Let Them Eat Cake

Spending my 25th with Alexander McQueen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

annespeelman — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 04:59:28 +0000

I turned 25 this year, it’s hard to believe I am a quarter of a century old, or think of all the things I have seen in my life thus far and what I will be able to witness in my coming years. I can only hope its amazing!

For my birthday this year my mom and I took the Megabus up to New York City for the day. It was her first time visiting the big apple. We went to all the girly places: the Hello Kitty store, Sephora and finally The Metropolitan Museum of Art, to see the retrospective show celebrating the mad genius that was Lee Alexander McQueen. To say Alexander McQueen was a major influence on me as an artist would be a major understatement, he was like the big bang to my tiny solar system of ideas and influences, everything kind of fell into place with him in the middle of them. He had a clear vision, he knew what story he wanted to tell and when I looked at his clothing I was always able to get it, get his story and understand what he was trying to put out into the world. This is something as an artist I struggle to do, I’m sure Alexander McQueen struggled with his vision(s) and how to make them come alive, and It’s something that I have to work on…..very hard on.

The line for the exhibition was an hour-long and wound around all the way to the ancient near east section. It was a long but totally worth while wait. The exhibition had everything from his masters collection to his time at Givenchy to his last collection: Plato’s Atlantis. I was in sensory overload just walking into the first gallery and completely overwhelmed by the time I reached the Kate Moss hologram recreation.

But the clothes the clothes. I would have killed for those clothes. I especially loved the coat with gold bullion detail from his Dante collection once owned and worn by the late Isabella Blow (who discovered and helped cultivate McQueen’s career).

Coat from McQueen's Dante collection

Another item I was really excited to see was The Oyster Dress. I have been in love with the Oyster Dress since 2003ish when I saw it featured in Vogue. The story behind the Irere collection the Oyster Dress is from, is one of a shipwreck. However when I first saw the dress all I could think about was Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus for some reason. The way the dress was constructed is just amazing. It was created from hundreds of thousands of organza circles stitched together to give the skirt an oyster shell detail. This dress gives a whole new meaning to time-consuming detail work. I want to wear it soo bad. Occasionally I daydream what my wedding dress will look like and The Oyster Dress always, always, always comes to mind. The dress is romantic, it ripples and moves like water. I have no other words to describe the Oyster Dress other than beautiful perfection. I want it, I would even be happy with a Barbie sized version of it, at least my Barbie will look fabulous.

Oyster Dress from Alexander McQueen's 2003 Spring/Summer Irere Collection

The exhibition ended with five ensembles from Plato’s Atlantis, the last collection Alexander McQueen showed before his death. It was a good ending to his retrospective. I would have liked for them to carry it on though, through to present day, to see how Sarah Burton has continued to carry McQueen’s torch. Staying both true to his sense of design and her’s. Maybe mentioning that Kate Middleton’s wedding dress is a McQueen, and how it has set bridal trends for a new generation of women who want to look like a princess.

The rest of the trip was good, other than the fact that I did not realize NYC subway stations are not all handicap accessible. I think my mom just about killed herself trying to climb all those stairs. It was rough. I guess I have just been spoiled by the Baltimore and Washington D.C. subway stations. The ride home was okay, Megabus was late by like and hour and a half and then the bathroom on the bus was broken and sloshing…can you say gross?

Filed under: Main Tagged: Alexander McQueen, art, fashion, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, nyc, sephora, vogue

fun in the sun at myrtle beach!

annespeelman — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 07:32:24 +0000

In Myrtle Beach for moment with my dad, stepmom, stepsister and cousin. It’s freaking amazing. The last time I was at the beach was two years ago in Daytona and I came back looking like a cooked lobster. Well I’m a little burned, but not bad. I learned my lesson the last time and I really don’t want skin cancer when I’m like 30. So lots of sun block and shade for me.

Mrytle Beach!

We celebrated my birthday today by going first to Broadway On The Beach, which is this giant outdoor shopping mall. I bought myself a new flower headband and a bottle of ghost chili hot sauce for my brother. For dinner we went to this place called Divine’s Seafood which is right on the water. The food was amazing I had the fisherman’s platter which was shrimp, oysters and a piece of fried fish. It was oh so good!

