Stitched Portraits: Ray Harryhausen

It's always exciting to pay tribute to someone who influenced some of your favorite artists. Ray Harryhausen was responsible for some of the earliest uses of stop-motion animation in films like The Lost World and Jason and the Argonauts. Because of this, he inspired Tim Burton, Henry Selick, and Nick Park - who all created masterpieces within the genre.

Fun fact about Harryhausen: While employed by the U.S. Army during WWII, he worked under Frank Capra and alongside Dr. Seuss in the Army Motion Picture Unit.

Also, if you want to see some of his most breathtaking work, see this film.

Harryhausen (with skeleton warrior):

Stitched Portraits: Gilda Radner

One of SNL's best ever...
I'm glad to have her in this birthday collection of portraits along with her life partner, Gene Wilder.

And she'll be the last portrait added to my show at the Craftland Gallery, Today is a Birthday, June 21-28. I'll be sure to share pictures in an upcoming blog post.

Here she is (wincing) as one of her most famous characters, Roseanne Roseannadanna:

Stitched Portraits: Emma Goldman

(b. June 27, 1869) The Ultimate Anarchist, Goldman wrote extensively and spoke consistently of her hopes for equality in the human race through Anarchy. Her strong opposition to power structures framed her life and she was not afraid to speak her ideals, even if they were very unpopular.

In regards to homosexuals, Goldman spoke out against the prejudice that was present even amongst other anarchists. She said, "It is a tragedy, I feel, that people of a different sexual type are caught in a world which shows so little understanding for homosexuals and is so crassly indifferent to the various gradations and variations of gender and their great significance in life."

She was a pioneer, a soldier, and an inspiration.

Watch her here. See her portrait below:

Stitched Portraits: Peyo

Belgian creator of The Smurfs. Namesake due to his English cousin's inability to pronounce Pierrot.

He'll be up in the Craftland Gallery this afternoon!


Peyo (With Papa Smurf on shoulder): 

Stitched Portraits: Hope Sandoval

She's too shy to say much of anything. But we are all better for her work in the dreamy Mazzy Star.

If you would like to see a portrait of this charming lady in person (and in stitches), she'll be making her way down to the Craftland Gallery today. Come visit!


Hope Sandoval (longing):

Stitched Portraits: Bill Blass

I'm off to Craftland today to deliver the first portrait for the "mystery week" that is hanging next to the finished pieces in the stitched portrait show, Today is a Birthday.

Thursday night, June 21, saw the opening, where I selected 30 pieces from the project and put up 7 blank frames with the dates June 22-28. I will be blogging the experience throughout the week and including pictures of the show.

Blass was an influence on me as a strong American fashion designer and in my research for his portrait I found a quote of his that strengthened my interest in him as a person. He said, "The beauty of being able to draw, or paint, from an early age is that you never feel trapped, least of all by your immediate circumstances."

Bill Blass (drawing):

Stitched Portraits: Brian Wilson

No one more fitting to stitch for the summer solstice.
I really had to hold myself back from the obvious pun there...

But what to say about Brian Wilson? He's one of the greatest musical geniuses of all time, a Beach Boy, and a Killer voice that hasn't quit... And I've had the pleasure of seeing him perform live (thank you, Paul :)

Brian Wilson, at 70 years old, smiling:

Stitched Portraits: Nick Drake

Bringing tears to a young me, Nick Drake is a voice that is beyond moving.
A singer songwriter for the sadness in all of us, we lost him too early in a rush of water.
What he left behind transcends time, taste, and trend.

From the Morning - a personal favorite

and Nick Drake, smiling: