Category: artist spotlight

Meet ASCB Vendor Bethany Rusen of Stanley Chester & Albert

being a potter in an urban area has its challenges. every so often, i envy my friends who are ceramic artists in far flung, beautiful places like the mountains of North Carolina or the plains of Montana and Nebraska. i love the beauty of where they live and most of all, the abundance of space. but i grew up in rural Pennsylvania, so by age 18 i had had enough of the country life. i have lived in Philly for almost 12 years and i think i am a permanent condition in this fair city. besides, i would miss the vibrant urban environment and the amazing community of makers that Philadelphia has to offer.

when i was looking to buy a house a year and a half ago, i told my realtor that my number one need was a work space. because Philly’s housing stock in almost entirely rowhomes, i knew my studio would be in the basement. so i needed a large, open, airy, high ceilinged basement, which was a challenge, especially in older homes. my house is almost a hundred years old, but it has an ideal basement. so this has been my studio home since then.

when i started making pots under Stanley Chester & Albert about two and a half years ago, i had almost 15 years working as a ceramic artist under my belt, including a BFA and an MFA in ceramic sculpture. i started SC&A with a very simple premise: to produce well made vessels that would be accessible to a diverse audience and appeal to a population of people who normally didn’t buy handmade pots. with that in mind, i decided to stick to simple forms like bowls and cups – things that could be used in a variety of ways and be at home in any domestic environment.

i’ve always been in love with vintage imagery, pop culture and snark, and the unexpected ways they can be combined. as for putting them on pots, it all started about seven years ago when i was still in grad school. i made a vase for a friend’s birthday: on one side was a dead flower, and the other said “BITCH PLS”. no one around me really got why it was funny, but i thought it was hilarious at the time (and still do). ceramics sometimes has a tendency to be overly formal and serious, so i love to disrupt that expectation.

most everything i make starts on the potters’ wheel, thrown by yours truly. i favor simple, elemental forms. everything is thrown generously and has a solid weight and heft to it. i want these pieces to stand up to daily use in your home, not put on a shelf only to be admired.

after the pots are trimmed and dried, they are bisque fired to 1860 degrees, and then glazed and fired again to 2232 degrees. almost everything i make is dipped in a clear glaze to allow the clay body (which is a really delicious speckled while stoneware) to shine through. i try to keep glazing very simple, mostly because i really hate glazing, but also because i’m more interested in using the vessel as a blank canvas for the images i apply.

i was introduced to the waterslide decal process by my colleague and friend, Sharon Bartmann. i immediately saw the possibility of decals and ended up running with it like mad. i source my images from copyright free and vintage websites and books, in particular the Dover series of illustration books, which compiles a huge variety of images in one place. after scanning or downloading, i play with the images in Photoshop a bit, adjusting contrast, brightness, proportion and orientation. because of the way the printer works, high contrast images without a lot of shades of gray work best.

once i have the image the way i want it in Photoshop, i print it out using a special printer and special decal paper. from there, i cut out the image, put it in water, and then affix the cellophane image to the vessel. it’s fired once more to permanently bond the image to the glaze. although the images are printed with black ink, once they are fired they turn a lovely reddish brown sepia color. with that aesthetic in mind, i gravitated toward imagery from the Victorian and Edwardian eras. i love anatomy and so skulls, hearts, bones and brains frequently find their way onto my work.

looking forward to the first Craft Bazaar at Asbury Park. come find me, i will be sure to have some Fucking Coffee in my hand.

