have otherwise given up on.

Tell us a little about Crystal Habitats and the unique pieces that you create for it? In mineralogy, the word crystal habit is a characteristic of crystal groups & individual crystals. I wanted to make artwork that reflected my own take on crystals and create pieces that are like little worlds within themselves, little habitats that harness magick and cast their energy onto whoever uses them. Art for me has always been a refuge and a place of healing. 

I love making tools that do just that. I make wands & daggers (athames) that are adorned with crystals & molten metal. I make three sided pyramids (often with crystals adhered to them), jewelry, ring holders, and a lot of other items. In my drawings & paintings, I have a fantasy world I came up with called The Ice Crags. Many of my paintings & drawings take place in this realm. My characters are often High Priestess (and wizards). Recently I have started to making these characters in stained glass.

Of the many things you create–from wands to daggers–which is your favorite to make and why? What is the process like for one of these, from start to finish? Right now I am really enjoying the process of making my snake athames (a type of dagger). Snakes represent healing & transformation, when paired with a stone setting and blade, these pieces really become a source of internal empowerment.

My friend John (@jabforge) makes my blades, I make the hilt with molten metal...I cut out a copper/metal sheet with my metal cutter to create a handle. I hand solder the entire base...there are different ways to solder...I have adapted a painting style of soldering, you can create patterns within the metal to give it a unique look. When I add the crystals I make bezels out of metal, and solder it to the hilt, and I hand make the the snakes out of epoxy clay. I give my pieces a dark patina and I often use my dremel to smooth out parts and I sand it down to give it an interesting aged look. I enjoy making these in particular as it is a collaboration which I always love and each piece has such a unique character to them. When working with molten metal, I never know what pattern I am going to make till I start soldering, it's always fun to see how they turn out.  

In your studio, what type of art materials and tools would we find on your desk? Too many tools and never enough tools! Lead free solder, soldering iron, flux, glass cutting materials, dremel, jewelry wax, metal cutter, thin wires, metal sheets, copper sheets, all sorts of dental tools (I use them for carving) epoxy clay, lots of glues, torch, hammers, paint, glass, wood, my lapidary wheel, patina, cabochons and crystals parts, there's a lot of stuff! Im super obsessed with working with new materials. Since I work in a handful of mediums, it becomes a real science project in my studio mashing them together to see what works and what doesn’t.

What are some of the cool collaborations you’ve done? How do collaborators incorporate your works into what they’re doing?  A recent collaboration I did was with my good friend Alex from Acid Queen Jewelry. She makes incredible jewelry and we often talk shop on a weekly basis. She made a gorgeous ring and I made a matching glass ring holder (glass base with a quartz point as the holder for the ring). She and I will have more collabs in 2019! Very excited to work with her again! And as mentioned earlier John from Jab Forge. He is a blacksmith, his blade work is my favorite...his blades look like moon craters, they have a real old world look to them and I enjoy matching my style of metal work with his work.  

What medium haven’t you tried that you’d definitely like to get your hands on? Metalsmithing. Well this is a medium I have dabbled in but really haven’t gone deep and it’s my goal for 2019 to get into it more. Specifically so that I can incorporate a different type of metal work into my stained glass & my solder work. Medium cross over is my favorite thing to mess around with, good for the brain ;)

Not only are you behind Crystal Habitats and its creations, but you had an active role in creating an event/community called Bitchcraft. Can you tell us more about Bitchcraft, how it started and the idea behind it? When was the last one and when’s the next one? Yes! 10 years ago I co-founded it with 4 of my friends. We all made things and wanted an all female handmade collective where we could barter/sell goods.  I believe we had like 10 vendors at the first one in our friend’s backyard...now there are over 60 vendors, it's a pretty large holiday event. It's a collective that celebrates everything dark & magickal, a curated group of like-minded makers filled with everything from metal goods, apothecary, altar items, capes, wands, jewelry, and really a lot of items related to other worldly and the occult. We just had our annual holiday show in December! There's always a chance for a mid year show but for now not till Dec 2019 :)

