Sarah Caterisano's Art and Rantings.

an apology

2012-01-24T22:46:00.001-08:00

I feel quite guilty for never updating my blog.

Here's a little update.

I now work at Kids II as a product designer for baby Soft Goods and sometimes Gear items. One of my biggest projects is finally debuted exclusively at Babies R Us and I wanted to share my blood sweat and tears with you. Introducing the mombo nursing pillow!

You may even be able to find it in a Babies R Us near you!

In other news, I will be submitting art to Gallery Nucleus for an upcoming Dr. Seuss Tribute Exhibit, so I am excited about that. I will post the work once it's shipped off to the show.

Part-time Nanny, full-time ninja.

2010-02-25T23:21:00.000-08:00

Hi there!

It's been a while. I've been pretty busy and am finally relaxed enough to focus on my art again now that I have a part-time job to pay the bills. Thank goodness! I have some things for you:

I submitted a painting to the lovely Youngblood Gallery & Boutique in Atlanta (which I really, really miss going to) for a show in conjunction with a bike race called "Cycle Through." I sort of did this one on a whim with no planning, and it was fun. I am trying to push myself away from flat-colored backgrounds.

Also, I was invited to participate in the "Curiouser & Curiouser" Alice and Wonderland show at Gallery Nucleus. I am so happy that they keep having me back! The gallery has also released a print of my Where the Wild Things are piece "That Very Night..." available online here! I have to admit, it is super intimidating to be in shows with people I learned about/was in love with in college. That being said, thanks Gallery Nucleus for being awesome! I can't wait until I can actually go to a show... Now that I am done rambling, here are the pieces I did for the AiW show:

(this one is little)

(this one is not as little)

I just noticed that everyone is facing left (in my pieces). I notice these kinds of odd things. Check back in later for some right-facing arts. Or maybe up-facing, or MAYBE NOT EVEN A FACE AT ALL. WHO KNOWS!?

Thanks for readin' my blog. See you soon!

España!

2010-01-05T12:13:00.000-08:00

This Christmas, we stayed in Spain at my brother's apartment in Valencia for two weeks. He is living there now, working as the timpanist in the Valencian Orchestra at La Palau Del Artes. I kept a travel journal, and took a lot of pictures, which I'd like to share with you! I was tempted to leave out some scribbly pages, but I decided to leave in every single bit (except for one page, which is blank save from a taped on shell from the beach.) I have also mixed in some pictures, which correspond with the sketchbook pages.

It was a blast. Enjoy :)

Airships

2010-01-05T11:11:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,
I am excited to tell you that I will be in another Gallery Nucleus show this week!

Lift Off: The Art of Airships
January 9, 2010 - February 1, 2010
Opening Reception / Jan 9, 7:00PM - 11:00PM

Here are the two pieces I contributed:

As always, thanks for stopping by and, if you are in the LA area, go check out the show!

PIN4

2009-11-30T05:08:00.000-08:00

Greetings,

I have been invited by Gallery Nucleus to participate in the Power In Numbers show - PIN4 for short. This is the fourth and final PIN show, and I am honored to be a part of it!

If you are in the LA area, go check it out.

Power In Numbers 4
December 12, 2009 - December 28, 2009
Opening Reception / Dec 12, 7:00PM - 10:00PM

Each artwork piece will be priced at $100.00 and a selection of artworks will be auctioned. A portion of the night’s sales will benefit the American Red Cross (San Gabriel Pomona Valley Chapter) on emergency response efforts.

I submitted four pieces. For the record, I really do enjoy children and have no intention of harming them. (My mom hates these paintings.) It was fun to be morbid and creepy, though.

Hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving!

Grave of the Fireflies

2009-11-07T17:36:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,
This is a personal commission I did based off of the movie Grave of the Fireflies. If you have never seen it, I highly recommend it. It's very sad, though, so keep some tissues handy.
I actually made some changes after I scanned it, so I attempted to digitally make it the same.

