Kira Shaimanova's World of Sculpture Illustration (the creation process)

Making of: Lady Giraffe

2012-02-04T08:47:00.000-08:00

This is one my brand new pieces I created for show MENAGERIE @ Steam Whistle Gallery, Toronto. It's still up currently and will be up for the rest of the month if you care to see some new works in person.

I've tried something new for this body of work. I know a lot of people love seeing the 3-dimensional look of sculpture and my work more or less starts out as a sculpture, but the final ends up being a photograph illustration. I sculpted and wooden panel this time, also using crackle paste, which I had never tried before. I must say it was really cool seeing how the cracks formed over 2 days of drying. I definitely did a lot more painting than sculpting this time around. I forgot how time consuming it was, I got so accustomed to sculpting and set building. I thought for an art show it would be the perfect time to test out a different way of presenting my sculpture illustration. Of course I'll still be doing sets and full character dolls. I feel its a new year and there's many things I can still experiment with and grow as an artist. Your work will always change and grow over time, it's a good thing.

PS. my new website and updates are still on their way. I've been really busy! I apologize for the long wait.

MENAGERIE - Anthropomorphic Art Show

2012-01-23T10:48:00.000-08:00

Menagerie - a series of anthropomorphic illustrations.

“Menagerie” is an art show that engages the imaginative exploration of anthropomorphism – the attribution of human qualities to nonhumans. Through visual study, nineteen local up-and-coming artists will explore the idea of anthropomorphism as a form of self-extension. As we “humanize” nonhuman entities, personal relationships are established, and a special - sometimes disturbing - attachment is then applied to the animal or object. This can be seen from our naming of pets, to drawing faces on inanimate objects, to shouting at a car when it has broken down. Through us, the animal/object takes on its own humanity. The result of this visual exploration is a modern bestiary - a collection of creatures, human and nonhuman, situated and interacting in contemporary society.

Hope to see you there! I'm so excited about this :)
Click HERE for the facebook event & artists featured.

Egg Pendants!!

2012-01-22T11:12:00.000-08:00

This is something I'm having fun with. I'm doing a few different pendants that will be for sale for my upcoming show MENAGERIE, Feb 2nd. I'll post the invite for the event as soon as it's up. The series of works I'm showing at the exhibit are anthropomorphic with a bit of Russian inspiration. I'm super excited to show them off and see the reactions people give off. I sculpted on panels this time to try something different and I must say I did enjoy it. It was more painting then sculpting, but I definitely do miss painting so I didn't mind at all.

More updates soon, sorry I'm depriving you of my process works, I haven't had time to take photos of everything. Lots of exciting things are happening soon.

xo

January Update

2012-01-05T12:26:00.000-08:00

Sorry to keep you all waiting. I assure you I have plenty of new work coming, it's just that my site isn't completed yet. I have 2 shows coming up in February, both shows are only one week apart so it's time to really get crackin'. I've been doing some experimenting and trying some new things. The direction is different from most of my work, but I think it's only natural for any artist to progress and change over time. I'm really excited to share my new works with you and see the response I get. It's all personal work that I think is leaning more in the fine art direction, but it is definitely still illustration, still conceptual. I'll be keeping you posted.

xo Kira

Merry Christmas from me to you!

2011-12-22T11:34:00.000-08:00

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a loving and joyful holiday with the fam. I'm pretty excited to get together with family friends and enjoy some scrumptious foods...yyumm! All the best to you guys and cheers to an amazing upcoming 2012! Year of the Dragon baby!

xo Kira

Making of "Bump in the Night" - coming soon..

2011-12-12T15:42:00.000-08:00

Oh it's been a while I know... but I'm back!

These are some sneak peeks of the piece I've been working on. I must say it turned out better than I expected. The plan was to do a piece that was set based, not so much revolving around a character or a well known person. Everything I sculpted got painted in fluorescent paints for the purpose of getting photographed under blacklight (ie. the purple light that makes whites glow blue in the dark). I did some research about which paints to buy since not even a normal white paint will glow under blacklight, so I purchased some specific paints online. I just felt like I needed to let loose and do a over super fun and crazy, over the top piece. Can't wait to share it.

I'm also working a new website design currently, which I'm pretty excited about. It'll be a lot more fresh looking and easier to browse through all my works. And of course an updated logo.

OC WEEKLY Cover Process

2011-10-28T07:59:00.000-07:00

These two spot illustrations below are Marilyn Davenport, accused

for calling Obama an ape. The two cops are part of the Fullerton Police Department,

accused for beating an innocent homeless man to death and getting arrested.

My new cover, just in time for Halloween. This was my first time working with OC Weekly and Art Director Laila Derakhshanian. Laila is totally awesome for having thought of me for a Day of the Dead themed cover and spots. I was beyond excited to do this theme as well as be working on a special issue "OC's Scariest People" issue.

This just brought me back to my old "Chivalry is Undead" series. How could you not have fun making skulls and creepy characters?? Anyway, I figured I'd share my thoughts, hope you all got a treat for your eyes ;)

PS. Click OC Weekly to read the article

Happy Halloween!!! xo

Adele: Process GIF Animation

2011-10-25T11:07:00.000-07:00

Here is my piece!! Finally had time to put it up. I figured I'd go ahead and make a gif animation instead of posting all the images separately.

