Ava Bunny

I was going through Instagram last night, when I came across a very well know artist, discussing their views on people using their work for tattoos. I myself wrote a blog on the subject last year when two women were having a discussion openly on my Instagram page about one of my mixed media pieces.  These two women were discussing back and forth one of my mixed media pieces as possibly one of their new tattoos. The piece they were discussing was the girl you see in this picture to the left. I just thought it was interesting that they were having this discussion not only on my account, but on my picture. And never did either contact me to ask my permission to use my work as a tattoo.  I didn't care if they used it as a tattoo. I just would have liked it if they had posted a picture if they had used it as a tattoo, crediting me as the artist. And maybe not have a public discussion on my picture about using my work without clearing it with me first. It feels weird and a litt...

Was reading an article this morning about the challenges female artist face mid-career. The article was written by Anna Louie Sussman. She was saying in the past five years she's noticed a strange, recurring phenomenon: Works by young artists, often barely out of grad school, commanded similar or higher prices than pieces by accomplished mid-career artists. All I could think was great as if selling my freaking art isn't hard enough, this is now what I have to look forward to !. About Five years ago I did started noticing an odd trend with female artist myself. I kept seeing all these women in their 20's and 30's posing half naked next to their artwork. It was being done so much I pointed it out to a few male friends of mine who happen to be artist and some laughed and said I should give it a try. I have never really been one to take pictures much, let alone half naked ones just to push my art.  Funny story: one of my guy friends did start posing half n...

I was obsessed with two things last year, the Chelsea hotel, and Anonymous! If you follow my work you probably saw a lot of nods to the Anonymous group in so much of my art last season as well as the hotel Chelsea. The funny thing is I grew up in Manhattan in the Lower eastside not far from the hotel Chelsea and the hotel never held any interest to me till I saw a show a called celebrity ghost stories. One of the episodes had Michael Imperioli from the sopranos on and he spok e about when he living at the hotel and how it was haunted. Forget about it!, that was all I needed to hear was that it had ghost!! After hearing that I started researching the hotel. Shortly after that I started making my mixed media pieces showcasing the hotel. A lot of people are skeptical about ghost and some don't even believe in them.   I would probably be a skeptic if I hadn't had a couple of ghostly encounters when I was a child. I've never really had any as an adult. I was around 8 when th...

This is my new mixed media piece I call it Donations. It was created out of the frustration I feel with the art world. Here you have the quintessential depiction of the starving artist right? Paint brush in hand standing on the street corner working for donations. But the truth is the days of the starving artist are gone for the most part. Or should I say the respect for the starving artist and their wallet is gone!.  Everywhere I look there's someone trying to fleece my pockets as an artist. I'm promised that I can be a hopeful and apply for art space in a residency for a mere $900 a month,lol.Years ago when I worked mostly in paint I wanted to get studio space here in New York. There was this one place I wanted to get into so bad, It offered studio space in little historic 19th century cottages. They were highly coveted and rarely became available, but when they did they would set you back $600 a month. Which I didn't really think was all that bad considering the his...

H ow do we measure the amount of what something is worth ? What if it's value is love. …. I created this little painting a few months ago and mailed it to a friend. I then asked them to ship it back because I didn't feel like it was fully finished. My friend sent it back using UPS and it was lost for the last three weeks. I had to call the people over at UPS and open a case. The lady on the phone asked me the value of the painting. I struggled to come of with a monetary amount.  It's a simple painting, painted with simple materials, in two simple colors. But how it makes me feel is by no means simple to put in to words or price.   When I first started out painting I struggled with how to price my art. Mostly because my work was the very opposite of this little painting. Instead of my work being simple it was over the top and took me months, upon months to create. At first I wanted to charge a lot because I associated that with being a big time artist. I think on s...

