Big Etsy Sale!

Hey guys! Help me clean out my Etsy stock before I graduate and head overseas! All the vintage has been heavily marked down, and you can use the code ITALIA at check out for an extra 10% off everything! So help a sista out and check the shop!

Memory Lane

Vintage

Art and Custom Portraits!

Thanks to all of you who've bought things in the past, your support means so much to me!

Obsessions: Marina and the Diamonds

Really I could listen to Marina on repeat forever. She's been around since 2010, but I just found out about her last year. Her two albums, Family Jewels and Electra Heart are both equally amazing, and I highly recommend playing through them both (endlessly) if you're new to her.

She's got this fabulous, fun, sassy persona and sings pop songs about love, adolescence, and glamor, which is really all I want in a musician. But on top of that this girl's voice is bonkers. I was surprised to learn that she didn't get into music due to her (totally awesome) voice, but primarily for the lyrics. Not that that doesn't make sense, because they speak to me, they do. But I woulda given her a record deal in a hot minute for her voice alone! She also made her first album, Family Jewels, entirely by herself, music and all! Seriously impressive. I've got such a crush.

Kindly: Hand-Embroidered Quotes

Did you guys notice that I got a new button over there on the right sidebar?

I know you guys saw my thesis project, right? Well this is one of my friends', called Kindly! For her thesis, my roomate Amanda made a set of hand-embroidered hoops featuring quotes from the Arts and Crafts movement. She made them to raise awareness for child labor, and a portion of the proceeds from this project will go to Unicef!

Go check it out and support her work!

Pinkest

Ooooh look at the Spring!

I've really been loving the weather, all bare legs and no sleeves. I wish it would stay this temperature, though, instead of getting up in the humid sticky 90s that I know we'll be enduring come June.

So I found this dress on sale at Urban. Most dresses there are $30 or so when they're marked down, but this one was like $6 something! I was like "...ok what's the catch." So I tried it on, and turns out the zipper was straight up broken. Hohoho did you think you had me there, Urban? I can replace a zipper!

So I did. And tbh it looks even better now, because the one that it came with was one of those exposed metal zippers that have been trendy lately. I peeled off the clearance tags and this thing was originally $80! Can you believe that!! Honestly, I don't think the clothes there are very high quality, especially not for the high prices. But damn I got lucky, right?

I may end up replacing the straps too, because spaghetti straps aren't really my thing.

(jacked these nails from The Clothes Horse, no regrets)

Dress: Urban Outfitters

Shoes: Thrifted (but they're originally Urban haha)

Necklace: Forever 21

Bag: Thrifted

And yeah, it doesn't hurt that it matches my hair perfectly.

Outside Again

First, thank you all so much for your kind words on my last post and/or facebook about my senior thesis! It's been a ton of work and it's great to know that I saw this whole thing through.

Anyway, I am so excited to be shooting outside again!

My sweetie mommy got me a new tripod for Easter (the one that Michelle recommended me actually) and now I can go out of my dingy studio to take photos. Obviously I was so pumped to be outdoors that I didn't adjust the brightness properly and now my dress kindof hurts my eyes. But other than that they turned out real cute! I can't wait to go on adventures with this baby.

Good old Cotton building, I will miss you. It seems I'm down to my last few weeks at Winthrop ever, which is freaking me out a little. Mile markers like graduation always get me thinking about the past. I've changed so much since highschool. Like I used to be super uncomfortable with poop jokes and I corrected people's grammar all the time. I had a pair of black Converse I wore every day that were full of holes. Drew on my jeans, too. I was really into musical theater, and not really into makeup.

Still a cat person tho.

Dress: Target

Jackets: Thrifted

Shoes: Urban Outfitters

Socks: Uniqlo

Necklace: Forever 21

Looking forward to the bright new future rn.

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!

Mod Skirt

Today I wore this fabulous mod corduroy skirt that made my legs look buff..?

I've got about two weeks left at school here and less than a month until I've graduated and am on my way to Italy! Thank god, too, because being here is wearing me out! Now is a complicated time.

Shirt: American Apparel

Skirt, Necklace: Vintage

Shoes: Wanted

Bow: Made by Me

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!

Sunshine and Rainbows

Today I'm going to talk about some things that I am happy about, because I feel like I do a lot of bitching and complaining on the blog, and yeah ok my life isn't always sunshine and rainbows, but it is sometimes!

1. My parents take care of me.

2. I'm good at painting rad ladies.

3. I have pretty dresses.

4. My friends make me laugh.

5. Travis is my soul mate.

6. The weather is nice right now.

7. I'm going to have a college degree in a month.

8. I get to go to fuckin Italy!

9. I have pretty lipsticks.

10. I have a rockin bod.

What do ya'll have going for ya?

Shirt: Old Navy

Jeans: American Eagle

Shoes: Urban Outfitters (on hella sale, too)

Crown: Made by Me

Lipstick: Mac Morange