Laura Irrgang

Freedom tea set

 

For the art course I'm taking, we had an unusual assignment: design a mug or tea set based on the hairstyles of Ellis Island. I love these quirky challenges!

The new gallery for Lilla Rogers' MATS course is live.  See all the art here.

Lady Liberty is such a powerful image to me that I decided to make her a central part of my project. It makes me giggle to think of tipping her over to pour out my tea. The background is a real ship manifest from Ellis Island.

While doing research, I particularly enjoyed seeing people on the decks of ships with cheerful pennants and flags, so I made a "boat tray", with a storage compartment for your tea bags and accouterments. I chose cities/countries where some of my own family members originally lived. My cheerful Bavarian guy would bring his stein with him, I'm sure. The woman from Constantinople (Istanbul now Constantinople....any "They Might Be Giant Fans" out there?) seemed wise and kind, and the lovely lass from the Caribbean seems hopeful and determined.

If only those ship portholes could talk!

Austin Hippies map featured on Lilla Rogers' blog

Woohoo! I was in art agent Lilla Rogers' "Top Picks" today. She featured my map of Austin on her blog. I'm learning so much in her Make Art That Sells (MATS) classes.

Any hippies out there? What species are YOU, if I may be so bold as to ask?

 

P.S. The map is now available  in my Etsy shop.

You can read her review by clicking here. 

 

Here are a few details:

Garden Journal Gallery

I'm halfway through art agent Lilla Rogers' Bootcamp, a structured five-month program of monthly assignments designed to help you build a strong body of work. It's a fun, fast-paced way to improve your portfolio. 

My journal is featured in the gallery, along with work from other artists. You can see all the journals at the Bootcamp Gallery here.

Glitterville comic, Week 5

 

 

 

Summery painting

Here's a big summery painting!

At a barn sale, I found a huge old glass jar filled with stamps, and I collaged them into the seaweed.

I took the postmarks and shell stamps and turned them into clouds, and the white seaflowers. I like to imagine the gentleman who collected the stamps was a sailor and sent love letters back to his wife or girlfriend.

It seemed fun to turn these stamps that have physically been so many different places into a beachy/travel/vacation painting.

I also used sand and shells from our last trip to Galveston.  A friend living in Hawaii sent me a little bag of semi-precious tumbled stones, and I smushed them into the sand.

I worked fairly large...30" x 30".  I'm excited to have a big, beachy painting.  I added the text for a class project, but I prefer the actual painting without it. Do you like it better with or without the words?

Hippie Field Guide to Austin, Texas

Here. Have a Hippie Field Guide. In case you're going to Austin any time in the near future. Hey hippies....love ya.
This is a silly project-it's not supposed to be a "real" map. I will probably work on a more accurate Austin map in the future. A bunch of you guys commented on Facebook with ideas for the map. Thanks! You gave me so many ideas it will turn into a separate project. 

I think this would be a fun t-shirt, and maybe a large post card. Dish towel? Large hippie towel for Barton Springs, maybe.

Glitterville comic, Week 4

 

 

 

 

Glitterville comic, Week 3

 

 

 

Glitterville comic, Week 2