As we round out another school year, I have a hard time believing that I graduated high school so long ago… I still remember how it felt to be spontaneously thrown out into the “real world”… and then to feel it again when I graduated college! Time surely does fly!

New in the Construction Series… is Project Graduate! This is the first time I’ve designed within the Construction Series with a silhouette as well. It was the perfect solution to keep the design friendly to everyone, and just adjusted the outline for Project Graduate Girl/Female and Project Graduate Boy/Male.

Con-GRAD-ulations Class of 2013!

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Design by J.Bishop of Architette Studios.

© 2005 – 2013 www.architettestudios.com

It has been a while since I wrote about my secret desire of becoming a world-famous artist! (Ha.) I thought this Friday would be a great day to write about some works that I have created in the past few months. There is more in the works… more soon! (Prepare for many photos…)

I have been creating in a few new directions, and while it is fun to experiment and try new things, I also need to be careful as not to represent my work portfolio as a whole as being without direction, unstable or incomplete. I’ve always drawn “Muses” and “Little Worlds”… and recently started on “Crash Diet” and a new ‘top secret’ series… but it might seem as if each of the works come out sporadically… I get inspired, draw it, post it… inspired, draw it, post it. It seems that I need to be inspired, draw it, and then perfect it.

More coming soon, but just know that I am going to be staying away from the “trends” in art these days (i.e. drawing girls, unicorns with arrows, animal bones and skulls, antlers, etc.) You know what they say, if it’s trending, you’re already too late. Artwork is just like any other “business” out there. The goal is to have a market, to be appealing and to find that niche… and then own it.

“Crash Diet: Inter Trans-fat Continental” – 6×8″ graphite and ink – original available

“Crash Diet” – 6 x 8″ graphite and ink – prints + original available

“Muses: Of the Sea” – A portrait of my sister Karen, a living testament to beauty like the sea.
8 x 10″ graphite and ink – prints and accessories available for purchase

“Muses: Bloom” – A portrait of my infinitely sweet and dear friend Kristy, a beautiful person inside and out!
8 x 10″ graphite and ink – prints and accessories available for purchase

“Muses: Free Fall” – 8 x 10″ graphite and ink -original drawing and prints + accessories available for purchase

“Muses: To Be Candid” – 6 x 8″ graphite and ink – original drawing and prints + accessories available for purchase

“Muses: Green Light” – 6×8″ graphite and ink – still in process…

More soon… happy Friday!

See more from my online portfolio for paintings, paperworks, and sketches.

© 2013 www.jbishopstudios.com

A look back to May 2011 – “Rainforest Birthday”
An admission ticket is needed to join in on this rainforest themed birthday party!
Item: Birthday Party Invitation in a Rainforest theme
Inks: Midnight Black, Antique Gold, Capri Blue // Stocks: Bright White Laid, Metallic Copper Backing // Fonts: Rosewood Standard + Filled // Finished Size: 4.5 x 8.5″

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Design by J.Bishop of Architette Studios.

© 2013 www.architettestudios.com

New in the shop for Father’s Day (about a month from today!) this year: Project Dad Construction

Hopefully you paired it with Project Mom Construction for Mother’s Day?

Visit Architette Studios on Facebook, or keep up with the latest on Twitter.

Design by J.Bishop of Architette Studios.

© 2005 – 2013 www.architettestudios.com

Last month, I completed working on a full wedding suite featuring the city skyline of St. Louis, Missouri… with an added bonus mini plane to figuratively represent the “Spirit of St. Louis”.

I really enjoyed working in the classic navy blue and bright white linen realm for the color palette. I especially love the pop of the custom cerulean blue mini plane as it twists through the skyline and stars. It was featured on the invitation belly belt, dinner reception card… and RSVP postcard, tying the entire suite together.

Detail shot of the mini plane wedding invitation belly-belt medallions un-cut… Par avion!

Assembled onto the belly belts…

Entire suite contents… dinner reception card and RSVP postcards.

For more examples of my custom wedding invitation suites, check out my most current work in my current albums on Architette Studios on Facebook, or keep up with the latest on Twitter.

Design by J.Bishop of Architette Studios.
Images blurred for privacy.

© 2005 – 2013 www.architettestudios.com

Earlier this month, I worked on a fun set of surprise birthday invitations in celebration of the bit “5-0″! They were created in the classic Tiffany’s Blue / bright white textured color scheme (my favorite)… and with a little wayward bundle of balloons.

Visit Architette Studios on Facebook, or keep up with the latest on Twitter.

