Daylight

Hi guys! I know I've been kinda quiet around here, but I wanted to share what's been keeping me so busy lately. Me and Travis have been working on a webcomic, you can find it here if you're interested!

Art Lately: Shoplifting and Why It Sucks

Today at work I had to tell a customer we were no longer accepting returns from her. This was because she had, on at least 2 occasions, tried to return stuff that she didn't buy from us (I work at a used clothing store). She bought things, took the tags off and reattached them to some torn clothes that she got who knows where, and returned them. When I told her she couldn't return clothing to us anymore, she got rude obvi, acting like it wasn't her fault and that we were losing her business, but like, I was mad.

Shoplifting is fucked up and I'm gonna tell you why. And it's not because I'm a goodie two shoes (which I arguably am). It's pretty obvious why this particular situation was so scummy; I work for a small business. It's a franchise, which means we have a big corporate head that gives us guidelines to follow, but we are owned independently, so the money we make has nothing to do with HQ. Our store makes what it makes, and our wages, bonuses, and benefits come from the two (very kind, not that it matters for the sake of the argument) people that own our store. People steal from us a lot, actually, despite the fact that shit is already marked down 70% from whatever it cost new... and where do ya think that money comes from? We have to absorb the cost of theft, and that affects our profit, and therefore what the little guy (me) gets paid.

Secondly, this woman carries around designer handbags. She shops a lot. That aint a crime, but would it really hurt her pocketbook to actually pay for the items she "buys" from us? Instead she took advantage of me and my coworkers, who work part time, don't have health insurance, make less than $10 an hour, AND have to deal with customers like her. She straight up stole from us, and I take it personally. As far as her business goes, I don't really want someone like her shopping with us anyway. In the service industry you routinely get treated like you are less than human by people who make way more money than you, and shoplifting is just another symptom.

Now I don't wanna hear anything about why it's ok to shoplift because just one person won't effect me much. Yeah duh it won't, but if a ton of people think stealing is A-OK then it's gonna make a dent. I also don't wanna hear that it's ok when poor people do it. That is obviously a different situation, but we both know that most every shoplifter is not starving. Homeless people are actually a horribly misunderstood group in general, but like, that's an argument for another day (and one that I don't really know enough about).

If you justify shoplifting because you don't make much money and you deserve nice things, you're damn right, you do. But taking advantage of retail workers that also don't make much money is not actually going to solve anything, it's just selfish. You're not Robin Hood, and you're not defeating capitalism. If you think the CEO of Walmart is the one who's taking the hit from the 3 billion dollars they lose yearly from theft, you're wrong; the higher ups are the ones in control of who gets paid, and they are either gonna jack up their prices (the ones people like me are going to have to pay) or they're going to pay their employees less. Walmart employees got enough problems without having to suffer the repercussions of your sorry ass.

So, let's bring it back to me, since this post is in essence a cathartic rant: Not only do I have to deal with the effects lil miss sticky fingers left (see above), I also had to swallow the potential anxiety attack of telling her to leave in hopes she wouldn't start yelling at me in front of everyone. And when I got home I saw my new non-smudge mascara still smudged. Product recommendations would be great - I guarantee I'll won't steal them.

I've included some art I've don't lately so that tl;dr people still have something to get outta this post. I hope you all had a good Halloween! I was Velma.

Cut n Paste

 Twitches

Ill

Trick Knee

So I finally got my knee surgery scheduled, it's going to be on October 14th. The surgery itself isn't gonna be a big deal; but I will have to take a couple weeks off work to recover. Unfortunately I'm part time and I don't get paid sick days, so I'll be losing an entire paycheck's worth of income next month.

So I'm offering you all a discount in both my Etsy stores for 25% off, in hopes that I can supplement my income some! You can use code NEWKNEE25 in my art shop or my vintage shop! I may be a little slow in sending out orders after surgery hits, but the code will be active til November. If you've ever wanted a custom portrait, now's a great time to help a girl out!

In other news, this crop top was an A+ decision.

Art Lately + Collaborative Zine Number 2!

My art folders are seriously lacking in content lately, and I guess I haven't shared any around these parts in awhile. I am struggling to find inspiration and motivation to get started on any major projects, but I have done a couple paintings. I am still very interested in unrealistic color schemes, girls with funky hair cuts, and combining natural and synthetic imagery.

