the hearts and laserbeams blog!

recently blogger decided we can't publish my blog to my own website anymore so here we are! pardon the dust, and please visit us online at www.heartsandlaserbeams.com!

hearts and laserbeams is the wacky good-times art and design by me, steph calvert. i team up with robots, cupcakes, and stick people to show people art isn’t all about seriousness, missing ears, and deep thoughts; it can actually be tons of fun.

7.08.2009

as seen on oc weekly!

ok i was doing really well on posting for a little bit and then i fell off the wagon... life has been crazy!

part of the excitement is i've become a brand new blog contributer for the oc weekly! so if you get frustrated with coming here and not seeing freshness to read, you should make sure to check out the gettin' made feature on oc weekly. there's a tag to click on, even, to make it super easy!

AND - if you check out the inaugural post soon you can enter to win a free hearts and laserbeams print! good luck folks!

OH DUDE! ALSO!
renegade craft fair is this weekend! you better get there and come visit us or else!

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6.30.2009

brand new paintings!

today was such a fun day! i spent a bunch of time working on five new 3" x 3" paintings for the upcoming arthouse coop canvas project group show. the goal for the project was to create a sort of visual encyclopedia - each participating artist gets five random words to paint and that is that! here's the words i was assigned:


carcinogen
"carcinogen"
3" x 3" acrylic on canvas


cotton
"cotton"
3" x 3" acrylic on canvas


equator
"equator"
3" x 3" acrylic on canvas


larynx
"larynx"
3" x 3" acrylic on canvas


zebra
"zebra"
3" x 3" acrylic on canvas



it was so nice out today i set up a folding table in the backyard and did my painting out there, and the group of three little birds that are always visiting our bird feeder kept me company all morning!


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i also spent a ton of time yesterday and today working on new screenprinting screens, i'll share the finished products with ya soon! (wanna be the first kid on your block with a brand new hearts and laserbeams grocery tote? better get your ass to renegade craft fair on july 11 and 12!)

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4.17.2009

I'M BLOGGING!!! omg lol wtf!!!

ok i have been all but m.i.a. on the internets for like 3 weeks, popping in long enough to check emails and take care of a couple of worky things here and there, and of course to play my turns on facebook scrabble and twitter like a mofo.

(in keeping with that mofo comment, tonight i went to the twittergrader website where they gave me a 99.3% (which i believe is a solid A, and means i get to stay up late tonight AND have ice cream for dinner!). and if you scroll down there's what they call a "tweet cloud" which is just made up of the words you twitter the most or most recently or something. i was laughing my ass off because number one it is very apparent that i'm a bit of a swearer and also a TON of my twitters are directed at jenn aka @swirlogirl.

oh shit i had a open parenthesis there. better close it.

)

there. i feel better.

ok so here's all kinds of updates on what i've been up to! number one, i started a temporary freelance gig onsite for 3 months down in mission viejo. this means wearing pants to work is actually a requirement for now, until this summer when i'm work from homegirl again. it's been good! i've been getting really solid in my indesign skillzzzz and that's been nice. the people are cool and the drive isn't as bad as i thought it'd be, and i feel fortunate that this particular gig came along because freelancing has been terrible slow lately.

so there's that - i also recently discovered the massive importance of having more than one method of backing up your work on the computer. especially if everything you do is on the computer. a couple of weeks ago, i was working late on some tee designs, and my dog comes walking up only wanting to say hi... but in the process he got tangled up in the power cords for my laptop and external hard drive and pretty much threw my external hd on the ground. rendering it useless. josh took the hard drive in to work so some of the computery guys there could try and recover all my files - they're trying a few more things before we have to send it to an actual data recovery place that's gonna cost buku bucks to get my stuff off of the drive... this is basically all my artwork that i've done over the past year and a half or so. and loads of photos. and hi-res scans of paintings that i've since sold.

basically everything i've ever done. i'm still kind of freaking out about it, but i've had the past two weeks to calm the eff down so i'll just share that if all the art is gone i'll start fresh and make more art, and that you could learn from my mistake and back things up 2 or 3 times. going forward i'll be saving everything to dvds and uploading to an online backup service. this will never happen to me again - i hope it never happens to you, either!

there has been good news - number one, i got featured on a blog! you can check it out here, she asked me a bunch of questions all interview style!

