STYL MAGAZINE 2 by Riz Sedek

issue two

Maile Lani I Picked A Ladybug Today 1

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Contents styl(e) & stuff/ 05 aceo/ 07 inspired colors/ 09 isabella baudelaire/ 11 megan isabella / 14 julia pott / 17 gizem vural/ 25 quit your day job/ 29 empty crowded room/ 31 rae in oz / 43 old shutters/ 46 stockists/ 53 Editor-In-Chief Riz Sedek riz@stylmag.com Featuring Contributing Writers juana almaguer/ carina mcdonald/ karina gallo/ rachael ward/ megan eckman illustrators gizem vural/ isabella baudelaire/ megan isabella/ julia pott Photographers maile lani/ megan rhodes/ rhianne moore/ kathleen frank On The Cover Julia Pott Le Grand Plac Contribute submissions@stylmag.com Advertise advertise@stylmag.com General Inquiries info@stylmag.com Fan Mail love@stylmag.com

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Editor’s Note

Get up, Dust off, and Walk again Watching a kid learn to walk, she falls, gets up, and take a few more steps trying again. This issue has been that life’s lesson. For essentially, that is the lesson we carry on as we learn to walk on the face of this earth. This issue is my lesson in walking. Walking the indiepreneur path. Just like all the artists I’ve featured here, and everyone who’s tried to go after their dreams. So let’s take a moment and celebrate the times when we stumble, because without them, our life’s lessons would have been lost to us. xox, Riz Sedek Maile Lani Cafe du Monde 3

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Contributors

The Artist, Juana Almaguer, studied the traditional Asian art, Sumi Brush Painting, while living in Japan. While living in Sapporo in the 1990’s, she studied Suiboku-Ga (Ink Painting). Being very strong-willed when it comes to learning led her to discover for herself how to do things. So when she joined the Suiboku-Ga class, she was very resistant to all the rules that had to be followed when painting. She thought, “How can anyone be creative with all these restrictions?” As time passed, her understanding and appreciation of that Art form took shape. Since then, she have developed her own style in her art, which she sells online. www.GalleryJuana.com Megan Eckman is an art and creative writing major who specializes in children’s fiction and pen and ink illustrations. She currently resides in Fargo, North Dakota, where she runs a freelance business, Studio M.M.E., which sells prints and originals of her work. In her free time, she reads children’s fantasy books and explores the photographic possibilities of antique cameras. www.studiomme.com

Canadian transplant Karina Gallo runs Soap That Makes Scents, a handmade bath and beauty company, with her American-born husband, Richard of Ernest & Julio Gallo Family Vineyards. They live and play in New York City, “one of the best places to network in the world.” www.SoapThatMakesScents.com

Carina McDonald is a writer based out of Western Canada and makeup artistry is included among her many passions. A self-taught makeup artist, Carina discovered the joy of infusing rich colours into her look when she began belly dancing and needed a more dramatic look for the stage. Carina is deeply inspired by the joy of travel and vibrancy of other cultures. etherealcreation.etsy.com

Racheal Ward is the creator of Mixology Makeup. She started in makeup when she was 6 years old, thanks to her babysitter, and was eventually hooked. She continued in theatre and film and weddings and any other event people would let her do makeup for. Having never worn foundation herself as it would make her very sensitive skin break out, she went on a mineral makeup quest for something she could create and also improve her skin. So she began the research and the learning process of making mineral makeup, looked into starting a makeup line, and Mixology Makeup was born. Her passion in makeup has led her to China, where she volunteered teaching makeup. www.MixologyMakeup.com STYL MAGAZINE

STYL(E) & Stuff

Maria Kallin Maria Kallin is the photographer of Maria Kallin Photography. She just loves colors. She is creating and trying to convey refreshing and relaxing photos, inspired mostly from nature for you to decorate your walls with. She tends to pay attention to the details that surround us each day and she puts her heart and soul in her work. mariakallin.etsy.com

Let’s Go On A Field Trip Yup! Let’s go with Amy, the Vancouver web designer behind Field Trip, who is captivated by all things handmade and design. Making posters gives her an opportunity to create and share the world through her own lens – the pixel. fieldtrip.etsy.com

The Devil is in the Detail And who can seduce more than the Devil himself, unless you are Katherine Cooper, UK artisan jewelry designer, whose design mantra befits the Femme Fatale. Customers say her designs are “not just jewelry, but pieces of art.” Katherine says, “women should be adorned,” and, “I lean heavily on standing out from the crowd.” ‘Ragdoll’ is an inspiration of Katherine’s; think shabby tatters, antique lace, old vintage jewels, victoriana and bohemia. Statement jewelry, with a dash of the nocturne, vampires and a mix of seductive romance, that’s ‘Ragdoll’. www.katherinecooper.co.uk 5

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STYL(E) & Stuff

Ninainvorm Meet Nina van de Goor from the Netherlands, where she sells vintage redecorated ceramics, screenprints, collages, postcards and prints in her Etsy shop Ninainvorm. She has a love for bright colors which you’ll notice instantly when visiting her shop! She’s inspired by the vintage styles from the 1950s and 1960s and the beauty of vintage ceramics is a continuous source of inspiration and creativity. She really likes screenprinting (it’s the technique she uses for redecorating ceramics as well) and she hopes to come up with some new screenprinted items, like textiles. She loves to mix old and new and keeps being surprised by the results of that! ninainvorm.punt.nl

Stephanie corfee Find crazy color, a fun, boho asthetic and accessible price points in artist Stephanie Corfee’s shop. Art is no fun if you can’t afford it! Intricacy of detail and bold, brave colors are Stephanie’s calling cards. Her work is usually composed of one or all of the following; fine detail, high contrast, bold color, balanced curves and forms. It is at once bohemian and wild, and meticulous and restrained. It’s just like her...a mirror to her true self. stephaniecorfee.etsy.com

