#vans girls
Vans Girls Music Crushes: Brianna Collins
Meet the soulful singer and keyboardist of the alternative/punk/indie band Tigers Jaw, Brianna Collins. The second we heard her sultry voice and beautiful piano melodies, we were instantly hooked and had to know more about her. We met up with the Pennsylvania native and roamed the streets of Long Beach, CA in our Old Skools, scoping out vintage thrift finds and rare records while chatting about tour, writing, and her band’s new record.
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SKETCHY BEHAVIORS WITH KIM SIELBECK
With a background in fashion, textile, illustration and printmaking, Honolulu based artist and designer Kim Sielbeck creates colorful, bold, and fun paintings and patterns inspired by lush landscapes in Hawaii. From murals to digital canvases, Kim recently created some our favorite customs as a Vans Custom Culture ambassador, using her signature color palette and designs! Find out more about Kim, what inspires her, and what she has coming up for the rest of the year. Take the leap!
Photography courtesy of the artist.
Could you introduce yourself to everybody?
Hello! My name is Kim Sielbeck. I’m an illustrator living in Honolulu, Hawaii and have been here for about two years. Before that, I was in New York City for almost twelve years. I went to school at the School of Visual Arts. I grew up in a Coast Guard family and lived in Hawai'i as a child- it’s much different being here as a grown up! Fun tidbits: I am a dog person, I was born in Alaska, I once broke my toe in mid-air taking a jumping photo.
How would you describe the art you create? How would you describe your particular technique?
My work is colorful, bold, and fun. Mixing colors and choosing them before I start on a piece is something I love. I limit myself to flat colors–this evolved from focusing on printmaking in school and working as a textile designer for several years. Pattern is important in my work, which also carried over from the textile world.
What are your favorite things to paint? What are your favorite things to paint on?
I’m very inspired by the verdant, lush landscape in Hawai'i- the plants here are unlike any other in the world. I also love painting people relaxing and having fun. A lot of what I paint is a reaction to current events today. I paint the world I want to live in. As far as surfaces- murals are my current favorite! Painting on a giant wall, getting covered in paint, and working in a public space beats working in my usual set-up, which is an iPad or computer.
What’s a typical day in the studio for you like? And what are you currently working on in the studio?
Every day is different. It usually involves a couple hours of combing through emails, finding the right balance of podcasts and music (with some dance breaks), and zoning out while I’m drawing. Currently I’m working on some new personal pieces- I just painted a portrait of my friends Sarah and Danny and their puppy. I’m also working on a few editorial pieces for some magazines!
My studio is very unique- it’s located in the Old Blaisdell Hotel, which was one of the first hotels built in Honolulu. There are lots of other creatives in the building, and it’s nice to take breaks and talk story with them during the day. We all support each other and it’s a great community.
When you’re working developing a new painting or piece, how does it begin - take us from sketchbook, to color choices, to finished painting?
A new painting starts as a tiny thumbnail to get the composition right. Then I’ll start sketching right on the surface (normally wood panel) with a light underpainting. Picking color is something I do very early on- sometimes it informs the composition and the subject matter. I try to limit my palette to 5 or 6 colors per piece. Sometimes, I’ll be ¾ done with a piece and have another color idea- so I’ll have to go back in and repaint entire sections of the painting. It’s all trial and error, and you can always repaint something.
We love the colors and compositions of your works and designs. Can you tell us how you arrived at your color palette and how composition comes into play when you’re creating a piece?
Years of working in the fashion and textile industry has given me a keen sense of color and color combinations. So much of my job as a textile artist was using colors that were popular for each season- we always had trend forecasting books laying around, and would often color or recolor a piece until it was right. We also limited our palettes to what commercial printers could print- usually no more than 8-15 colors per design.
Additionally, color palettes were always the first thing we came up with when starting a design. I still have that approach today and often pick my colors before anything else is completely set in stone.
What tools will someone always find you using at your studio?