I'm a big fan of Adele so this is a personal piece I did for fun. Took about a week to finish, I just worked on her sporadically since I had other jobs at the same time. I'm really happy with the outcome, I put a lot of detail into her which makes her pretty life-like I think. Practice makes perfect :) Hope you all enjoy.
To see the final image, visit my website

Time Out Chicago magazine (Jerry Kleiner)

2011-10-04T14:05:00.000-07:00

Here is my recent illustration in context. The art director Stephanie was nice enough to send me 2 copies of the issue. The article was pretty long, about 3 pages, luckily when I got a summary version. Hope you guys like it.

Time Out Chicago Illustration

2011-09-21T14:38:00.000-07:00

My recent job for Time Out Chicago magazine. This is a full page illustration on restauranteur Jerry Kleiner. He's owned a bunch of restaurants and clubs, which are now all closed down because of his many debts and 11 lawsuits. He's a slick character who thinks he can get away with not paying venders, rent and produce.

The concept of this piece was to incorporate Kleiner's intensely colored, over-the-top decor. He's offering a plate of one of his meals and is being bound by the swirling mess of debt he's in.

I must say this was a tricky piece to do, quite challenging since Kleiner's restaurant decor has so many different clashing colors and patterns, I didn't know which ones to use. All in all, the art director was happy and loved the piece, the end. And on to the next one!

Now Taking Commissions

2011-08-24T10:59:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

I am taking commissions at the current time, until the end of October. If you have an Anniversary, friend's Birthday, Wedding, any special occasion and would like a relpica doll created of your loved one, let me know. It takes a week to complete and can be shipped worldwide. Price ranges from $300 for a single doll on a stand and $550 for a pair (Any add -ons such as chair, pet, props - are extra). Feel free to email me: kira@kirashaimanova.com

This is Pearl

2011-08-19T13:36:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, sorry for not updating in a while. I'm really excited about this new project. It's actually something I've been working on for a while, trying to get things perfect. It's an iPad story book, as well as paperback book. Since its on the iPad, most parts will be animated, but the look of the story will resemble stop-motion. That's all for now, enjoy!

Birthday Commission

2011-08-15T11:26:00.000-07:00

This is a recent birthday commission I did for Olga. Her husband, Emil's birthday is at the end of the month so she wanted a unique gift this year. I thought it was pretty funny she wanted him portrayed just as his usual self, with his Blackberry cell phone and Starbucks coffee. He's totally removable from the couch so if desired, he can sit on other surfaces as well. Happy Birthday Emil!

Recent Interview in Wowza Mag

2011-08-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

This is an interview I did back in May, it's the first online & print issue of Wowza Magazine. You can see the online version by clicking [ here ]. Enjoy!

"Sweat" Opening Night

2011-07-17T08:41:00.000-07:00

This is only a few photos from opening night. A great crowd came, so nice to see familiar faces, some unexpected. It was a pretty neat space also, lots of character, not your typical gallery space. If you missed opening night, the show is on until July 29th, lots of merchandise and prints for sale as well.

Video: Making Oscar - Las Vegas Weekly Cover

2011-07-12T21:10:00.000-07:00

So here it is!! I hope you all enjoy this video. I worked really hard on this cover piece. It had to be completed in 5 days! I pulled it off just fine, without pulling my hair out. The art director I worked with wanted to make a video of how I created the cover for their website. I basically took a bunch of photos along the way and they put it together in a video. Don't you love the music?? I think it's a perfect choice.

Las Vegas Weekly Cover Illustration

2011-07-07T07:46:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! So here it is, my first cover!! It just came out today, July 7th. I am soo super excited about it. I think it's one of my best pieces I've done so far. It was really great having some art direction during the process. Ryan Olbrysh Art Directed this piece.

It's a portrait of Oscar Goodman, the mayor of Vegas. He's a favourite Mayor in Vegas and now celebrating his retirement after 12 years. I hope he picks up a copy and see's himself as sculpted doll. It would be neat to see his reaction.

Anywho, there's also a process photo/video coming soon, of how I created this piece. Mind you I had under a week to do it.

Upcoming Art Exhibit - "SWEAT"

2011-07-04T08:37:00.000-07:00

So I've been pretty darn busy, sorry for not posting in a while. I had a cover I've been working on, which I'll definitely post process photos for when it comes out.

Anywho, please, please come to the "Sweat" show if you're in town!! It's going to be amazing. A fun, light-hearted, summer show for all. There's an awesome artist lineup, most are previous OCAD students, a various of different styles. Opening night is July 15th! Join us :) This is the link to the facebook invite page - HERE -

Prints On Sale!

2011-06-04T15:09:00.000-07:00

I finally have some prints for sale, new pieces and old favourites. They're up on my ETSY account! And the best part is they're only $20 - $25 each. That's an awesome deal if you ask me. All the prints are photo matte paper, very lovely quality. They're perfect for framing.

NEW WORK! "No Hard Feelings" piece

2011-05-31T10:52:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! Here it is, my final piece. I have to admit this was a hard piece to do. So many men to sculpt, dress, paint and add hair too. Even the shooting processes was tricky, I had to position all the men so that the ties all show up, since they're the main concern in this concept (ties represent penis's) - it is a metaphorical piece of course. I just wanted to create a pattern type piece with a little comedy. The colour palette is different from what I normally use. The skin on these guys is in fact grey and not desaturated on photoshop. All the colors are as you see them in the image. Hope you guys like it.

Cheers, Kira

(PS. you can find this on my website as well)

Suits & Ties

2011-05-23T11:44:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, it's been a while since I've updated, been busy. Here's something I've been working on. I'm trying out a new color palette. I won't give away the concept of this piece just yet, you'll have to wait and see what it's complete. It's about 97% complete, you'll see the final up somewhere this week. I'm pretty excited about what the final shot will turn out like. Stay posted!

