Etsy Video

Missed Connections on the New York Subway

 

 

I was thrilled recently to be invited to create a poster for the New York MTA Arts for Transit program. Thrilled is something of an understatement. Every year, two different artists create subway related posters which hang in all the new trains in the city. My friend, the wonderful R. Gregory Christie has designed the other one, so I am in excellent company. Thousands of our posters will be in circulation, so if you are traveling under or over Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens or the Bronx any time in 2012, you can't miss them. The first one has been spotted on the M train just this morning, other trains to follow.

Needless to say I love the subway. I glean all my characters from my fellow passengers. The same sorts of things which attracted me to Missed Connections, I find on the train: subtle interactions, eccentricity, beauty, sorrow, secrets, kindness, generosity, excellent hairdos. Every sort of person imaginable and unimaginable. For this poster, I measured my allotted space very carefully and figured out I had enough space to draw 34 people. I had to whittle and whittle my list of favorite characters. The surfer standing with his board in a puddle of water didn't make it. Neither did the gorgeous elderly drag queen, the man with the enormous orange velour armchair or the disheveled mermaids. I'm sorry. I still love you.

I believe the poster will soon be puchase-able online at the MTA store for about $25. Proceeds from the sales go to support the not-for-profit New York Transit Museum’s exhibitions and education programs.

Love It or Hate It, Valentine's Day Approaches...

From now until Valentine's Day, buy any three prints in the store and receive a free, signed copy of the book, Missed Connections, Love Lost and Found!

Missed Connections e-Book for $1.99!

Workman is offering a bunch of great e-books (including Missed Connections!) for only $1.99 for a limited time.
 Quick! Click here!
And Happy New Year!

Sweet Robotic Moves in Boston

From the Boston Globe:

This past week, Boston.com readers submitted their own missed connection ads to Love Letters columnist Meredith Goldstein. Goldstein passed them to Blackall, who chose her favorite as inspiration for a special illustration.

The winner
you hooked me in with your sweet robot moves and cat shirt. none of that grinding stuff, just natural robotic talent. you said ‘‘hey, you’re cute.’’ and i said, ‘‘you, too’’ and then i elbowed you in the ribs because i’m not very smooth when it comes to romance. i thought this exchange meant we agreed on a sloppy bar makeout? whenever i busted out the robot arms, your robotic arms chopped mine in half. kept looking at your cat shirt thinking, ‘‘yesssss, i can see us marrying and having lots of cats.’’ went to dance on stage with friends and then lost you?!?myfriend said you got shy, which makes you and your cat shirt even more cute!!! spent a ridiculous amount of time searching for your pussy shirt, but alas, i lost both you and my heart on the dance floor. find me cat shirt guy, find me. p.s. i also put up ‘‘LOST: cat shirt guy’’ signs for you.
ana s., brookline

Time Out NY Competition Winner

The winning Missed Connections story came from Cat Hughes, from Dublin. The painting is above, and here is the original message: (printed in last week's Time Out New York magazine)

You were wearing an average office suit with an admirably messy haircut. I was the girl with brown curly hair and a blouse with horses on it. We did that awkward back-and-forth shuffle of two strangers trying to pass each other on the street; then you grabbed me and gently swirled me in a mini waltz in the middle of the lunchtime shoppers and angry passersby. I would understand that moment if it happened now – two people sharing a delicate second in a day that hadn't gone to plan. But no, when it happened I was in my awkward early-twenties, so I just frowned, trudged away and hoped no one had noticed. Thanks for making my day.

No.2 Pencil 4 Batman

-w4m
You admired my wooden legs and caught me in your sticky wings. Wish I'd stayed a bit longer.

Here it is! The Competition You Were Promised!

A while ago I promised you a fun, collaborative competition. Well here it is! Time Out New York is seeking your Missed Connections and I am going to illustrate one of them. From the magazine:
"In conjunction with the publication of Sophie Blackall’s sweetly whimsical book of illustrated Craigslist ads titled Missed Connections: Love, Lost and Found (Workman Publishing, $14), TONY is seeking readers’ stories of blown opportunities ala Craigslist. The winner will have his or her story illustrated by Blackall and will receive a signed copy of the illustration, as well as a signed copy of the book. Two runners-up will also receive a signed copy of Missed Connections."
To enter, click here.
 To all of you who sent me lovely emails over the past years asking me to draw your own personal Missed Connection, now is your chance! Enter, enter!
ps This drawing is meant to be me, catching your messages.

Launch Party, October 6th in Brooklyn NY!

If you live within a convenient radius of Greenpoint, NY, or even if it's slightly inconvenient, please join me on October 6th at 7pm at Word for the launch of Missed Connections, Love Lost & Found! I will be introduced by Brett Fletcher Lauer and Gretchen Scott of Ships that Pass, and will share the stage with audience members telling their own missed connections stories and some special guests. (If you're interested in telling a story, please email Jenn at info@wordbrooklyn.com. And if you like, you can RSVP for the event on Facebook
I can't wait to meet you.
x


 

Small Talk About Weather

Small talk about weather w/ awkward blonde in tribal print dress  
Thursday, August 4, 2011
- w4m - 28 
You caught me looking at you on the corner of Carmine and Varick and then approached me to make small talk about the weather. I blushed, stuttered, and had a moment of verbal diarrhea that culminated in me asking you what you did. You looked disconcerted, said something about mailing lots of envelopes to LA, after which I got even more awkward, said "good luck with that" and fled. With a face like that, you're probably not single. Even if you are, I'd likely still be shy and tongue-tied.

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