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Bethany Rusen is the creative force behind Stanley Chester & Albert. when she is not making pots, she is the Ceramics Technician at Main Line Art Center in Haverford, PA. she teaches kids, teens and adults at MLAC and Delaware Art Museum in Wilmington. she likes to go through other people’s trash, is obsessed with Richard Nixon and is dogmom to her two greyhounds, Calvin and Pearl. follow SC&A on Instagram (@stanleychesteralbert) and for more info, check out stanleychesteralbert.com

Photo credit: Bethany Rusen and Ananda Connolly

July 16, 2015
Meet ASCB Vendor Dorene Reggiani of Asarum Designs

I’m Dorene Reggiani, the maker of Asarum Designs. I make contemporary adornments for the body and home using copper, brass, sterling silver, stones and crystals. I start with a flat sheet of metal, then I cut, bend, fold, hammer, melt, sand, and polish; developing a unique design as I go and leaving marks and texture that tells its own story. Each mark gives the piece depth and interest and highlights the lovely imperfections of my work. I currently live in the Germantown section of Philadelphia and work out of my home studio.

My process reflects how I try to live my life, figuring it out as I go and making decisions that look and feel right in the moment. I find amazing things happen when I let go of a plan and allow the moment to inspire me. It is this reason my designs are constantly changing and morphing into something new and current. It keeps me interested and excited about my work.

I love what I do and I hold that intention as I create, and in turn I believe my work retains those positive vibes.

My greatest inspiration has always been Nature, it is where I go when I need to get out of my head and just feel connected and grounded. I run a small gardening business as well as jewelry making which not only supplements my income but allows me to stay connected and be exposed to endless creative inspiration. My experience with plants has benefitted me as a jewelry maker in many ways. It has taught me to slow down and use my senses as I take in what is around me and to be patient in allowing my creativity to grow. It brings me great joy to take in the subtle yet fascinating and inspiring compositions nature provides, and it most definately guides my development as an artist and maker.

The name of my business, Asarum Designs, comes from the lovely plant, Asarum canadense, also known as wild ginger. It is a shade plant native to eastern North America and has the most beautiful yet humble deep red flower that becomes hidden under its two heart shaped leaves. It is a true gem and I plant it whenever I have the chance.

I am constantly influenced, motivated and challenged by all the amazing makers and artists out there. Appreciating other people’s work and building relationships with those on a similar path really helps to keep me going. I am also continually moved by the support and feedback I receive from family, friends and fans. I truly love the opportunity to meet new, interested people when I am out at a show.

By signing up for the newsletter HERE today you will automatically enter for a chance to win this lovely brass bud vase. The winner will be announced on August 1st.

I’m really looking forward to Art Star Craft Bazaar In Asbury Park, July 25 and 26, come say hi at Booth #9, I’m excited to see you!

asarumdesigns.com
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July 15, 2015
Meet New ASCB Vendor Eve Mobley of Cedar + Fawn

I’m Eve Mobley, the illustrator working as Cedar + Fawn, based in Baltimore. I studied digital illustration in my undergrad, it wasn’t until I took an internship as a display artist at Anthropologie that I really fell in love with household objects as art. Cedar + Fawn actually began as my Senior Thesis project, and I’ve just kept it going ever since!

I have a love affair with the romanticized image of the 50’s-era housewife, which is why so much of my work is geared towards the domestic setting, specifically the kitchen and dining. My illustrations are also influenced by feminine fashions, Parisian imagery, and colorful Scandanavian design.

I collect all my “blank” dishes from restaurant supply wholesalers, but occasionally I’ll score a vintage piece or two and do a special limited edition design. I’m very picky about the shape and form of the dishes I will buy to paint on. Because my illustrations are so minimal, every detail of the final object—how it looks on the table and how it feels in the hand—is extremely important.

First I mark guides on the ceramic using a soft pencil or carbon paper, and then I use an overglaze technique to paint. As yes, I hand-paint each and every dish! Luckily, the more I repeat a design, the faster I get at painting it! After the paint is dry, the piece is fired again to set the paint and make the design permanent, food safe, and dishwasher safe. It’s just as important to me to make a functional piece as it is to make a beautiful one!

More often than not, the illustration you see on a dish is a doodle copied straight from my sketchbook. I try not to make too many revisions from paper to plate, because that relaxed, lazy line of the original doodle is exactly what makes the image so charming! The warm and approachable personality of an airy doodle is the perfect complement to the solidity of a heavy ceramic dish.

