Winged Blog Beast Blog Outfitters Blog

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-10T15:22:00.000-08:00

Thanks, Ottawa! You've made this a pretty bangin' Fall/Winter season!
The Winged Beast will rest soon... there is still time to get your last minute holiday orders in! But you will have to be fast.

Looking forward to 2012!

Cheers,

The Winged Beast (Stirling)

Winged Beast Outfitters Returns to Toronto Oct. 23

2011-10-15T09:55:00.000-07:00

Next weekend is the beginning of the fall season for Winged Beast Outfitters. And, I'm kicking it off with a little trip out of town. I'm heading to Canzine 2011 in Toronto!
Details:
Sunday, October 23
Toronto – 918 Bathurst Centre
918 Bathurst St. @ 1 – 7 pm
There's a $5 cover, but it's worth it.

Everyone who reads this and lives in Toronto should come. And, tell a friend to come, too.

Here's why: it's been a few years since I've made a stab at the Big Smoke, but I think the timing is right, or rather I have the time (which ever). To sweeten the deal, I'll be rolling out new stuff for the sellin'.

There's this wicked toque, entitled simply "My Pants!".

Click on this pic to find out why it's so awesome.

There will be four new post cards. Some are new, and a couple are variations on old themes. Either way, I'm pretty happy with them. Look out for a limited run of Squid Menace posters.

And last but not least, there will be kitten army t-shirts. Finally, I got off my duff and made these. I had to after I got a lot of demand for them at the Wolf Island Music Festival.

I'm looking forward to this! Hope you are now, too.

Returning to Wolfe Island!

2011-07-26T19:56:00.000-07:00

Winged Beast Outfitters is heading to the Wolfe Island Music Festival August 5-6. It's a great little festival on an island near Kingston. I was a vendor there last year, and it was an amazing blast. The line-up is pretty awesome looking. Personally, I'm excited about the Wooden Sky and Jenn Grant.

What will I have that's new? Well, there will be new cardigans and some new t-shirt prints, as well as more up-cycled retro pillowcases and tea-towels.

New up-cycled retro pillowcases!

Also, a couple new one inch pins... and, of course the return of the classics!

So, if you're in or near Kingston-town and looking for a great weekend of music: a) come to this festival and b) drop by my tent!

Winged Beast has Idle Hands! June 11 in Ottawa!

2011-06-06T19:22:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, Winged Beast Outfitters will be doing a select engagement (likely my only show for the summer months!)...
So, come on down for the Idle Hands: Spring into Summer Craft Sale!
Here are the deets:
St.Luke's Anglican Church 760 Somerset Street West (in the heart of Ottawa's Chinatown).
From 10am till 5 pm, Saturday June 11 2011.
Admission is $2 with a chance to win one of our fabulous door prizes!
(Please note that this is a cash only event).

I'm going to have a few of my new Bear vs. Squid shirts. As well, as some other new prints and items. I'd come down just to see what I'm talking about!

Come for the great makers, then get some great food...mmm... Chinese food! or Korean... or, well, there's lots to choose from.

See you this weekend.

Upcoming Event in Ottawa March 19th

2011-03-15T16:31:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I'll be doing a charity craft show this Saturday, March 19th.
@ Bronson Center –Mac Hall
10am- 5pm
211 Bronson Avenue - main floor

Proceeds from the show go to support:
The childrens aid society
Autism Ottawa
The Glebe Center
The Heart and Stroke Foundation

I will have some new stuff for kids. I also have some shirts and scarves on sale! So, come on by!

Upcoming Show in Montreal

2011-02-05T10:21:00.000-08:00

The first of my 2011 shows is next weekend in Montreal!

Here's the skinny:

February 12th & 13th
11:00am - 6:00pm
105 St. Viateur West corner St.Urbain
St. Michael's Church.

This is a good chance to get that someone special something amazing, because, you know...Valentine's Day is imminently approaching.

Lights On and Back at it for 2011

2011-01-30T14:13:00.000-08:00

Well, it's time to get back at it.

After Christmas, I was planning to take a couple months' hiatus from Winged Beast Outfitters. I used the time to get my new blog off the ground, Drop The Reference Bomb, off the ground. I've been writing about my other life as a librarian.

Anyways, my break was cut short. A couple shows have fallen into my lap this past week, and I couldn't pass them up. So I've dusted off the screens and am getting ready to launch 2011... which is in fact the FIFTH ANNIVERSARY of the Winged Beast!

And since it's the the fifth, I'm going to do some auspicious things. Auspicious, besides the usual hustlin'! New Website(soonish)! New designs and prints! A special limited edition anniversary print coming out this spring! More music festivals (maybe)!

Amazing, right? It's a lot of new stuff to learn and a loooong to-do list. Still, I'm looking forward to a great year!

More on up coming shows later this week.

Holiday Cards... Revealed!

2010-12-30T06:18:00.000-08:00

Behold Nesting Robots Holiday Cards!

