Prompt 1

Prompt: A large cat made entirely out of cloud-like material

I chose a caracal. they're not big like a lion, but bigger and fiercer than your average housecat. ^_^ And I love their faces/ears/head shapes!

Escapist

While Jeff and I were gone, his snake "got out" and was later found tangled in the antlers of Stanley McDeerface. The images was too vivid in my mind to pass up.  I would love to take a camera to really get a feel for how Nergal would rest herself. I think one I got a handle on that, this would make an awesome woodcut....

Smashbook pages

So I joined a smashbook page swap. I've never made any sort of smashbook. Though, one could argue that my wall of emphemera is it's own sort of smashwall.

Once I wrapped my head around the concept....I came up with the idea that empty smashbook pages are a lot like empty journal art pages. You set up the
theme and the person can add whatever.

The theme of the swap was "This is the time for...." and then we had to come up with four different words/themes for each of the pages. I think I did pretty well considering I'd never tried anything like this before.

These first four are back/front on two separate pages.

While these last four are done with one larger page folded in half to create a folio.

Funny. I accidentally put all the pictures of the interactive pages on the right.

Fallen Between the Cracks

Experimenting with color....

Here's some art I found while organizing my photos. I documented them, but they never made it to a post!

These were the valentines I made. I created a linocut and then
printed with wet chalk pastels. 

I asked my roommate for a drawing prompt-two words
She came back with "slimey balls." Oil pastel.

When I started Americorps, one of the projects during
orientation was to create and art piece that represented
your voice....

The Juggler--ATCs

Here are my two ATCs for a swap themed "Circus series--The Juggler". I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do, but I think they turned out pretty fun. If I were to receive the one on the right, I would probably keep it in my collection!

Bird-Themed

 So I have been busy with lots of art-directed swaps! Here are my ATCs, most of them with a zentangle prompt. Notice how I am learning: I've begun to allow the patterns to be their own barriers and not add artificial border lines. Some are more successful than others.

 This ATC on the top is one I am very proud of. It has a title: "Fibonacci's Tangle." I was inspired by my boyfriend's newest tattoo idea. The rose compass ouroborus also began as another of his tattoo ideas. Though that one I took more liberties with. :) The swap specifications required the use of a gel pen, at which point I both remembered how fun they could be and realized that none of mine really worked anymore and the ones that did work, did so badly.














The ACT that is odd-tangled-out, as it were, is part of a series of bird-themed mail art that I created. The first envelope shown is merely supposed to be doodled while the rest are similarly bird-themed. I went on a supplies-buying spree yesterday and part of what I bought was this funky shopping-list style pad of paper. It has turned out to be most useful. And I cannot claim either of those types of bird images. Though I have taken them out of their original context and altered them somewhat, their original forms can be found while meandering about Google or Pinterest. The idea of the almost tribal/abstracted bird paired with ginko leaves is my own invention, and I still find it rather fascinating.

Keep a lookout for that motif repeating itself!

 

ATC

So, I've decided to utilize swapping as a means to encourage/push me to create more art. I'm stagnating!


To start off with, today I've created three ATCs for different swaps. Two for zentangle letters and a mushroom theme.




It's been forever since I've made any ATCs, so I tried to stick to my strength of drawing. Still, it feels like cheating. xp I put a little charm on the non-zentangle one to make myself feel better. I think it looks cute! ^_^

The zentangles are fun doodle-projects.







   

Two nights of drawing....

It is good to follow lines of muscle and bone again.

Digital Sketch

Stumbleupon sent me to this cool sketchy website where you could use different "styles" to draw with. I created this.

Knee Sketch

So I actually had an idea for a piece pop into my head! I don't really particularly like my American Art and Architecture class, but it has definitely been inspiring. I've definitely had a bunch of doodles. What should I create out of them? Maybe if I had some time.....I just hope my muse doesn't run away from me before I get the chance!

Envelopes

I haven't been too focused on art this past while. I'm sure I've done some things, but I guess I do my blogging in waves of memory. Recently, I've been on another mail kick. The cool thing about that is the envelopes. I make way too many to showcase them all, but here's a sampling. I mostly just doodle designs in colored pencil.....

I made this one to echo the stationary I used. That's a good motif to bounce off of.

Inspired Dream

I had such a vivid, affect-filled dream that the images have stayed with me all day. From the two that I scribbled down before class, to the one I worked on at leisure, and the one I just got down to get it out of my head....

Colored pencils, while I like that you can layer, are often not smooth enough for me. Or.....perhaps I need the spendy ones. I've used them...so nice......