Hiss and Hearse

“The people I admire are the people who found some kind of voice and stuck with it.”
-Nick Cave

Right now a storm is brewing in Pittsburgh. The sky is ominous, and from where I sit, The Cathedral of Learning (one of the tallest buildings in Pittsburgh) looks like a fairy tale castle stuck up there in the misty dark clouds.

Lately I’ve been needing some positivity, and today, while working, I’ve been listening to many Nick Cave interviews. I am finding inspiration in one about his work habits, creative process, and self perception. He says about the writing process, “All you can do is fail, and (failing) really isn’t that bad.”

This weekend, I am attempting my first Pittsburgh fashion shoot. This will be the third attempt, since the first one was canceled due to bad weather and the second was postponed because the model got food poisoning. I’m aching from every bone to make some art! Yesterday I was pleasantly reminded that I am, in fact, a photographer when I learned that Keven from the San Francisco dark wave band, Veil Veil Vanish, was interviewed for the LA Weekly and used my photographs within the article!

Another thing that’s making me happy is my friendship with My Solitary Consignment’s Lindsay Jean, who has become my resident Pittsburgh BFF and is one of the most fashionable ladies I know. Last week she had an art opening at Garfield Artworks, and within her beautiful drawings was one she made just for me! It’s a deer on a birthday cake that says, “Let’s Be Friends.” I think it’s one of the most beautiful pieces of art anyone has ever given me, and I can’t wait to hang it in our home. She even took a photo of Richard Wayne and me with it, and I don’t loathe how I look in the picture!

And lastly, last night Richard Wayne bought me a Christmas tree! We had quite the Griswold Family experience trying to get it set up in it’s tree stand, which was made of plastic and which we discovered to be cracked when we got it home and filled it with water. What a mess! But after some inventive thinking and a screwdriver, it’s all set up now, and just looking at it makes me so happy. Just the thought of having a real tree with someone I love makes me warm and fuzzy too. It’s really a nice feeling to know that even though I’m faraway from my immediate family, I have a little one right here in Pittsburgh.

Pretty things that are helping me through this awkward art withdrawal:

Photographer Courtney Brooke Hall’s Tumbler, which is full of vintage tinted inspiration, diamonds, beautiful women, and more.

LouLou Loves You is having an exclusive holiday sale! Type in ‘CHRISTMASLOVE’ at the checkout to receive 15% off your order. Check out her new lace collars!

The song “Pretty Girl” by Canadian band The White Wires. “Pretty girrrrrrl, baby baby be mineeeeee.” Just enough pop to get me through a grey Pittsburgh day.

30% off Friends & Family event from Urban Decay! One of my beauty secrets is their primer potion. If you have ever had problems with eyeshadow creasing, use this magical potion and it will never happen again.

Drooling over pretty shoes like these studded Jeffrey Campbells from ModCloth. Daydreaming about my first Pittsburgh photo shoot, which will be a collaboration with stylist Leanne Ford, check out her work, she is amazing.

There is a new gorgeous typeface on the scene, check out Aphrodite Slim. Isn’t it lovely? This just in from the 1890s, a great NY Times article on how victorian inspired fashion is making it’s appearance in menswear.

Tell me what is making you happy these days.

Lack of a computer and internet at home is forcing me to use actual pen and paper to write to you, dear readers, then transcribe it into this window at a later time. This Friday, November 13th (Friday the 13th, how appropriate) will be my one month anniversary of living in Pittsburgh, PA. So much has happened in a thirty day span – probably the most change I have ever lived through. I packed up my California life, gave some of it away, left bits at my parents house, then flew to Pittsburgh, where for two weeks I lived with Richard at his good friend Andrew’s house, which is also occupied by a handsome tuxedo cat, Sebastian. My first weekend there, I was invited to see an actual Steelers game with my friend Dona, from San Francisco, who is – coincidentally – also dating a guy named Richard from Pittsburgh! And then three days before we were to move to our new, cute apartment in another part of town called Lawrenceville, Andrew’s house was burglarized, and everything expensive and electronic that I own was stolen, including my brand new Canon 7D that I had in my hands for a total of five days.