I’ve got plenty of tubes of acrylic gouache laying around, lots of different brushes, and lately a lot of leftover house paint from murals. My go-to tools for commercial work include my iPad, desktop, and Wacom tablet. I’m able to leap from painting to digital work- most people can’t tell a difference between the two!
How do you unplug yourself so to speak? What do you do to center or re-focus yourself if you find yourself stressed out about deadlines, art shows, and the sort?
One of the reasons I moved to Hawai'i was to be able to unplug more. Prioritizing things like going outside and being in nature are great ways to step back and put things in perspective. I also make sure to keep a planner so deadlines don’t creep up on me, and hit the gym to work out any lingering stress.
You recently worked as one of our Vans Custom ambassadors! We absolutely love the Vans you created for it. Can you tell us a little bit about the process, your concept, and the response you got?
Thank you! I loved painting the Custom Vans… people always ask me where they can get a pair! My concept was to create one shoe with a tropical print and one with a desert print. They could be used to walk everywhere and anywhere across the globe. The colors I wanted to really pop- you would notice these shoes on someone’s feet!
What do you enjoy about collaborations like this? If you could pick anyone in the world, who would you collaborate with?
I’ve been a fan of Vans since I was a kid and tried to sneak into to the Warped Tour. I had big ambitions of skateboarding and surfing as a kid (I am finally learning how to surf!). The lifestyle, attitude, music, artistic improvisation, and boldness of skate/surf culture has always been magnetic, so working with Vans has been a dream job.
I love collaborating on all sorts of projects–I don’t think I have one specific dream client. I love seeing my work adapted in new ways, like animation. I’d love to paint more murals, and also work on some big-impact projects that can reach more people and bring some color and joy into their lives.
What advice would you give someone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
A career is not something that happens right away- you have to constantly work for it and adapt. I was hoping right out of school I would instantly become a world-famous illustrator… not the case. It took a few years to find my style and voice, and that’s ok. More advice is to always pursue outside interests, and grow as a person. I was in a punk/pop band for several years in NYC (shout out Puppies!), learned how to sail, and traveled a lot. All these things, while not necessarily being art-related, helped influence my work and life.
How did start becoming interested in art and design? When did you find yourself doing it as a career?
Moving around so much as a kid, art was something that was a constant. I could express how I felt, what I was going through, and could make friends doing it. Early in high school, I realized I could maybe do it for a living. My parents sat me down and asked me to come up with a plan for college and beyond, so I had realistic expectations and saw the hard work it would take. A good work ethic, some luck, and many hours of practice helped me push through. When I graduated college in 2009, there weren’t many jobs. I lucked out and got a full-time job at the textile studio, while freelancing on the side. Eventually, 8 years later, the freelancing became stable enough to do illustration full-time.
When you’re not busy creating art, how do you unwind and chill out?
When I’m not in the studio I’m trying to explore new places, go on hikes, go to different beaches, or learn how to surf. At the studio, my brain is on New York speed, but walking outside I switch back to Island Time immediately.
If you weren’t an artist, what do you think you’d be doing instead?
I’d be a guitarist and lead singer, traveling the world in my amazing punk rock girl group.
So we gotta ask what are your FAVORITE Vans?
I have some surf-green high tops I’ve worn for YEARS. I got them in Pasadena one night at an art opening when my sandals snapped in half. The Vans store was miraculously still open, and I ran in and grabbed them in the five minutes I had to spare. They saved my outfit and my night, and they’ve since traveled to London, Italy, Hawai'i, Japan, and beyond.
What’s coming up next for you?
I’m going to Europe in September, for some work and some fun. I’m looking forward to a few bigger projects I can’t talk about yet. I’m also working on some local Hawai'i projects, including working with the Humane Society. A beach towel collaboration with Surfer Towel’s Christie Shinn (who you just interviewed!) just came out, too.