Applied Arts Illustration and Photography Awards 2011

2011-05-11T08:46:00.000-07:00

Finally got my issue of Applied Arts. This year I got 3 pieces in, which is pretty sweet. My "Mad Hollywood" series got picked. I was hoping to land a spot in Communication Arts or American Illustration this year, but its 10 times more difficult to get into those issues and a lot has to do with how popular you are in the illustration industry. I'm still starting out, but definitely hard to believe it's been a year out of school already, that's nuts! Well, things are only going up from here, fingers crossed xo.

In honor of Mother's Day

2011-05-08T09:48:00.000-07:00

Here's an ancient photo of my mother and I back in Russia. I love photos in the moment, those are the most special. Happy Mother's Day everyone! xo

What I've been up to..

2011-04-27T14:48:00.000-07:00

Katia & Miron (Anniversary dolls)

White Swan child

I'm finally updating, it's been a while, sorry I've been missing for a bit. I thought I show you guys what I've been up to. A while back I posted that I'd be doing some wedding cake toppers on the side and instead I've gotten some commission pieces.

A couple wanted a sculpt of themselves for their anniversary celebration. The outfits I chose where somewhat formal since it is a special occasion. The pose of them dancing was a bit complicated to sculpt but I think it turned out just fine. The other piece is a little ballerina girl in a white swan costume. I had fun with this one. It's not often I do themed costume, more or less every day clothing is my norm.

Video: Set for "Sheen Team"

2011-04-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, I just went through my camera and found this short video my boyfriend Manny shot, while I was uploading photos. He says I've been working on this for a "couple of weeks" hah! I don't have that much time on one piece. This piece took me about 10 days to complete. You can see here the mission I go through to get my illustrations looking just the way I want. It's a different shooting process for each piece, some are easier than others to shoot. This, as you can tell, was one of the hard pieces to shoot. Doll's don't fly and don't stay in mid air either, so I must work my magic (ie. make a disaster of my bathroom space and get the perfect shot). Hope you guys enjoy this :)

CMYK 49 is here!

2011-03-25T17:37:00.000-07:00

I finally got my issue in the mail. My "Sweet Talk" piece got on the front cover, how cool is that? It's a small image but still an honor. So many people submit to CMYK and its really nice to be somewhat recognized. I would love to be in Communication Arts, American Illustration and Society of Illustrators one day, fingers crossed it will happen. I'm still slowly working my way up. Got to think positive and stay motivated.

Winning with Charlie Sheen

2011-03-24T09:04:00.000-07:00

So here it is everyone! Process photos of my new piece about Charlie Sheen. Lots of hard work in 1 weeks time, but I made it through. I'm very happy with the turn out. Mr. Sheen was not an easy character to do, but I think I captured his essence.

I actually really enjoyed making his baseball uniform. I got the perfect striped fabric from a second hand store, it used to be a pair or child pants before Charlie's new uniform.

Believe it or not a flying Charlie doll was definitely a mission. The last photo is what has become of my washroom counter, just for this shoot. Crazy huh? Yeah.. but I got the shot and that's all that matters. Hope you guys enjoy the final piece. See it on my website.

Sheen Sketch

2011-03-08T12:26:00.000-08:00

This is Charlie Sheen if you haven't guessed with the whole "winning!" banner. Apparently, he used to play baseball in the past and starred in 2 baseball movies also, so baseball is still fully in relation to Charlie. I thought it totally works with his "winning!" phrase - relating it to a game and putting him on his own team "team Sheen". The girls in the crowd will be primarily blonde and waving panties, bras and coke baggies at him. There it is! Go Team Sheen!

- Kira

NEW WORK! "Feast of Love"

2011-03-04T09:04:00.000-08:00

This cat couple piece was done in about a weeks time. I had such a blast doing an animal piece and thinking of how I can make a romantic setting for a cat pair.

Process:
I created my own version of a night stand table and incorporating the typical objects you'd find there (ie. lamp, books, clock, wooden counter). I took out the candle from my original sketch. I thought it was just a little much and the lamp light source is more than enough. Speaking of lamps, I actually made my own, of course using clay and various fabrics. I bought a light bulb, a socket and cord and had it coming in through the top of the lamp shade, since its not an average size lamp, the bulb was a bit big. For the cat food on display, yes I'll admit I used actual cat food. A little bit of cheating on my part, but I think it shows the juicy cat food in its full entirety.

Applied Arts Illustration and Photography Awards!

2011-03-03T10:14:00.000-08:00

I'm pleased to announce that my Mad Hollywood series was selected for the 2011 annual. It's my second time getting a spot in Applied Arts magazine.

Last year, my pieces Sweet Talk and Be My Umbrella got chosen for the illustration annual. I'm happy to say that this is issue is set to release May/June of 2011, can't wait, it's pretty soon! I would like to say congratulations to everyone else who got in this year. Here is the full list of WINNERS!

Kitty couple - WIP photos

2011-02-22T09:51:00.000-08:00

Character sketches - just for reference. I usually change a few things along the way.

Female kitty work in progress photos. Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I am keeping busy so here a treat for you guys!

Added whiskers and some bling

Here is ms.kitty's date

First layers of paint

His eyes looked a little too creepy for me I had to change them.

There.. much cuter

The background set will soon be completed. Stayed posted for the final product :)

Guess who got on the CMYK 49 cover ??

