PARTICIPANTS DEC’ 2008 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24.
1760 Sunday House APAK! Anna Emilia Laitinen Chickengirl // Jannie Ho CraftyFOLK // Sarah O’Shura Cristina Sitja Rubio Gaia Bordicchia Julia Staite Katherine Quinn Lizzy House Loaded Hips Press //Shannon Buck Maria Kalcheva Milady Productions // Stephanie M. Rogers Printspace // Mara Girling Racheal Anilyse Rui Victorino Santos Sarah Ray Susan Schwake Tad Carpenter The Beautiful Project // Jeanette Ordas Victoria Usova Wolfie and the Sneak // Renee Garner Yael Fran Your Secret Admiral // Julie
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Hello! Christmas is almost here, and that means the new year too. This year has been one that literally opened up my eyes to the wonderful works out there by artists and illustrators alike. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing so many hard-working artists, sharing stories and also sharing inspirations especially during tough times like these -- the current economic trend is especially hard hitting this year, and it is almost known that the next year is also going to be a challenging one ahead. But I am positive that in these difficult times, people will gravitate to something positive; something that will make life more beautiful, although in a small way, with everyone taking firm but cautious steps to bringing a little art into their lives. December’s round is a smaller set of participants, and I’m glad that I’ve had the wonderful pleasure of curating this round of submissions. A smaller set is more manageable (for me!) and it’s something I’m planning for the next year as The PikaPackage Project continues to grow. We hope you’ll join us again in our next PikaPackage Project in February. Hope to see you then! Until the next round, Merry Christmas, Season’s Greetings and here’s to a bright and cheery 2009! love, Amy Ng amy@pikaland.com December PikaPackage Project Zine cover art by APAK! Peeps we didn’t manage to get a hold of: Cristina Sitja Rubio, Julia Staite, Lizzy House, Maria Kalcheva, Tad Carpenter, The Beautiful Project, Wolfie and The Sneak and Your Secret Admiral. We’ll be updating the online zine when they get back to us!
1760 Sunday House
1760sundayhouse.etsy.com // Anna Rosete
1. If I wasn’t an artist I would be a doctor. I was a pre-med student in college. 2. My worst habit is underestimating how much time all things take. I tend to cram my schedule! 3. I am in love with my life, with the fact that I get to draw, paint and make things... people and things that inspire me: my family , my dog, the seasons. 4. Who/what inspires you? The fact that there is this movement of independent artists who keep their own blogs, sell their stuff on etsy and dawanda inspires me. This whole indie artist movement, to me, is very inspiring. The whole “can-do” attitude behind this, and the community that sprung from this movement is inspiring. 5. What is your biggest accomplishment to date? My biggest professional accomplishment is having been the only designer on a 300+ unit condo conversion in Chicago’s historic Printer Square, but for my art, my biggest accomplishment is being able to draw like a child, getting out of architecture’s rigid, drafted and buildable lines, being able to experiment, and begin to acknowldege this other version of creativity in me. 6. What is your biggest fear? My biggest fear is not being able to express myself creatively, and to have to hold everything in. 7. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? To time travel... I am quite an art history fan, and I’d love to witness how artists from previous generations lived.
APAK!
www.apakstudio.com // Aaron + Ayumi Piland 1. If I wasn’t an artist I would be a farmer (aaron), zookeeper (ayumi). 2. My worst habit is thinking(aaron), worrying(ayumi). 3. I am in love with being alive (aaron), our dogs (ayumi). 4. Who/what inspires you? Nature, each other, and friends. 5. What is your biggest accomplishment to date? Being a fulltime artist, finding the wonderful partner, and learning English (ayumi). 6. What is your biggest fear? Being tortured(ayumi), corporations (aaron) 7. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? Flying (aaron+ayumi).
Anna Emilia Laitinen
www.annaemilia.com/
1. If I wasn’t an artist I would be a a traveler looking what is behind the mountains. 2. My worst habit is pouring the teacup too full, but I am good at balancing through the parlour to my painting table. 3. I am in love with ands around a creeping thyme tea cup on a walk outside in a cold weather. 4. Who/what inspires you? Inspiration comes through the ever changing weather, which touches everything and travels over the world telling stories as a sound of the wind or drops of rain. 5. What is your biggest accomplishment to date? All the works are as important. From all I learned, all them I enjoyed. 6. What is your biggest fear? That there won´t be anymore snowy winters. It is important for the plants we have here up North and also for many animals as they might need to sleep over the winter under snow to get some strength for the next spring and summer to breed and bloom again. 7. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? To see as far as to the next universe, but just a peek, a tiny one.