FOLLOW KIM | WEBSITE|INSTAGRAM|TWITTER | BEHANCE
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IN THE STUDIO | RACHEL KATSTALLER
We’re checking out the creative haven of artist Rachel Katstaller who lives and works in a small shared studio space, located in Innsbruck, Austria. With a view of the mountains and lots of natural lights, Rachel not only finds inspiration in her surroundings, but also in the things she keeps in her studio! Take the leap and find out more about her space, what inspires her and what her typical studio day is like.
Learn more about Rachel Katstaller in our Art School feature!
Photographs by Ulli Hoschek
Where your space is located: Innsbruck, Austria. Right in the middle of the Alps.
Can you describe to folks a little about your studio or creative art space?
I have a small shared studio within the design forum of my city, which means I share a building with other creatives. My studio is on the second floor, with a window towards the mountains and lots of natural light. I love how it’s my little creative haven, and it’s filled with books, small memories from my tropical home and all the art supplies I can afford. Because it took me two years to finally get it, I still can’t believe how lucky I am to have such an inspiring space to call my own!
What’s a typical day in the studio like for you?
I’m not a morning person, so I usually get in late. Before that I’ve already answered all urgent emails from home and then try to carve in an hour of sketching out ideas for myself. Then I normally get started on client work, have lunch with my studio mate, and continue on whatever projects I’m working on until around 6. That’s when I wrap it up and go skateboarding with friends.
What type of things do you keep around the studio to inspire you? What art are on your walls?
I have several things that remind me of my tropical home, like a typical sorpresa of Ilobasco (the tiny figurine made out of clay), pictures of my friends, cool commissions and art from friends. I also have tons of picture books that I always refer back to when I’m in need of some inspiration. The cool thing of being in the design forum is that I have access to interesting exhibitions and books to get inspired.
If you had to listen to one song on repeat forever in the studio, what would it be?
Know What I Want by Kali Uchis
If you could pick anyone in the world, who would you collaborate with?
Since it’s such an open question, I’d love to collaborate with Vans again!
Lastly, what’s something not many people know about you?
It might come as a surprise to some, but I rarely listen to any music at all! Not that I don’t like music, but I find it very distracting and I just love a good audiobook or podcast while working.
FOLLOW RACHEL | WEBSITE|INSTAGRAM
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Express yourself with the Customs Exclusive Brushstrokes pattern. Create your own at vans.com/customs
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VANS CUSTOMS | ARTIST STACEY ROZICH
LA based artist Stacey Rozich recently created some one-of-a-kind Vans using her signature artwork, style and the Vans Custom Shop. Let’s find out more about what inspired her Vans Customs, what she’d name them and where we might catch her prowling around in them next! Take the leap below.
Photographs courtesy of the artist.
Tell us a little bit about the design you used for your Vans Customs! What was the inspiration behind it?
I have a soft spot for animal prints, especially painting them. I had been trying to find the perfect pair of tiger print shoes for so long, but I couldn’t find any that fit the bill. When I got this opportunity to design some Customs, I knew exactly what I was going to create. Along with hand-painted tiger coloring and stripes, I had to add my signature bizarro absurdity, so I added a ferocious mouth and intense eyeballs. The whole package is, at first glance, a fun pattern for Vans, but the second take reveals the wild face which ups it to the next level.
What would you title your shoe?
“Tiger Snacks”
Do you remember the first pair of Vans you ever owed?
I do! I was 18, and a freshman at CCA studying Illustration. I was at the Crossroads Trading Co in Berkeley, and in the shoe section I found the most perfect worn-in blue low top Vans for like $12. I wore them constantly until they disintegrated. I’ve had a dozen pairs since then.
What have been some of your favorite reactions so far to your customs?
A lot of the reactions have been the same: Excited pointing and “WHOA!” and questions about where I got them.
Where can folks see you wearing them next? What do you have coming up?
I will be in San Francisco for my solo show opening at First Amendment on July 6th! I’m excited to hang out with these tigers in The City and back home in LA.
Find out even more about Stacey in our Sketchy Behaviors Interview with Stacey Rozich!