We moved into our own place on Halloween, which was appropriately grey and raining. I spent that entire weekend unpacking boxes, cleaning, and trying to put things away with what little furniture and space that we have. Last week was a mix of emotions, as I feel like I am going through art withdrawal not being able to take photographs of my new life, or work on freelance design projects (there are a few that I have and want to work on!) The weather here has also been so unpredictable. During my first week here, high temperatures during the day were in the 40’s, and since then, it has been everything from overcast, sunny, rainy, warm, windy, to today when the temperature is supposed to climb to an unseasonably warm 72 degrees Fahrenheit!

On the bright side of things, though, I feel thankful that I am slowly starting to meet the great new connections that I need here, like becoming friends with a digital re-toucher and photographer, Erin Corbett, hair dresser Beth McHenry, who owns Evolve, a hair salon, and entrepreneur Alissa Martin, who owns Pavement, an adorable Lawrenceville neighborhood boutique, and for the fact that Andrew has insurance, which will help replace most items that I’ve lost. So, now I am trying to practice patience, which is very hard for a normally impatient person.

I apologize for lack of updates on this blog, but with so much change and not as much free internet time, it is difficult. Please be patient with us, and soon things will be back to normal with posting artist interviews, favorite finds, and photography.

PS. All of the electronic support that I have received on this space, through messages and letter, has has really been helping me cope. Thank you all so much for your continued love.

What’s inspiring me lately? First off is this gorgeous new photograph taken by one of my favorite photographers, Ren Rox.

And then, this is view from my new desk. It’s hard to not stare out the window at the river and the changing, autumn leaves! I am also typing to you from a brand new MacBook Pro, which is dreamy with its black keys. Today I can’t stop listening to a mix called “Danse Macabre” from a blog called, Trash Menagerie. Los Angeles based photographers and partners, JUCO (Cody Cloud and Julia Galdo), continue to leave me breathless. Check out their latest set, shot in their home.

Things that I want right now but don’t necessarily need: boots, lots of them, including these suede pretties. Pittsburgh is definitely a boot city. Last week it was freezing, and today it’s 70 degrees. In a month, it will snow! I dream of many coats, and so I’ve been on the search for one that both looks good and is warm. I always want more tights, of all colors, textures, and patterns! This last weekend I attended my first Steelers game and was introduced to the joy of the over the knee sock.

Everything is falling into place. Richard and I sign the lease for our new apartment tonight!

I had such a good time working with Erica from Hold My Gold Vintage, that we had to do it again, this time with the beautiful Ellen from LOOK SF and Padi Arvin, who did her make-up. I really enjoy working with Erica because her style and mine mix perfectly, which is a little bit glam and a lot of rock and roll.

This week I received this mix CD, pictured above, in the mail from the darling, sweet Erica Wong. We were college roommates, design majors, and even both drove buses for our part-time jobs! I remember approaching Erica because she was wearing Converse sneakers and a cute, orange peacoat – she definitely seemed like a girl of my tastes!

Since parting ways after college, we have been able to remain friends through the internet, and recently we decided to be penpals! Erica was a college DJ and always has the best taste in music, and so this mix has been making my week.

Other gems this week include an adorable sideshow from (Inside A Black Apple), called
You’re the cream in my coffee. Her man must feel so lucky!

This last weekend, while I was in Sacramento, I decided to track down Jessica M, whom I’ve not seen in at least three years, and whose watercolor paintings I find absolutely awe-inspiring. I showed up at her house on Sunday evening, and she seemed completely shocked (in a good way I hope)! After iced Americanos, a delicious chocolate chip cookie, and much talking later, she left me with a lot of beautiful art and an introduction to this blog called Decade Diary!

Another great Sacramento find is the make-up artist Emily Hunt, who applied makeup for my shoot last weekend. Not only is she extremely talented, but she runs a really great beauty blog called The Emery Board.