You can find my work for purchase online, as well as at all of the Charm City Craft Mafia’s shows. To see all designs past and present, and to take a peek at my 2D illustrations, check out evemobleyillustration.com!
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Make sure to check out Eve’s work at our upcoming Art Star Craft Bazaar in Asbury Park on July 25th + 26th. This will be her first Art Star event!

July 10, 2015
Meet ASCB Vendor Spaghetti Kiss

Hello there! My name is Michael Bracco and I am the artist, writer, screen printer, and general weirdo behind Spaghetti Kiss; a company featuring my hand screened apparel as well as my graphic novels, “NOVO”, “Adam Wreck” and “The Creators.” The work I create is an extension of the geeky kid I was, who escaped through comics and sci-fi/fantasy movies, only now I get to escape through my own creations. In most of my work, you can see that I really enjoy hybridizing animals, machinery and other strange things to create some off the wall designs and stories.

My process, whether I am designing a tee shirt or the next page in a book, always starts in the same place; my sketchbooks. I am constantly sketching, researching, plotting and taking notes before starting a ‘final’ drawing which is also done in a sketchbook so that I can keep my work portable and keep it going anywhere at the drop of a hat. As far as tools, I always work in Strathmore 400 series books and use an assortment of pens and markers including microns, zebra brush tip pens and sharpies.

In my apparel designs, I find that beyond the illustration and its concept, the design and placement of a print on a piece of apparel is really important. I love when a creature feels like it is crawling across someone’s chest or a city is rising up from the bottom of a shirt. Sometimes I have placement in mind when I first start sketching while other times I am playing around with the placement as I am pulling the first couple of prints.

When it comes to comics, the process is a bit more intense. After I come up with a concept for a story I need to write an outline or “Beat Sheet” while doing tons of research and character sketches. Then I start writing scripts for chunks of the stories depending on if I am writing chapters, issues or whole books. Once the script is done I will storyboard 2 pages or a spread at a time and then do the pencils, inks and lettering directly into my sketchbook. At the completion of a chapter, issue or book, I will scan all the pages, make little corrections and add color if necessary then send it off to press!

All of my work can be found this summer at the Asbury Park Art Star Craft Bazaar this July as well as Spaghettikiss.etsy.com for the apparel and creatorscomic.com for my present comic project.

July 2, 2015
Meet Art Star Craft Bazaar Vendor Jamie Langhoff of Seeing in Fabric!

What, at first, appear to be paintings, are actually sewn fabric art.

Self-taught artist, Jamie Langhoff, creates vibrant urban scenes with just fabric, thread, scissors, and a 1968 Singer sewing machine. Finished artwork is mounted onto ready-to-hang canvas panels.

Each scene features many dozens of tiny hand-cut fabric pieces. Creating these scenes requires a slow and careful building of many pieces of fabrics, and many layers. All of the fabrics she uses in her artwork are recycled–scrap, remnants and re-purposed clothing. Many of the fabrics Jamie uses are donated to her by her lovely fans.

Threadwork and stitching techniques are central to the realism and painterly aspects of Seeing in Fabric. Eschewing the dazzling digital age of newer sewing machines, Jamie enjoys the reliability and rustic sturdiness of her vintage 1968 Singer.

By using a color palette of thread in over 200 different colors, but just 2 basic stitch types–straight stitch and zigzag–Jamie creates a multitude of “shading”, “brushstroke” and “drawing” effects. Her stitching technique involves a free-flowing and rapid style, requiring an extreme amount of concentration and skill, but also trust and confidence in her sewing machine.

As a self-taught artist, Jamie constantly pushes herself to experiment with her techniques. Through her artwork she shows the world how to “see in fabric” in order to see the vibrant and strange beauty in our modern urban world.

