GreenSpaceGoods

A Few Words is All it Takes

2009-10-16T11:33:00.000-07:00

It recently came to my attention that I've lived on the north side of Atlanta for nearly 10 years. Oddly enough, it still doesn't feel much like home, but every day, Michael and I drive past the Spruill Art Gallery. It is situated on the corner of Ashford Dunwoody Rd and Meadow, very near our apartment. As long as I can remember, they've rotated out colorful mural installations on the side of a shed beside the gallery, the sight of which brightens the intersection and has always filled me with joy.

Earlier this year, the murals were replaced with the words "Everything will be ok" in black paint on a dingy white background. Initially, I disliked the sign. I felt that whoever painted it had taken all of the color and joy of the murals away and dumped this black and white "blah" in their place. But then… it hasn't exactly been an easy year. Bad days have been followed by worse months, and many are in far dire situations than we. There was a particularly bad day that we passed the sign and I read it- perhaps really understood the words for the first time and had to hold back a few tears. The words do not promise that everything is going to be super-duper awesome tomorrow. They don't sugar coat the situation, or pretend that things aren't bad. They simply state that it will be ok. We will manage. We will get by as we always have and there will be a brighter day than today. Not perfect, but ok. There is a lot of comfort in those words and I deeply appreciate the individual that painted them there. In the months since, they have lifted my spirits on many occasions, and I can only imagine how many others they have touched by their sincerity and truth.

Introducing- Tweetery

2009-10-14T15:08:00.000-07:00

Illustration Friday- Fly

I'm SO excited to finally be able to share this! For the past several months, Michael and I have been trying to figure out the next steps in our lives and during that process, we started building an iPhone application with some of our former co-workers. The result is Tweetery, a gorgeous little Twitter client designed and illustrated by yours truly. It's packed with plenty of the features you'd expect, and perhaps a few you don't- such as the ability to temporarily mute an overzealous tweeter! No more follow Friday madness! Just turn them off for the day! We're really proud of what has been accomplished and there is much more to come. We have a slew of features waiting in the wings to make the Twitter experience a true pleasure. Please help us out by spreading the word or downloading the app yourself! It will be $0.99 this week only!

See it on iTunes.
Check out the app site.

The Four Elizas

2009-07-31T08:47:00.001-07:00

"modify" for IF

Eliza was one of my submissions to The Doodle Off V.3. She was originally drawn in dark blue ink, but this grid of four colors suits her better. I don't normally modify my art this way, but sometimes things just feel right.

It's been a beautiful summer. I never look forward to fall. Fall means winter isn't far behind. We've been slowly cleaning out the apartment, trying to find new homes for things we don't really need. I feel tied down when I'm surrounded by too much clutter. I'm thinking about attempting to organize some box swaps with friends in other states so we can exchange things that the other person may find useful. We've been doing this randomly for the past few years, but never planned. A yard sale is still in order, but how do you do that from an apartment?? It seems strange to me. Some vintage things will likely end up on Etsy. Selections from my letterpress collection will be in that group. Part of me hates to give them up, but I have so many! There is just this itchy feeling in the air telling me it's time for a change.

Flinging Paint

2009-06-21T07:34:00.000-07:00

I've been experimenting lately with combinations of paint and ink. The ink is less apparent in these that I finished yesterday, but I have in my mind something that looks almost like a topographic map overlaid on top of the paint. These are very sketchy, which I like. There is less precision and more intuition than I'm used to. I need a good name for the lips. I was thinking of something silly like "Mustard", but if you have any ideas, shout them out! They will both be listed in the shop shortly :)

The Red Coat Prints!!!!

2009-06-16T12:43:00.000-07:00

Finally! We have finally managed to turn The Red Coat into a beautiful 5x7 print! For a long time, the delicate stippling in the snow seemed impossible to reproduce, but now I've got it worked out! Only $9 in the shop. :).

Possible Wallet Designs

2009-05-26T14:04:00.000-07:00

Finally submitted some wallet designs based on our artwork. If they agree to make them, Leila or Wicked Wasabi could cuddle your cash sometime soon. If you like them, please say so over on the flickr pages below.
Leila.
Wicked Wasabi.

