This is a recent illustration that I created to support a good cause.
I apologize for not posting much lately. I have been working on few Art and non-Art related projects. October is proving to be a difficult month for my creative side. I just have to use this Thanksgiving weekend efficiently to create Art for my blog.
Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian Friends!
‘Wilderness’ is exactly what it is like in the fashion blogging industry. One can easily loose an hour or two in a blink of an eye while surfing through various fashion, style, trend reports, breathtaking photographs of beautiful people, exquisite blog posts, etc. While I was on one of my ‘hunt’ in the ‘wilderness’ for some inspirations for my Art, I stumbled upon Alex Solomon’s blog.
‘Alex’ by Kopiha
Alex is not only a dedicated and hardworking student at Harvard University, she is a Fashionista and an enthusiastic style reporter at http://trendnerd.com/. She has a fresh and unique perspective of fashion and trend with a quirky sense of style. She sets herself apart by being true to her inner ‘nerd’ self, which speaks to my geeky persona. One of her recent ‘sartorial spread’ inspired me to make the following watercolor illustration of her:
‘Alex’ by Kopiha
Alex also has a soft spot for Art and was excited when I told her that I wanted to illustrate a picture of her. She is a true fan of my Art and has written about it for trendnerd.com. Please visit “Style Inspires Art”, a recent post by Alex, to read more about my Art and what inspired me to make this illustration.
Here is the original picture of Alex:
Model/style blogger: Alex Solomon, Photo Credit: Sam Grant, Hair/make-up: Marissa Schwartz. Booties: Giuseppe Zanotti, top: Marc by Marc Jacobs, shorts: BGBGMaxAzria
I have to give credit to my Art and Blog for giving me opportunities to meet new faces and make new friends.
Follow @whitecoralSTUToronto hosted its first Fashion’s Night Out (FNO) on September 6th with plenty of open door parties, sales and attractions (e.g. champagne, free drinks, cupcakes, etc.). FNO was started in New York City in 2009, in an effort to bring out consumers to spend money and boost the economy. Since then, it has become a much celebrated annual event for fashion loving party-goers and shopaholics. It has also become global with countries such as Brazil, India and Australia hosting its own annual FNO events.
My SIL and I decided to check out the Yorkville-area events that night. We had a nice dinner in Yorkville and gallivanted about few shops. We finally ended up at the Holt Renfrew’s “Hot in the City” street party.
The Magenta girl by Kopiha Vasan
We sipped Diet Coke from Holt @ 175 themed bottles, walked around the store, took photographs, watched beautiful people, and enjoyed the Holt Renfrew’s video show and street music. It was a great start for Toronto and I am looking forward to attending the next year’s FNO (…maybe in NYC?).
Hot @ 175 Diet Coke by Kopiha Vasan
I went to the FNO to find some inspiration for my Art. The Holt Renfrew Party and my SIL’s photographs from the event inspired me to create the above. Thank you, my bestie!
Follow @whitecoralSTU
“Lady in Red” by Kopiha Vasan (9” x 12”)
This painting was inspired by a look modelled by a Bollywood actress, Kareena Kapoor. She was wearing an Emanuel Ungaro Red Jumpsuit at a movie promotion event recently. The actress looked feminine, bold, flirtatious and Old Hollywood (yet modern) as she confidently posed for pictures. I wanted to capture the aura of this picture using my watercolors.
The fashionista side of me knows how hard it is to pull-off jumpsuits, especially ones in bright bold colors. The Bollywood actress, however, looked stunning in this outfit. The look was also nicely accented with few gold pieces. This Emanuel Ungaro jumpsuit is from the Summer 2012 collection. Overall, I adore this glam look (as shown here).
“Lady in Red” by Kopiha Vasan
More “red” posts to come in future. Stay tuned. Hint: Red is a ‘unisex’ color.
Follow @whitecoralSTUPlease pardon the delay in my recent posts. I have been busy with projects, conferences, travel and domestic duties. They are all under control (for now). I am working on a delightful post for tomorrow. I can’t wait for you to see it. If you are following me on twitter, you should know what I have been working on.
As I mentioned few weeks ago, here, I am working on a series of Ballet themed paintings. Here is my latest:
“Dancing Ballerina” by Kopiha Vasan (14” x 10”)
I may be a bit ‘biased’ but I truly believe that Watercolor Paintings of any form are special treasurers of the Art World. It is tremendously undervalued. I intend to find the creators of these treasurers and present them to my readers (as I promised in my blog Intro post).
Today, I am thrilled to present my first discovery.
I found a beautiful children’s Watercolor Art on one of the Art exhibit websites and contacted the Artist for an interview. Here, you can read an inspiring story of a talented Artist and find out what it takes to become one. Her dedication and passion towards creating Art is very inspiring.
“A Girl on the Rocker” by Catharine (from Deep Cove Flower)
1. When did you find yourself creating Art?
I grew up with very creative parents and was surrounded by writers and painters. There were always art supplies around and creative mess was encouraged.
2. How long have you been making Watercolour Art?
I have been painting with watercolours for thirty years, though very little when my children were young and when I first went back to work full time. This past year and a half I have pushed myself to paint consistently. I challenged myself to take part in a few art challenges each week or at least once a week, started a blog and made the commitment (Even if it is to only satisfy me). Some weeks are better than others but I look at it as a practice.