In an effort to focus my creativity, I'm starting another collaborative zine!

This one is about your ideal space. Message me and tell me what it looks like, it can be specific, or just a list to convey the vibe. Then I'll draw it! You can be anonymous or not - your words won't be included, but your username will. Email it to ohavalanche@gmail.com or put it in my tumblr ask!

Art Lately: A fair amount of fanart

My fave paintings from the past month or so! Here's my dream girl ^^

Robin from One Piece. U guys its so good

UtenaxAnthy

Not afraid of ghosts!

I redid my Society 6 shop, go get one of my arts on a shirt!!

Art Lately: My Production Rate Slows

I haven't been producing nearly as much work lately. And I thought I was busy in college! I am trying to try new things with my work, like new color palettes, and lining with ink like in the one above, which is called "Coffee Shop Princess."

This last one is called "Home." For awhile there I wanted to make every piece about something, trying out being conceptual with my work. This one is about looking back, missing your home. The plants are all from the house I grey up in.

But then I decided that there's no shame in painting something just for the sake of a pretty picture, either.

Tumblr.Etsy.Facebook

Art Lately: Witches

Wow it's been a minute since I shared some art with you guys. With the holidays I didn't have a ton of time to do art for me, but the past couple of months were all about darkness and witchies. Now I've got an itch to experiment with some really bright color combinations. I had been writing out some explanations of the meanings behind my work, but I think I'm over that. Use your imagination.

As always, find my art here, and buy some here.

Blogger Appreciation

I recently did some portraits of a few of my favorite bloggers that I've been following for awhile <3 You guys will probably recognize them, but if you don't, you need to be following them!

Annika of Pineneedle Collective is one of my faves because she has such a cool sense of style that is always interesting to watch, and because she ties all her interests into her blog so you get to read about science, fashion, diys, all in the same place. Plus she's super friendly and creative, and promotes ethical fashion and disability awareness and is an all around role model tbh.

I love Kathryn of Kitsune Kun's blog because she has insane photography skills. Like every time I visit there, she's got some magical photos of Utah or Japan or the Met or something. They're all impeccably styled, but not in the staged photoshoot way, it's just beautiful to see her life and travels through her eyes!

And Kailey of Mermaidens, because she is the cutest. She's def one of the nicest people on the internet, and her blog is always a cotton candy wonderland with just the right amount of edge. I love seeing her modelling for people like Hannah Haley. It's no wonder I'm not the first to paint her, her look is just flawless.

Giveaway: Win A Portrait!

It's giveaway time!

I'm looking to add a new listing to my shop: A custom full body portrait of you as your favorite character! I'll draw you or a friend as Princess Bubblegum, Wonder Woman, a Disney Princess, idk, Astroboy. Whatever! Just like dressing up for Halloween, but in *~watercolor~*

To add this listing to my shop I need example images, though. So I'm giving away 3 portraits! There will be 3 winners of this giveaway, and I'll contact each one to get the details of their portrait.

I'm giving Rafflecopter a try. Enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks guys :-*

Art Lately: Getting Botanical

Anxiety - I painted this before flying to Italy. It's important to remember to breathe deeply, you'll get through it.

First Day - I kind of miss going back to school. It freaks me out knowing that time of my life is over.

Planting - This one was a bit out of my comfort zone, but in the end I like how it turned out! I'm definitely getting addicted to painting plants. I have started keeping some, and gardening is very therapeutic.

Sisterhood - Girls, stick together.

Ayanami - A special fan art from a special show.

This last one is a gift I mailed to a friend! Shhh don't tell her ;)

Art Lately

Sailor Mars: My second favorite sailor scout.

Bored Mermaids: I sometimes wish I was a mermaid so my life would be beautiful, but then I try to remember that even mermaids have bad days.

 Alone Time: About being one with the universe and all that.

Springtime: About personal growth.

Room: I have a new-found love for painting in all black and white. This one is an experiment, I plan to change the colors in photoshop and compare it to a watercolor version!

As always, follow my tumblr for more frequent art updates, my instagram for works in progress, and check out my shop to commission your very own piece!

Art Lately: Plus a Call for Submissions

Pink, about routines, preparing to face the world, and a peek into a stranger's life. Inspired by Rituals by Nooran Matties.

