France and Spain

What an amazing trip! Here's a quick link to pics: France and Spain

Me toning paper for a pastel drawing:

I'm trying to get my head out of the fog and back to reality. I hope to have all my new artwork posted soon.

Shoot n Shoot

Today I am practicing my photography skills with the lovely and talented miss Darling Propaganda. We're doing what I call a 'Shoot n Shoot': I shoot her and she shoots me in return.

I'm excited to get behind the camera to shoot a little tush and tits for painting reference, and it's always fun when she tells me what to do.

Prrrrr.

More Burlesque, this Wednesday 5/28!

Hello lovelies-

If you missed last week's Burlesque extravaganza, you have another chance to see me perform with the delightful Bombshell Betty's Burlesqueteers this Wednesday in San Francisco.

Details and ticket purchasing information below, I hope to see your shining faces in the audience!

Much love-
Sweet M'Alice

--------------------------

That's right kids! It's time for another Haute House Burlesque Review!!
Brought to to you by none other than BOMBSHELL BETTY'S BURLESQUETEERS!!!

Come one, come all to the Stage Werx Theatre, just off of Union Square, where
we'll be back to amaze and delight as you sit back and relax in cozy theater
seats while sipping your beer & wine and enjoying the spectacle. Quite a nice
alternative to crowded bar shows!

This month's showcase features performances by:

Bootsy la Rue!
Bunny Pistol!
Chi Chis del Fuego!
Ginger Snaps!
Holly Highbeams!
Josie Starre & Sneak-A-Peak Sally!
Kiss Me Kate!
Lida Fire!
Peaches N. Cream!
Ruby Fuerza!
sASSy Hotbuns!
Sweet M'Alice!

and of course,
The Burlesqueteers!

with Odessa Lil as our *thwack* Mistress of Ceremonies!


Wednesday, May 28th
Doors at 7pm, Show at 8pm

Stage Werx
533 Sutter St. @ Powell Street
San Francisco
www.stagewerx.org

$12 in advance(will call only) @ http://www.bombshellbetty.net/shows.html
$15 at the door

The venue is a small, independent theater, and seating is limited,
so buy your tickets in advance! Presale ticketing ends at noon on the
day of the show!

http://www.bombshellbetty.net/shows.html

Performing my debut solo Monday!

I'm performing my VERY FIRST SOLO Monday night at Hubba Hubba in Oakland. This is Bombshell Betty's Burlesqueteers night with the silly and delightful Hubba Hubba crew. Please join us!

Details below:





Uptown Hubba Hubba is back this Monday, 5/19, with BOMBSHELL BETTY'S
BURLESQUETEERS! returning to shimmy, shake & grind their way into your hearts
and psyches.

Booze, Beauties, Funny Fat Guys & Rockin' Good Times for all!
Now that's a damn good Monday night!

featuring...

Bombshell Betty!
Bunny Pistol!
Kiss Me Kate!
Josie Starre!
Miss Kittie Whip!
sASSy Hotbuns!
Ginger Snaps!
Sweet M'Alice!
The Burlesqueteers!
Zip the What-Is-It!

And everyone's favorite drunks/MC's, Kingfish & Eddie

Doors 9PM, Show 10PM
21 & Up w/I.D.



And as always, it's just FIVE BUCKS all night!

THE UPTOWN CLUB
1928 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland
(1 block from 19th Street BART!)

Pin ups x 2

I love this photo!!

It's Sweet Cheeks & Sweet M'alice.



Photographer: http://www.emilypayne.com

Orphan Works Bill

Is it an issue for artists to worry about? I don't know. When I dig in and research it, there are a bazillion different opinions on it.

From what I understand, the basis for the Bill is it allows for people to use older creative works when the copywrite holder has died (for 70 years past their death) or where the original holder cannot be found.

Film makers, musicians, etc. can not currently use this material, but the Orphan Works Bill would allow works to be used if the user can show that they made an attempt to find the copywrite owner.