Wood Panel Drawings

2009-05-14T13:29:00.000-07:00

Here are some more of my favorites that I've entered in the doodle off. The first is "The Wood Dweller" and the second is "The Lady and the Dragon". I highly recommend this type of competition. It's very low pressure, but it really has forced me to draw more freely. I haven't gotten this much practice in years. I found these little wood panels in the garage and they're just the right size for carrying to the coffee shop to draw. See more doodle entries at the official Doodle Off blog.

IF- The Monster Parade!

2009-05-12T08:14:00.000-07:00

Just finished this doodle for IF and for The Doodle Off V.3, but my current favorite is just below the monsters. I'm calling it- "The Sail Tail". See more of my doodle entries and those of many others at official Doodle Off blog.

More Doodles

2009-05-04T09:43:00.001-07:00

Are you sensing a trend? Yep. More doodles! This was my favorite of yesterday's doodles. I'm testing out some new pens on different substrates. I don't care for how the ink bleeds into the wood grain. I think I'm going to try another piece on wood with graphite and perhaps some paint. Show the other competitors some love and visit the official Doodle Off blog .

Doodles!

2009-05-03T10:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I think I'm only going to list my favorite doodles of mine from the Doodle Off here. No sense in duplicating everything from the Doodle Off blog! I think the first is some sort of Tiki Ostrich. Visit the official Doodle Off blog to see the more doodles from all of the competitors! So far, I'm good for #1-8 of 150.

Doodles #2-3

2009-05-01T21:57:00.001-07:00

Seems like I'm getting a slow start on the doodle off! #2 is a sort of angler fish and #3- no clue. I love the creepy top portion though. Visit the official Doodle Off blog to see the competition unfold!

The Doodle Off V.3!!!!

2009-04-30T09:49:00.000-07:00

I've entered the Doodle Off V.3 and I'm super excited!! I'll be blogging about it here as it moves forward. The competition officially starts May 1st and you can check out all of the doodle action here. We've started writing our introductory posts. Here is mine:

Nice ta meech ya!
I'm Lani. My official business card title is "Pixel Wrangler" but I'm just an all around crafty gal. My other internet persona is GreenSpaceGoods. Most of my doodling ends up in the Ink Blot Collection, an artistic venture between Michael Ayers and I. This will be some of my first public solo doodlage.

Location:
Atlanta, GA

Strategy:
No clue! I guess finding those lost little bits of time and putting them to good use. Also doodling up large sheets of paper so I can scan or photograph several at once.

What I hope to gain:
Relaxation in my doodling. Most of my doodling is actually what I consider finished art, so I rarely take time for "just for the heck of it" doodling. I worry too much about perfection and need to break that habit.

Peace Out!

A Very Yummy Painting

2009-04-11T13:12:00.000-07:00

Goodness it's been a while! Michael and I have been deathly ill and it turns out that I've perforated my eardrum, so we've been doing more resting than crafting. I did get a little spurt of energy the other day though and started pondering the idea of a series of vintage soda bottle paintings. I'm trying to practice being more relaxed in my art. I've always been a photorealism and rulers girl when it comes to drawing specific objects, so this time I tried to draw and paint everything without fussy measurements and exact perspective. I'm pretty happy with the results. I love Yoo-Hoo and the graphics on the vintage bottles (far before my time) are so pretty. I believe this one is from the 1950's. If you have any suggestions for the next bottle painting, leave them in the comments. Off to take some more meds. Hope everyone is well and having a good weekend :)

Thank You SevenPly

2009-03-22T10:14:00.000-07:00

We both admit to being classic procrastinators, so it's no surprise that we waited to the last minute to figure out what gift to give a certain special girl for her birthday. She's a skateboarding fashionista so after scouring the internet for accessory awesomness, it finally it hit us- a recycled skateboard pocket mirror! There's only one issue- finding one. After contacting several skateboard jewelry artists, we were finally rescued by SevenPly. I can only attempt to put into words how fantastic they are. Not only did they take on the challenge of making us a product they'd never attempted before, but they took it on as a rushed order as well. They kindly and professionally listened to every detail we requested, patiently bent to our every whim and even made multiples for us to choose from. The result is fabulous. I hope that they make many more of these. I wouldn't mind having one for myself! Please check out their shop here. And if you're reading this SevenPly- keep up the good work. You haven't seen the last of us :)