2011-02-08T09:25:00.000-08:00

How exciting?? My first cover, well not full cover but partial cover. My "Sweet Talk" piece got chosen by Chris Buzelli for this issue of CMYK. It should be coming out in store on Feb 25, so get your copy. I'll snap some shots of the inside when I get mine in the mail. Oh I'm so excited :D

NYC and Back - Feb 2011

2011-02-07T09:41:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! Just came back from NYC, it was only a short stay this time. I went to the Society of Illustrators event for the first time and got to meet some pretty awesome illustrators whom I look up. I got meet Jason Seiler featured above with a silly face, Sam Weber below and Chris Buzelli who I don't have a photo with.

Marcos Chin and Yuko Shimizu were there, it was nice to run into them. There were so many amazing works on the walls, not just the medal winners. I was definitely inspired. I hope to have my works on those walls one day.

I also came down from Toronto to mail out some postcards in the U.S. It's a lot cheaper to send them from NYC of course. It was my first postcard mailout, I had to capture it on camera. Fingers crossed for some fun projects :)

"Vacation Deprivation" - extra WIP photos

2011-01-27T10:53:00.000-08:00

Here are some more giant head photos, my painting process and my very messy desk. I'm very happy happy how the waves/hair turned out, it's way better than I expected. I had a lot fun sculpting a big head for a change versus my 8-10 inch dolls.

Probably one of the smallest heads I've ever sculpted. I had a hard time adding details that were so small, but the final product turned out well. I made curly brown hair for the little man to link him with his bigger self.

This is the final piece!! Finally complete :) I'm very excited about it. It fits into the travel and lifestyle category and is a lot different from my other works, both conceptually and the execution as well. You can see it on my website as well - WEBSITE! Hope you guys enjoy the direction my work is going.

-Kira

The Sex Show, a very sexy night! (Gallery 1313)

2011-01-21T13:06:00.000-08:00

The photos are up! "The Sex Show" was a success, pretty quickly planned show but a very nice turn out. Here are two works that I submitted for the show - Year of the Bunny & Ladder to Sexess. I haven't exhibited these yet, so I thought they'd be perfect for this show.

Let's just say it was a very cold night, -10 degrees in Toronto, I was definitely bundled to the max.

My lovely friends also came out in support of my work. I love you guys! It was one sexy night. The show is on for a limited time, only until January 30th, so if you're in town go check it out. It's at 1313 Queen Street W ( Gallery 1313 is the name).

The Sex Show @ Gallery 1313

2011-01-14T11:50:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, this is going to be one SEXY show!

1313 Queen Street West, Toronto, Gallery 1313.With over 20 artists showing. I hope some of you can make it down for Jan 20th. Click here for the facebook event. Here are some of the artists:

Lisa Moses
Phililla Hido
Valeria Rzianina
Suzan Mandla
Kira Shaimanova
Sally Cumming
Nora House
Tyne demerei
Karen Grosman
Kara Williams
Ashley Toye
Claudio Ghirado
Jonathan Korman
chris Damianos
Dydin Matlabi
Peter Kasur
Cliff Eyland
Joelle Circe
Bruce Eves
Ben Stirling
Nadya Kagan
Toni Wallachy
Diana Latourt
Voula Monohoias
G. Elliott Simpson
Grant Cunningham
Artur Augustynowicz

..and more

WIP Thinking about the beach..

2011-01-13T18:53:00.000-08:00

Hey guys! Here is a little glance at what I've been working on. This is "Vacation Deprivation" - which sums up my state at the current moment. I'm so longing for a beach, so I kind of went with the whole vacation on the mind idea. The messy hair from the deprived man is actually the waves for his alternate happy self. He's just chilling on a rubber ducky inflatable with a tropical cocktail in his hand...Ahh the life..

Here are some photos of what it's looking like so far. I really want to make this piece bright and tropical. It'll be a light pink sky and aqua clouds. Hope you guys like :)

Year of the Bunny: Process Work

2011-01-09T13:14:00.000-08:00

Finally! A new piece for a new year. The sketch shown is one of first

concept sketches I did, just playing around with double images or optical illusions. I ended up simplifying the image towards my final layout of this piece. The whiskers were too much, as well as the undies for the eyes. I chose small roses instead.

I got this amazing heat gun for a Christmas present, one that I've been

wanting for a while to speed up my process. I must say it's amazing!! I'm in love with it. I did manage to burn the nipple of the sculpture by blow drying on a high level. My mistake. But either way this baby can dry my sculpture in 10mins versus a whole day.

Just playing around with different flower types and getting an idea

of what the final work would look like. I also played with a bunch of different

lighting variations, I think I'm getting pretty good.

All in all, I wanted to try something out of the norm of my usual character and

set pieces. It's more conceptual, playful and a more simply laid out piece. I hope you guys enjoy this new piece, and happy upcoming Chinese New Year of the Rabbit!! ps. This piece "Year of the Bunny"can also be seen on my website :)

My Shop has moved to ETSY!

2011-01-04T17:17:00.000-08:00

Here is it guys, I'm finally on Etsy with the

rest of the world!

I decided it would be a nice change to join the rest of the art community @ Etsy. There's so much cool art there and my shop was getting a little lonely all by itself. All my Christmas items had sold out, hooray!

It's now 2011 and time to sell some original dolls. I rather an art lover buy one versus them sitting in draws and collecting dust in my house. Not that I want to keep them in drawers, I do have a cat who likes to chew so I must keep them away and protected. Well hope you guys enjoy this year.

Click here to go see the dolls I'm selling @ Etsy,
You can also find my shop link on my website.