3. Are you a full time Artist?
I would love to be a full time artist but I do work full time. I am grateful to have an interesting job that I love, working in the public library system with children’s programming. I have in the past tried to make a living from art and found it very stressful. I really commend artists who make a go of it and acknowledge how hard they work.
“Stripes” by Catharine (from Deep Cove Flower)
4. Your watercolor children’s illustrations are fun and whimsical. Have you ever been published?
I have been published in an online magazine storiesforchildrenmagazine.org which has just folded. It was a good opportunity to get a feel for the process, and to work with an editor. I would love to illustrate children’s books, and to write & illustrate picture books.
5. Do you gravitate towards certain type of illustrations, color schemes, techniques, etc.?
I love vintage children’s illustrations and soft colour schemes. I like to see the watercolour showing through with some transparency, some hard edges and introduction of inks….there are so many great combinations of media that can be added to watercolour.
6. Do you have any tips for the aspiring Watercolour Artists?
Practice, practice, practice and use good paints and supplies.
7. What is your most favourite Watercolour product or brand (e.g. pallets, brushes, papers, etc.)?
Windsor Newton and Daniel Smith are good paints. When I was first painting I used cheap paints and wondered why the colours were flat, good paint has wonderful richness. I use all kinds of brushes, not really expensive ones though. I like both hot and cold pressed papers, the hot pressed scans in better for digital work.
“Polka Dot Dress” by Catharine (from Deep Cove Flower
8. What is your most favourite color?
Love so many colours…Cerulean blue, and a new colour for me Daniel Smith Quinacrdone Fushia watered down is a beautiful pink.
9. Do you work with any other medium?
I have worked with a fashion designer years ago with hand painted silk fabric and I did hand thrown pottery, which I loved! Then I had a family and young children and all the messy arts went out the door. Both the textile and pottery required strict time lines for production. Watercolour painting and illustration is more forgiving.
10. How can my readers contact you?
I am considering opening an online shop for my Art. For now, please visit me at http://deepcoveflowers.blogspot.ca/. Also, you can e-mail me at deepcovecottage@gmail.com.
It was a pleasure meeting Catharine. Wish you all the best with your new venture!
Follow @whitecoralSTUSeptember is generally a hectic and stressful month for all North Americans due to various reasons (e.g. back to school, seasonal changes, conferences, new opportunities, road traffic, etc.). As the Summer Season comes to an end, gloomy weather starts to hover over us. A little escape from reality can do wonders to our mind and help us manage the day-to-day duties and obligations with ease. What better way to escape a difficult moment than to imagine being on a sandy beach by turquoise blue ocean?
I made this painting for a dear friend of mine a while back. She wanted a painting that would encourage daydreams during stressful times. In this version of my Seascape painting, I included a charming boat to represent the concept of “escapism”. You can take the boat and venture out in the ocean to discover new Islands and unspoiled beaches. Wouldn’t that be marvelous? Even in our imagination?
Ocean, Yellow Sand and a Boat by Kopiha Vasan
A curly haired friend of mine went to Montreal and came back with this beautiful blouse. I fell in love with it the minute I saw her wearing it. I must insist that she looks fabulous and well put together all the time. She shares my pallet for fashion, colors and quality products, so it is easy for us to enjoy each other’s company. I enjoyed illustrating her in this blouse.
A Vintage Blouse, by Kopiha Vasan (8” x 8”)
Pink toned sheer fabric with speckles of black dots and the embroidery type of details in the back gives this blouse a vintage feel. I also adore the way the fabric gathers in the back, below the embroidery work. This is something I would definitely wear.
My friend bought this at a boutique called “1861″. This vintage inspired boutique is located on St-Laurent Street and serves pink lemonade and mini cupcakes to its clients. I must visit this store when I go to Montreal.
Follow @whitecoralSTUBallet is a form of Art that I shall never fully understand. It is something that enchants me with its spellbinding elegance. I am obsessed with successful Ballet dancers for having the personality that make them who they are. Commitment, Dedication, Discipline, Elegance and Perfection are some of their traits that I admire.
I also feel a touch of envy towards these beings (actually towards all performers) for possessing an intense desire to create or achieve perfection.
I intend to make a series of Watercolor Paintings dedicated to the Ballet dancers. I present to you my first Ballet themed Art called “The Pointed Ballet Shoes”. Many artists have done their versions of the pointed shoes. I wanted to paint my own version with my own interpretation of shoes, colors and pose.
The Pointed Ballet Shoes, by Kopiha Vasan
“A woman with good shoes is never ugly. They are the last touch of elegance.” – Coco Chanel
I had been meaning to illustrate some Summer Heels before the end of the season. Finally, I had the chance to finish these today.
Like most women in this world, I belong to a collective often referred to as “Shoe-Aholics”. Watercolors and heels are a lethal combination for an aspiring Fashion Illustrator. I truly enjoyed making this Art.
Summer Heels by Kopiha Vasan (8″ x 8″)
Here are the photographs that inspired me to paint the above:
1. Oscar de la Renta Spring 2012 campaign, as shown here;
2. Zara sandals, posed by Sarah from http://styleonthecouch.com/, as shown here;
3. Coye Nokes heels, posed by Sarah from http://styleonthecouch.com/, as shown here;
4. Monolo Blahnic Sedaraby; worn by the famous Carrie Bradshaw, as seen in the Sex and the City, here.
A special Thank You to Sarah from http://styleonthecouch.com for sharing some beautiful photographs from her blog to use in this post. I admire her adventures attitude towards fashion, especially her choices of fabulous shoes.
