Pretty Secrets is the name I use for my self publishing projects. There have been four books/zines so far; all written, art directed and designed by yours truly. It's definitely not just me that does all the work; the string of zines and books feature artists across the world showcasing a wide range of different artistic approaches.
Pretty Secrets celebrates being a creative and a forward-thinking person. The three editions so far include writing, art, poetry and comics submitted from truly talented and inspiring people.
A collaborative effort between twenty talented artists from around the world. A book that focuses on the self portrait and how we see ourselves. It will also highlight how each artist draws themselves in their unique style vs. how another artist would draw them using theirs. I wanted to see how well people could capture someone they've never met based on a photo and a few facts.
The results have been very interesting. You wanna see? It's Now available via Blurb.ca! Click here to order
A fellow west coaster, this is an artist that I find personally inspiring. Caitlin McDonagh is located on Vancouver Island and is surrounded by loads of natural inspirations including the ocean, lakes, mountains (I could go on, but instead, if you haven't heard of it, click here for the Google Link)
She recently had a solo show called "Tall Tales" - a series of work that explores the importance of storytelling and how information changes as it is shared between us. How we hear stories, interpret them, share them, and ultimately can change them over time. How facts and ideas become new things when passed along - some times for the better, sometimes for the worse.
The book: a limited edition (of 50) dicut cover, 44 color pages, signed!
Published by Anteism: http://anteism.com/
I paired Ieva with ME for this project, not because I love her style and wanted her to draw me (maybe a little) but also because I see connections in our work and describe my work in a very similar fashion as she does:
" it's surreal with a hint of horror and self portraits because I strongly believe that in a piece of art, it's the creator who it reflects."
You can see more work from the unique and wonderful Ieva on her Facebook page:
Tara Galuska, like me, lives in beautiful Vancouver, BC..before moving here she studied Design and Illustration at the Design Centre Enmore and worked as a graphic designer.
Going through her work really made me in awe of her skill level, but also her patience level! The kind of attention to detail and skill it takes to make such beautifully crafted pieces like hers is REMARKABLE. If she wasn't such a talented artist, I would suggest she become a surgeon.
To check out more of her beautiful and inspiring work, go to her website:
Eva was one of the first people I met in the city, and one of the first people that inspired me with her art. And the way she dresses. And her hair. She's just all around inspiring, guys.
She currently spends half of the time in Vancouver, BC and another half on a small island off the coast, in a small cabin, making a comic. When she's not drawing and making comics, she is doing stick and poke tattoos (I have one! Sorry mom!)
You can see her tattoos/art at the following links:
makeyrmomsad.tumblr.com.
evabryant.com
Mia's art makes me feel things. The subject matter, the colour combinations and sometimes the text she includes in her pieces are heavy. But a good heavy. A real heavy. One of my favourite in particular reads:
"It is, sometimes, easier to be sad. At the very least, sadness is familiar. There is safety in exhaling"
She currently lives in the beautiful and architecturally rich Seattle, WA. At eighteen, she I spends too much money on slurpees and nail polish. She is incredibly talented and I would HIGHLY suggest in following her on her journey of figuring things out:
I absolutely love when people's personalities come out in their art, and Aurora's art does just that. It's bright. unique and very original - just how I imagine Aurora to be in person.
When I asked her what her dream collaboration would be she said "
Dream collaboration? Dear Kathleen Hanna, I'd cut off my left toe to work
with you, but your the sort of rad lady who wouldn't ask for such a thing.
LET'S MAKE SHIT TOGETHER! XO"
You wanna read some of her zines, get a portrait done by her or just browse the greatness that is Aurora? Visit her website here: http://www.auroralady.com/
When Sally sent me an email with her submission for the book I believe it took me two minutes to reply to her and all my email said was "I love your stuff A LOT. Please be part of the zine!! " Her unique style hooked me from the very first second and I look forward to seeing what else she creates!
When asked what inspires her, she said:
"A cliche, but the world around me. I like to look at people and imagine what they might be thinking or what’s happening in their life. A lot of my drawing is based around people and personality. Music also inspires me. Whenever I do a new project, I make a Spotify playlist to go alongside it. It makes the whole thing more immersive."
You can see more of her work at
twhit-twoo.tumblr.com or send her a little message at sallywhitworth13@gmail.com
Tori Rose Wright is a couple things: sweet as pie, cute as a puppy and very, very talented. Though she lives in Sydney, Australia her and I connected through creating art and have become friends AND penpals!
She is a graphic design graduate and aspiring illustrator from Sydney, Australia. Her illustration work is inspired by femininity, pastel colours,motifs, nature and emotions. With the use of these themes Tori aims to create her own dreamy little world.
You can find her work here!
torirosewright.com.au
Katie Glover is one of my new favourite artists. She uses bright colours, detailed lines and patterns.
She currently lives in Shrewsbury (a pretty small town in England) but really wishes she was still living in London where she went to university.
Her illustration work generally uses a similar palette to the kind of colours she likes dressing in. She also enjoys working in collage, embroidery, and screen printing. Lately her main focus has been on embroidered illustration (which is what featured in the upcoming book!).
Her favourite description of her work was one that a friend gave her recently, "Your lines are drawn all wobbly, but they wobble in all the right places like it's done on purpose."
Her online portfolio can be viewed at:
cargocollective.com/katiegloverprice
Mary Rockcastle has collaborated with Pretty Secrets before. When she first sent me her work for submission, it stood out. Her use of colour and detail really sets her apart; you know it's a Mary Rockcastle. You can see that kind of detail through all the different mediums she uses; digital, embroidery, painting and her writing.
When I asked her why she made art she replied with "I can't fathom not making things. I love the idea of taking paper and paint and making something more important than the things it's made out of, you know?" - and I totally know, and I think a lot of artists know, too.
If you can't wait to see more of Mary's work, you can visit her site:
Isa is hilarious. Going through her website, almost every single one of her comics made me LOL (laugh out loud, for the 2% of the internet that might not know what that means)
When I asked her why she makes art, she said :
"Now I make art because I see the importance. It’s important to my well-being but it’s also important to make a contribution to your life.
Its a way to actively participate in your own life. I also feel like making art opens you up to other voices which is crucial."
Words that really resonate with me, as I too make are because it's important to my life and my wellbeing.
Go LOL at her website:
Anna's art ranges from realistic sketches, to colourful and well crafted pieces like the one above.
Her view on art: "Having a foundation of knowledge on how to create your vision is massively important, but unparalleled to the importance of learning to step outside the lines of those foundational rules to create YOUR vision. That balance of control and chaos is something I try to portray via texture and colour in all of my pieces."
If you want to see more of her work, go here: