Karina Love ♥

My Little Love

2012-01-14T22:53:00.001-05:00

Since the moment KG and I met, we knew that everything we wanted was about to become reality. He was everything that I needed. It was so ridiculously obvious and right.

I was his inspiration. He was my hope and determination.

The past months have been such a blur. We just moved into our new little house at the end of August. It's so surreal. To have a space to fill up with our art work, our dreams and our love. We have a little studio space with plenty of room for his work and mine. He's been busy painting, learning and leaving me in the dust when it comes to skills. I stopped painting in oils for now because I am not sure what that might do to our baby. Instead I have been sketching and relaxing. And eating. :)

These pictures are tid bits of this journey, from the beginning to today.

A picture Ken took of his dad while they were tending our front yard

Our empty living room, when we first moved in

The studio was the first room we "furnished" somewhat

After we closed on the house and got our keys.

Our Little Love's first ultrasound.

The picture i sent my siblings after we found out i was pregnant

The thrifted table we got, before it's makeover

My Handsome

Our kitchen <3 <3 <3

The beginning stages of my babybump

Sneaky picks

Selfies I took while Ken was at work

Table, made over, and growing bump

film, im crazy about it

Modeling for UPSociety.net, our art group

KG's painting of me

Our tree-topper. We didn't have one until we saw her in our favorite thrift store and fell in love with it. Wings<3

My love and our snow flake

I was on google, trying to find pictures to get inspiration from for some preggo portraits. Found none...

My love's portrait of me and our growing babe. He didn't need any google inspiration after all.

It's a boy! His name is Michelangelo, named after Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. Yes, this is a picture of his weewee. He was very obvious but hid his face from us so we got this view of his bent legs and booty.
The circle area on the left is my placenta, not his belly.

in the elevator at my 2nd appointment for ultrasound

He finally showed us his profile. I think he was smiling and I felt that he knew exactly what he was doing. hehehe

My Handsome, spraying some varnish on his finished painting. I can't believe he did this
in 2 weeks when it would take me a year, at least, to learn.

Before the art show.

Our nights consist of paint, sketches, and hot chocolate <3

Selfies at 21 weeks pregnant

This morning, 6 months pregnant with little Mikey. Pics by my love.

I am happy to finally share all of these pictures that I have kept in the journal i write for Michelangelo. He is kicking right now so I should probably go snack before he gets impatient. hehehe.

Sorry about the lack of blogging. I hope this makes up for it.

-L O V E

Petals

2011-08-12T16:44:00.000-04:00

Camera: Polaroid 210 Land Camera
Film: Fujifilm 100-C

Camera: Minolta X-370
Film: Expired 35mm Kodak Gold

Camera: Canon 60D DSLR
Edited with Photoshop

It's such a pleasure to shoot with Anastasia. The first shoot we did was just supposed to be a quick test shoot . . . which ended up producing some amazing shots . . . (i still can't believe that i took them). Right away we planned to do a more planned session with a concept that she had in mind.

I had fun setting up for the shoot and testing out my Minolta (thanks Christina, I LOVE IT!) and my Polaroid pack film camera. I am fairly new to photography (2 years) and just recently started learning how to make a photograph more than just a picture. Film is a completely foreign language to me but I can't get enough of it. It's interesting to see the contrast between the three cameras.

If i had the money, i would shoot with film only and get my rhythm going. Meanwhile I am learning by trial and error. I keep tuning in to my favorite photography podcast in hopes of picking up a few good suggestions and to stay inspired.
Check them out at The Film Photography Project

KG tells me that i am a narrator telling a story with my photos. I hope that you all get the same impression. Constructive criticism and tips are very much appreciated.

Thank you for coming over to my little corner of the internet-world and taking a look.
-L ♥ V E

Film

2011-07-29T16:28:00.000-04:00

I love the bookeh on my Minolta. Film is so romantic. ♥ I have a little collection of film cameras now. I've tested most of them but my two favorites are my Polaroid Pack camera and my Minolta. I totally suck at it still, but i love learning.

Lately i've been a busy bee. Kinda in a quiet mood. But posts will come when i get quality stuff with my film <3

-L ♥ V E

Vogue-esque

2011-06-23T20:09:00.000-04:00

Had a fun little shoot with Siama. She is such a great model. We were just going to do a small "pre-test shoot" but the pictures turned out pretty amazing. The camera loves this girl. :)

I have a few more shoots planned with her already (and yes i will be practicing my film skills), so you will see much more of her. We were both at the bookstore looking though Vogue spreads as we planned what to do in the next month. I'm excited!

With L ♥ V E,
Karina Love

You can see all of these and more at my Flickr page.

Santo Cesar

2011-06-15T16:53:00.000-04:00

Well i promised i would post the video of Cesar Santo's painting demonstration and here it is! I highly recommend checking out his paintings if you haven't already!!!

He just recently made this art page on Facebook: Art Page
and this is his personal Facebook page: Cesar Santos

Cesar Santo's Painting Demonstration at The Teaching Studios from Karina Love on Vimeo.

I noticed tons of views coming from India and Croatia, Hi lovelies! :) Thanks for reading!
Til next time,
-L ♥ V E

So Spontaneous

2011-06-11T11:40:00.000-04:00

Yum!

We found our favorite mexican soda. It's been so long ♥ ♥ ♥

This is where i bought my new polaroid w/2 packs of film oh em gee!

KG and I went to an art event in NY last week. We had been looking forward to this for a while. Not sure of what Brooklyn had to offer, we wandered the streets and took in the sunshine. The weather was so perfect. We just couldn't believe how perfect.

All of the pictures in this blog post are spontaneous. You'd think I'd planned the balloon girls riding in on their bikes, one with some faux flowers in her mouth...the other with a big smile on her face. I just loved everything. We want to go back sometime. Maybe when the weather is perfect again. (I'll be posting some pics from our visit to The Teaching Studios of Art along with a lil video soon).

I enjoyed going to the little shops with young designers' clothes and pretty little dresses. Vintage shops around the corner. Yard sales with cute shoes and polaroids. I bought my second Polaroid camera from here and she even through in two packs of film! What a lovely lady. The vibes all around were great. It felt kinda like Richmond, VA's Carytown but much bigger. Thanks, NY, for treating us well ;)

Recently I stumbled upon an ad on Craigslist in which a guy listed some camera equipment. I asked if he still had some of the items and he said he had some stuff he'd get rid of for free. I knew it included some cameras and some rolls of film. So of course, i risked my life to go pick up this mystery box of stuff. (DO NOT do this unless you bring a friend or it's in a public place/good side of town).

The box contained A BUNCH of amazing vintage cameras including a hard-pack "Big Swinger" Polaroid camera and some film. The polaroids still had some film in them but it was completely ruined and i just had fun testing out the cameras. I plan on buying Impossible Project's film for the Polaroids from time to time but it's kinda expensive for me. Just this week i got my first order of PX-680 film and I put it in the OneStep Rainbow Polaroid and switched it to my other polaroid (from a thrift store here in VA Beach). I've been dreaming about owning a wide fuji instax camera. The film is so much more affordable and so nice. *hint hint KG*. I have some toy cameras too that i am buying film for soon.

One of the cameras that i was really excited about had a problem with the shutter button. I opened it up to try and figure out what was wrong. NEVER AGAIN. The camera exploded and so i shorted part of the circuit. Now it wont work unless i get a camera doctor :/ But yea. I'll get some film for the ones i didn't ruin. Probably today. You'll see plenty of trials (and errors) on my blog. This is my first experience with a film camera so i am excited and nervous.

That's kinda been my thing lately, "excited and nervous". Almost scatter-brained. Some pretty amazing things are happening. And that's all I can say right now. I can use some good vibes from you all ♥

If you enjoy reading my blog k.i.t. with me through twitter/facebook/instagram.

Thanks for visiting lil ol me :)
-L ♥ V E

Processes & New Faces

2011-05-17T19:50:00.001-04:00

1. First I outlined the figure on the gessoed wood board with pencil. I used a pencil that didn't move too much on the surface so that it wouldn't smudge or bleed too much. Remember to erase extra lines and clean off eraser shavings. After that I painted in the red for the background and let it dry a bit. I used some Linseed oil to stretch the paint a bit. I use Winsor & Newton oils. The more expensive, chances are, the better for your color quality.

2. I practiced painting roses for a while before i was happy with the result. They aren't the best but they are MY best, and that's what matters. :) I hope to get some more practice with roses in the future. I suggest practicing on canvas board or a gessoed Moleskine paper. It's a great help and you can always recycle the canvas board for a future painting (like i did for my "alla prima" painting, there was literally a rose under his face).

3. I made the mistake of painting red too soon, in the beginning, on her chest. It would have been fine except there were some awkwardly placed red spots where there wouldn't be roses...this is because i didn't pre-sketch the roses onto the board before painting them. I like the way they came out at the end after A LOT of covering up. It's difficult to get rid of bright red.

4. My model (also my loving sister) has some tattoos but i didn't paint those, instead i gave her some roses around her waist and a thorny rose vine around her arm. I did this with oils and some linseed oil. I used a "blending" method with a paper towel (nice sturdy towels, no flimsy napkins will hold up without leaving residue). I liked the way it looked like shading. I asked Charmaine Olivia how she does hers...and of course i've seen it in her pictures idk why i didn't realize...she uses a pencil to draw them in. As beautiful as they look and as amazingly talented as she is, i decided to go with oils to keep the painting in one medium. Im not quite ready to take pencil onto my paintings yet and i don't know how often i'll have to tattoo someone's portrait. You can see the "technique" i used here: Roses Video

5. I like to step away quite a few times before i call a painting finished. I am still learning and i need fresh eyes every time i am going to paint. Most of the painting took a few layers to get it just right and i refined the face a bit to look more like her. At the end, im just happy that my sister loved this portrait of her and that i painted someone in oils for the first time.Im excited to do many more!

If you have any questions, please...don't be afraid to ask anyone. The worst they could do is ignore you. It helps to get tips from people who have been at it for a while.

My latest portrait from UPSociety's meet ups.

The painting I am currently working on. If you have instagram you've seen this pretty lady
since the first stages. Almost done and working on the next one :)

Thanks so much for visiting my blog ♥

-L ♥ V E

Floral Heart

2011-05-09T13:21:00.002-04:00

Behind the Scenes by KG

I've had the idea for the "Floral Heart" shirt for a while now. Since last year, i planned it out and finally i made it and it's more perfect than i expected. I want to do more concepts like this. It's one of my favorites in the shop. Lauren, my beautiful model, has been wanting to do a shoot for about 5 months now and when i emailed her mom about this opportunity she was very excited.

She was a bit shy at first, but she fit the part and looked soft and romantic as she followed my direction. She looked like a pixie in the skirt that i made for the shoot. I would love to work with her again. Hopefully she likes these shots and shows them off! :)

I will be launching May's shirts next week. I will be posting progress pictures of my paintings this week. Geez, so much to do. And i love it all!

Thank you all so much for following. I am thinking of new shirts for June and July.
Stay tuned for that and for some more fun projects. ♥ ♥ ♥

- L ♥ V E

Productivity Squared

2011-05-03T18:03:00.003-04:00

I haven't been keeping up with my blog as often as i'd like but im pretty sure the quality will be better since im sifting through things that are the most productive, which has been my M.O. lately. I've actually been getting things done. Im moving quickly but cautiously and keeping things constantly in play.

KG's portrait was fun. I love putting color in skin tones, . . . im learning to do it more subtly. He really likes the end result :) i think i impressed him. I am painting a series next. (FINALLY) The shoot with Jessica went great. I loved working with her, she was so natural and i got such inspiring references! Im so excited! ahh. <3

Enjoy these pictures and i hope you tune back in to see the painted versions of her (three pics which i have not published).

I need to go sew a skirt for Saturday's shoot now. :)

Thanks for reading and following<3
-L ♥ V E

Alla Prima Painting

2011-04-18T16:33:00.004-04:00

Behind the scenes at my beach shoot. Lisa is modeling for UPSociety this
week, come paint with us if you're in the area :) $10 for a 3 hour pose.
UPSociety.net

I love this one ^_^

I hadn't painted since i finished the "Roses of Summer" painting so KG urged me to paint along with Robert Liberace's "The Alla Prima Portrait" DVD he just got in the mail. KG has been painting like crazy and he is getting even more amazing at it with every piece.

We painted for a good three hours and i have to say...it was really soothing and educational. The approach he takes when painting in that style is to take risks and be spontaneous, something i'm not used to. I like details and precision. Letting go is difficult but i am enjoying it and i will use the technique on my next series. :)

The shoot this week will be fun and will help my next paintings be exactly what i imagine them. If you are in the area and have a lovely face, model for me :)

Stay tuned,

-L O V E

Shoots & Smiles

2011-04-14T01:14:00.002-04:00

My favorite shot, I love photoshop again. :) Started making some presets for myself.

We had the perfect day to shoot,
so lucky to have some suns

This cute puppy ran towards the reflector and trampled our model. lol.

My Handsome. ♥

We were trying to make sure she didn't sit on some dog doo or get attacked by bugs. :D hahaha.

I had an awesome time this month shooting for my TShirt line. (kinetikapparel.spreadshirt.com) Lisa was fun to work with and an amazing model. She got me the shots that I needed so quickly we just continued shooting for the fun of it. KG modeled for me too and, might i say, he was very good at it.

Lately I've tried to keep busy and I am currently working on getting more shoots scheduled. UP Society has been really productive, although we haven't gotten a big crowd yet it feels good to just draw. I need to draw! I'm also on a search for a model for my series to come. I THOUGHT i was going to be able to paint but i forgot ... i don't have references. duh! So that's my priority at the moment.

I hope you enjoy these and look forward to lots more. :)

-L ♥ V E

PS. Thanks to all in the UK visiting my blog, I appreciate it. <3

Roses of Summer

2011-03-31T21:05:00.007-04:00

So I told you guys that i'd be challenging myself with things that aren't easy for me, and I decided that this time i'd paint roses (since I've always been horrible at it). Let me know what you think!

My next challenge is going to be to work multiple pieces at a time. I am doing 3 oil paintings and will be practicing soft angelic faces. ♥

I've been in need of some sunshine lately and I feel ready for a bright, warm spring. Unfortunately it's still raining and all I can do is draw some roses.

Thanks Vito for the reminder to put my favorite song on the vid.

-L ♥ V E

Ps. I like having so many new viewers! Hi peeps, leave me a message <3

Roses of Summer from Karina Love on Vimeo.

Life is lovely.

2011-03-15T13:41:00.003-04:00

KG and I have been trying to make time for our personal art...among other things, so we've made some changes to our schedules. Literally, we have "schedules" now and soooo much to do (which is awesome).

For one, we gave up on "Let's Paint." There were little inclinations to do this months ago but something kinda set KG off and I support him 100%. So now we have time to do our Portrait Society meet up and our personal paintings...I love that we can go home and choose what to do with our time off now. yay!

I ordered the shirts for the shoots early April and I am currently planning them out. I also have a very exciting purchase coming up soon. FINALLY. KG & I went camera shopping the other day and found the perfect one for us. So these pics are gonna be awesome!

Taylor and I were supposed to shoot yesterday but our schedules conflicted, unfortunately and so now we're just kinda standing by until we both are free.

My painting in progress. :)

Well time to get back to my planning,
-L ♥ V E
P.S. Thank you sooo sooo much for reading my blog and taking the time to comment. I love you all.

Underground Portrait Society

2011-03-05T13:25:00.003-05:00

If you're in the VA Beach area, or will be on a Wednesday night, come to the art meet-up group and paint/draw/digi-paint with us! :)

Visit UP Society's blog for more info. The first session is on March 23rd. Don't forget to subscribe to the blog. ♥

-L O V E

I should sleep less.

2011-03-03T11:16:00.003-05:00

My KG. I love our Richmond trips.

The guys. KG's family :)

Chun showing them how it's done.

KG painting a portrait of moms & pops. He's working on his 100paintings project.

Painting roses, trying anyway. I did a lot better the other night, so we'll see.
This painting challenge is making me sweat! hahaha.

I LOVE my new brushes. Gotta put them to work.

Bought some cute tiny frames at work. &hearts: I'll be using them soon.

Weeeee!!!

I've been so addicted to this game.

I ran into this in my Photoshop class folder. Wow, good times. lol

Great find, but i'd have to alter it a whole lot. I need a sewing machine.

So i've been a tad busy with shirts/work/painting/boxing/relaxing. I need to make some changes in my life. Drastic ones. Let's make it happen!

-L O V E

Ps. Shout out to the people in Japan reading my blog <3

Portofino & Roses to Bloom

2011-02-17T18:52:00.000-05:00

For every painting that i do, i want to focus on something that i need work on. This one was to learn how to compose a picture that included scenery and a figure. My forte is pencil portraiture so painting has been a challenge but that's what's so thrilling about it. I'm learning more and more as i go. My favorite part of this whole painting is the cute little lace that sticks out of the bottom of her dress. yay ♥

I still haven't started painting from life. My friend , the lovely Amanda, took some pictures of herself for this piece. I need references, it's what i got used to when doing photo-realism. Eventually i'll be oil-sketching from life, but for now...i'll keep using pics.

Anyways, she's supposed to be in Portofino, Italy where there are amazing trees and water views. I hope you guys like it!

My next painting is going to be a portrait. Time to practice painting roses because there's gonna be more flowers in this one!!! lol. Hopefully it wont be too frustrating. I've never been a pro at this rose-painting deal.

It's time to start messing with oils. yay!

-L O V E

Cupcakes

2011-02-16T15:43:00.001-05:00

I've been wanting some chocolate cake for a while so I decided to channel my cravings into a Valentine themed batch of cupcakes for my love. I know I'm no decorator but this made me feel like a pro. Betty Crocker's decorating icing was pretty simple to use, except it exploded on me a couple of times. No biggie, but i wanted roses on my cupcakes, not splats.

Anyways, here are some pics.

My painting is pretty much done now and I'm starting my next. Give me a little bit of time...I have to learn how to use oils properly. (art pics next post)

Also, if you guys didn't know, I tweet...which is mostly my instagram stuff so if you have the app, do follow for random snapshots. ♥ If you don't have it I HIGHLY recomend it.
-L O V E

The Red Dress

2011-02-08T00:35:00.003-05:00

KG wanted me to pose for him, for a painting he plans on painting, with this gorgeous dress he bought me from H&M. (It's my favorite store ever). It's my Valentine dress ♥ We played with lighting and i am in awe with the results.

He is so romantic, not sure what the plans are for this 14th but i think we're having tiramisu and as long as that follows through it will be lovely.

We went to the drawing group today. (Virginia Beach Drawing Group). I must say, i had a great time and my sketches were a little cleaner than usual. I never used to draw women. Most of my drawings are men, gangsters for that matter. Now i am focusing on something completely new to me and i have loved it ever since. KG was the one that taught me that women are much more challenging to render than men. It takes a certain quality, a caress of the pencil against the paper with delicate lines. I see it in his sketches all the time.

My painting is almost finished and i will be sketching in oils pretty soon so i can get used to the medium. Wish me luck!

Will post pictures soon.

-L O V E

Ps. I really appreciate all the views, especially from all these countries which i wish i could visit :) You guys are precious! ♥

Breathing Paint

2011-02-04T15:43:00.004-05:00

Working on Amanda's face & pose

KG has been painting too. Oils, Im so jealous! <3

I had to get some of that dry paint off of my palate,
it was starting to get too heavy.

Breathing paint & eating bushes. I wash them down with
strong coffee & honey tea.

I've had lots of time to paint these past couple of weeks. Mainly working on my latest picture of Amanda. Im almost done with the basic layout of it. I have some details done but i can't get the colors to look more realistic. I think it's because i don't have green trees and lakes to look at right now. lol.

She's in a garden on the coast of Portofino, Italy (look it up, it's beautiful!)

Ken & I are still looking for a location to start his meet up group. It's so exciting. We're waiting on some insurance quotes. ughh. Soon enough i'll go more into detail about it.
Meanwhile i'll continue to put some paint on that canvas so i can start my next piece. :)

♥ ♥ ♥ btw, i made a twitter for my fashion photography & my personal snapshots. :)
follow & i will do the same.
@karinalovephoto

Send me some inspiration?

-L O V E

Sequins, Nudes & A Few Daydreams

2011-01-25T00:30:00.000-05:00

Lately, Goodwill has been a weekly if not daily trip. Looking for special fabrics, I scavenge through the whole store. The other day KG and I bought four dresses for our new art group (coming soon) so we can have a variety of costumes to use. Of course, I am also using these in my shoots. I need to get them cleaned up and ready.

My nights have consisted of paint, graphite, and more paint accompanied by strong coffee and sweet kisses from my love. "Let's Paint" has been fun. Teaching is different than I thought. Not in a bad way, just different. It might be because of the environment that I pictured when we started. I thought it would be a nice quiet room with classical music playing in the background, a room full of young eager students, and not a second of time for my own art. Instead...we paint to loudly-played Beach Boys anthems, guide career-minded people through a stress-free picture, and get plenty of time on the weekends to relax and dream up a few more goals!

Overall, I'm happy. Things are good. I'm full of hope and inspiration and thoughts of Italy ... excuse my run-on's. We've been attending the drawing group as much as we can, painting like paint is cheap, and learning more as we go. I had no idea how amazing painting could be until now.

Soon i will make my first attempt at oils.

Photoshoots, paintings and shirts coming really soon. <3

With all that is me,

-L O V E

Thrift Adventure

2011-01-10T00:33:00.000-05:00

This beauty just needs some tlc and a shoulder-pad removal.

This sequins top is gorgeous. If it's still there my next GW visit, im taking it home w/me.

Back of Sequin top.

LOVE this Cheongsam style dress! Anyone want me to tell them what GW it's at? Great $

Right? Awesome buy. I don't know how often i'd rock it though.

Back of Cheongsam dress.

I love this profile.

Cookie, the runway instructor talking to the girls.

From time to time I go to thrift shops and check out what they have. I have so many plans for photoshoots and paintings that I have to go scavenging for these items that I dream of. I found a dress that I will probably pick up tomorrow for an upcoming shoot with Tayler.

It's not the greatest time for me to be shopping for myself so I can just take these pictures of the things I find and share them with you so you can day dream along with me. (:

(Let me know if you live in VA Beach and want the address of the Goodwill I went to for these).

Amongst all the horrible prints, itchy fabric, and sometimes stinky clothes, I found a lovely oriental style dress. I failed to look more into it because i was in a bit of a hurry, as usual, but I should go back and check out the fabric it's made of. I think it's silk. ?

On Saturday morning i went to a model casting call to get some shots of the girls for myself as references for future shoots. Most of them are new at the whole modeling thing so we'll need to take some test pics for them to be more comfortable. For some it comes naturally. I'm sure they love the camera, my camera loved a few of them in particular. It would be fun to set something up by spring. ♥

Mink Bomber & Nude Sketches

2011-01-05T16:04:00.004-05:00

Mink Bomber Jacket $200

My favorite part. lol.

Recent Sketch done at B&N, I saw the pic in a magazine...forgot which one.

Sketch from the live drawing session at VA Beach Drawing group.

Waiting on some pictures to paint, ehhemm *Amanda* so in the mean while I'm planning a lil shoot with the lovely Tayler. Not sure on location but I know I want something with lot's of DRAMA. I hope she's ready!

In the midst of getting myself together I came to realize that I usually want to do a lot more than I have time for, so KG bought me a little Moleskine day planner so that I can write little notes & reminders. This month is already going so quickly, i want to slow down time and enjoy the first few weeks of this wonderful new year. It seems as though the more "grunt" work i do, the more i wish i was painting/taking pictures. Now i understand why time goes so SLOWLY when you aren't having such a great time. I keep reminding myself of what i wish i was doing, over and over again. So instead of regretting every sacred moment I don't paint or draw or spend in a somewhat creative way.....im going to take a deep breath and put my plans in the moleskine. My weekends will be glorious, and my evenings will consist of masterpieces and critiques.

No New Year's resolution for me, just a life mission for me and my love.

-L O V E

Ps. I make a "photography" page on facebook, so if you care at all to take a look and subscribe to my updates, you can do so there.

KarinaLove Photography

Also, if you haven't checked it out, you should DL the App "Pulse" on your smartphone, it's awesome! You can put it a url or search for your favorite sites/blogs and add it to your news stream. Yay!

Brand New

2011-01-02T18:07:00.002-05:00

The Beginning

Detail of Eye

Detail of Lace

Detail of Lips/Nose

ELLE lace top

Hazelnut Cream Camera Bag <3

Xmas Shirt

Our new photography page. :)

It's about time that i start painting again. Paint has never really been my medium but recently i rediscovered my love for it. There is something about colors and layers of paint that interest me. I used acrylics for my first painting, a self portrait.

In high school I attempted to paint but I just didn't understand it enough. I think I did an okay job :) What do you think?

The Holidays are OVER. I'm glad.

I can't take any more shopping in over crowded malls. I'm not typically the one to "shop till I drop" so it's frustrating when I'm being shoved around by SALE-crazed people. I'm thankful for the gifts that I received, including food and hospitality from Ken's family. I just hope that everyone had a wonderful time too. ♥

KG and I decided that for the new year we needed to revise our website and make it more about what we're really about. It focuses more on our art and photography now. Check it out! I noticed that it looks great on Safari and Chrome (which is what I typically use), but Firefox messes it up. Anyways, let me know what you think and if you have any loading problems. It looks great on my iPhone. :)

kinetikstudio.net

Keep up with me if you can,

-L O V E

Censored

2010-12-14T18:34:00.000-05:00

The drawing session was good needed practice. I hope they have female models next time.

I'm off to take care of business. New posts in 2011.

-L O V E

My Xmas Shirt came in! :)

They did a pretty good job on the detail. ( My pic is kinda blurry)

KG

2010-12-13T15:32:00.001-05:00

Ive been sketching this one on & off. Next is the large scale piece. :)

Tonight my love & i are going to try to go to the live drawing session. It's been a while since I drew a nude model. I've never attended one with him. Pics of sketches tomorrow. ( I hope they don't look too horrible).

-L O V E

ps. I'll lay off the posts for a while.
♥

Snow Flakes

2010-12-13T10:05:00.002-05:00

This morning there were little snowflakes and

lots flurry which soon turned into thicker snow

and is now a nice, fluffy, white layer on

everything outside. :)

Zombie Mall

2010-12-12T21:46:00.000-05:00

Ken & I were making aged paper over the weekend.
It was fun. And quick.

We are almost done shopping!

I forgot how exhausting it is to wander around the mall with people swarming like crazed bees. All the loud voices and crowded spaces. After a while I just kind-of zone out and go into a zombie-like trance...lol...walking around with no clue as to what i'm doing anymore. Luckily for Ken, i'm not the type to spend hours shopping, so we left as soon as we could.

Today we were wrapping and watching Christmas movies all evening. It's much more relaxing when he helps me, because my family would agree, I am not the best at wrapping neat (normal) looking gifts.

This week I will be painting on Friday & Saturday at the Let's Paint studio. I will have more time to get some more shirts designed for Spring. I can't wait! ♥

In other news, I am looking for a few girls to do some (free) photoshoots for Lookbook.nu
I want to make a Photographer profile but I need some muses that have awesome wardrobes and know how to use them! :) If you are in the VA Beach area and are interested lemmieknow.

Time to draw with my h♥ney.

Let's Do This,
-L ♥ V E

Under the Tree

2010-12-10T11:25:00.000-05:00

Ken & I have been working on getting all the bills paid so we can finish checking things off of our Christmas list. I don't usually do this, but I saw something on ebay that i REALLY REALLY liked so I asked him if I could have it as my Xmas gift.

Hehe.

So here it is, hopefully it will get here in time to get wrapped up and put under the tree.

(I'll act surprised, I promise.)

Other than that, all I want is for my family & friends to have a merry Christmas with lots of love and meaningful gifts.

DeSynthesized Please

2010-12-09T13:17:00.003-05:00

Listening to "Strip Me" by Natasha Bedingfield I think I really like it. Mostly because her most popular song from that album, Touch, is enchanting. When I heard her sing live on one of the late night shows I was surprised at how well she really sings and how we need more performers like her. I am SO TIRED of people's synthesized voices. Yes, they were artsy at one point but now it's just lazy and ... fake, duh. I love listening to songs by Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera but it sucks that the ones that can sing write stupid trendy songs instead of lyrics with substance, and those who can write can't (or choose not to) sing.

Lately it's been more difficult for me to stay inspired because I see how the world around me treats art. I guess it's motivating, though, because it pushes me to create something better than what is out now. To remind the world of why life is beautiful, with all its flaws and scars.

Anyways, I thought her album was a good mix of the now popular "club" trend music and lyrical wit.

I would love to know of any music out there which proves me wrong, please, send me links.

-L O V E

Here are some pics I took recently with my Hipstamatic App.

The sky, it makes me want to ride a hot-air balloon.

The street has been full of leaves flying away with the wind in a harmonious, sad and lovely way.
Goodbye Fall, Hello Winter.

The colors of the streets at night are beautiful, like Christmas lights during the Holidays.

Skinnies, Shoots & Splashes of Paint

2010-12-02T15:25:00.002-05:00

Left: Jeans & top I bought at Khols Right: The beauties i found at Goodwill

I went shopping for jeans the other day and I am glad to have finally found some blue jeans to replace my 80's inspired bleach-washed jeans (which no longer fit) and some jet black skinnies. I was so glad to have found the black ones on sale ... they fit great BUT they attract lint like a charged pair of socks. Time to invest in a lint- roller? I also bought a simple top with lace on the sleeves. ♥

Today I stopped at Goodwill on my way to lunch with my love. I found these two beauties (on the right) >>>

and was tempted to take them home with me! I didn't though, because I am looking for a nice soft flowy dress. I gotta keep my mind focused these days.

The shoot was fun, we're learning more about lighting.

Ken and I had a fun lil shoot when his Santa shirt came this week. We need to invest in some more backdrops! We are almost ready to get our photo shoots lined up, we need to bring some more shirts in.

Trust, I am being more creative than ever. I hope everyone loves the designs. Our models will be the first to see the new shirts (other than us), so you guys better let us know! If you live in VA Beach, you can model for us. OR just send us a nice pic of you wearing a Kinetik Tshirt and we will feature you on our website with a link to your blog/site.

I've been so busy this past week! The painting classes started. yay!!! And I enjoyed these first two days. I am painting till friday, then It's KG's turn. He's doing a night session on Saturday. Don't be afraid to come in and just see what's going on.

What else should I paint for the classes? I wonder what everyone is interested in. (If you were to attend, which would you want to do?)

Let's Paint!

2010-11-27T16:05:00.003-05:00

My love and I will be teaching fun & easy art, here in VA Beach, along with our colleagues. Our painting schedule for "Let's Paint" classes is as follows, starting December at:

"Let's Paint" - Fun & Easy Art
Thoroughgood Commons Shopping Center
(look for Clock Tower - across from Hermitage Elementary School)
1642 Pleasure House Rd., Suite #105
VA Beach, Va 23455
757-761-1212

Holiday Mascot

2010-11-26T15:13:00.000-05:00

Just finished designing a new shirt.
I hope you all love it!

(Click the pics to visit the store)

Sketchy

2010-11-26T12:39:00.002-05:00

Sketching is great. I need to keep drawing girls because I don't want to forget how to render feminine features. Every time I go back to drawing my gangster tattooed guys I come back to drawing a girl and she looks more masculine than i would like. These aren't too bad, they're from the VAFW post.

I've been reading L.C.'s book "Style" and it keeps me inspired to stay fashionable and makes me want to shop at thrift stores more because I like incorporating fun unique pieces in my everyday wardrobe. Today I am wearing a leopard printed top with grey skinnies and a big black coat. Brown boot-style heels and black socks. lol. Can you say comfy? Time to get to work and dream about a thousand things I need to be doing in the next few months.

BTW, the painting classes are starting finally! Ken and I will be teaching painting classes here in VA Beach. I will post a schedule w/ pics for my artsy buddies. My first class is on December 2. I will be painting a waterfall.

Check back soon,

-L O V E

Style

2010-11-23T20:15:00.001-05:00

Ahhh! I love this book. I saw it at Sam's Club and had to take it home. ♥ ♥ ♥

Today I did absolutely nothing productive, until now. I'm finishing a couple of sketches I started yesterday.

Pics soon.

-L ♥ V E

Lights

2010-11-22T13:20:00.001-05:00

The holidays are lining up and so are the family diners, plans for next year, and lists of things to do! I can't believe how quick this year went by.

Im excited for the shirts that i've designed (for early spring) and the shoots that will go with them.

Ken and I bought some studio lights, stands, umbrellas, and reflectors. I can't believe how little we spent on the lights. When things are meant to be they happen smoothly. (BTW, craigslist is great sometimes).

I miss my brothers and my sisters but that's life. Im happy to have such a loving family here in VA. Life is good.

Well, Im off to get some more things done!

-L O V E

Charcoal

2010-11-17T15:06:00.000-05:00

Things are looking a lot better, generally speaking, and i've started to think more about what i spend my time doing. I've made some progress on The Jimi drawing, although it can get a bit difficult since i can't see the whole thing until i step back like 10 feet! ha. This piece started off as a graphite drawing on gessoed canvas, but charcoal has been taking over lately and i think i like it.

Ken and I have been struggling to come up with more ideas for paintings these past couple of weeks. The "Let's Paint" classes will start soon and we still haven't visited the site that where they will take place :/

K's blog is inspiring and he's been sketching some more for it. He keeps going back to his anatomy books to look at muscles. I think he really enjoys doing that. I enjoy watching.

Displaced Realist (if you don't already follow it).

I want to make more time for the Jimi, im going to continue to work on it and add details. I need to buy some flat black paint for it. (Walmart, here I come).

Thanks all you aspiring models for sending us your info & pics. I will continue to save your pretty faces and line you up for the next few months. & thanks Bernz for answering your friends' questions. lol.

Until next time,
-L O V E

VAFW

2010-11-15T14:05:00.003-05:00

I had an awesome time shooting at the Virginia Fashion Week show at Waterside. Lots of beautiful garments and lots of beautiful people. I even became fond of a few of the models in the show. I was hoping to get some nice pictures of them. Bonus points to the girls that looked directly at my camera. :) Can't wait to do it again!!!

Me on the photographers stage :)

One of my favorite models, you're going to see more pictures of her. :)

Another one of my faves, she's gorgeous and she works the clothes like no other.

Did you get the shot? lol

My only B&W because the lighting for this one was kinda funky and it made an awesome high contrast image.

I absolutely love this picture.

Bra Ha Ha!!!

Straight at my cam bam. Def on my blog. *bonus points*

Gorgeous.

Love It!

Hepburn

2010-11-01T21:20:00.002-04:00

Lately things have been very emotional and stressful for me, even with the amazing weather in VA Beach, I find myself wanting to step away from all that is considered work and get into a more creative way of thinking. So I decided that the best way to channel that creativity would be to dress up as Audrey Hepburn for Halloween and have Ken take pictures of me somewhere. lol. So he did. He also had a live drawing session, which he enjoyed. (Check it out here).

I want more spontaneous photo and drawing sessions. I want more of my own drawing time. I want more late evenings at coffee houses sharing plans for the future.

I want things to fall into place quicker.

Until then,

-L O V E

Says I

2010-10-15T14:33:00.001-04:00

I prepped my canvas and started sketching outlines on it. Time to get serious! This weekend will be productive. Say's who? Says I!!!

Pics really soon. Sorry now vids, must....draw....

-L O V E

Beautiful People

2010-10-04T16:35:00.002-04:00

I've been trying to figure out how to do this whole video-sketching thing and i think i got the hang of it. I bought a little webcam so i can record from a better angle.

I find myself wanting to do millions of things at once and finishing short so i will continue to do what i can and strive for the important stuff. My blog and large pieces being part of that list, of course.

I love eyes.

Finally I can do a large Hendrix piece. I can't wait!

This is the sketch i did the other day at the bookstore, i am very excited about my next drawing. I've been looking at all kinds of Hendrix pictures, hoping that all of a sudden there will be a moment of illumination and i will know which to draw...but it hasn't exactly happened that way. I need to keep sketching and buy a primer for the canvas.

I love to draw. I just don't care for much else. Ken, our Moleskines, and some wine. (:

Today's vid is in homage to a fashion photo-journalist (View his Blog) who takes amazing pictures of beautiful people. This video is much better quality thanks to my new camera.

Watch Today's Video

Thanks for stopping by,

-L O V E

Half-A-Versary

2010-10-01T13:49:00.002-04:00

The huge canvas that Ken bought me for our "half-a-versary" is going to be put to use very soon. (ilovehim). I've started to sketch a bit before going on to the canvas. TGIF. im in the mood to draw my little heart out.

Link to Sketch Vid

-L O V E

Les Halles

2010-09-28T12:13:00.003-04:00

What wonderful weather we're having! It's mostly rainy with cool winds and plenty of falling leaves. Im in love with this season, except the frizzy hair but that's what hats are for! I've been recipe searching again. I want to taste things in different ways. Mostly italian, lol. I'll probably post some soon.

Bourdain, Graphite on Paper

This past week i finished the Bourdain drawing and this week i am starting a new piece. This one is going to be a much larger piece and much more serious. I am going to reveal the subject during the next live drawing which will be on Friday the 1st at 10am.

Btw, here's the link to the restaurant's website http://leshalles.net/brasserie/

Canvas for my next piece.

I am so excited about the painting sessions coming up mid October! Ken and I are prepping with the rest of the group to get a set calendar for everyone's schedule. Soon our VA Beach art lovers will be able to come and paint with us!

Picture of KG, edited with actions. :)

Also, i've been wanting to learn to use actions on photoshop so that i can vamp up our photography and so now im learning how to create them. Thanks Bren for the links!

Enjoy the fall weather,

- K A R I N A L O V E

Chuck

2010-09-14T11:33:00.001-04:00

Ken and I went to Richmond this past weekend to see the Chuck Close exhibit. It was fun and inspiring to see works from Mucha to Van Gogh surrounding us. The atmosphere was great through out the streets.

Ken's been practicing shooting, and i need to brush up on my poses.

Lately I've been thinking too much. Thinking, and not really doing. I feel like I was stuck for a while. Not in a "Artist's Block" sort of way, but in a trance of thought that completely overwhelmed me, having to do with every part of my life. Realizing this, I decided that from now on, or for a while at least, im just going to do. Not thinking so much will save me time. I think I will enjoy things a bit more too.

So there are some new shirts up. There aren't any until you see them. So don't expect them until I post a link.

I started a new sketch book a few weeks ago. So did Ken. I admire his talent. We've been sketching and painting. Soon whoever is in the area will be able to come paint with us around the Hill Top area.

Until next time

- L O V E

P.S. I started doing a live drawing thing online. It will be every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday unless otherwise noted. The links will be posted on the Kinetik Facebook page and they will usually go on in the morning (9am to 11am eastern time). Feel free to ask some questions or leave comments.

Hip Hop is Dead

2010-08-26T14:44:00.002-04:00

The past couple of months have been full of relaxation and fun. Full of lovely friends and good vibes. I love being able to step back and enjoy the view. Ken and I are still tackling some major steps in our careers and battling the obstacles along the way, but it's no excuse for stress. I feel like the days go by way too quickly, I have to appreciate every moment.

The show at the Norva was definetly an experience to remember. The show was amazing and the energy sky rocketed as soon as they came on stage. And what a view. To see such legends perform before us. Hip hop is dead, until they get on the MIC.

Enjoy the video. It's nothing close to the real thing, but I recorded it to show it to my children when they come along. lol.

There are great things coming soon and i look forward to sharing them with everyone.

Peace&

- L O V E

Cabbage

2010-08-13T16:56:00.001-04:00

Im at work trying to figure out what prices to put on these cabbage plates, bowls and pitcher. Seriously, why a cabbage pitcher? I realized that i didn't take a lunch break, the headache kinda reminded me that my stomach was growling. I might as well use this time to update the blawg. :)

So I turned 22 this August 11th and i was still kinda getting used to 21, so it was a pretty big surprise for me. (People still mistaken me for 19 so what difference does it make, really). Ken got me this AWESOME new lens for the camera. He also got a backdrop for our photography studio (coming soon). We still have lots to buy, like lighting equipment, reflectors, etc. My little brother sent me the funniest birthday card ever and my mommy sent me some pretty flowers :) My b day was great fun.

I finally have a phone. i love it. i still haven't used the FaceTime feature but hopefully i will soon, with my sisters. I love shooting videos though. Having a cool phone is new for me, my last phone wasn't this fancy.

Still working on shirts. Kinda. I've been hanging out with Ken, watching him paint, enjoying the time. Things are better that way, when they are slow and enchanting. I have some great ideas for some paintings, which is weird because im not exactly the greatest painter. I have the inspiration for it now.

Im off to finish my work and get out of here for the day!

Keep on keeping on,

L O V E

Aching Ears

2010-07-27T10:59:00.002-04:00

As i arrived to B&N today i was trying to figure out a song that i heard on the radio. It sounded kinda like jill scott or fantasia...raspy voice and great range...but i can't remember exactly how it goes! (something like..."going in circles...round and round", idk)

I looked in my bag for my headphones and of course, i left them in my purse at home. . . what to do?

Well luckily this B&N is in a mall and so i walked a bit and found "Dollar Village" where i bought some generic brand "earbuds" for 99¢

These aren't your fancy shmancy phones with the cushion that molds perfectly into your ear. I put them on and looked for the song on google, and after lots of weird results, i got nothing. I took off the headphones and i noticed that my ears were a bit sore. They actually hurt.

Moral of the story, don't forget your fancy headphones at home unless you want aching ears.

Now, to draw!

- L O V E

Need...More...Sketchbooks!

2010-07-26T12:20:00.000-04:00

Almost time to get another moleskine sketchbook. :)

Here are some of my latest sketches. Thanks for checking them out.

-L O V E

Ken :)

Some lady's eye in a magazine

Ken :)

Ann Harding

Photography by Nirrimi http://weliveyoung.blogspot.com Model: Pia

Art Snob-ish

2010-07-06T16:05:00.000-04:00

I burned my forehead with the curling iron this morning. So now i have a small brown spot, which im not even trying to cover. I find it ironic that my hair is curly and i've burned my self so many times with a tool used to CURL hair, instead of straighten it.

Anyways.

Yesterday Ken and I were at B&N and we were drawing and sipping some white chocolate mochas, in celebration of the launching of Angiesbakery.net (He designed the whole thing, i just published it.)

As usual, we started browsing magazines and books until we found a picture worthy of a sketch. Before we knew it, they were announcing that it was time to wrap it up (near closing time). As we started to hurry up and get more serious about finishing, a young lady came up to us and complimented our talent. She said she wanted to become an illustrator.

She asked us, "What school did you go to?"... and ..."What was your major?"

I paused for a second and said, "Graphic Design."

When we were heading out Ken said that we're probably going to run into her in the future. He said that someone going for an illustration position would have great skills, since they are drawing constantly.

I want to draw constantly. I want to live in a Renaissance Era where everyone follows their passion and perfects their craft, working day in and no out. I want my pieces to be influential and meaningful.

Some people might call me an "Art Snob." Not that I want to be referred to as a snob, particularly, but i have an appreciation for certain quality of work. Skillful work which requires thought and dedication. There is something about the romantic relationship between an artist and his/her muse, that i don't quite understand in other media. I feel that if you're serious about what you're doing you should show it and give it your all. Even if it is just splatters of paint on a piece of fabric.

I want to draw, and not much else.

- L O V E