New Artwork by Ebony Moore

Hand drawn by Ebony Moore.

Brand new artwork by Ebony Moore for The Compassion Fashion Project.  She is a great singer/songwriter and does much for her community as a domestic violence survivor and advocate.  This piece seen here is also the artwork for her song entitled, Detox.  We are so lucky to have found her.

Glamour Illustration for Our T-shirt Line By the Talented Artist Donna Sy

Artist, Donna Sy with her daughter, Chloe...cute!

I met Donna Sy, who everyone in the blogger community knows as "This Lady Behaves."  Her original blog is a montage of her favorite fashions, photos,and blurbs about Sy's take on style.  Recently, Sy sent me a message on Fashion Industry Network and announced her newest blog she affectionately calls Knickerless Doodles.  Well, I did not know that Sy was an illustrator, so I was excited to see her artwork.  Her aesthetic was different from anything we have so far on our boutique and I thought she would make a  great addition to our team of contributors.  What makes our products so unique is the artists we have been able to connect with.  Right now, we have contributing illustrators from seven different countries and three different states in the United States.  These are a group of talented people who are committed to helping The Compassion Fashion Project grow and spread the message that domestic violence should never be tolerated.  We support domestic violence survivors and are working very hard to expand our mission.  My firm belief is that as we gain more collaboration through various mediums, we will provide more aid and hope to the women and their children who need it most.

Artwork by Donna Sy on a tank, $21.00.

Lately, many of our supporters have been asking about our t-shirt line, how the funds are distributed, and what our future goals are.  I want to try and answer a few of these questions and am happy to let you all in on our goals with our products.  Right now we have a "virtual" online boutique through a company called Zazzle. Zazzle is a great place for artists to upload their work and post on products.  Zazzle handles the orders, manufacturing, billing, and shipping of all our products.  Because of all these services that are provided, The Compassion Fashion Project receives a percentage of each sale (around 25%).  This commission goes into an account we have on Zazzle and is not being touched as we save to file our 501(c)3 status, which is what you have to do in the U.S. to become registered with the government and receive all the benefits that come along with being a non-profit.  Your purchases are extremely important to the longevity of our organization.  As for future plans, my hope is that we can find a manufacturer that will reasonably mass produce our t-shirt line with all our beautiful illustrations for us to distribute to the women's shelters that we work with.  Another hope is that we can use this t-shirt line to sustain our organization through sales to the public and continue to grow and move our message and services into other areas in the world.

Without further ado, our newest member of our team, Donna Sy, in her own words:

"Rock and Roll," by Donna Sy for The Compassion Fashion Project.

Q.  You have been blogging about fashion for some time when you decided to create a "fashion illustration only" blog.  What made you decide to create this new blog?


A.  I have been blogging about fashion bloggers and vintage beauty for about three months. During my birthday I tested myself by posting one of my drawings.  Only then, did people start commenting and telling me how good the drawings were and that I should do more and post more drawings. So I did.  I alternated my posts.  I would post about a blogger then I would post one fashion illustration. I was getting emails personally asking me if I could give them tips on how to draw.. you know.. the whole nine yards.  I myself did not take up fashion.  I am an artist with a paintbrush and a fashion illustrator with a pencil...I can't help drawing clothes!  :) 

"Rock and Roll" on a tote, $11.95. 

Q.  Where are you from and what is the style like there?


A.  I was born in Philippines. I moved to Greece when I was 7, studied at Byron College, a British school where I took arts and crafts.  I stayed there until I turned 18.  I came back here (Manila) to study architecture. I didn't do so good at that, because my heart didn't really belong in that department.. so now I paint and blog.  :)  The styles here are simple,but people here in Manila can adapt very fast and they know what is beautiful.  If there is money in the pocket, they know which shoes or bag to buy! :)

Sterling Silver Plated Necklace, $29.95.  

Q.  What mediums do you enjoy using for your illustrations (pen, pencil, paper)?


A.  For illustrations I love using pencil: 2b first, then 4b and finally 8b. I like to splash it up with some aquarelle colours...Sometimes...  

"Not Delicate," By: Donna Sy  

Q.  What is your background in this field?


A.   I am just a painter in high heels! :) I didn't take up fashion, but I am a personal stylist occasionally, when I am not preparing for an exhibition.   

"Trapped,"By: Donna Sy 

Q.   How do you come up with ideas and inspiration for your artwork?


A.  Sometimes I see great pictures, natural poses and natural beauty and I think... hmmm, lets's draw that! Sometimes I have a dress in mind and in order to save in a hard copy, so I don't forget about this idea... I draw it! 


