Studio Visit: Elena Stonaker

In March, I had a wonderful studio visit with Elena Stonaker, here in Los Angeles. Elena creates all pieces by hand – beading & stitching intricate soft sculptures and wearable art, as well as painting mythical universes connecting the earth to the mystical on paper, canvas and clothing. Here are images and snippets of our conversation from this visit. 

photo by Shelby Duncan | artwork image courtesy of Kime Buzzelli

hand-painted dress in the studio | music video for Bitches | Elena's wearables at the recent Juxtapoz Psychedelic Book Release Party & Exhibition, photo by John Bajana

I love the concept of Elena's artwork progressing as it's own entity, transforming from one version of itself to another – metamorphosis, a recycling of itself into another existance. What was once a soft sculpture transforms into wearable art or vice versa.  Some of the most important themes in her work are about creation and transformation.

"Life naturally moves in cyclical patterns. In the cycle of a year there is birth, growth, harvest, death. To allow my art to change purpose over time, to be destroyed and then resurrected in different forms,  follows a natural rhythm. I love every stage – death as much as birth. Time never ends. Nothing is ever finished. I am never finished. Perpetual change."

There is such a clear and potent expression of symbology and mythology in Elena's art, creating a direct way to connect universally and a path to take power within one's own world.

"I choose images that have withstood time and crossed cultural borders: eyes (powerful vision, hearts (love, consciousness), conjoined figures (total connection), breasts (feminine nourishment / sensuality), mouths with tongues sticking out (Kali - the creator / destroyer), snakes (infinite transformation), female genitalia (birth, sex), birds (flight, freedom), plants (life, magic), hands (creation) and variations on Yin and Yang."

Elena's soft sculpture captured by Mario Zoots | Carly at Salvation Mountain | Elena by Shae DeTar

mural at The End, a vintage and designer shop, 55872 TwentyNine Palms Highway, Yucca Valley, CA 92284 | detail of painting | detail of hand-beaded necklace

Elena's work is highly influenced by mythology, folk crafts, ritualistic objects and ceremonial wear. Peeks of Niki de Saint Phalle, Leonora Carrington, Louise Bourgeois, Hieronymus Bosch come through in her art. Recently making Los Angeles her new home from New York City via Denver, she's been embraced and influenced by a magical tribe of creative visionaries including Carly Jo Morgan, Sarah Buckley, Augustus Britton, Jacqueline Suskin, Tracy McCarty and Astral Eyes.

Elena and studio manager, Sarah Buckley working on a sculpture, taken by Dan Rowan | detail shots of the extensive hand-work that goes into each piece

Carly's wedding dress and ceremonial hanging created by Elena, taken by Shelby Duncan who in addition to her extensive span of editorial, portrait & lifestyle work, also does rad wedding photography 

Elena's parents have been a constant positive force in encouraging her to follow her own bliss. She grew up surrounded by clay figurines, intricately carved wooden furniture, colorful weavings, handmade textiles and various relics from India, Egypt and Columbia – where her father's Midwestern family had lived for periods of time for her grandfather's cattle genetics business. All of those culminate to channel her own mythology and visual aesthetic.

Marina, Elena's mother was a navy brat who grew up mainly in Oahu and earned her college scholarship as a figure roller-skater. [Rad! I used to roller-skate to school and literally hunch down as I rolled in late to the back of my Environment Bio class.] Marina had an interest in botany which led her to Colorado where she met and married Elena's father, Frank. Together, they started an organic farm and greenhouse business. Today, she practices energy medicine after many years of being a Waldorf teacher and an ardent student of Rudolf Steiner's philosophy. Frank is an avid nature worshipper who took the family on backpacking excursions, setting up teepees and yurts. To pursue his dream of owning an orchard, Frank recently abandoned his newly earned tenure as a university professor in Organic Agriculture. 

With these earthen roots flowed from her parents, Elena was born in the midst of strawberry season. Much of her childhood was spent outdoors, cultivating a friendship with the dirt, bugs, flowers, and understanding the cycle of seasons. With the Waldorf upbringing, Elena intertwines the teachings into her work – exploring the evolution and beautiful rituals that celebrate the spirit.

photo by Ted Emmons

Currently Elena's art is on view at the Juxtapoz Psychedelic Book Exhibit. Limited edition lithographs, original art and prints of her work are at elenastonaker.bigcartel.com. She is also available for inquiries on existing work, commissions and bookings.

Thank you Elena and Sarah!! Love you both, ladies. xo

All photos taken by Sherise Lee for The Radder except where noted.

Many thanks to all the talented photographers who let me share their work.

Juxtapoz Psychedelic Book Release Party & Art Exhibit

Oh so good.