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GALLERY JUANA Birth II

small art

CRAFT IN A POCKET words Juana Almaguer ACEO is an acronym for “Art Cards, Editions, and Originals.” They are small works of art measuring 2.5 x 3.5 inches ( 6 x 9 cm ) in portraiture or landscape. ACEOs are sold, as opposed to Artist Trading Cards (ATC), which are traded. Both follow the same size format. The ﬁrst ATC Exhibition was held in 1997 by artist M. Vanci Stirnemann. His exhibition included 1200 art cards. Visitors were encouraged to make their own during the show to trade with Stirnemann and others. From there, the idea went international. Since ATCs could only be traded, ACEOs came about allowing collectors to purchase these small art works as well. Each artist uses materials of their choice – paper, image transfers, oils, pastels, colored pencils, ephemera, digital collages, photography, and the list goes on. The ACEO category on Etsy includes a 7

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variety of mediums and subjects. These small works tend to be two-dimensional but three-dimensional are also available. I ﬁrst got interested in ACEOs in 2007. I like this smaller format because I can develop a concept more quickly. ACEOs in my Etsy shop uses acrylics, watercolors, sumi ink and pages from an old Japanese book. Why buy an ACEO? Collectors are able to purchase originals or prints in a range of prices, from as little as $4 to more than $100. Commissioned portraits are also available in ACEO size. The smaller size makes them perfect for decorating any spot in an ofﬁce or house. They are small enough to frame and put on a desk. They can be hung alone or hung in a collection. Some collectors place their ACEOs under a glass table. Now that makes a great conversation piece!

MANDY MAY LASCHON: PEARLS OF WISDOM Tea and Sympathy

ARTS BY CHRIS ACEO Print

COTTAGE GARDEN STUDIOS Ocean Garden 4

NICOLE WONG ILLUSTRATION Cat at the Door

JESSICA DOYLE Pussy Willows no.3

NICOLE WONG ILLUSTRATION Good-bye

NICOLE WONG ILLUSTRATION Rainy Day

JESSICA DOYLE Time To Bloom

CESART64 Stadsaal

JESSICA DOYLE SunямВowering Times

LIZDEZIGN ACEO Abstract Series

CAFE BAUDELAIRE Peacock Ouvre Tes Yeux Bleus

ART BY JAY White Lighthouse

ART BY JAY Fishing Boats

MANDY MAY LASCHON: PEARLS OF WISDOM The Plains

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inspired colors

PLAYING IN THE RAINBOW OF A CULTURE. words Carina McDonald

Wandering through the city center recently, I came across a sudden and very unexpected surprise. All of my senses were assaulted with a riot of colors, smells and sights and I realized that I had stumbled upon a festival celebrating Indian culture. Trying to decide where to focus my eyes first was challenging! India is known for its stunning fabrics, delicious food, opulent jewellery and celebration of living color. India’s Hindus even hold a spring festival that is centered on color: Holi. The popular festival, also known as Dhulheti or Dhulandi, features the ever-popular activity of throwing of brightly colored powder and water upon people. However, on this beautiful summer day, something different caught my eye. A cluster of women ran by in their Saris laughing, getting ready to dance upon the stage. As one smiled at me, I was taken aback by the shimmers of color upon her eyelids as she looked down. I looked closely at the performers and then noticed that their makeup was a true rainbow of color. I was mesmerized by the beautiful use of the bright colors. When it comes to makeup, playing in the rainbow is not for the faint of heart. Many people shy away from using bright, vivid shades in their makeup. However, this look is not exclusively confined to makeup artists and performers. With a few simple tips, you can fuse the colors and vibrancy of India into your own look.

Look for Inspiration

Play with Color Wheels

The Internet is rich with inspiration and how-to’s. One of my favorite teachers and sources of inspiration is Lauren Luke (www.bylaurenluke.com), a young lady from Britain who started up her own YouTube channel showing others how to incorporate dramatic color into their makeup.

Do not be afraid of color and remember that experimentation is key. The color wheel can be a great starting point. Complimentary colors are an incredible way to make your eyes pop. Dig out your memories of elementary school art class, and look up a color wheel. Pick a shade and locate its complementary color. For example, the complimentary color to green is red…and guess what? On green eyes, there is nothing more startling than shimmery reds, bronzes and browns.

Another wonderful source of beautiful looks are Indian bridal magazines. These magazines feature some of the most stunning makeup looks in the world. 9

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A cluster of women ran by in their Saris laughing, getting ready to dance upon the stage. As one smiled at me, I was taken aback by the shimmers of color upon her eyelids as she looked down. I looked closely at the performers and then noticed that their makeup was a true rainbow of color.

Dabble in Pigments There are a number of products with which you can achieve deep, rich color. These include liquid, cream, powder and loose pigment eye shadows. Each offers various levels of color and coverage. The best way to achieve rich coverage is through the use of pigments because of their long-lasting, eye-popping shades.

based eye shadows which are perfect for a look inspired by the rich culture of India. When applying pigment colors it is important to use a base to which the pigments can stick, such as a prep cream base. To deepen the color of eye shadow, I recommend dipping your brush in water before the shadow to create a rich â&#x20AC;&#x153;paint.â&#x20AC;?

For those who prefer naturally based makeup, sellers like Pure Luxe Cosmetics (www.pureluxecosmetics.com) and Mixology Makeup (www.mixologymakeup.com) has a vibrant collection of mineral-

Remember that makeup is not only a tool, but it is also a form of creative, artistic expression. Play with your colors and do not be afraid of experimenting! STYL MAGAZINE

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tell me a story

WE TAKE A PEEK INTO THE INNER CHILD OF ISABELLA BAUDELAIRE. Tell us about your style. My work is a combination of silhouettes and linework, all of those works are made with Indian ink. People have described my style as something which reminds them of old paper-cut art and illustrations which can be found in old fairytale books and some of them compare my work with old wood-cuttings. However you may describe my style, I personally think it is the nostalgic feel it gives you which is most recognizable. Anyhow, everyone compares my work with something of the past. Your work is inspired by fairy tales, folklore and fantasy. Describe to us how it is when inspiration struck. For me inspiration mostly comes from reading books and stories people send me. When I read a great fairytale or legend I just get the urge to draw. Often I illustrate the story I have just read, other times it inspires me to create a work merely based upon this story. The moment I get inspired I get overwhelmed by a boost of energy which doesn’t go away until I have put my ideas on paper. In that way I am quite neurotic as I simply can’t get my mind off the subject before I have finished the sketch of a drawing. The inspiration I get from fairy tales and folklore in my work is of such importance that I sometimes wonder if I would, and perhaps, draw at all if these stories would not exist. Your characters portray an almost melancholic stance, but we are not able to see their expressions. What are they really feeling in their depicted roles? What about your own feelings while working on your illustrations? Well, I guess most of my characters are dreamers, wanderers. They are the kind of characters of which it is hard to tell what they feel or think because they always have this “absent-minded” look in their eyes. Yet their whole body language suggests like you described; an almost melancholic stance. This

is probably because dreamers are most of the time hopelessly romantic types, who always dramatize and romanticize everything they encounter in their lives. Often their feelings are hidden from me as well while drawing them. My own feelings while illustrating them do not differ much from those of my characters, I guess I have a lot in common with them. Tell us about the medium you use. Why do you chose to work with Indian ink, as opposed to a more colorful or traditional medium? I have always liked Indian ink for it has a ‘classy’ feel and style to it. Unlike most other materials it does not scream for attention by using ‘shouty’, bright colors. Most of the time ink-drawings do not try to draw the attention by size as most of them are on very small scale. It is a modest art form which only catches the eye of those with an eye for detail. What charms this medium is that you can put things in the front which are normally just there to fill a background. A teapot showing in a cupboard at the back can be very detailed while when you would work with paint it would be nothing more then a couple dots of paint. All these characteristics make it a perfect medium for me to work with. STYL MAGAZINE

Throughout history there have been many famous artists and persons hailing from the Netherlands. Have these people and their work influenced you and your art? Though I admire the work of many artists, including some Dutch artists, I can not say any of these artists really have had influence on my work. I have always been convinced that if it is your goal to create a truly unique work you must seek for inspiration within yourself and not look at the work of others. Some artists, however, have had influence on my work ethic. I have always admired those artists who were hard-working, modest people. Those who stayed true to their own style and convictions and were devoted more to their work and style then to having a lot of success with it. These characteristics are, I believe, a part of the Dutch way of thinking and thus many a Dutch artist lived this way. I guess one of the best examples is the Dutch illustrator Anton Pieck who has always stayed true to his own style, even when this meant he had to have another job besides to make ends meet and take care of his family. When eventually his work was preserved in a dedicated museum he told an interviewer that of course, he was flattered but that he also thought it was a bit excessive as there were so many artists greater than him. These kind of people are my biggest examples and perhaps even heroes, as I too try to follow these “Dutch principles” in my life. You are also involved in Dante’s Heart as a guest writer. Tell us more about Dante’s Heart and the work that you do there. Dante’s Heart describes itself as, “An online venue for established and new writers and artists to share creative work that explores how myth and fairy tale define and are defined by the human experience(s).” They do this by publishing the work of artists and writers in their e-zine or by featuring them in their online journal. Besides this they hold many contests in which artists and writers can participate. As a guest-columnist at their online journal it is my job to feature the work of emerging artists whose work is somehow related to folklore, myth, legend or fantasy. Besides this I always try to support Dante’s Heart by promoting their contests on my website(s). Though the role I play in all of this is rather small I have always considered it an honor to “work” for and with them as I believe Dante’s Heart is truly a unique place on the Internet where people speak from their hearts and are very open-minded and idealistic.

If one day you could be Alice down the proverbial rabbit hole, what kind of world awaits you on the other side? It would probably be a world in which people believe a bit more and think a little less. It would be a world where facts are not such a priority but where people live in wonder and look at the world through the eyes of a child, considering every day as an adventure. I try to live this way and often I succeed in not being, “such a grown-up.” But of course, through time, I realize more and more, the older I get the harder it is to stay true to these values. Fears I have never experienced as a child suddenly entered my life and things which I found rather unimportant when I was young now seem to be the subject of the day. Though part of these developments are inescapable, I still believe that due to my work I am capable to preserve part of these values, because as an artist I will always have this one place where magic still exists and I will not have to grow-up. What are your hopes for the future? Also tell us more about your film making plans. When it comes to my work I hope I will be able some day to focus entirely on illustrating folklore, myths and legends and to specialize in depicting the Dutch folklore in particular. This I am already doing for a part of my time, but it would be fantastic if this is all I have to do. I would like to preserve these stories within my work by publishing books, hold exhibitions and at a certain point make films. Though making short films is on the long-term list it is one of my desires to eventually make films with my shadow puppets, as well as traveling around with my own shadow puppet theater. Due to large costs and immense amount of work, this idea will probably take a couple years before I am able to realize this project, but I have no doubts I will eventually be able to make these dreams come true. Deo volente of course.