Q.   Do you have any favorite fashion sources (books, magazines, websites.)?


A.  It has to be "Shopping for Vintage" by Funmi Odulate. Inside there are some amazing fashion illustrations. 


Q.  What are your future goals for the fashion industry?


A.  Future goals? Maybe bringing back a whole lot more of that 70's feel and look, but with a twist of modern chic and natural sophistication!


Q.  Tell us about your brand you are building, "This Lady Behaves."  Who is the "This Lady Behaves" girl?


A.  This Lady Behaves is a sarcastic brand. I don't quite know what to call it.  It is a girl with confidence and style and not scared to show it.  She has the mindset that vintage beauty never gets boring.  She has will and motivation. That's what "behaves" means to me really.  Not someone who sits in one corner and just keeps quiet!  Nope!  Someone loud and ready to party! Who it is? Me in the past...my daughter in the future. :)

"Powerful Rich," By: Donna Sy  

Q.  How can people keep up with what you are doing and contact you for collaboration?


A.  They can go to my blogs:
         Knickerless Doodles 
         This Lady Behaves  

         or email me:  thisladybehaves@gmail.com


Q.  What compelled you to want to donate artwork to The Compassion Fashion Project?


A.  You seem like a great human being, hon!!  You are beautiful, driven and a goal achiever! You are hard working and I LOVE YOUR BLOG!  I love what you do and I have so much respect for you!  So big kiss and big thank you! 

 Right back at you! THANK YOU!

I absolutely adore Donna's paintings, which I didn't even know about until this interview, so be sure to go check them out here!  Wow, Donna...I am impressed!

The Magnificent Works of Wilma Jean

Artist, Wilma Jean

I met the beautiful, inside and out, Wilma Jean from Atlanta, Georgia on Independent Fashion Bloggers.  She is an amazing artist and actually approached me to inquire about donating one of her images to The Compassion Fashion Project.  We are really compiling a wonderful collection of artwork for our t-shirt line and I want to share with you our newest contributing artist, Wilma Jean.

Here is Wilma Jean in a special interview below:

Q.  How long have you been an artist and how did you get started?

A.  I was surrounded by creative family members who though they didn't earn a living from their craft(s), I learned a lot from.  I have been making things and drawing my whole life.  It was only natural that I would take art and fashion courses both in high school and then in college.

She Speaks, By: Wilma Jean

Q.  You create these beautiful silhouette paintings.  What inspired you to create this type of aesthetic as your signature style?

A.  After college, I painted in pastels, but it became inconvenient after a while.  I was going long stretches without painting and I started doing black and whites using sharpies. I missed "painting". So I picked up acrylics and that style, I think, came from the blending of the two styles. When I first started making the silhouettes, I didn't know where it came from.   It was sort of pointed out to me after the fact.

Spaghetti strap tank on sale now, $20.95  

Q.  What are your favorite mediums to use in your artwork (oils, acrylics, canvas etc.)?

A.  Right now I really like to use acrylic on pre-stretched canvas.  It dries quickly enough, but in the meantime, I get to make a mess while mixing up the paint colors.

Buy this artwork on a jumbo tote, $27.95  

Q.   I noticed you also have a line of jewelry.  Tell me about your process.

A.  My jewelry starts with an odd bead or something like that. Then I like to use cords or ribbons and metal chains sometimes to mix it up. (Blame my little sister for giving me that first piece of broken jewelry to fix.) 

"Down to Earth" necklace and earring set by Wilma Jean.

Q.  What advice would you give any aspiring artists?

A.  I would give them advice that I need to take myself: Never stop creating and surround yourself with creative people.

Q.  Give us a little personal information about yourself?

A.  Well, let's see... I'm a middle child of three girls, I'm married and we have a crazy little dog.

A whimsical piece by Wilma Jean, "Roses and Ribbons."

Q.   What are your future goals as an artist?

A.   My goal would be to earn a living entirely from my art. I would like to have more time to collaborate with lovely people like you, because I can sell prints of my art, create a series of kids books and just whatever opportunities find me.   

Q.   You are also a fashion blogger.  Tell us about your blog.

A.  The great thing about fashion blogging is that it is also creative. It's not just about outfit posts, but DIY ideas, shopping thrift and expressing oneself through fashion could be considered an art form.  I have some of that mixed in with the art. 

Q.  Who is your favorite artist and why?

A.  Do I have to name just one favorite artist? Okay, one of my favorites is Faith Ringgold. She made art quilts, which reminds me of my aunt who quilts and I learned that from her. The thing about Faith Ringgold, like so many women artists, is that she made a career out of a traditional woman's craft.  I'm sure someone told her that would not be possible, but she did it.