Who are some of your favorite vendors or artists from that Bitchcraft community? What’s your favorite thing about that community? Oh that is really hard for me to say!! Most of these people have been my friends for a long time and have been a creative support system and I cherish all of them and appreciate & admire all of their works. My favorite thing about the Bcraft community is the friendships! There is so much love and support with this crew...outside of this event a lot of the vendors work with each other on projects, do shows together, help promote and support one another. Having a strong group of makers is super important to me and has helped me grow so much as an artist, and I am so thankful for all of them!

Who are some other artists you’re inspired by? What kind of things inspire you? I have the longest list of artist who have inspired me!! But I have to say my very top inspirational artist would be my mom, Sheri-Pitler McClure. Her work is everything to me...she has a way of drawing people that is so out of this time, totally belongs in Middle Earth. Growing up my mom surrounded our household with fantasy - wizard & unicorn statues spread throughout our my childhood home...she is a big fan of science fiction, so as a kid I was exposed to all movies and books on the subject. She is also a rock collector (she did opal lapidary work back in the day) so I guess all of these things had a big impact on me. When I was really young she painted a series of these goddesses that represented the different seasonal full moons. These women were painted as strong ethereal beings, who’s magick reached out from the canvas and wided my eyes to endless worlds one could create. That was my first memory of how art can really change your perspective and it has stuck with me ever since.  

Other things that inspire me spans from crystal formations, old medieval paintings, everything Tolkien, old lore & fantasy books/movies. I am also really into the color pallet of the Dark Crystal, I often watch and think about that movie when I am making.

What’s been the most challenging part of maintaining Crystal Habitats? What’s been the most rewarding? What do you do to keep the balance? I would say compartmenting my time has been a big challenge….often people tell me to do my art full time but working in the mineral business is my dream job and it is also is a place where I come up with my concepts...its like one can’t exist without the other, so figuring out the balance of them has been something that I am always working on. The most rewarding part is when I have a really fresh new idea and I am able to execute it….there are some designs that I will do over and over, but when a new design pops into my head it becomes extremely exciting to work on.

Recently I have been bringing balance into my work space by not taking on too many custom orders or too many shows...allowing myself to have breaks...through these breaks I have been able to come back fresh and renewed, which is very important to my process.

What’s your advice to folks who see what you do and want to pursue it as a career? Don’t compare yourself to others. Keep learning, discover new mediums, always be a student of something it really opens your mind to concepts that otherwise could be dormant.

What’s your best advice for creative folks on social media platforms, like Instagram? Have fun! I know that sounds lame, be seriously don’t get caught up in it too much. The more stress you surround yourself with social media & the more it takes away from your art. I love using social media, I love using it to showcase my art and be connected to other artists/communities, but don’t allow it to become overwhelming. I think being true to your art is the most important part:)

What are your FAVORITE Vans?  Slip-Ons!

Finally can you share with us what exciting things you may have lined up for 2019? I’ll be working on a new line of handmade jewelry boxes. A lot more snake themed items for sure!! I have been working on some Shield Maiden jewelry through metalsmithing/lost wax mediums, it is something I have been really taking my time with and I am hoping to have some completed soon. I will also being vending at the Culver City Gem & Mineral Show in June 2019.

FOLLOW RACHEL | INSTAGRAM | WEBSITE 

XX. Paolo Bosson

Paolo’s style is inimitable in the most sincere meaning of the world; its a take on surrealism and minimalism that couldn’t be dreamt up, nor made any more intriguing and interesting than it already is. Alongside the Marine Martin’s, Edekqwerty’s, Caleb Kilby’s and Toothtakers of the world he is taking tattooing offroad, and helping carve a new one that generations in the future will no doubt marvel at, study and critique as we do, so many other cult visionaries from art and music. Enjoy...