Design by J.Bishop of Architette Studios.
Images blurred for privacy.

© 2013 www.architettestudios.com

As previously mentioned, I have been working on a new series in the studio entitled as the “Paper Quilt Series“. It first launched with my limited edition Monkey Wrench block design created in collaboration with Karen over at Presse Dufour.

Today, I present to you the open edition of the “Chevron” and “Bowtie” blocks… created in green and plum watercolors respectively.

Don’t forget to take a peek at “Pinwheel” and my personal favorite, “Monkey Wrench“. Up next…. “Rolling Stone” and “Railroad Crossing”…

Visit Architette Studios on Facebook, or keep up with the latest on Twitter.

Design by J.Bishop of Architette Studios.

© 2005 – 2013 www.architettestudios.com

Located in Williams Square of Irving, Texas is a public fountain bronze sculpture installation called ‘Mustangs at Las Colinas‘. It is said to be the largest equestrian sculpture in the world. (Everything is Texas is bigger!) It was commissioned in 1976 from sculptor Robert Glen and was installed in 1984.

Last month, I was commissioned to draw this sculpture to add to the bottom portion of a custom stationery set design for the City of Irving, Texas… to commemorate the city’s honor of being awarded the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award – an honor for the highest level of national recognition of performance excellence that a U.S. organization can receive!

Visit Architette Studios on Facebook, or keep up with the latest on Twitter.

Design by J.Bishop of Architette Studios.

© 2013 www.architettestudios.com

Looking back over the years that I have been creating for Architette Studios, and given that I started my design blog much later, I felt it to be important to look back over the years and to showcase some of my older work as well… that pre-date the blog! This new series will be called “Design Rewind”.

Today, a look back to April 2010:
“Island Welcome” : Chic yet relaxed look to the future honeymoon on the Island of Bora Bora.
Item: Wedding reception menus for a venue on the Boston, Massachusetts harbor.
Inks: Flushed Pink, Java Bean // Stocks: Speckled Recycled // Fonts: Scriptina, Century Gothic // Finished Size: 4.5 x 8.5″

Visit Architette Studios on Facebook, or keep up with the latest on Twitter.

Design by J.Bishop of Architette Studios.

© 2013 www.architettestudios.com

Last month, I was commissioned to draw the city skyline of Waco, Texas for a custom wedding invitation suite. My immediate thought was… Waco?! But I just love being contacted to draw the more uncommonly asked city skylines… it is the perfect opportunity to “travel” to a city I might not have otherwise decided to. (Lambertville, New Jersey and Occoquan, Virginia are another two that come to mind!)

Waco was founded by a tribe of Native Americans called the “Waco” or “Hueco” in Spanish in 1849. The early settlers were determined to be the first to build a bridge over the Brazos River, and so the Waco Bridge Company was born. The company hired Thomas M. Griffith of New York City as the engineer who in turn hired John A. Roebling and Sons of New York (who later went on to build the Brooklyn Bridge) to do all the cable and steelwork.

As if that wasn’t enough, built in 1902 Waco Steel Bridge was at the time, the longest single span steel bridge in the US!

The city’s nickname is the “Heart of Texas”, and is also the home to Baylor University, the Dr. Pepper Museum and the McLennan Courthouse. All of which (and more!) are included in my Waco, Texas city skyline.

Looking for a custom skyline? Visit this listing in the shop for more information… or feel free to email me with any questions!

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Design by J.Bishop of Architette Studios.

© 2013 www.architettestudios.com

Smooth bright white graduation announcements featuring the Tampa, Florida city skyline, mounted on heavyweight navy blue backer with matching envelope. Each envelope also came with a custom envelope wrap adhesive which I always recommend for my darker envelope shades.

Visit Architette Studios on Facebook, or keep up with the latest on Twitter.

Design by J.Bishop of Architette Studios.

© 2013 www.architettestudios.com

Update, tweet, pin… insta-argh! With social media, posting the same thing everywhere is so redundant! The thing about all these different methods of social media is that you may post the same thing in all these different places, and then cry for the people who “follow” your work everywhere because they have to see the same thing again, and again and again!

… but then you have people who only “follow” one of those medias, and they might miss out on something… and I could miss out on possible feedback (which is the life-fuel for me to go on!) This is the daily social media dilemma.

Some companies play that social media game, you know… “win a shopping spree if you share this post on your page”, “retweet this tweet to win”, or “create an inspiration board on Pinterest and tag us to win!”… but that’s not what I am trying to achieve. I just want to be clear about what is shown/posted where, so you can see what you want to see.  (Although in this case, I’d like to say it’s never bad too have too much of a good thing!  (Yes, that smiley is supposed to be upside down.)

