Costume Designer Extraordinaire: Colleen Atwood

I'm interviewing Colleen Atwood this morning for a story on film costume design. Atwood, who has won two Academy awards for her creations, is quite amazing -- designing for such movies as Sweeney Todd, Memoirs of a Geisha and Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.

I was doing a little internet research about her and found this Threadbanger video, complete with tips on how to do your own costumes. I thought you might like to see it:



Have a wonderful Friday! See you a little later!

The most fabulous party dress...

The flickr caption on this photo (of a very stylish Isaac Mizrahi dress) made me laugh: If it were pink, it would be the world's most perfect dress. (Posted here!)

I wish I had this dress -- in any color. One of my dear friends invited me to attend a black-tie awards ceremony tonight in Beverly Hills. And I have nothing to wear, really...Sometimes I think men have it so easy: They can always wear a tux!

Will let you know how it goes...

Intimate Pictures of Marilyn and JFK?

It's just a fantasy created by photographer Alison Jackson, using look-alikes...Yet what if?

A description of her work from the M+B artist site: "Her photos demonstrate that while seeing is believing, the truth is another story entirely. In her work, Jackson says, 'Likeness becomes real and fantasy touches on the believable. The viewer is suspended in disbelief. I try to highlight the psychological relationship between what we see and what we imagine. This is bound up in our need to look—our voyeurism—and our need to believe.'"

"Indeed, by showing “celebrities” ostensibly caught unawares, Jackson’s pictures show us what we imagine might go on behind closed doors. Her work has caused controversy, not least because it treads in a very gray area between parody and realism by seeming to break down the carefully fortified private lives of public figures."

More of her photos are {here}, but beware some of them are quite shocking!

A new life for Life Without Zoe?

When Life Without Zoe, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and written by a very young Sofia, was released as part of the anthology film New York Stories in 1989, it was largely panned by movie critics, who called it silly.

But 20 years later, the film is enjoying a new life among fashionistas.  Nylon magazine this month featured the 12-year-old Zoe -- who lives in a luxurious hotel like Eloise -- as a cinematic icon, complete with her oversized Chanel wardrobe.

Here's a 10 minute clip of the film from YouTube. You can decide:  charming or indulgent?

Hello, Monday

I was happy to discover that We Heart It is working again. I almost gave up completely on the site, which was slower than a dial-up in the 90s. (Above are some of my recent saves.) But all the problems seem to be fixed. Do you have a favorite bookmarking site? I was on vi.sualize for awhile, but always liked We Heart It best.

What are you doing this week? I'm working on a writing project today and meeting with one of the editors at a major blog (name TBA!).

I'm very hopeful. Just keeping on...Have a lovely day.

xoxo

Day of the Dead

I love this post-Halloween holiday, especially the Mexican sugar skulls and the macabre music, like "Secret" by the Pierces.

A flip-book video of the sisters' song -- with its pipe organ riffs -- is charming, although a little overloaded with gun imagery. So goes the holiday. I can't wait to hear more from this talented duo...



What do you think?

Tagged.

This tag comes from my dear Liss at Daydream Lily. I haven't done one of these in ages....So here goes:

1. Where is your cell phone: Within reach at all times.
2. Your hair: blonde. Usually tousled and pinned up with a pencil.
3. Your favorite food: Candy, especially Hot Tamales in the boxes that you get at the movie theater.
4. Your dream from last night: I only remember the dreams I have about finding hidden rooms in houses. It's a recurring theme. Maybe I'm longing for a bigger house.
5. Your favorite drink: Chai.
6. Your dream/goal: to work for myself.
7. What room are you in: the living room, in my favorite chair.
8. What are your hobbies: blogging, reading, collecting vintage treasures, taking Polaroids.
9. What is your fear: I used to be afraid of being laid off. Now that that's happened, I'm fearless.
10. Where do you want to be in 6 years: exactly where I am now. Happy and free.
11. Where were you last night: Home, on the Internet.
12. Something you are not: shy.
13. Muffins: Yes, please.
14. Wish list items: A book deal and a little extra pin money.
15. Where did you grow up: Albuquerque, N.M.
16. Last thing you did: Opened the window to feel the evening breeze.
17. What are you wearing: a little blue and white cotton dress.
18. Your TV: It's always on, but I'm usually not the one watching it.
19. Your pets: two black cats and an old dog who smacks his gums.
20. Your friends: all of them creative, funny and interesting. I love people from all walks of life.
21. Your favorite store: thrift stores, book stores, drug stores.
22. Your favorite color: Pink, of course.