Thanks for stopping by. :)

Featured!

2009-09-24T15:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

I am so psyched about all the positive feedback lately! For anyone who was interested in my "That Very Night.." painting, it is now available in my etsy shop, linked over there -----> on my blog.

I'd like to thank Handmade News for including me in their Terrible Yellow Eyes feature. Click here to check out the article!

I also received a mention on a fun blog called toysetc.

Thanks to both of you!

Six of Wands

2009-09-14T18:52:00.000-07:00

Hi there!

Here is my next addition to my tarot card illustrations. This card is the six of wands. It's meaning is about the arrival of good news, success and great public acclaim gained through hard work and effort. Hopefulness, and satisfaction in what has been achieved. The surmounting of obstacles through tact and diplomacy rather than use of force. Victory and triumph.

I chose this card because, despite what may seem like a struggling career, I am proud of what I have accomplished and I believe that to get what you want, you have to work hard. ..Also, I wanted to take a crack at drawing horses.

Thanks for stopping by!

Gallery Nucleus!

2009-09-09T16:25:00.000-07:00

Hello! Sorry for the lack of real posts lately.

I am honored and excited to be a part of this upcoming show, Terrible Yellow Eyes, which will be held at Gallery Nucleus in LA on September 19th. If you're in the area, make sure to stop by!

The gallery let us know that we could submit up to 3 pieces, so I decided to take another shot at it and made a new piece:

Also, I revamped and updated my website. Click here to check it out! So far this setup is way WAYYY easier to update. I'll let you know on Twitter when I add to the site, though it's usually the same stuff as my blog. :)

That's all for now. Take care!

Go See Hallowen 2!

2009-08-24T14:17:00.000-07:00

When I was in Atlanta, I ended up being an extra in the movie Halloween 2. It's finally coming out this Friday!

Make sure to keep an eye out for me, in this scene, when he's saying "Let me make things clear. Michael Meyers is dead."

One full second of fame! More than I ever expected. I have no idea if there's more audience shots. They filmed us for like 12 hours though.

There's a scene right before this as well before the press conference, and you can see me standing around discussing the press conference I'm about to witness. I'm next to a guy with a fedora- mind you, not actually wearing his hat prop, but rather using it as if he were going "Ta-da!" about every 5 seconds. What a weirdo. Standing next to him was one of the most uncomfortable things I've ever done.

Anyways, let me know if you spot me!

-S

P.S. Yes, I met Rob Zombie. Yes, he eats cake for breakfast.

Baby Sarah painting.

2009-08-10T15:09:00.000-07:00

Awww, shucks. I've been painting since I was a little baby. If you know me personally, you might notice that me and my brother make the same "concentration face," and it started here. Looks cute on a baby, looks pretty dumb on a 23-year-old.

I've been busy with lots of odd jobs and projects, but nothing I can really post just yet. Stay tuned this week, though. I plan on finishing another tarot card and posting it before Friday.

Revisiting Strength

2009-08-03T20:39:00.000-07:00

I was staring at my wall, thinking about how different my two tarot card pieces are. The first one I like (8 of Cups), and the second one I wasn't happy with (Strength). It is so much more realistic in drawing and in color, so I decided to play with it in photoshop. I'm much happier with it now. I generally just throw things out and try to learn from my mistakes, but I am glad I decided to play with this one. Plus, it's been a while since I've messed around in Photoshop.

I hope you like it! Thanks for stopping by. :)

Octopi!

2009-07-25T02:17:00.000-07:00

Here's a peek at something I'm working on to give to my cousin for her baby shower this weekend. There will be some flowers and hearts and other adorable stuff.

I have some cleared up time in my schedule, so until whatever work comes my way next, I'll be posting more personal work!