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SKETCHY BEHAVIORS | INTERVIEW WITH CHRISTIE SHINN
With the sharp-edged graphic feel, high contrast color palette, and a modern twist on traditional Hawaiiana, artist Christie Shinn’s paintings offer a fresh interpretation to life in Hawaii. Her beautiful works have not only appeared as a Vans shoe design, but also as the artwork for the Vans 2013 Triple Crown of Surfing event. Not only one thing, Christie is also the art director and collaborating artist at Surfer Towel, where her two towel designs will be released this summer. Find out more about Christie’s artwork, inspiration, and favorite collaboration by taking the leap below!
Photographs courtesy of the artist. | Portraits by Joel Terron Photography
Introduce yourself?
My name is Christie Shinn. I’m a resident of the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. I’m Canadian but I’ve called Hawaii home for over a decade.
What kind of work do you create? What medium and what would you say it is about?
I work in acrylic paint on canvas, wood, leather.. really, anything the paint will stick to.
I’d say the style of work is a modern version of traditional Hawaiiana (Hawaii-inspired art/craft).
I taught myself to paint, and my favorite art at the time was early skate graphics and silkscreened concert posters so I think there is a sharp-edged graphic feel to my work because of that. I like to go high contrast with color and pick subjects that are a little off-typical. I live in a place that is so familiar to people all over the world, even if they’ve never been here. I feel like it’s my job to find a fresh interpretation of life in Hawaii.
How did you start from doodling and drawing to what you do now? Where did your love of drawing and creating stem from?
My grandma taught me how to paint when I was a kid. I remember being fascinated with making marks on a canvas. It starts off blank, then it’s something and each choice is totally up to you. Some are good choices, some aren’t, but they’re all yours. I still love that about making art. I get to sit at my easel and create a thing that did’t exist before I thought of it. So cool.
Who and what were some of your early artistic influences?
My favourite artist as a kid was Henri Rousseau who created massive tropical themed paintings, even though he’d never been outside of France. He created an entire lifetime of artwork exploring his tropical fantasy world. His work is so weird and wonderful.
When I started getting serious about art, my absolute favourite artist was (and still is) Andrew Pommier. I love his characters, I love his style. I feel like I can look into the eyes of one of his characters and see an entire backstory. One of his pieces is on my studio wall for both inspiration and as a barometer for my own work. Even though we have different styles, I try to make sure each new piece that leaves the studio is worthy to be hung next to the Pommier.
What are some things that inspire the drawings you make now? What are some of your favorite things to draw? What about them makes them something you just find yourself re-creating or re-capturing over and over again?
I’ve spent a lot of years living on the North Shore of Oahu and about 4 years ago I met my boyfriend who lives on the South Shore. His place is an hour drive , and it’s like a whole new island visually. The colors are different, the ocean is different, the sunsets…everything is new and fresh. I think a lot of my work over the past 4 years has been inspired by the contrast between the two shores.
Take us through your artistic process? What’s a typical day in the studio like?
I wake up at 7:30am, get some cuddle time with the cat, make coffee and wait for my assistant to come over. He packs orders while I paint. Usually a friend drops by at some point because I live on a property with several houses and my neighbours are all friends. If it’s a surf day, we break for a surf. The afternoon is a mix of planning out new pieces, answering emails, prepping orders and generally taking care of the business side of art. I’ll do an evening beach run if I’m feeling energetic. Watch the sunset. Usually with a beer. After dinner, I’m back at the easel until about midnight. Nighttime is my favourite time to paint because there are no distractions.
I always take weekends off to maintain the work/life balance. It can get obsessive, especially when I’m struggling with a piece. Mandatory time off helps me reset.
What art tools will we always find in your creative space? Is there a medium you want to try that you have yet to get your hands on?
I keep it pretty minimal when it comes to materials. I have one large brush for lay in, 3 flats and 2 liner brushes. I always have several blank canvases hanging at all times. Since inspiration is hard to control, I think the key is to be ready for when it strikes.
