Artist of the Week:

I know I haven't done one of these in a while, but I'm excited to present to you all this month's Artist of the Week! He's a local and internationally exhibited printmaking artist, a teacher, and an overall awesome dude! 

I present to you all...

Josh Norton

I met Josh about two years ago after taking a ceramics class at The Union for Contemporary Art, here in Omaha. I had barely moved to Omaha and was trying to find ways to get more involved in the community and expand my artistic abilities. I found The Union for Contemporary Art online and fell in love with the organization's mission statement and what it stood for which is, "to strengthen and provide a creative space for local artists in the community". Josh had been working on several printmaking projects at the center and had mentioned to me that he taught screen printing 101 workshops for anyone who was interested. Since that time, I've had the chance to attend several of his screen printing 101 classes and have gotten to know him more! Check out our interview below, enjoy!


Fatima: When did you first get into printmaking?
Josh Norton: Originally, I was interested in learning to screen print so I could print posters for a band I was in. This was 1995/96. I started taking it seriously a few years later. 

F: Who or what inspired you?
JN: Music, record cover art, and comics were what made me want to be an artist. From there, it was the late 60's, San Francisco poster artists [like] Victor Moscoso, Rick Griffin, etc. and pop artists like Jasper Johns. In college, I was exposed to German Expressionism, the Vienna Secessionists, whose work I really got into.

F: How old were you when you designed your first print series?
JN: Wow, no idea! Probably early 20's?  

F: What types of materials do you like working with (wood, paper, canvases, etc.)?
JN: I have pretty diverse creative habits. I love working with gouache [and] I love drawing. Of course, I love printing on paper too. I also love to build things.

F: Did you go to school or did you learn on your own?
JN: [I received my] BFA from the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, Wisconsin and [an] MFA from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 

F: I have seen some of your artwork displayed around town and I gotta say I love the creativity behind each one. Tell me more about your characters. Is there a theme behind each piece?
JN: I think you're referring to my Cryptoserigraphy series, which is a collection of 'evidence' that could be used to prove that monsters are real, but has been rejected by science. Inspired by those fake documentary style 'reality' shows that claim to prove the existence of mermaids, sasquatch, and UFOs, my Cryptoserigraphy work is clearly faked, but exhibited as real. (Complete with scientific exhibition tags).

F: What is the difference between printmaking and screen printing?
JN: Printmaking is an umbrella term that could refer to making woodcuts, linocuts, collagraphs, etchings, screen prints, lithographs, etc. Printmaking could also be used as a distinction between a 'Fine Art' and a screen printed T-shirt. Personally, I think it's best to ignore those distinctions. 

F: Seeing how screen printing has become a popular art medium nowadays, how do you distinguish yourself from other artists? 
JN: A personal style is something that is developed over time and results from making a lot of work. What's imperative is honesty and effortlessness. I don't make work thinking "I've got to make this in-the-style-of Joshua Norton". I just make the work I make. And after many years and a gazillion prints later, my work just looks like my work. 

F: Are there any projects or collaborations that you are working on at the moment?
JN: Always! Nothing I can be too specific about yet.

F: Where can people follow you?
JN: My website, JoshuaNorton.net. I am always posting new stuff on  Instagram, @jnortonprints

F: What are some words of wisdom you can give to those who are interested in becoming successful artists?
JN: Whatever your definition of success is, I think a true artist works hard and enjoys what they're doing.

Thanks Josh for letting me interview you, I appreciate it! If you're in the area and are interested in taking screen printing, photography, or ceramic workshops I highly encourage you to check out the UNION. They have a monthly event calendar with workshop times and dates! Workshops are free for Co-Op members and $10 for non-members! For more information on how you can participate visit their website: http://www.u-ca.org/the-co-op/.

Follow Josh on social media!
Website: http://www.joshuanorton.net/
Instagram: @jnortonprints
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/woodcutposters


*Top photo courtesy of The Union for Contemporary Art


Express Yourself!!

From LA, With Luv
Fati <3

Stylish Sundays (A Monday Re-cap)

Hello friends! I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend! I finally had the chance to watch the new Star Wars: The Force awakens. It was a really great movie! I liked the fact that they brought out some of the old Star Wars characters like Chewbacca and Han Solo and they introduced Rey, who is played by Daisy Ridley as the new female Jedi (in the making). She was pretty badass!

