TWISTED BEAUTY

CAVE GALLERY OPENING

2011-01-13T09:06:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow January 14th is the opening reception for "Paradox Shifts" at the Cave Gallery.

Artists' Reception: January 14, 7pm - 10pm

Live Painting by: John Park

Djs: BusRider & Mr. NumberOnederful

On view January 14 - February 5, 2011

C.A.V.E. Gallery · 1108 Abbot Kinney Blvd. Venice CA 90291

Featured Artist: Taka Sudo

Plus Group Show: Brian Robertson, Charmaine Olivia, Craig Cartwright,

Daryll Peirce, Eatcho, Euth, Gustavo Rimada, James Bentley,

Jason Graham, Jeannie Lynn Paske, Jeff Felker, John Park,

Megz Majewski & Tamara Weiss

I have two of my all time favorite pieces being shown, Untamed and Bear Trap. These two pieces are my most recent works and are being shown for the first time. I am very much looking forward to hearing as much feed back as possible and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

New Work New Shows

2011-01-05T13:47:00.000-08:00

It's been so long since I updated this blog, but I have been working my tail off. I have been working on a new series and have been drawing pages after pages of tattoo flash for Bullseye Tattoos Monster Flash Collection. I have been very blessed being around such creative and talented people and this has fueled my desire to draw like a crazy mad man...

"Follow Me" By Tamara Weiss

Pen and Ink/ Color Pencil/ Charcoal on Cut Paper

So...if you are in L.A, come check out The Cave Gallery, to see a few of my new pieces. The opening is January 14th and will be available till February5th.

If you are in Philadelphia, come check out Gleaners in the Italian Market around the same time frame to see more of my work as well as work by Steve Skelly. Gleaners is kinda of our neighborhood family haunt and we always love being apart of their world..

Be on the look out too for Bullseye's Monster Flash Collection coming soon. There are some amazing artists on the roster..

"Untamed"By Tamara Weiss

Pen and Ink/ Color Pencil/ Charocal on Cut Paper

On a sad note, My little Meatball, Gwena passed away recently and she will be surely missed. I had her for over 12 years and she was my co pilot in all that I did. I can't remember a time when she wasn't covered in pastels and pencil shavings because she was rolling around under my desk. She even had a trip to the emergency room once when she ate a tube of blue paint, she was a hardcore supporter in all that I did.

We miss ya Meatball

New Octopus Tote Bag

2010-07-11T15:10:00.000-07:00

New Designs are done and are now on sale at: http://www.envelop.eu/shop/articles/details/p/cephalopod-love

This image was originally created for tattoo flash, but I loved it so much I thought I would toy with it alittle bit. I am also playing with a few other textile backgrounds that are coming soon..

Close up

It also comes in red...

I am just crazy about this flower/ cephalopod hybrid!

Studio Mayhem

2010-06-08T15:53:00.000-07:00

So I always thought it would be easier to work from home..I was delightfully wrong...this is a typical studio day in my neighborhood...

The studio is a complete mess and of course there is always coffee and smokes at arms reach.

These are all of my decapitated flowers and skulls, each one is cut out with an x-acto knife very carefully and the end result is a paper shag carpet...

This would be the circus( Gypsy the cat and Jack the dog) that weaves in and out from under my desk, knocking everything over and chewing on my work. Here Gypsy is just sniffing my shoe and Jack is trying to get my attention.

And here Jack is clearly letting me know he does not want me working and wants to eat..he does this about every half hour or so...

And this little one is Gwen, she rarely is in the studio but sits at the bottom of the stairs and cries and whines, because she can...she looks sweet, but don't let that fool you..

And at the end of the day if I am lucky I get some work done...

This piece took me about 2 months...

Flower Designs

2010-04-04T09:26:00.000-07:00

So I took some time off and I have been working non stop to create a new series of work. For some time now I have been so engrossed by the landscapes of my past Illustrations that I have centered my new work purely on this. I seem to think that this obsession with drawing flowers may stem from the fact that this has been one of the worst winters in a long time and maybe I was just praying for Spring.....

These winding flowers are going to be included in the new book I am working on for Bullseye, but I am also using these images as the main characters in my new body of work.

I have already finished quite a few and I will be posting the new work online at http://www.twistedbeautydesign.com/ , soon to come.

This is just a sample of the new characters starring in my work.....