Isabella Baudelaire Website www.isabellasart.com Blog isabellasart.blogspot.com Shop isabellasart.etsy.com 13

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“ it’s all about personality.. If you got the attitude, I got the pencil.” Perth-based illustrator megan isabella speaks. Describe your style. Rosy cheeks and cheeky smiles! What's it like to be an artist in Perth? Where and how do you get your inspiration? Being an artist in Perth right now is an exciting time – the city is growing and changing and there are lots of people bouncing ideas around. It is a safe place to experiment and play. I get my inspiration from all kinds of places, but my focus is on what made me 'tick' as a child. My latest project I worked on over the last 12 months was the Paper Doll Project, which was inspired by my love of vintage paper dolls and what I imagined modern day versions would look like. What is the art scene like there? There are small independent exhibitions happening almost every week now and everyone likes to go down and have a drink and check it out. There are studios like Last Chance who are really making a name for themselves and I really hope this continues to happen into the future. It makes an important contribution to the growth and identity of the city. You’re well known for your Paper Doll Project. Tell us more about that. That started out as an experiment while I was on holiday, but after it appeared in Frankie, it became a full scale project and I received over 100 requests, which I was really happy with. STYL MAGAZINE

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What else do you do? I’m in my final year (Advanced Diploma) of Graphic Design so I am very busy preparing my folio pieces for graduation. I actually major in corporate rather than illustration, but I find my skills cross over all the time into my layouts and designs. I have an affinity with pastel and retro colours, vintage design and beautiful typography. I really feel like I am only just scraping the surface in terms of what I can create. I am happy I have found something where I can continue to improve as I get older. My skills will only get better and better with practice! You had your first solo exhibition at Keith & Lottie Gallery. Tell us more about it. I had been thinking about exhibiting solo for some time, it was a personal challenge. I was looking for a space and applied to Keith & Lottie and won the last place before it was converted into the Butcher Shop. I organized and installed the whole thing myself, the space was the perfect size for my first go at it! I was pretty nervous showing my work to the public for the first time on my own but it was definately worth it just for the experience. What’s it like to be studying and illustrating? Its a constant struggle! I usually find I’m concentrating

on either one or the other. You have to get pretty good at managing your time – It takes a lot of brain energy to pump out creative ideas quickly (and frequently) but I guess the more you do it, the better you get at it. Going for a walk sometimes helps to clear the head. What are your future plans? I will be busy preparing for the Gradutation Exhibition at the end of the year and other associated projects and work experience. We will also be having a mid year exhbition at Little Creatures, and there will be information about that up on my blog “The Magical Mind of Megan Isabella” fairly shortly. So far this year I exhibited and did live artwork at Feast Your Eyes in Fremantle and had some wood panel paintings in This Is How We Roll. At the moment I am offering $70 portraits for the winter months for anyone who is interested as well as taking other private commissions. They can contact me via email. Professionally, I would like to either work freelance or gain myself a place in a studio, hold workshops as well as work to help promote all the talented illustrators/artists we have in Western Australia.

Megan Isabella Website www.meganisabella.com Blog meganisabella.wordpress.com STYL MAGAZINE

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anthropomorphic

Julia Pott illustrates human complexities in darling little creatures. First of all Julia, tell us about your style. I think it’s developing all the time, but I suppose it can be classed as ridiculous anthropomorphic animals working through their troubled relationships. What inspires you and how do you bring it into your art? It changes week to week but at the moment I am really into landscape photography, constellations and space, and pattern making. Film maker’s I love are Priit Parn, Igor Kovalyov and Miranda July. I read a lot and find short stories very inspiring. I also take a lot of inspiration from every day life and what’s going on in my head. Your work seem to be centered around love, crushes, ex’s, relationships. Why the interest in exploring these subjects? I’ve had a long run of intense relationships these last few years which have seeped into my work. I sort of see my artwork as a kind of cheap therapy, helping me deal with what’s going on. I think I’ve always been a bit of a romantic so it’s just translating into my illustration. You have recently completed the film ‘Howard’ (love that film!). Describe to us the making of the film. Ah relationships again! I drew a lot from past experience in this film, I think it’s a universal feeling – the person you are with is perfect on paper but there is just no spark, no chemistry and it’s the saddest story in the world because you can’t be together but you so wish that you could be. It is my first year film at the Royal College of Art and I started brainstorming for it in January. It’s actually based on a letter written to The Guardian by an anonymous contributor, telling her suitor that she doesn’t want to marry him. I knew I wanted to make my film about the end of an affair and this letter was the ideal source for the script. It took about three months to complete although I would have ideally liked longer. There were a lot of sleepless nights and stress but I think that that is an inevitable part of creating an animation. It was actually a really intense process, because I was drawing on an emotion that I have felt before and is very close to home.

You are also involved in the project called ‘My First Crush’. What is it about? That was my graduation film from Kingston University in 2007. At the time I had just started seeing this guy and truth be told I was a little overly crazy about him. I got really interested in this sensation of infatuation and started interviewing other people about their experiences and it just developed from there. Tell us more about Treat Studios. Treat Studios is a collective I started with 5 other animators in the UK back in 2008. We’re all Kingston University graduates and we were getting all these pitches which we were finding it difficult to take on on our own so we decided to team up and take on the world of freelance animation together. We’ve been really lucky and had a good response to our work and had some really rad projects. We also try and collaborate with other illustrators and animators as much as possible to bring a diversity to our work. What are you working on these days? I’m currently completing my MA in animation at the Royal College of Art in the UK, but over the summer I’m living in New York working on a few projects and developing my next short film idea. Any future and upcoming plans? I have a solo show coming up in the UK later this year, and a few projects I have just finished will be released in a few months or so. I’m trying to really focus on my Master’s degree at the moment and create a film I am really proud of.

