While doing a routine and much needed hard drive cleanup I came across these photos of an old pair of canvas shoes I customized, and since I’ve just returned from a 9 week adventure around Europe, it seemed fitting to post them. These shoes were a gift for my sister (an architect major) who lived a month in each city represented in this pair, so I decided to draw each one’s most famous structure — the Eiffel Tower and La Sagrada Familia (my favorite structure in western Europe).

If you’re interested in having a custom pair of canvas shoes (Vans/Toms of any type), contact me here or at karoleen.decastro [at] gmail [dot] com for more information. I work mostly through commissions, but an online site is in the works so keep a lookout for that as well. (Also, view a pair of Philippine Custom Vans here).

And for kicks, a photo I took in Barcelona a few weeks ago:

I’m terribly late with this post but I’ve finally found decent internet connection (not through my Ipod Touch this time) that actually lets me use WordPress. There are also no people looking over my shoulder waiting for the internet, so it’s a perfect situation.

I’ve been traveling Europe since March 27 starting off in Madrid, Spain and still at it five weeks later.  It’s refreshing to embark on my second European backpack trip. I think of it as a 9 week inspiration trip as I take photos of things that interest me, sketch on trains, write in parks of old monuments, and absorb all around me that can be good for art, design, and of course life in general. Someone asked me how I could be dropping the real world for traveling, which I find amusing since I am seeing the real world. Plus for artists/designers at least, it gets pretty difficult to find inspiration at a desk, surfing the web, or looking out the office window. Every now and then it makes work easier and much more enjoyable to take a breather and cave through underground tunnels in Budapest or race ATVs to the Oia sunset. And a breather is what it is.

I got an email from a friend who found an RT ticket to Madrid for $660 and with one night of thought, we decided to book it the next day. So, many late work nights and freelance projects later, here I am in a Greek hostel updating my blog for the first time in weeks.

So far the current route has been: Spain (Madrid, Barcelona), Switzerland (Geneva, Interlaken), Italy (Milan, Rome, Naples), Greece (Athens, Santorini, Ios), Egypt (Cairo, Luxor). My travel buddies and I are currently in Athens again to start our trip up through eastern Europe. The rest of the route (we hope) will be: Zagreb, Croatia / Budapest, Hungary / Munich, Germany / Amsterdam, Netherlands / Brussels, Belgium / Dublin, Ireland / Lisbon, Portugal / then back to Madrid, and back to LA. Hopefully the volcanic explosion that happened recently has cleared up enough for us to find seats on trains when we need them, but figuring out a way from point A to point B is part of the adventure too.

Once I get home I’ll sort through the tons of photos I’ve taken and upload an entry per country. I’ll be back on the design grind in a few weeks but for now, some sleep for another 6am train ride!

edit: 05/26/10 — our second leg of the trip ended up as follows:

Zagreb, Croatia / Budapest, Hungary / Vienna, Austria / Krakow, Poland / Auschwitz, Poland / Berlin, Germany / Amsterdam, Netherlands / Brussels, Belgium / Dublin, Ireland / Lisbon, Portugal / then back to Madrid, and back to LA. Flying home in a few days!

I received a request shortly following the death of former Philippine president, Corazon Aquino, to put art on a pair of canvas shoes as a tribute to her and her husband, Benigno Aquino, also a former Philippine president. They were two of the most influential figures in Philippine history and politics.

No matter what the surface, art is a connection, and it makes me happy that it can be spread anywhere, anyhow, and for any reason. RIP Corazon Aquino.

The same paint you would use to customize Nike’s and others of leather material. You’ll fall in love with Angelus.

Waterproof and smooth.

The Philippine Islands to be connected by a side of each shoe.

Sprayed with a finish, laced, and ready to be shipped.

Also, to all the victims of Typhoon Ondoy, my heart and prayers go out to you.

Help for Typhoon Ondoy Victims in the Philippines.

If you’d like to make a request, order a pair of custom Vans shoes, or receive a quote, email me at karoleen AT karoleendesign DOT com or visit the contact page to send a message from there. Prices vary depending on the type of shoe.

Over the weekend, I had the chance to visit San Francisco after a very long 9 years. On a familiar path back to our hotel, my boyfriend and I stumbled upon this gigantic water sculpture near SF’s Ferry Building (how we did not notice this that morning, I do not know). It reminded me of an art assignment I had done years ago. It was almost as though my drawing had come to life.

I had to do some digging, but I found what I was looking for. To the right is my first real 2-point perspective drawing (primitive, I know – but I got 5 out of 5 points for it, so I’m pretty happy), of waterfalls flowing from the edges and corners of floating rectangular boxes. There are also trees growing from the top for some odd reason. Hmm.

Some photos of the sculpture:

Another artist out there must have had an idea just like mine. It would be crazy to think, but if only I could say they built my drawing. In any case, I always wondered what it would be like to run around the little worlds and things I create, and in this case, in between giant cement blocks spewing out waterfalls while the sun set. I finally got the chance to do that.

edit: Thanks to my friend Merria, who informed me that the sculpture is called Québec libre ! by Armand Vaillancourt. It comes with a very interesting story as well.