Friend of Farmers~Chef Chase Elder /  by Abbie Zuidema

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Custom branding for Friend of Farmers! Located in Ojai, California.

"Chase Elder is a chef who creates meals that make you feel good about eating, and designs personalized menus to meet all your dietary needs and desires. Her food philosophy is pure, minimally processed food that is thoughtfully prepared at peak season when the plants can truly shine. she finds great benefits in using local, organic, and sustainable product, and believes in the quality of our food directly effecting our health. she is, a friend of farmers."

Let them cook for you at home, for a special event, or teach a class! 

Artist portrait~Randy Ryandi /  by Abbie Zuidema

Photographer Randy Ryandi recently shot my portrait for his artists series.  Using a Hasselblad & real black and white film, he graced my Bed-stuy studio with his presence.  He's a delight.  Thank you Randy, it was a pleasure.

See more of his work on his website http://randyryandi.com/.  He's not on Instagram - its too mainstream ;)

Mango! Mango! Mango! /  by Abbie Zuidema

Ode to a family recipe~

Champagne Mangoes are my favorite.  It was a delight to paint & collage these golden fruits. This family recipe was handed down from mother to daughter.  Vivid colors of India enliven ingredients to compose this mouthwatering accompaniment.  This is why I love what I do!

Wowzer! I'm in Manrepeller! /  by Abbie Zuidema

Celebrating 20+ years of waitressing! The time flew... I'm featured as one of the 5 servers in Man Repeller.  Telling tales from my times at Aquagrill, Diner, Il Buco, Vinegar Hill House & currently Cherry Point.  Pretty wild to reflect on all those years.

Thanks to Haley Nahman for bringing all the stories together & Man Repeller for the opportunity to tell my tales.  Big thanks to photographer Patrice Helmar for capturing me at Cherry Point.

Huzzah! A Cherry Point Restaurant Recipe Collaboration~ /  by Abbie Zuidema

Illustration by: Abbie Zuidema

Hey all!
Just submitted this recipe to :They Draw & Cook
Super nice people and a very cool thing to be involved with.
Nate Padavick and Salli S. Swindell are a brother/sister design and illustration team known as Studio SSS. They have created hundreds of magazine and book illustrations, thousands of greeting card designs, and, of course, many super tasty illustrated recipes!

Here is the illustrated recipe and the description.  THIS is what I want to do.  I love food so.

Honey Crisp Apple & Dunbarton Blue Salad

Recipe by: Julian Calcott & Ed Szymanski

This recipe was inspired by Cherry Point Restaurant, a bright star in Brooklyn newcomer eateries. Dreamed up by Julian Calcott & Ed Szymanski of Cherry Point, this salad is deceivingly “simple”.  It was a delight to illustrate all the elements of taste that make up this lips smacking dish.

TDAC make books with many of the submitted illustrations, which informs the layout of the recipe.  Imagine a gutter in the middle of the page for a book.  My map of Montauk was in their book last year of maps, so I know the routine.  You can buy it on Amazon HERE. 

I am excited to make more recipe illustrations with favorite chefs!  More to come . . .

THIS Thursday, July 28th! Picture Farm Gallery Benefit for the South African! /  by Abbie Zuidema

"South African" 2016, 11x15" watercolor on Fabriano

Friends & Family,  
Mark Beukes, aka the South African, was diagnosed with MDS, Myelodysplastic Syndromes, and will need a Bone Marrow Transplant.  Yes, this is very serious; but it can be cured with a successful bone marrow transplant and a lot of will power.  A bone marrow transplant is expensive and has a long recovery period (usually a full year) which is why a fund has been created to raise money and support to help cover some of his medical treatment and living expenses.  Click to learn more & contribute to the fund.
 
THIS Thursday, July 28th, Picture Farm Gallery will be hosting an art auction to benefit Mark Beukes.  There will be an amazing array of art on offer, over 30 local and international artists.  Preview & bid on art before Thursday. 

My contribution was a custom map of South Africa, which is where Mark is from, also why we call him the “South African”.  I teamed up with Mark Firth to come up with some significant spots and memories. They hung out in the Northern suburbs in Sandton and Rosebank, near Johannesburg, but made regular forays into Hillbrow for the night clubs.  Mark and Mark would meet at 2 am at the Hard Rock Cafe after their shifts. South African, as we all call him, attended Wits University, or University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.  Those years were spent working, smoking pot, and drinking Castle Lager to the album, Cold Fact, by Rodriguez. One can only imagine the kind of mischief those two must have gotten into back in the day!  Ihope that this map celebrates that moment in time, and the South African, before we even met him.  To this day I can’t hear Rodriguez, and not be magically transported back to my Diner days in 2001, and the South African leaning on the bar. 



 

Extreme Kids & Crew Gala Commission /  by Abbie Zuidema

Donate to dance! 
When you give to Extreme Kids & Crew you get invited to the Felix Award Gala!  Extreme Kids & Crew is a welcoming community center where children with disABILITIES, their friends, and their families, socialize, create and play. Together families share resources, stories, tears, and laughter while children play and take part in inclusive arts programming that is open to all members of the family.
http://www.extremekidsandcrew.org/

May 19th ~ Give to the campaign & GO to the Gala!

Extreme Kids and & Crew enlisted me to design and paint the invitation & banner for the Felix Award Gala.  It was a pleasure to collaborate with them.  I can't wait for the Gala!!
 
AZ

STARBUCKS~Huge India Ink watercolor Maps! /  by Abbie Zuidema

Starbucks ~ Thrilling news!!!  
Biggest project to date!!
Starbucks enlisted me to paint 3 large scale maps of coffee growing regions:  Asia/Pacific, Africa and Indonesia. These large scale watercolor maps are 3 x 3 feet big.  

Each letter, and all the writing on these map was done by my hand.  Each stroke of the pen reflects who I am as an artist. As a result, the lettering is highly expressive with a distinctly unique style.

The Sumatran tiger was completed using Inkblot technique, creating the markings on the coat and face.  Inkblot creates an expressive uncontrolled mark. It's incredibly laborious but well worth the effort, resulting in deep, rich, expressive lines.  This technique was the finishing touch on all the maps created for Starbucks.

The maps will be installed in Starbucks across the country.

{Details of these paintings can be seen at abbiezuidema.com}

 

They Draw and Travel-100 maps & a brand new book! /  by Abbie Zuidema

"In 2011, the brother-and-sister design duo of Nate Padavick and Salli Swindell founded the website They Draw & Travel (www.theydrawandtravel.com). Today, it is the internet’s largest collection of illustrated maps created by artists from around the world.

This book contains 100 illustrated maps of places in the United States that were drawn by the fine artists, professional illustrators and amateur doodlers who make up the very creative community on They Draw & Travel. The illustrated maps in this book provide inspiration on many levels.

From a purely artistic standpoint, the variety of illustration styles is amazing. From the cool linework of James Gulliver Hancock and the painterly style of Abbie Zuidema to the sharp graphics of Nate Padavick and the cuteness of Aunyarat Watanabe, the illustrations in this book are a great reference for exceptional style and talent.

As a travelogue, these maps provide a fresh way to look at and learn about a particular place: through the eyes of an artist. Do you know where to go for a really great bike ride in Vermont? Did you know there are 36 places to eat cashew chicken in the town of Springfield, Missouri? Or, how about all the great things to do with kids in Los Angeles? This book takes armchair travel to a whole new artistic level!"

(thank you Nate Padavick, I couldn't have said it better myself!)

Get your copy on Amazon.com!  Perfect for a holiday gift!

Neil Young-Flash back Friday /  by Abbie Zuidema

Back in 2005, I was asked by Williamsburg Diner regular Justin Lowe to contribute a painting to a group show at Printed Matter in Manhattan. The inspiration was Neil Young's patterned liner notes from the album "On the Beach". I took the pattern of the liner notes, and overlaid a portrait of cream being poured into the baked eggs. The "baked eggs" were a play on words and reference to the time the albums was made, 1974. It was the 70's and lots of people were getting "baked". Eggs are just plain wholesome & part of the fabric of our diet, as is the cream being poured into the dish. So it created a visual juxtapose of that moment of time in history. And I listened to a lot of Neal Young which is always good.  I still love this painting.

"Baked Eggs", 12x12", Watercolor, English Breakfast Tea, Gesso, India Ink on Fabriano Paper, 2005


Westjet - a Canadian commission honoring a brother. /  by Abbie Zuidema

My friend Joelle Hann asked me to paint a very special commission.  It was a thank you map for Westjet Airlines. They flew her for 16 months unlimited from New York City to Canada.  So that she could be with her brother and his family while he underwent chemo. It would also commemorate that special window of time they shared.

 “Yesterday Bill, my brother, would have turned 40. This morning I landed in Vancouver to spend a week with his wife, and kids Sammie, 7, and Alex, 8.

This time I bring with me my "thank you" gift for WestJet, the company Bill flew for, who very generously--incredibly, really--flew me from New York to Victoria as often as I needed while Bill was sick. That's 16 months of flights. They never said no. In fact, they said there is no limit.

They are directly responsible for all the extra time I got with Bill. Because of them I got to know Bill again as an adult. I got to know his wife and kids. West Jet was key in bringing my brother and me together again before he passed. It is a gift I can't repay. 