Tonight at The Well in LA, Juxtapoz will be celebrating the release of 'Juxtapoz Psychedelic.' To say I'm stoked this book is out is an understatement. Psychedelia is obviously fascinating as an art genre, but on a personal level, it is ever-present. The book features work running from mystic art rulers Alex Grey (!) and Keiichi Tanaami (!) to now artists Steve Harrington, Andy Gillmore (whose work graces the cover) and many radical others.

The exhibition is up through May 13th, 2014 and will present art by all the awesomely talented beings listed in the flyer above including some of my favorite hey ladies representin' the double x chromosone factor: Kylea Borges, Deanne Cheuk, Maya Hayuk and Elena Stonaker.

Juxtapoz Psychedelic Book Exhibit
Release Party Saturday, April 26th 7pm - 12am
**RSVP** here
Exhibit on display through May 13th
The Well | 1006 S. Olive Street, Los Angeles, CA 90015

Inspired by Pantone's Color of the Year 2014: Radiant Orchid

Yesterday, Pantone unveiled their Color of the Year for 2014 as Radiant Orchid. From last year's Emerald green, they traveled the color wheel to the opposite end of the spectrum with an optimistic and light-hearted purple.

This song popped in my head as soon as I read Pantone's announcement yesterday morning: "The Purple Pill Eater" by The Wild Ones. I either have the 45 somewhere in my stacks or on a mixed tape lost in a box. Nothing like some early 60's British R&B to get your day going.

As a fan of pinky-purples, I prefer it with a mix of colors, less on it's own. I had so much fun putting together these Radiant Orchid inspired images. Not only are they visually intriguing, but the artists, designers, makers and bloggers behind them are fascinating. So, please do click through the sources. All of the photos below, the fun places where they were pinned from and a lot more overall inspiration can also be found on my Pinterest boards. 

I love Radiant Orchid paired with shades of other purples, additional hot + warm tones, golds and burnt sienna with lots of lights in creams and airy whisper pinks to giving it plenty breathing room. 

1. Penabranca, a tumblr based in Sâo Paulo, Brazil and filled with beautiful mystical inspiration  // 2. Borders & Frontiers scarf  // 3. Carly Margolis for the Silverlake location of Moon Juice, a cold pressed, organic juice and nut milk shop with another location in Venice  // 4. the brilliant Ernesto Neto's "Crazy Hyperculture in the Vertigo of the World" installation at Faena Arts Center in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (In September, I went into his Nomadic Womb Yurt for Doug's Station to Station. Hopefully one day I'll post pics from that, too.)  // 5. Parima Creative Studio's "Jackie" giclee print with soft canvas overlay and hand-painted gold glitter  // 6. Dee Dee Cheriel artwork  // 7. silk-screened poster of my favorite city, San Francisco by Lab Partners

One of my favorite palettes with this kind of purple is a mix of deep cosmic navy, inky night sky blues, pops of turquoise and greens with a blending of colors to evoke the feeling of dusk in the fall with free jazz. (p.s. David and I once sat next to Ornette Coleman at a restaurant in our old neighborhood Curry Hill, NYC. He was of course trés cool and very sweet when we asked him in awe if we was indeed himself.)

1. awesomely rich oil painting by German artist Theo Altenberg  // 2. British textile designer Nikki Strange's Midnight Birds print available at Society 6  // 3. Cosmic Band Bikini by Minnow Bathers from Need Supply via Sweet Thing  // 4. quilt drawing by Alyson Fox. The entire series (like everything else she does) is wonderful  // 5. 1930's Japanese Yuzen Dyeing Kimono Sample Book via Jenny Vorwaller, a talented painter in Seattle  // 6. Calla's Autumn/Winter 2013 Collection via Style Bubble  // 7. Argentinian art director, Kevin Cabuli's space-adelic tumblr // 8. African pattern print, Etsy  // 9. Fantastic as a shoe pop color, via They All Hate Us 

 All images have links to their source as none are originated from me.


And lastly, Radiant Orchid saturated and playful surrounded in a kaleidoscope of colors with grounding neutrals.   

1. Issey Miyake's Resort 2013 Collection // 2. "Cactus" print by milleneufcentquatrevingtquatre, a brilliantly beautiful line of scarves   // 3.  Book Design from 1959  // 4. Ashley Goldberg's crazy cool print  // 5. Steve Harrington for Incase, curated by Arktip. Along with his bad-ass artwork, many other amazing artists are in a super rad coloring book, Outside the Lines curated by Souris Hong-Porretta. (I have an illustration in there as well and am planning on writing another post on the book later)  // 6. bracelets by dullDiamond via Look at These Gems  // 7. James Joyce silkscreened poster via Luvocracy  // 8. dress, Akris  Spring / Summer 2009 Collection  // 9. Diela Maharanie illustration via Juxtapoz