inspiration

Sharing More Inspirations

| Leslie Born

Do you remember a while ago I shared my first six inspiration robots? I’ve now got nine more to share with you! I adore each of these inspiration robots so much, I’d really like to share their stories with you now!

Some back story: a couple of years ago I made a list of people who have inspired me. How amazing would it be if we could immortalize those we adore as robots so they’d always be with us?

I decided to do just that with those on my list and create an “Inspiration Series”. I’ve been inspired by music, books, food and art – so I feel I have an awesomely eclectic group of robots to share!

The latest nine Inspiration Robots:

An inspiration robot for Frida Khalo. The robot is sitting for a portrait with flowers in their hair, two iconic Frida Khalo paintings are displayed in the robot's gauges.
Robot No. 35 knows that at the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.

Frida Khalo was one of the first artists outside of the Impressionists that made an impact on me. The way she was living in chaos, with her body and life, but she used art to express those feelings and was loved for it. I maybe don’t express my pain the same way, but I do feel more free to express myself because Frida led the way.

Suprmurgitroid Robot No. 36 is an Inspiration Robot for Johnny Cash. It's a rendition of an image of Johnny Cash sitting and playing his guitar.
Robot No. 36 says “For you I’d walk the line.” Inspiration Robot for musician, song writer and man full of hope, Johnny Cash.

Johnny Cash went through chaos too, and on the other side he found hope. He continued to wear black to remind others there was work to do, but even though it was dark and filled with heavy reasons, it was hopeful. I try to think of Johnny Cash when things are a bit dark because I want to remember there is hope.

Supermurgitroid Robot No. 39 is an Inspiration Robot for Stephen King. The robot has "I heart books" on its chest, as Stephen King has been seen to wear a t-shirt similar. The robot is holding two Stephen King books whose covers I have reimagined.
Robot No. 39 knows monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win. Inspiration Robot for author Stephen King.

After I graduated from the Young Adult section of the library, I went to Stephen King novels. I think I was most drawn to the imagery – the made up things that were so vivid in my mind. Only an artist could depict those things with words in such a way that they were so vibrant in my mind. I’d often sketch what I thought some of those things were. I think it helped me view the world differently. And again it reminded me that it was good to see the world through an artist’s lens.

A round robot dressed like Andre the Giant, wearing The Ultimate Warrior's arm bands, Bret the Hitman Hart's sunglasses, Sargent Slaughter's boots, and Shaun Michael's heart on its chest, holds up the golden belt.
Do-Gooder Robot No. 55 says “The best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be.” (A special thank you for all the memories for all the wrestlers who lead to the inspriation for this Inspiration Robot.) A portion of proceeds goes to ADAA.

I grew up with a grandfather and uncle who loved wrestling, and I wanted to be with them, so I grew to love it too. My grandfather would get so riled up, he’d jump up onto the back of the couch and be swirling his fists in the air – he was about 70 years young then too! I remember going to see a couple WWF shows live. It was magical. They didn’t seem real even in person (because they really weren’t), but it was so special. These people give their everything and all to a sport that is so rough, and hard on them in so many ways. I wanted to pay homage to the people that helped give me so many special memories.

An inspiration robot for Fred Rogers; sitting on his bench tossing his slipper in the air at the end of the show.
Supermurgitroid Inspiration Robot No. 60 likes you just the way you are. “When the gusty winds blow and shake our lives, if we know that people care about us, we may bend with the wind… but we won’t break.” Fred Rogers. A portion of proceeds donated to ADAA.

Whenever something hard happens, or something scary happens, or the world seems too much, I wish I could have Mr. Rogers give me advice. I often think about his quote “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” I know that this has been overused a bit in the last few years, but it still helps me. I wish to be a helper in any way that I can. I want to share good, and leave the world a better place than when I got here.

