Tascha love...

Lookit, lookit!



Yep, I just won this lovely Tascha print.



Isn't it beautiful?

Happy birthday to me, huh?

*Shouts yay! and does incredibly silly chair dance.*

Thanks again, Tascha.

trying something...

So I decided to try my hand at ATC's using leftovers scrounged from work trash, my trash, and the usual supply suspects. This is my first set, and it was inspired by my sister. I just have to finish off the backs and figure out a cool way to put them together for her...

Have I mentioned that my sister is badass?

Thank you, Mom...

For everything.

I love you more every minute I live.

What do I need?

Well, since you didn't really ask I'll tell you.

This is something that I also want. A lot.

What I need is a table. Nothing fancy. Something sturdy I can scoot up to and put my legs under while I'm working on projects.

A table is something that I often think about. Wish about.

Times are tight, so for now I'm improvising... but one day I will stumble across my table. And it shall be of the perfect height. And it shall be roomy enough that I might spread my stuff out a bit if the mood strikes.

And, yea, my stuff will be glad not to be balanced upon the arm of a chair for once.

some older stuff...

I started this blog with this image:




This is the first image from my current life book, done this year. I realized that I'd done this sort of image before, but I feel that journaling is an intuitive thing for me, so I went ahead with it, and I was pretty pleased with how it turned out.

Lately I've been looking through some older journals, and I found two other, similar drawings. I should explain that these are from when I was keeping mandala journals a few years back. I use the term mandala journal loosely here. I realize that a lot of people associate the term mandala with circular, more pattern based or structured images.

These are from a method that I picked up in art therapy (depression and anxiety) which just involves the circle. Start with the circle, then do what comes intuitively. These images can then be "translated" to reveal where you are emotionally, mentally, etc. based on color. style, composition, etc.

Only I never went for the translation aspect of things. I really just used the circle as a starting point, and the art itself as a means of release. I do believe in the validity of this aspect of things... but I wanted to draw and play with color more than I wanted to research... There's a telling confession, I suppose.

(There are books out there on translating your mandalas. Perhaps one day I will find some links to share here.)

Anyway, back to the stuff I started rambling about in the first place... Tea or coffee cups with faces. I think these images come out of me for a lot of different reasons. Tea and coffee are comfort items for me, and I always have a mug of one or the other right on hand. Also, I think the images are a way of saying that I feel like I'm being consumed in one way or anther. I like that the drawings always turn out a bit kitschy as well. These are just a few of the far ranging reasons that I think I go back to them.

This image is from 2005:




For the mandala journals, my materials consisted almost exclusively of Crayola markers, fine and ultra-fine tipped sharpies, those yellow Papermate mechanical pencils, whatever colored pencils I could afford, and a few heavy artists pencils. I still keep all of these things on hand because I love using them, but I am trying to use new things these days.

I like the swirls here, and the kitty cat, and I think that I like the composition of this one best out of the three.

The last one here is actually the first one that I did, all the way back in 2003:




This one is actually probably the best example of that consumed feeling I mentioned before. And of how tired and fed up I felt at that point in time, even though I knew that the best thing to do was to just keep offering myself up in the best ways that I could. This was a very straining, draining time in my life, but one that I wouldn't exchange for anything, save a happy ending of the sort that only occurs in fairy tales.

If you look close, you can see just how stressed I was... The area inside the saucer was done in very dark pencil, and I apparently pressed hard enough to crease the paper.


Looking at all of these really forces me to think about where I was, and where I am now.

It shows me some of my common themes, and how I've grown ( and perhaps regressed at times) in my art.

See, I just really realized that these teacups are always me. Yes, a lot of things that I draw represent how I feel, but I think these little cups are the most realistic way that I have ever portrayed myself in my art. And it was all intuitive.

Please pardon me while I have a great big moment with myself...

couple more...

These two are from Suzi Blu assignments.


First is the Mola power animal... You know, I tried not to pick cats, but cats just are. These are my gemini cats, similar, yet different. Together.

(Yes, that's a glare. Sorry. Working on it.)

Next is the "Start with a flower" assignment. Lots of Crayola going on for this one.


To me, it's about feeling lost. Obscured.

I do love Suzi Blu. How inspiring is she? Really. Do I have to even say it?

trying...

Yes, trying to get back on track.

that's strange...

Somehow my youtube favorites player... suddenly ended up being someone else's. Nothing bad, mind you, just not exactly my taste.

Anyway, I fixed it. I hope it stays... mine.

I wonder if someone who thought they put up Dimu Borgir and other assorted heavy stuff was surprised to find Suziblu, Mothra, and Shonen Knife on their page... Kind of funny, actually.