My Blue Period

2010-01-22T11:54:00.000-08:00

Smitten with the color Blue...

Pen and Ink Color Pencil

Tamara Weiss 2010

I have always been drawn to Snap Dragons and Bleeding Hearts. We used to have a garden full of these and I have many memories of snapping the heads off and pinching them so that they talk....

Pen and Ink Color Pencil

Tamara Weiss 2010

It seems most of my memories revolve around the garden...whether it be from my father smashing fire flies on his finger nails so that they glow in the dark, my sister and I pulling green moss from in between red bricks in a patio, or from running scared from an influx of Praymantisis crawling on our blue shingled house...

All of these memories are steering my new work with color...

Sneak Peek New Work!

2010-01-20T21:35:00.000-08:00

Pen and Ink, Color Pencil 2010

Working on new designs, I finally got my second wind and I am drawing like crazy. This new flower is just the beginning...So much more is a coming....

I just love the color in this flower and it seems that not only does it want to be a part of a much larger art piece, but it also wants to be on my rib cage as well...

Stay tuned...

Book Of Flowers Update!

2010-01-20T20:27:00.000-08:00

So it's finally here and ready to be in your hands. This is a forty page sketch book of stylized flower designs. A few are in color, but for the most part it's pure pen and ink...

Buy it online at Bullseye!

Flower Tattoo Flash

2009-12-29T10:35:00.000-08:00

Book of Flowers By Tamara Weiss

Sketch Book of Flower Designs and Tattoo Flash

This is a compilation of unique flower designs and images that can be interpreted into beautiful and original tattoos. A few are shaded and colored, but for the most part they are inked lines on a white page. Many of these flower images have detailed lines, but all of them can be easily simplified. I have seen so many traditional flowers, roses, lilies, etc..... I wanted to create something different, something I would gladly adorn myself with, and I have....

Here is just a sample...

This sketch book will be available to purchase at Bullseye Tattoo

There are over 40 pages of original artwork and flash to own, to use and to inspire..enjoy!

New Oven Mitt On Sale!

2009-12-21T12:39:00.000-08:00

New Oven Mitt on sale at Envelop!

"In Bloom"

By Tamara Weiss

Front and back they are both the same

I never really know what flower I am drawing, it is kinda a hybrid of sorts, the petals just unfold as I am drawing and I let it take shape.

New Designs!

2009-12-20T11:20:00.000-08:00

In Bloom

For the past couple of days I have been working on a few new exciting designs. I started with a simple pen and ink line drawing and watercolors gave it shape and color...

I have been trying to translate my flower drawings into beautiful items for the home. I am usually prone to overdesign, the more ornate the better, but lately I am trying to go for the more simple, subtle style.

This pillow comes in various sizes and is available to purchase online at:

http://www.envelop.eu/shop/designers/p/detail/tamara-weiss

This tote bag, I am still working on and should be available soon..

Envelop is such a fantastic source not only for an artist to explore design, but also for the buyers to get something unique and special.

My hope for the future is to create my own line of accessories and fashion apparrel and envelop allows me the opportunity to see what designs you, the audience, like....so any feed back, negative or positive, is much needed and appreciated... Thanks! Enjoy! Stay tuned for more to come!

A PLAY WITH CUT PAPER AND AN ODD MIND

2009-12-04T12:30:00.000-08:00

"Red Slippers" 2009 Pen and Ink/Color Pencil/Charcoal,Cut Paper

Tamara Weiss

"Exposed" 2009 Pen and Ink/Color Pencil/Charcoal/Cut Paper

Tamara Weiss

"Cherry Blossom" 2009 Pen and Ink/Color Pencil/Charcoal/Cut Paper/Mixed Media

Tamara Weiss

"Devils Food Cake" Pen and Ink/Color Pencil/Charcoal/Cut Paper

Tamara Weiss

SPOONFLOWER/ FLAVOR PAPER/ UNIQUE DESIGNS

2009-12-03T11:47:00.000-08:00

Spoonflower: Print custom fabric on-demand

Spoonflower is an amazing website that allows you to create your own textile and patterns, sell them and shop for other unique textiles created by artists. It is truly a fantastic place to play, design and explore pattern....the possibilites are endless...

I found this site many years ago and up until recentley, I never tapped into this source. There are so many places online now to explore design...it is exciting..

This gave me the idea to play with my own Illustrations.....