Jamie will be be traveling from Washington, DC to join us at our 12th Annual Spring Art Star Craft Bazaar at Penn’s Landing Great Plaza on May 9th + 10th. Make sure to stop by her booth #101 to see these incredible pieces in person. These photos are so beautiful but the pieces are even better in person. Visit her Etsy Page for more!

April 3, 2015
New in the shop: Sweet Luka Mo

We are so excited to be carrying local Philly baby/toddler line, Sweet Luka Mo! AND, Art Star will be the only brick n’ mortar shop in the area where you can find the popular eco-friendly brand!

“Sweet Luka Mo’s stance on baby clothing is simple: we should wish it came in our size.

Based in Philadelphia, PA, we make modern, sustainable baby and kids’ clothes built to withstand fun times, drawing our inspiration from city life, street art, and the adventures of urban kids.

It all started with our infant son Luka and a few too many unsatisfying searches for cool clothing to put him in. It seemed finding comfortable, stylish, contemporary, gender-neutral, sustainable, and ethically-made clothing was near impossible, so we combined our design and clothing construction know-how and got down to business. What started as a small, home-based/homemade clothing line has since expanded beyond our dreams, and today we’re proud to have a line that is almost entirely professionally manufactured right here in Philadelphia, with custom fabrics made in the USA.

We proudly source high quality, eco-friendly, stretchy, soft, breathable, organic cotton and bamboo fabrics as the basis of our line, for optimum comfort and optimum play. All prints and designs are exclusive to Sweet Luka Mo, inspired by today’s youths — so messy, imaginative, and destined for great things.” – Sweet Luka Mo

Here are the pieces you will find at Art Star now. Buy in store, or on our site here

Organic Splatter Leggings $32-$36

Graphic Heart Fleece Pullover, $34

Roar! Thermal in Metallic Gold $26-$28

Organic Grey Splatter Harems $34-$38

Organic Black Pounce Leggings $32-$36

Organic Olive Pounce Leggings $32-$36

January 18, 2015
Upcoming Exhibition with Genevieve Geer of Le Puppet Regime

Le Puppet Regime by Genevieve Geer
Stained Glass Marionettes + Sculptures
“You Never Know Who’s Pulling The Strings”
February 13th – April 12th
Opening Reception: Friday, February 13th from 6-8pm

We are thrilled to announce a solo exhibition with Philadelphia artist, Genevieve Geer of Le Puppet Regime. Genevieve makes brilliant stained glass marionettes of tattooed showgirls, circus freaks, Siamese twins, mermaids, strong men, minotaurs and more. Each piece has movable limbs so you can contort and pose your puppet in any way you choose.

We first stumbled across Genevieve’s unique work after she applied for our 2014 May Art Star Craft Bazaar. We had never seen anything like it before and it isn’t often that we come across cool stained glass work! Her application definitely gave us goose bumps. We were even more smitten after checking out the work in person. Not only does she make marionettes, but she also makes larger sculptural wall pieces and a line of jewelry.

Her exhibition at Art Star will include her popular marionettes but also some more of her larger sculptural pieces. The show will differ a bit from our typical exhibition. Though the larger pieces will remain up throughout the duration of the show, the marionettes will be available to take home the day of purchase. We will have a back stock to replace pieces as they sell. The show will open the day before Valentine’s Day, so bring your date to check out the show, mix and mingle with the artist, enjoy a beer + snack and pick up a one-of-a-kind art piece for your special someone!

Artist Statement: Genevieve Geer’s stained glass characters are articulated, modern day people, captured in an ancient art. They are holy in their medium, hearkening back to saints and sinners in churches everywhere, but they are living contemporary tales. Instead of stained glass as static object, well placed, well lit, and coveted as an architectural asset, these pieces move themselves to center stage. By pulling the characters out of the allotted window frame, Geer begins to force a reassessment of this medium. Further, by articulating each creature and character, the audience can no longer dismiss the work as sparkly background noise. They must look at each piece and divine it’s story, what it is and where it comes from.

