The Garage- Musings of a Blue Collar Pin-Up Artist

PDX Gorgeous

2011-03-13T00:05:00Z

PDX Gorgeous, the art of Karina Dale is going to be available for pre-sale soon!

I have been working hard with my editor and artistic genius Chris Stewart to compile a book of beautiful people I have drawn from right here in Portland and the surrounding areas.

You can keep up to date with the art at my facebook page and the production process, release dates and other info at Lobster Dog Productions.

I hope to see all of you at my release party, you can find the info here at the official invitation and event information.

Interview with Dale Doll Noah Kaleigh

2010-04-12T10:08:00Z

Welcome to the current incarnation of the Dale Doll interview.

Today we are interviewing one of my oldest and dearest friends, Noah James. I met Noah when we were only 14 years old. He was a new student at Joseph Lane Jr. High. I came into the office one day to drop off some paperwork for a teacher and there was Noah J sitting meekly in a chair waiting for some unknown reason. He was big and tiny at the same time and I knew just by looking at him he would be one of the most interesting people I had ever met in my whole life.

He told me later that he was absolutely terrified of me, seeing as I was 14 and already 5'9", he assumed I was a bully and was so full of adrenaline when I came up to talk to him he sounded like he didn't quite know how to talk. He eventually got some words out and made a bunch of new friends, me included. We have been great friends ever since, through thick and thin, through clarity and confusion, one thing was always certain; Noah J most certainly did turn out to be one of the craziest and most interesting people I have ever met in my entire life.

Noah J. -an unedited interview.

How did you become a Dale Doll?
WELL, YOU WERE finally DOING PICTURES OF BOIS FOR GAY PRIDE. IAPPARENTLY WAS GOING TO REPRESENT THE 'BEAR' PART OF THE COMMUNITY. LOL.

What was your greatest Dale Doll moment?
WHENI WAS VISITING YOUR BOOTH AT GAY PRIDE AND THAT BOI PICKED UP MY DOLLPICTURE AND WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW HOT THE GUY WAS...AND I WAS STANDINGRIGHT NEXT TO HIM AND HAD TO LOOK AWAY, HOPING HE WOULDNT RECOGNIZEME...LOL. THAT WAS AMAZING.

What is the most fantastic way anyone hastried to pick you up? Did it work?
MOST OF THE MEN WHO TRY TO PICK ME UPARE STRAIGHT, MARRIED, AND DRUNK... SO IT ALMOST ALWAYS STARTS WITH "SOWHATS IT LIKE TO KISS ANOTHER MAN?" AT WHICH POINT I JUST KISS HIM ANDSAY "SORT OF LIKE THAT..."

Do you speak any other languages?
I SPEAK A LITTLE BIT OFEVERYTHING. I AM CURRENTLY RE-LEARNING FRENCH, COZ THERE IS A FRENCHGUY WHO WORKS AT THE PUB I WORK AT WHO I WOULD LOVE TO GOSSIP WITH INFRENCH...LOL.

Do you own any yard art? If you don't have a yard would you?
I WOULDLOVE A 'BENDING OVER' GRANDMA AND GRANDPA SET.

What is yourfavorite band, or genre of music?
I LIKE MUSIC THAT MAKES ME FEELSOMETHING. IF THAT MEANS LADY GAGA FOR THE FUN TIMES, IT COULD ALSOMEAN DAMIEN RICE FOR THE NOT-SO-FUN TIMES.

How do you impact the world as we know it? Or how do you hope to?
IUSED TO BREAK UP MARRIAGES BY SLEEPING WITH THE HUSBAND, NOW I JUSTWRITE COMIC BOOKS. I'M CONSIDERING WRITING A SELF-HELP BOOK ON 'HOW TOGET WHAT YOU WANT, EVEN IF YOU SHOULDN'T WANT IT'

How do you feel about icons like Bettie Page, Marilyn Monroe, GypsyRose Lee and Little Egypt? Name your own icons if you like.
IF I HADBEEN BORN A WOMAN, OR AT LEAST A "BEAUTIFUL" MAN, I FEEL LIKE I HAVE THEPERSONALITY TO HAVE BECOME AN ICON MYSELF. ITS PROBABLY FOR THE BESTTHOUGH, I WOULD HAVE TEN KIDS AND THREE STDS BY NOW IF I HAD BEEN.