What’s the worst job that you had before being a tattooer? I worked in a orange-juice factory for a while. It was with my brother that I really like, so I could already tell it’s not the worst thing that could happen— it was kind of  fun in the end. After, I got lucky and became passionate enough to study contemporary art and find an apprenticeship during my last year of diploma. I feel really blessed about it. Then I was straight into tattooing. In what ways has your style changed since you began tattooing? I think looking back at my work I really realise how the process of evolution is important to me. I guess it’s endless research, as cycles or seasons that are always connected to my influences and interest. I got through a lot of references from fine-art to classic tattoos and it really makes me take a turn in my drawing; because of the medium you have a different approach. Traditional (tattooing) especially, as it has a whole new iconography to me that blows my mind. What do you need the most, right now? Now I’m really researching for balance in artistic, emotional and spiritual way. What is the first non-english word that comes to mind? ‘Gruezi’, since I’m living in Swiss-Germany— It means hello and it’s the first word I’ve learnt haha. Tell me a little about your next scheduled tattoo. As I’m still working in a really spontaneous way I really have no idea, which is perfect for me. I like the fact that I go with the flow and deal with the person I have in front of me on the day most of the time. Do you think apprenticeships are still important in producing a well rounded artist? As I did one and had a really good experience, I would say it can really help. It’s like an acceleration as learning through someone gives you keys for opening your own doors. I think the most important thing is finding the right person to teach you and vice-versa. I got verry lucky to learn under Xoil and it’s been really dynamic for my work and artistic evolution. However I don’t think it’s necessary at all, but it definitely helps and make you learn faster. It’s not a matter of apprenticeship in the end, I would just say when you’re with someone you can observe techniques, share dynamic, an artistic point of view and being able to jump into somebody’s professional and creative process, as an artist makes a lot of sense. What three pieces (by any tattooers) stick out in your mind as being particularly unforgettable or groundbreaking? I wouldn’t say pieces because it’s more of a global atmosphere that lies in somebody’s work that stuck to my mind more. Got really blown by Will Sheldon pieces; L.M Knight and Toothtaker so far. What fastfood is most likely to be bought by you? We have a hot dogs micro store near by in Zurich. It’s the best hot dogs I ever had so far. It’s most of the time closed and never has fixed opening hours so when you can get one it’s like a blessing. They know how to keep it precious hahaha. What’s the first tattoo machine you ever bought? Handmade Jacob redmond Shader and using it as a liner. I still work with it for bold lines it’s really good to me. If you could be an animal for a day, what would you be? Definitely would be a whale for a day. I’m reading Jules Verne ‘20 000 lieux sous les mers’— it’s a sick french classic of literature that really makes you want to visit the oceans. What three tattooers embody your vision of contemporary tattooing? Definitely my friends Stephane Devidal, David Schiesser and Michele Servadio. Being surrounded and collaborate with them makes me always learn and open new doors. What has tattooing taught you? Tattooing has taught me a lot of different things from social interaction to professional creation. I learnt a lot about myself as well and it definitely bring me in a certain dynamic. I’m not sure I would have been involved otherwise. How important is collaboration to you as a tattooer? As I’m working in a spontaneous way it has a lot of importance in my work. It’s part of the process for me and when somebody is coming to me it’s really important to figure out by speaking which direction we want to take. I can always propose but would never push it has to be a good balance a bridge between my art and the person that come to me. Does the popularity of tattooing make you cynical or optimistic for the future? Well I think it’s a matter of point of view, I would say that I’m pretty optimistic as I feel that when something is getting popular it never sounds good but seeing further it always push the level, reflexion and creativity. The fact that people from diverse backgrounds come to tattooing is like new branches growing from a tree. Tattoo trunk is solid and ancient it will never break it just has seasons and a special dynamic now. I can see the same thing in skateboarding. In my opinion it also allows certain people to be more experimental or to go back to kind of side movement such as art-courant, and it definitely opens doors. I can’t say that it’s always good but the dynamic is important and people are getting more and more specific and curious about what they want. I think it’s really good.

