Fantastic Mr. Fox

Of course I’m a Wes Anderson fan. What’s not to love about his quirky films? I was, however, a little skeptical when I heard he was going to undertake Fantastic Mr. Fox. But that lasted for about 3 seconds because, hey, it’s Wes Anderson.

I had in mind to paint the Mr. Fox set ever since I saw it but of course, it got wedged on the back burner. But it’s done and I’ll be back painting human beings before long. This set was a bit challenging since all the noses on the critters were all molded right onto the dolls themselves with Sculpey. It’s always a little nerve wrecking putting wood in the oven where I had to obsessively sit by and let my nose be my timer. But it came out of the oven just fine, the wood unshrunken, and my blood pressure back to normal.

There were so many characters to choose from…my favorite was Rat, voiced by Willem Dafoe, with his funky red and white Where’s Waldo sweater. Alas, due to reasons that made sense only to me, he didn’t make it into the set.

Mr. Fox and his bandages after his tail had been removed.

Mrs. Fox and her dress pockets filled with art supplies. She’s my kind of fox!

A close up of all the art making implements.

Badger, with a refreshment in his hand.

Kylie!

Kylie cracks me up because every now and then he’d go into a weird little trance and his eyes would go all…

Ha! That’s surrealism in an animated feature at its best.

Kristofferson, the cousin who came to stay.

And little Ash with his mask.

It was a bit difficult getting this set done on the account of my roly poly Bulldog Bo insisting on getting his back scratched whenever I sat down to paint. But it’s great having my mascot back. In Oz all I got were a few lizards that accidentally made their way into my studio with nothing to contribute. I mean, you can’t really pet a lizard the size of a paper clip, can you?

Look at him! That’s right, this is how he rolls.

You’re Gonna Love Agent Lover!

It’s no secret that I’ve got a girl crush on Marie Lodi, who’s one of the funniest fashion blogger/writer out there. Yes, I have no business reading fashion blogs since I model my outfits after Peppermint Patty—flip flops and shorts all year round. Just because I used to wear a dirndl dress and striped stockings ala Clarissa Explains it All to work doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate fine fashion on other people…which means I must and absolutely have to paint a set of Agent Lover dolls.

Marie (must’ve) had the tough job of sending me seven of her outfit…she had so many to choose from!

This was a Halloween costume, complete with a clutch made out of a DiGiorno Pizza box.

I didn’t exactly have the patience to paint all the pizzas on the skirt…which means it’s decal time! I accidentally found how to do a low-rent decal two years ago and had been looking for an excuse to do it again…

…and again! Here Marie’s wearing a vintage New Kids on the Block T-shirt. I found the image and low-rent decal-ed the heck out of it.

I liked this one because I got to make a hat that’s shaped like a pair of lips smoking a cigarette.

What’d I tell you? Can this girl rock an outfit or what?

I always love purses that can double as pic-a-nic baskets.

I think I like this dress most is because it looks like something those boarding school girls in the 60s horror movies would wear on the first day before they’re issued uniforms and long white night gowns and discover that the administration is composed mainly of Satan’s minions.

There’s a little of that leather n’ lace combo going on here.

And last but not least, a costume that’s generally not seen outside a first grade production of “Journey of the Food Groups: A Nutrition Expedition”:

*All photos of Marie are from Marie’s awesome website:

www.agentlover.com

Thank you, Marie! It was a real blast painting yoo!

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When you have hair like mine, which is always dancing to the beat of invisible disco music, it’s really important to keep it under control when you have to present yourself in public. I’ve tried many types hair fixatives, of course—gels, salves, balms, ointments, liniments, unguents, moisturizers, spritzes, and emulsions—but it basically just angers my hair and then there’s a full on disco inferno going on top of my head.

Hair pins seems to do the trick, except I just feel like there’s not enough cute ones out there. There’s this amazing home and beauty chain store in Taiwan that I literally spend hours in whenever I’m there that has great hair crap, but sadly, I don’t go there nearly enough to indulge myself with their wares.

So the next best thing is to make my own…and here they are!

Seriously, you don’t honestly think I’ll be making run-of-the-mill hair pins, do you? Yes, this is a set. Hector the Hedgehog and his toadstool.

Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf.

The Yeti is fast becoming my personal symbol of snow and fun…since we get none of it here in Oz. Oh no, I’m not exactly complaining. I remember a time when New York winters was wreaking havoc on my skin…and I don’t miss the shoveling. But I do miss the very idea of something shiny falling from the sky.

This one is clearly my fave. I’ve never immortalized a pet in hair ornament form before!

Speaking of pets, I’ll be seeing my Bo very very soon! My parents accuse me of going home just to see my dog. They’re right, of course, but then again, Oz will be pretty lonesome without Anthony, who is embarking on yet another kayaking expedition from Cairns to Papua New Guinea. Of course I was invited along, but I can very well live out the rest of my days without crocodile encounters, thanks very much!