Julia Pott Website www.juliapott.com Blog juliapott.blogspot.com Shop juliapott.etsy.com STYL MAGAZINE

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Julia Pott Various Illustrations

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Julia Pott Night Picnic STYL MAGAZINE

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Julia Pott Stills from the film ‘Howard’

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Gizem Vural Interrail 25 MAGAZINE 25 STYL STYL MAGAZINE

Gizem Vural Winter Girl

night’s breeze

TURKISH ILLUSTRATOR Gizem Vural TELLS US ABOUT HER CIRCLE-BLUSHED, BOB-HAIRED GIRLS. First and foremost, tell us about your style. It’s about repeated rhythm of life. I try to give this feeling with my patterns. I like using simple lines, I like to explain everything in simple lines. I like to use colors alot. Sometimes so few, sometimes so many colors together. I think I am good at using colors, because everyone likes the colors in my illustrations ﬁrst. I like patterns a lot, I like wearing patterned clothes so much.

university exam, I had to study about basic drawing. Objects, human body, shades, lights... I got bored of it after a while. So ﬁrst thing I wanted to do was draw in simple lines. I did fast drawings. First I was drawing what I saw in a day. Later I started drawing my thoughts in my sketchbook. I found out how I like patterns a lot, I looked at myself, how I like wearing patterned things. So I gathered all these things and built my style.

I like to draw girls more than boys. It’s hard to ﬁnd boys in my illustrations. Because in my every day life I like watching girls, what they wear, how their make-up is. They are my inspiration. I sometimes ﬁnd myself just drawing about an umbrella in a day I saw in a girl’s hand. But mostly, I like to draw about my life.

We are quite curious... Who are these circleblushed, bob-haired girls, who have appeared in most of your drawings? They are me. My other sides. My other forms...Well, I am so shy. You can ﬁnd my cheeks or my whole face red. Because I get red so easily, I can’t control it. It happens when I just smile, talk or laugh. I always draw these pink/red/orange circles on cheeks. About bobhaired girls, my hair is also bob-haired, I like bob-hairs. I think because of that I use this hair style a lot.

What are your beginnings like? I bought my first moleskine sketchbook when I entered fine arts university. In order to pass fine arts

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Gizem Vural Poisoned Girl 27

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Gizem Vural Girls Are Out On A Nice Day

What’s the art scene like in Turkey? What are your experiences as a Turkish illustrator? There are recently some young artists exhibitions and some collaborations with foreign artists. It’s good, because there is not much. Also there are new turkish art magazines trying to gather some young good artists to open small exhibitions. It’s becoming better slowly. In other way, there are big exhibitions of good worldwide artists. But, to me, there should be more and more exhibitions for young Turkish artists to show themselves to people here. You speak and write Japanese and are now learning mandarin. Why the interest in asian languages? First, from an earlier age, I learnt English language by myself. I like foreign languages a lot. I also learnt how to imitate English accent. My teachers were surprised! I like Asian people, their eyes, their look, I like Asian girls a lot. Slim body, soft black hair, their eyes’ shape... I like Asian culture a lot. I like their traditional clothes. Japanese grammar is close to Turkish grammar, so I learnt it ﬁrst. It is not so common learning any Asian language here. I like to surprise people here. I like Japanese musicians, writers, mangakas. I had to understand them, so that’s why I learnt the language.

Your etsy shop is called Gecesintisi. What does it really mean? Gecesintisi is a nickname that my boyfriend gave me. It is gece + esintisi. Gece means night, esinti is breeze. So it is in English, “Night’s Breeze.” I think this is how my boyfriend feels about me. if you could be like one famous artist, who would it be? Yoko Furusho. It’s simple to say why her. Because she is amazing to me. I love her world. I want to be good like her. any future plans? Well, I was at Espai Cromatic Exhibition in Barcelona! My works are also sold through an online mag and I’m also working on a project doing illustrations for FA Perfumes. In the future, I wanna become an internationally known illustrator.

Gizem Vural Gallery www.behance.net/gecesintisi Blog gizemvural.tumblr.com Shop gecesintisi.etsy.com STYL MAGAZINE

Quit your

Day Job words and photography Karina Gallo

Let’s say you spend years honing your crafts, selling online and perhaps at local craftshows... and you’re selling like mad. Crazy, even. In fact, you find that you’re actually beginning to make the same or more amount of money you make working that crappy 9-5 job you have to drag yourself out of bed to go to every morning. A light bulb goes off over your head one day during your commute and you think to yourself, “Wait a minute... I can quit my job and make (insert-your-craft-of-choice-here) for the rest of my life! I’ll be rich! I’ll be on Oprah! There’s nothing more satisfying than working for yourself, right? Being my own boss, doing something I love, has got to be easier than slaving away for someone else, isn’t it? Should I quit my job?” The answer to all of these questions is, “Yes.” ...And, “No.” Back in 2001, I had these thoughts spinning around my head, too. I was working in the all-reaching “Customer Service Field” and I was selling my handmade bath & body products at local shows and to friends and family. Eventually I would develop a following, become established, and be able to quit my day job to deal in soapmaking full-time. It was still quite a long ways off, though, and if you want to do it, there were a few things you need to take care of first.

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First, develop a Business Plan. You should not even begin to think about quitting your day job if you have no idea what the next step is to make yourself financially successful in your craft. There are lots of information and templates (as well as full examples) found at www.sba.gov for free, and you can be matched to a mentor who has already gone through the process themselves to guide you every step of the way. A business plan covers not only your company’s mission and planning how to reach your target audience, but also your fiscal projection for several years ahead, all costs associated with running it from the beginning (for example, license cost, capital needed, utilities, supplies, advertising budget, etc.), how you plan on covering these costs, and short- and long-term goals. It will become your business manual of sorts. Also, if you need to go to a bank for a loan to finance your business at any time, many will want to see your business plan, which should then also cover how you plan on paying your lender back. If you do not already have the legal paperwork in place as a business owner selling online, now is the time to do it. Research what’s needed to operate your crafting business from home (or wherever you plan on setting up) by contacting the governing body in your country. Chances are you will already have what’s needed since

you’ve been operating your business online, but you’ll want to make sure all of your bases are covered before taking it on full-time. Budgeting is an important factor at any time in your business, but moreso in the begining stages. You should have a tight budget drawn up before considering quitting your day job as well as a sizeable nestegg set aside to help you through any rocky starts or rough patches along the way. I didn’t entertain the idea of quitting my day job to make soap all the time until my online part-time business was already sustaining itself and turning a good profit plus paying household bills steadily for several months with enough left over for some luxuries. A good experiment to see if you can survive on your craft alone, is to bank in your paychecks for a period of one year and just live off of what you are making from your home-based business. This not only teaches you a valuable lesson in what are really the neccessities in your life, and where you can cut future costs but also gives you an accurate figure of how much money is coming into the household versus how much is going out.