Cheers, Kira

Wishing you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011

2011-01-03T16:39:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all a happy and amazing new year. I have a feeling 2011 will be something special, let's hope my feeling is right. I've learned a lot in 2010, lots of new techniques, got tons of advice from the pros and even got a rep on my side to hopefully help things get rolling this year. Fingers crossed! Happy New Year guys!!

xo Kira

Self Portrait Doll

2010-12-26T15:30:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is, a doll of me. Not the most enjoyable thing to make especially because you really have to figure out what you'd look like as a doll and be selective with features that make you who you are. It as definitely an interesting process. Luckily this doll won't be in my house since it was a gift, I'd be too creeped out having it around anyway. I guess because of the whole voodoo doll thing :S.

Here's a little shoot I did just to make it look kind of like a typical school portrait shot. I used the close up image as my new bio photo on my website, it only makes sense if I use it there. Hope you guys enjoyed your Christmas and/or holidays. xoxo -kira

The Unicorn Opening Night

2010-12-11T13:34:00.000-08:00

"Wondering Alice" & I

"Wondering Alice" - She was my first doll ever! Can you believe it?
I'm pretty sure she'll get sold, it'll be hard to see her go.

"King of Neverland"

"Sweet Talk" couple & "Reading Betty"

Amy Miranda, my new rep from LUNCH, she helped me get a spot in the Narwhal show

THE UNICORN opening, before it became crazy busy


Friends

Opening night was a great success, I got see some familiar faces, meet new people and have my work amongst some pretty awesome artists. It's a pleasure exhibiting with them. It was definitely a full house, luckily there's all of December left for you to see the show if you haven't made it for the opening.

Happy Holidays! xoxo -Kira

The Unicorn: A Magical Gathering

2010-12-02T14:24:00.000-08:00

Hey Guys! Sorry I've disappeared for a bit. "She Creeps" show at Function 13 just ended on Nov 29th, now I got asked to be in a show for NARWHAL gallery. It's a very well known gallery here in Toronto. I'm really excited about this show. They want me to display only my dolls, so I've been working away getting some of my older dolls in tip-top shape for the show. It's pretty awesome my work will be next to one of my teachers from university/famous and well known illustrator Gary Taxalli. There will be about 30 different really great artists displaying - mostly sculpture/toys. I'll be displaying 5 different pieces, one them being my very first doll created, which isn't featured on my website. Hope you can make it down next Friday, it will be a full house for sure :D.

Cheers, happy Thursday!
- Kira

American Illustration Party 2010

2010-11-18T09:28:00.000-08:00

Finally got to meet the wonderful Chris Sickels, Red Nose Studio

Beautiful location

My good friend and crazy hard worker, Liz Lomax

Bumped into Anita Kunz at the event as well

Some of the AI winners

My friend Jesse Kuhn

First time meeting Yuko Shimizu, sweet lady

Ended the night with Gary Baseman, he was so nice

AI party was lots of fun, I'm really glad I went this year. It was an illustrator over load, amazing artists everywhere you look. Met some new friends, bumped into older ones. I also saw Marcos Chin again, didn't get a photo, he was too bombarded with people asking him questions. I didn't get into the book this year but hopefully will next year. Either way I had a an awesome time in NY and at this event.

From Lady Gaga to Undersexed Bosses, When Sculpture and Illustration Collide

2010-11-16T08:31:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone! I'm back from NYC, round 2, and I miss say lots got done. I'll post some photos soon. Here is a very recent interview I did. Lots of photos, process work and pieces of me. Hope you enjoy getting to know me a little more. Just click here to see the full interview.

Cheers, Kira

Signed with LUNCH agency

2010-11-04T17:00:00.000-07:00

I signed with an representative agency this week called LUNCH, which I'm pretty excited about. I'm really looking forward to landing some big illustration jobs, whether it be advertising, commercial or editorial work. The point is to get seen and my style start to get noticed upon some big names. I've got big dreams ahead of me, and there's no stopping me now!

Featured in "Aesthetics Now" Vol.6

2010-11-04T16:44:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, my work is featured in this months "Aesthetics Now" online magazine. They emailed me last month so I could select some images for them to feature. It's my first time in an online magazine which is pretty neat. Print magazines are becoming a thing of the past anyways, which I find pretty sad. Everything is about the technological world, not that it doesn't save paper, it does, it's just nice to have something tangible and keep it for reference for the future. To check out the full November issue click on this link.

"She Creeps" Gallery Show, Oct 29 - Nov 29

2010-11-01T09:46:00.000-07:00

Finally! Here are some shots from the show, it was a busy, busy night, but definitely worth it all. So nice to see some familiar faces and lots of new ones. Thanks to everyone who took the time to come out on such a chilly night. The show will be running @ Function 13 until November 29th.

NEW WORKS! "Mad Hollywood" series

2010-10-31T10:54:00.000-07:00

New pieces are finally up on the website. Here are the rough process sketches as well as final pieces. These were done for the "She Creeps" gallery show which opened in Toronto Oct 29th. They'll be up until Nov the 29th so go get your butt over there and see the live sculptures and framed prints.

MAD HOLLYWOOD

“This series is a portrayal of strange and bizarre entertainers. It is a look at the extent which people must transform themselves to captivate the public and constantly remain in the spotlight, no matter how extreme.” -Kira Shaimanova

Now doing Wedding Cake Toppers!

2010-10-22T14:14:00.000-07:00

Yep! It's true. I'm now making dolls for cakes. Know anyone having a wedding and looking for a customized cake topper? Well you can direct them over to my website www.kirashaimanova.com.

I thought it would be fun to take on some smaller projects as well. It'll be nice for people to have a mini bride and groom that looks just like them and they can keep forever. It's like a token of their wedding night.

Hope you guys can spread the news to any engaged couples that might be interested.