These are pics from the Christmas cards I made my family this year.

The drawings were inspired by the babushka dolls that many of us had in one form or another growing up. There is something really pleasurable in the repetitious pulling apart and replacing of each the little dolls, and I've watched my nephew do it over and over. Great, right? I wanted to recapture that quirky fun in the cards. I'll be tweaking and likely colouring them in at some point. They'll be up for sale in the fall, I imagine. Watch out.

The cards were to contain my thoughtful offering to my family. This year I wanted to nix the whole gift thing and go with a donation in their names. I chose the charity Kiva because it provides a little bit more interactivity in how the donation is used. And, as a newish small-small business person, I get why Kiva's microloans can be essential. In the spirit of things, I chipped in to support a Mongolian underwear merchant. Plug over.

To or Not To Etsy

2010-12-27T14:44:00.000-08:00

Setting up my Esty account in 2007 was so straight forward and fast, that it won my heart. In fact, I would describe it's simplicity as winsome. I had Winged Beast Outfitters' web store up in about half an hour (discounting the time it took to do the first photos and the banner). I think this is probably the truth for most sellers and buyers on Etsy.

The site is growing. A recent NYtimes article on Etsy said that there are close to 400 000 sellers and that's quite a herd in which I must stand out. The quirky tshirt market is already pretty saturated and capturing market share is tricky. On the other hand, Etsy expects to do about $400 million in transactions this year. So, there is definite merit in maintaining a presence here. It's a big sea with a lot of sizes of fishies.

I've wonder if clearer pastures might not be a bad idea. I've casually investigated other selling options, such as Artfire (a clear Etsy knock off, but with a little more power when it comes to shop appearance). There's also Big Cartel, which focuses exclusively on clothing and has a fairly powerful set of tools of customizing the look of your shop.

As a design-first sort of person, the ability to control the look and feel of my shop is a big draw. Etsy has only a few options by comparison. There is a catch. If you look at the pricing for Big Cartel you see that it's scalable based on how much you want to build and expected volume of sales.

At the same time, you would need to maintain your monthly sales to pay for the site. Artfire has very similar price points. In both cases, the free site is a nice draw in, but the pay as you go attitude at Etsy seems to work for the amount I sell, right now.

It's not just look-and-feel or pricing, it's discovery. Etsy was more or less first to market for the craftster niche and has the benefit of recognizability and trust. Also, it's had longer to build up the meta-data(tags and catagories and user inputted 'like') on its site. This makes searching for something more fluid between items, shops, and lists, as well as giving power to Etsy searches.

Big Cartel for instance has no option that links between stores through common themes, materials etc. other than the search function. This mean people searching for Robot themed shirts will land on one site and not be easily linked to other shirts of the same theme! This is not great. Not if the goal is to be stumbled across(which is a big chunk of the new artist/businesses customers).

No site will be perfect. I accept this. I like Etsy and for my level of sales it seems to work well. Over the next months, I think I will start up a site of both Artfire and Big Cartel using their free accounts. And, I guess we'll see.

Business, like science, is a process of experimentation. So, if I'm gonna be in it for the quiche then I'd better get on that experiementin'.

Puces Popped

2010-12-22T17:45:00.000-08:00

Got back from Montreal Sunday and I'm just getting to my Puces Pop post now. Phew, it was an exhausting weekend, followed by a late night's foggy winter drive, and then right back into the last work-week before x-mas.

Let me just say Puces Pop was a great success. I broke my all-time weekend sales record, and sold about 207 items (I love stats like this.. A customer said I was the only one she saw keeping such close score. I was surprised. I feel like I only have 1/5th the information I want to know... anyways...)

As you can see, I'm pretty excited about my table. This is early on Saturday. Over the weekend, I (with advice from friends) evolved the layout of my table. I don't have an "after" photo because by the end, I was working hard to put stuff in people's hands. The salient detail is that I had too much stuff out and surface space was being taken up by things that weren't selling well. So I packed up some things and made room to lay out a few of my shirts, so you didn't have to flip through the rack to see them. That worked well and resulted in a lot more attention.

I'm being thoughtful here, and I've a lot to think about. Looking at other people's stalls, I know that I need to make some display stands, particularly for the greeting cards. They sold well, but definitely could be displayed better. I sketched out some ideas based on what I saw around me (Christopher of Squid Wool on my left had some kickass ones that worked well for his merch) and will post something when I try to build my first attempts. Also, I need to work harder on overstocking items that are doing well. Also, pricing... well... that's another post.

Anyways, big thanks to my helpers (Ross and Teresa) and big thanks to everyone who dropped by. I hope to see Montreal again soon!

I'll post some more pics soon. I'm also happy to give Winged Beast Outfitters a short rest while I spin up another project I've been trying to get off a simmer.

Happy holidays everyone everywhere!

Winged Beast lands in Montreal this Weekend!

