It's almost my birthday, here's a Party Favor: 60% Off Annual Subscriptions
Because that equals 32, just like me!
Birthday Party Favors from Me to You
For the month of March, I am offering a birthday spacial on my annual subscription to this very newsletter. The price you will pay is only $32, instead of the usual $80. That’s a 60% discount! Support my career as an artist, writer, and all around dope lady. Wow, glorious!
In case you feel so inclined to spend a little more, I am here for it! And I’m asking you to please do so, because I am just a poor lady trying to transition her traumatized booty back into the world of self-confidence, and self-employment. This deal is a bit special, so I will keep it active until April 25 (one month post birthday). Are you ready for the details?! Anyone who signs up as a Founding Member will receive a custom 5x7” portrait!!! Can be of yourself, your wife, your dog, your favorite neighbor, as long as you can provide me with a clear pic of the person. AND ABSOLUTELY NO BABIES. They are way too hard to draw and way too easy to make creepy.1
You may not know that I, Fiona Flaherty, love to illustrate a portrait! When I first got to Parsons the New School for Design, I truly couldn’t draw people. My first semester fashion illustration professor was concerned... After I had two years’ worth of putting in 15 to 30 hours of drawing time weekly, things began to click.2 Let me show you some of my work. (We will resume talking about the balloon journey next week, I promise!!)
and… we’re back! 25 minutes on the clock.
Let’s see how much I can convince you myself of my talents.
GO!
My favorite evolution of this design was when my Clem was screen printed and sold on shirts. Let’s take a moment to note this is one positive thing my mom was involved in, so she’s not all terrible and I’m finding it important to acknowledge this. Not for her sake, but for my own.
Below is my dear friend Abbie wearing one of the shirts! How incredible is the feeling of seeing your art, not only in the world, but chosen to won on some’s body! Abbie is a talented illustrator creating kitschy and adorable work under the name Polk Salad Abbie.
In fashion school, we draw from live models. The professors are teaching us drawing technique and the clock starts. There are one minute poses, five minutes, ten minutes and so on. This was a quicker pose, maybe five minutes, which allowed me to loosen up. The model’s puffy coat was giving such depth. The layering of marker quickly brought their look to life. I love this one! I used alcohol markers, specifically by Chartpak. The lids are hard to get off, they smell awful, but the results are delicious!! To this day, Copics have always felt a little too fancy, so I’m scared to really use them. Fun fact, I couldn’t remember the name of the markers, took a little trip to open up an art box from college, and here, dear friend, are ancient tools, potentially the same used in the above 2018 illustration. Deep Salmon has always been a favorite color. It’s the bright-mid-red tone in the puffer.
ARTIST TIP! If you want to draw with markers, invest in marker paper. This will make extend the life of your markers significantly.
I guess I could draw you a celebrity…
I can draw your pet!
I used to team up with my sister’s button company. At one table, I would live draw portraits of people or pets and she’d press the artwork into buttons. We crushed it at Porter Flea in Nashville the summer of 2015. It went so well, she and I were hired for live drawing at other events! Miss working with that girl. But honestly, how hard does an eight-year-old need to be working? I’m kind of thankful that the success of Vroom Vroom Balloon helped take pressure of her button company. My mom almost completely stopped caring about buttons once we started making money with the balloons. My sister got to take up sports and go to sleep overs. Though one can never truly escape The Evil Sunster’s employeedom. (Side note: Did you watch the Ruby Frankee documentary on Hulu yet??? All of the children were “employees.” Sounds familiar! The documentary made me cry, because of the abuse when the youngest children were left alone with their mother Ruby. If you have a bpd mom, it might be a hard one to watch. I was quite affected.)
Anyway, I got the skills, and hope you can help me pay the bills. #selfpromotion
Please think about upgrading to a paid subscription, if you can! Your support means the world to me and I’m really getting it together this time :)
I’ve tried explaining this to clients in the past… “No,” they say, “you are so talented".” And low and behold not a single party attendant was wearing their custom 2” button with that’s baby’s face on it.
Imagine if they didn’t though….