Featured on Meathaus blog

2010-10-22T07:21:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, I got featured on Meathaus which is pretty cool. Here is the link. Look for me!

Sorry I haven't posted for a while. Trust me I'm very eager to show you the new pieces and the final sketches for them, but I'm saving it all for after the show. So check back Oct 30th, next Saturday and I promise the new pieces will be up here and well as on my website.

If you're joining me for the show, see you soon!!

Official Poster Design "She Creeps"

2010-10-07T08:23:00.000-07:00

Here's a a little snippet of what you'll see from every artist showing @ Function 13. Here is a link to the Facebook Invite for the show. You can see who's going for the grand opening Oct 29th :D. SOO EXCITED! Just in time for spooky halloween. Join us, it'll be an awesome night of creepy and bizarre art.

"She Creeps" Post Card Design

2010-10-04T08:42:00.000-07:00

Here's the promo for the my upcoming show this month. I know I kept my pieces in secret for the time being, I just wanted the big reveal to be on opening night. I'll be displaying 4 new works and original sculptures from those pieces. Everything will be for sale. I've been working really hard on these pieces and am so excited to share them all with you. Hope you guys come to the opening! Save the date - Friday October 29 :) @ Function 13 gallery, 7pm.

Mystery horse (more progress shots)

2010-09-24T12:04:00.000-07:00

Anyone recognize who this might be now? Well I figured I'd post more progress shot that I took a while ago. She is finished fully, the full piece will be shot for tomorrow :) Just got to do some finishing touches on the set first. YAY

Mystery Character in progress..

2010-09-18T14:01:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys! Sorry I didn't update for a bit. Been pretty busy with pieces for a gallery show next month. This is part of one of the pieces I'm doing for the show, sorry I can't give any details away yet, I want it all to be a surprise. But I promise for the end of October you'll see 4 NEW PIECES on my website, as well as on here with the corresponding sketches.

This celebrity character has a lot of hair, big hair, but it'll be a dead give away if I show it. I still have some stuff to fix on the face, including bigger teeth and more brows. Also she resembles a horse as you can see by the new sculpture I've started. Anywho .. that's some clues for you, see if you can figure out which hollywood celeb this might be.

Enjoy your weekend everyone! xo

New Piece in the works..

2010-09-03T15:00:00.000-07:00

I can't reveal too much about what its about, but you might recognize who this man is. This is one of the pieces I'm working on for an upcoming show in October, trying to keep it on the down low for now but I had to show a sneak peek. Any who hope you guys are enjoying your last days of summer, so sad it's ending.

Finally Met my Idol LIZ LOMAX!!

2010-08-20T16:32:00.000-07:00

I'm finally back from New York City!! I went on a 2 week trip to meet people, show my portfolio to whomever I could, and of course see the city. It was my first time there and I must say I loved it, there is so much great energy and so many artists motivated to make things happen. Everyone is busy making their dreams come true, which I absolutely love.

I finally got to meet Liz Lomax whom I idolize. We've been talking over the internet for a while now and I was mostly eager to meet her than anything else during my trip. Lets just say we hit it off and became super great friends. She's like my twin who lives in New York, it's unbelievable how much things we have in common. Liz helped me out a lot during my trip to NY and I thank her for that. It's definitely not the last time I'll ever see her. PS. we might collaborate in the near future :).

After experiencing NY, I feel I have more of a direction I need to go in and I'm eager to get to work asap. I'm aiming for my first big job before the end of this year. Wish me luck!

Illustration Mundo Interview

2010-08-19T08:23:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone, Illustration Mundo asked me to do an interview with me the day before I left for NYC. I was really excited about it, I know there's tons of great artists on that site and plenty of new visitors everyday. Click HERE to see my interview.

New Naughty piece is up!!

2010-08-02T08:24:00.000-07:00

Here is the link for my new piece called "Ladder to (Sex)ess". Hope you all love it as much as I do. I tried things a bit differently this time. Since I always go crazy on the background sets this time I thought I'd make a more clean and simple look this time with a one tones background. I got the shot I needed in faster time so I'm sure I'm getting the hang of lighting and angles way better than before. Before I would shoot a piece about 2-3 times to get the exact lighting and angle, but as I do more consistent work, things are becoming a lot easier.

1 more day until NYC !! Super excited, wish me luck! I'm so nervous to show my work off, even though I am confident in my style, there's always people who don't like your work. I'm just going to have to suck it up and be brave when I do portfolio drop offs and meet with art directors.

What I've been working on

2010-08-01T14:10:00.000-07:00

This piece is pretty much done, just need to shoot the final product, but I thought I'd put some process photos up. Giant woman legs + 100 dollar bills = hmm.. aren't you wondering what this piece is about?? You'll see soon enough!!

Sculpted Necklace

2010-08-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

This is a birthday gift to my dear friend Chelsea Canlas, also an illustrator. We've known each other since the 9th grade, she just turned 22 years old yesterday and this is what I made for her.

Interview

2010-07-25T13:15:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone! I did a small interview for Carla's blog called : "Paper Clippings of a Wandering Artist", there's some small details in there that you may not know about me. Have a look -> Interview

My Fat Little Man

2010-07-22T13:09:00.000-07:00

He is finally complete!! Woo Whoo!! I tried a different way of making the body this time. His whole body is stuffed with cotton, so he's soft and squishy, mimicking a heavier man vs. the whole body out of clay. He was so much fun to make and I discovered something!! By making his body out of wire and cotton he can freely move around! It's great! Maybe one day I'll be doing stop motion :). Hope you all enjoy him. More coming soon.

More in Progress!