The Artist’s process is painstaking and involved. The first steps are drafting a basic line drawing on paper and transferring the cartoon to glass, using hand mixed powdered glass paint that is then kiln fired. Cutting the glass, coppering, soldering, drilling and piecing together the final figure allows for variations and deviations at every turn, often resulting in creatures that stray from the initial drawing by happy accident. “Powdered glass paint is a medium unlike any other–one can have a general idea of what it will do, but sometimes it’s better than me, it knows what will look best, and when that happens, if I am smart, I lift the brush quickly off the glass, let it dry and get it in the kiln.”

Geer is constantly feeding her work, researching embroidered textiles and antique dishware patterns, ukiyo-e woodblock prints, contemporary couture fashion, Russian movie propaganda posters, illuminated manuscripts, and contemporary illustrators like Yuko Shimizu.

ABOUT THE ARTIST Genevieve Geer is a Philadelphia based artist working in glass, metal, wood and textiles. Originally from Massachusetts, she attended Parsons School of Design for Illustration and The Museum School in Boston for Animation. She moved to NYC soon after graduating and worked as a freelance prop fabricator over the next few years. When she relocated to Philadelphia in 2007, she began to experiment with a new medium, hot glass. She started out as a manager of a local public access glass studio for a year before taking an apprenticeship at Wheaton Village in New Jersey. There she developed her blown glass skills, but was also introduced to casting, kiln forming and flat glass techniques. After two years she returned to Philly and she and her husband built a studio in their Kensington home. In 2012, after seeing a stained glass show by the artist Judith Schaecter in Philadelphia’s Eastern State Penitentiary, a spark was lit and Genevieve began to research and experiment with stained glass. In this one medium she found a meeting place for her training in illustration, animation and hot glass. Her company, Le Puppet Regime, came into being soon after, and features articulated, movable stained glass characters and scenes.

Visit http://www.genevievegeer.com/ for the artist’s full portfolio.
Find a selection of her work at our shop + on our website.

January 4, 2015
Get to know Mauro Baiocco, the artist behind Naughty & Nice

We are so excited to be carrying the Naughty, yet Nice line of work by Mauro Baiocco. He first caught our eye when he participated in our May bazaar. We completely fell in love with his work and we were curious to learn more about him. Enjoy our little interview + be sure to check out our full stock of his paintings here. Meet him in person at this weekend’s Art Star Craft Bazaar. He is just as charming in person as his work (I know, how is it possible?!)

Art Star: Tell us a bit about your work. What inspires your imagery?
Mauro Baiocco: I paint silliness. I guess the best way to summarize my process is this: when i was a kid, there was a catch-all, make-no-sense TV line up every Saturday from 2:00-8:00pm called “Super Action Saturdays”. A typical programming will be something like “Plan 9 from Outter Space”, followed by “Spartacus”, “Motra vs. Godzilla” and “Valley of the Dolls” -I know! So awesome! By the end of it, I was so stimulated and exhausted I used to merge all the plots into one long movie and that’s how I remembered it: Hellen Lawson kicked Godzilla’s ass, married Spartacus and helped him liberate the world from zombie aliens (which would be a blockbuster by the way). I try to tap into that old way of seeing things when I’m painting.

AS: Are you formally trained? If so, where did you study?
MB: No formal training at all.

AS: You currently live/work in Brooklyn, correct? Where are you from originally?
MB: Yes, that’s correct. I have been in NYC for 15 years and in downtown Brooklyn since 2006. I’m originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina.

AS: What are some of your favorite places in NY to go for inspiration?
MB: Hands down the Metropolitan Museum. I have visited so much and still always find some amazing piece that i overlooked before and it blows my mind. And also I keep coming back to the dioramas in the American History Museum. If it is a nice day to be out, i’ll just walk around the city or sit in a park and people watch.

AS: Are you able to focus on your work full time?
MB: I have been painting silliness full time since 2008. Sometimes I even get to pay all my bills!

AS: What materials do you primarily work with?
MB: I enjoy working with bright colors in any shape or form, and I love using vintage photographs and antique frames in my work.

AS: Aside from Art Star, Where else do you show/sell your work?
MB: Right now I’m gearing up to open my booth in the Winter Village at Bryant Park starting October 21st till January 4th. It is a joint venture with a fellow artist friend and we decided to name our holiday shop “Gomez & Petrov” as a wink to our respective latin and Russian origins. Also, I will be participating in One Of A Kind Chicago from December 4th-7th. Busy times are a-coming!

AS: Who are some of your favorite artists?
MB: Oh God, so many I don’t know where to begin! Photography is really dear to my heart and I enjoy a really wide spectrum from Berenice Abbot to Ryan McGingley. I also have a soft spot for pop surrealism, so Gary Baseman, Mia Makila, Anne Faith Nichols, Camille Rose Garcia, Marion Peck, Elizabeth Mcgrath, Jose Rodolfo Loaiza Ontiveros, Alex Gross, the Clayton Brothers, Martha Rich, I mean I can go on and on…

November 7, 2014
An Interview with Jamie Williams of Dop Dop Designs

First time ASCB booth mates Jamie Williams of Dop Dop Designs and Amber Zaraza of Phea Jean interview each other and find out what is in store for the upcoming bazaar! This first post features Amber’s interview with Jamie of Dop Dop Designs. Enjoy!

How and when did dop dop designs develop into a business?
Where does the name dop dop come from?
The name dop dop comes from my youngest son, Kiefer. When Kiefer was nearly 1, he didn’t say many words, but he sure loved flip flops. Having difficulty speaking, he would always call them dop dop’s. As time went on, he would say dop dop whenever he was happy. So, eventually, dop dop came to mean “all things good”. My design focus started with an emphasis on aprons due to Kiefer’s acid reflux and my need to protect my clothing during feedings. There were a ton of cute burp cloths and baby coverage, but nothing for me. So, I started designing aprons that were durable, easy to care for and pretty without being over the top. Therefore, I felt it only right to immortalize Kiefer’s role (and sweetness) in the development of my brand, In July 2011, dop dop designs became a legitimate business. Three years later, here I am expanding my products and hoping to transform your kitchens.

Describe the dop dop style.
My style is fresh, and clean but with an element of whimsy. Specializing in kitchen accessories, I like to merge utility and practicality with a dash of happiness and turn the things that we need into the things that we want. dop dop designs is all about versatility, quality, easy care, and pops of color. I put the extra care into production so that you don’t have to.

What inspires your work?
As for inspiration, I am totally inspired to create a comforting haven at the dinner table where my family and yours can reconvene at the end of each day. Life is full of fast paced activities, dinner shouldn’t be one of them. Even when my children are getting mac n’ cheese for dinner, I love how they feel like it’s the most special thing ever! Simply using a cloth napkin and a place mat transforms the everyday into an occasion. Many expected and unexpected events can become inspiration. Inspirational things (for me): sounds and smells of the ocean, walks in the woods, running water in the shower, blooming flowers, 80’s/90’s industrial music (oddly enough), old photo albums, and canning.

What items will you be bringing to the bazaar?
dop dop designs will be bringing a slew of items to the ASCB November 8th and 9th. As always, full and half aprons in fantastic fabrics will be available, potholders (deluxe and mini grabbers), reversible placemats, double-sided deluxe napkins, linen napkins, reversible table runners, and market tote bags made of vintage tablecloths~ perfect for any excursion. All items are made of 100% premium cotton and handmade in Chester Springs, PA.

What dop dop item is perfect for gift giving?
All of my items are the perfect gift for anyone who has recently moved into a new home or apartment, an avid cook, anyone who has recently remodeled their kitchen, or someone who loves to create intimate dining spaces. dop dop designs’ potholder gift sets are the perfect hostess gift, placemats and napkins are the perfect gift for the new homeowner, and a fantastic one of a kind market tote would please anyone with a heart!