also, our dog has lost weight! it was only 3 or 4 pounds, but when the dog weighs 47 and drops to 43 that's losing almost 10% of his weight! i won't say he was tubby, but boy was getting tubby. jimmy's been discovering the joys of full-speed sprints chasing birds at huntington beach dog beach, and it's really been helping. i've been trying to help him drop the extra weight for MONTHS and nothing's worked!

what else, what else... if you're not doing anything tomorrow hearts and laserbeams will be at the de portola boutique in mission viejo! mention you heard about it on my blog when you visit my table and get $5 off your $25 dollar purchase!

i'm working my way through the jungle by upton sinclair for an upcoming hearts and laserbeams book report and that shit is DEPRESSING. are there any highschool reading list books from back in the day that aren't about people getting screwed over or dying? honestly, i wanna know if there's such a thing as an american classic novel that falls in the humor genre. and shakespeare doesn't count because even his comedies are tragedies. THE END!!!

ps if you can think of a funny high school reading book i will send you a free bookmark! first responder only, cuz listen up i don't have a ton of stamps!

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3.21.2009

pics of dao's art show!

last night gayle and i drove down to laguna beach (which thanks to roller derby i cannot say without pronouncing it laguna beeyatch in my brain) to see our friend dao's pieces in an art show!

her pieces were really cool - kinetic art and more modern stuff generally doesn't hold my attention long but this stuff was neat because it actually had story and a point behind it, rather than "hey i was fuckin around with some stuff and made this thing waddaya think?"

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this one was really great - she strung together TONS of led lights and programmed them to re-create a photo of her father. when the lights in the room were out it looked like this, and when the lights in the room came back on the leds changed so that he was still recognizeable.

it's weird how my own art is just meant to be fun and fucking around and not too deep, but i want stories and pertinance in kinetic art... need to just let go and enjoy it i guess!

anyways, moral of the story is i really liked dao's stuff, and if you have a chance you should check it out while it's there:

skin deep
dao nguyen and richard hutter

march 17 - april 25
235 forest ave
laguna beach, ca 92651
(949) 497-1880

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2.28.2009

recap from the arthouse coop sketchbook opening!

dude, last night my sister michelle came over to hang out and after we ordered delicious chinese food from mr. chens, we remembered the opening reception for the sketchbook project show with art house coop was going on in atlanta!

and that they were webcasting it!

AND we are both in it!

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so the first step was to get onto facebook and twitter to adjust our statuses to alert the masses that we were attending the opening via the webcast!



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step 2 was to be told repeatedly by the art house website that they could only let 50 people into the webcast area at a time! being patient stinks!



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so to pass the time we ate delicious chinese food! orange chicken, wantons and steamed rice, and don't skimp on the woodchuck!



OH SHIT WE GOT IN!
we finally got into the chatroom with 40 minutes left in the reception! woo!!!




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i'm leanin in for a closer look, and we're plottin all the hobo jokes that we will later tell the group in the chatroom!



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beer and the internets is a winning combination, by the way!



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we finished off the night with fortune cookies... and let's just say michelle's may not have really fit her persona...



all in all we had a really fun night! after the art house show closed, we spent time on youtube watching world war 2 era disney cartoons and the redubbed gi joes including my all time fave, and oh dude i finally saw dr. horrible! you must watch it! i will always and forever be hopelessly in love with neil patrick harris, the end.

and also tonight is roller derby night and i'm super jazzed! but i'll say exactly what i said last game, i wish mila minute or laura palm-her were skating, but i'm sure it's gonna be a kickass game!

pow!!!

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2.27.2009

argyle for everyone!


jimmys new sweater!

jimmys new sweater!


so last spring i had started this dog sweater, and for whatever reason about 20 minutes away from finishing it i put it in the closet and forgot about it for almost a year!!! wtf! busted it out again this week at stitch n bitch and i totally finished that shit! i think it turned out pretty awesome and jimmy doesn't totally hate wearing it. (he know he gets all kinds of special attention from other people when he wears clothes so he's pretty tolerant)

if you didn't know, jimmy the greek has a celebrity page on facebook and you definitely should become a fan - write a note to him on the wall, he ALWAYS answers his fan mail!

also, have you heard about the sketchbook project? it's a great show being put on by the art house cooperative, and the travellin show starts today! artists from all over (including me and my sister!) all drew in a CRAPLOAD of sketchbooks and mailed em in. these fine folks are takin the show on the road and will be exhibiting the sketchbooks at nine different places - if you're east coast you may be able to see em in person! check out the show dates here!

AND if you're not east coast, you can see a live broadcast of the first show tonight! i believe it takes place from 7-10pm eastern time, so look sharp!

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2.05.2009

this weekend in long beach!

whew!!

ok this was the busiest work week i've had in a lonnnnnng while, but all work is done, files are turned in, and invoice sent so hooray for a few hours of breaktime! and by breaktime, i mean i'll be bustin out some tasty 1" buttons to hand out at some upcoming shopping events that you should check out if you have the time!

tonight!
6-9pm - sip and shop


a bunch of cool stores at redondo and broadway in long beach will be having special little things going on for you to check out - here's who's participating!

BABCOCK AND COOKE - Gifts & cards for that special person
DDR PROJECTS - Give the gift of Art
SASHA'S-LIVING WITH STYLE - Gifts for the Home & Gifts for Her
SOMATIC - Piercing, Jewelry & Beauty
SPA SIDNEY - Everyone loves to be pampered
SHORE BOOKS - Time to read a new book
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT - "Make & Take" Cute Feather Accessories with Jewelry Designer Wendi Grant
THE OUTFIT - Mini Beauty Bar with Christy Funk from Belly Sprout

make extra sure to pay a visit to ddr projects (they just opened up next to the kids are alright at 3403 East Broadway), where the long beach craft mafia will be showin all kinds of great arts and crafts! and free craft mafia 1" buttons while they last! pow!

aaaaaand this sunday i'll be sharing a booth with my sister michelle of mickmunk13 at the rose bowl flea market! make sure you come to the arts and crafts section to see all of our rad valentines for your valentine! (or for you, we're not here to judge!)

rose bowl flea market
9am - 3pm
1001 rose bowl drive
pasadena, ca 91103

hope to see you there!

pow!!!

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12.17.2008

SPACE CATS!!!



ok so last night gayle and i went and checked out cats at the orange county performing arts center! it was super awesome and we had a blasty gettin all dressed up and acting like classy ladies! (notice i said acting. jury's still out on whether or not i'm actually for realz classy.)

one of the coolest things about it was that i've had this "highlights from cats" cd for years and years, but i've never actually seen the musical or really knew anything about what it was about.

so i knew most of the songs by heart, but since i'd never actually seen it, there were surprises! some good, like the fact that the rum tum tugger is a total manslut cat, which was really funny. the one bad surprise is when that theater cat is singing about being a theater cat and then all of a sudden decides to perform one of his plays... and it's weird, and you can't understand anything he's talking about, and it kinda goes on too long... there's cool siamese cats prancin around but i really coulda done without that part...

it totally cracked me up that grisella the old raggedy tore up from the floor up cat keeps coming back to sing basically different versions of the same song - i kept picturing in my head that she was popping her head back onstage going "uh, hey guys, i'm super old, can i get reborn please? lookit how crappy my fur looks!" and it's like JEEZ give it a rest old duteronomy's tryin to decide stop pressuring him!!

aaaaaand what else. ok 2 awesome things - i recently bought this shirt from delias:



and am now obsessed with space cats. and at the end of cats, when old duteronomy gets tired of listening to grisella bitch and moan about being old and picks her, and they're on the platform floating up so he can send her to the heavyside lair to be reborn, and there's flashing lights and crap everywhere and it was all i could do to not yell out SPACE CATS!!! in the theater!!! and then of course i had a massive giggle fit, only stopped by the fist i shoved into my mouth.

the other supremely awesome thing about last night's show was they were having some technical difficulties with the wireless microphones, equalling a bit of buzzy feedback here and there. not an excessive amount, not enough or constant enough to really be an issue, but at the end of the musical, there's this huge group number where all the cats are singing, and there's a big ol' BZZZZZZZZZZT!!! that happens mid song that just sounds like a humongous fart. it was quite possibly the best thing ever.

which i guess answers the question about whether or not i'm a classy broad...

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11.15.2008

felt club tomorrow, so exciting!

tomorrow josh, gayle and i are makin' way for los angeles to check out felt club, and you should too!



i'm a little bummed i couldn't apply for shows this holiday season, because felt club is a blast to sell at. it's always fun to go as a holiday shopper, though, to pick up fun handmade things for friends and actually have a second to stop and say hey to all the great vendors!

if you go be sure to stop by the long beach craft mafia table, they'll have goodies for the first 25 shoppers at their table and 1" buttons galore by me, hooray!