2010-07-17T12:24:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!! I've started on my next piece :), pretty fast huh? I'm getting there with there! Very excited about this piece, it's a little naughty but pretty comedic. I don't want to give it all away so keep checking back, I'll have more images for you soon. Cheers!

NEW PIECE!!

2010-07-14T11:03:00.000-07:00

'Friday Night Poker' piece is up for you all to see on my website (www.kirashaimanova.com), I had a blast making this piece. Enjoy!

Anita Kunz Show & Marcos Chin in 1 DAY!!

2010-07-01T14:27:00.000-07:00

What an awesome two days, I met with Marcos for coffee on Tuesday and went to Anita's show Wednesday. Marcos prolonged his stay in Toronto so he wouldn't miss Anita's show opening. Her show is called "The Naughty Show" at 800 Dundas st. I had such an awesome past two days I had to document. Marcos gave me really good advice on illustration, his career and where to go from here in my young career. I will definitely meet with him again when I reach New York by July/August this year. I'll be visiting Anita's studio for some tea and chit chat also very soon- soo soo excited!!

We'll call him "Johnny"

2010-06-26T09:15:00.000-07:00

One character complete for my new piece. I didn't exactly picture him looking this way, but then again, I never really know what each doll will turn out like in the end, I just go with my gut feeling.

Coming Along...

2010-06-22T13:56:00.000-07:00

Just a sneak peek at the characters being created. They're all not even half done but I'm having a blast with some of their poker faces :)

Sketches for Upcoming piece

2010-06-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

These are some sketches for a new piece I'm about to get started on. I wanted to do something about technology in our lives. This piece in particular is about spending too much time in our virtual lives rather than face-to-face relationships. The man in this image is playing a game of poker next to his friends (laptop and phone). Although his friends could be there physically, they're shown playing the game from a laptop and phone, because of the laziness the society has come to. Chairs are at the table representing 'absence' and this man's lack of real face-to-face relationships in his life.

Before and After of Lady Gaga piece

2010-06-13T08:35:00.000-07:00

LADY GAGA IS HERE!!

These are some of the very first sketches I did for this piece, of course some things have changed along the way making for better piece. I ended up making her with long hair versus short since Gaga only had short for a limited time. I also took out the crown and exchanged it for her iconic hair bow. I first shot the final product with a red silk curtain in the back, which didn't end up too great in the shots, the star shape was getting lost in the folds. I hope you guys enjoy it, I worked really hard on this piece, its been a little over a month. I think I'm getting better at my lighting as well, which will definitely help me out for future works.

Cheers, Kira

Graduation Day & Surprise guest, ANITA KUNZ!!

2010-06-06T09:39:00.000-07:00

I have finally graduated and had an awesome day. It was such a pleasure to meet and talk to Anita in person. I was hoping to bump into her after the ceremony and I did!! She is such a sweet and lovely lady, not to mention one of the top illustrators and influential people in the world. She gave me advice to always be consistent and keep promoting even though not every one will love your work. She made my day!!

APPLIED ARTS!! How Exciting!!

2010-05-27T14:16:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!!

WOW, this is too exciting!! This is my first print publication, I'm featured in the new 25th Anniversary of Applied Arts on page 135. You guy have to go and pick up a copy. Applied Arts Photography & Illustration only comes on once a year and I'm so honored to be in it. I've been checking my mail every day for the past 2 week awaiting this magazines arrival and it finally came in the mail today :D. This just made my day!!

Also check out all the illustration winners for 2010 online: http://www.appliedartsmag.com/winners_illustration.php

Lady Gaga Process Update (Smokin Bod)

2010-05-22T15:46:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!
I just thought I'd show you a sneak peek for Gaga's outfit and her smokin' hot body. I'm really enjoying making her a full out costume, since she's known for her crazy attire. Also shown is the reference photo of her wearing the outfit I was inspired to create. I think is one of her best performance outfits I've seen.

She's got some hair!!

2010-05-15T12:17:00.000-07:00

Gaga finally has some hair on her head. The body and outfit are still in progress, taking quite a bit of time, but it will look amazing! Come back for more updates soon :)

Lady Gaga Process Update!

2010-05-11T16:14:00.000-07:00

Here's Gaga with some color on her skin finally, shown next to some reference photos of her on my desktop. Lashes, cheek blush and of course her platinum blonde locks are all on their way. As for her HOT smokin' body I adding more exaggerated hips. Can't wait to start on her outrageous costume, its a surprise!

OCAD Grad Show 2010

2010-05-08T10:42:00.001-07:00

This show was what I worked for hard for in this past year,
its been a blast, opening night was a total high. So many great
responses from people and brilliant reactions. It all came and went
so fast.

My biggest fan MANOLO

'Chivalry is Undead' series finally up for everyone
to see.. (http://www.kirashaimanova.com)

Two great illustrators and instructors, Tavis Coburn
and Jody Hewgill

The proud parents who made me :) and love me

Gaga Sneak Peak!

2010-04-28T14:26:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone, haven't posted lately, been pretty busy with my grad show coming up. Here is a sneak peek of a Lady Gaga piece I've been working on. It's nice to to a portrait for a change. I'm really excited for this piece. Sketches, costume and lighting are all planned out, need to get back to work. Enjoy!

K

- Featured in Eye Candies Blog -

2010-04-17T09:03:00.001-07:00

Eye Candies Blog.com had graciously featured my work in their blog: http://www.eyecandiesblog.com/1/post/2010/04/in-a-monsters-life.html

More GREAT NEWS!!