Soda, Ice Tea, Beer, Energy Drink or Water?
I PRETTY MUCH LIVE OFFOF COFFEE AND CIGARETTES THESE DAYS...

How do you feel aboutsustainability and our consumer culture? ..........*UNCOMFORTABLEGIGGLE* I'M SO CUTE... WHAT DO YOU THINK OF MY SHOES?

Do you have a deep love of anything vintage or retro?
I lovePOLYESTER. ASK ANYONE WHO KNEW ME BACK IN THE DAY... I WAS KNOWN FORWEARING OLD GRANDMA POLYESTER PANTS SUITS WITH PLATFORM BOOTS AND ABONDAGE COLLAR. DUDE, I WAS HOT.

Do you own pets?
I HAVE THE BEST DOG IN THE WORLD. HIS NAME ISHANDLE. LIKE 'DOOR HANDLE' OR 'CAR HANDLE'.... OR AS MY WIFE WOULDSAY.. 'SO CUTE WE CANT HANDLE IT.'....

Who is your favoritecomic book hero/heroine?
HMMMM.... HONESTLY, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE'ELIJAH, THE UNDYING', FROM THE LITTLE KNOWN COMIC BOOK SERIES "THEBOOKS OF IDUMEA' LOL..

Cowboys, Steampunks, Ninjas or Pirates?
HMMMMM...... CAN I HAVECOWBOYS WITH ONE EYE, A PEG-LEG, A MOHAWK, WHO ALSO HAPPEN TO SILENTLYKILL PEOPLE WITH THROWING STARS? IM NOT SO GOOD AT MAKING DECISIONS.

Whatis your biggest guilty pleasure?
POP MUSIC. I CANT HELP IT. REGARDLESS OF HOW MUCH I REBEL AGAINST THE GAY GENE, I JUST CANT STOPBUYING BRITNEY, GAGA, MADGE, AND MY NEW FAVORITE K$SHA. NEXT THING IKNOW IM DANCING AROUND THE HOUSE, STRIPPING OFF MY CLOTHES, GRINDING ONANYTHING THAT REMOTELY RESEMBLES A STRIPPER POLE... REALLY, ITSRIDICULOUS.

Who or what is your greatest asset?
MY GREATEST ASSET IS MY SENSEOF HUMOR. AND ALSO MY DOG... BOTH ARE SURE-FIRE CHICK AND DUDEMAGNETS. CRACK A JOKE WHILE WALKING YOUR DOG AND YOU CAN ALMOSTGUARANTEE A STINKY, SWEATY, BACK-ALLEY SCREW WITH A STRANGER. IM JUSTSAYIN.

Who are your biggest professional influences?
G*D, GAGA, ANDGHANDI. YUP, IN THAT ORDER.

Whats the best advice you've evergotten?
EXPECT NOTHING, SO YOU WILL NEVER BE DISAPPOINTED.

Do youlike our current president?
I DO. I THINK HE NEEDS TO QUIT TRYING TOAPPEASE ALL SIDES THOUGH, AND JUST DO WHAT HE WANTS TO DO. IF HE TOOKMORE OF A 'G.W.' APPROACH AND JUST DID WHATEVER HE WANTED AND TOLD THEREST OF THE WORLD TO EFF OFF, HE MIGHT ACTUALLY START DOING A LOT MOREGOOD.