A good experiment to see if you can survive on your craft alone, is to bank in your paychecks for a period of one year and just live off of what you are making from your homebased business.

When the time came to actually quit my day job, I had a good amount of money saved up, I had developed an established and repeat customer following online and at local shows, I had my business plan in place, and I was scared to death. Our living as a family changed dramatically at the same time because we’d just celebrated the birth of our first child...so the pressure was on to succeed, and succeed quickly. Having a baby definately motivated me to try harder, get all of my ducks in a

row fast, and inspired me to take that leap even more because I was able to stay home with her which has definately been a plus.

Quitting your day job to work a homebased business can be overwhelming at first, and it’s definately not easy to give up that steady paycheck. While I believe it’s the right step for someone who holds passion for the items they make or sell, it may not be the best situation for someone depending on their needs as a family financially. A good way to move forward is one step at a time. Through solid research, careful planning, budgeting, and having a contingency plan in place, you can get there. STYL MAGAZINE 30

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empty crowded room photography Maile lani

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Maile Lani Through My Window

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Maile Lani Bottled Window Light

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Maile Lani One Day On The Farm

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Maile Lani I Miss My Chickens

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Maile Lani The World Inside A Ball

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Maile Lani Dragon Wings

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Maile Lani Their Umbrella Flew Away

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Maile Lani It’s Springtime In The South

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Rae in

LIVING A LIFE THAT SPEAKS LOUNDER THAN WORDS words and photography Rachael Ward

I think in life we get very few opportunities to do something beyond ourselves. I thought I already was by running my own indie business Mixology Makeup because it has taken on a life of its own and I am just along for the ride. Then I decided to move to China and not just China, but the farthest North and East you could go in China, a land called Tumen. I say land because I felt a little bit like Dorothy the day I left getting swept away to a land over the rainbow – in fact my ﬂight into China was OZ 315. I will never forget the day I left for China. It was Sunday morning and my family and I were at church, half way through the music I hear my mom say “Rae, Rae, call 911!” I turn around and ﬁnd my dad passing in and out of consciousness and mumbling. My dad had a heart attack about 5 years ago and when one happens 43

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you tend to wait for the next. My biggest fear in moving to China was something happening to my dad and today, the morning I am leaving that fear became a reality. I stood up and called for someone to call 911 because my dad was having a heart attack. Then I searched people for aspirin. Some men pulled him out of the seat and laid him down in the aisle and I was in hysterics because I knew my dad was going to die and I was supposed to get on a plane?! So yeah, Dorothy and I can relate. Thankfully my dad is alive and well and better than ever, and I only had to say goodbye to him in the hospital bed; but when a trip starts out this way you naturally think, “OK, what else can happen?” WRONG QUESTION RAE! Here’s the rundown of things that can happen over the course of the year when you ask that question – Arrive in China, get off the plane to below-zero icy weather in flip-flops (hardcore AZ girl here); get attacked by a rick shaw driver; random men grab your booty; women grab your booty; you find yourself eating cow tendon, bone cartilage, and a few other things; people mistake you for a Russian lady of the night; you get poo water in your apartment; you accidentally wash your face in said poo water; you run into the crazy rick shaw driver again!; roaches like your house more than any other; you get trapped in your elevator; your wallet gets stolen three days before going home. “Only in China,” I said. So why go? Well, why not? I feel compelled to live a life that speaks louder than words, it is a life that has been exampled to me and that example has commanded me to get up and walk, so there I go. I don’t always do it well, but I have to try. If it meant losing my business then I was willing to let it go in order to have this chance to do something beyond what I think I am capable of. I had an opportunity to teach English & Makeup at a school up on the North Korean border, yes I was there for the reporters that were arrested and for the nuc testing day (we had an earthquake drill), and I know Robert Park who has now been arrested. I was terrified to teach, it is not my skill set and even more intimidating to do it in a foreign country, but the kids captured my heart and I loved the people in my community! I was involved in a few things there; I came over with a family from America to help them with their three kids, to teach conversational English, and then took on teaching makeup and also did some volunteering at a home for special needs children and still trying to run Mixology on top of it all. It was all challenging because living in a foreign country itself is just plain hard! Just when you think you have the hang of it something else

happens, but it’s all part of the job and you try to take it with a measure of grace which is not my strong suit, but I like a challenge – ha! Thankfully I had my cousin Chea back in AZ doing all my shipping and I was able to do the rest from China, in all honesty that went very smoothly all things considered and I would like to do it again, Chea not so much. I feel that despite the few limitations we had like custom blending orders, discontinuing a few items for the year, and the 15 hour time difference I think that business stayed pretty consistent and my customers are the best in the World and really supported me through it. In fact many of them have done the same thing I have so it really was a blessing!