Thanks for stoppin' by. :)

Ruby, MJ, and Cutlet - a sketchbook dump

2009-07-23T10:55:00.000-07:00

Hi there,

It's been a while since I have updated. I have been doing some stuff for a purchase print company that I can't disclose just yet. However, I have been sketching and did a couple of odd jobs that I thought I'd share.

First, I met a random dude in Allen who wanted a tattoo. He saw my sketchbook and said 'Dude, this'll only take you like 10 minutes.' We agreed on a very small price. I end up totally redoing this drawing a few times, but we agreed on charging a little more for making me deal with his inability to make up his mind. He loves it, now, but I am holding his drawing and his shirt (which pictures the baphomet's face, for reference) hostage until he pays me.

He said something that I think is a very common misconception that artists have to deal with. "Dude, I didn't know you'd actually care about money, y'know? I thought, like, you'd just be honored to have your artwork on someone's skin forever." I asked him if he was paying the tattoo artist to put the drawing on him, and if he paid for the shirt he loaned me, etc. etc. I wish I had a pamphlet to hand out to people like this, with a good explanation of why work for free and work for 'publicity' isn't an honor, and why artists should be paid.

Moving along...
My sketchbook looks like the development of a schizophrenic patient. The farther along you read, the more nutty the drawings. Here are the drawings I wasn't too embarassed to share:

And finally, another thing that had been keeping me busy lately is designing and coding my brother's website.

He has an alter ego named DJ Cutlet that is sort of a satire-rapper, kind of like Asher Roth and The Lonely Island, but he'd kill me he knew I compared him to them. He writes and composes (and sings) all his music. It's definitely worth a listen, but make sure you have your headphones on if you're at work!

Strength

2009-06-26T03:08:00.000-07:00

Here's a new illustration I did for the tarot card "Strength." It has an interesting meaning to it. I think the reason I like tarot cards so much is that they all have a story and a lesson - they don't have to tell your future for you to learn something from them.

This one's story is about the Fool. The Fool is powerful and arrogant, and victorious over his enemies. He sees a maiden struggling with a lion, and as he runs to help he realizes that she is gently but firmly shutting the lion's mouth shut. In awe, he asks how she does it and she explains, "There are many unworthy impulses inside us. It is not wrong to have them. But it is wrong to let them control us. We are human, not beast, and we can command such energy, use them for higher purposes." The important message of the strength card is not to give up. To have the courage to keep at it till you succeed and to have the faith and optimism that you will succeed.
I hope it reminds you to do the same. Thanks for checkin it out, hope you like it. :)

In Progress

2009-06-18T20:14:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone's doing well, here's a sneak peek of a work in progress. It's for the tarot card Strength. Should have it done over the weekend.

I'm going to see Erin + Adam in Shreveport tomorrow, that will be fun. They're living there (Well, Erin half lives there) working on a very cool project that I'm not sure if I can talk about, so I won't. But it will be a real treat when it's done. I wonder if we'll go to a casino?

Thanks for visiting :)

The Most Wild Thing of All

2009-06-05T14:17:00.001-07:00

I am so excited an honored to have been invited by Cory Godbey to participate on his project, Terrible Yellow Eyes! It is a non-profit collection of works all done as an homage to the beloved book Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. This children's book was a major part of my childhood; I remember loving reading it, and building piles of pillows and blankets in my bed to pretend they were in my boat with me. I've always wanted to draw his monsters and get away with it! A few other Ringling buddies are on the site, as well.
The artworks submitted up to today are going to be given to Mr. Sendak himself in the form of a book on his 81st birthday - on June 10th. How cool! Thank you again Cory :)

Sketches

2009-06-05T12:49:00.000-07:00

Hello!

I'd like to share some pages from my sketchbooks. Since I moved back to Texas, I have been drawing a lot more. I've sort of started a ritual of drawing things before I go to sleep....let's just say when I'm really sleepy, my sense of humor is pretty wacky. The last few are examples of these wacky sleep-drawings (the tamer ones, I must add.)