What other artists at the bazaar are you excited to check out?
I am so excited to be a part of the ASCB this fall, not only as an artist/maker, but as a shopper! I’m a big pottery fan and love giving pottery as gifts….so, I’m looking forward to Little Flower designs for those needs. As a sewer, can’t wait to see Group Hug Quilts!!! Big quilt fan and love their work! For my nieces, I am sure to be hitting up Dahling accessories. AND, of course, I am looking forward to Phea Jean. Nobody works vintage fabric like Amber. Can’t wait!

November 5, 2014
“Robots and T-shirts and Art Star, Oh My” by Matt Eyer + Pete Oravetz

If you’ve been attending Art Star events for the past few years, you’ve probably seen Matt Eyer and Peter Oravetz’s shared spot full of robots and t-shirts. Matt creates limited edition graphic t-shirts, tank-tops, and hoodies inspired by Philadelphia under his brand Wear Liberty. Peter has been illustrating his Robots! series for almost ten years now in which you can find them in all walks of life from battling giant squids to drinking beers at the bar.

Peter Oravetz

This Fall bazaar will be Matt and Peter’s fifth Art Star event together and to celebrate they did a little interview with each other. Matt goes first with questions for Pete and then Pete follows up with questions for Matt. Enjoy and be sure to stop by their booth (#41) at the bazaar!

Matt Eyer: Why robots? Why not dinosaurs?
Peter Oravets: Dinosaurs are so Cretaceous period…robots are the future! Not to mention that they’re made by us…we’ve essentially engineered a new species that could potentially think for itself. It’s inevitable that they’ll have some of the same ticks and hang-ups we humans do, especially when it comes to movement and gesture. It would be interesting to see how a robot might respond to the world with the outlook of an adolescent and a similar range of motion.

“Squid” by Peter Oravatz / graphite on paper (also available as a print)

Matt: How long does it take you to complete your big pieces? How many hours total and over how long of a time period do you work on them?
Pete: They can take a tremendous amount of work. The more detailed pieces like “Squid” or “001” took about a month each but that was when I had more time to produce them. I’d say close to 60 hours a piece (not including preliminary sketch time). The small ones are much quicker but do take a lot of consideration and brainstorming as well.

“First” by Peter Oravetz / graphite on paper

Matt: Have you ever collaborated or do you plan to collaborate with any Philly artists or others?
Pete: Yes, I have collaborated with a now ex-Philly artist…my friend Mike Studebaker of Studebaker Metals. We were getting into the business of making toy soldiers, lapel pins, and other tiny metal versions of the Robots but it never got off the ground. Partly because he moved away to Pittsburgh. He produces excellent work, I highly recommend his line of mostly male oriented metal-ware (tie-clips, mustache combs and the like.) Recently I have collaborated with Printer Martin Peeves to help produce my new series “Catastrophe”. Screen prints of those will be available at the Fall ASCB too.

Matt: Why black and white and no color?
Pete: I have no simple answer for that. One of my works, the Robot Normal Rockwell self-portrait was re made into a color piece. It came out great but took forever and had to be done digitally. I have never been particularly good with markers and water-color and, truly, I would have to introduce that kind of medium into the Robots. They benefit from the precision and clean straight lines a pen offers. Beyond that, some of my favorite illustrators and cartoonists worked mostly in B+W. Perhaps the next evolution of them will be in color.

“Drunk on Oil” by Peter Oravetz / graphite on paper (also available as a made to order, hand inked print)

Matt: What’s next for the robots? Or will there be a new theme/series?

Pete: Like I just said maybe I’ll introduce some color! T-shirts are a must, that will happen soon; a lot of people have been asking if I have a book of them made. That might be my next big project… I’d like to make a children’s book of the bots telling a story without any sort of caption or written word, just images to get them thinking critically and come up with a story of their own. Kids have such great imaginations like that.

