juliakuo.com

Info

noreply@blogger.com (julia) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:14:00 +0000

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http://juliakuo.com/sitefeed/atom.xml

About:

I grew up in Chatsworth, California. After studying illustration and marketing at Washington University in St. Louis, I took a job at American Greetings designing funny greeting cards. On nights and weekends, I illustrate children's books, album covers, editorial stories, and do craft and gallery shows inbetween. Aside from work, you can find me somewhere around Shaker Heights, OH (probably eating something delicious).

News

11.25.09
There are a few new illustrations up... iphones in storybooks and yin yangs of friend-couples.
I'm getting ready to travel to AUSTRALIA..then LA..and finally TAIWAN for a few months! That's December through the end of March, to be exact. Please EMAIL me at buding @ gmail.com if you'd like to contact me - it will be the best (and probably fastest) way to reach me. And don't forget to go the Multiversal group show ART BASEL MIAMI! Happy holidays, everyone! =)

Some paintings in progress

11.8.09
A flyer I made for friends...
my life is centered around eating.

11.8.09
Thanks to Steve, Mike Burnett, Shoparooni and Bigshot Toyworks for a great Natural Resources Show!

Please contact myself or shoparooni if you're interested in the little birdie.

Photos by Bigshot Toyworks

11.3.09

"Helloo!!"

There's SO much going on all at the same time!

Islands Show at Vine and Bean Cafe, Cleveland - only up until 11/6! This was a group show for Emily Gross, Claire Mojher, and myself. I'll post my images once the show is down.

Emily, Claire and I at the closing party. Thanks to all of our friends who came out and made it a great night!

Natural Resources Show, Cleveland 11/6 - 12/5. See a press release on Drawn! I'll be attending this opening, so come and say hi!

Multiversal Group Show at Art Basel, Miami 12/3-12/6. I am so incredibly excited to be a part of Art Basel this year - thanks to Steve Brown! However, I won't be able to make it to the opening. If you live in Miami, please stop by and send me a photo =)

10.13.09
I just finished an assignment for Worldwide Challenge, a magazine by Campus Crusade for Christ. The issue comes out in January, but here's a peek at one of the illustrations!

AD: Jarod Sutphin, Journey Group

10.07.09
I just found this write-up in AltOhio about my summer show Here and Now, curated by Steve Brown!

...On the other side of the store, the girl side, are the Pop-y silk screen-like works of Julia Kuo. Kuo describes these paintings as “decorative” although, says she prefers to keep her own walls bare for fear of becoming bored with the same image everyday. Originally from Chatsworth, California, Kuo is now a Cleveland-based artist. Her work has been featured in the New York Times and she has provided the playful child-like album cover art for “Among the Oak and Ash” and “Elizabeth and the Catapult.” The three paintings featured, “Striped,” “Splattered,” and “Spotted,” work together as a series of texture echoed in the female figure’s hair. (Her figures seem autobiographical, a tiny dark-haired woman, Kuo rarely paints blonds.) In “Striped” a dark haired woman pulls at her long straight hair, which seems to be strung across the canvas, while in the drippy haired “Splattered” the hair is wet and splashed on, while finally in “Spotted” the dark hair is puffed to echo the polka dots that float above.

8.15.09
I've updated with some new work from this summer, so take a look! Just to start off... I got a write-up in an Australian women's lifestyle publication, Madison Magazine. They advertise a print I have online at a great site for prints i vote for art (Hi Ben!)

A picture from this summer: Mom and I on a beach in Poland..I believe we are in Sopot. Don't we look alike? =)

Theresa and I.

6.23.09
I've posted images from my upcoming show at the Clothing Brigade! I've never worked so far in advance before but I'll only be in Cleveland for a few days this month (weddings, Lecture Week at Ringing's Illustration Academy, cruise in northern Europe) .. it'll be good to have some real time off!

6.16.09
Among the Oak and Ash album cover out on iTunes! Click here to see more.

5.26.09 New sketches from a trip to Toronto and a recent Dr.Sketchy's at Carol and John's comic bookshop =)

5.5.09
My first cd album cover is out on iTunes! Buy it now!

4.29.09
A couple things..
My cats illustration has also been chosen for American Illustration 28!

Emily Gross and I have a show up in the AG creative gallery from 4/29 to 5/8. Check out the works for sale!

(Painting hard for the show!)