An inspiration robot for Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli. She stands wearing her iconic necklace and holding a chef's knife.
Robot No. 62 recommends staying away from the truffle oil at the last second! Inspiration Robot for Alex Guarnaschelli, and Do-Gooder Robot. A portion of proceeds donated to World Central Kitchen.

Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli is a force to be reckoned with in so many ways. She’s open, honest, strong, brave, true, intelligent, and thoughtful. I appreciate how she views food, how she cooks, and how she teaches. But I’m also completely struck by how she shares her thoughts, and feelings. When someone says she does well under pressure, she admits that she’s a bundle of nerves, and she doesn’t hide it or make it seem like she has it all under control. It’s been a good reminder to me that life can be out of control, but it’s just that out of my control, and I just need to work on the things I can control.

An inspiration robot for Stan Rogers; Stan is sitting in a wooden rocking chair and signing while strumming the guitar.
Robot No. 65 has a sweet, smooth baritone voice that will soothe your soul. Gone too soon, and never forgotten. Listen to Northwest Passage as you choose this robot to bring home with you!

I have only been aware of Stan Rogers for five years or so, but they have been five years of deep diving into his collection and life. His songs have such deep-felt emotions, and they seem to be made even more deep with his smooth baritone voice. A voice that should soothe, but it seems to emphasize his stories in an unexpected way. It hurts a bit that he died so young, because I do believe we needed more from him, more insight into the world, more love. But I am so grateful that he was here long enough to share what he did.

Supermurgitroid Group Robot No. 68 is an Inspiration Series Robot for the band The Weakerthans. The image is the band in robot form from a popular group photo.
Group Robot No. 68 says “Hello, we are The Weakerthanoids, and we are from Winnipegopolis.” An Inspiration Robot group for the band The Weakerthans. Listen to the song “My Favourite Chords”, or “Utilities”, or “Bigfoot”, or…seriously any song from this band and you’ll be happy to sport them!

This is a tough one for me to write about, because I need to keep it short and sweet, and I could write for days about what The Weakerthans mean to me. It’s impossible to put it into words. Their songs are short stories, poems really, and we get glimpses into lives, and we are rarely, if ever even told their names, but the songs leave me wanting to know more. How did it end, how is it going, what happened next? I can’t imagine that is an easy thing to do. But they managed to have a whole collection of amazing stories set to music that has something for every feeling and moment in life. (I cannot listen to the Virtute the Cat series though, it rips my heart into too many pieces!)

A warmly smiling robot sits behind a frame, with them are a puppet child and dog. On the wall there are drawings and other crafty things. This is an inspiration robot for Mr. Dressup.
Robot No. 99 is reminding you to keep your crayons sharp, your sticky tape untangled, and always put the tops back on your markers. Inspiration Robot for Ernie Coombs, a.k.a. Mr. Dressup.

The Canadian answer to Mr. Rogers was Mr. Dressup, and he was just as wonderful. He taught me to draw; he taught many Canadian children how to draw, how to be kind, how to be silly, and how to care for one another. He had a special draft table set up, and I’d pretend that my clipboard was the same, and I’d set up to be the same as him. I felt like I was right there with him, and like he was talking just to me. He’s the reason I got a draft table for my seventh birthday!

I’m sure that there will be more Inspiration Robots in the future, there are still some people on my list But truly, each of these people have touched my heart, and I’m so grateful for them. I’m grateful for how they shaped me, shaped my life, and taught me that it’s ok to be me. I hope that this has maybe introduced you to someone new, or reinforced that the world is indeed small and we aren’t all that different after all.

I’d love to know, who has inspired you?

Take care,

Leslie

PS: there’s a special Inspirations collection on Threadless where you can view all of my Inspiration Robots together.

Fine Art Prints – Abandoned Houses, Mid Century Modern Clocks, and Halloween Masks

Old House A: a decrepit small house that is 1.5 stories tall. The front porch has a rocking chair on it. The print is 8x10 inches in black and white.
| Leslie Born

Art has been a constant in my life. There’s no way to emphasize that sentence in a way that will fully explain what it means and the weight it carries.