Chickengirl Design
www.chickengirldesign.etsy.com // Jannie Ho
1. If I wasn’t an artist I would be a chicken tender. 2. My worst habit is to procrastinate. 3. I am in love with chickens and all things kawaii. And my fiance, of course :-) 4. Who/what inspires you? Kawaii Japanese art, vintage and retro art, children’s books, comics, food, miniatures, and too many artists to mention 5. What is your biggest accomplishment to date? Quitting my day job to become a full time artist, illustrating children’s books. 6. What is your biggest fear? Not accomplishing the things I’m perfectly capable of achieving 7. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? Flying would be pretty cool!
CraftyFOLK
www.craftyFOLK.etsy.com // Sarah Golden 1. If I wasn’t an artist would be a music publicist. That’s what I was before I quit to pursue the creative side 100%. The only things I miss is the regular pay check, getting all those records months before they hit the stores and being on the guest list. 2. My worst habit is procrastination. 3. I am in love with that perfect shade of light blue, childlike design and coffee. 4. Who/what inspires you? Color, the weather, my husband and my mood mostly. A clean house and the open day ahead has to be one of the most inspiring things for me. 5. What is your biggest accomplishment to date? The release of my first album, I’m in a band called The Battle of Land and Sea. I sing and play guitar. It took me years to get an album out there, but I’m grateful that the earlier stuff never made it into the world, this is a record I will always stand behind. You can hear us here - www.myspace.com/battleoflandandsea 6. What is your biggest fear? Getting in a terrible car accident. I have dreams and realistic flashes of it when driving. I’m a good driver, it’s the other people I fear, please don’t use your cell phone when driving folks! 7. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? To be able to snap my fingers and be in another place and to take someone with me. I’d want there to be restrictions though so I wouldn’t take it for granted. This would be good for the environment and get rid of that fear of car accidents I suppose.
Gaia Bordicchia
http://piccolini.etsy.com
1. If I wasn’t an artist I would probably be a biologist. I have a passion for Natural History and I worked as a scientific illustrator for many many years after I graduated from art school. 2. My worst habit is starting too many projects at the same time. I often end up with many unfinished things and a lot of frustration! 3. I am in love with the movies of Hayao Miyazaki! They are always fun, entertaining, inspiring and most of all poetic. 4. Who/what inspires you? There are so many sources of inspirations these days on the internet. Online illustration communities offer the opportunity to meet so many talented people you wouldn’t know otherwise. As far as illustration, I greatly admire the work of several french artists such as Frederic Pillot, Samuel Ribeyron and Adolie Day. They are all very different and show different approaches to storytelling, that will appeal to both children and adults. 5. What is your biggest accomplishment to date? My masterpiece is my 3 year old son. I don’t think I’ll ever beat that! :) 6. What is your biggest fear? I’m afraid one day my workroom will blow-up for the excess of supplies and junk I have accumulated over the years! 7. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? I would be able to control time!! I could go back and forth to the happiest periods of my life and I would have 24 full creative hours each day!
Katherine Quinn
www.sleepandhersisters.etsy.com
1. If I wasn’t an artist I would be doing something to do with medicine. 2. My worst habit is winning board games. 3. I am in love with apple lollies. 4. Who/what inspires you? Other illustrators, Shaun Tan, Rebecca Dautremer etc... 5. What is your biggest accomplishment to date? Having one of my works featured in a magazine. 6. What is your biggest fear? Waking up and not having the creative urge anymore 7. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? I would be able to fly and be invisible
Loaded Hips Press
www.loadedhipspress.com // Shannon Buck
1. If I wasn’t an artist I would be a mad scientist. 2. My worst habit is cracking my knuckles. And starting more projects than I can finish. 3. I am in love with opaque white. 4. Who/what inspires you? Postal cancellation stamps, flamenco dancers, old advertising illustrations, 19th century paintings, rich colors, the Great Northwest, faded signs, imperfections, unrealistic figures. 5. What is your biggest accomplishment to date? Still doing what I love to do. 6. What is your biggest fear? Nothing good ever comes from fear! 7. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? The Electric Dance Touch. Anyone that I touch would get down and get funky. I’d start with the conservatives.
Milady Productions
miladyproductions.etsy.com // Stephanie Morgan Rogers
1. What / who inspires you? I have always been inspired by the life and art of Carl Larsson, a Swedish painter of the late 1800’s. He rennovated a mill he inherited, had a ton of kids, was an outspoken socialist, hosted gatherings for artsy thinkers, his wife did all the sewing and decorating and he painted his life’s surroundings. Its beautiful stuff full of traditions and celebration of family, working and crafting. My Grandmother and Father share this love for his work and we all have many of his books. As far as everything else that inspires me...well, that’s a tall order! OH, that reminds me of the Tall Book of Make Believe full of Garth Williams illustrations...love that kind of stuff.