What is the most fabulous thing you own?
SHADES. SHADES OF ALLSHAPES, SIZES, COLORS, AND DESIGNERS. SHADES ARE PRETTY MUCH THE ONLYTHING I OWN WITH A NAME BRAND.

Name one thing you wouldchange about the world.
I WOULD MAKE THE WHOLE WORLD BUDDHIST. BECAUSEONLY THEN WOULD THE WORLD BE LIVING A LIFE MORE CHRIST-LIKE.

Name one thing you would change about yourself.
I WOULD LIKE TO BE APOST-IT NOTE. IM NOT ENTIRELY SURE WHY.

Do you believe inaliens?
YES. CHER IS AN ALIEN, AND I LOVE HER.

Do you like LOLcats? Would you show us your favorite LOL cat so we can share?
I THINKTHIS MAY BE A POP CULTURE REFERENCE THAT I AM UNAWARE OF... CATS THATLAUGH OUT LOUD? SOUNDS TERRIFYING.

How do you feel about Mean Girls, how can women be more humane witheach other? ALL OF MY BEST FRIENDS ARE MEAN GIRLS. I LOVE MEAN BITCHYWOMEN. I AM TOTALLY RACHEL MCADAMS THOUGH. AND IN CRICKET, I ALWAYSPLAY RED.

Whats the hardest part of your workday?
WORKING. I FIND IN MY OLDAGE THAT I REALLY DO HATE PEOPLE.

Whats the most enjoyable partof your workday?
THE MONEY THAT PEOPLE GIVE ME FOR BEING SO GOOD ATGETTING THEM TO BELIEVE I REALLY LOVE THEM.

Whatis the best decision you have ever made?
TO BE ME. THROUGH THICK ANDTHIN, SICKNESS AND HEALTH, MARRIAGE AND INFIDELITIES.... I AM ALWAYSME. I KNOW THAT THE PEOPLE AROUND ME REALLY LOVE ME BECAUSE THEY SEETHE ASSHOLE THAT I AM, AND THEY DONT LEAVE.

What are you most passionate about?
BEER. COMIC BOOKS. BOYS. RELIGION. POLITICS. FOOTBALL. AND HOT GIRLS WHO BEAT ME UP AND CALLME NAMES. IN THAT ORDER.

Are you a fan of recycling, reusing andreducing consumption?
THIS IS SUCH A 'PORTLAND' QUESTION. LOL.

Well thank you very much Noah. I enjoyed that very much and I hope all of you did also. Please leave a comment so we know were being read and we will continue this series next week.

Much Love,
Karina Dale

p.s. I am so seriously not a mean girl. Haha. C'est la Vie!

I think its time for me to start using my blog.

2010-03-22T18:23:00Z

As most of you who know me well know I am not incredibly inclined to talk about myself. This writing a blog about me is kinda difficult and I avoid it.

Alas poor blog I shall attempt to not avoid you.

So as a legitimate update I have been working closely with a new show here in town, and fantastic old friends who are touring soon. I have a ton of new work that I update regularly to my facebook fan page.

Karina Dale on Facebook

Hopefully that link works!

I will be on the radio, podcasts, and in some magazines here soon, and when those things happen I will post links and such. I will also be opening for a limited quantity of commissions soon, so if you have your heart set on one, get ready! It will be first come first served.

Thanks everyone for all your support and loves. I really appreciate all of it!

Bettie Page

2008-12-12T05:38:00Z

LA Times Story

After a long life, a successful career, a reincarnation, an incarceration, and veritable sainthood to the whole alternative community, the illustrious and humble Bettie Page has passed away.

We loved her, we always will.

Karina Dale

Featured Clients: Janice of the Red Hats

2008-12-05T18:22:00Z

Every once in a while I have to show the world what I have been working on and who I have been working with.

My latest client is named Janice. I finally came up with some good questions that answer all the basics so I am going to stop talking and let Janice speak for herself.

Thanks Janice!