I feel compelled to live a life that speaks louder than words, it is a life that has been exampled to me and that example has commanded me to get up and walk, so there I go. The hardest thing I had to overcome is the language barrier. No matter how hard you try or think that your way of pronouncing your address in Chinese is right on, it will never sound Chinese! Have a local write it on a piece of paper and show paper to Mr. Taxi Driver, your life will be easier. Although it is fun when you try saying it just one more time for kicks and they end up understanding you. One of my most favorite people in the whole world I had to leave behind is Mei. She ran our little coffee/ juice shop called Kuai Ke by the school. She could not speak much English, but I am a pro at charades! I figured out she had two kinds of coffee – Earth Nut and Caramel (I am still trying to figure out what an Earth Nut is!) So everyday, bright and early, I would be her first customer and she would practically have my iced earth nut coffee waiting for me. It saved me because I was nowhere near a Starbucks. As time went on we built up a great friendship, not based on words, but on smiles, hugs, and a few expressions we both knew in each other’s languages. I told her one day that I would teach her English if she wanted to learn more and she did, but I then discovered that Mei and her family lived in the shop and she woke at 9 am to open the store and worked it until close at 10 pm and that she literally had no time to learn. I told her STYL MAGAZINE

that’s ok I would just come in everyday and we could do a little here and there. She started making me jowza (dumplings) for dinner here and there and I often thought to myself, “Now Starbucks would never do this for me!” As the time came for me to leave she asked if in those last weeks if I would come to the shop in the evening when it was slower for her so we could sit and talk. I had another friend there Wang, who I met through Mei who speaks very good English and met with us those nights to help translate. It was some of the most amazing nights of my life, we shared stories, asked questions and laughed a lot. I brought her some pictures I had taken of us while I lived there and she happened to have one for me, it was one of her wedding pictures. I was in awe. Pictures were sometimes a rare thing there because cameras are expensive so for her to give me one is a huge blessing and one of my most treasured items along with a beautiful scarf one of my makeup students Kim Young made me. No values can be placed on these things and on the memories I have there. I have made lifelong friendships with some amazing people I worked with at school like my dear friends Jenny, Ping Ping, Tom, Jim, Mary, Li Li, Christina, Selena, Candy, and Abby. They have left fingerprints on my heart no one can erase. On one of my last days there, the city of Tumen was having some power/water outage day which meant all day no power, no water. We had very little warning. Well, then I realized I live on the 13th floor in a building with an elevator. Do you see my dilemma? I had to teach at 10:30 am on Friday so I decided I would just leave my house at 7 am and hangout at school until the power was back on. Friday, 7 a.m. Time to leave my house, I walk to the elevator. Great the power is on, I don’t have to hike down 13 flights of stairs! Besides I think I am safe I have half an hour until it is supposed to go off. I get in, hit “One,” and travel to the bottom. Ok, open doors. Open. OPEN! Crud, power is out early! I realize I am trapped in the elevator. Most people fear this – I laugh. Why you ask? Because who else would this happen too? Only Me! So I feel my heart begin to beat faster, I realize that me freaking out is not going to open the doors so I start telling myself, “Rae it’s ok, you are NOT going to be trapped in your elevator for the 12 hours by yourself in the dark...” I see the emergency call button so I start pushing it. Did you know that these “emergency” buttons do not work if the power is off? Yeah, weird, but true. So I decide to call my friends and say get me the flip outta here! I pull out my cell phone which always work in the elevator, except for today because the minute I pull it out I lose all bars and it won’t dial. 45

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OK, Plan C, bang on doors until the guards hear you. Good thinking, Rae! I begin knocking loudly saying, “Hello?” all the while thinking, “Rae it’s ok, you are NOT going to be trapped in your elevator for the 12 hours by yourself in the dark...” I pound saying, “Hello? Um help?!” It then dawn on me, why would my guards be here today? There is no power so that equals a day off for them! Now I know, no one is out there and no one can hear me. “Rae it’s ok, you are NOT going to be trapped in your elevator for the 12 hours by yourself in the dark.” Plan W. Muscle open the doors, it could work? Sadly this was not my first thought because I was just thinking they are so heavy there is no way I can open them. But when you are determined you can do anything, so I wiggled my fingers into the crack and pulled. I pulled and pulled until they got to a point where they stayed open and I walked out. All of this amounted to about 20 minutes. I casually walked down the hall and laughed, pulled out my phone which all of a sudden powered back up! The kicker was that I was told later that if I would have waited another 20 minutes the backup generator would have kicked on and elevator would have powered back up. Only in China... I have been home just a few weeks now and I am still adjusting to not taking off or putting on my shoes every time I go to another room and that I don’t have to throw away my toilet paper, I can flush it, and running my business again, I have forgotten how to ship things! All in all it was a great experience and I am really hoping to see my Tumen friends soon, they all have a special place in my heart and have created memories that only a girl who has traveled over the rainbow can have.

old shutters

IN THE HANDS OF A NEW GENERATION. words Megan Eckman

Despite the constant release of new digital cameras with an ever-widening array of buttons, a new generation of photographers is embracing the cheaper and less reliable cameras of old. These ‘toy’ cameras offer one-of-a-kind photographs that contain imperfections, chromatic aberrations, and vignette. And the best part is that most of these cameras can be found in local thrift stores or online at sites like Etsy and Ebay.

the Diana boasts a square format for its photographs. Since the entire camera is made of plastic, light leaks occur nearly half of the time. Many photographers enjoy the unique pictures and chromatic aberrations caused by these leaks while others prefer to tape the camera’s edges to prevent them. One deﬁnite plus of the Diana is the pronounced vignette, which offers a vintage feel to both the photograph and its photographer.

One of the most “re-popular” camera is the Polaroid. Despite the company’s recent announcement that it would discontinue manufacturing instant film, a surge of photographers have joined the online site www.SavePolaroid.com to share their personal memories of the camera. Edwin H. Land developed the camera in 1947 with the intent of creating a seamless and easy-to-use photographic system. Photographers nowadays enjoy its distinct palette and soft focus – products of Land’s vision. There are, of course, imperfections due to the chemicals in the film reacting to external temperatures, but these imperfections lead to truly one-of-a-kind photographs. Plus, there is something undeniably pleasing about watching a memory form right before your eyes and thankfully Fujifilm continues to produce instant film, which means this camera can be enjoyed by the next generation.