Making Progress

2009-03-12T11:57:00.001-07:00

I've been working on this drawing for a few days now. I think all of the ink work is done, but I'm not sure where I want to go with it from here. I think it would be nice as a water color, but the ink is already down, so I don't want to ruin it with water. I could digitally color it, but I just haven't decided yet. Any opinions out there? She needs a good name too. Leave a comment with your suggestion :)

You May Have to Fight Me for It.

2009-02-25T10:29:00.000-08:00

Have you ever made something that you just don't really want to give up? I'm still debating on this one. Blue and orange are my two favorite colors (this week), so I'm finding it difficult to part with this little number. Besides, who could resist that tiger??? Otherwise, things are well. We woke up this morning to a sweet sight. A mourning dove decided our flower basket would make a good napping spot. I guess it is rather nest-like. We tried not to disturb her, and she stayed puffed up there for quite a while. Happy Wednesday!

Bottle Caps Ready for Spring

2009-02-23T11:01:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited about this color combination! This shade of deep pink is rather hard to find, so we have to tip our hats to the wonderful people who have sent us their bottle caps that made this bracelet possible. With the green and pink looking both funky and fresh, I'm certain that this bracelet would feel at home at a dance club or a Sunday brunch without a problem. What more could a girl ask for? Go check out all of the other angles of it in the shop.

Still a few more to finish, so stay tuned! We hope to have these finished this week.

A Post Valentine's Wish List

2009-02-17T12:01:00.000-08:00

So lately there have been a few items that have been tugging at my heart strings on Etsy and since it's been a while since we've had a good feature, here goes!

Ok. I admit it. I may not celebrate Valentine's day, but when I saw the secret decoder valentine by Crankbunny, I swooned. Words cannot describe how much I admire Crankbunny for her amazing skills.

I never considered myself to be a bag collector, but it certainly is turning out that way! Moop makes sturdy canvas bags that are meant to survive life and make it easier to get through. My love lies with the market bag in provincial blue.

Last but certainly not least is this license plate frame by Randitan. Seriously, it already looks like something that belongs in this house! I adore the rough puzzle quality it has and color combination is perfect.

I so wish I had found these before my birthday. Anyone up for Christmas in March?

Finally!

2009-02-17T11:28:00.000-08:00

We have some prints for sale in the shop! Hopefully we'll have a wider offering soon, but in the meantime, there are a few ink blots and one of my personal favorites– The Green Fairy. In other news, our Amaryllis just bloomed and they are lovely, so we thought we should share :) Have a good week everyone!

Eagerly Awaiting Spring

2009-02-13T13:15:00.000-08:00

A few of the trees in our apartment complex have started to bloom. We've had some unusually warm weather which has actually made it rather pleasant here. Still, I know the cold will return before too long. There is a large tree in our "front yard" that is always stunning in the Spring and is the biggest reason I'll hate to move when the time comes. Its blossoms are rather frilly and pink, which anyone can tell you isn't my style, but for some reason I've become particularly attached to it peeking into our balcony view. Its trunk is slightly twisted and I imagine if it had been fortunate enough to have been planted in a garden rather than an apartment complex, its branches would be perfect for sitting in and enjoying a good book. It's helped this place feel more like a home despite the tiny kitchen and slippery steps. Call me a tree hugger if you like. Sometimes they are just as welcoming as a good friend.

Time is Marching On

2009-02-03T20:04:00.000-08:00

I need to make something– badly. We've everything but shut down the shop since being laid off, and now I just can't seem to create anything. I have some good ideas, but I feel like exerting energy on anything other than the job hunt is not making progress. Then again, more portfolio pieces can't hurt either. I've considered working on some more digital illustration pieces, but I'm not sure what to create. At my last job, most of the illustration work I had the chance to do was around Christmas due to the shear volume of holiday themed products we pitched, so it would be nice to have something that shows what I can create without the use of tinsel and garland. If there are any ideas out there, please toss them my way :)

Hope everyone is having a good week.