I'm not going to attempt to convey the concerns of the art public because I don't fully understand but I have found some links. So if you are an artist trying to decipher it, read these and decide for yourself:

http://www.orphanworks.net/

There is a lively debate happening here: http://www.publicknowledge.org/node/392

If you want to send letters to your congresspeople expressing your concerns, go here:
http://capwiz.com/illustratorspartnership/home/

And six misconceptions about Orphan Works: http://maradydd.livejournal.com/374886.html

It's going to be an exciting month

I'm already booked with:

• Burlesque classes & rehearsals
• A 'you shoot me, I shoot you' photoshoot with Darling Propaganda
• And a solo performance, woo!

When the hell I'm going to paint, I don't know. I do feel like all of this is equally important to the art that I want to make...so it's ok.

I also have to be easy on myself because I'm going to spend two weeks devoted to making art next month in Moux, France.













Diane Olivier, my instructor and one of my favorite people, sent me the list of materials last week. We'll be using pastels, charcoal, possibly watercolors and if I have room I'll bring my colored pencils.

It's been a looong time since I've devoted this much time to drawing and I can't wait to see how my skills improve after the class.

We'll be staying in a house built in the 1860s, taking trips to draw in the countryside in the mornings and afternoons, and we have two days off to do whatever the hell we want!

After the workshop, Bill is meeting me and we are going to tool around the region either by car or train. We're going to decide how we feel when we get there. For sure, we'll spend a weekend in Aix-en-Provence and then some time in Barcelona.

Fancy new camera, Burlesque and more!

Well hello people-

I just picked up a fancy DSLR this weekend, I'm no longer a point and shoot girl. Hurray!

I had been on the fence about whether to go Nikon or Canon and am very happy with my new Nikon D40. It was a great deal and came with two lenses: 18-35mm and 55-200mm

Now I have a ton of stuff to learn, but it is very exciting. I will be able to shoot my own reference for paintings! This has been a goal of mine for the last 6 months or so. While I have enjoyed working with different photographers to get pin up reference, I want to be able to express my 'voice' from the outset of a project.

The only way for me to accomplish this is to shoot my own gals.

So this is going to be an interesting exploration, the photographer has just as much work to do as the model, and I will be gaining confidence in this area.

Part of my goal is to shoot burlesque performers in motion. Pin ups are fun, but I really want to capture the movement and sparkle of costumes and the sass and tease of the performer. Along with my goal to shoot, I am going to perform. I've been taking classes from local Burlesque queen Bombshell Betty since October of last year and I hope to be performing with her troupe, the Burlesqueteers, sometime this month.

There is also personal growth that go accompanies all of these new things in my life, I've been discussing with my therapist (Susan) how to push back the fear that comes from performing. We've talked a bit about how actors accomplish this, one way is to access an emotion that is already inside and bring it to the front (despite the fear). This is something I find really interesting and hope to pursue it and blog about it as well.

And...

Another goal is to finish all three 30x40" portraits by mid May.
I am going to put them up for sale, so if you are interested let me know!

Paypal buttons have been added to my website and that makes purchasing so much easier.

One last thing: stay tuned for an exciting project that I've been working on with artist Jessica Whiteside. We're co-curating an incredibly sexy Pin up art exhibition with artists representing Hot rod babes, Kink, Burlesque and Rockabilly chicks.

Happening February 09 at 111 Minna.

Viva Las Vegas 2008

Viva Las Vegas 2008
Originally uploaded by Alice Stribling

I posted Viva pics on Flickr. Click the pic to see.

From Sept. 07 Emily Payne photo shoot

From Sept. 07 Emily Payne photo shoot
Originally uploaded by Alice Stribling

I went into Emily Payne's studio last year to get some reference shots of myself, Bombshell Betty and Sweet Cheeks (both Burlesque performers).

This was one of the little gems from that shoot.

Drawing Workshop in South of France in June

Drawing Workshop in South of France in June
Originally uploaded by Alice Stribling

I'm also prepping for this, I can't wait to sit in the sun in the Moux, France with nothing to do but draw all day.

I love Diane and can't wait to see how my skills improve after this workshop.

