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| Me and Jasmine |
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It tasted like childhood memories |
Thursday, September 16
Feliz Bicentenario Mexico!
Culture is a defining factor for many artists, including Jasmine whose interview and artwork is in the post below. The interview took place at Cafe Mestizo in Pilsen where she held her first gallery showing. Besides the nostalagia of her first show, it was also the Mexican community that she reflects in her artwork that made it such a perfect setting. I interviewed her before I started school but it seems perfect to post it today with the celebration of the 200th aniversary of Mexican Independence. There was a lot to take in at Pilsen, from the thrift stores to the murals, it was truly an experience that made me feel reconnected with my own culture and inspired by the bold personality and style that is Jasmine.
One of a Kind: Jasmine Luevano
Monica Cano: Tell me about yourself?
JL: My name is Jasmine. I just turned 21. I love cupcakes, anything sweet, gummy bears. Adopted, Mexican all the way even though I am Puerto Rican. I don’t feel like I am though, all my ideas come from my Mexican influences.
MC: What are your creative passions?
JL: Painting, photography even though I never got into it like that, and I love collages. I love music. I used to be a singer, I was in the choir too. Music is very important to me; I do show it in my artwork. I also love cartoons and comics!
MC: Describe your creative process in creating a new piece?
JL: Well, I mean I feel that a lot of my artwork comes from my emotion. There has to be emotion behind it, a certain situation. I’m more about doing it from behind a certain idea. I do a lot of painting, repainting, taking off, scraping. A lot of my work right now has overlapping things. It takes me awhile, maybe like a few weeks to get the final piece.
MC: How do you think your personal relationships affect your work?
JL: Lately its been good but there’s been times like heartbreak, or hard times with my family.
It increases my work, because it’s a way for me to vent. That’s the time when I got to lock myself in my room and do what I got to do to feel better.
MC: Are you working on anything new?
JL: I’m working more with oil paints, because I never did that before. They are so vivid, very nice, different than acrylic. I want to do more with the body, I’ve wanted to do nudes for awhile. Right now the only thing I’m doing is commissioned works for people who want specific things.
MC: A lot of artist express themselves in their room, tell me about your room?
JL: It’s purple, its like my own gallery. I have records up and my art work is everywhere. There’s paintings and my desk to work and a window to look outside.
MC: Who are some famous icons you look up to?
JL: Amy Winehouse, she is a crack head but she is my homie until the day I die.
MC: What [fashion] trend do you love right now?
JL: Gold chains, gold rings, gold everything.
MC: What is a rule you have when it comes to style?
JL: Whatever you wear make sure its you. Don’t try and look like someone else, just cause you saw it on someone else don’t try and put it on you.
MC: Describe your style and your influences/ inspirations?
JL: I don’t look at magazines. I’m a very picky person. I’ll probably come out with one thing from a store. I like shopping up north, forever21 is always a good place to be.
JL: My name is Jasmine. I just turned 21. I love cupcakes, anything sweet, gummy bears. Adopted, Mexican all the way even though I am Puerto Rican. I don’t feel like I am though, all my ideas come from my Mexican influences.
MC: What are your creative passions?
JL: Painting, photography even though I never got into it like that, and I love collages. I love music. I used to be a singer, I was in the choir too. Music is very important to me; I do show it in my artwork. I also love cartoons and comics!
MC: Describe your creative process in creating a new piece?
JL: Well, I mean I feel that a lot of my artwork comes from my emotion. There has to be emotion behind it, a certain situation. I’m more about doing it from behind a certain idea. I do a lot of painting, repainting, taking off, scraping. A lot of my work right now has overlapping things. It takes me awhile, maybe like a few weeks to get the final piece.
MC: How do you think your personal relationships affect your work?
JL: Lately its been good but there’s been times like heartbreak, or hard times with my family.
It increases my work, because it’s a way for me to vent. That’s the time when I got to lock myself in my room and do what I got to do to feel better.
MC: Are you working on anything new?
JL: I’m working more with oil paints, because I never did that before. They are so vivid, very nice, different than acrylic. I want to do more with the body, I’ve wanted to do nudes for awhile. Right now the only thing I’m doing is commissioned works for people who want specific things.
MC: A lot of artist express themselves in their room, tell me about your room?
JL: It’s purple, its like my own gallery. I have records up and my art work is everywhere. There’s paintings and my desk to work and a window to look outside.
MC: Who are some famous icons you look up to?
JL: Amy Winehouse, she is a crack head but she is my homie until the day I die.
MC: What [fashion] trend do you love right now?
JL: Gold chains, gold rings, gold everything.
MC: What is a rule you have when it comes to style?
JL: Whatever you wear make sure its you. Don’t try and look like someone else, just cause you saw it on someone else don’t try and put it on you.
MC: Describe your style and your influences/ inspirations?
JL: I don’t look at magazines. I’m a very picky person. I’ll probably come out with one thing from a store. I like shopping up north, forever21 is always a good place to be.