Filed under: Main

Super-Fantastic Sketchbook Exchange Program 2.0

annespeelman — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 02:47:37 +0000

The Summer Sketchbook Program feel through. I mailed out two and only received one in return. Sucks because I was really looking forward to getting mine back after everyone had worked in it. Good news is that a new sketchbook program has started. There are only six people involved this time, which is good because it makes us accountable to each other. We were each required to make our own sketchbook. I created mine with plain white drawing paper and bound it in a traditional 5 stitch binding with wax cover hemp thread.

Below are some picks of work I created in my sketchbook.

cover of book

asu and car sales men

a friend to sit on

Filed under: Main Tagged: art, drawing, sketchbook

Happy Independence Day

annespeelman — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 21:34:49 +0000

Today I am 24! It’s also Independence Day.

HAPPY 234 BIRTHDAY AMERICA!

Nom Nom Nom

Filed under: Main Tagged: 4th of july, america, birthday, cupcakes, independence day

Summer Sketchbook Exchange Round One

annespeelman — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 01:25:58 +0000

First Round of the Summer Sketchbook Exchange has come and gone. I didn’t work in it as much as I wanted to because I spaced on it for a week. Here are some of the things I created.

blue sharpie, ink and crayon. These are doodles/pattern thingys I draw a lot. My senior thesis was kinda based off of doodles like these.

Ink and watercolor, I was inspired by the book Hello Cupcake and the technicolor cupcake wrecks I see in WAL-MART occasionally

Crayon, stickers, chalk and photo. I keep hearing that Lady Gaga song Alejandro on the radio all the time. I want it to go away. Also an aunt of mine has some pretty kick-ass 70's wall paper and I drew some of it.

Filed under: Main Tagged: art, crayons, cup cakes, drawing, ink, sketchbook, summer

Summer Sketchbook Exchange Program

annespeelman — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 16:07:14 +0000

This summer I am participating in the summer sketchbook exchange program with 11 other colleagues from college. I’m excited about this project as it will be the first time since maybe college that I will be actively making and creating. I’m excited to see what everyone brings to the exchange and the work that will come out of these books. Through out the project I’ll post images of pages I work on.

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New beginnings

annespeelman — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:26:05 +0000

I realize it has been forever since I posted on this thing. I’ve been busy and lazy…lazy mostly. I moved home to Maryland. The move was quite possibly the best thing I could have done for myself other than finding a job…which lets face it are non-existant in the midwest. I can’t express in words how much better I felt stepping off my plane from kcmo on to Maryland soil. It was like this eminence pressure lifted off me. I felt lighter and no longer anxious. My body just relaxed. My dad has continuously told me that home is the place where you rest your head, it is where you choose to make it. I disagree with him on this I think home is where your heart feels at rest. Home is a place where you can just be.

Since being home I have worked as a special education aid/substitute teacher. I enjoy being with the kids and helping them learn but this experience in the public school system has definitely taught me that teaching would not be a good fit for me now. There’s too much bureaucratic crap teachers have to deal with and the pay is not worth the time put in to it.

Filed under: Main Tagged: baltimore

Atlantic City

annespeelman — Tue, 04 May 2010 16:12:25 +0000

My mom and I took a day trip up to Atlantic City this past weekend. I had so much fun. I saw people who should have been part of the cast of Jersey Shore and while my mom and I were in Caesar’s Palace on our way to the buffet, heard this guy on his cell telling someone he had just lost 10 grand in under an hour……he looked like Pauly D on steroids. I had no idea Atlantic City was the birth place of The Miss America Pageant. We went in to the Trump Taj Mahal, it was probably the gaudiest place I have ever seen in my entire life.

View of the beach and part of the boardwalk in Atlantic City

Filed under: Main

The bestie gets married

annespeelman — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 15:42:58 +0000

My best friend Jessica got married this past March. Before the wedding her maid of honor: Samantha and I threw her a bridal shower and made the cake for the bridal shower. We had so much fun doing this as both Sam and I are DIY people. I don’t know if I have a future in cake decorating, but I think it looks pretty good for being made by two armatures.

Bridal Shower cake we made for Jessica's wedding, she loved it.

Filed under: Main

annespeelman — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 07:28:43 +0000

Posted in Main