1. Tell us about you, where are you now? where are you from, and what are you doing with your life right now?

Born and raised in MD. Not doing much with my life but enjoying it. I love life.

2. What is your family like?

We are a fun loving bunch. We love to travel and go ghost hunting.

3. When did you first realize you liked pin-ups, what inspired you?

I really don't know. I was curious about the Betty Page craze as so many of the younger crowd seem really into.

4. What are your views on size acceptance, the idea that everyone is beautiful regardless of weight.

We have a very unforgiving and intolerant society. I find beauty in the soul not the body.

I am fat and I think I am damn cute.

5. How did you find out about Karina Dale, and what inspired you to want to be made into a Dale Doll?

I saw Karina's profile on myspace. I thought...wow...a gift idea for the hubby. He is very hard to buy for. Kinda apprehensive cause the glamour shots didn't go over too well but shoot, I love this pin-up! So kind of a selfish gift. I get to enjoy it and hope he does.

6. Your part of the Illustrious Red Hat Society http://www.redhatsociety.com What is that like?

Mostly fun. I love playing dress up. I enjoy the outings and events. We have seen shows and gone to tearooms and have parties. Lots of eating goes on too...and shopping.

7. Your also covered in awesome tattoos does that make life in The Red Hat Society more interesting?

I am their token tattooed member. I am the Contessa of Tattoos and the Empress of eBay.

8. I am not 50 yet, but I have a pink hat and an awesome lavender dress...Do you think they'd let me come to tea?

Let you come? We encourage it! Would be cool to have a chapter of red and pink hatters with tatts and are pinups don't ya think??

9. Do you have any remarkable hobbies, or noteworthy pursuits?

Ghost hunting is my favorite hobby. I love staying in haunted bed and breakfasts.

10. Is there anyone special your going to give your pin-up to? Is there anyone you would like to recognize, thank, or just say HI! to?

Yeah, hubby gets the pin-up. I would like to thank Karina for being awesome. I am honored to be a Dale Doll.

I think everyone should do something like this for themselves. It is a great boost! I am tickled tattooed over the pin-up!

Thanks so much Janice! Its classy dames like you that keep me in the buisness!
-Karina

Featured Clients:There Once Was A Girl Named Shirley

2008-08-17T02:51:00Z

So this REALLY interesting woman contacted me a while ago. She is in Iraq VOLUNTARILY, working and actually having a decent time. She wanted me to do a pin-up of her. She was referred by a friend of mine and she seemed a bit apprehensive about the fact that she was older, or something like that. When I saw her picture I was like.... WHAT? SERIOUSLY? This woman is exactly what I imagine when I hear the term cougar mentioned. I was instantly in love with the idea of working for her.

I offered to do a bunch of extra stuff for her to say thanks for being brave enough to be over in Iraq and all. My Significant Other Matthew is military and spent so long over there while we were dating and I know how hard it is. Even if she is working in a palace.

and this is Shirley in real life

She is vibrant, gorgeous, extroverted, and so incredibly nice. She was just a joy to work with. I decided to get a bit of perspective from her and ask her a few questions. This is what she had to say.

1. tell us about you, where are you from, and what are you doing with your life right now?

Originally I am from Cleveland Ohio, but moved to Colorado springs in 1997 where I started down the path of computer help desk technician. It eventually led me to apply for a job in Iraq because my job was being outsourced and I thought it would be an exciting experience. I honestly had no idea what going to a war zone meant, but even though my lead thought I would never manage to make it here for a full year, I will have been on this contract four years at the end of October 2008. I love my job and the people I work with. But I think it is getting time to go home to my family.

2. When did you first realize you liked pin-ups, what inspired you?

I have a friend. Kim. She sent me a pin-up that you did of her and I was enthralled. I saw her in it and I wanted to be able to have something that showed my best features like hers did. She sent me to you.

