Beauty Within

Last week this amazing video was surfacing all over the internet,
leaving a huge impact on many who viewed it.
It was Dove's Real Beauty Sketches ad. I watched it a few times, tearing up as i hit replay. 

It was incredible seeing the two portraits compared side by side. The second drawing described by the other, looked more like the person capturing not only their features but even more of their essence.

We tend to hold ourselves to such a higher standard, and 'being so hard on ourselves'… one which I am completely guilty of. 

This ad brought to light how many people perceive themselves in such a negative way. And proves what art can truly do and the power it contains. This artist helped these women see inward, giving a huge new perspective. As artists we are striving to find the beauty in life, and helping others to find a new found reality that lives inside.  

And from an artist standpoint, it reminds me when working on a new art piece. It's so easy to get caught up in the details that people never see or working heavily in a concentrated area. We forget to step back and look at the overall canvas.

And unfortunately for us girls, we are so easily targeted for trying to find the next best product to 'hide' the thing we hate most about our reflection. And spending lots of money to do so. And the best treatment for all of this, is to smile and tell yourself how amazing you are everyday. And guess what- that is completely free and helps your self confidence too, talk about a win win!

The sooner we realize the 'flaws or imperfections' that we are so harsh on ourselves for, is exactly what makes us unique. Because if you feel that way on inside it will automatically reflect on the outside. 

So today, love yourself for who you are and let that shine brightly through. That's the best form of beauty, the one from within. 

Above are some printables I created for you or a friend, to place on the mirror, desk, anywhere! To remind you that you're beautiful and to share that with the world! Enjoy! :D
You can download them here!

Big Hugs!
-Sam

Gratitude

 Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that allows us to remember how grateful we are for the family, friends and relationships we have. That's why it's one of my favorite holidays, (and not because its centered around eating delicious foods, yet thats a compete bonus!) People who know me know best, know how obsessed I am with sending old fashioned thank you cards. Since its a little difficult to send snail mail to all my fans, followers and supporters, I wanted to write a virtual thank you letter today on my blog. 

 Being able to do what you truly love for a living, has been the most rewarding journey I could ever ask for. If you're reading this, I am completely thankful for you. For spending time here, supporting, following the progression of my work and seeing this little artist starting to make a mark in this big world. Words cant truly express how wonderful it feels to know that people are coming with you on this journey. You've made my artistic endeavors that much sweeter, there's still a lot more ground to cover and it will be amazing to see what unfolds! I'm sincerely glad you're tagging along!

So today, (and everyday) lets celebrate being thankful for everything we have, the love we express to others, the opportunities that open up to us, and the precious time we are given on this planet. 

What are you most thankful for this year?!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family & friends! Hope its the best one yet!

Where's my Super Suit?!

What makes Super Heroes so awesome? Is it their look? Powers? Attitude? 

 Well I believe it's a mixture of that and the ability to overcome an obstacle that feels completely unachievable and stand up for the greater good. And demolishing your enemies in complete style doesn't hurt either. Thats why so many kids run around shooting imaginary spider webs from their wrists. As a kid, I wanted to be a ninja turtle (still do) and fight crime, then celebrate the epic win with a slice of pizza ranting cowabunga!

After working on many projects this year, I decided to challenge my artistic side by forcing myself to paint everyday. Running my art business is great, but I'm not always getting to be at the easel painting as much as I'd like. (Then again every artist i talk to feels the same about that!) And I've seen the 100 paintings in 100 days or some configuration of that, and absolutely loved the idea.

I thought it would be fun (and very ambitious) to do the same thing but with a subject matter that wraps around my colorful geeky heart. If this endeavor proves to be a successful one, I'll continue on with this concept but with different subject matters. 

The madness with begin this Saturday Sept 1 and run through Oct 20th! I'll paint 50 super heroes in 50 days and the originals will be $50 and for sale in my etsy store! 

So which super do you want to see make the list?! :) 

Airbrushing Harry Potter

  I had a post already written up about the Harry Potter piece, but i somehow lost it, or deleted it? I'm going to try writing it again of what i originally had... or something really close to it!

I knew for awhile i wanted to create a harry potter piece, but something different and darker. I played around with ideas in my head, a few months before previews started reappearing on tv. It would also be the end of an era so to speak, i had to really push myself artistically and go for a challenge. I figured instead of focusing on just Harry, lets paint the whole gang, and of course "He who must not be named" in there too. I always was attracted to the dark side, so not painting him would be a disgrace to the dark lord!

When sketching the piece, i started to think a lot about the creator of this magical and colorful universe. And how JK Rowling and her brilliant story telling captured so many people into reading again. People lined up days before the next book release. They had to be the first to know what was happening to the beloved wizard. And overtime when the newest book was released, you could feel this quiet intensity around the world- reading. Many people following these characters had a huge connection with them. Because we can relate to their struggles, their ever unfolding path, and their ability to move forward in the darkest of times.

When it came time to airbrush, i figured that by having the canvas already black would already create that vibe i wanted. Focusing just on highlights would great that contrast within the faces i was searching for. As the piece started to take place with the blue, the white highlights really helped bring the viewer in.

One of the hardest parts was trying to keep everything balanced and without it feeling cluttered. Trying to find that perfect blend of adding color to enhance features but without taking away any important details.

While adding the final touches in their faces, it still felt empty. By adding little bits of orange to the burning buildings of Hogwarts, brought the characters forward. Painting just the outlines of the buildings gave enough information to know what it was, but to still have the emotion that it was falling apart and being destroyed.

This was the first canvas i created with my new iwata micron airbrush. Which by the way, is the most inspiring and intimating piece of art equipment i have ever used! To know the possibility it contains, knowing that you can achieve anything from your mind, is such a powerful feeling! but also knowing that its still up to you- on how you choose to use it. ( i guess like getting your hands on the elder wand) But i absolutely love the airbrush (which was a birthday gift from my super supportive boyfriend, who believes in me and my art) And when the piece was completed, i was completely amazed about how much detail could be done with it, i have plenty to learn still but i'm loving the process so much.

Billetproof

Billetproof is tomorrow and i couldn't be more excited! Its hard to believe its been a year since my first time attending the show. And what a memorable one at that! Not only do amazing hot rods show up, but these rides match their owners; showing off their uniqueness and standing out from the crowd is a prerequisite to being a bad ass. Driving into this show, it's easy to see that everyone here has the same interest- love for their car and the culture.

One of the biggest highlights from the show was being able to pinstripe a one of a kind T roadster. Its one thing to see a sweet hotrod, its another to actually meet the car's owner and builder. But the absolute cherry on top is getting the privilege to let your brushes grace the surface of their baby.

Below are some pictures of myself getting the honor to do just that.

Don (the car builder and owner) created such a cool look for this car, having an art deco feel but modern at the same time. Everything about this beauty is classy, and hearing the stories about him building this ride while adding lines gave me a glimpse to the amount of work he did.

While checking out billetproof videos on youtube, i came across this one, which i didn't realize existed! While pinstriping his car, he filmed parts of it and edited it together!

(my paint box is almost as tall as me!)

To sum it up, billetproof is a great show and am happy to be attending it with my pinstriping buddies. I couldn't be happier that its that time of year again!

WELCOME!

Welcome to the new bogies.biz! I have decided to rework the blog here, and make it my home base to share new art projects, shows and anything else worth sharing. So the the fun adventures and art endeavors begin!

♥ Sam 'Bogie' Boeger