Twenty years after the Diana was invented, the Holga came onto the scene. Designed by T.M. Lee, the Holga was intended to provide the working class of China an inexpensive way to record family portraits and events. Its plastic frame allowed for mass production and easy modiﬁcation. The Holga is best known for its vignette photographs that have a surrealistic, sometimes impressionistic, feel to them. In many ways, the Holga and Diana are family, and indeed, the latter was the design based on the former. The Holga camera comes equipped with an aperture switch for ‘sunny’ or ‘cloudy’ but due to an early manufacturing error, the switch doesn’t change the size of the aperture. However, this can be easily modiﬁed, as can its lens, to become a pinhole camera, or a Woca camera when replaced with a glass lens.

Unlike the Polaroid, which was produced for family use, the Diana was originally made as a ‘toy’ camera to be given away at Chinese carnivals in the 1960s. The camera went out of production in the 1970s but due to resurgence in popularity, Lomography began manufacturing them once more. Like the Polaroid,

With a constant inundation of new cameras that strive for picture-perfect perfection, it’s easy to see why so many photographers, amateur and pro alike, are switching to the sporadic cameras of old. Luckily, ﬁlm can still be found for all of them so start digging through your grandparents’ closets and get shooting.

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MEGAN RHODES Photography Came To Me In A Dream

Let's see... why do I love the Polaroid Land camera: 1. I am a camera junkie and I fell in love with the Land Camera before I even knew how it worked. I walked into my favorite photo store, saw it in their used case and was instantly drawn to it. 2. The images it captures are unlike any other camera I have worked with. They're vivid and bright, yet with a subtle vintage surreal feel. 3. This camera is instant gratification at its finest â&#x20AC;&#x201C; better than digital. You have the print in your hand in about a minute. Unlike digital photography where you have to bring the image files into a computer, edit them and print them, with the Polaroid prints you can scan them in and play with them on your computer if you want to but you don't have to â&#x20AC;&#x201C; they are complete all in their own.

Megan Rhodes Photography Website www.meganrhodes.com Shop meganrhodes.etsy.com 47

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MEGAN RHODES Photography Time For Myself

MEGAN RHODES Photography Scent Of Summer STYL MAGAZINE

for the easily distracted... Scarborough Fair

for the easily distracted... Kirkstall Abbey

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for the easily distracted... Beach Huts, Well-Next-The-Sea

I love my holga 135bc as you never know exactly what the photos will look like when you take it. You can frame it in the viewfinder and adjust the focus but once you press the button the final picture is out of your hands and commited to film forever. I also adore the colours that are produced by my holga â&#x20AC;&#x201C; on a glorious day the blue skies look brighter and everything is more vibrant, creating a more vivid memory as well as a stunning photo.

For The Easily Distracted... by Rhianne Moore Blog fortheeasilydistracted.blogspot.com Shop soeasilydistracted.etsy.com STYL MAGAZINE

Squidart Photography Some Things Last Forever

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Squidart Photography Old Fashioned

For my very first photography class in high school, my dad handed me his 1970s 35mm camera. It was in wonderful condition, but, trust me, it was already vintage. This began the love affair. I have been collecting the little machines ever since. They provide such a strong connection to the history of my craft and my passion. It might be sadistic, but I miss those times of being locked in a small dark room covered in toxic chemicals, pulling film out of one of these cameras. It felt like home to me, and these vintage beauties remind me of that pre-technology, simplistic era.

Squidart Photography by Kathleen Frank Website www.squidartphotography.com Shop squidart.etsy.com STYL MAGAZINE

Stockists

Contributing writers Juana Almaguer www.GalleryJuana.com Megan Eckman www.studiomme.com Karina Gallo www.SoapThatMakesScents.com Carina McDonald etherealcreation.etsy.com Rachael Ward www.MixologyMakeup.com

Illustrators Isabella Baudelaire www.isabellasart.com Megan Isabella www.meganisabella.com Julia Pott www.juliapott.com Gizem Vural www.behance.net/gecesintisi

Photographers Maile Lani www.emptycrowdedroom.com Kathleen Frank squidart.etsy.com Rhianne Moore soeasilydistracted.etsy.com Megan Rhodes www.meganrhodes.com

Shops a-z A

Art By Jay artbyjay.etsy.com Arts by Chris www.artsbychris.me

Katherine Cooper www.katherinecooper.co.uk

lizdezign lizdezign.etsy.com

Cafe Baudelaire CafeBaudelaire.etsy.com Cesart64 cesart64.etsy.com Cottage Garden Studios Cottagegarden.etsy.com

E Ethereal Creation etherealcreation.etsy.com

F field Trip fieldtrip.etsy.com for the easily distracted soeasilydistracted.etsy.com

G Gallery Juana GalleryJuana.etsy.com Gecesintisi Gecesintisi.etsy.com

I isabellaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s art www.isabellasart.com

J Jessica Doyle www.jessicadoyle.com Julia pott juliapott.etsy.com

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M Maile Lani Photography mailelani.etsy.com Mandy May Laschon: Pearls of Wisdom www.mandylaschon.com Maria Kallin mariakallin.etsy.com Megan isabella meganisabella.etsy.com Megan Rhodes Photography meganrhodes.etsy.com Mixology Makeup www.MixologyMakeup.com

N Nicole Wong Illustration www.nicole-wong.com Ninainvorm ninainvorm.punt.nl

S soap That Makes Scents www.SoapThatMakesScents.com squidart Photography squidart.etsy.com stephanie Corfee stephaniecorfee.etsy.com studio m.m.e. www.studiomme.com

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Maile Lani M Is For...

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