-caty reminiscing about her childhood

-there's lots of construction around here

-caty described an old man riding down the street on a blue bike, cleaning his ears with a Q-tip. I had to draw him.

-?

-?

-...?

-extreme sleepy wackiness

Thanks for stopping by :)

Something Wicked

2009-05-29T01:25:00.001-07:00

A piece just for fun. I wanted to have a tiny bit more environment and shtuff going on than usual. Perhaps it's me in a past life... Some of my ancestors were gypsies. Let me know what you think :)

8 Of Cups

2009-05-19T20:40:00.000-07:00

Back in Texas, all moved in. I am really enjoying my new studio setup... it's sexy.

I have been wanting to do a tarot card illustration for a while, and decided to just go with something visually pleasing. I did not know the meaning of 8 of cups before illustrating it. I looked it up later and it's pretty accurate to what's going on in my life.... creepy.

Watercolor, gouache & acrylic on paper, mounted on illo board. Hope you like!

Two days

2009-05-12T13:12:00.000-07:00

Well, I head back to Texas in two days. I figured I'd scan a few things before I pack away my computer stuffs.... I'm going to miss Atlanta.

When I can't decide what to draw, I just scribble on the page a bunch and make things out of the scribbles. This one came out pretty funny:

Oh, and I thought I'd share that I got a tattoo. I got it with Watts on the same weekend. I've always wanted to share the sense of humor I have about my hearing loss, so what better way than tattooing "What?" behind my ear.

And one more thing. Me & Sarah drove town to Ringling for the senior show. It was a blast, and really great to see everyone and to get some sun. On the way back Sarah took a scenic route while I slept, and when I woke up I immediately gasped - we drove right past a herd of longhorns. They were so majestic and awesome. And in my opinion, a good omen about Texas.

Listen to the snow

2009-05-07T22:35:00.000-07:00

I have to share this with y'all... this is a poem my mother wrote about me. It made me pretty teary because it's a true story. My mom is so sweet. (BTW, Ringling people... in my family, I'm Little Sarah. I think it's kinda funny considering I was Big Sarah in college & Watts was Little Sarah. haha.) I'm going to illustrate it, and who knows, maybe we can get it published. I've got two very big projects now to keep me busy when I get back to Texas - I'm leaving May 15th. Time to pack!

Enjoy the poem. :)

Listen to the Snow by Elizabeth Caterisano

Once upon a time
Not so long ago
My little Sarah said to me,
"Is she listening to the snow?"

I saw her teacher's smiling face
In the morning light
Snow glistened on her ear muffs
Such a pretty sight!

Little Sarah was born with hearing loss
Which means she can not hear
All the things that we do
Quite as loud and not as clear

I turned to her and said the snow
Falls silently on the ground
Although I really wish that we
Could listen to the sound

She turned and said "I hear it!
I hear it with my eyes!
Can you hear it mommy?"
And much to my surprise...

I heard so many things that day
She pointed out to me
"We'll listen while we play outside,
can you hear that tree?"

We heard the snowy sunshine
We heard the clouds drift by
We heard the black birds flap their wings
As they soared so high

We listened to the ducks that swam
Upon the icy lake
We watched the sun set slowly
To hear the sound it makes

She put her head against my heart
Not so long ago
"Can you hear it snowing mommy?"
"Yes, I hear the snow"

Kid Robot

2009-04-18T06:04:00.000-07:00

I forgot to post this! Here is a digital piece I submitted for Sandra Builes' "in honor of Kid Robot" show in Sarasota. I was not able to go to the show, I wonder how it went?? Someone needs to show me pictures! I will be attending the senior show. I'm excited to see some old friends and teachers.

This week I plan on finally sitting down and scanning my sketchbooks from Atlanta. Ciao!

Jack & the Beanstalk

2009-04-15T18:26:00.000-07:00

I have been playing around with this idea for a little while and am excited to have finally executed it. I was starting to worry I couldn't compose something that was right in the middle anymore! I have submitted it to the Ringling 100 (the theme is "Waking the Giants")...which the deadline has been extended. I'm a little mad at myself for staying up late and pushing to get it done quick but.. oh well! If any of you alumni didn't get a chance to do something for it, now you can! :)

As far as a personal update- I love Atlanta and I gave it my best shot. But after my internship ended, it was hard to find work. So, I'm moving back in with my parents in Texas in almost exactly one month. I will keep posting art up until a few weeks of silence due to the move.

On the bright side: Mexican food, 24 hour coffee shops, Caty is coming with me.. and it will be nice to see Erin, Dustin, & Adam again. :)

See y'all soon.

New Website!

2009-03-26T18:41:00.000-07:00

Hi!
I am very happy to announce that I have finally redone my website! It's been a long time comin', but I struggled with playing in too many different styles for a while and I have finally settled into something cohesive. There is a hidden sister website for playful vector art...but it's a secret.

So go on and check out sarahseesart.com!

Metamorphosis

2009-03-23T00:56:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite stories by Franz Kafka. If you haven't read it, one day a boring businessman leading a boring life wakes up and realizes he turned into a bug. His family shuns him except for his sister who grows into womanhood, and when Gregor (bug/man) finally dies she runs off to live her life and make babies. A metamorphosis of her own, if you will. I guess the moral of the story is not to live life only to work, because you might as well be a cockroach stuck in someone's house.
In a nutshell.

It's drawn on watercolor paper, worked up with watercolor/gouache, and finished in Photoshop. Let me know what y'all think. Thanks :)

Cake Balls!

2009-03-14T07:17:00.001-07:00

This is such an easy recipe, and it's fun because you can mix and match whatever flavors you want! I made them for Watts's birthday. I used devil's food cake mix w/ chocolate frosting. And blueberry sprinkles. Delicious.

Here's the recipe, I encourage all of you try it. :)

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

* 1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
* 1 (16 ounce) container prepared chocolate frosting
* 1 (3 ounce) bar chocolate flavored confectioners coating

* add to recipe box Add to Recipe Box
My folders:
* add to shopping list Add to Shopping List
* Customize Recipe
* add a personal note Add a Personal Note

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare the cake mix according to package directions using any of the recommended pan sizes. When cake is done, crumble while warm into a large bowl, and stir in the frosting until well blended.
2. Melt chocolate coating in a glass bowl in the microwave, or in a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth.
3. Use a melon baller or small scoop to form balls of the chocolate cake mixture. Dip the balls in chocolate using a toothpick or fork to hold them. Place on waxed paper to set.

A Wrinkle In Time

2009-03-05T01:48:00.001-08:00

Hey guys, this is what I ended up with for the Wrinkle in Time redo. Felt nice to make some art just 'cause. Hope you like. :)

Wrinkle In Time Progress

2009-02-28T04:06:00.000-08:00

Hey there,
Just wanted to show a little work in progress for a personal project. My dream illustration job would be to do book covers, so you'll be seeing illustrations of all of my favorite stories. The Wrinkle In Time Quartet is a childhood favorite of mine.

And just for kicks, this is the funniest baby ever!

Hope everyone has a splendid weekend!

New Look

2009-02-16T21:53:00.000-08:00

Hi. Hope everyone enjoys my new blog layout. Pretty simple, but sometimes going back to a white background feels so... refreshing.
I took my Annabel Lee sketch into Photoshop and here is what I came up with. And I thought you'd like to hear the poem that accompanies it. Enjoy!

It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of Annabel Lee--
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea,
But we loved with a love that was more than love--
I and my Annabel Lee--
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her highborn kinsmen came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,
Went envying her and me--
Yes!--that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we--
Of many far wiser than we--
And neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee:

For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee:
And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee:
And so, all the night-tide, I lay down by the side
Of my darling--my darling--my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea--
In her tomb by the sounding sea.