Oh and I designed the brochure! She provided all the wonderful pictures and drawrings. :)

Viva Las Vegas next weekend!

Viva Las Vegas next weekend
Originally uploaded by Alice Stribling

Bill and I are Vegas-ing it up next weekend at the charming Gold Coast with about a bazillion Rockabilly enthusiasts.

Should be a rockin' good time with LOTS of good eye candy!

(I promise there will be pictures)

xoxo-
A

Most recent email from John Fluevog shoes

Most recent email from John Fluevog shoes
Originally uploaded by Alice Stribling

Fluevog has this area on their site where fans can upload photos of their favorite shoes, it's called 'Flueshots'.

They asked me to upload my painting a while ago and I kind of forgot about it, but I just noticed that it was included in their most recent update email.

R.A.D.

Pali Boucher of Rocket Dog Rescue

This gal is pretty amazing. She pulled herself out of some bad times and off the streets and has devoted her life to saving pooches that might not otherwise make it out of the pound.

Right before Christmas, Pali had a house fire and lost some rescue dogs along with her own pets and her art collection.

You can read the story here:SF gate article

It’s a pretty sad story and I wanted to do something for her that would replace some of her lost art and so that she has something for her new walls once she gets settled.

I got a photo from the lovely Laura B and made this piece of Pali and one of her dogs, Catfish Calhoun:

It’s another one of these black and white photos on canvas giclée (I like this process a lot). I painted over it with oil, mostly red and metallic bronze. Catfish Calhoun shimmers and he even has some sparkly Swarovski crystals on his collar.

I delivered it to her last week at an adoption fair, I think she was pretty happy. She went around showing it to everyone with a big smile on her face!



If you are interested in finding out more about Rocket Dog Rescue, check em out here:Rocket Dog Rescue site

2007 kinda kicked ass

So I’m sitting here listening to Pink Floyd, downloading a bunch of Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin actually, and reflecting on this past year.

I’ve read a lot of 2007 blogs lately…a lot of artists that I keep up with have posted them. Many of them contain a list of exhibitions and professional accomplishments. Some of them are very honest and open. All have inspired me to do the same.

In 2007, I met an amazing smart sexpot: handsome Bill.

I traveled to LA, NY, Ireland and VEGAS with Bill. 2 out of 4 of those trips were art related!

I met a veritable shit-ton of fantastic people, developed some really cool relationships, developed my talent, was in like 4-5 art exhibitions (1 of which was a solo show), sold 6 pieces (1 of which was a commission piece for a lingerie store), and participated in 2 Pin up photo shoots (which will provide fuel for art this year).

So I feel like I am a lucky girl and I have had some amazing opportunities this past year.

Right now, though, I’m struggling. This always happens to me post holiday. Like lots of other people, I took my yearly trip ‘home for the holidays’.

I love my family: they are funny, smart, and love me. But I really do struggle during the time spent with them. Every year, I get jabs from them about how I should change.

This was a nice one from this Christmas, ‘When you stop painting women in lingerie, maybe we’ll buy some…’

I love them, I really do…but it gets old and it is very, very draining.

I got back to SF about a week ago and I’ve been processing some complex ideas about how to be in the world ever since this time spent with in the deep South.

One thing that came out of it is that I sat down on New Year’s day and rewrote my art bio, about 8 times. It’s still not there yet but I’m getting closer. Pretty much I’ve been writing this thing for the past 4 years.

I’ll share with you my process every time I sit down to write it:

I’m going to be fucking honest!
Wait, how much should I share?
Do people want the truth behind what I do, who I am?
Other artists write a professional, third person bio. Maybe that’s what I should do.
What will make my art sell?
Do I care about selling?
Wait, why am I making art again?
Oh yeah, because I really have no fucking choice in the matter.

FUCK.

Currently, the one on my site is short and sweet and doesn’t really tap into the major mental mountains I’ve been moving for, I don’t know, my whole fucking life. Mountains about learning to love my body, mountains about loving myself, mountains about finding my voice when there have been major people in my life that have always told me to be different. I learned to compromise and hide the things that really made me ‘me’ at a young age. I still struggle to be honest about these things.