2010-12-13T18:24:00.000-08:00

Last weekend took me surprise. Old Man Winter zapped me with a debilitating cold. Which meant, I had to cancel my appearance at the Shang Craft Sale in Ottawa. It is really frustrating to disappoint fans and event organizers. That's how it goes sometimes ... anyways, I'm recovered now and looking forward to my last show of the 2010 season.

That's right. Puces POP in Montreal. I'm very stoked ... but also a little nervous. This is probably the most renowned and hippest (if you go by hipness) that I've ever done. I guess it's a lot like moving up a level in Final Fantasy or whatever. Bigged crowds, higher prices and talent. I've been to the show and everyone i saw was pretty darn talented. I'm happy to be included. It's a compliment I appreciate. I just, you know, want to make a good impression. So, I'm taking extra time this week to settle all the little details, so I can put my best foot forward.

Show details:
December 18-19th

at the St-Enfant Jesus church on St-Dominique at St-Joseph. Map.

It's run 11 am to 6 pm both days.

Puces Pop website.

I'll have some new things to sell. Including boss new scarves!

And also greeting cards! Just in time for the holiday's final lap.

Long story short. If you're in Montreal this coming weekend, drop by, do your last minute holiday shopping, and don't forget to say hi to me!

Cheers.

The Things We Do For Love

2010-12-03T19:01:00.000-08:00

In the Ottawa maker.crafter scene, I'm sure I haven't met anyone nicer than Emily Chen, the Mistress of Mchenwears. She's shown above in this wicked photo of her and Shad. A fount of experience and optimism, she's been a great and helpful competitor (friendly, of course) and is no slouch of an artist.

In June 2010, Emily and her sister launched the DAD(Drawing a Day) Project, a heartfelt and wonderful tribute to their father's battle with colon cancer (Mr. Chen passed away in October). Together, they've created a regular stream of off-beat, often punny drawings. Every day or so they upload a new illustration that they sell via etsy to raise money to support of cancer research.

Other artists and I have donated works to help their cause. I donated a couple 8x10 prints that are only available through the DAD Project. You can get them here! It's something special to give what I can to such a profound expression of love. And, I hope maybe you all out there have something to offer or maybe want to make a purchase. Check out their site!

Finger Politics

2010-12-02T10:39:00.000-08:00

I ran into Gabe at the Glebe Craft and Artisan Fair. I am sometimes terrible with faces, and it turns out we've exchanged business cards at least twice before... anyways, Gabe is the mind and hands behind Fish on Fridays.

Besides some amazingly soft furry beasts, she also is a mad producer of amazing political finger puppets. Ripped from the headlines, and made to just scale right for your hands, are the likes of past Prime Ministers, Brian Mulrooney, Pierre Trudeau and John A. MacDonald and MPs Chuck Strahl, Megan Leslie, Ujjal Dosanjh and speaker of the house Peter Milliken. Totally worth checking this stuff out.

Gabe's currently doing One of a Kind in Toronto. I'm jealous, but only theoretically jealous. I'm not actually anywhere prepared or conceptually ready to do that kind of show... still the idea is germinating! It also rekindled my ideas of collectives and doing massive Ottawa events like Bluesfest. Sharing costs for an event with the potential for so much exposure intrigues me, not just as a mildly ambitious maker, but also as a sort Canadian expression of grass roots community driven capitalism... or something.

December Shows!

2010-11-27T12:28:00.000-08:00

Hi! I have one December show scheduled. I'm heading to Montreal for Winter Puces Pop! This will be the Winged Beast's first foray out of Ontario. I'm pretty stoked because this show tends to be a hotbed of talented folks! And, I like to included among talented people.

Show details:
December 18-19th
at the St-Enfant Jesus church on St-Dominique and St-Joseph. Map.
I'm not sure, but going on past hours, it'll run 11-6.

I think it's gonna be great! I was at their October event and was blown away by some of the people who turned out. As someone who views himself as up and coming, chances like these to push into a wider market and more renowned events make me jittery. But, it's always worth it to put yourself and your art out on a limb!

I'll be pushing some of my hits from the last weeks, including toques, scarves, and some chance find polos! More on that when I've got them ready.

Also, this is an out of town gig for me. I hope the Canadian Weather is kind and gives me decent roads! Though, there is something profoundly awesome about road trips!

See you there.

November Markets!

2010-11-22T14:18:00.000-08:00

Well, I had a couple of crazy weeks. Craftalicious one weekend and then the Glebe Craft and Artisan Fair the next... a bit hectic at times. But, it all came off ok in then end. And so let me show you some pics from the last two weekends.

My table at the start of Craftalicious!

The lovely Teresa giving me a hand!

Me giving a nice visitor the run down.

As you can see Craftalicious was a pretty intimate, jammed packed little event. I highly recommend it to any other local Ottawa makers who don't know about this show. From what I understand, the organizers wanted to make an event that was small, fun, and well fed. It was also well visited. I did well enough in one day to force me to scramble for the next weekend.

