Courtesy of Mushy Pony

Two nights ago, the Cowgirls invited their artist friends over for a build-your-own pizza party. But knowing only how to open a bottle of wine, we were a little nervous about cooking five pizzas. Turns out it’s easy. Buy crusts (Summerhill Market makes the best ones, so don’t opt for Pillsbury) and fresh toppings of your choice, turn your stove to 450º, cook for 15 minutes, and serve.

Together with mixed media artists Kathryn Macnaughton and Danielle Hession, creative director Annie Chou, and Boz Boards founder Mike Bozinovski, we experimented with toppings and cheeses galore. Here were some of our results:

Courtesy of Mushy Pony

Courtesy of Mushy Pony

Courtesy of Mushy Pony

Give it a try. When you cook together as a group, the dinner tastes that much better – a proven science.

XoXo
– The Cowgirls.

Our interview with upcoming Torontonian artist: Kathryn Macnaughton

Courtesy of Brianne Leeder

Her provokingly surreal artwork has been praised by some of the world’s hottest magazines. But Kathryn Macnaughton started her career in the classrooms at O.C.A.D. like so many other starving artists today. Her mix of collage, photography and illustration come together in wildly imaginative pieces with frisky scribbles and geometric patterns. The Cowgirls caught up with her to talk about her inspiration and how she’s making her mark as an artist in Toronto.

Courtesy of Kathryn Macnaughton

Pony: You use both collage and illustration in your work. How do you decide where to use each?

Kathryn: It always depends on what the project is. I use collage when it’s appropriate. I always come up with the concept first before going into my archive of magazines. If nothing fits, then I rely on my drawing as the primary skeleton of the work and add in skin tones etc. from old photographs.

Pony: Your pieces are quite surreal! Where do you get your inspiration?

Kathryn: Vintage magazines. I really love old playboys! I have a large collection.

Pony: Is there a particular period of interest to you? Vintage wise?

Kathryn: The 60s and 70s. I love the saturated colours. I’ve always been inspired by pop artists such as David Hockney, Guy Bourdin, Ed Ruscha, Andy Warhol, and Robert Rauschenberg so I think that’s where my fascination with the 60s and 70s began.

Pony: Explain to us what Filthy Rautten is.

Courtesy of Kathryn Macnaughton

Kathryn: My very talented and beautiful friend is a DJ, Kristen Leeder (a.k.a. DJ Filthy Gorgeous). I’ve always done the artwork for her flyers and she used to do a night with another DJ named Rautten. So these were a collaboration of their names really. It’s a lot of fun. I get to be as provocative as I want because there are no rules or guidelines.

Pony: Where can we find your other works? Do you work on commission?

Kathryn: I’ve done some editorial work for clients such as More Magazine, Report on Business, Cent Magazine. I’ve also done some graphic design work; such as Anjulie‘s album cover and a few other websites. I’m so excited! Just today I finished up a series of 18 x 24 silkscreen prints of my Filthy Rautten posters for a gallery in Brookyn, NY. I’ll keep you posted on when they’re listed.

Pony: You’ve obviously come a long way since graduating from Illustration at O.C.A.D. How have you changed since then?

Kathryn: I think it’s important not to limit yourself to the execution of your work. Art, illustration and graphic design have really merged together recently. I’m beginning to see them overlap more and more. I don’t like to think of myself as just an illustrator and I’m open to doing anything art related.

Courtesy of Kathryn Macnaughton

Pony: What are some exhibitions you’ve been to lately?

Kathryn: I recently saw Urs Fischer‘s exhibition at The New Museum in N.Y. and loved it! I also really admire Steve Harrington, Will Sweeney, Bjorn Copeland and Shaun O’dell just to name a few.

Pony: Have you found it difficult to get recognized as an artist in Toronto?

Kathryn: That’s a hard question to answer… I’m not sure. I’m still in the process of getting my work out there. I recently left my 9 to 5 job to focus on creating my own opportunities. Ask me again in a few months!!

Courtesy of Kathryn Macnaughton

Check out more of Kathryn’s artwork on her website here.

XoXo
– The Cowgirls

Courtesy of Danielle Hession

Besides being a beautiful, young, talented artist, Danielle Hession also shares a love of riding – which makes her all the more welcome here at Mushy Pony. With a design degree from the Ontario College of Art and Design, and experience working from both New York and L.A., Danielle’s resume is nothing short of impressive. But it’s her work that’s the real treasure, in every sense of the word. She finds treasures from old photo albums, recycled goods, or even tossed objects – making her work not only remarkable, but environmentally friendly too.

The Cowgirls were excited to talk to Danielle about her designs, but they also wanted to know where she buys all her gorgeous vintage dresses – a staple to her definitive look.

Pony: You’ve been working with collage since you were seven years old. Would you ever drastically change your medium?

Danielle: I constantly think about changing my medium. I think I will always do collage because that was my first love. That said, I would love to experiment in other mediums. In high school I did a lot of assemblage and I have thought of going back to that 3-dimensional way of working.  I am also fascinated by installation art. There are so many different mediums that can go into one installation. I hope to switch to many different mediums throughout my art career.