2010-04-15T17:32:00.000-07:00

My "Chivalry is Undead" series was written about in Trend Hunter online magazine. Here's the link : http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kira-shaimanova-chivalry-is-undead . It's so great the word is getting out there, all this hard work is starting to pay off slowly but surely.

Another great thing that happened very recently is my series got 10,000 views in a weeks time and is now featured on www.behance.net as on of the 'All Time' favorites. Check it out: Chivalry is Undead.

P.S. I was asked to do an interview for Horror Society.com, they really loved my zombie series. This website features new and upcoming independent artists, films, projects that have to do with the horror theme. This will also be posted on my blog pretty soon. :)

Cheers, Kira

Mini-Frames

2010-04-05T16:17:00.000-07:00

These are my wonderful 2.5 inch frames I bought at Value Village, SO awesome!! I used them in the background of my 8th piece called "Mop-head". Maybe I'll sell them, but they're so fun, I didn't know intricate frames can actually come in this tiny size.

This is Betty

2010-04-02T15:51:00.000-07:00

Doll for piece 8 is complete!! Now for her hubby, he's still in the making. I figured it was time for a blonde in the collection, one that was sweet, but with some character. Hmm.. what book should she be reading..?

More Progress Photos for Piece 8

2010-03-28T18:00:00.000-07:00

I'm enjoying making this piece, just wish I had more time. Everything is winding down, can't wait for it all to be over, I need some me time and fresh air.

Current progress work...

2010-03-26T18:59:00.001-07:00

This is for my last piece in the "Chivalry is Undead" series. The couch was pretty fun to make, I still need to add some colorful pillows. This is the time where I reminisce and wish I still played with Barbies, I could have used a couch like that for my doll house.

New Piece in process..

2010-03-09T20:25:00.000-08:00

This is my new character from my "Chivalry is Undead" series, piece 7 in the series. I'm still figuring out his outfit. He'll have fall a color combination and an orangy-yellow sky to go with his complimentary blue completion. I'm excited to finish up and shoot this piece, loving it so far.

GREAT NEWS!!!! :
Checked my email today to find a pleasant surprise! I'm getting published in "Applied Arts Magazine" for the May 2010 issue. 3 pieces from my series will be featured, HOW EXCITING!! I'll post the photo of the magazine as soon as I get a copy.

"Cooking with Heart" Peek

2010-02-19T11:22:00.000-08:00

Cropped version of the original piece. I loved creating this one, it was too much fun.

View My Works !!! (website will be up soon)

2010-02-15T12:02:00.000-08:00

http://www.behance.net/kirashaimanova <--- Up to date "Chivalry is Undead" series is here!!

2 more works coming up soon.

Ella & Carl - Heads waiting for their body

2010-01-31T10:15:00.001-08:00

Carl - half skull half human

Ella

2010-01-31T10:01:00.000-08:00

Ella is part of piece 6 in the series, almost complete.

Current Project

2010-01-26T16:44:00.000-08:00

New head for my 6th piece in the series. Making progress!! Can't wait for the grad show in April :)

Working Away

2010-01-18T15:08:00.001-08:00

Grannie, part of piece 5 in the series called "Hero"

Yay Creative Quarterly Runner Up!!

2009-12-19T12:51:00.000-08:00

Will be featured on the website for April 2010. See more winners herehttp://www.cqjournal.com/winners.html. Congrats to Jessie Durham and Katherine Verhoeven also runner ups from Ontario College of Art & Design.

GREAT NEWS!!

2009-12-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

I'm a featured artist on http://collect3d.com/category/news/ . I'm so happy my work is getting noticed and appreciated its a big step, just the beginning :)

Also featured on http://www.picocool.com/art/kira-shaimanova-helping-hand-lsquochivalry-is-undeadrsquo-se/

http://freshbump.com/

http://newsodrome.com/body_art_news/091209173014

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

2009-12-05T15:24:00.000-08:00

Something I did for Paul's digital printmaking class. Lots of fun making this piece.

Sneak Peek at "Freshly Cut Bouquet"

2009-11-29T16:30:00.000-08:00

Part of "Chivalry is Undead" series. 3rd piece in the bunch (close up cropped version).

Chalk Pastel Study

2009-11-14T09:54:00.000-08:00

Drawing from Harvey Chan's life drawing class. I thought I would quit painting for a little bit and play with chalk. I had fun!

Shelter (Sneak Peek #2)

2009-11-08T17:31:00.000-08:00

Cropped section of piece #2 in the "Chivalry is Undead" series - thesis. Piece #3 is still in progress. Can't wait to see everyone's pieces at mega crit!!

Sneak Peek at "SWEET TALK"

2009-10-10T09:45:00.000-07:00

Part of 4th year thesis. It something new I'm doing - sculpture illustration. So much fun to make, but it takes a hell of a lot of time and patience. I'm so excited to make the whole series (8 works total by April). Enjoy!

ALICE

2009-08-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

My first hand-made doll, outfit includes french lace, black velvet, swarovski crystals, fake mini pearls - red mohair. Took all of August to make. Doll is made out of paper clay and painted in acrylic, chalk pastel touch ups. Wooden chair with red silk cushion. Currently at the Distillery District.

Poppy Valley

2009-07-25T14:11:00.000-07:00

Something I did for Manny's mother's birthday. 24 x 16 Acrylic.

Mask of Myself

2009-07-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

I guess this is just a representation of me at the moment. I had the biggest urge to paint last night - so I did an this is what came of it. I'm a lost artist, my many styles are coming out and I just can't seem to stick with one. I guess I can't express more of my emotions and feelings through my more cartoon styles. I just need something raw and edgy.