Compared to Craftalicious, the Glebe craft event was a little more... umm... stately or something (it certainly was the most gorgeous venue I've ever sold in). Younger designers of my ilk were by far in the minority, with a lot more traditional crafts and such dominating the show. Still, it wasn't a wash... far from it. The older crowd meant that smaller ticket items were more the course de jour.

The Glebe fair was my first multi-day show. This was a huge learning opportunity for me, since I've mostly done one-day events. Coming out of Craftalicious I was low on some of my core shirts, but my resupply fell through. This left me innovating to fill my table. Trips to fabric land and the goodwill and late nights printing! And then selling all weekend (and printing at night)... it was quite the marathon. The result was, though, a few new innovations that I'm going to push forward (particularly in the scarf department).

Having so many market days in a row also meant that I had a good chance to evolve my table setup.

I think I'm a few steps closer to making full use of the space I get. I really see the need to make my display more vertical so that it's easier to see as people walk by. I have show dates in December(more to come on that) and I will definitely be testing out new ideas. And some ideas will be sticking around.

Now for some breathing room to restock and get organized for Puces Pop!

The Things I Need to Learn... Fast

2010-11-18T14:18:00.000-08:00

I'm not a trained artist. The DIY joy that drives me means that most of what I do is ad hoc - there are little details that I miss in form and method, especially when it comes to actually screen printing the clothes.

Recently, I was having a lot of problems with prints bleeding around the edges of the image. This made the lines fuzzy and lame and me frustrated. There were other inconsistencies, too. Why was this happening!!!??

I turned to google for help and discovered a wealth of videos that were just the kind of tutorial I was looking for. Honestly, I'll admit right now that before I started a few years ago I had never seen a person make a print other than in photos... weird right? Ok... moving on.

Make Magazine posted this video. It's a good run down of the basic principles and has a solid ETSY connect to boot, featuring one of the executives of the site, Matt who is also a screen printer as well. What got me interested was later in the video when Matt explains how to flood the screen(spread the ink on the screen) and pull the squeegee to push the ink onto the shirt.

This helped, but the librarian in me (I am a librarian) wanted more... so I kept looking.

I found Roger Jennings' Vimeo page. Roger appears to know his stuff when it comes to the silk screen business (he's backed by a 30 year career... and some crazy background in electrical substations) and he's posted a wealth of videos on common problems and things like that.
This video was particularly helpful because Roger spends the first few minutes evaluating some common flaws in a new printers' work.

Screen Printing Overview - How to Print from Roger Jennings on Vimeo.

He's got a lot to explore.

Anyways, the problem appeared to be that I wasn't distributing my ink unevenly (called flooding...oooh industry term). And, I was applying too much pressure when I pulled with my squeegee across the screen.

After I figured this out, I took some scrap fabric and practiced. Right away, I started to see improvement!

So... thanks Roger.

Upcoming Events in November!

2010-11-06T14:21:00.000-07:00

Winged Beast Outfitters will be appearing in the flesh this November! I'm going to have a boat-load of great stuff, and there will be an host of other great makers of things. A great way to pass a cold Novemebery day with friends and family.

Craftalicious
Saturday, November 13 · 9:00am - 5:00pm
St. Matthew's Anglican Church (Ottawa)
217 First Ave. (just off Bank Street)
Ottawa, ON
Admission is FREE!

Glebe Craft Fair (Three day event!!!!)
Friday, November 19 at 6:00pm - November 21 at 5:00am
Glebe Community Centre
175 Third Avenue
Ottawa, ON
Admission is FREE!

More events may be coming in December! Stay tuned, k?

This happy bear is wearing a cozy onesie. He is really rocking it.
Cheers!

Helpful Notices! About Shipping! For ETSY Customers!

2010-11-03T13:28:00.000-07:00

Well, my day job has officially rolled out its xmas decorations (Earlier than ever!). This doesn't mean you don't need to be thinking about great gifts! On that note, I have to point out that Winged Beast Oufitters has some great things to offer.

I want to let you know some details about shipping. I use Canada Post and they recommend the following dates for when items should be shipped by to make sure they will arrive on time for the big day (Dec. 24 or before!).

From Canada to:
Canada	Dec. 22
USA	Dec. 16
Africa	Dec. 1
Asia	Dec. 6
Australia	Dec. 6
Carribean	Dec. 1
Central/South America	Dec. 6
Europe	Dec. 6
Middle East	Dec. 6
New Zealand	Dec. 6

Of course, these are rough guidelines and not at all guaranteed (Customs is annoying at times). If you are interested in a Priority shipment for last minute orders, please contact me and I can get a quote for you. My kind recommendation is try to make you purchases a few days before the listed dates.

Cheers and happy holidays!

Things to carry with you...

2010-10-13T17:27:00.000-07:00

I've returned to the world of tote bags. I tried once before but had mixed results that I can't show (somehow I sold or gave them all away... a miracle, I say!). Though this first run is all gone, I wasn't quite happy with what I was selling.

