save the date!

Though I’ve posted this over on my “events” page, I thought I should mention this here.

I’m opening my new studio/gallery to the public for the first time in June, as part of the Flatbush Artists Studio Tour! Autographed books, art, prints, cards and decks will be available for purchase. 27 artists will be participating in this self-guided studio tour located in historic Victorian Brooklyn.

Here’s the pertinent info:

June 7 - 8, 2008, noon to 5pm:

Kris Waldherr Art and Words
1501 Newkirk Avenue (entrance on Marlborough Road)
Brooklyn, NY 11226

Directions: Q train to Newkirk Avenue. Studio is around the corner from subway.
Street parking is available.
Map and driving directions.
for further info: e-comment at artandwords dot com.

I hope to see some of you then!

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of queens and models

Some of you might be wondering what is going on with Doomed Queens, the book I’ve been working on for the past year. Short answer: Lots. Long answer: Aside from (1) copyediting the manuscript, (2) designing the Doomed Queens website, and (3) trying up lots of loose threads, I’ve been working on the art.

Part of that process is working with models, as you can probably tell from the above photo. Right now, I’ve had about half a dozen models come and pose over the past week. This week, another four will generously spend some time in front of my camera.

Yes, camera. I take reference photos for a number of reasons. The primary one is that I can’t bear to have people hold poses for hours as I draw — it’s too much to ask. From a practical standpoint, it’s also much easier to capture a moment from a quick photo than it is from a sustained drawing. What if I wanted to draw someone twirling? Or jumping? (That written, I might feel differently if I was a more skilled draftsperson….)

The process of working with models is somewhat alchemical — meaning that each of us bring something to the table. The end result is sometimes unpredictable, though I generally have a clear vision before we begin. I know I’ve mentioned before that my models are usually people I know, rather than hired professionals. That’s because it’s easier for me to feel a sense of connection with the character I’m illustrating if the model is someone I know. It also reflects my belief that these stories are something universal, that we carry them within ourselves in some mythic way.

For the most part, I’ve chosen my models well. Occasionally, I’ll ask someone to pose who might be more uncomfortable than expected with the process; this discomfort is passed down to me and shows in the art. Fortunately, this is a very rare occurence. Generally speaking, any discomfort has fled by the time I’ve dressed up my model. (Yes, dress — I have a variety of costumes and props that can propel someone from the twenty-first century back to ye olde medieval times and beyond.)

But the photos aren’t the end result, as inspiring as they may be. After that, I still need to work out the composition before I even begin to draw. Plus photographs need to be adjusted, their perspective corrected and so on.

Nonetheless, these model photographs are the first step in my creating an illustration - and perhaps the most important step. They offer me a place from which inspiration can flow.

• Filed under be-mused, queens, recent publications, the art world | No Comments

a message from Lisa Hunt

Some of you may be aware that one of my dearest friends is Lisa Hunt. Lisa is the gifted artist behind several popular tarot decks; these include the Animals Divine, Shapeshifter and others. Lisa e-mailed me today with distress news: Someone attempted to steal her identity on a fantasy art website.

Sounds bizarre, doesn’t it? I mean, what would someone “get” from impersonating a known illustrator on a board? The thrill of attention? Someone clearly has too much time on their hands — time which would be better spent doing something worthwhile.

While Lisa’s story may seem an isolated event, it’s not. This has happened before. I hope it won’t happen again, though.

Lisa has asked me to post this message on her behalf:

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“Recently, a moderator for an art forum advised me that the infamous “Stacy English” has been ripping off my name and artwork. This is not the first time someone has attempted to pose as myself. I’m trying to understand why anyone would want to steal my creative identity in this manner to begin with–what is there to be gained from it? Thankfully, members, with an astute eye for fraud, brought the impostor to the attention of the moderator and the individual was prevented from posting

“Unless an art group is listed on my links page and/or appears in a legitimate gallery with obvious copyright permission granted (and I am selective about where and how my art should appear on the web), assume it is an impostor. To everyone: I would greatly appreciate you helping me to stop this kind of unwelcome behavior by those who have seemingly nothing better to do than to pretend that they are me. Please e-mail me if you think someone is ripping my artwork off. Thank you for your kindness and support–and for other artists, beware of imposters! No one is immune from falling victim to art/identity theft. But by spreading the word and keeping informed, we can help prevent the proliferation of such perfidious behavior and protect our artistic integrity.”

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It’s sad that it’s necessary in this day and age that a hardworking artist such as Lisa has to remind people of the rights she is owed. I suspect that, with the abundance of riches on the web and in print, people assume that if something is posted or published it’s fair game to be used as they decide. One example: a music video producer informed me that since they had purchased my tarot cards they had purchased the right to reproduce them on television.

Not so. Just because artists choose to share their work with their world doesn’t mean that their right to control how it is reproduced comes to an end. It’s like saying that once your child goes out into the world, anyone can take charge and do as they see fit.

As for people like Stacey English, that’s a whole other story. From what I’ve heard, this is not the first time she has attempted to impersonate well known illustrators on the internet. The compassionate response would be to state that Stacey clearly has some identity issues that she needs to work out. Then, instead of putting her energies toward taking credit for others’ work, she could then work on making her own art for a change. Hopefully no one will steal it from her.

• Filed under friends and colleagues, the art world, the world around me | No Comments

An unveiling…

The studio/gallery is coming together. Now that the edits for Doomed Queens have been turned in, I’ve been able to focus more fully on getting the studio ready for the world (though I’ve been working there for the past month or so).

Next up, a friend who does exhibition design will be installing my window design. This logo is just one small element within it, which rests inside an art nouveau/Macintosh-inspired (the designer, not the computer) flowering tree that wraps around the front of my store window. I’ve also to hang some art up, though I’m not planning my first “official” exhibition until later this spring. So far, I have three exhibitions planned for the year, including one to commemorate the October publication for my book.

It’s a slow process — I now understand how setting up a retail space can take over one’s entire life. But when I consider how the storefront looked when I first saw it, I know I’m making progress.

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the new studio!

Presenting the official new headquarters for Kris Waldherr Art and Words. (Which is, as you can tell, still very much a work in progress).
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View of the entrance. Nice big storefront window! Note half pint assistant on chair awaiting instructions (or inspiration).
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View of my work area — drawing board and tables. Still need to bring my desktop computer set up and file cabinets over.
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What will be the gallery area. Already I’m planning three exhibitions for the year, the first of which will probably go up this spring. (The recycling is not an art installation.)
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Another view.
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To get to this stage of semi-completion took a lot of work — all done while finishing up the queens book and working on a new oracle project. (No wonder I’m so tired these days!) But there’s much more to be done, stuff to be moved and so on. But all of this will be done over the next few weeks. The important thing is that I can now paint and work in the space without tripping over boxes and cans of paint.

• Filed under art and words, new projects, the art world | No Comments