Some of the style trends that stood out to me throughout the movie were: knee high boots, brown satchel or messenger bags, infinity scarves and bomber jackets which were mainly worn by the rebel alliance. Seeing how I was inspired by all this, I put together my own rebel outfit!

I had bought this pink moto jacket with faux leather sleeves from H&M not too long ago and thought it went well with the look I was going for which was, rebel chic! I don't own a lot of pink items but this is one of my favorites. The material is pretty sturdy and fits really well. I added a pair of black jeans to give it that consistency in color and completed the outfit with a pair of knee high boots from Ann Taylor, that was given to me for Christmas. It's a simple look that you can wear anywhere!

Check out the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens, in theaters near you! :)

May The Force Be With You!

*(Star Wars image courtesy of Google)


From LA, With Luv
Fati <3

Happy Travels!!

The New Year means setting new goals, trying new things, and discovering new ways to experience life to the fullest. The other day one of my co-workers had asked me what my New Year's resolution was. I didn't know how to answer that question since there is always something that I want to accomplish. But then I told her that one of my resolutions for this year is to travel more and get to know more about the Midwest. I've been living in Omaha, Nebraska for about 3 years now and there are places that I have not had the chance to visit. But luckily, road trips are always a fun option for a weekend get-away! 

One of the things I love about road trips is being able to see the changes in scenery. Like when you're leaving Omaha for example, you go from city-scape to rural real quick. There are a bunch of farms, ongoing corn fields, random cows roaming around, and at times you get those random billboards promoting adult stores that makes you wonder why the heck they have them in the middle of know where. Beats me. 

Road trips are also an opportunity for me to take pictures and capture moments because who knows when I'll be back. With that said, here are a few highlights from a trip my boyfriend and I took before the New Year:

One of the places my boyfriend and I visited during our road trip was to St. Louis, Missouri. My boyfriend seemed pretty excited to show me around since he travels there for work sometimes. Although we didn't get to walk around St. Louis as much due to time, we did get to pass by Gateway Arch which is located in the Downtown area. Gateway Arch is about 630-feet tall and is known as the tallest man-made national monument in the United States. From what I've read online, you're able to take a trip to the top of the arch and experience an unforgettable view of the city and of the Mississippi River. I wasn't able to get a closer look of the arch due to all of the construction going on but it was still an amazing sight to see! 

As much as we wanted to stay in St. Louis, we filled up the tank and we were back on the road to our next stop...

4.5 hours later we had finally arrived in Nashville, Tennessee. All that driving made us both really hungry so we searched on Yelp to find what was close to us. My boyfriend's cousin had recommended us to try The Loveless Cafe. 

We were a bit confused as to where the cafe was located since there were three buildings on the same area. As we walked to the middle of the parking lot, we found the cafe! It was inside a white-colored country home that had a neon sign brightly lit with the words "OPEN". As we entered I was amazed by all of the photographs that hung on the wall of famous country singers and Hollywood actor/actresses. They also had a cute fireplace that had stockings hung from atop. There were so many things to look at that by the time the waitress came by, I hadn't taken pictures!

As the waitress walked us to our seats, I felt the biggest smile on my face because the cafe was so cool. The walls had colorful art pieces hung, the place mats had a crossword puzzle and a snippet about the Loveless Cafe, and even the bathrooms had a touch of retro style to them. As our waitress came by to take our order we each decided to try the sweet tea and their fried chicken salad. As she was about to enter our order she asked if we wanted to try their famous home made biscuits. My boyfriend and I looked at each other and said "Yes!". 

Once the waitress came back with our food all I could say was, Oh My Gosh!!! The food here is amazing! The sweet tea was not too sweet or bitter, the fried chicken salad was a mouthful of heaven, and the biscuits...the biscuits were phenomenal. (No exaggeration here). My boyfriend and I were both surprised at how good it was! As soon as our to-go boxes came and we paid the bill, we thanked the waitress for her recommendation and continued our adventure, with full stomachs. If you're traveling to Nashville I highly suggest checking out The Loveless Cafe! You won't regret it!

