Zodiac Placement Charm boots

I bought these boots back in 2015, and over the past few years, they’ve seen some wear and tear. For a while I was considering just rehabbing the heels, possibly in a funky color or with glitter, however recently - when doing some late-night organizing of my DESIGN INSPO folder - I had the idea of doing some beading. I’ve beaded a couple of pieces before, but never a pair of shoes.

I was channeling Versace and Schiaparelli’s uses of gold, black and pearl, while expanding with pointed uses of other colors. The gold and pearl beads demonstrate the sky from a distance, and then as you get closer, the blue defines the shapes that make up each zodiac constellation.

I wanted there to be movement in the boots as I walked, so I used gold zodiac charms to help define each constellation. A special shoutout to @costarastrology for helping determine my astrological chart, which I then used to make these truly custom; my placements are incorporated as silver charms, and there are a sunstone and moonstone sewn into my sign constellations.

Materials include Suede (boots), charms and beads (from Amazon and Etsy)

May 2023

This mirror has spent most of its first life behind the door to my childhood bedroom. I wish I had a solid answer as to how I got to this concept for a second life but I don’t. Perhaps I was channeling my inner Delia Deetz.

I sanded down the painted sides, then primed and painted white and marked out where I wanted black and the pearls. I ordered the pearls off of Amazon, and spent 😵‍💫 hours using Mod Podge (Gloss) as an adhesive and as a varnish to individually place each pearl.

Created Using acrylic, gloss varnish, gems (Amazon)

March 2023

THE PROJECT | A friend celebrated her wedding this past November, and as a gift to the newlyweds, I painted a bottle of Bozal Coyote Reserva Mezcal to celebrate their day.

The PROCESS | The bride is a bad bitch ER nurse with an exceptional green thumb and a love of peonies, so I used that to develop the design and move forward with the concept of botanical journals.

I couldn’t lose the incredible texture of the bottle but didn’t want the illustrations to disappear into the dark background, so I inverted to white, bringing in an additional green ‘moss’ texture underneath.

I used acrylic paint and (ruined) an old calligraphy nib to get those fine lines, then a gloss finish.

Created Using acrylic on ceramic

When November 2022

THE PROJECT | A gift for a close friend from college; I was a bridesmaid in her 2020 micro-wedding.

The PROCESS | The weekend was held in the Blue Ridge mountains, north of Atlanta. Previous to the pandemic, she shared her wedding storyboards and inspirations, and I used those files to influence the chosen designs.

Created Using acrylic on glass

When October 2020

THE PROJECT | Over the past few years, many friends and family have been having children and expanding their families. As a Congratulations gift, I like to create custom illustrations and type designs on organic cotton onesies.

THE PROCESS | My process involves researching type designs and illustrations, sketching layouts and text placements, and outlining then painting the designs.

Created Using Textile paints on organic cotton blend.

When Spring 2021, Winter 2021

THE PROJECT | Consent is hot as hell.

Created Using Acrylic on canvas board, 14” x 14”

When July 2018

THE PROJECT | This series studies the female figure, and how that idea has been incorporated into designs of the world’s most famous works of architecture.

The PROCESS | I used Illustrator to create vector shapes, and placed the vector shapes over a custom gradient.

Created Using acrylic on canvas

Designed Using Adobe Illustrator

Golden Gate
48” x 24”
June 2012

Eiffel Tower
18” x 24”
January 2013

Statue of Liberty
36” x 36”
October 2014

THE PROJECT | This illustration was created as a study into the shapes that make up the serif ‘G’ shape. I made illustrative woodgrain and leaf additions after the shape was determined.

Created Using Ink and marker on paper, 9” x 12”

When March 2014

THE PROJECT | This illustration was created as a study into the shape of the serif ‘K’. The K was placed in layout with the same armor illustrations that make up my family’s crest.

Created Using Ink and marker on paper, 9” x 12”

When January 2014

THE PROJECT | Done as a personal project, I researched Georgia O’Keeffe’s work featured at the Boston MFA, and replicated the piece at the same size as the original. This challenge was very eye opening to O’Keeffe’s creative process.

Created Using Acrylic on canvas, 36” x 40”

When November 2010

Illustrative Plate Series

Adobe Illustrator

2015

A gift to my mother, who designed and created prom gowns for my sisters and I. I recreated her original sketches, and applied them to decorative plates.