Honey, for girls that are sweet and dangerous.

A negative doodle of some inky feelings I had one night, exploring chaos, order, inversions, and change.

Soulmates, about mean teenage love.

I'm going to start this art project where I illustrate love stories and compile them into a book. So I need submissions! Tell me a love story, keep it to a few sentences long. It can be about romance, crushes, heartbreak, rejection, how you first met your significant other, your first kiss, your best friend. Don't be afraid to tell me your regrets, or use it as an opportunity to say something you never got the chance to. The only rules are it has to be TRUE, and it has to be ANONYMOUS. Submit here!

Art Lately: Change is Good

for inconnumag

for a zine I made that I'll put in my shop soon!

did some book covers

my new favorite

Since I'm graduating and all I've been thinking back on (my life) a lot.

Specifically, since I'm about to get a degree in Illustration, I've been thinking about my art style in particular and how it's changed.
I used to be really into fairytale illustration, and illustrating things I read about in books (especially couples, I was all about couples). My art used to be really escapist and whimsical, and though there are still elements of that in what I do, I think the focus has changed.
As I learned more about feminism and racism and discrimination in college, my art developed with my mind. My art has always been really important to me, like it's an extension of myself. It's why I'm not good at taking critique on my personal work, because I feel like if you don't like my art, you don't like me. And if someone really gets my art, I take it as a major compliment, like "Rachel, I like your SOUL."

In the past year, my art has taken a turn towards a more girl-power oriented deal, and it's definitely more concept-driven. I used to paint things just because they looked pretty (there's nothing wrong with that, btw), but now I think, "What message can I get across with this piece?" I paint more portraits now, I actually have a hard time painting anything but, because I love faces so much.

I think a good way to summarize the changes in my work is that I'm much more interested in painting real things for real people than imaginary stuff.

Memory Lane

Holy crap, guys! I'm so happy to say that I am done with my senior thesis project!

Memory Lane is a collection of clothing hand-stamped with patterns that center on the them of nostalgia.

Click to view on Glossi.com

I started this in fall when I designed my patterns. I then cut my own stamps and printed them on ethically sourced clothing. I thrifted the shirts, and the fabric for the skirts, which are hand sewn. I then found some models and conducted a photoshoot with them in my clothes. I made some illustrations from these photos. Lastly I designed a lookbook for them!

You can now purchase the shirts and skirts on Etsy!

Also, just for my blogger friends, I'm selling totes, too. The totes I made didn't hold up well in the wash, so I decided only to sell the ones that didn't smudge, and at a discount ($8). If you're interested in purchasing the Lights, Fishies, or Dandelion totes, please contact me! I'm also going to take custom orders for these, so please email me at rachelsullivanillustration@gmail.com if you want one!

Guest Post at Cuddly Cacti

I've known Dus through blogging for awhile, and she is sweet as can be! She just did a interview with me about my art, so go check it out!

Anime Babes Part 1

I'm working on an ongoing series about my favorite anime characters. So here are all the anime babes I've painted in the past month!

Sailor Moon

Obviously. The most relatable character ever, she loves eating, sleeping, video games, and still saves the world. I wish I was her.

Greed (as Ling, FMA) 

Seriously, I have such a crush on him. Tbh I can't even really explain it, but when Greed took over Ling's body it was the most perfect and logical plot twist. And he's so cool, I can't stand it.

Asuka (NGE)

Okay so she's mean and bossy as hell (Travis always teases me for relating to her so much), but she's complex and has had to deal with way too much for a 14 year old. She's so strong, and I love her for all her flaws.

 

Homura (Madoka Magica)

It was really hard for me to choose between Madoka and Homura from PMMM, but Homura is really a badass. She seems stand offish, but she's really just had to harden herself against circumstance, and I admire her.

Kamina (Gurren Lagann)

He's such a babe, I can't help but love him. Girl power will always be my first love, but he's just the embodiment of masculine-friendship-power and it's adorable and inspiring as heck. He really stays with you for the whole series, if you know what I mean. 

That's all I got for now, but you can bet more are in the works (L from Death Note, Mako from Kill la Kill, and Jet from Cowboy Bebop to name a few <3!!) What are your fave characters??