2012 News

Finally the Lowbrow Tarot Cards art book is released, the actual deck is on top.  over 20 amazing contemporary artists.  My card was "The Star".  To order or for more details visit: http://www.lowbrowtarot.com/

1 of only 3 pieces I've ever painted on wood panels.  For the "Hello Kitty Hello Art!" Sanrio character inspired exhibition, 16x20" medium: watercolor and acrylic, contact juanita@rrockenterprises.com, or roger@rrockenterprises.com for availability. 

part of the "POP! 2.0" show, visit http://www.ltdartgallery.com/category/originals for availability.

7x7"  medium: watercolor and acrylic ink.

a piece for "Cabinet of Curiosity" show, visit http://www.gallerynucleus.com/detail/14632#.UMv7HY5ebR4 for availability.

6x8" medium: watercolor and acrylic ink.

Simple work process, Cover of Zenescope Comics new series "Wonderland" issue 2.

The Mint Condition show opens in L|td Gallery (Seattle, WA) this friday~!

it's a great show with a killer roster of artists participating, check it out:

http://www.ltdartgallery.com/category/current-exhibition

I painted Batwoman:

Early shipment of SOFT CANDY is arriving this week!

look for them in selected book stores and galleries!

direct order email dshinya@gmail.com

direct orders include the limited edition book plates shown below (available until run out)

 they will be shipped out/availabe for pick up in late April.  I have limited copies here so get your early~!

  

This Valentine's Day

come enjoy some sweet candies for your eyes~

SOFT CANDY book signing at La Luz de Jesus Gallery, LA

 Attendees will receive this signed&dated Limited Edition book-plate for free.

until they run out~ 

Original drawings from the book are available now at La Luz de Jesus Gallery

(will be exhibiting for a week, starting Feb 14th)

peek into the pages of

SOFT CANDY - The Girls of Danni Shinya Luo

Hardcover, March, 2012

Alice in Wonderland Kawaii Printable Playset

This is such a wonderful playset. I don't know what I like best, Alice growing out of Rabbit's house, the caterpillar and mushroom or maybe the tiny dining set with the cupcake spread. All your favorites are here! Alice, the Mad Hatter, Caterpillar and even the grumpy Queen of Hearts. Now you can play out all of Alice's adventures with this kawaii inspired paper playset! I bet Alice never thought she would stumble upon a delicious cupcake tea party in her exciting journey through Wonderland. 

Fantastic Toys printables are now available immediately after purchase. That's right, no more waiting for a PDF to emailed to you. If you purchase a printable from my new online shop the link to download will be sent right after payment is made. How nifty is that! Just think you can start making right away and playing isn't far behind.

~ Alice ~

Over the years I've revisited the the story of Alice in Wonderland and have done my best to capture the spirit of the book in my artistic style at the time. Here is an interesting look at how my style has changed the past 15 years. With each period I have learned something new and evolved as an artist.

I created this depiction of the "Mad Tea Party" at the time I was making miniature dolls. My intention was to pay homage to Tenniel's original illustrations. I made this set around 2005. I wasn't doing much illustration at the time, my focus was on sculpting. The clothing is hand sewn by me.

In the 90's I was into the Tim Burton style. My style was a bit darker and more frenetic. This is a mixed media illustration I did in water color, ink and color pencil.

Shortly after I created the illustration above I made these working marionettes out of polymer clay. I checked out a vintage book from the library and learned how to make marionettes. I couldn't even sew at the time. A friend made the clothing for me. I have since taught myself how to sew.

Finally in my current kawaii style I have combined my illustration and sculpting skills to make this vibrant depiction of Alice and the characters she meets in Wonderland. I have gone back to my original illustration roots when my drawings were sweet and simple. More details of this playset will be revealed in a few days.

Fantastic Toys Brand New Website!!!

I'm over the moon with my much improved website! I fell instantly in love with Goodsie! The name - so cute! The format so simple, clean and modern. Goodsie allows you to make your own branded shop online. Plus, the fact that it accepts digital content with instant downloads, I was head over heels. Goodsies integration with Fetch allows me to send my PDF printables immediately upon purchase. No more waiting for printables! I have been waiting years for this. Finally a professional website with a cart! I can't recommend Goodsie enough. Here are some of the benefits of having a shop with Goodsie.