… so here is the list of my favorite “kids” (in order) for Architette Studios… and what special attention I pay to each one. They’re not all the same!

#1 – Facebook: My first social media outlet for Architette Studios! I started with it, I’ll end with it. The portfolio there equals the one on my own portfolio website (if not surpasses it on some occasions!) It’s up-to-date, current, the most paid-attention to. In a way… all other social medias are a supplement to it.

#2 – My blog: Almost exactly what I post on Facebook, but with more detail, more back-story… and possibly more behind-the-scenes photos. The blog automatically “feeds” to Facebook and Twitter within the hour of a blog publish. (So if you follow my work on Facebook and/or Twitter, you won’t miss a blog post either.)

#3 – Twitter: I was late to the tweet game. @ArchitetteStu is the 140-character version of what I post on Facebook. Plus, since I do not have a personal Twitter (and never will), you’ll see the occasional “this-has-nothing-to-do-with-your-work” tweet. (Now you’ll also know that I love to watch The Voice, American Idol and Celebrity Apprentice, and am a huge astronomy skywatching nerd… ha. Don’t judge.)

#4 – Instagram: Too much social media, and I’ve decided to focus on only this blog, Facebook and Twitter… au revoir Instagram! Again, late to the instagramming. @ArchitetteStudios is often the neglected child… but I do post there, and seemingly everything all at once… with some weird hashtags that I think make sense at the time. Then come to find out that I am the only one in all of Instagram-land to use it. I do love the Instagram filters (especially Earlybird), and lately have been using Instagram filters to obtain a photo of my works-in-progress, and then sharing it elsewhere. If anything, you may see photos here that will not show up elsewhere… because it’s “Instagood”, but not “elsewheregood”.

#5 – Pinterest: I only have a personal Pinterest, with a “board” of work that can be seen there. They are just pins from my blog, or directly from my Etsy shop. Nothing too exciting. If you decide to poke around and find my other boards, well… you’ll just have to ignore my ”this-has-nothing-to-do-with-your-work” pins!

… and that’s it! Those are my “kids” (in order) for Architette Studios! One consistent theme you’ll notice between all of them – just about every post, anywhere, entails a photo. Visuals = good + a thousand words.

You can always just forgo any and all of these, and just sign up for my email blasts instead… (once every couple of months or so!) Keep it simple right?

So here is a recap + what you’ll see where for Architette Studios:
 Facebook – Everything + links to blog posts.
The blog – Everything in detail with a back-story.
Twitter – The 140-character concentrated info + links to blog posts + some “not-work-related” tweets.
Instagram – Behind-the-scenes + works-in-progress photos that I won’t post elsewhere (“Instagood”, but not “elsewheregood”.)
Pinterest – Just a personal “board” of pins from my blog, or directly from my Etsy shop. Nothing exciting.

My fine artwork for JBishop Studios can be found only on:
 Facebook, Twitter (@JBishopStudios), and Instagram (@JBishopStudios)

One more thing… if you see pages for Architette Studios or JBishop Studios on any other media… it’s NOT me! Just FYI. (Never will there be a Foursquare, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn, etc.) Cheers! I’ll see you on the page-twitter-blog-insta-pin!

Chemistry bottle icons used with permission by www.apricum.net

© 2013 www.architettestudios.com

These custom Salt Lake City, Utah thank you cards feature the city skyline, but are simply labeled as Utah. This is one of my favorite city skyline and am glad it was amongst the cities I just had to draw… just to draw it!

Visit Architette Studios on Facebook, or keep up with the latest on Twitter.

Design by J.Bishop of Architette Studios.

© 2013 www.architettestudios.com

Happy Friday! It is a busy Friday… but a brief and little pause from the studio work for another addition to my “Little Worlds” series. Also combining it with this weeks Illustration Friday topic of “Urban“, this is my “Little World on a Sand Dollar”.

… okay, back to work! Visit these posts for more Little Worlds.

See more from my online portfolio for paintings, paperworks, and sketches.

© 2013 www.jbishopstudios.com

Last month, I had the pleasure of creating custom various city skyline prints on heavyweight natural textured stock which would later be framed and placed on the wedding reception tables for my bride-to-be.

Visit Architette Studios on Facebook, or keep up with the latest on Twitter.

Design by J.Bishop of Architette Studios.

© 2013 www.architettestudios.com