Lucia Debrazi is Sleeping with the Fishes, Pt 1

Good lord that was a long time coming! And it's just been sitting on my computer too. Well, I had to face the fact that I wasn't going to finish this project unless I had some incentive, so I thought I'd better post Part 1 to get the ball rolling.

As every artist knows, the biggest ideas can start with the smallest nudges. Back in July 2011, I posted lucia debrazi is sleeping with the fishes . . . It was just a title I threw out after meeting one of my little sister's craft challenges: "Create something that starts with the letter B." So sue me, I went a little off-track (in character). Lucia's story took hold and wouldn't let go of me for a number of weeks . . . months . . . and I created Part 1 and  "a word from our sponsors," cookie chang's commercial.

Then I got busy creating little hapas : world fusion street food & takeaway art, and Lucia went back to sleep with the fishes for a good, long nap.  Hey, I'm not complaining. I'm up for anything that keeps my creativity machine well-oiled – even if I had to trade my paint brushes in for wooden spoons and baking trays for a little while. cookie chang kept kicking me in the shins, begging to get back to art, animation and goofiness, so we gave her a little hapas commercial to work on to keep her busy.

Happy 2013. Here's to more art, more food creations, more animation and more cookie chang & little hapas collaborations!

All images, animation, characters, props, art, photography, sound and story ©Ramey Holsman (aka cookie chang). All rights reserved • cookiechang.com

Voice of Decima (and Decima's art) ©Kate Cooper (aka kpie88) • kpie88.etsy.com

teaming up with little hapas – video ad!

Well that was fun! We're already planning of our next project depicting little hapas takeaway art. Of course it will be posted here.

All images, dolls, props, animation, sound (including voices) and photography ©Ramey Holsman (aka cookie chang) & little hapas. The wonderful background watercolour townscape was created by ©Kate Cooper (aka kpie88).

little hapas : creativity takes many forms

Oy vey have I been busy! So busy I nearly forgot about cookie chang.

"How could you do this!?" you may ask.

Truth is, I didn't really forget about cookie. How could I? She's been my left-hand gal, whispering ideas in my ear for our latest creation, little hapas : world fusion street food & takeaway art.

In addition to developing little hapas ethos (plus designing and illustrating everything around it), and hapa-izing our adorable new Aixam Megavan . . . we've been busy experimenting in the kitchen for the better part of the year! We've mixed and matched flavours from around the world – from Korean burritos to Mex-Italian quesadillas to kungPOW! hapacorn.

We're in the process of getting our online shop up and running too, so you'll be able to make your own world fusion street food with our hapasauce no matter how far you are from Sussex!

Did I mention that little hapas also "serves" takeaway art!?  Our tiny cab windows make the perfect place for the loco hoco mini gallery, featuring art by cookiechang (ramey holsman) & kpie88 (kate cooper) -- prints, original iron-on art patches, badges, etc.

Give little hapas some love on facebook and tune in to our tweets. And PLEASE don't forget about cookie chang! She may have traded paint for soy sauce at the moment, but that doesn't mean she's stopped creating.

Mushrooms + Lunar Boy Gallery = LOVE

On a recent trip back to my beautiful, green, wonderful Pacific Northwest, my mate Jessica (aka eekasan) and I ducked into Lunar Boy Gallery in Astoria, Oregon. I had a handful of my latest miniature works -- hand-carved wooden mushrooms in situ (with "moss' and "trees" and original illustration backdrops) -- framed with jenga pieces!

Our timing couldn't have been better. They had an opening scheduled for that Saturday and promptly put all five of my pieces up for the event.

If you're in the Astoria area, stop by Lunar Boy (240 11th Street, Astoria, OR 97103) and have a gander. I'll be sending more creations their way soon. You can also view and/or purchase online --> HERE!

Visit cookiechang.etsy.com and give cookie some love on facebook!

Lucia Debrazi is Sleeping with the Fishes TRAILER

A little teaser as I work on my latest project.

Full length movie coming in 2012! All props (carved wooden mushrooms, etc.), characters, sets created by Ramey Holsman (aka cookie chang).
Contact me for commissions!
SHOP http://cookiechang.etsy.com/
VISIT http://cookiechang.com/
BLOG http://cookiechang.blogspot.com/
all images and sound copyright ©2011 Ramey Holsman

cookie chang commercial

Here's my latest project! A stop motion animation promoting my artwork. I'll write more  about creating all the props, characters, sets (including carved wooden mushrooms) later.

Music: "cookie chang kicks it like an art machine" written and recorded by Ramey Holsman

Contact me for commissions! And visit cookiechang.etsy.com

Kpie voice and easel paintings by Kate Cooper kpie88.etsy.com.

all images and sound copyright ©2011 Ramey Holsman

Lucia Debrazi is sleeping with the fishes.

"Lucia Debrazi is sleeping with the fishes." ©ramey holsman

I love my little sister. Well, I love ALL three of my sisters, but Melly is my crafting and overall creative BUDDY. She inspires and encourages me with her creativity and various projects . . . and each week she and her best mate Jeri give a crafting challenge on their blog, Weekly JeM. I don't always get a chance to do each challenge specifically, so I try to bend what I'm working on to make sense with theirs.

This week was a S-T-R-E-T-C-H!! The challenge was "to be creative with something that starts with the letter 'B'." So what does an altered doll with hand-stamped and painted anchovies in an anchovy tin have to do with the letter "B"? Well, the Spanish equivalent to an anchovy is a "Boquerone!" See what I mean?  S-T-R-E-T-C-H.

I'd been toying with this idea after making homemade pizzas recently. Anchovies always used to scare me, but now I love them! And the tins are classic. So I washed one and thought of ways to use it. The famous "Godfather" line kept going through my head every time I looked at it . . . "Luca Debrazi is sleeping with the fishes."

So here's how I started. First, we needed some "fishes."

 
I sketched an anchovy on a rubber block, carved it, made adjustments here and there, then stamped 'em out on card stock and painted each one with metallic enamel paints. They felt right at home in the tin . . .

Then I got into my secret stash of bendy dolls and altered accordingly. I don't have a secret stash of bendy boy dolls, so this is how Lucia Debrazi "got made."

I'm not quite done with this project. So if you don't stay tuned, I'll make you an offer you can't refuse . . .

While you're waiting, check out my art shop! cookiechang.etsy.com