Q.  What made you want to donate your artwork to The Compassion Fashion Project?

A.  I really wanted to donate my artwork to The Fashion Compassion Project, because it would be a tangible way to help empower women.  I have known women who were suffering from domestic violence and I know that the best way for them to see a way out is if there are resources that can help. Thank you for allowing me to do my part, through my art.

Connect With Wilma Jean

Website  

Email  

Twitter  

Meet Our Youngest Contributing Artist

The Pepper N' Queen, And Tan

I met a spunky high school gal on Independent Fashion Bloggers a few weeks ago known as the "Pepper N' Queen."  I checked out her blog, Pepper N' Queen, and found that she does these amazing graphic design collages that are "to die for!"  I immediately wrote to her and asked if she would like to contribute some of her funky designs to The Compassion Fashion Project.  I was really stressing about my blog banner and needed something that was going to reflect not only the project, but me as well...and let me tell you, her art struck a cord with me.  I asked her to design my blog banner and here is what she said:

"My answer is YES! YES! I would love to be your graphic designer and donate my time to make your banner, because I believe in your cause and how important it is to educate people about domestic violence! You are, so far, the only blog I have heard of, who is supporting a good cause and also blending it with fashion (it is absolutely genius)! Both service and fashion is my passion so I will support, follow, spread and promote your blog to the end, because I believe in what you are doing and the fact that we must do something about this issue! Message me what you want your banner to look like, or if you have a rough sketch on how you want it to look like, design wise, and I can add to it using my peppernqueen magic!"

Buy this tee now!  

Once I got confirmation that the "Pepper N' Queen," who I now know as And Tan, was on board, I had to explain what I wanted.  This was a bit difficult for me, because I honestly was not sure what I wanted exactly, so here is what I said and this is why I wanted Tan to design my banner:

Support The CFP and purchase this original design by And Tan.  

"I'll tell you what really made me connect with your work and that is that for me personally, I always have a ton of thoughts going through my mind: Ideas, art, designs, words, phrases...I'm just constantly thinking. If someone was to be able to see what was going on in this brain of mine (as an image), I think it would look something like your collages!"


With a few more details about what I envisioned, here is what she said:


"Hey love, I fully understand how you want it to look, I can envision the image in my head and the tone and emotion it will evoke, so let me start making you one and I will send it to you via email after I finish :)"


What I received was the blog banner at the top of this page.  I was thrilled with the outcome and you can now purchase some of And Tan's work on our online boutique to help us raise funds for The Compassion Fashion Project.  She is wonderful and a joy to work with.  Not only that, but I am so impressed by such a young lady that is interested and understands the importance of what we are trying to do.  I know from our demographics that young women between the ages of 13-17 only make up about 2% of our readership.  Likewise, women between the ages of 18-24 are in the minority with only 12% of our readership.  I can only explain this by the fact that at that age perhaps women and young women have not yet fully understood the severity of domestic and sexual violence against women. My lovely And Tan is a pioneer in her age group as far as this issue is concerned.  I couldn't be prouder of her and feel super lucky that our paths crossed.  There are no coincidences.

New design for The Compassion Fashion Project, By: And Tan.  

Find out more about the Pepper N' Queen in this interview below:

Q.  Tell us about your design process and how do you describe your artwork?

A.  Whenever I design anything whether it is for work, or for fun, I usually have to listen to music and somehow the creativity just flows through me. My artwork is a mix and match of objects and places that I personally think are beautiful. I would like to think that my art is a play on my mood and expression.  I use my art and my blog as a way to express myself.  It is very imaginative and expressive.

Q.  Where are you from and what is the style like there?

A.  I am Filipino; I was born and raised in the Philippines. Fashion plays a big part in the lives of the people here. It is a very fashion forward country, the fashion industry here is a growing business, and the designers here are so very talented as well as many of the local brands.

I titled this piece "Pretty Collaboration" and you can own this design on a vintage tee.  

Q.  What materials do you use in your art?

A.  In terms of graphic designing, I mainly use my macbook, which has all my design softwares such as Adobe In design, Photoshop and Illustrator installed in it.

Q.  How would you describe your blog?


A.  My blog, for me, is a place where I am able to express my emotions through my photos and art. It is a place where I compile all the things I love like, art, fashion, photography and designing. I would describe it as self-centered, playful, colorful, innovative, and artistic.

Drink your coffee or tea in style. $14.95  

Q.  Why did you decide to donate artwork to The Compassion Fashion Project?


A.  I am really big on service and the idea of giving back to the community. I am glad that I came across this amazing blog that puts together the two things I love: Fashion and service. I decided to donate my artwork to The Compassion Fashion Project for the simple reason that I fully support the issue they are raising.  I believe that by donating my artwork, I feel as if I have help contribute a small something to this cause.

Visit THE Pepper N' Queen's Blog!  

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT HER DESIGN PAGE!