If you don’t know what this is about check out Kitchen Nightmares (Season 6 Episode 16 )
You can purchase these designs at my Society6 shop by clicking here!

Bitches is crazy. :)

A few quick Animal Crossing themed drawings I made. :)

Be sure to check out my shop on Society6!

Could you tell us a little about your creative process? What’s a day in the life of Michelle Romo like?
Day to day is always something new! I currently have 2 day jobs! So I have to start off making sure all of those projects are taken care of first. When working on my own projects I look at my schedule (art shows, and freelance, and other misc. projects) and usually pick first based on the deadline. I’ll finish all of the illustration work first, then if the projects require something past just illustration I will work on the production file and communicate with the manufacturer (laser cutters, stained glass people, jewelry makers).

Depending on what the item is it can take a day to a month to get the pieces back to me. Then I spend time painting, gluing or packaging a finished item. So any given day could be any part of that process! Most days it’s a mix of all of those things.

If you could do an artist collaboration with anyone in the world, who would it be and why?
I’d love to collaborate with Junko Mizuno! I just love her art so much, she’s a long time favorite of mine.

You did some amazing work for the Flaming Lips (this is all sorts of awesome!)  How did this come about?
Thanks! It all came about through the magic of Twitter!

I ran into Michelle Martin-Coyne at a Flaming Lips show and brought her a bunch of Crowded Teeth bags and prints. Then we just started talking on Twitter and she asked me if I wanted to make some stuff with her! I said yes! She is an unbelievably sweet person. From there she passed my contact information to Wayne Coyne and he has asked me to do some really cool projects for the band. Wayne is always very kind and I am always thrilled when he asks me to draw something. Being a huge fan of The Flaming Lips it’s a real treat to work with them!

What do you think is the best/worst part of being an artist?
Best is getting to draw silly things that other people like.
Worst is hating all of those things the second after you finish them – haha!

What is your happiest memory?
My happiest memory is just kind of a general memory of being a kid during the summer. Watching old sitcoms, playing with both cars and My Little Ponies on this big brown rug in the living room. Life was easy! Feeling warm and happy.

What snack food, drink, song inspires you?
Snack: Flaming Hot Cheetos (Why are they so good! They are made out of poison! I know they are bad for me but if they are near me I must eat them)
Food: Cake all the time.
Drink: I don’t know! I mostly drink water – it’s not very inspiring.
Song: Man – tough to pick one! I do like the Dr. Dog song Livin’ A Dream right now though.

If you could have a superpower what would it be and why?
The ability to freeze time! There is never enough time to do all of the things I want to do. Mostly I’d just use it to nap more.

Can you give some advice to artists who are trying to start their own business?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. When I started I had a hard time letting go and asking people to help me out. This resulted in me doing my own accounting, making my own sales calls, figuring out production, shipping orders, etc. etc. Of course I think it’s good when you start out to learn how to do all aspects of a business, and a lot of times it’s out of necessity! But I think it’s also important to play to your strengths and ask people (or hire people if you can!) to help.

After being a control freak and doing all of that I went crazy for awhile, life just became too overwhelming. When I pulled myself together I realized that what I really wanted to do was draw. I refocused and started to get into licensing my artwork to companies who specialize in making products. For me this ended up being a better option than managing production myself. I think if I would have just let go sooner and asked for help I would have been able to grow my business and I probably wouldn’t have felt so overwhelmed. I ended up going in a different direction – but it worked out in the end!

If you could speak to one kind of animal, what would it be?
Cats. My cats (Hurts and Morgan) specifically.

What can we expect from you in the future? Let us know of any art shows coming up. :)
I am planning a big show in June! But I can’t talk about it yet! It’s going to be the biggest solo-type show I’ve ever done though! I’m in few local shows coming up soon: a Star Wars Tribute Show at Gallery Nucleus (opening May 4th), a Go Nagai Tribute Show at Q-Pop Show (opening May 11th), and I am curating and doing art for a group show at Leanna Lin’s Wonderland in September!

Oh! And also 3 new pieces for the Wonderground Gallery in Downtown Disney. The new theme is a secret – but the opening is mid-June!