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1.24.2008

they eat candy!



they eat candy!
11" x 14" artwork in 2" black frame
acrylic on canvas
$175

available through january 31 at siren
2240 east 4th street
long beach, ca 90814

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1.19.2008

they drink too much part 3!

here's part three in the they drink too much series - here we see the partybot way past his recommended intake of boozeahol, poor thing! this painting was also featured on the cover of the district magazine on january 2; how about you take home a piece of history?



they drink too much #3
8" x 10" artwork in black handmade strip frame
acrylic on canvas
$125

available through january 31 at siren
2240 east 4th street
long beach, ca 90814

happy weekending!

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1.17.2008

they drink too much part 2!

here's our partybot again, this time the party's in full swing and he boasts full lampshade regalia!



they drink too much #2
8"x10" artwork in handmade strip frame
acrylic on canvas
$125

available through january 31 at siren
2240 east 4th street
long beach, ca 90814

join us at the closing reception on january 26 from 6-8pm, won't you?

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1.16.2008

they drink too much!

part one of a three part series, here we see the party just getting started!



they drink too much #1
8" x 10" artwork in handmade black strip frame
acrylic on canvas
$125

available through january 31 at siren
2240 east 4th street
long beach, ca 90804

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1.15.2008

they get flat tires!

poor little guy, stuck on the freeway with a flat tire! won't you take him home?



they get flat tires
8" x 10" artwork in 2" black frame
acrylic on canvas
$100

available through january 31 at siren
2240 east 4th street
long beach, ca 90814

don't forget to come to the closing reception on 1/26/08, 6-8pm!

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1.13.2008

this just in!

hey there!

so very exciting, we were just asked to have a closing reception for the robots show at siren! if you missed the party the first time around, you should come check it out!

robots! they're just like us! closing reception
saturday, january 26, 6-8pm

siren
2240 east 4th street
long beach, ca 90814

cheers and see ya there!

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they go incognito number 2!

here's the companion piece to yesterday's painting, also a personal favorite!



they go incognito number 2
5" x 7" artwork in 2" black frame
acrylic on canvas
$100

available through january 31 at siren
2240 east 4th street
long beach, ca 90814

and why does it have to be sunday already? i'm declaring shenanigans!

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1.12.2008

they go incognito!

they go incognito number 1 and 2 are probably my favorite pieces from this robot show because who doesn't like moustaches!? communists, that's who. this one was featured in the online version of the district's review of the show!



they go incognito #1
5" x 7" artwork in 2" black frame
acrylic on canvas
$100

available through january 31 at siren
2240 east 4th street
long beach, ca 90814

also, in unrelated news my new favorite subject line for a spam email is "scientific breakthrough for your love wand".

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1.05.2008

classiest magazine cover ever!



this magazine cover kind of blows my mind. the sweetest thing ever was when i came home from work wednesday, when this issue came out, josh and his bro had already framed this cover and hung it in the living room. if you're siblings or you live in savannah or new mex don't fret we got one set aside for ya, if you're in the long beach area this issue's only on stands until tuesday night so get it while you can!

i would love to think that this cover'll get more people going to check out the show and maybe deciding they want to give one of my robots a home, it would superduper help out the i need new shirt equipment really soon thing!

happy weekending y'all! and how about the latest britney meltdown! the only word for it is WOW.

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12.20.2007

link to the oc weekly article!

the print version of this one's better, my puking robot painting got on the contents page and then the cupcakes painting was used on the page with the article... so if you're in the oc or surrounding area get one o' the oc weeklys out this week!

if you're not in the oc you can check out their writeup of my show here!

p.s., i've now posted on this blog 1400 times in the past 5ish years. holy crap i'm a chatty cathy.

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12.17.2007

omgomgomgomgomg!!!

ok not only is the district (long beach's version of the oc weekly) doing a review on my show in this wednesday's issue, but they're putting one of my robots on the cover for the january 2 issue!!!

I AM POOPING MY PANTS RIGHT NOW!!!

so seriously exciting - thanks so much to everyone who came out to the show on saturday night, it was such a fun night and it was great to see everyone's positive reactions to my work! if you didn't get a chance to come to the show saturday there's still time; it's hanging until january 31 at:

siren
2240 east 4th street
long beach, ca 90802

I AM POOPING MY PANTS RIGHT NOW!!!

so yes. get a district this wednesday to see the article on my show, get an oc weekly this thursday to see their article on it, get the district again on january 2 for the puking robot on the cover.

effing. rad.

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