CuratorHerbrant

I'm a vegan who takes an active interest in the DIY lifestyle. Creatively, I do a little bit of everything, but primarily I make zines, collage, modify my clothes, and paint. I'm a writer; it's not what I want to do, it's what I have to do. I believe art can save the world. I can't stress how important creating is to me.

I am spiritual. I adore trees, they're some of my best friends. I'm a Cancer sun sign with Gemini moon, Capricorn rising. I try to have a regular yoga practice. I like to dig in the dirt, help things grow, then eat them.

I am married and have a guinea pig friend named Arkham. My older guinea pig passed on August 19th. His name was Cobhan, he was my best friend, and I made a memorial page for him here: http://www.wearerecords.com/cobhan.htm

I have a "thing" for goth-looking angels with feather or bat or even butterfly wings, as well as the myth of the selkies (seal people). I work with the Tarot, and am always interested in new books & spreads.

I love:

anything Flamenco & gypsy!!! * stones, crystals, rocks * colored/ stained glass * poetry * literature * graphic novels * zines * pinback buttons * faux fur * the 1920s * tarot * ink drawings * patchwork * vintage photos * vintage cigar/ cigarette ephemera * trees * spirituality * sacred heart religious art * sideshow/ freakshow art * the Romanian language * red, pink, orange, lilac *guinea pigs, rabbits, harbor seals

My favorite author is Franz Kafka. Favorite visual artists are Francis Bacon, Frida Kahlo, Franz von Stuck. Anything to do with these people is a sure hit.

I can always use:

uhu glue sticks * embroidery floss * pinback buttons * magazine/ paper scraps * faux fur * drawings * headscarves * glass pretties * envelopes * sparkly gel pens * fine point sharpies * zines * composition books

I don’t have TV reception, a car, children, or pierced ears. I don’t drink. I don't like coffee. I do smoke filterless clove cigarettes.

Bright colors for accents are nice as are black & grey combos. I like exotic patterns and things that catch the light. Can't go wrong with patchwork. I love faux fur to the point of it being a fetish. I am not really into psychedelic patterns or colors and I’m not a big fan of tie-dye but I do love things that have been marbleized. I adore details, quality handmade things, and appreciate special little touches.

My bathroom is decorated in a circus freak/ sideshow theme, and anything from that genre would really make me smile. I collect glass things: chunks of colored raw glass, paperweights, suncatchers, bottles...I also have a collection of (old lady-like) headscarves but I could always use more!

I dislike:

kawaii * hello kitty/ cartoons * alcohol related things (ads, art, etc) * pin-up girls * yellow * monkeys (oh, how I despise monkeys!) * Americana * southwest/ desert themes * babies * clowns * cookie-cutter/ generic art

I don’t need:

make-up * hair accessories * incense * beads * toys & stickers * pentacles * runes * spells

I probably won’t sign up for a swap that contains these items, but just in case:

• Since I'm a vegan, I prefer not to get any foodstuffs. (Teas are an exception.)

• I am also VERY hypersensitive to most chemicals found in bath/ beauty products, so please DON'T send anything you'd put on your skin. (But I have no fabric allergens.)

Thanks!

Without music, life would be a mistake:

Nine Inch Nails, Muse, Bauhaus, Peter Murphy, Joy Division, Skinny Puppy, PJ Harvey, Saul Williams, Talking Heads. Milt Jackson, Betty Carter, Dave Brubeck. Melanie.

I Heart Huckabees, Hour of the Wolf (Ingmar Bergman!), Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock!), Asylum, Max, Secretary, Taxi Driver, Natural Born Killers, American Movie, Hotel, Cheezy Horror flicks, black and white classics & silent films.

Carnivale, Star Trek TNG, Roseanne, The Brak Show, The Kids in the Hall, Weeds, The Prisoner, Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

Any paper craft: collage, altered books, postcards, zines, letter writing, mail art.

Painting (I work mostly in acrylics and gel mediums).

Fabrics: FAUX FUR! hats, purses, accessories, felt art.

Misc: Mix tapes/ CDs, making pinback buttons, resconstructing t-shirts, matchbox shrines.