I haven't forgotten about you...

I swear.  I think about you every.single.day.

 

I have been bound (and gagged) by horrible grown up stuff like...cleaning and signing leases and paying bills.  Yuck.  Short story with zero periods: Our lease is up in July, the same direction our rent is going, we were going to move, I cleaned like one does when preparing to move (as in, hauled ass cleaning EVERYTHING), I created a donation pile so large I will have to make multiple trips, decided not to move, everything is nice and clean, and I have been doing much artwork since.  Even some things to sell! Woohoo!

 

Tonight I quickly sketched out a drawing for an eventual painting I want to do for our living room/Manbearpig Cave.  Hopefully the painting will be done tomorrow when the Husband is gone.  Then I will hang it in said cave so when he comes home, he can "oooh" and "aaah" and all of that stuff people REALLY into action figures do.

 

Please note that the current figure has 3 hands and some seriously twisted features...he will be losing 1 hand and his features will be restored. 

 

 

Wonderful Little Things...

I have nothing of interest going on so I wanted to tell you about something/someone that interests me…

A few months back I met Courtney, of Wonderful Little Things.  I was on Craigslist hunting for the perfect seating to use in my home studio and she was selling this attractive, simple daybed that I just had to get my grubby mitts on.  Which I did.  In the process I not only gained some seriously kick ass seating, but also met a fellow creative cat and that just bumped the whole deal up to Awesome.

Courtney has an Etsy shop featuring several of her hand-painted ceramic dishes (multi-purpose – what!), a couple hand painted wood frames, and a hand painted pendant.  The point is everything is hand-painted.  My favorite bit is not only are the paintings free hand, but they have a mehndi look to them and, really, when does that ever go wrong in home décor?  It doesn't, that's when.

Because I can be somewhat of a tightwad, I enjoy reasonably priced…everything.  Her items are really reasonably priced (possibly under, in my opinion).  The bases are structurally unique on their own, so having ornate designs well placed on top really makes for attractive pieces.

Earlier this year, Courtney began collaborating with Green Market Girl on Eco Cuffs.  Courtney's designs appear in the Muse collection and adorn these eco-friendly, attractive, and well priced wrist cuffs.  Love it!

So, while you're surfing the webs, hop over to each link I posted and see what's up – I kinda, sorta think you're going to dig what you see…

[tags handmade, small business, business, decoration, decor, jewelry, bracelets, eco, paint, design, art, green, mehndi]

The Photo Response Project

In addition to the Self Portrait Project and the Mystery Project, I'm also doing the Photo Response Project - a free project offered by the Art House Co-op.

 

It needed to be postmarked by April 30th and I will be one day late.  At least I finished it!

 

I should say, though, that I thought it had to be postmarked on the 31st and I thought tomorrow was the 31st.  As I discover every year, there are not 31 days in April...  *The more you know!*

 

 

[tags art house, art, art house co-op, photo, photo response, painting, drawing, acrylic, canvas, project, sorrow, sad, color]

Illustration Friday: Heights

When I was younger, I had to wear a Milwaukee brace.  The name sounds fun because "Milwaukee" is involved in a lot of neat things, including beer, but this was not fun.  Though it did a variety of things to me, the relevant-to-this-post thing is that it did not allow me to look down.  It held my head up and forward and it took a lot of getting used to.  With each step, I felt like I was going to fall off the edge of whatever I was standing on, even if what I was standing on had no edges - didn't matter.  Thus, I became afraid of heights.  Walking on ground was frightening enough...walking on anything elevated was a nightmare.  Thankfully, the elementary school I attended was kind enough to give me a key to the elevator so I could completely avoid the stairs.

 

So here is my translation of Illustration Friday's "Heights":

 

[tags illustration, illustration friday, pastels, pencil, ink, colored pencil, brace, scoliosis, milwaukee brace, child, heights, height]

Topsail Island vacation...

"Mrs. Gump, is there a Mr. Gump?"

"He's on vacation."

 

Probably not at Topsail Island, though.  Which is where I am and have been since the 14th.  I would like to say "That is why I have not updated my blog" but that would be a lie.  I could say that I was busy getting things together for vacation, but that would only be a half-truth.  I have not updated my blog because of my typical reasons.  However, I did manage to post every day for a whole week that one week a couple weeks ago!! (did you follow that?  I didn't)

 

So, yes, Topsail Island, NC.  Specifically, Surf City, NC.  It has been beautiful and even though today is a gray one, that's quite alright as I tend to favor them.  I wanted to share with you a picture I took at sunrise on the 18th.  Here:

 

[tags photography, photo, beach, ocean, atlantic ocean, sunrise, island, topsail, topsail island, surf city, surf, waves, water, vacation]

The Self Portrait Project...

Still working on it.

 

[tags art house co-op, painting, acrylic, portrait, self portrait, canvas, art house, art, project]

The painting is done...

And now I need to find a new thing to do.  This photo was taken before I put the clear coat on and I wish I had taken a better one because I always struggle with taking pictures of varnished paintings.  If anyone has some good tips on how to do that, send 'em my way!

 

 

[tags art, painting, canvas, orange, landscape, portrait, dream, nightmare, storm, ocean, sky]