As soon as we left the cafe, my boyfriend asked me what I wanted to do. I told him I wanted to walk around Broadway Street because that was where all the country bars were. I'm not  big into country music but it would be fun to see what it was all about!  

As we reached Broadway Street, we were stunned to see how lively this place was. Every bar had a band or two performing. We didn't think there were many people in the bar because from the outside it looked empty but once you passed by them you can see people jamming out. There were also street performers singing and dancing as we walked passed them. It was pretty groovy!

We even found the Johnny Cash Museum which I was super excited about!!

Our time in Nashville was a great success! Even though we only saw a small portion of the city, we really enjoyed what we saw. I love how everything is influenced by history and music. Good times in Music City! 

As soon as we arrived to the car, my boyfriend entered the address to our final destination and we were back on the road. 3.5 hours later we arrived in Atlanta, Georgia! Yay!

As we entered Atlanta, we began to see tall skyscrapers and buildings emerging. A sudden feeling of nostalgia hit, as they passed. It reminded me of when I was back home in Los Angeles and how my mom used to drive my younger brother, sister, and I through the city to get to my grandma's house. I would just stare up from my window; looking and trying to figure out how high the buildings are. It was a feeling of happiness and awe. 

Our first stop was to the magical World of Coca Cola, located in Permberton Place, in Downtown Atlanta. There were so many people standing and walking around taking pictures! Since the line to enter was huge we decided to walk through the Cola-Cola gift shop instead. 

As we walked to the entrance, we spotted this giant Santa Claus ornament. It reminded me of the holiday Coca-Cola commercials where they have the Santa Claus or the polar bear take a sip of a refreshing bottle of coke. It was definitely a Kodak moment!

As soon as we walked in, we saw people left and right searching and buying unique Coca-Cola logo items. There were these giant plastic bottles that you can use as a piggy bank, they had oven mitts, retro inspired bags, baseball caps, and so much more. 

There were so any things that I wanted get, it was too hard to choose. I ended up buying some retro Coca Cola postcards, a pair of earrings, and a Coca Cola athletic jersey for my brother. (Shhh it's a secret! :)) One of the funny things that I saw was that whenever someone added a mystery bag to their order, the employees rang a bell and cheered for them. We had a really great time!

At the end of that adventure, we decided to explore more of Permberton Place and see what else we could find. Right across the street from where we were was Centennial Olympic Park: Home to the 1996 summer Olympic games, in Atlanta. This 21 acre-park is known for it's legacy for hosting this historic event, and for revitalizing residential and commercial development in Atlanta. I was just amazed at how beautiful this park is and how much history it has just by looking at the engraved bricks on the walkway. 

After a long day of walking around and exploring, it was time to have dinner. My boyfriend contacted his cousin who lives in Georgia and he suggested that we try a popular burger joint in town called, The Vortex. The name sounded pretty intense but we gave it a go! 

The Vortex is located in a neighborhood called the Little Five Points, which is about 10-15 minutes from Downtown. We definitely had no trouble finding the place, as you can see! The Vortex is known to have the "Best Burgers" and is ranked as "One of the Top 50 Restaurants Atlanta." My boyfriend's cousin suggested that we read the history and rules which were located behind the menu. The "Idiot-Free Zone" made me laugh. They sure got jokes! There were so many things that were unique about the place like the decorations which (a mix of antiques and other things), the giant motorcycle that was hung above the bar area, the mini medicine shot cups, and of course the delicious food! Since there's a bar, you have to 21 years old or older, to enter. 

As we slowly finished our final bites of yummy goodness we decided to go for a walk and see the last bits before the long voyage back. What I loved about Little Five Points was that it brought out the artistic culture. It had a variety of local vintage shops, boutiques, coffee and record shops, and a mini hang out spot for street performers. It was great way to end an adventure-filled day.

As we started to head back, I pulled out my camera and skimmed through all the pictures I took. It reminded me of how awesome it was to be able to plan a road trip with my boyfriend and be able to visit places that we've never been. This trip was filled with lots of sight-seeing, picture taking and delicious food, and was a weekend filled with happiness and travel adventures! 

Until next time!

From LA, With Luv
Fati <3