巨人の中を歩く
[by Melanie Reim in Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic] I had the good fortune to spend the first three months of this year in the Dominican Republic, working on my sabbatical project. Being able to be there for an extended period of time allowed me some time to travel – and I did – to Samana and Las Terrenas, north of Santo Domingo. I promise, I was working, but also, drinking in the atmosphere and pleasure of living at the beach for a spell. Being at this exquisite province is almost like being on a deserted island. Though it is a tourist destination, the beaches are rarely crowded. But, that […]
シンガポールにまだ余裕がある？
By Melanie Reim in Singapore Call it jet lag, the end of summer, the start of school, whatever, I never did get around to scanning and posting anything from the amazing adventure in Singapore and beyond. This past week, I was asked to present my summer travels and the Symposium presentation to the Board of Trustees at the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC and so, that set me into action. Now, all of you who were there have been presented! Along with my work, some of it shown below, I waxed poetic about Urban Sketchers.org. and am really thrilled to report that, no sooner had I showed my sketchbooks to my […]
美女と野獣
By Melanie Reim in Brooklyn, NY In this case, the beast is pollution. I joined the NYC Urban Sketchers and the Gowanus Canal Conservancy last Saturday to draw for conservation. As my sketching buddies and I recorded the canal, in its glimmering, albeit scary, luminosity, the Conservancy workers were clearing debris, and cleaning up the waterfront to a great Latin music track. Tireless, they were- and are, as we were treated to an overview of the history and the long road ahead to clear up the sludge, deceptive under the bright blue and green of the canal. For the artist, it was a visual treat. The majesty of the industrial environment […]
とても長いスケッチ
長い間投稿していなかったのは、Urban Sketchers Symposiumを最初から最後まで運営するのに忙しかったからです。お気に入りのヒーローの万年筆とモレスキンのラージアルバムを使ってスケッチしていましたが、今日まで長いスケッチをスキャンする気にはなれませんでした。今年は国慶節が日曜日だったため、8月10日の月曜日は祝日でした。その日、私はMelanieとOrlingと一緒にスケッチすることができたのですが、彼らはその週の終わりに帰国することになりました。Orlingは頭が痛いので、集合写真を撮らずにホテルに帰ってしまった。この場を借りてお詫び申し上げたい[...]。
Across the Pond in the Name of Fashion
By Melanie Reim in Manchester, England I was so very honored to be an invited speaker to The Big Issue: What’s Next? Conference at Manchester Metropolitan University in Manchester, England, in March. During my presentation, I chose to speak about Accidental Fashion Illustrators, focusing on those greats from the Golden Age of Illustration. You know, the likes of Al Parker, Coby Whitmore, Jon Whitcomb, Jack Potter, Joe Bowler and Bernie D’Andrea, to name a few and what “accidental fashion illustrators” do today. I was asked to illustrate my head shot, in lieu of a photo. And, to bring an umbrella. I soon realized why the umbrella was my best accessory- […]
オールドハバナ
by Melanie Reim, Habana, Cuba 私の話は10年ほど前に遡りますが、まだ記憶は鮮明です。私はオールドハバナで開催された会議の中で、ファッションショーを描くように招待されました。私はとても公式に、渡航のためのライセンスを申請し、許可されたのです。私は堂々とパスポートにスタンプを押してもらい、その時点でも、それ以降でも経験したことのないような旅に出た。夏なので空気は暑いが、気温を超越した熱気と湿気がある。私が出会った人々は、美しく、魂がこもっていて、賢く、そして優しく、まるで霞がかかったように動き回り、貧困や制限、そして [...] の欠如という暗黒の下にいた。
I See London, I See France....
By Melanie Reim in London, UK and Paris, France Back in September, I posted about my whirlwind trip to Oxford. Following the conference, I spent a day in London and then, off I went to spend a few days in France. Oh, it was amazing and heavenly, and full of cafés and museums and shopping and wine and I wish that I were back there right now. But, I am thankful that I had the rare opportunity to go, to speak about work that I love, and was able to document some of it. Happy Thanksgiving, my American friends. When I arrived to my hotel, my room was not yet ready. Where to […]
ニューヨークでピンクが増え続ける
I think that I am pretty well known for saying “There is color in black and white.” But somedays just call for some color and today was one of them. I was on my way to FIT to the MFA in Illustration Alumni Demo Day and Open House. Just one of about a bizillion happenings in New York today, not to mention the World Wide Sketch crawl. As is my habit, I planned to cross the street to take the bus downtown, waiting alongside Riverside Park- I do this every day. But today was different- I thought that I would see the annual Walk for Breast Cancer in full bloom […]
オックスフォードのアイコンたち
I recently had the distinct honor of presenting a paper at Oxford University at Fashion: Exploring Critical Issues, an interdisciplinary conference.My paper was titled Fashion in Illustration, Not as Illustration: Accidental Fashion Illustrators of the 1950’s and 1960’s. This was an academic paper and while I am proud of being accepted,and found it so very interesting, you know where my heart lies.So, with the little free time that I had,off I went to capture the little bits of that wonderful townwhere and when I could. Here’s a little taste, the rest can be seen on my blog. With only one free morning, I set out for a little capture of […]
Fall Fashion Ritual
This year looked as if stripes and plaids, with black booties were in. What do I know? Just that skulking around Lincoln Center during Fashion Week provides me with a drawing day almost unparalleled with opportunity. Designers, models, model wanna be-s, the famous, infamous, paparazzi, seekers of fame and the people- like me, just happy to be in and around one of the hottest tickets in town come Fall.