This is a play with "Red Hots and Lemon Heads", an original Illustration, done with Pen and Ink, Color Pencil, Charcoal, Cut Paper and Mixed Media.

My soon to be Mother-in-law has this piece hanging in her home...love ya Barbara!

This is a play with "Lazy Daisy Cake", again an original Illustration done with, Pen and Ink, Color Pencil, Charcoal, Cut Paper and Mixed Media.

For inspiration there is also an incredible site for the most insanely beautiful wall coverings.

Flavor Paper · Introduction

These are a just a few of my favorite designs:

Power Plant / Designed by Dan Funderburgh

City Park/ Designed by Dan Funderburgh

Shore Leave/ Designed by Emily Minnie

This company produces some of the most amazing wall coverings, their use of color and distintive designs are hands down the most inspiring images I have seen in a long time....This goes way beyond your mom and dads floral dining room wallpaper....

INTERIOR DESIGN

2009-11-30T17:32:00.000-08:00

For many years I have been merchandising and designing for Dwelling, Somnia and Urbia. It all started with a simple sales position and the job kept evolving and evolving and evolving...

I believe I worked for them, all in all about 7 years..

About two years ago, Dwelling began a transformation and I was fortunate enough to have a hand in it, placing truckloads and truckloads of furniture into a 24,000 sqft showroom. Along with my dear friend Anna Coy, the space began to take shape.

I have since left the company to pursue my many crazy whims, but I still take great pride in the store and drop in now and again....

These are just a few snap shots of our floor display, done about two years ago...

Visit Dwelling Online!

This space is so unique and inspiring...

In a lot of ways it was easy to design there, the pieces are that incredible....

BOOK OF FLOWERS TATTOO FLASH

2009-11-28T13:10:00.000-08:00

http://www.bullseyetattooshop.com/

Just another one of the many projects that I am working on.....

Bullseye Tattoo Shop in Staten Island is an amazing Tattoo Studio, full of many creative and talented artists. Their work is unique and they can gear their art for each and every client or you can choose from over 25,000 original designs.

For awhile now I have been drawing many different stylized flower designs and I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to have these published by them, a Book of Flowers.

I am very excited..and I will keep you posted..

Take a peek at their shop and the incredible work they produce..and if you have the opportunity stop by or make an appointment...you won't be sorry...

Artist: Steve Skelly

Artist:Victor Modafferi

Artist: Liz Manzolini

Artist: Cesar

ILLUSTRATIONS TO HOME ACCESSORIES

2009-11-28T12:39:00.001-08:00

Recently, I have become drawn more to the landscape of my illustrations and this is what has fueled my interest in design.

A very good friend of mine introduced me to an amazing website, which allows an artist to explore a different avenue of the arts. It allowed me to translate my illustrations to home accessory design, and I am having a ball creating fun, unique items for the home. It has opened so many new doors for me and I am running with it.....

Soon I hope to have a series of wallpaper and textile designs and a line of fashion apparel....so keep your eyes peeled....the skies the limit...

You should check out my online shop at Envelop for a sneak peek at some of the items I have been toying with...Enjoy..

http://www.envelop.eu/shop/designers/p/detail/tamara-weiss

ARTIST STATEMENT

2009-11-28T11:58:00.000-08:00

"Pulling Taffy" 2008 Series of 4

Pen and Ink/Color Pencil/Cut Paper/Mixed Media

I absolutely adore this series. I created these images back in 2008, using paper as my primary medium. There is something so wonderful about working on each of these ladies and then extracting them from the page, causing them to become so delicate in your hand. These ladies are dangling from their own little room, cocoon-like, graceful and yet deeply dark in context. You can find beauty in even the darkest of moods.

ARTIST STATEMENT

I remember as a child reading the German Fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm and being engrossed in such beautifully dark imagery. The imagery may be dark in nature, but it invokes a subtle beauty by the delicacy of the extracted images and the great care in which they are strung together.

Each finished piece is considered a storybook. Each page, each image is scored carefully with an exacto knife and assembled layer upon layer to depict one singular candy coated image. In some cases other mediums are introduced, such as textile cuttings and tracing paper to add some color texture and depth. Each finished piece can have up to twenty different layers to create a more inviting scene.

I call this twisted beauty, surreal-like dark images, intertwined with childlike notions of paper dolls and fairy tales.......