How old were you when you first started creating art?
My earliest memory of creating art was when I was four years old. We were at a shopping mall in downtown Milwaukee. There were large rolls of paper that were set up for children to write on. I remember wanting to stay there forever to draw on them and remember my mom dragging me away.
You work in all sorts of mediums.. from painting old bubble gum on sidewalks to yarn bombing to sewing dolls to doing street art/graffiti… What’s next? What’s your dream art project? Is there something you want to do but haven’t gotten a chance or lack the funds to do?
If I could do anything… I would like to solely do Mail art. I would send post card sized art–4 X 6 inch postcards, envelopes, and zines to people all over the world for free. Mail art is a passion that I don’t have time to do any more. I regret this deeply because I think it is the most important art in my life.

If you had to choose a quote (or a line) to describe what motivates you day to day, what would it be?
“The best people possess a feeling for beauty,
the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth,
the capacity for sacrifice. Ironically, their virtues make
them vulnerable, they are wounded, sometimes destroyed.”
–Ernest Hemingway

Every day for me is a battle not to be destroyed. And yes, I’m saying I’m one of the best people…
at least I try to be.

How long have you been living in Saint Petersburg? How did opening up your own gallery come about?
I grew up in Pinellas County. Started Kindergarten here but I was born on an Air Force Base in Upper Michigan. I am a graduate from Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High school. Despite getting several scholarships including full scholarship to Ringling and USF’s art program–I went to a small church related college in Texas and got a B.A. in English.

My husband cheated on me and left me with three children and a mortgage. This is essentially why I have an art gallery now. It took my life being destroyed to rise up and become myself. A few months after the devastation I got a call from the Morean Arts Center to do a one woman show in their guest artist gallery. I was overjoyed and worked for 3 months to create enough work to fill the space. I called the show, “Trinkets from Heaven and other Misunderstandings.” With the money I made from the art show… I invested into the tiny eve-N-odd located in the Crislip arcade. It’s been a starving artist roller coaster ride ever since and the best times of my life and my crumbcake’s lives.

Who are your top 5 favorite local artists?
Saori Murphy
Coralette Damme
Calan Ree
Sarah Thee Campagna
P$YNNER
(she couldn’t choose just 5) :)
Katherine Michael
Jenipher Chandley

What’s the best/worst thing about being an artist?
Best thing about being an artist is that you can dress in Goodwill clothes and people think you are “artistic.”
The worst thing about being an artist is that you feel every emotion in high definition.

What is the most rewarding experience you have had and what made it so?
Giving birth to each one of my children. There is nothing more important than life. Life is the greatest art.
Choose a movie title for the story of your life.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Photo Copyright Khalid Hameed

Last question, do you have any art shows coming up that you’d like to tell us about?
The Gallery has a new show every month so if you keep track of the blog or the facebook page you can see what new artist or group show is being shown!

► http://www.eve-n-odd.blogspot.com

Personally I will be in the Holocaust’s show, “Power of Stories.” This will be a piece donated to raise funds for the museum and is a large water color portrait of three beautiful little girls who were violently raped and murdered.

I got to be an extra in a BASK film and also my little doggie Suzy. This will be in the Sunscreen film festivals art show on the 600 block called–ACTION at 6pm, at BLUE LUCY, April 19th! Join the gallery for a great block party that night called–”BLOCK BUSTER” sponsored by Charter 411.

Currently I have a piece in the Blue Lucy show, “Game On.” And a piece at the Morean art show for P.C.C.A. alumni. Before that I did a POD exhibit called, “Gretchen’s World” for the Dunedin Fine Arts Center.

And I try to work on custom rag dolls and paintings for customers!

Thanks so much for the interview, Jen! Please keep in touch if anything else comes
your way that you’d like to tell people about. :)

CURRENT EXHIBIT: GAME ON

Featuring over 30 artists creating art inspired by Arcade, Pinball and Board Games.

Artists participating: Johannah O’Donnell, Andrew Johnson, Adam T, Adriaan Mol, Dan Lasata, CyberCraft Robots, Theresa Crout, Daniel Mrgan, Lauren Rasch, Rasta, Joanna Ledingham, Roman Black, Aurailieus, Sue Woodall, John Hutcherson, Dylan Marvin, Coralette Damme, Phillip Clark, RJ Runas, W Herb Clark, Jenipher Chandley, Jennifer Kosharek, Jason Ault, Samuel South, Kristi Capone, Adam Graham, Erin Mallory, Chad Mize, Jesse Kiebzak, Koofboy Designs, and 8BIT.