Paolo works from Sang Bleu Zurich

Instagram

The expression “moonlighting watercolourist” comes from the fact I almost always paint at night, after coming home from work. Of course, it would be so much more romantic if it was truly by the light of the moon, but I do so with the aid of lights set up over my desk. I work at a hospital by day and am a painter by night. I am enamored with watercolours, even though I have only been using them for just over a year (the last time I used them was as a child). I still have a lot to learn about watercolours, but I am loving the journey!

When not painting, I enjoy reading, camping, canoeing, hiking, crocheting, writing in my journal and graphics/website design. I am also a self-taught bookbinder, making handmade leather journals since 2007 – it keeps me well stocked with sketchbooks! I’m married to my best friend and we have 4 indoor cats, although the latter would prefer that I had mentioned them formerly.

I am a self-taught artist and have never taken a formal art course or lesson. I guess you could say my childhood spent drawing and painting was my education in art.

Growing up, I was most contented to be alone either painting, drawing, reading and writing in my journals – one of those quiet types. My father taught me about colour combinations and how to use watercolours when I was a little girl. He was a natural artist, also self-taught, but rarely had a chance to paint due to the demands of raising and supporting a family.

I have fond memories of Dad entertaining my two sisters and I with quick little paintings with whatever was at hand (usually just general store watercolour paints for kids and plain paper). They often included landscapes from his childhood in Hong Kong. We would watch the paint swirl and come together in a lovely work of art. Having lost Dad to cancer in September 2016, only 5 years after losing Mom, those memories are very cherished ones.

I painted a bit with acrylics throughout junior/high school and dabbled in pencil and ink, and even sold some pieces. After I graduated, I just stopped painting and drawing, as I let the practicalities of life get in the way and allowed other things to whittle away my rare leisure time. I had convinced myself that I had “no time” to draw or paint. Of course, I could kick myself now, but you know what they say about hindsight!

It was in my Dad’s memory over a year ago that I finally picked up my paintbrushes again, after a long hiatus from art in general. Initially, I think it was part of my grieving process and a way for me to unwind, but it gradually blossomed into something much more. On a camping trip with hubby, I made myself a watercolour journal and bought my first set of watercolours.

I spent 4 lovely days painting for the first time in years and re-acquainting myself with the beauty of watercolours. It felt like coming home! The plethora of hours I spent drawing and painting in my youth came flooding back. It was like meeting up with a dear friend with whom you share such a close connection that you can just pick up where you left off. I enjoyed it so much that I asked myself “WHY am I not doing this more often?” It was truly an ‘aha!’ moment for me. After that, I was determined to start painting more regularly, even if for only minutes at a time. Now, when I take a break and paint, it is a place that I can go where I find peace, quiet and rest.

TIPS FOR WATERCOLOUR

I have just one = there are NO RULES! Enjoy watercolours the way YOU like. Too many times I’ve been told that watercolour has to be this or that. Balderdash! There is no one set style. Enjoy painting in a realistic style, a loose style or somewhere in between? Just do it.

Creating art is an extension of yourself – so do not measure yourself by someone else’s ruler, nor compare your work to others. Comparison is the killer of joy. Just paint and paint often, enjoy the moment… it’s your moment, all yours.

INSPIRATIONS

Most of my watercolours are inspired by the beauty of Canada’s flora and fauna, still life, as well as ‘salty’ landscapes and townscapes of the Maritimes (especially my home province of Nova Scotia, aptly known as “Canada’s ocean playground”).

Painting local wildlife, especially bird life, is my particular happy place! I am drawn to painting realism, but at times attempt a more loose style which I find more challenging, as it does not come naturally to me. I’ll be the first to admit I have a persnickety/perfectionistic streak, which is often how I approach painting; it’s my comfort zone, I guess.