Finally, I’ve found that there is a new free download from Urban Outfitters called LStn6, and if you use the same code (LStn6) at checkout, you’ll get 10% off anything on the site. Enjoy!

This weekend I got to work within a crew of talented and lovely ladies, thank you to: Ericka from Hold My Gold Vintage, Olivia from Bows & Arrows Vintage (styling queens), Erica for the amazing hair color and styles, Emily for the make-up skills and our models Jess and Brittney for your beautiful faces!

You can see more here!

Exciting news, my friends Good Friday Designs just launched their brand new website! Click on the Good Friday banner here at Hiss and Hearse and receive 20% off anything from their store!

I myself own the glamorous Sheena Necklace and Richard Wayne wears his Alamo Necklace almost every day!

The last few days, I’ve been in a love-induced state of bliss,  with my head in the clouds and my hand holding Richard Wayne’s hand, going here and there. This, I hope, explains the lack of regular updates.

Favorite places we have visited this week include:

♥ Coca Coffee Lounge is a really adorable breakfast and brunch place located in a part of town called Lawrenceville, which everyone says is “up and coming.” Richard Wayne and I went here on my first day. He had this unique stuffed french toast [Richard says: It was herbed goat cheese-stuffed French toast], and I had a mushroom omelet. Scrumptious!

♥ Pavement is a shoe and clothing boutique, also in Lawrenceville. We went there to meet up with the adorable owner, Alissa, about future photo collaborations! The place sells shoes by many of my favorite brands: Pink Studio, Seychelles, and other indie designers. She also displays a white deer head, and the entire back wall is plastered in a black and white printed wallpaper (my heaven). [Richard says: While visiting Pavement, I purchased a really cool cuff bracelet made from a vintage tie, and it features a pearlized snap enclosure that reminds me of all those western shirts I collect. I've been wearing it every day since!]

♥ The Round Corner Cantina, right now, holds my title for favorite bar of Pittsburgh. It’s kind of 1970s meets old west themed, with delicious cocktails and amazing art deco wallpaper. Friday night, I met up with my Pittsburgh friends Eli and Sari (who stayed with me in California a month ago), and we had many cocktails, salsa, corn on the cob and conversation. [Richard says: The Cantina, as locals generally call it, makes probably the best taco I've eaten since moving back to Pittsburgh from California. Their drinks are pretty special, too, since they create their concoctions with fresh fruit juices. Oh, and they have a huge back yard where you can drink (and smoke) under the stars, giving the entire place the feel of a hip house party.]
♥ The Pittsburgh Center for Complementary Health and Healing is where Richard and I got our massages on Saturday. They have you lie on a water-cushioned tables and are super sweet and accomodating. It was incredible and the best massage I’ve ever had.

♥ Yesterday I finally got to visit the ModCloth offices while on my girl date with Lindsay Williams, who is a buyer there and also the lady behind the fashion blog, My Solitary Consignment. I got to meet the famous pug, Winston, and see where my honey goes to work every day! [Richard says: I've never seen Winston act with anyone else like he did with Kristin. Normally calm, cool, and reserved as he patrols the office, he ran up to her and jumped up on her lap as she knelt to pet him! I think Kristin really is an animal whisperer!]
♥ Big Dog Coffee is where I sit and type to you now, dear readers. It’s an independent coffee house recommended to me by Eli and is in a part of town called the South Side Flats. I have already consumed one delicious, iced americano, a huge perfect homemade chocolate chip cookie (something I have been craving all week), and iced tea. I am patiently waiting for Richard Wayne to be finished with work so he can pick me up and we can attend one of the many Pittsburgh, “cookouts.” [Richard says: You say "barbeque," I say "cookout." Put it together, and you get "cookeque." I think I've just coined a new term that will join east coasters and west coasters in culinary harmony.]