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| Some of Jasmine's Impressive Paintings |
Saturday, September 11
ICONS
My current obsession is from the collection of the limited edition Andy Warhol’s Interview books. Each book has a theme, my personal favorite is The Fashion. It’s a compilation of photographs, drawings, portraits, interviews, and discussions from 1972 to 1979. The book immediately brought to mind Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen's book Influence with it's interviews of some of the same figures that were prevalent in Warhol's Interview, including Diane Von Furstenburg and Karl Lagerfeld. Lagerfeld actually wrote the introduction to the Warhol book. Warhol's collection is of course more eccentric and sexual in it's questions. Influence on the other hand is more developed around the theme of how they came to be so successful and where the inspirations for their art comes from. I recommend both books because they are intriguing insights into the minds that have and continue to inspire and stun the world. It is a collection of the brightest and most beautiful.
P.S. I have attached some poorly taken pictures (dorms are not known for their goodlighting and cleanliness) of a few of the impressive portaits in the books. Copyrights belong to Interview and Influence of course.
P.S. I have attached some poorly taken pictures (dorms are not known for their goodlighting and cleanliness) of a few of the impressive portaits in the books. Copyrights belong to Interview and Influence of course.
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| Yves Saint Laurent- Interview |
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| A photograph of Coco Chanel at work |
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| Karl Lagerfeld- Interview |
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Diane Von Furstenberg in Influence on a cover from Interview, side by side with an actual interview of her in Warhol's collection. |
Thursday, September 2
Artist Portfolio- Jana
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| A light painting project |
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| Younger Brothers |
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| The Diner Photoshoot |
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| Zoo |
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| Vacation |
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| Portrait from the Diner |
Jana Part Deux
Tell me a little about yourself?
My name is Jana. I like to be goofy. I like cake and ice cream.
What are you passionate about?
I recently started painting and I like that. I like photography, modeling, styling.
What do you think are your strengths as an artist?
I try to finish what I start for the most part, but there is that every once in awhile I don't finish it. I just let whatever happens happen. I don't stress it. If I mess up, I don't see it as a mess up, I see it as a guide to a new path. When I worked on my journal [her art journal] I would just throw some stuff together and look at what looked nice. I didn't worry about messing up anything or making mistakes.
Are you working on anything now? Any ideas you've been thinking about?
I want to have a photoshoot downtown showing there can still be peace in a busy city. I haven't decided exactly how I am going to do it yet, but that's what I want to show.
What trend do you love right now?
I'm obsessed with see through lace, and I'm obsessed with cut outs right now. I've cut up all my shirts. I'll cut them randomly, like holes just randomly. I don't know if I'm going to have any shirts left for the wintertime.
Do you have any recommendations on how you can find cute things and not spend a lot?
Thrift store, I love shopping at the Thrift store. And no matter what, you always have a friend who has something they don't like that you're going to like.
Next place you want to travel? Why?
I want to go to Austria because that's where I'm from. I want to see what adventures are in store for me there.
My name is Jana. I like to be goofy. I like cake and ice cream.
What are you passionate about?
I recently started painting and I like that. I like photography, modeling, styling.
What do you think are your strengths as an artist?
I try to finish what I start for the most part, but there is that every once in awhile I don't finish it. I just let whatever happens happen. I don't stress it. If I mess up, I don't see it as a mess up, I see it as a guide to a new path. When I worked on my journal [her art journal] I would just throw some stuff together and look at what looked nice. I didn't worry about messing up anything or making mistakes.
Are you working on anything now? Any ideas you've been thinking about?
I want to have a photoshoot downtown showing there can still be peace in a busy city. I haven't decided exactly how I am going to do it yet, but that's what I want to show.
What trend do you love right now?
I'm obsessed with see through lace, and I'm obsessed with cut outs right now. I've cut up all my shirts. I'll cut them randomly, like holes just randomly. I don't know if I'm going to have any shirts left for the wintertime.
Do you have any recommendations on how you can find cute things and not spend a lot?
Thrift store, I love shopping at the Thrift store. And no matter what, you always have a friend who has something they don't like that you're going to like.
Next place you want to travel? Why?
I want to go to Austria because that's where I'm from. I want to see what adventures are in store for me there.
Sunday, August 22
Who You Should Know: Jana Marie
Baby Cody, her pit bull puppy
Wearing ked style shoes and high waisted white and navy shorts from the thrift store.
Rockin' red lipstick after our Dairy Queen trip
To appear confident and to be confident are two completely different things. There is a sense of strength that comes with true confidence that can only be gained by being self assured in what you believe. Jana has always seemed fearless to me because her beliefs are often out of the ordinary and she never shies away from the facts that make her different from her peers. I went to high school with this girl- high school which is known for being the time when everyone is trying to fit in- I know that Jana would be the one walking across the lunch room with me while everyone was either puzzled by her outfit or admiring her bold style. High school always feels too small, like everyone knows everyone, and it’s true everyone knew who the girls with actual style were, girls who, like Jana, had their own style. I’m not saying everyone liked their style but at least they stood out and some of us could appreciate their taste. That idea of being independent, and doing your own thing definitely transfers into the creative aspects of Jana’s life and artwork which is why I've interviewed her for my blog. I’ll be posting my interview with Jana and some of her photography work next!
Friday, August 13
Global Icons
If you look at Florida, especially Orlando, like I do then you see it as a commercial bubble of mass marketing. Due to mega icons like Disney and Universal people flock to it year round. They put so much detail into how everything is presented, because they are selling you another world, a fantasy, and it is incredibly impressive. So now I'm posting the "fluffy" pictures, because they represent all that was lighthearted and touristy on my trip - even if much of it was produced by commercial giants..
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