But, I offer this token: an original watercolor painting by the talented Brooklyn artist Abbie Zuidema. A map showing the flight routes I took for those 16 months, one of Bill's favorite quotes, a note of thanks, and the things we loved in both places: the Olympic mountains in the west, the Williamsburg bridge in the east. To WestJet, thank you. (And thank you, Abbie J. Zuidema for the love you put into this project.) I've brought the painting to show my family, and then it's going on to WestJet offices in Calgary.”

-Joelle Hann

This map chronicled a life journey.  We all must face seemingly impossible challenges in our lives, and the passing of a loved one is something we all must experience.  This map was a testament to the grace of leaning into the challenges that life gives us. It’s about survival and abundance, even in the darkest moments.  As I was making this commission, I too was struggling with a loss I didn’t think I could bear. It was incredible to take part in documenting something so affirming.  Thank you Joelle for asking me to be a part of this.

A.

Isness~a cinematic graphic novel /  by Abbie Zuidema

Stavit Allweis, asked me to contribute illustrations for her graphic novel, Isness.

It’s a bold, uninhibited graphic novel about a post-apocalyptic family, integrating live action photos with detail-drenched miniature environments.

She has dedicated years of her life to chronically working this project. It’s HUGE. I paid a visit to her studio & saw the diorama in real life. The details are astounding! She makes miniature sets, then photographically shoots them, then adds the actors into each scene-there are so many facets to each of environments.  It was inspiring.

The watercolors that follow are to be placed within the novel, as illustrations.  They were a treat to make.  Thank you Stavit!

You can learn more about this epic project at: www.facebook.com/sallweis and www.countercomics.com

Martha's Vineyard Watercolor Map /  by Abbie Zuidema

Martha’s Vineyard was a special commissioned surprise gift. My favorite kind of work! With visions of the island dancing in my head, I was inspired to create my own rendition. 

The towns of Aquinnah, Chilmark, West Tisbury, Vineyard Haven, Oak Bluffs & Edgartown are all noted.  There is also a peppering of lighthouses, sailboats, a nod to the Wampanoag Native Americans who originally fished the island, summer strawberries & the historic 1889 Flying Horses Carousel.  

This map is a special treat to all of those who hold Martha’s Vineyard near & dear to their hearts.  Someday I’ll make it out there-till then I can dream.

Prints are available in my Etsy Shop for $35 Clams.

Going back to Cali, to Cali, to Cali.... /  by Abbie Zuidema

Eastcoast to Westcoast.  Two of my most favorite people are moving to/back to Cali with their daughter. I was asked to make an invite to commemorate this big moment. John is the proud owner of a Westfalia 1985 van. It needed to be in the painting.  A Volkswagon van, along with some psychedelic tie-dye effects was just what I was envisioning. A painting was born.

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Pop-up @Platform in Highland Park CA! /  by Abbie Zuidema

California dreaming...

I will have work in L.A. by then end of the week!  Woo hoo! Nautical Knots & Mehndi henna hearts are en route for a pop-up in Highland Park, CA at Platform!

Platform is “a multi-purpose concept space, offering an art gallery, retail environment and studio...specializing in home staging, home styling, workshops, pop-up shops & prop rentals, platforming everything we love, create and are inspired by!”

My old friend Samuel Moyer curated my work for this summers pop-up.  Talented in his own right, he makes one-of-a-kind furniture by hand from sustainable materials, have a look for yourself ~ samuelmoyerfurniture.com

Vibrant watercolor mehndi henna prints have been specially printed & simply framed. New original works on paper have been inked & framed of nautical knots.  Inkblot sailor knots are also available as unframed works on paper at Platform. I am so pleased to be able to take part in this pop-up. 

If you are in L.A. most certainly stop in & take a look. Work is due to arrive this week.

Happy Summer!

allmybest,

AJZ

Abbie J. Zuidema

abbiejzuidema.com

Father's Day! Sailors Nautical Knots! /  by Abbie Zuidema

Father's Day, Sunday, June 15th, is right around the corner. 

Dads are notoriously the most difficult to buy for. Nautical knots are perfect gift!  They are fascinating. From the names of the individual knots, history, meaning & their function-I'm hooked.

I discovered The Ashley's Book of Knots, an incredible tome of a book that includes 4,000 knots! It blew my mind.

There are 4 different knots styles to choose from: Figure Eight Stoppers, Bowline, Sheepshank & True Lovers Knot (maybe not for Dad's day, but still quintessential). Or maybe you just need one for yourself.

All 4 knots are available in my Etsy shop. 

Each work on paper is drawn, then traced, then transferred to Fabriano watercolor paper via inkblot technique with India ink.  Individual knots are hand detailed with pen & ink, and finally filled with Dr. Martin’s Radiant Concentrated Water Color. 5.5" x 7.5"

*Custom Commissions are available*