I picked up a pencil at a very young age (I have a colouring book from when I was three, and it looks like I coloured it yesterday), and it was very hard to put it down when I felt like I needed to. I still have the “learn-to-draw” books that I used when I started drawing, and then I used them as reference when needed (they have been moved across Canada with me a few times!). When I would get stressed in university, my relief was to pick up a pencil and doodle, draw, design, whatever felt right at the moment. The best decision I made for myself was to do my minor in Fine Arts, I got to release that creativity into the world. I felt exhilarated with each assignment and I kept getting better and better (as one does with anything they practice).

Since then, I have always drawn or painted “just because.” In the last ten years I really started to focus on watercolour painting. I love it. It takes some skill, some technique, but basically I just play with pigment and water and I might as well be a toddler again. Again, just practicing and “playing” have made me more confident in the medium. I’ve recently discovered a “trick” in using pencil crayons and gel pens to get the highlights I often find myself wanting in my watercolour paintings, and so I’m very excited to try that soon. Recently I painted a Supermurgitroid Robot friend using watercolour paints, and outlined in ink. I did it because for ages I’ve been telling myself if I tried it wouldn’t be very good, and I had to prove that little voice wrong, and I’m so glad I did. I’m in love with that little friend I painted, and I really just have to stop telling myself I can’t – I currently am, and I have the paintings and art to prove it!

Abandoned Houses

Another love of mine is abandoned houses, very run-down houses, or old houses. I truly feel that they have stories to tell, they have voices, they have personalities. They have seen things that we can only imagine. I wish each house came with a little binder of all the people who have owned it, when it was renovated, what thought was put into its keep-up, and anything else it wants to share! Can you imagine what my one-hundred-year-old house could tell?! It’s amazing. I found some pictures of old houses on the internet, and felt their personalities calling out to me, so I began to draw their portraits. I feel like portrait is the only way to describe these drawings. They each have such massive personalities, and there must be stories behind the way they are. Here are a couple:

Old House A: a decrepit small house that is 1.5 stories tall. The front porch has a rocking chair on it. The print is 8x10 inches in black and white.
Abandoned House A, 8×10 inch black and white print.

Abandoned House D, a black and white print, 8×10 inches.

Mid-Century Modern Clocks

I have a fascination with mid-century modern décor as well. It is simple, but complex. It is bright, but muted. It seems to be all contradictions, and perhaps that is why I like it. It reminds me of all the contradictions I hold within myself, and why that is a good thing. I started drawing mid-century inspired clocks set to certain times that mean something to me. Like how I always seem to look at the clock at 12:34, how some people say to make a wish when looking at the clock at 11:11, and the time my child was born. I set them each against a mid-century modern inspired patterned wallpaper, because it reminds me of my grandma’s kitchen. For a very long time her kitchen had the green fridge and stove, and was completed with a brown and orange carpet! Very eclectic! Here are a couple of my clocks:

A mid-century modern clock that has a teal geometric shape and gold trim. The pale yellow face is set against a blue, yellow, green, and white wallpaper with parallelograms in a pattern. The clock is set to 11:30. The print is 5x7 inches.
Clock A set to 11:30, 5×7 inch print.

A mid-century modern clock that has a red wood flower and starburst details. The gold face is set against a green, yellow, and white wallpaper with half moons and diamonds in a pattern. The clock is set to 7:06. The print is 5x7 inches.
Clock B set to 7:06, 5×7 inch print.

Vintage Halloween Masks

Halloween is a very big part of my life. I love everything about it. I remember as a kid that we had the Collegeville costumes, they were masks with a plastic coverup that had an outfit printed on it. It was nice because we were often trick-or-treating in snow, so costumes always had to fit over snowsuits, and this one was one of the few that assured to. I chose my favourite six to start with, but my favourite vintage Halloween Masks of those are:

Vintage Halloween Mask – Clown

Vintage Halloween Mask – Cat

You Can Have One Too!

