Two spring paintings

New York is refusing to warm up for spring--so instead I've willed it so in my studio.

Two new paintings for your Monday.

 

Garden Party, oil on panel, 12"x12", 2013

 Tree, oil on paper, 11"x15", 2013

Here's hoping it's warm and sunny wherever you are. And that we see some 75 degree days soon.

 Love this.

[via OGC]

The Affordable Art Fair NYC

Excited to share that 4 of my paintings will be exhibited with Ugallery at the Affordable Art Fair in New York this week.

 The Lucky Ones, Oil on Panel, 12"x24", 2011

 The Kiss, Oil on Panel, 10"x22", 2013

Opening today and continuing through Sunday, prices start at $100.


I'll be hanging around Ugallery's booth at E-4, so don't be a stranger if you stop by!

When: Thru Sun. Today-Sat., 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Where: Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 W. 18th St., b/t Sixth & Seventh Aves. Tickets ($15) at affordableartfair.com or at the door.

Orly Cogan

Loving the playful and beautiful embroidery work of Israeli artist, Orly Cogan.

Working with vintage, printed fabrics made by women of previous eras, her work gives new life and modernizes this traditional art form.

For more, visit her website here.

This is why.

Tina makes everything better.

“Every girl is expected to have Caucasian blue eyes, full Spanish lips, a classic button nose, hairless Asian skin with a California tan, a Jamaican dance hall ass, long Swedish legs, small Japanese feet, the abs of a lesbian gym owner, the hips of a nine-year-old boy, the arms of Michelle Obama and doll tits. This is why everyone is struggling.” -Tina Fey

[via Evbeff]

Hack the Met

Nick Gray is the man of hour for anyone who a) loves the Metropolitan Museum of Art and b) lives in New York.

Leading renegade tours until "the lights go out" on Friday and Saturday nights, Gray is the man behind "Hack the Met", a VIP tour service led by New York City residents.

The waiting list is already sizable and growing, so sign up quick if you want in. And just in case you thought it couldn't get any better, turns out all this wonderfulness is free.

Word on the street is, dress nice, and bring your dancing shoes. More info available on Nick's site and his Facebook page.

A pep talk

Nice work SoulPancake. This video will make whatever type of day you're having, better.



[via SoulPancake]

Studio

A peek at my new studio in Brooklyn.

And the beginnings of a new painting in the new space...

More to come. :)

An Unexpected Studio

Loving this idea--old shipping crates used to build an art studio.

"The foundation for the studio is built into the earth with 9′ walls and acts as the lower level and work space for the studio. Two 40′ (9’6″) high cube shipping containers were then set on top of the foundation to create a two-story double wide structure. About 75% of the floors of the containers were cut away to create the tall ceilings with lots of natural light flooding in from the high windows."

Read more here: MB Architecture Constructs Gorgeous Shipping Container Art Studio

Thank you!

To all you wonderful people, friends old and new, who came out on that chilly January night to see the show, thank you. It was a huge success with a turnout of nearly 300 people.

 

And for those of you who need a little extra art fix this week, I'm guest-pinning for online art gallery, Ugallery. I'll be pinning different art inspirations each day, so be sure to check back often. Thank you to Ugallery for having me!

Culture Fix

After a week of installing, our show is hung and ready for its Saturday night opening!

I so hope you'll be able to make it if you're in the area. Culture Fix is located in the Lower East Side at 9 Clinton St. Come any time between 6 pm-midnight. The show is free and open to the public, so please bring any friends or family who may want to join.

And don't be a stranger if you make it out. Come on over and say hi! :)

Headspace

A little sneak peak at the current painting I'm working on.

It's a commissioned piece for the upcoming film, Headspace, and will be exhibited at Culture Fix on January 19th. Stay tuned for details! And watch the trailer below for more info about the movie.

headspace fundraiser video from Rosie duPont on Vimeo.

2 0 1 3

Happy New Years friends!

 via InkStomp

Can't help feeling like this is the truth for 2013. My very best to you and yours in this new year!

Soulpancake's Art Attack Series!

In mid-October, I had the good fortune of collaborating with the wonderful team over at SoulPancake in LA. Originally founded by Rainn Wilson (you might know him as Dwight Schrute from The Office), SoulPancake is a media company dedicated to blurring the lines among art, spirituality, philosophy, and creativity.