New Beginnings

2009-01-22T09:20:00.000-08:00

So it's been a little over two weeks since the our own personal recession began, and although nothing permanent has come along yet, we have a few good leads. In the meantime, I was able to get my new portfolio site up and running. (Thank you Michael) He was good enough to put together the technical bits for mine first, so his is still in progress. Other than some additional pieces I'll be adding to it and a few minor tweaks, I believe it's ready to be shown to potential employers. Feel free to take a look.

Closing a Chapter

2009-01-08T13:33:00.000-08:00

Dearest reader, I know we've always kept our more personal and professional experiences to ourselves, but in light of recent events, we felt the need to share. On Tuesday, our office was closed forever without warning and Michael and I now find ourselves jobless along with all of our beloved former coworkers. Luckily, we're both fairly level headed and decent with saving money (Thanks Dad. I get it from you.), so we'll be alright for a while. We hope that you will keep us in your prayers while we feverishly update our resumes and build the portfolio sites that honestly should have been done years ago. We may be absent from the blog for a while, but if anyone has an opening for a Graphic Designer or an Interactive Flash App Developer, both with experience working with one of the largest social networking platforms - let us know.

Lani Mathis
Graphic Designer

Michael Ayers
Senior Application Developer

contact@greenspacegoods.com

We'll be sure to link to the new portfolio sites when they're finished. Until then- peace out.

Two Painted Pups and a Partridge in a Pear Tree…

2008-12-27T07:22:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to reveal a project I've been working on. Meet Nemo and Bailey, two sweet pups that belong to Michael's grandmother and mother. I've been in a bit of a painting mood lately, and so this darling pair were made for their Christmas presents. (and they were a big hit!)

I'll admit that I was heavily influenced by Berkley, who is an amazing artist who specializes in clothed animals. I highly recommend you check out his shop here. Keep a lookout for more paintings in the new year. I hope to move more in that direction, incorporating found objects as makeshift canvases (not clothed animals I'm afraid. I'll leave that to Berkley). Let me know what paintings you'd like to see by leaving a comment below. As you can see from the great void on the left, we're taking a break from the shop until Jan. 5th for some much needed r&r.
We hope everyone is having a happy and restful holiday.
Peace out :)

Let It Begin!

2008-12-16T20:31:00.000-08:00

Yes, the title is stolen from the movie Bolt. If you haven't been yet, go see it. Seriously.

Gosh! We've been so swamped with the holiday whirlwind that I haven't written in almost a month! Today I'm sharing some of our seasonal finds that have helped supply us with warmth in our drafty little place, even if it be the proverbial warmth not found spatting from our space heater. Above you'll see our little tree. This adorable addition is actually smartly sculpted rosemary, an apartment (and eco) friendly alternative to both cut and artificial trees. The fresh scent is guaranteed to lift your winter worn spirit perhaps even better than the more traditional spruce and a few snipped sprigs can be added to season or garish your holiday meal.
Of course, if you have ornaments that are too large for a table top tree, we recommend displaying them elsewhere. Ours are hung on a pot rack (which was rescued from a yard sale).

My favorite ornaments this year are our little alphabet block house by ArtByHeather and our bunny rabbit tags (used as ornaments) by BelleAndBoo. If you're looking for something unique and nostalgic, you should definitely check out their shops.

Hopefully we'll be back to blogging soon with some more neat things we've been up to. There are a few crafty gifts that will have to wait until after Christmas for us to show, but stay tuned for our ginger bread house post. We promise that we've assembled something special this year :) Last, but not least, please give a big round of applause to Michael who finally sewed the bells on his stocking (on the left, below). It's been waiting a whole year for them! If we don't squeeze in another post before Christmas, we wish you all warmth, safety, and mental stability as you go forth into this consumerist wonderland and we suggest you repeat three questions in your mind while gift hunting: Do they actually want it? Do they actually need it? Should it actually cost this?
Peace out.