M.I.A

Sorry I've been M.I.A!! March was a busy month. Justin, my friend from college, visited me for a week and we spent three days in San Francisco. We rented a car and took Route 1/the PCH up the coast to get there. It took 10 hours to get there (instead of 6 or 7 hours via Route 5), but it was worth it!! I wasn't too impressed with Pebble Beach but the drive along Big Sur was amazing. We hit up all of the typical San Fran locales... went to Alcatraz; drove down Lombard Street; found the REAL Full House House (1709 Broderick Street); Visited Alamo Square/Painted Ladies; walked 1/4 way across the Golden Gate Bridge; took photos from the Marin Headlands; went to Fisherman's Wharf; ate Thai food. All and all, a fun trip!! I also introduced Justin to Pinkberry and now he is an addict. We ate Pinkberry (sometimes for breakfast!!) at least 4 times that week.

Also in March, my favorite boss Dave Nagel landed a HUGE job for Best Buy. It was a four-day shoot with 11 models and an excellent crew!! We shot at 5th and Sunset studios whose in-house chef spoiled us with breakfast and lunch every day. Breakfast burritos; bacon and eggs; French toast and fresh fruit for breakfast. Pork tenderloin on Monday; grilled chicken on Tuesday; salmon on Wednesday and skirt steak on Thursday--always accompanied by salad, sides and dessert!! Did I mention there's a coffee bar?! Best studio to work in!! During the four days, my boss shot an impressive 11,759 photos!! I shot a lot of production stills and videos that will available after the ad campaign debuts this October. I have to admit, I am impressed with the quality of Canon's 5D Mark II video setting... but the fact that it's manual focus is a drag. I had the opportunity and pleasure to work with Kirk Weddle, my boss's longtime friend, who produced the shoot. (For those of you who may not know, Kirk shot Nirvana's infamous baby underwater album cover for their album "Nevermind." You can read the whole story here). Watching Kirk and Dave interact and hearing all of their crazy college stories was a blast!! Can't wait to work with both of them again... which luckily will be soon!!

I've been drawing a lot of cutesy comics lately which I am hoping to display on a personal website. I just created an awesome summery comic but it's still spring so you'll have to wait to see it!! I'd love for a website or magazine to want to buy my comics for their publication. I should really look into it but I have to find the right market for them first.

And that pretty much sums up March, other than consuming lots of delicious Ice Pan, babysitting, going on an ebay spending spree and having my Polaroid camera break... luckily two replacements are on their way!!

BLOGGED in Peach & Pearl

Adorable nod from Emily at Peach & Pearl The Blog this weekend: http://peach-pearl.blogspot.com/2009/02/happy-weekend.html

Seems like a lot of people love my R.S.V.P print.

What have you done for others lately???

Recently, I've been bitten by the volunteer bug. Last Friday, I donated five dollars to charitywater.org, an organization that allows people who live in developing countries to have access to clean drinking water. (Click here if you would also like to donate). This Wednesday, I will be making quilts with Quilting for Others - an organization that makes and donates quilts to underprivileged children. Next Saturday morning, my boyfriend and I volunteered to help serve breakfast to homeless people in Hollywood. How are you helping people in need???

Volunteering seems like a selfless act, but in volunteering you also receive something in return -- the gratification of knowing you made a difference in someone's life. Want to help, but don't know where to start??? Use google to find nonprofits that serve your community or, if you live near Los Angeles, visit Big Sunday to find ways to volunteer.

Even more ideas on helping others: become a Big Brother/Big Sister; walk dogs at a local animal shelter; visit seniors at a nursing home/care center; read to children at a local school or library; write letters/send care packages to our troops; donate canned foods to a food bank; give blood; volunteer at a local church; donate time or money to a cause you feel passionate about.

Spend one or two less hours in front of the television/computer and invest time in the lives of others. :)

BLOGGED in Paper N Stitch

Article about my work featured in Paper N Stitch: http://papernstitchblog.com/2009/02/09/americana Check it out!! :)

A great big THANK YOU to Brittni for the wonderful article/review!!

BLOGGED in Mixed Plate's Friday Favorites

Proud to be among one of online entrepreneur/designer Liana Miyamura's favorites: http://www.mixedplateblog.com/2009/02/friday-favorites-60.html

NEW!! Retro Fine Art Greeting Cards

Now available in my etsy shop!!






Sending smiles across the miles. :) Sets of five or single blank retro fine art greeting cards!! http://jenaardell.etsy.com

MY ALL-TIME FLICKR FAVORITES!!!!

Images that I return to again and again:
1. Untitled, 2. Nopal, 3. Untitled, 4. Untitled, 5. Untitled, 6. Black Tongue, 7. holga. venice beach, ca. 2005., 8. Narcissist, 9. RidgeDeer, 10. usattheparker, 11. clockwork fish, 12. Donky_Desert, 13. an english pool, 14. monument_bus_2l.jpg, 15. sandiego_12, 16. poison apples, 17. Untitled, 18. Florida Pool, 19. Airstream, 20. Untitled, 21. My Office, 22. it's showtime, 23. Fire Island surf #1, 24. view from our hotel room, 25. Primo Amore, 26. Double-Fisted Double-Dipper, 27. Untitled, 28. No Matter What, 29. superslide polaroid, 30. trailer

photographers include: lou o'bedlam, stoopidgerl, redbuttons, hal bergman, won7ders, fotones, zenbombed, ilisu, charlynw, eyetwist, juliagaldo, daniel minnick, evenstar0586, jen gotch, tinkernoonoo, bluecitrusart, iso-50, iilii-n, aquaticdream, 7-how-7, prettypertelote, buradori, melaniecoles, davebias, dipanna, casoulbyrd, ed bopp.

DELICIOUS FRENCH PASTRY PRINTS!!

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Available at: jenaardell.etsy.com


NOW TIL FEBRUARY 14th: BUY TWO 8x10 FINE ART PASTRY PRINTS AND RECEIVE A THIRD PRINT FREE!! You can view the entire French Pastry Collection here.

About the collection: ALL of the pastries were obtained from an ORIGINAL lithograph printed in the EARLY 1900s in France that I purchased and then scanned at a very high resolution. The purpose of the lithograph was to catalogue some of the delicious types of pastries that were for sale at the time. Bakers would use these images as a guide. Each is EXACTLY as they originally appear, with the exception of the decorative border I added.

Loaded with tiny details, these prints are truly a work of art... and history!!

All prints measure: 8x10 inches

How to use coupon: Do not include your free print in your order, instead just put the name of the print you'd like into the message to seller box during checkout!!
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