Aside from their incredible website, fabulous book, and recent mini-series with Oprah (what!?), these guys somehow find the time to dive into artist's studios and document the process of making artwork, start to finish.

We shot over a two day period, allowing the paint to dry (sort of) overnight. The theme I chose was "memory", and the image I painted from was a picture of my dad's vacation home in Iran.

I talk about the significance of the image and share some thoughts on memory in the interview here:



And in case you've ever wanted to see me make a painting really really fast, here's your chance:



A huge thanks to all the fabulous minds and generous spirits at SoulPancake. I feel so lucky to be a part of this awesome series.

Watch the other artists who've participated here!

A new painting for your Saturday.

Just finished this watercolor piece that will be part of Ugallery's advent calendar come December.

Five Pine Trees, Ink and Watercolor on Paper, 6"x7", 2012

Wishing you all the beginnings of a very happy holiday season!

Sandy.

Early this week, the worst hurricane in New York's history landed on our shores. Sandy brought the entire City and surrounding areas to a grinding halt. With 90 mph winds, houses, businesses, restaurants, and art galleries were destroyed overnight. We count ourselves as the very lucky ones, only having lost heat/power for six days. Many still have no heat, and many more have lost homes, loved ones, and businesses.

Photo by Sam Horine

 

 

Photo by Sam Horine

 

Photo by Sam Horine

The darkened Manhattan skyline still shocks me every time I see pictures of it. Walking the streets at night felt completely post-apocalyptic. After the second night, streets were lined with cops and flares making sure pedestrians didn't get hit by oncoming traffic. 

 

Photo by Sam Horine

 

Businesses with generators opened their doors to everyone, allowing us to stop in and use their power strips for cell phone/computer charging. Restaurants without power stayed open as well, lighting tables with candles and cooking over open fires. It was amazing to see New York's determination to preserve some semblance of its nightlife and keep spirits high.

The gas situation is still unfortunately not resolved, with subways still down and gas stations completely empty, getting around Manhattan has been a challenge. Yesterday I tried to get to my studio in Williamsburg and was quoted a $120 cab fare for the 3 mile trip. Needless to say, most of us have taken to walking or biking until the Subways are drained and dried.

Photo by Steph Goralnick

Photo by Steph Goralnick

Photo by Steph Goralnick

A special thanks to all you dear readers who sent emails, tweets, Instragram messages, and notes checking on us. For now, I can't help but feel pride about the amazing people that make up this great City. Volunteers, cops, and construction workers have been working around the clock for the past 4 days, on no sleep, trying to get things back up and running. People are chattier than ever, smiling when they walk and striking up conversation easily with strangers. It's sweet to see, and reminds me of how New Yorkers really are some of the kindest people I've ever lived amongst.

Our love and prayers are with those who will go without heat tonight, who have lost loved ones, and whose homes have vanished. For information on how to donate and/or volunteer, here's a great website. Cheers friends.

A new painting for your weekend.

House, Oil on Panel, 18"x24", 2012

Rong Rong & Inri

Loving the photographs of artistic collaborators and couple, Rong Rong & Iri.

These images were taken when the two first fell in love with snowy Mount Fuji as their backdrop.

Totally sublime.

(via ArtSpace)

And then we moved, again.

It seems we've found the light at the end of the tunnel, friends! Thank you so much for all your sweet emails and comments. After a nightmarish week of post-flood home hunting, we finally happened upon a Manhattan gem. The second our realtor opened the door to a spiral staircase, I was sold.

It does happen to be a 5th floor walk up. But the perks of going up 5 flights of stairs every time you come home include:
1) it will never ever flood, ever.
2) instant roof access. 
3) buns of steel.

Also these two beauties were scored on Craigslist earlier in the week: a mini arc lamp for our bedroom, and a tuquoise credenza for the TV.

Now for the studio hunt. Keep those fingers crossed and those good vibes a comin'!

2012 Motto

Just as we finished unpacking, our Brooklyn apartment flooded. It was almost poetic in its tragedy. The silver lining is that our landlord let us break the lease with no hassle, and that we found a new place really quickly. Hello Manhattan!

This print from Mike Monteiro seems like it belongs on our walls for a while. At least until 2013.

Wishing everyone a dry weekend. xo.