Sunday, May 12, 2013

Central Park Conservatory Garden!



The gem that is the Central Park Conservatory Gardens is a natural place not to miss in this concrete jungle.  My drawing class took the 6 up to 103rd St. and enjoyed a perfect afternoon drawing in the gardens.  

Just a reminder not to miss the natural beauty that surrounds us.  Spend time outside and soak in the good vibes of spring!

Enjoy,
Margo

p.s. Happy Mothers Day, Hope to visit here with you soon Mom! xxx

Some flowers I drew...

Trying to capture the color!


Incredible arches will soon be covered
in purple hanging blooms!

Let the sun shine!

Serenity

Pops of Pink!


Class Crit!

Do we have to leave?!

Me jumping for joy at the end of our visit!

Until next time...

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Ideas City: A New Perspective

Telidoscope I made at IDEAS CITY!

The biennial IDEAS CITY Street Fest took place surrounding the New Museum in Soho yesterday.  I visited it completely unaware of the wealth of creativity and innovation I was stepping into.  From a The Sketchbook Library, to the Pool project set for the Hudson River, to the stunning 'elements of nature' costumes that whirled by, I left completely inspired.  The Street fest to me was like a teleidoscope (a kaleidoscope without the beads, the world around creates the beautiful patterns) it provided me with a renewed perspective and creative view on our city. (I even got to make my own teleidoscope at the Play Forum for Play City, an organization that tries to make daily life in the city more fun!) 


IDEAS CITY, founded by the New Museum in 2012, is a NYC festival of conferences, workshops and an incredible street fest that features over 100 organizations, projects and public events.  The idea behind the festival is that arts and culture are crucial to the growth of cities, making them better to inhabit and enjoy.  I only attended the Street Fest, but the exchange of ideas, proposals of projects and creative organizations blew me away.

Enjoy a taste of the Street Fest below, and DON'T MIS Ideas City next time around!

Continue to create, 
Margo Isadora

The Sketchbook Project:
A traveling library of Artist's Sketchbooks! Based in Brooklyn and travels around the country.  I purchased a sketchbook that I plan to fill and contribute this summer.  Love the idea to connect people from across the country through sketchbooks!



Fabric Artist, Amanda Bower's "Triangle Eyes"

Inside the booth with Amanda Bower's piece was a collection of "Instruments" This purple queen had wire hair that when brushed made music!

LES Girls club giving away seed bombs, to help regrow the shore destroyed from Sandy. 

Shoe Artist, selling his shoes and classes to learn how!

Lots of delicious food booths!

I screen printed a bag!

Love Yourself Campaign:
Wrote something you loved about yourself and folded it into an origami heart!

AWESOME glasses in a store on the festival streets!


Plastic Bag Mandala, being created there! Plastic bags pulled through fabric. Too cool

Incredible + shaped pool, proposed to be build floating on the river off of Brooklyn to filter water into the pool and start to clean the river water.  Read more about the pool that will allow New Yorkers to swim in the river for the first time in 100 years HERE!

What do you want in your city?!

Rachel and I enjoying the Street Fest!

PLAY and DIY Teleidoscopes!

The Elements of Nature walking down the Street!

Reclaimed Army Parachutes to collect water in Africa. 

Their daughters ran the demonstration and had beautiful orange parachute skirts!

Nature's by again!

Returned home with new views, knowledge and a wealth of information to become involved in and inspired by these innovative organizations!

Find inspiring groups in your area that make your city a better place to live, work, and play!


Monday, April 29, 2013

Tennessee Williams' Cat on A Hot Tin Roof

Poster Design by Jana Kotysan

Essex Street Academy's production of Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof was certainly a labor of love for both the actors at ESA (a public high school on the Lower East Side) and for a class of Parsons designers. 

I worked with about 10 others on the sets and props for the play. We started by learning to build set models at Professor John Jerard's Brooklyn studio.  Soon enough we were in the studio for our 6 hour class periods and Sundays building the sets! Mary, at Jerard Studios, taught us a variety of paint magic to transform our primarily cardboard sets into pieces of 'wooden' furniture, 'draped' curtains, and so forth.  We were very lucky to have the expertise of Jerard's Broadway set studio.  Finishing touches took place at Essex Street Academy on the Lower East Side, before the play goes on this week!

Workspace in the studio!
Learn more about our project and WATCH a great video on our Kickstarter page here! All donations are greatly appreciated and go towards helping the young and incredible theatre department at ESA!  

Come see ESA's Production of Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof on Wednesday, May 1st at 6:15pm at The Little Theatre (5 W 63rd St) or Thursday, May 2nd-Friday, May 3rd at 6:15pm at Essex Street Academy (350 Grand St).  It is sure to be a wonderful performance from these passionate, talented actors, and it should be fun to see our work up on the stage!

Enjoy, 
Margo Isadora

Ferry out to Jerard's Brooklyn Studio!

The set model that I worked on.

Cardboard creations... After much drawing, measuring, cutting, and gluing they are ready for paint!  

Cardboard French Doors
Charcoal Sketches

Window support in progress...

'Icing' our cake!

Finishing touches on the door supports

Most of the team! We finished in the studio :)

Bye Red Hook, Brooklyn! 

Painted and Moved to ESA!

ESA Finishing Touches!

The bed!


Get a taste of our project here on the Kickstarter page!
Makeup and Hair on Opening Night!

The incredible Director, Jackson!

The Talented Actors!