4.14.09
My cats illustration has made it into CMYK magazine #44, out on newstands in June!

(11/29) The Enlighten Foundation

noreply@blogger.com (julia) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:48:00 +0000

Ongoing children's books for The Enlighten Foundation. Each book has 4 to 5 vignettes - here are some samples!

sketches for book 2

9.5x14" acrylic on wood

digital sketch

little creatures to accompany the page numbers!

creature sketches

the title.

(11/25) New York Times

noreply@blogger.com (julia) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 05:48:00 +0000

Practical Traveler
Art directed by Rodrigo Honeywell

Apps for the iPhone: A Traveler’s Companion, Pocket Size
11/29/09
5.5x8" gouache + digital media
read the article here

The Soaring Cost of Car Rentals
6/28/09
7.6x6.6" digital media
read the article here

3/29/09
6.7x6" digital media

2/8/09
Spas Stress Stress
4.5x9" digital media

12/28/08
Low Cost Options on High End Tours
12x17" acrylic on wood

8/31/08
Gasless Vacations
7.5x11" acrylic on wood
Sold

7/13/2008
Frequent Flier Programs
6.7x4" acrylic on wood

4/20/08
Even a Weak Dollar Can Be Stretched
6.7x4", acrylic on wood

3/16/08
In-Flight Emergencies
4.2x6", acrylic on wood

(11/16) East West Magazine

noreply@blogger.com (julia) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:35:00 +0000

East West Magazine
Art directed by Anita Malik

Domestic Bliss
Traditional gender roles that used to once distinguish men and women in the home are being exchanged for more egalitarian relationships.
12/8/09
8x8" digital media

(11/10) Toys

noreply@blogger.com (julia) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:56:00 +0000

For the Natural Resources Show by Steve Brown and Bigshot Toyworks
Write up for the show on Drawn!

My contribution to the Midwest Plushform Show.
www.plushform.com
Sold

A sort-of chinchilla.
Property of AG

(11/9) Sketchbook

noreply@blogger.com (julia) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:13:00 +0000

To sum it all up, I like to draw pictures of cute / pretty things, patterns and repetition, and fooood.

(11/9) Greeting cards

noreply@blogger.com (julia) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:05:00 +0000

American Greetings cards - music and paper & ink. Property of AG

(the astronaut pops out pages 2 and 3)

(11/3) Characters

noreply@blogger.com (julia) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:36:00 +0000

just for fun.

Inner tube friends!"
5x7" prints in white frames

The following images are property of AG

Phyllis & Dan

noreply@blogger.com (julia) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 12:30:00 +0000

Wedding invitations for Phyllis and Dan's gorgeous wedding. This was a very ideal and seamless illustrator and graphic designer collaboration. Phyllis played the part of talented graphic designer + wedding planner extraordinaire + beautiful bride .. you can see some of the evidence below!

The raw images:

Letterpressed navy and red ink

My favorite part - blind embossed cloud pattern behind the copy and design. I've left out the embossing behind the balloons and figures.

The envelope design, also screened in navy ink

Photos! (courtesy of miss phyllis)

Photo by Sarah K Chen

Here and Now

noreply@blogger.com (julia) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 14:10:00 +0000

These pieces will be part of a group show at the "Here and Now" show in Cleveland on July 18! The show is curated by the awesome Steve Brown (Steve Brown Gallery) and includes Claire Mojher (OH), Stenvik Mostrom (GA), Scott Radke (OH), and Sidney Lo (CA).

Clothing Brigade
1785 Coventry Rd
Cleveland Heights OH 44118
216.932.0700

Each piece is about 16x24", acrylic on masonite, framed.
Prices to be posted 7/18 (email me at buding@gmail.com for inquiries)

Among the Oak and Ash

noreply@blogger.com (julia) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:22:00 +0000

Art Director: Hollis King

10"x10" gouache on paper

Final sketch

This design will be printed on an American Apparel v-neck shirt.. Thank you Josh and Cherie for making this work!

4x4" sticker

My sketchbook!

Super Fly

noreply@blogger.com (julia) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:17:00 +0000

From part of my show at the AG creative gallery, 4/27 - 5/8 These portraits use direct reference from street fashion blog posts. The subjects are random people in their everyday clothes who happened to catch someone's eye that day. This might seem to be a turn from my normal subject matter, but I actually spent all of high school drawing beautiful people from magazines, make-up books, catalogs, or anywhere I could find them. Lately an obsession with cool things has distracted me from the typical cute, so maybe that will explain something =) Each is acrylic painted on a 4x6" panel, $50 each. Please contact me at buding@gmail.com if you are interested!
SOLD (both panels)

SOLD (right image)

SOLD (right image)

SOLD (left image)

SOLD (left image)

SOLD (left image)

SOLD

Elizabeth & the Catapult

noreply@blogger.com (julia) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 17:49:00 +0000

The cover for Elizabeth & the Catapult's latest cd album, Taller Children - out May 5th! Available in CD and LP.
This band is crazy talented - give them a listen.
(I'll post images of the rest of the cd package when I get my hands on one!)