I have decided to share these creations as prints, and these art prints are available online in a few ways: through my Etsy shop (Hook and Line Wpg), through Art of Where, and now also through Society6!

Etsy

The art prints available through Etsy are printed by me (well by my Epson printer), and they are either printed on Stonehenge paper or a printable cotton canvas! (I posted a video of the printable cotton canvas in the Mid-Century Modern Clock post to show how neat it is!) They come unframed, which is a great option if you have a frame just waiting for a colourful art print to be displayed in it.

There are four Vintage Halloween Mask prints available on Etsy (clown, cat, bat, and Frankenstein’s Monster). All of the eight Abandoned House drawings are available, as are all five Mid-Century Modern inspired clocks.

Art of Where

Art of Where creates prints that can be matte or glossy, on wood or paper, or be a poster or paper print. Details on their prints can be found at the Art of Where website.

All six Vintage Halloween Mask art prints, eight Abandoned House drawings, and five Mid-Century Modern inspired clocks are available at Art of Where.

Society6

And as of this week, all of these prints are also available through Society6! There are many options at Society6, from framed to unframed prints, as well as metal and acrylic options!

All prints are available at Society6 in all of the many options!

I would really love for you to love the houses, clocks, and masks as much as I do. I’ve really enjoyed creating them, and feel their stories should begin to be shared! Perhaps you need a gift for someone who loves Mid-Century Modern decor, or your wall needs a gallery of abandoned buildings. Whatever it’s for, I hope that I can help you find it!

I have other ideas in the works, I’m figuring out a way to get some of my photographs accessible as prints, and items, so keep your ears to the ground and I’ll let you know when those are ready to go!

Thank you for spending part of your day with me, I really appreciate it.

Take care,

Leslie

Sharing Inspiration

| Leslie Born

A while ago, I thought it would be cute if I drew a friend’s dog as a robot. Then I drew my first dog as a robot. I was thinking about how I wish I could have immortalized that dog in robot form so he’d still be with me.

Phillip a friend’s dog.
Rufus, my first dog.

Then I remembered a couple of years ago I made a list of people who have inspired me. How amazing would it be if we could immortalize those we adore as robots so they’d always be with us?

I decided to do just that with those on my list and create an “Inspiration Series”. I’ve been inspired by music, books, food and art – so I feel I have an awesomely eclectic group of robots to share!

I’ve released six Inspiration Robots so far:

Golden Girls

When I was younger I’d spend a lot of time with my grandparents, and I remember watching this show with them, at the time a lot of the jokes were over my head, but the thought of these awesome ladies living together and having so much fun was so enjoyable to watch. Then a couple years ago, I started watching from the beginning. It still holds up, it’s still amazing, and I still wish I were able to live in that house with them!

Frankenstein’s Monster & Bride of Frankenstein

Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein in 1818 when she was 21! It is one of the first examples of science fiction, but she had to publish it anonymously because it was thought no one would want to buy a book like that written by a woman. Mary persevered in a life that was riddled with tragedy. I feel she was strong and brave and I’m glad she created one of the best stories to ever be re-written.

Anthony Bourdain

It’s nearly impossible to put into words how Anthony Bourdain changed the way I look at food. He helped form food tv as we know it, he shared a glimpse into worlds I will likely never get to see first-hand, he enjoyed writing stories, and illustrating them. When we eat club sandwiches, we always think about him as we decide whether to eat the middle piece of bread or not. It’s a weird world without him, and I really feel like his words could be useful right now..

Gord Downie

Another person whose words could be useful right now. The lead singer for the Canadian band The Tragically Hip. The song master of my life growing up. A man who seemed to not be made for this world – his heart was so big, and he was so humble, and quiet and insightful. He created imagery with music that is nearly unparalleled especially because many of the songs were written about true events.