2. Tell us which quote (and from whom) inspires you the most. “Have nothing in your home that is not useful nor beautiful”(or something like that! ) William Morris 3. What propels you to create art? Its just what i’m supposed to do, that all. When I’m really onto something I feel like i’m on the hunt for a magical place full of beauty and all things pure of heart like i’ve stepped right into an old mysterious illustration. 4. What is your favorite tool? A teeny tiny brush dipped in india ink.
Printspace
www.printspace.com.au // Mara Girling 1. If I wasn’t an artist I would own a beautiful shop selling amazing homewares and products for children. 2. My worst habit is losing focus and going off on a tangent. 3. I am in love with my 3 boys – hubby and 2 little ones. 4. Who/what inspires you? My 3 boys, designers such as Paul Rand, Wim Crouwel & Lucienne Day, Scandinavian design, architecture, textiles, birds, nature 5. What is your biggest accomplishment to date? My babies. 6. What is your biggest fear? This is a hard one... but I think it is the fear of my business not succeeding and what would happen.... 7. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? Hmmmm, so many to choose from, I’d have to say the same ones as Jeannie has on I Dream of Jeannie, does that count?
Racheal Anilyse
www.rachealanilyse.com
1. If I wasn’t an artist I would be an art history teacher. 2. My worst habit is self doubt. 3. I am in love with Jason Mraz, typography, self publishing, and chenelle bathrobes. 4. Who/what inspires you? The scenery around me, the characters of my life, reading autobiographies of artists, listening to music with headphones on, then coffee puts it all into action 5. What is your biggest accomplishment to date? I don’t have one big one but many small ones that are still growing, like learning HTML, taking care of business, and balancing self employment with relaxation. 6. What is your biggest fear? Not being able to meet supply and demand; even though noone is demanding again; self doubt is a bad habit. 7. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? I’d be The Multi-tasker!
Rui Vitorino Santos
ruivitorinosantos.blogspot.com
1. If I wasn’t an artist would be a nature guide. 2. My worst habit is laziness. 3. I am in love with the growing of my son Matias. 4. Who/what inspires you? Everything that surrounds me and the things that i can´t reach. 5. What is your biggest accomplishment to date? Knowing that someone bought my work because they want to have it. 6. What is your biggest fear? The end of the imagination. 7. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? Live only from illustration.
Sarah Ray
www.sarahray.co.uk
1. If I wasn’t an artist I would be looking after orangutang!! 2. My worst habit is sleeping! 3. I am in love with my boyfriend (I know - predictable, but true..!) 4. Who/what inspires you? A lot of people/things..it’s hard to answer! But mainly people in the street/snippits of conversation/ animals/ family and other artists of course. 5. What is your biggest accomplishment to date? Doing illustrations for the Artgroup and orange and having my own exhibitions I would say..but I’d like to have lots more accomplishments in the future! 6. What is your biggest fear? Talking infront of lots of people (that I don’t know). I hate it! 7. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? To fly!
Susan Schwake
artesprit.etsy.com
1. If I wasn’t an artist I would be a scientist. 2. My worst habit is writing too many lists. 3. I am in love with my husband. 4. Who/what inspires you? The natural world, books and people 5. What is your biggest accomplishment to date? Well, it would have to be my children. they are turning out pretty darn well. but secondly, our gallery - it’s like another child, and well, i guess I am a pretty proud parent. 6. What is your biggest fear? Our government. 7. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? Something which would end hate in the world. You know, zapping people with hateful thoughts with big fluffy doses of love and understanding.
Victoria Usova
www.vusova.etsy.com
1. If I wasn’t an artist I would be a veterinarian. 2. My worst habit is forgetting to close the caps on various bottles. 3. I am in love with life and my husband in particular. 4. Who/what inspires you? Chagall, Miazaki, Russian folk art and tales, Celtic music. 5. What is your biggest accomplishment to date? I am able to support myself with my Artwork. 6. What is your biggest fear? To lose my inner guide. 7. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? Definitly flying.
Yael Frankel
www.yaelfran.etsy.com
1. If I wasn’t an artist I would be a photographer. 2. My worst habit is eating chocolate every single day! 3. I am in love with my family (husband Andres and children Ian and Ema) 4. Who/what inspires you? Always SHAPES. 5. What is your biggest accomplishment to date? Working in what I love. 6. What is your biggest fear? Waking up and not having my family. 7. If you could have superpowers, what would it be? Superdrawing, superpainting, superphotographing
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