Art Director: Hollis King

Brett Band

noreply@blogger.com (julia) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:24:00 +0000

Brett Band for Kids debut album cover!
Seriously one of the nicest guys ever
Acrylic on paper, 9x9"

Sketches

Migrate

noreply@blogger.com (julia) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 19:56:00 +0000

For Migrate magazine
This issue's theme: "Ego"

"The Little Fish Who Was Too Full Of Air""
23x15" Digital media

Other paintings

noreply@blogger.com (julia) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 15:06:00 +0000

A collection of all the things I've been doing in my spare time.
Email me for comments or inquiries!

Cats

noreply@blogger.com (julia) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:22:00 +0000

So many cats, so much yarn
23x12" digital media
Merit winner in Creative Quarterly no.15's Professional Illustration!
Illustration winner in CMYK 44!
Chosen for American Illustration 28!

Renegade

noreply@blogger.com (julia) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:42:00 +0000

Chicago holiday craft fair 12/2008

Acrylic painted on a 4.5x5x5" wooden box shelf.
Sold

Brass Life
Acrylic painted on a 4.5x5x5" wooden box shelf.
Sold

The Living Room
Acrylic painted on a 4.5x5x5" wooden box shelf.
Sold

Acrylic painted on a 4.5x5x5" wooden box shelf.
Sold

Peaches and Imps
Acrylic painted on a 4.5x5x5" wooden box shelf.
Sold

Encouragement
Acrylic painted on a 4.5x5x5" wooden box shelf.

The Polka
Acrylic painted on a 4.5x5x5" wooden box shelf.
Sold

Acrylic painted on a 4.5x5x5" wooden box shelf.

Ornaments

noreply@blogger.com (julia) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:25:00 +0000

Also for Renegade craft fair!

All Hands on Deck

noreply@blogger.com (julia) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:17:00 +0000

A skate deck show in the American Greetings gallery.
photo gallery
show blog
American Greetings press release
Sold

Everyone Eats!

noreply@blogger.com (julia) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 21:17:00 +0000

Tiny paintings made for a craft show
Various sizes, acrylic on wood
All sold out!

Balloon Friends

noreply@blogger.com (julia) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:54:00 +0000

Small prints originally made for a craft show, now selling online at Shoparooni!
Each one is 2x3.25" (digital media) and comes in a small wooden frame.

Italo Calvino

noreply@blogger.com (julia) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:50:00 +0000

Illustrations based on Italo Calvino's book, Marcovaldo
Student Work

The Passers By
16x14.25", acrylic on masonite
Sold
Merit winner in Creative Quarterly no.9's Illustration category!
Illustration winner in CMYK 39!
Prints available here

Soap bubbles
8x14", acrylic on masonite
Illustration winner in CMYK 39!
Sold

Santas
16x14.25", acrylic on masonite
Illustration winner in CMYK 39!
Sold

Where the Water Is More Blue
16x14.25", acrylic on masonite
Sold

A Saturday of Sun, Sand, and Sleep
16x14.25", acrylic on masonite

The Municipal Pigeon
16x9.5", acrylic on wood

Park Bench Vacation
16x9.5", acrylic on wood
Sold

Smokestacks
16x14.25", acrylic on masonite

Mushrooms in the City
16x2.5", acrylic on masonite
Prints available here

Bumbletea

noreply@blogger.com (julia) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:38:00 +0000

Packaging design for tea, 2005
Student work

Tea is packaged in small round pouches instead of traditional flat squares. These balls are then wrapped in paper-like flower buds, which are displayed in a hexagonal support system. The package itself is a hexagon, and resembles a bee hive when stacked together.

The protective paper wrapping is a closed flower bud until unwrapped, when it "blooms" into its flower shape.

A small bee sticker makes sure that the tea pouch string can hang over the side of your cup. The string is dotted, just like a bee-line.

A cover sketch.

Light and pleasant copy ideas for the different tea flavors.

Animation

noreply@blogger.com (julia) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:17:00 +0000

When sheep attack.
(a sketch)