Once in a blue moon I go through my old photo albums and look at some of the first paintings I ever made. This one happened to be one of my favorites. It was quite big, much bigger then you see in this photo. This piece was 24x42 When I took the picture I stupidly took it in sections, so you don't see the serving wench to the left of the dragon. The dragon himself was cutoff and there were two acrobats above on the top that are cutoff. You can see part of the boot of one of them in the upper right corner. When I took a picture of this the flash created a light orb on the photo.You can see it on the table right under the pixie. That orb isn't on the actually piece.  I was a very ambitious painter when I first started out. Everything I did had to big and over the top!. This piece was done in oils. I only worked in oils back then and it took me over a month to paint. This piece sat in a few coffee houses and then at the Ward Nasse gallery here in NYC before I gave it to my bes...

This card was a bit of a challenge, only 75 more to go! When you start reading about the cards you really start to fall in love with them. Each meaning for each card is so meaningful and personal.  I am really enjoying making these.   Daily Tarot Girl says The High Priestess card is one of the more mystifying cards of the Major Arcana, full of secrets and mysteries as she beckons you to explore the unknown depths of your soul. Basically what I took away from the meaning of the card is you need to essentially chillout and reflect. And that is exactly what my girl is doing while she smokes her hookah.  When I first thought of making this deck I knew I'd need a theme.  I looked all over the internet and noticed not one person has ever done a Blythe themed deck. So I am so happy to be the first to do one. I hope to be able to have a Blythe doll in most of the cards but some will just be teddy bears or something else. I really didn't know how I would do at being ...

new girl in the works  ''You play with dolls''- That is probably the number one statements a person can utter that will piss me off!-  I don't consider making dolls or artwork based on them playing!  The definition of playing is to engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose. There are aspects about making dolls that are fun, but overall for me, it's a lot of work!. Same goes for any of my paintings or mixed media pieces. People always assume that creating art is relaxing and carefree fun. Who knows maybe it is for some, but for me it's stressful and time consuming.  I usually have headaches afterwards.When I'm sitting in one spot for 8hrs a day staring at a computer screen trying to perfect one of my mixed media pieces, it isn't fun!  Headaches, neck cramps and eyestrain is a small part of making my art. There is also the heart and soul that is poured in only to be met mostly by rejection. I w...

C ompleted my second card The Magician. The Daily Tarot Girl puts it best, she says :  If the Magician could speak, he would say: “you have the power to create and make things happen! Once you become aware of the full extent of your own power, nothing can stand in your way of shaping your life and manifesting what you need. It’s time to focus your attention and direct your will – potential for success is at your fingertips!” When It is time for you to claim your power and take action toward your goals Action is needed in order to turn possibility into reality You have the ability to manifest your dreams, even if you don’t realize it yet Inquiry What do you want to create? How do you want your life to be? How would it feel to be completely powerful in your own life – if you knew you could directly shape your reality with your thoughts, feelings and actions? How and what have you successfully manifested in the past? Action Create a vision board ...

I had posted this last year but when deleting some of my blogs this one was deleted. I am reposting it because my feelings on the matter are still the same and hope others who go through similar things can know they are not alone and to stay positive and don't let others bring you down- The nerve. I was going through my Flickr and looking at some of the things I've made in the last two years for Blythe. And I think for someone who never made patterns before or clothing for people, let alone doll clothing on a 1:6 scale. My designs are AWESOME! I think you have to pat yourself on the back every now and then cause there are too many people in this world waiting in line to tear you down for absolutely no good reason. Back in January of last year, I saw an outfit I liked online by someone called TSANFW, and decided to contact the person who made it to see if he/she?.. dose layaway. They told me they don't do layaways and so I left it alone. Then I saw another out...

W e will be welcoming in October in a mere three days! and I am a head of schedule for making my first tarot card. First let me refresh everyone, the first card in the deck I needed to make was the Fool-  I like the fools card because it represents the person who knows what they want to do but they just don't know how to get there. The daily tarot girl put it best she said;  ' The Fool can be a bit naïve.  For example, he is the dude who gets all fired up about some bizarre business venture and puts all of his life savings and energy into it. He may turn out to be a millionaire or a broke hobo, but he will always trust his instincts, follow his heart and live''  I n order to make the card I needed to ask myself how living life with no fear would translate- This is what I came up with. Yes it's a teddy bear on top of a ladder trying to capture a butterfly with his butterfly net, lol . He has no fear of falling off the ladder and knocking the stuffing out of...