� Fun and easy to use!
� Create your OWN custom website.
� Use your own custom domain.
� Great price with unlimited products. $15.00 only!
� Accepts digital downloads including PDFs.
� Embed portfolio or videos.
� Paypal and 3 other ways for your customer to pay.
� A shop on your Facebook page!
� Great customer service!!!

I was also able to combine my blog seamlessly with my shop. My blog as you may know has cute crafty tutorials. In a mad dash to find storage for my free PDFs I discovered Google Docs. My tutorial documents can now be previewed before printing. How convenient is that!

In addition to shopping at my website, Goodsie has a Facebook app. That's right an app that allows the customer to shop directly on my Facebook page. How cool is that!

Walker Art Center Shop!!!

I have to say I was beyond thrilled and a little emotional when I was invited to sell my toys at the Walker Art Center Shop. It had been a goal for me for to have my work there and now my fawns will be available in the gift shop starting November 17. 

As part of a collaboration with mnartists.org a handful of local artists were selected to sell there art at the Walker Shop and website shop. Mnartists.marketplace will be an ongoing event and I'm proud to be part of the launch for this curated series.

I love the direction the Walker is taking and accepting the local handmade community into the world of fine art. As someone who likes to browse gift shops, the Walker Shop is one of my favorites!

Amazing Works of Art!

Artist Devorah Sperber has the ability to take common craft objects such as thread spools and pipe cleaners and turn them into works of art fit for galleries. Check out her website to see her take on The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa made with thousands of thread spools. Its no surprise that some of her work is funded by Coats and Clark.

You may need to step back from your computer screen or squint your eyes for this iconic image made with pipe cleaners to come into focus.

New Etsy Mini Shop Now Open!

I'm happy to announce Fantastic Miniatures is now open. The shop features handcrafted 1:12 scale miniature animal dolls. Heres  a couple of my favorite photos of the dolls available.

Giraffe Family Portrait

Meet the Giraffe Family. Mr. Giraffe is an inventor/artist who rides a penny farthing to his office. Mrs. Giraffe loves her husband and adores her son. Their son takes after his father and likes to tag along and help him with his inventions.

Before Fantastic Toys is what it is today I used to make 1/12 scale miniature animal dolls. I imagined a world with fanciful dressed animals who would gather in a formal garden to relax, be entertained, play and socialize about the days events. After much delay I'm finally up to the task of taking new photos and start listing the dolls in a NEW Etsy shop. Stay tuned for upcoming details.

Digs Studio ~ Best craft shop in town!

I love Digs Studio! Combine a little bit of Minneapolis shops Crafty Planet and I like You with the interior design aesthetic of Hunt and Gather and you have the best craft + handmade + gift shop in South Minneapolis. Located at the corner of 38th and Grand this independent craft studio has loads of charm and personality reminiscent of an ol' timey trim & notions shop from a bygone era. Wander around the shop to find handmade goodies made by local artists as well as unique crafting supplies. Everything from cards, fabric, buttons and yarn can be found attractively displayed among the vintage decor. Its great to have a shop like this in the area and I can't wait to see how it grows in the community. Support handmade and your local Mom and Pop shops, check it out when you're in the area. Sugar, sugar an independent candy shop is located right across the street to entice you even more to visit.

Fellow Minnesota toymaker Tara LaChance (aka little BIG pants) soft toys are some of the handmade goodies that can be found at Digs.

New Craft Book ~ Kids Crafternoon Felting

This was a great side project I did last winter. I was asked to create a tutorial in a felting craft book. Its part of series of craft books called Kids Crafternoon published in Australia. My assignment was to construct a money bank out of a mailing tube. Hmmm, well it seemed like a challenge until I decided to take advantage of the shape and make a cute wiener dog. His doggy coat is easily removed to reveal a hidden money slot to save your coins for a rainy day. 

I'm very pleased with the way the book turned out and glad to be a part of it. The editor was a dream to work with! The colorful and beautifully photographed book features 25 felt projects for a crafty afternoon. Robots, ipod animals, zombie critters and of course the dachshund money bank I designed are just a few of the items featured. Check it out!