And before this turns into a sob story, I know everybody has a struggle…I’m not saying that my life was difficult. I have a loving family, I always had a roof over my head and they taught me a lot of wonderful things and took care of me.

My experience just makes me question myself all the time. I struggle with whether people even want to know why I make the art that I do. It’s not all just pretty, sexy ladies.

Does anyone want to read this shit or do they just want to see sexy ladies? These sexy ladies have a story, I have a story. Women are complex, gorgeous creatures and we have boobies and some of us know how to shake them for fun and some of us choose to shake them for money. I love that. Good for us.

It’s fantastic to live in a time period when we women can own this. There is a spirit, an energy and a freedom to it, and that’s why I’m inspired by Burlesque.

Which brings me to what is on the table for 2008. Honesty, Burlesque, boobies and I don’t know…sex? Sure why not!

The first couple of weeks of 2008 find me prepping and starting some big new paintings. I have some portraits all planned out for Miss Bombshell Betty and Sweet Cheeks; two lovely, sexy, smart and funny Burlesque performers.

And yes, you lovely perverts, I have a couple of me thrown in there too.

Entertaining sidenote: What’s crazy about this process is it involves me frequently printing lasers and whatnot of myself in my underwear at work. I don’t know if that is good or bad, but I guess all my coworkers are used to it by now.

So, if anybody is reading this, big shout out to all of you and everyone that supports me and listens to my shit. And I have to say, thank FUCK for David Bayles and Ted Orland for writing the book ‘Art and Fear’.

This book is my bible for when I feel shitty about myself and my art process. Every time I read it, I get something new out of it and bless them for putting into words this complex process of artmaking.

Why we artists do it, why it is difficult, why we have no choice but to do it, and how to keep doing it.

Happy 2008 wonderful people, I do love you.

Xoxo-
Alice


"Yours truly in frilly underpants"
20x20" oil on canvas giclee
Currently on display at 111 Minna Gallery

Collective: opens August 6th at Space Gallery in SF.

1141 Polk Street
San Francisco, CA
Space Gallery website


"Yours truly getting ready for Built for Speed"


"Dee, AKA DJ Fashion Hooker, rocks SF & Berlin"

John Fluevog shoes

The peeps over at Fluevog found my painting online and asked me to post it in the new 'FlueShots' section of their website.

The girls and boys that love Fluevogs tend to be obsessed with them!



Link: www.fluevog.com/flueshots/main.php?g2_itemId=1489

Dollhouse Bettie show photos & Sketch Tuesday

Whew, what a fucking busy week! I wouldn't trade it for anything though, I had a wonderful time at the Dollhouse Bettie opening party. Michelle and Eric are wonderful WONDERFUL people and I do believe that everyone had a good time.



Click here for more photos of panties and paintings!

Plus I was a featured artist at Sketch Tuesday @ 111 Minna. I had a blast! A lot of cool art was made that night and sold on the cheap cheap!!



More photos

NY for the Art Dorks show opening

NY was GREAT!

I hung out with brother in NJ for a few days, my boyfriend Bill joined us on Wednesday and we spent the night with his lovely folks.

Thursday and Friday were spent in Manhatten We hit Coney Island , Otto’s Shrunken Head (a fantastic punk rock Tiki bar), the MOMA and Friday night was the Art Dork’s show opening at the McCaig Welles gallery in Brooklyn.



The art rocked and it was so nice to meet so many artists that I have known through the internet!



Saturday we partied with Bill’s family and then we headed back to SF on Sunday. Click here to see all the pics!

Post Thanksgiving liver detox

I made it through the holiday and that's saying something. I had a great dinner at La Provence...it was pretty much the best turkey meal I've ever had! We had a yummy 3 course meal and then waddled our asses over to Built for Speed.

It was a party-party weekend. And now I'll be detoxing and getting back to painting.

'Everything Nice' is opening in conjunction with 'Naughty or Nice' at Thinkspace Gallery in LA December 8th.

I have two paintings in the show!