Favourite artists include the work of René Magritte (love his cheekiness), M.C. Escher (mathematical brilliance), as well as the atmospheric and stirring Andrew Wyeth and Edward Hopper. Favourite references in my art book library include Edith Holden’s “Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady“, John Muir Laws and Gordon MacKenzie. I credit Everyday Matters for cheering on daily art time back in the early days.

Liz Steele’s blog and her sketchbooks full of lovely loose architecture and tea-cup watercolours showed me that I should not be timid with painting even in public and to have fun with my sketchbooks. Of course Doodlewash®, created and founded by the very talented Charlie O’Shields, has also become a great encouragement to paint on a daily basis and an awesome resource for like minds.

MATERIALS & TOOLS

I primarily paint in sketchbooks. I use a combination of my own refillable leather sketchbooks which I fill with inexpensive 140 lb. cold-press paper, or Stillman & Birn Alpha sketchbooks. In studio, I generally use Arches hot-press paper which I like for detail painting. I haven’t yet really had the opportunity to try too many different papers. Though the majority of my paints are Daniel Smith and Winsor & Newton, I’ve recently tried Da Vinci watercolours and I am very impressed; they’ll have a permanent place in my palette.

As for brushes, in studio I tend to reach for small inexpensive synthetics with good snap – as I don’t use a lot of water when I paint in detail, these are ideal. My travel brushes include some from Rosemary & Co. (I especially love the travel dagger and travel mop), Da Vinci Cosmotop Spin 488 series and Escoda Versatil travel brushes. My favorite pens include Lamy Joy and rOtring Isograph technical pens.

PROCESS

Most of my non-sketchbook painting is done at home, usually after dark, in my …um… “studio”. I hesitate to call it that because it’s really just a corner of our small study which I’ve set aside for my painting. I have LED lights set up overhead so I do not have to rely on natural light for my painting sessions. I usually don’t get home from work until dark. I’m still trying to strike a balance, trying not working too late into the night; that can be difficult when you enjoy doing something so much, but one does require sleep! (Reminder to self, ad infinitum.)

I always begin any of my paintings with a sketch as lightly as possible with a 4H pencil and sometimes a first layer of neutral tint to get the values right if it’s a larger picture. I’ve tried to improve on my drawing over the years; this has proved helpful in proportion, perspective, etc. I do my larger paintings slowly over several days; it may even take weeks if I’m working on a larger piece. While it may sound monotonous to some, it’s something I take pleasure in. I settle in with multiple cups of tea and enjoy. For me, it is like a comfortable ‘old worn shoe’ and is definitely my comfort zone.

When I’m doing a larger piece, I will often do small-scale studies in a sketchbook initially to decide on the best shades to use, evaluate tones, value, etc. I know, it sounds very circumspect and at times I wish I could be more spontaneous with my painting, but I suppose it stems from my personality.

While in my teens, I was always too focused on the end result – so much so that I didn’t allow myself to enjoy the actual process of painting, pressuring myself (feverishly so!) to complete a “polished” finished work in one long and arduous sitting. Of course, now my sketchbook paintings are usually done in 30-minutes or less, on break time at work. Personally speaking, having a short amount of time to paint is a challenge for me, but keeping a sketchbook in particular has helped me recapture the fun of painting, even in short sessions.

I am continuously finding that art is an experience of DOING and that it’s not all about the final result. Since I’ve resumed painting, I find myself more aware of my surroundings and have formed a deeper appreciation for the wonder of creation that we have around us. Painting for the sheer joy of it, not expecting masterpieces and being okay with that, has become my happy place.

Beverly Wong-Kleinjan Website Facebook Instagram Doodlewash Blog (under construction)

#WorldWatercolorGroup - GUEST ARTIST: “The Moonlighting Watercolourist”- Beverly Wong-Kleinjan The expression “moonlighting watercolourist” comes from the fact I almost always paint at night, after coming home from work.