3. What are your views on size acceptance, the idea that everyone is beautiful regardless of weight.

In the days of Ruben, I would have been a Goddess. They loved their women round and soft. I believe I am beautiful and desirable in spite of the way the media has portrayed beauty. I real man will see beauty for what it is. Inner strength, character, a big heart and hope, and all this comes out in a real woman as beauty, with or without extra weight.

4. How did you find out about Karina Dale, and what inspired you to want to be made into a Dale Doll?

My best friend Kimmy. She was so excited and so thrilled about her art and I wanted to feel what she felt. She told me I could. All I had to do was write to you.

5. is there anyone special your going to give your pin-up to? Is there anyone you would like to recognize, thank, or just say HI! to? I have a very special friend I will be sending it to. Someone who has stood by me for the last 10 years. Someone who has been my roommate, my confidant and my most significant other. And I want to thank Kim for sending me to you.

It feels good to let the world know I am a sexy lady and that I am proud to be me. I'll be putting this up on my blog, and maybe on a few dating sites! Think it'll get me noticed?

Thanks Karina... I am sending a ton of love your way!!

And much love right back to ya Shirley!

You can find out more about Shirley from her blog http://crazyiniraq.blogspot.com/

if you stop by send some love her way!

<3
Karina

Featured Clients: Inkerbella! Pin-Up/ Fetish Model

2008-05-09T02:32:26Z

This is Pin-Up Fetish model Inkerbella.

That super hot Gretsch was provided courtesy of the ever illustrious Zach Heald. He has sexy guitars.

Inkerbella has recently been interviewed by BettiePage.com. She was the interview right after mine. You should go and read it. The interview was great and does a far better job telling you who Inkerbella is than I could ever do!

She is a fetish model, a mom, a pin-up and now a Dale Doll. Yeah Shayna came up with that. pretty spiffay huh?

Inkerbella got her own banner. She was the first person I experimented on and she liked it so I am going to keep making people Banners. Clicking this banner will take you to her MySpace.

She contacted me after my interview with bettie page.com and of all the people to respond she was definitely the most charming and cute. So I was not incredibly surprised when she was interviewed also. With a request from Shayna I put her at the front of the list of people to draw, and man am I glad I did. She proved to be one of the most inspiring people I have worked with so far!

get a banner!!!

2008-05-05T10:07:00Z

Copy and paste the code below for your own Dale Doll Banner!

Copy and paste the code below for your own Karina Dale Banner!

Featured Clients: This is Helen, the Rock and Roll Librarian.

2008-04-27T21:31:00Z

www.karinadale.com

http://www.myspace.com/leatherlibrarian

This is Helen

(Quoted from her MySpace)

Librarian by day, Pin-up by night!

I work in a university library during the day, which is actually really fun, but outside of work I'm involved in various bits 'n' bobs. I like to do a bit of pin-up posing and I'm quite vocal about body-positivty - hence my new website, www.pinup-parade.com!

(end quote)

She is quite an amazing woman. I feel lucky to have found her and be able to draw her. Everyone should go and check out her MySpace and learn more about her! You might just fall a little bit in love, just like I have.

http://www.myspace.com/leatherlibrarian

Thank you so much Helen!

And thanks to my readers !

Karina

I was in the BettiePage.com Blog

2008-04-19T22:53:00Z

So it was a weird and fantastic day yesterday. I was interviewed by the BettiePage.com blog.

"Karina Dale, Blue Collar Pin-Up Artist at BettiePage.com"

My whole family read it, all of my friends. Tons of people went and commented and left me notes. People added me on MySpace, People dropped me notes of encouragement. I am really happy!

Its really special to me because I have never gotten any sort of recognition beyond people one on one. I have never complained LOL but I was always passed over in school because my teachers felt that other students needed the encouragement. Other people assumed I was far more professional than I actually was, so I wouldn't appreciate their exposure or I didn't need it. How strange is that?