I’ve always been fascinated with screen printing. I’d love to dabble in that one day.
What’s been one of your more rewarding collaborations or projects? What about it was so rewarding? What would your dream collaboration be?
I first worked with Vans in 2013 as the poster artist for their Triple Crown of Surfing event here on the North Shore. I did a bonus design that they turned into a limited edition capsule collection. It was on button up shirts, bags, hats, towels.. I didn’t know any of this until I opened up the box of samples. It was so unexpected, I actually teared up a little. What a crazy feeling to see your art on a Vans product. That moment really made a lasting impact. After that, I started to really believe it was possible to have a career doing something I was good at and that I loved. I owe a huge debt to the Vans design team of ’13.
A few years later I got to collaborate with Vans again on a shoe design for the Japan market. It was my favourite collaboration to date because they let me customize everything: the shoe, the insole, the box and even the tissue paper!
A few months later I’m in Tokyo doing a signing event next to a wall of my shoes. It was surreal.
I think my dream collaboration would be collaboration shoe for Vans USA. I love to hand-paint Vans and I have a couple favourites from the hand painted series I’d love to see as a production shoe. Also, the Japan sizes were so small I never got a pair I could actually wear myself!
What do you do when you’re not drawing or working on projects?
When I have a lot of down time, I love to travel. Japan is my favourite destination right now. When I have a little space in the day, I’ll log some hammock time, go for a surf, run, take photos…not in that order.
What’s the art community like where you are? What kind of avenues are there for artists in your area or is it more of a DIY type of thing?
Hawaii is a great place for artists. We have a lot of galleries, local shops and businesses that feature the work of local artists. There are so many interesting opportunities outside the gallery scene too. For example, some big hotels in Honolulu have been doing rebrands over the last few years and nearly every one has hired a local artist to help refresh their look. There is also a lot of love for Hawaii in Japan which has lead to some really cool collaborations between local artists and Japanese companies. It’s a really great place to be an artist because there is no one measure of success. There are so many ways to have an art career here.
What’s your art tip that you want to share with folks?
I try to keep the usual stuff in mind as I work: contrast, energy, balance. If there is a lot of warmth, add a splash of cool. If you go high-detail, balance it with some negative space. Dark/light etc…
My favourite pieces are the ones that still have the energy of the first strokes when they’re finished. Overworking is so easy to do. I try to take breaks and walk away or put it away for a while. I usually have several pieces going at the same time for this reason.
What are your favorite style of VANS?
My favourite Vans are Slip-Ons. It’s customary to take your shoes off outside of homes and some offices in Hawaii. I take my shoes on and off a lot in a day so the slip-ons are the way to go. Also, they have more surface area to paint on, so they get an extra point for that as well.
What do you have coming up that you can share or are super stoked about?
My newest collaboration is with Japanese airline ANA and LeSportsac. I created a series of bag designs for LeSportasac that will be available exclusively on ANA flights. I’m on my way to Japan in May for an art festival so I’ll actually get to see the bags on the flight.
I’m also pretty stoked on 2 new towel designs I have coming out this summer for Surfer Towel.
FOLLOW CHRISTIE | WEBSITE|INSTAGRAM
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Então, outro dia desenhei essa Nezuko com uns @vans e meias legais.
Foi bem diferente do que eu já fiz porque nunca tinha desenhado focando nas roupinhas.
Diving head first into Leila Hurst’s latest collection with designer Jennie Minard.
Check all the items, including a new UltraRange colorway, at vans.com/surf
Big news out of the Isle of Man today! Very stoked to see longtime Vans family member Reagan Ritchie lock it down with Leila Hurst.
Congratulations to both of you!
If it’s not comfortable, it’s probably not Leila Hurst’s.
Scope her latest collection of travel-ready footwear and apparel at vans.com/surf
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I found my pair of black vans in my closet.
So what do you think about vans combined with tights and a skirt?