Pony: How has your style changed since starting university?

Danielle: I think my style has changed quite a bit since starting university but I am sure other people would find that it still looks somewhat similar. Majoring in graphic design fed my obsession with typography, or the use of typefaces. I have definitely deviated from the style I was doing while in school. My schoolwork always had some small element of collage or mixed media but I spent my four years at OCAD trying to simplify my aesthetic for all of my teachers. When I graduated, I came to the realization that my work will never be simple. I work best with layers and endless details. But although my work’s always changing, my personal style certainly doesn’t: apparently I only wore pink in university!

Pony: You were recently in the Toronto Art Exhibition, how was that experience and is there anywhere else we can find your work right now?

Danielle: I am always very happy to be part of the Toronto Outdoor Exhibition. It is my favorite show to do because it tends to draw people who are very enthusiastic about art. My work can also be seen at Art Interiors gallery in Forest Hill and In2Art gallery in Oakville. I am working on an online shop with etsy.com to showcase prints of my work.

Pony: If we want a custom piece by you, and we’re not sure we have any personal treasures, what do you suggest?

Danielle: No problem. I suggest that people look through the work I have already done on my website, pick their favorite piece and I will create something with a similar feel. It will never look exactly the same as the original but you can tell me what elements you like in particular. If you have a certain theme or imagery in mind, I can always hunt for a vintage image that matches that theme and go from there. After that, you can customize colour, size, and any other important elements.

Pony: Where do you get your inspiration for each piece?

Danielle: I find inspiration in various places. My main inspiration begins with the vintage photographs that I find. I propel my imagination into each image and come up with a story line around what I see. I am also inspired by other pieces of ephemera that I collect.  I love finding people’s old diaries, scrapbooks, ledgers and photo albums. The way that people used to record their lives was art in itself. Antique shows and vintage stores also provide endless amounts of inspiration.

Courtesy of Danielle Hession

Pony: Who are some of your favorite artists right now?

Danielle: So many favorite artists! I am always fascinated by what my friends are doing:  Kathryn Macnaughton just made an amazing piece of art for my birthday.  My boyfriend, Mahmood Popal‘s artwork is a constant inspiration. Another local artist, Jeff Garcia, I really admire. Sabrina Wards Harrison is my all time favorite journal artist. I could provide a long list of artists that I love but I won’t bore you with that.

Pony: It’s never boring! Is there a style of art you simply don’t enjoy?

Danielle: I have an appreciation for all types of art but there is a certain style I like to call: “You are too stupid to understand me” art. This is the super modernist blank canvas, one stripe down the canvas kind of work. It makes you feel intellectually challenged just by looking at it. Having said that, I still appreciate every artist’s vision no matter how eccentric.

Pony: What are the best/worst things about working as a freelance artist?

Danielle: I was definitely meant to work as a freelance artist. After a few internships in corporate environments, I discovered that the 9-5 wasn’t for me. I love to invent my own schedule that leaves time for friends, family and random adventures. The downside of freelance is (of course) the unreliable income. But when things get slow I enjoy coming up with creative ways to get more business. I feel very fortunate for how busy business has been.

Pony: On a new topic, your hair is gorgeous. How do you style it?

Danielle: Why thank you! I have a few tricks. Hot rollers are my number one secret. I like this because it only takes 5 minutes to roll the hair up and then let it down. I also braid my hair at night sometimes to get a wavy look. Honestly, I would have a wire-y fro if I didn’t tame the hair these ways!

Pony: And you’re always spotted wearing great vintage pieces. Whereabouts do you get them?

Danielle: People always tell me to keep the good places a secret but I like to share the goodness. Most people don’t know that there are a couple of really great vintage shops in Mirvish Village at Markham st. and Bloor. You can’t go wrong with all of the places along Ossington. There is a semi-new store on Dundas, just west of Ossington, called Penny Arcade. The other gem is Gadabout Vintage in Leslieville.

Pony: Do you feel your vintage fashion sense also represents your artwork?

Danielle: I am forever obsessed with anything old. I am convinced that I lived during the Victorian era in a past life. I am not sure if my vintage fashion sense represents my art, but I do find that the womens outfits in my art influence my style.

Courtesy of Danielle Hession

Pony: What made you come back to Toronto after being in New York and L.A.?

Danielle: Good Question. I loved living in both New York and L.A. I came back home to Toronto to be close to my family. I have six adorable nephews and one precious niece. It is so much fun to see them grow up. I also realized that I love coming home to Toronto.

“There is something so magical and wonderful about this city.”

Pony: So do we. What do you love most about Toronto?

Danielle: Toronto is a big city and a small town all at the same time. I love the mix of cultures that co-exists here. There is always something fun to do: a day trip to Toronto island, art shows, concerts, grabbing a piece of pie and a cup of coffee at Wanda’s Pie in the Sky in Kensington Market…. the list goes on. There is always that unexplainable feeling when you are coming in for landing at the Toronto airport; that feeling of “I belong here.”

To check out Danielle’s work, visit her website here, or her blog: Danny and Dani.

XoXo
-The Cowgirls.