A new series of drawings! Yes! I have started a new, albeit depressing, series of drawings titled “Catastrophe” that deal with natural disasters and urban destruction. You won’t want to miss it. Great gifts for the holidays.

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Matt Eyer

Peter Oravetz: Wear Liberty is a specifically Philly themed line of apparel. Do you simply tell the designers “Give me Philly!”? Or do you ask for more specific themes like the Philly Skyline, Ben Franklin, or City Hall?
Matt Eyer: All Wear Liberty designs are my ideas and concepts but I collaborate with a few different artists to come up with the final product. Usually I give them a very rough sketch (sometimes digital mock up) of what I’m going for and then tell them to incorporate their style into the design. So yes, it’s always very specific.

Pete: In the past your clothes have been displayed on the runway by beautiful models. That’s a big jump from craft fairs. How has that helped/hindered you? Has it inspired you to find other creative ways of getting the word out?
Matt: Having Wear Liberty worn on the runway opened up a whole new side of things for me. I never considered myself a “Fashion Designer”, but when grouped with other mediums of art, t-shirts fell into the fashion world for the events I’ve done. It gave me a chance to present my brand to a new audience and it was very exciting to have beautiful models wearing my shirts! Because of those events, I’ve met people I might not have otherwise and it certainly helped in expanding the reach of Wear Liberty.

Philly Famous Zip hoodie by Wear Liberty

Pete: People always seem to ask you for screen prints of the designs on your apparel. Are you planning to make that happen?? (I promise I won’t get mad if we continue to share a booth, so long as you won’t get jelly when I sell robot t-shirts, just sayin’).
Matt: I’m actually planning to have a small run of screen prints at the Fall ASCB! This will be the first time I’ve ever done it, so I’m just doing a small run to see how it goes. This one guy has been asking for a print of my Ben Franklin design since we started doing Art Star events in 2012. I hope he shows up to this one!

Founding Fathers Tee by Wear Liberty

Pete: Do you have any advice for the young creative type dreaming of starting their own clothing brand?
Matt: Reach out to your favorite artists and/or brand owners. There are so many smaller, independent clothing companies these days and most of them are very willing to share their experiences with you or pass along some advice. Also – do events! Present yourself to the public. Even if you have the coolest clothes ever, no one will buy them if they don’t know about them.

Pete: You freaking love Pugs. What’s up with that?
Matt: There’s not a logical explanation for that, which kind of bothers me cause I’m a very logical person. My family didn’t even have a dog growing up. There was just a point when I fell in love with them. Their cute faces, their funny grunts and snorts, and their amazing energy and personality. Oliver (my pug) will be 8 in November and my life has been ever the better since I’ve had him 🙂 I also have a pug tattoo!

Ben Franklin Tee by Wear Liberty

Pete: Have you considered a Wear Liberty line for dogs and/or babies?
Matt: I have! I’ve been planning a Wear Liberty doggy line since the beginning, I just wanna do it right. I recently found a lady on Etsy who makes custom dog collars…so I think it should happen soon. Maybe Spring 2015? Stay tuned!

Pete: What’s your favorite color to wear? Don’t say grey, that’s really boring.
Matt: Funny you say that cause I used to hate heather grey, but now it’s definitely one of my favorites. Recently I’ve really liked “coffee” colored shirts and also “cranberry”. Pretty much any of the American Apparel tri-blend colors. It also helps that their super soft and comfy. And I could never deny how good a design looks on black, plus black goes with everything.

Pete: What’s next for Wear Liberty?
Matt: Wear Liberty will be expanding into more than just Philly designs very soon. I love Philadelphia which is a major reason why I started this brand but I feel that I’m limiting myself. I want to create designs that people worldwide can appreciate, but the roots will always be here in Philly.

November 1, 2014