Some time spent rethinking the problem led to one major realization: use simpler images. Before, I printed up more complex pictures on different coloured bags. This meant harder to read images that didn't grab they eye well.

This time, I've opted for clearer, more distinct drawings. This is more effective, as the contrast of black on the undyed cotton is striking. I am, in truth, pretty satisfied with the outcome this time, and I can't wait to roll these out at this year's x-mas markets.

I'm also using these bags to unveil some new prints, one of which will definitely find it's way onto a t-shirt and more!

Check out the Etsy listings in my Tote Bag section.

On the Case

2010-09-15T12:08:00.000-07:00

It was suggested to me by friends and family that perhaps Winged Beast pillowcases were necessary, perhaps even wanted. I'm always curious to see what works and what doesn't, creatively and in the marketplace. Thus begins this little test project.

As I can't sew, I found some really good looking ones for dirt cheap at a Value Village in Bellville(and my mom got a bunch at auction). After washing them (because I'm nice like that) I set to work printing them. Now follows some photos of that process.

Here's the pillow case, laid out in a handy workspace (my amazing kitchen table). Because the fabric's thin, I put some newspaper on the inside to prevent the ink from bleeding through. I also put a large craft mat underneath to give the case a little more thickness. Experience has shown that thin fabrics need this little bit added so they meet the screen well.

After that, the screen!

And then then the ink! A nice close up.

The print applied! But, I'm not done.

I wanted these to be special, to have something that wasn't on the t-shirts with the same print. Some added value, if you will. So, I hand-painted some colour for sparks and the robot's eyes, giving them a comforting glow. I used silkscreen ink and a dollar store paint brush. Doing the "Don't Let Go" prints has made me pretty comfortable with this... and it's a nice change of pace from the silk screening.

And that's the story of how I made this pillow case. I made a bunch more, too. You can see them at my Etsy store!

Wolfe Island Recap... Weeks Later

2010-08-24T18:56:00.000-07:00

It's taken a bit to get this post up (My computer died after i got back. Then I had to play catch up... Anyways). Wolfe Island Music Festival was a smash. Great music, great people, and affordable food and drinks... and beer.

As you can see, my tent had an amazing view. Also, the music was very dance-able.

Here I am dancing to Diamond Rings in my handsome cardigan.

I was also very busy selling stuff, which is good, but I'd have loved a chance to get out and see what everyone else was selling. This happens. Luckily, I was planted right next to the Kingston Humane Society and their bake sale... so... thank-you to them.

The whole day was a good test for my newer things. The pins did well. So, they're definitely here to stay. I even sold a few of the blankets. These things were popular once the sun started to go down. This futuristic couple model their purchase.

And to all Wolfe Islanders, I hope to see you again next year.

Winged Beast Hits the Road

2010-08-02T18:48:00.000-07:00

This coming weekend is the Wolfe Island Music Festival. Besides the pretty good line-up, I'm going to be selling shirts and things. Since this is my first straight up music festival, I'm launching an all new music friendly t-shirt. Buy one and proudly proclaim that you do indeed heart good bands.

Other makers of things include mchenwears another Ottawa local. If you have the time and motivation you should wander down to Kingston and check us and the whole show out.

Or... you can go to my web store... new stuff has been recently posted. More on that later.

Pins and Needles

2010-07-22T13:39:00.000-07:00

In preparation for the Winged Beast Outfitters expedition to the Wolf Island Music Festival I have added a few new $1.00 items to my table.
Behold a selection of 1.25 inch pins:

And also a delightful new key chain:

The Wolf Island Music Festival runs Aug. 6 - 7 and includes a smashing line-up for a reasonable price. Check out their website for more details.

Winged Beast Hearts Good Bands

2010-06-22T15:05:00.000-07:00

Winged Beast Outfitters is taking on the the Wolfe Island Music Festival Aug. 6 -7. I wanted to do something new, so there'll be this new print for all music fans out there.

Also, another new addition: I'm going to be making sweet screen printed blankets for the comfort and awesomeness of the festival goers. It'll have this snazzy image along the left side. Sweet, eh?

Oh, and maybe I'll make buttons. More to come!

Promotional Matters

2010-05-28T17:53:00.000-07:00

For Ravenswing D-I-Y Fair, I threw together a promotional flyer in support of my fiction blog project. I think it looks pretty nice. I've been a little slack on posts lately, but awesomeness takes time... and I've been getting a crap load of shirts ready for Sunday and looking for a semi-straight job... so yeah. More is coming!

Ravenswing Meets Winged Beast -- This SUNDAY!

2010-05-25T07:31:00.000-07:00

Winged Beast Outfitters is coming out this Sunday to be part of the Ravenswing D-I-Y Fair.

It's outdoors, in a park... and hopefully weather permitting an AWESOME DAY for seeing the new shirts and fashion stylings I'm rolling out. Including a new powerful print! And what? CARDIGANS! Not to mention the return of an old favourite! Also, other great artists and makers will be there!

Detials about the event are:

Ottawa's Do-It-Yourself Fair is back and better than ever!

Ravenswing brings you a spectacular + affordable craft and zine fair, skill-sharing workshops (brought to you by the Les Ateliers gals) and lovely music from local bands and artists.

Ravenswing D-I-Y Fair is proudly held in collaboration with The Clothesline Project, a feminist initiative that combats violence against women and children and promotes healing through public art. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=115894728423532

Band lineup:

11:00 THE MUDPLOTS http://www.myspace.com/themudplots
11:45 THE UNCLES http://www.myspace.com/theunclessweat
1:00 WINCHESTER WARM http://www.winchesterwarm.ca/
2:00 SARAH HALLMAN http://www.sarahhallman.com/
2:55 ADAM SAIKALEY http://www.adamsaikaley.com/
3:50 NEW TEETH http://www.myspace.com/newteethband

Workshops (presented by Les Ateliers!):

12:30 - 1:00 SPROUTING with Will Schiestel
Jar sprouting is an inexpensive and rewarding way to grow your own produce. And it takes up almost no space! Participants will learn the nutritional benefits of sprouting, how to prepare their seeds for sprouting and the various types of sprouts that can be grown.
Workshop is all ages.
WHAT TO BRING: a 500 ml – 1 litre mason jar with a lid. All other materials will be supplied.

1:35 - 2:00 STENCIL PRINTING with Rachel Stone & Lauren Potosky
Learn to silk screen on the cheap! Participants will cut their own stencils and print them, learning about various printing techniques and surfaces that can be used for creating your own t-shirts, fine art prints, totes and much more!
Workshop is 13+ unless accompanied by a parent.
WHAT TO BRING: an item to stencil on (t-shirt, tote bag, pillowcase, fabric, artists canvas etc.) and a high contrast image (ie. Black and white picture with minimal detail) that can be cut up. All other materials will be supplied.

3:25 - 3:50 BEATBOXING with Matt Gilmour
Come learn the art of beat boxing! Participants will be encouraged to explore the possibilities of making music with their voice and learn to replicate the sounds of music. Truly DIY music!
Workshop is all ages.

Curious about Les Ateliers? Check 'em out of facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=54954388994

Vendors:

* Amazon Creations
* Apt 5 Distro
* Beat Greens Seeds
* Beautiful Mess Perzine
* Colin White Comix
* coNartist
* Dark Potion Designs
* Drakestail Handmande Jewellery
* The Drama Queen
* E John Orbit Bainbridge
* Exile Infoshop
* Haley Richards
* Indie*Go Jewellery
* Jaded Raven Creations
* Laura Stephen Pottery
* Mabel and Jules Design
* Magic Forest Arts and Crafts Collective
* Maiden Star Jewelry
* Mandy's Panties
* Niama Goat Soap
* Skoser Clothing
* Terri Anne Ryerson Pottery
* Urbanite Jewelry
* Winged Beast Outfitters
.... AND MORE!!!

There will also be a SILENT ART AUCTION at the fair this year! Not to be missed!

Admission: FREE!
Please note: Our rain location is the Montgomery Legion Hall (330 Kent St).

For more info on Ravenswing, visit http://www.ravenswingottawa.ca/

New Watercolours

2010-05-08T20:21:00.000-07:00

I've been rocking my dollar store watercolour set (and the dollar store notebook) again. These are some recent creations. It was raining... and well.. space men are cool.

Posters for the Fall!

2010-04-23T19:10:00.000-07:00

New poster for the BookThug publisher people! Check out their event!
BookThug BookLaunch
May 27th from 6-8:30pm w/ music to follow
Held at the Supermarket in Kensington
268 Augusta Avenue
feat. readings by Cara Benson, Mark Laliberte, Mark Goldstein, Jason Dickson. Andrew Hughes

Also, check out the boss cover illustration I added to Andrew Hughes's upcoming book!

Sprites with Kilts

2010-04-16T16:49:00.000-07:00

A journalist I know asked me to do some artwork for a piece she was doing on green energy in Scotland (I'll update with a link when it's posted). These are the pieces I came up with. The idea was to create a retro video game feel, a la old Space Quest. I think it owes a little something to the Superbrothers' recent manifesto for a native language of video games, too. Beep boop...

Fun with Watercolours

2010-04-05T15:57:00.000-07:00

I've been interested in watercolours for a while. It's mostly this book that really lodged the medium in my brain.

Graham Roumieu's Bigfoot books are creepy, simple, and dark... and about some of the funniest stuff I've seen. So this fine Easter Monday, I broke out the dollarstore paint set I bought around x-mas. These are my little tests. One robot, one rabbit. But apparently, painting skills points cost spelling skills points... oh, art.

Winged Beast Outfitters Spings Upon Thaw

2010-03-20T07:56:00.000-07:00

Everyone!
Winged Beast Outfitters is making its Ottawa debut.
Next Sunday, March 28 at Routhier Community Centre.
172 Guiges Ave.
(Just North of the Byward Market)
Free parking on site.
$2 entrance fee for a chance to win a gift basket of crafts from all artists!
Door prizes drawn every hour.
That's not such a bad deal.
Cheers!

The Art, Mechanical

2010-02-05T18:31:00.000-08:00

Paul Chatem has come up with a new, oddly simple take on animated live art. Combining gears and idiosyncratic paintings somewhere between Hieronymus Bosch and El Día de los Muertos, Paul has come up with some creepy and interactive art pieces.
Check out this video:

Something about Paul's work makes me think of those weird paintings at Owen Wilson's house in The Royal Tenenebaums. Anyways, check out Paul Chatem's website for more.

Bufflo Planes!

2010-01-26T19:09:00.000-08:00

Amazing mixed media artwork from Jesse Hazelip.

There is something impressive and haunting about these pictures. Ever since I watched the Empire Strikes Back, the line between man and machine has been more than a little compelling(and not always in a good way... does anyone remember the horrifying end of Superman 3?). Man and machines, nature as machines, man and nature... it gets more and more complicated. Jesse captures the anxiety of this pretty well. And on a pretty large scale.

Check out more of his recent exhibit on his blog.

Say it Saint So....

2010-01-15T18:01:00.000-08:00

This is Ria Brodell's "St. Anthony Finds G.I. Joe's Gun". It's hard to say what's not to like about this picture. Retro kitsch, sure... but, nothing can undermine my love for saints and hagiography. As a boy who grew up in the 80s, I know how exciting it is to find one of those little plastic guns under the bed or in the bottom of a bucket of Legos.
Visit Ria's site: here.

Problem Solved!

2010-01-11T19:01:00.000-08:00

A while back I came up with an awesome idea of break dancing birds!

And in my excitement, I printed a bunch of shirts and no one wanted one! This is pretty frustrating to me because as much fun as it is to make shirts, it's important to sell them so I can make more. Part of the problem, I think is that the world isn't quite ready for break dancing birds. So, behold my solution... words to soften the ground.

A Paper Elephant

2010-01-09T12:55:00.000-08:00

A design company, the Curiosity Group has made a stop motion video using a pretty awesome paper elephant. It's called "From Flat to Flight" and you can find it here.
Honestly, the best part is that they have downloadable pdf for people inclined to make their one awesome flying elephant! Now that's interactive media!
While we're on the subject of paper art in motion, here's an cool New Zealand short animated film made for the NZ Book Council. It's produced by Colenso BBDO and animated by Andersen M Studio. Seriously, I am hugely impressed by this. It's mesmerizing and a statement of human patience!
Enjoy!

Metalhearts pump thoroughly...

2010-01-05T20:02:00.000-08:00

I've had long love affair with robots and all of the mechanized creations of our doomed humanity. Over at A Journey Round My Skull they do a great job of collecting great pop and pulp art from around the world. Recently, they put up a great collection of Soviet era robot illustrations from children's books(you can see that post here).

There is a tenderness and optimism that reminds me of the 80s readers they handed me in grade school. Strong colours, soft lines.

In this vein of technophilia, here are some robot related montages I threw together way, way back for a different(defunct, gone) blog project.

And lastly, my personal favourite!

Fingerprint

2009-12-24T12:01:00.000-08:00

I've been reading a lot of buzz about this book around the internet from other illustrators and designers. Considering that many books available deal almost entirely with traditional hand methods, a book of case studies like this is pretty awesome. I'm excited about the idea of not handing ourselves wholly to digital art.

It's probably the number one book I'd buy with my xmas money... when i get some. In the meantime, I'm gonna figure out how to make my local library order a copy.

Happy holidays everyone! And with the new year coming fast, remember:

M. Dick at Large

2009-12-24T11:50:00.000-08:00

At some point I did an English degree. Moby Dick was one of those books I read, but not for class. I still love it. It's really one of those books everyone should read. I particularly enjoy the vignette about Ishmael tattooing the dimensions of the whale on his body. It sounds like probably the awesomest tattoo ever. Well, in that palimpsestic vein, Matt Kish has being doing one drawing for each page of Moby Dick. He's well on his way, but it's a big book so there's lots more to come. You can see how much he's done at his site.

Zak Smith did a similar thing with Gravity's Rainbow. So, as a book nerd, I'm pretty happy.

Get Stuffed this Holidays

2009-12-12T14:20:00.000-08:00

I ran into the B.E. Stuffies crew manning a table at London's Covent Garden Market. If you need any sort of adorable hand stuffed beast or homunculus human they will be there Sunday Dec. 12 during the market's regular hours. You can also take a look at their Etsy store.

There is something awesome and unsettling about this guy. Seriously, perfect for that little someone who needs their imagination tweaked.

Flying People with Splotches

2009-12-09T07:16:00.000-08:00

A sample from the work of Mel Kabel. I am super jealous of people who do watercolours well and who use the media to expressive ends. Mel perfectly evokes a sense of dreaminess. The blending of colours and natural unpredictable nature of liquid has such an organic incidental quality. Another favourite example of mine are Graham Roumieu's Bigfoot books.

New Website!

2009-12-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

Winged Beast Outfitters has just unveiled its new website. You can see it here. It has everything you need to learn about the WBO. New features include and convenient shopping page and a services page. The Winged Beast is an economic force! And just in time for the holidays, too!

Cheers!

Christmas Markets are coming!

2008-11-20T11:18:00.000-08:00

Look out for up coming Christmas events! The Winged Beast will be bringing the swank, awesome screen printed clothing just in time to help out a mythic Santa!

Christmas Makers Market
Saturday, December 6, 2008
10:00am - 3:00pm
indoors at historic Christ's Church Cathedral
252 James St. N.
Hamilton, ON
****************
Made in Windsor
Sunday, December 7, 2008
10-5pm
Nancy Johns Gallery(and Vince Franzoi's gallery across the street)
4755 Wyandotte Street East
Windsor, Ontario

Point by Points Northward Again

2008-07-08T16:17:00.002-07:00

Hello,
After some successful shilling in Windsor and Toronto, I'm currently working on a wicked run of clothes and more to take to sunny summery Steeltown. That's right Hamilton on July 19th at the welcoming and generous Makers Market! You'll be able to find me under a tent at Christ’s Church Cathedral (252 James St. N.). I'm excited.

Here's what the Makers Market has to say for themselves:

Downtown Hamilton’s only outdoor market returns for another season in 2008. The Makers’ Market brings life, activity and renewed hope that a community can be revived through social interaction, creative thinking and a distinctly local focus.

Makers of all kinds come together this Summer and Fall to Cultureful James North and King East’s International Village to show just how great local economy, creativity and food can be!

Launched in June 2007, the Makers’ Market turned an underused public space in front of historic Christ’s Church Cathedral on James Street North into a bustling and enhanced community hub. A collaborative effort organized and run by members of Christ’s Church Cathedral and the James North arts community, the Makers’ Market gives the surrounding downtown neighbourhood and all of Hamilton the opportunity to experience local culture at its best. Explore our eclectic outdoor market to find organic farm-fresh foods, unique art and handmade items from local artists, vintage and gently-used treasures and even get your bike tuned-up by one of our friendly volunteers. The Makers’ Market is all about interacting with your neighbours, running into old friends, meeting new friends and supporting local makers of all kinds in a fun and friendly urban setting.
- - - -
2008 Makers' Market Season

James North • Courtyard of Christ’s Church Cathedral (252 James St. N.)
Saturdays - May 17, June 21, July 19, August 16, September 20, October 18 • 10am - 3pm

New second location!
International Village • Ferguson Station Pavillion (corner of King St. E. & Ferguson)
Saturdays - June 7, July 5, August 2, September 6, October 4 • 10am - 3pm

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New Website

2008-05-20T07:34:00.000-07:00

That's right! I have cobbled together what HTML game I have to build a new website. This one as the capacity, and the will, to amaze with it's drama and style and totally cool rollover options! Please yourself by visiting the new www.wingedbeastoutfitters.com!

Toronto EVENTTTTT!T!T! Toronto 12pm-5pm Sat June 7

2008-05-20T07:29:00.001-07:00

Check it out!
This is going to be first opportunity for Winged Beast Outfitters to BREAK OUT of Windsor and EXPLODE across the world. In this case, Toronto at the Toronto Small Press Book Fair. It's a great event that will mix thoroughly literature crafts and other amazing things to produce excellence!! So come out to the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre, 750 Spadina Avenue, Toronto from 12pm-5pm on Sat, June 7.
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New Prints... Little by little

2008-03-31T18:26:00.000-07:00

Hello!New items have been posted. I'm gradually working on putting up some back stock of digital prints that I've been sitting on.In other news, I've got supplies and the will, and I'm working on a new run of clothing! Stay tuned for the deets (details?)!

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Brick by Bricolage

2008-02-27T17:59:00.001-08:00

A lot of what I do involves working with visual sources I appropriate from all over the place. Because I make t-shirts, the only constraint I have is that I can only use one tone (largely because hand screening makes two-tones shirts hard and costly). This isn't a bad thing, and I feel it's a sort of homage to seventies magazine and newspaper ads.

This is a real photo of Pierre Trudeau and Castro kicking it. It sort of shouts out to his stepping down.

Living in Windsor Ontario Canada, I listen to a lot of Detroit's National Public Radio station, WDET. The other day they had a fellow on who was talking about the Russian economic threat to the West. The above quote is from that interview. It rings true in any context.

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Web Presence

2008-02-20T18:55:00.001-08:00

This here will be the site of the Winged Beast Outfitters blog. It is intended to a) let me post new ideas, up-coming designs and other fun stuff, b) let me announce events and stuff like that, and c) help me to get hits on google.
So check this site out! Up-a-datin' coming soon!