I have two days left here, but things are falling into place. And for the sake of all the people who have been good to me here: Go Steelers? Though getting used to being in a city obsessed with their football team might take me a little more time, I am definitely not ready to throw in the Terrible Towel just yet! [Richard says: It's true. We would commit major felonies for our Steelers. Yes, OUR Steelers. When they lose (which isn't often), the next day in workplaces all across southwestern PA, workers are more disgruntled then they'd be if you were to take away their vacation days and benefits packages. Another interesting note: Pennsylvanians often refer to the place where they live simply as "PA". Do residents of other states refer to their homelands in a similarly abbreviated way?]

How is your week? Care to share with us your favorite spots where you live!

“You have to make your own way. Set concrete goals for yourself. Send your work out constantly and Illustrate what interests you.”
-Ryan Casey

Name: Ryan Casey
Location: Oakland, CA
Occupation: Illustrator and Graphic Designer

I spent an idyllic eight months working with Ryan Casey, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania transplant, doing corporate graphic design. We sat right next to each other, and during that span, we spent large chunks of that time laughing. I think to actually get work done, one of us had to put on headphones. Sometimes didn’t help, though, because he is sometimes too hilarious to ignore. I will never forget how Ryan took me out to lunch for my 27th birthday. If it weren’t for him, I would have spent the day alone. He lives in Oakland with his adorable dog Murphy, and I like to imagine him dancing to Kanye West, drinking wine, and creating these amazing illustrations. Ryan’s so talented that I honestly don’t know why he has a day job – why has he not taken over the world already?

Tell us the history of you, how did your style evolve?
Well, I was always into drawing and making art. Through grade school and high school, I was always painting and taking art classes, but no one ever told me you could make a career as an artist, which is really sad. I went to “normal” college for a year in D.C., and when everyone started picking majors such as political science, I knew I had to get the hell out of there. So I took a semester off, lived in the desert for a month, then decided to go to art school. I attended The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. It was a great experience, and I started out thinking I wanted to be a painter. But to cover my bases, I tried every medium possible until an instructor told me to check out the illustration floor. It was amazing, and the range of styles of the artists who were studying illustration was really inspiring. By my sophomore year, I discovered digital illustration. In this field, I could focus on my drawing skills without having to deal with mixing paint by hand, which was a major bonus.

Do you remember the first thing you ever drew?
I use to watch T.V. when I was little and draw the people I saw on the screen. I swear to God, I think I use to draw Luke and Laura on General Hospital when my mom use to watch.

Do you listen to music when you illustrate?
Always. If I find myself dancing in the middle I know I’ve hit on something.

Favorite clients? Why?
I have done some really fun work for Philadelphia CITYPAPER. Our relationship has grown and we have developed a trust. I need to find a west coast publication I can do the same with…

Would you ever illustrate a children’s book? I think your style would be perfect.
I actually wrote and illustrated my own children’s book entitled: “Marjorie, Please Let It Bee”. You can check it out here!

Things that inspire you-
BIG personalities, prints and patterns, ridiculousness

Three songs that you love right now-
“Blind”-Hercules and Love Affair
“Can You Discover”-Discovery
“Million Dollar Bill”-Whitney Houston

What are you wearing as you answer these interview questions?
I’ve turned into a total GAP guy. I want to keep it classic. I’m wearing a summer plaid shirt with khakis and some gray slip ons from Urban Outfitters.

Your art future, where are you going from here?
I would love for my comic strip to become syndicated on blogs, magazines and newspapers…maybe even a book.

Do you have a mentor or favorite artist?
I love Picasso and the illustrator Pablo Lobato.

Tell me about your personal style, how would you describe it? Does this style transfer over into your art?
I’m not sure how to describe my personal style but I think my comic strip sums up my personality. People have told me my sense of humor is a little off-color…and mean? I don’t think so…but we’ll let other’s judge.

Favorite blogs?
Dlisted, Techno Tuesday, The Unknown Hipster

Anything you are wishing for right now?
For a great year! I turn 28 in September!

Advice to aspiring Illustrators?
You have to make your own way. Set concrete goals for yourself. Send your work out constantly and Illustrate what interests you.

Links:
GoRyanGo (Ryan’s Portfolio)
ButYoureLikeReallyPretty (Ryan’s comic, where each week he meets a new celebrity!)