Either way, I want the world to know that THIS is the first mass exposure I have ever gotten and I am really proud of it. Bettie Page is the worlds most famous Pin-Up and I really appreciate everything everyone has done.

This is exciting.

<3
Karina

Featured Clients: This is Zach Heald

2008-04-16T08:37:00Z

www.karinadale.com

Zach is an artist and a musician from Livermore California, he requested a commission for the purpose of being made into a sticker for his upright bass. He had some ideas, he gave them to me and I sent him back a couple of rough sketches with some choices he could make. His response was something like "Damn you for making me choose!" lol

Zach is incredibly charming and really generous so I made two similar images for him and printed them both out as stickers.

The quest for good stickers is really what ended up bringing you this website. Through the search I found out I could make my own and make them better than I could order them. So I did, now I sell them.

You will find a version of his commission at The Shop The one you see in the shop is called the Zach Heald pin-up, but he has a version that has different makeup, eyes, and she is sporting matching pinstriped lingerie. His commission is not for sale to anyone else.

You can find Zach at and at www.myspace.com/zachheald and http://z-heald.deviantart.com/

<3 Karina

Where did it all begin?

2008-04-15T16:50:00Z

www.karinadale.com

So where did all this begin?

My Mother would probably blame my fathers easily accessible collection of classic Playboys, or the plethora of Centerfolds hanging in the garage of my youth. My Father would probably say the same thing. Yet there is a well known fact that I rarely subscribe to the circumstance that is most obvious, and I often keep my thoughts and ideas to myself. Since I was such an enigma as a child they might just both decline to comment at all. lol

I'll tell you, yeah, those images intrigued me but they had no context in my life, they didn't look like anyone I knew. They were beautiful, but me? I loved ART. Anything drawn or painted. Anything illustrated like cartoons and comic books. For me the very very beginning was the classic Victorian advertisements.

Those ancient Art Nouveau beauties with their flowing hair, or corsets and big hats. They were all over the antique shop that was connected to the restaurant my mother, aunt, and grandmother worked at. The whole area I grew up in had a big boom in the early 1910's and 20's and then fizzled to a small satellite town that was antiquated to epic proportions. So they played it up for the tourists and the whole place was filled to the brim with antiques and really old STUFF.

I used to go down to the Oakland Trader I think it was called. It was an old corrugated steel warehouse/barn that had been turned into a antique shop. They had prints of Gaslight Players shows and old advertisements like this.

I loved the muted colors and white skin of the models. I could see the dynamics of my hands drawn in their hands. I could see the potential to someday have hair like that (which I do ) and to someday know how to paint that way. I followed my interests into old magazines and books at the library, eventually finding the old Gibson Girl ads.

The Gibson Girl, I learned, was THE ORIGINAL pin-up girl. I was about 12 years old by now and I was so library savvy at this point I though "So what in the heck is a pin-up girl anyhow? " and I went and looked that up. I found pictures of Betty Grable, Rita Hayworth, Marilyn Monroe, and even Betty Page. I found all the artists I would come to idolize like Billy Devorss, Gil Elvgren, George Petty, Earl Moran, Earl Macpherson, and especially Pearl Frush. She had a SUPER photorealistic style and man did I love that. The idea that someone could paint so well you couldn't tell the difference from a photograph. That was amazing.

I like big pictures, you will have to forgive me

So after that I basically had an obsession going for myself. I changed styles when I decided to paint instead of draw in pencil, then I became highly allergic to the paints I used so...I went back to pencil.

Finally after years of thinking I could never really make good color art because of my allergies I found openCanvas for my computer, which has such realistic sketching tools I fell in love. Now I draw my friends, real women I know, as well as I know how, with openCanvas and a 90 dollar wacom tablet. I have nothing fancy, and I don't intend to ever. Did I mention that I am pretty blue collar, I get it done with what I've got, and make do with what I have.

I intend to keep doing this till my hands fall off pretty much, so what about you guys? What made you love pin-ups?

Karina