Haute Couture Steampunk Neo-Industrial Goth and The 1950s Taxi Service

Last evening I watched the Paris fashion week slideshows. The Alexander McQueen collection blew me away. Haute couture steampunk neo-industrial goth fashions graced models with oversized shiny black lips reminiscent of the piles of tires that lay scattered atop the stage. An apocalyptic post-millennial celebration of black and white, the fashions, while not wearable by the likes of most, spoke to the current sense of global economic meltdown. Spectacular.

Thus, in honor of beautiful fashion, I present "The Black and White Taxi Service" notecard sets. A hand-painted, hand screenprinted, original illustration, they are available in sets of 6 on 100% recycled paper with matching envelope. Perfect for the fashionista and available through my Etsy shop.

And packing continues despite the ever-increasing list of reasons I find not to, including setting up a new Facebook Fan Page. If you are on Facebook, you can now fan me by clicking here and receive updates on all things Octavine: amazing links, bohemian musings, sales and incredible DIY projects will be exclusively available to all fans.

Okay, the boxes are not filling themselves. Back to it...

An 1889 Victorian and The Catalog Model

The housing hunt is over. I (along with Belle, the mastiff-lab, my husband, and my new roommate, the Professor) will soon be living in the most gorgeous little 1889 Victorian.

I could not ask for more. Packing boxes and cleaning closets seem rather insignificant knowing my new residence is everything I could hope for. Surrounded by an enormous lush Oregon garden my summer afternoons shall be spent drawing in the sun and picking strawberries, kiwi, raspberries and grapes. Barbecues shall abound and Belle can run around like a wild monkey.

My anxiety assuaged, I am packing up shop. Treasures abound as chaos ensues. I found this painting recently; it had found itself behind some supplies. She is "The Catalog Model" and was based on a Louis Vuitton advertisement I found in the New York Times.

Thank you to everyone for their well-wishes during my housing crisis and thank you for the great suggestions for sports players prior to 1960. If you think of any more, let me know!~

The 1908 Chicago Cubs World Series Star Players -- Octavine Style

I recently received a commission to make a set of notecards of the 1908 Chicago World Series Star players Joe Tinker, Frank Chance and Johnny Evers. They made up the best infield combination in the Cubs history and are on the 1908 Chicago Cubs roster. Using baseball cards from the turn of the century as my inspiration, I drew the players from photographs I found and using each players' original card I copied his autograph to make my own vintage style baseball cards.

Enjoying this project and appreciating the end result, I created a series of the three Chicago Cubs players available both as screenprinted, hand-painted notecards and Moleskine journals. Immediately I had an enthusiastic response from Cubs fans throughout the country.

Thus I decided to begin an entire line of vintage sports players. However, I am not a sports fan. So I implore you all for help! I am open to all sports and players prior to 1960. If you have any ideas, leave them in the comments section. Any and all assistance will be most greatly appreciated.

In other news, I am still looking for a house. I stubbornly decided to not begin packing until I am secure in my next situation, so you can imagine my stress level. It is not real yet and I refuse to make it so until I can visualize something else. And I have an enormous amount of crap; rather unbelievable and extremely daunting. But I am looking at houses tomorrow and feel very optimistic. Fingers are crossed.

Oh, and the notecards (available as a set of six or single cards) and Moleskines journals are available in my Etsy shop. If you have any Chicago history buffs or Cubs enthusiasts in your circle feel free to pass this on!

Hibernation, Moving, a New Website & an Art Deco Portrait

Excuse the long absence. Following Portland’s "Snowpocalyse," I first went on vacation and then into a technologic isolation (meaning time spent away from the computer); the past months creating anew. Yet fate rustles me out of my hibernatory state by the news that this nest I created shall no longer be mine. The state of the economy is just my landlord now wants it as his. I do not blame him, ‘tis a lovely den located in prime Portland hip artsy zone.

Thus I get ready to ship out. I must repeat the mantra that this too shall pass and pour my anxieties into creative energy.

In the meantime, I created this piece for the 30th Anniversary of the CEO of Metropolitan Group, Eric for his time with the company and his founding of it. A lover of antiques and Art Deco, I created a stylized Art Deco representation of him. The books are all his favorites; the titles written on the spines in my miniscule lettering. The two Art Deco style logos above the bookcase are the past and present company logos; the tie and suit modeled after his dapper fashion sense. The time creating this image was long, taxing, yet rewarding.

In addition, I finished my new website. Or rather, a most wonderful person (Jeff Katz of Galit Consulting) collaborated with me to launch the fabulous new site: http://www.octavineillustration.com. The new site is a one-stop shop for all things Octavine. So please drop by and let me know what you think!~

Glad to be part of the world again. Or at least this world.

The Art Nouveau Ketubah

Finally, after three odd years, I sifted through all my wedding photos. Despite a constant conversation with myself about why I chose to wear that particular hairstyle, I love my wedding pictures. Reminding me of joy and insanity, friends and family, the photos serve to highlight that blur of a day. I do not know if I would have remembered Uncle Stu wearing a tuxedo with a clown nose or "Redbeef" (my husband's roommate from college) donning a kelly green suit and matching top hat.

However, while photos jog the memory of a place and time, the Ketubah, or Jewish marriage contract, serves to remind the couple of the emotion felt, the feelings had.

The Art Nouveau inspired Ketubah pictured is just that. An original design painted in gouache, the stylized waves are reminiscent of the bride and groom's time in Santa Cruz, where they met many years ago. Contacting me personally to execute both the text and design, it was a joy to create. The text, Art Nouveau inspired English and Hebrew calligraphy, is their vows: promises to each other to be met over a lifetime.