Admission is free.

GAME ON ART EXHIBIT RUNS 03.23.13 – 04.13.13

Interview with Jennifer Kosharek of Eve-N-Odd Gallery, coming up soon! :)

Can you tell us a little bit about what you do?
I sculpt miniature food out of clay. Some of it in 1:12 for collectors and some I transform into quirky jewelry.

Have you finally found your dream place in Paris?
Luckily, I don’t live in Paris. I live in Vannes, France.

I read that you wanted to be a painter as a child, have you explored working in any new medium lately?
I went to a miniature wood furniture workshop, it was very interesting and fun. I did try oil painting and acrylic painting, but can’t say I loved it.

Do you remember making your first miniature food?
The first miniature food I made was when I was 7 for my Barbie dolls.

Can you describe your technique a little? What’s your studio like?
I sculpt with polymer clay at a small scale, thus I use toothpick and pins to sculpt the clay. I always listen to or watch something when I work, I need to be half occupied so I can concentrate more easily on my work.

Congrats on being a featured seller on Etsy! How did things change for you after that?
Thanks :) I got a bit more known on Etsy right after and of course the sales picked up greatly.

Can you bake? What’s your favorite dessert?
I can! I’d say I really like the chocolate chip cookies I make, I use raw sugar, dark chocolate and oats, they’re easy and really tasty :)

What are 5 things you can’t live without?
► My boyfriend (by extensions my family)
► Internet
► Food (but hey who could live without food?)
► Polymer clay
► My camera

Last question, do you have any art shows coming up that you’d like to tell us about?
I have two miniature fairs I’m attending:

►1:12 Die Messe
June 1 & 2, 2013
Rheda-Wiedenbrück, Germany

►SIMP
June 23, 2013
Paris, France

This is probably my favorite art piece by Stephanie and a little of the backstory on it.

“This is a dessert table I made for the Hong-Kong exhibition about my work I did in December 2012. (yeah I was so lucky to be invited to make an exhibition!)

I started making dessert tables thanks to Shauna Younge who asked me to make a miniature replica of a dessert table she made and since then I’ve been obsessed with dessert tables. I see them like a full sculpture and work on them during a few months, adding and removing bits until I like the final result. It gives me the chance to work with colors and textures in a more accomplished way than you could do it in just 1 cake. And somehow it gives dessert tables a chance to live as pieces of art and not just pieces of consumption.“

This beautiful display is up for sale on Etsy. You can get it by clicking here and here is a link to Stephanie’s Flickr page where you can see tons of pictures of her amazing work. Enjoy! :)

I thought it would be more fun to leave it as a surprise, but you can see an example of the things you may be getting here.

Here’s a sample of a mystery box of goodies I mailed out to my friend Sara over at SuperPunkRockMomBlog


Now would you like to know how to enter this amazingly awesome giveaway?

Well, all you have to do is:
1. Like my page on Facebook

2. Share this blog post on Facebook!

Entries will be taken thru April 29th and the winner will be announced on Tuesday April 30th! I will post the winners here. :)

Ready, Set…GO!!!

You can make cute little chics by decorating some eggs with feathers, markers and colored foam.

Easter peep s’mores! You can learn how to make these here.

Here’s an easy tutorial on how to make these Mickey and Minnie candy holders out of toilet paper rolls!

Another toilet paper roll Easter craft but this one is a bunny! These are candy holders!

Adorable peep cupcakes! Just add frosting and plop a peep on top!

This is fast and easy idea to give out as gifts using your child’s handprint. :)

This one is really cool but maybe not so little kid friendly because it looks like they doodled on the eggs with a Sharpie! Eeek!

Cute bunnys made out of paper plates. :)

Chalk eggs! So neat!

Hope you guys liked these. :)

This is how the chat function works in the game.. I wish you could set this up as the default texting on your phone! It’s sooo cute!

In other cute news, we took Ethan to the park this weekend and he rode on the swing! He absolutely loved it and was laughing and smiling the whole time. :D EEEE!