Vincent van Gogh

I have always felt an affinity to van Gogh. Perhaps it was the melancholy yet joyful way he looked at the world. He was hopeful and optimistic, but also quite a realist. He makes impressionism his own, and tells his story the way he wants it to be. I’m also grateful for his sister-in-law Johanna van Gogh-Bonger for realizing the importance of his works; and for the decedents of Vincent William van Gogh for making it so that this legacy gets carried on.

Auguste Rodin’s The Thinker

Bronze sculptures always make me stop in my tracks. The fact that we have been able to harness this deeply complex method is amazing. It’s intricate, yet rough, soft but a bit harsh…the patience and knowledge it must take is awe inspiring.

There’ll be another later today (Monday), and more planned for the future!

I’d love to know, who has inspired you?

Take care,

Leslie

Reflections

| Leslie Born

As I’m nearing this upcoming milestone birthday, I’m thinking a lot about the people and things that have inspired me.  How through all the thick and thin, I am who I am because of it all.  It’s actually why I don’t like birthdays really. However, this year I can celebrate having fulfilled a dream – I am a professional artist now! 

When I was five, my grandma taught me how to knit and I made my kindergarten transport driver a scarf for Christmas. I can’t imagine now what it looked like, I’m 90% sure that there were a ton of holes and that I only used scrap yarn, but the way he lit up when I gave it to him, I will always remember.

Then my grandpa taught me how to cross stitch. I embellished everything – tshirts, pants, made pictures, bibs, everything I could touch.

Somewhere in there I started drawing and couldn’t stop. I got a how to draw Mickey Mouse and Friends book, as well as how to draw cartoon people. I was hooked. I drew whenever there was a writing utensil near me – even those white stones that draw on the concrete!

Then I was introduced to fine art. When we went to the Museum of Natural History, I spent so much time asking whomever I was with about the dioramas and who painted them. I was intrigued that there were museums just for art.

I’m not sure when it was but I then found the Impressionists. I believe it was during an English class that we studied the Don McLean song Vincent. I was swept up in how they changed the face of art. They took art from the elite to the everyday. They changed the way we saw the world, how artists looked at the world. I learned art can change the world.  

I focused on art, until high school. Then I was kind of forced down a university track that I didn’t want. I ended up getting my Bachelor of Science double majoring in Mathematics and Statistics with a minor in Fine Art. Yeah. I listened to those around me that said art was an unsuccessful path. I still held on a little though.

Somewhere I forgot how to knit and started crocheting. I’d crochet friends’ babies blankets, and toys and trinkets. I’d craft Christmas decorations. I told myself someday I’d have an art room in my house.

When I met my future husband, he had very little knowledge of the art I was so enthralled with, and so I’d drag him around to all the artsy things I could find. Now he comes very willingly and I can’t wait to share this all with my little one.

When I got married, I made doilies for each table and they were part of the favours! I found so many amazing patterns, some so old they were from the early 1800s. They were my favourite to make because they made me feel connected to this way of making things. I feel grounded when I’m around things that have a history.

I never meant to get sappy in this blog. It’s just things that have been on my mind a lot lately. I realized how long I’ve been drawing and crocheting and dreaming of having these shops so that I can share what I love to make. (Even though 5 years ago if you said I’d have a strange robot portal open and I’d have a ton of new robot friends I wanted to share with the world, I would not have believed you at all!) I’ve got some exciting new robot friends coming up – I’ve been inspired by the people who have inspired me (Frida Khalo, Vincent Van Gogh, Anthony Bourdain, Johnny Cash, and more). I’m also in the process of designing some new bags for my Etsy shop. And none of this would have been possible without those who inspired me. Sometimes history feels heavy, but that’s the responsibility I feel I have to pass this knowledge along and to keep the memories and stories alive.

I mean it when I say I want to make sure I have a good story to tell in the end, I want my little one to understand this responsibility and to pass it all along somehow to the next generations too.

Thanks for being with me friends. I hope you are all taking care and maybe have a moment to reflect and think about those who’ve inspired you.

Take care,

Leslie