I'm passing this on to anyone who wants to do the post...
xo

Wanna Get Away?

Hello everyone, I'm taking a few days off to spend some time with my best friend Elaine (visiting from Paris). Will see you back here on Monday! Have a great weekend! xoxo Tina

R&R

Hello my dears, Happy Tuesday afternoon. It's so nice to be posting here at 3:37 p.m. on my own schedule -- away from the 9 - 5 work grind. I've been getting a little R&R -- long naps, long walks, long baths, making delicious salads for lunch, savoring magazines. I have been working a bit, too, on a new blog which I hope to debut soon. I'm doing this one on WordPress.org, which is definitely outside the comfortable ease that I feel on Blogger.

It's exciting though. I think I've finally settled on a header (which is the most important part, right?). I'm so thankful for these blogging platforms. It's the democratization of publishing (and design). You don't need a printing press to believe that what you say matters.

Can't wait to show you! Maybe next week. Also, I'm working a new blogroll for The English Muse. Please email me if you want to be included. Email me anyway. I'd love to hear from you. Here: englishmuse (at) yahoo (dot) com.

xoxoxo

Tina

(Photo by Rodney Smith, again)

Beauty, Illustrated

It's Lisi from The Beauty File and I'd like to introduce

you to Melbourne's own, Nevin Hirik.

The paintbrush: her instrument.

The canvas: her linen storyboard where dreams come alive....

Remember, 2009

Dreams to Remember, 2009

Three, 2003

Dreams to Remember VI, 2009

Theme of the Uprooting II, 2006

I Will Wait to See You Again, 2008

In Nevin's studio...

I had the opportunity to interview the lovely artist.

She shared her inspirations, experiences and favorite music.

Enjoy!

1. What inspires you? Art? Music? Literature? Other artists?

Life!! Everything really. Literature, film, dance, history, traveling, stories, my life, your life, pain, happiness, one word in the movie, a line in the book, Art itself, and Music, of course.

2. What colors do you feel most comfortable using? Are there certain shades that you are drawn to?

Not really. Every painting has its own story and the colours come with the painting naturally, I don’t plan this before the painting. Funny thing is if I want a painting with lots of red it ends up blue, if I want it blue it ends up red. So the best thing is not planning it, it tells me what it wants!

3. Your work truly invokes a dreamlike state and your use of layering is incredible. How long does it take you to create your work?

Thank you. It really depends on the painting, also my mood. I am a full time artist. Sometimes I am locked in my studio and paint days and nights, and I get burned out, physically and mentally, I get so tired. And then I have a break. Then back to the studio again. One solo show a year. And some mixed small shows. I can’t have more than one solo show a year; really I don’t know how people paint like that.

4. Do you paint with music playing in the background? What is on your play list right now?

I do. I can’t think of my studio without music. I love listening to music when I am painting. I listen to lots of different music.

I listen to lots of world music, classic, opera, hip-hop, Blues, Gypsy, Jazz. Lots of good music. I listen to lots of silly music in private life, but in the studio I listen to good music:

Eleni Karaindrou, Zulya, Portishead, Djivan Gasparyan, Elliot Goldenthal, Arto Tuncboyaciyan, David Hirschfelder, Elvira Uzunian, Kim Kashkashian, Robert Levin, Fazil Say, Nick Cave, Rashid Behbudov and Erkan Ogur.

5. What experiences/people from your own life are reflected in your collection?

I sometimes call my paintings a mirror. Every single private story behind these pictures also belongs to you. I am not unique, none of us are. We are all human. We share all the stories.

You can see my stories in my paintings. I am a migrant. I came to Australia from Turkey when I was 23 years old. There is a girl in my painting carry her house in her hand; another one has got the tree inside the house. So this is my experience, but it is also others stories too. For me it represent more than private stories. Thousands of people are homeless now, countries simply can’t share the earth with other nations.

Painting is the language I choose. And I love sharing this with others, that is the best part.

Visit Nevin's blog to view all of her work here

To contact Nevin, email her at: nevin@nevinhirik.com

top photo: silence is everywhere, 2008

(Guest Post by Lisi at the Beauty File.)